A middle-aged couple sits on a misty beach on the south coast of England awaiting the return of a young man who is swimming the Channel. Is he their son? Is he even real? Clues abound and the arrival of an enigmatic stranger who seems to know too many secrets heightens the atmosphere of mystery, and brooding menace. A sharp and chilling cliffhanger.

Martin Goodman was born in Leicester, England – in playwriting terms, also the city of Joe Orton. He has mixed a career of writing and teaching, working in such countries as Qatar, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Thailand. He has published two novels and several works of nonfiction, on such topics as travels around the world’s holy mountains, the life story of an Indian holywoman, and a shamanic journey through the Amazon. The Los Angeles Times wrote of him: ‘Such narrow, narrow confines we live in. Every so often, one of us primates escapes these dimensions, as Martin Goodman did. All we can do is rattle the bars and look after him as he runs into the hills. We wait for his letters home.’ His latest book is the biography of Dr J. S. Haldane, the scientist who introduced canaries into mines. Martin spent some years as a professional actor, as well as running a video publishing house. Feeding the Roses is his first play. He lives mostly in London, and has homes in Santa Fe and the French Pyrenees. Please visit his website: www.MartinGoodman.com

Read what Martin has to say about VTP & "The Pen".

Read about Martin's Staged Reading at Wake Forest University.