“Christina Alagaratnam’s exploration of three young black lives really packs a powerful punch in unexpected ways.”
“It can be difficult to highlight such a difficult topic as the difficulties that young black men and women continue to face in this country and how they are treated with negative connotations that then go on to have an impact on the adult part of their lives in the space of 85 minutes, but writer Christina Alagaratnam does so with great passion and insight.”
– Emma Clarendon, LoveLondonLoveCulutre, 2023
“Every once in awhile a play comes along that drives home an irrefutable truth, one which philosophers and playwrights have wrestled with since time immemorial. PlayFight, written by Christina Alagaratnam and directed by Leian John-Baptiste, is such a play.”
“Christina Alagaratnam has crafted a very complicated play, indeed.”
– Loretta Monaco, LondonTheatre1, 2023
“This moving, funny and captivating play will both bring you to tears and make you laugh out loud. “
“The story soon takes a dark turn as they approach adulthood and struggle to make sense of changes within themselves, at home, at school and on the streets. Their lives begin to unravel.
The writer, Christina Alagaratnam, handled these themes with sensitivity and care. “
“The writer, Christina Alagaratnam’s, honest and gritty portrayal of the consequences of misunderstandings between first generation parents and second-generation children and its devastating results, are very moving. “
– Paula David, LondonPubTheatres, 2023
“It takes great skill to sensitively convey the experiences of a community in 85 minutes, but Christina Alagaratnam’s script triumphs. At first, she teases us with lighthearted banter and comedy where the dynamic between the characters shines. However, we are soon forced to sit up from our comfortable positions as her writing exposes our society.”
– Josh Maughn, Broadway World, 2023
“There is a beautiful authenticity to the script, which employs colloquial dialogue that permits it to feel incredibly timely and relevant.”
– Jonathan Marshall, The Upcoming, 2023
“Playwright Christina Alagaratnam traces the tragedy backwards. Like Romeo and Juliet, PlayFight pieces together a coming-of-age story that ends with this devastating beginning.”
– Jane Prinsley, Theatre Weekly, 2023
“Christina Alagaratnam writes an impactful script filled with authenticity – Kai and TJ given their opportunity to air their grievances and express their living within a societal structure that doesn’t appear to support them.”
– Lucy Basaba, Theatrefullstop, 2022
“Alagaratnam nails the South London teenage vernacular but more significantly, she finds a real voice for her characters too.”
– Ian, There Outta Be Clowns, 2022
“Alagaratnam’s writing cleverly allows such grey areas to co-exist: she is not looking for a single person to blame for why he ends up getting involved in crime, but the multiplication of factors that contribute to this decision.”
– Hannah Shury-Smith, The British Blacklist, 2021
“Raw and beautiful portrayal of a mother’s love. Well written and rich with details. I enjoyed it and learning about this time in England’s history, though it was dark.”
– J.P Choquette, Goodreads, 2021
“Christina Alagaratnam’s Face to Face is an intense sixty minutes of fascinating, thought-provoking and disturbing theatre. This is a complex story full of questions with few answers; it’s not just one tragic story, but two – two young people without parents, it’s just that one of them violently took the other’s parent away. “
– Always Time For Theatre, 2018
“One of the most effective things about the piece is the strong, emotional script, written by Christina Alagaratnam. Christina had obviously taken the time to really think about how to show both perspectives.
Overall, I found the piece very clever in the way it explored a murder and the grieving process which Emma’s character is going through.”
– Amy Louise Tilley, Voice Magazine, 2018
“You are invited to witness a series of intimate moments of vulnerability and loathing between two broken individuals seeking closure from a murder nine years ago. Face to Face is a brilliant, gripping, chilling performance highlighting the internal and external conflicts surrounding murder and asks the question: can we forgive the unforgivable?“
– Ellie Thompson, Broadway Baby, 2018
“In my opinion a very captivating fresh writing.”
– Elaine Chapman, Outthere1971 Blog, 2018
“Alagaratnam’s play is chilling, with a good final twist. She is clearly a talented writer with a vivid imagination.”
– Emma Slater, LondonTheatre1.com, 2015
Christina Alagaratnam 