The Haystack (NHB Modern Plays)

Neil and Zef are two twenty-something computer whizzes with questionable dress sense and a highly developed interest in video games and Netflix. They're also the UK's 'National Defence Information Security Team' - recruited by GCHQ for their sky-high IQs and ability to work quickly and discreetly, no questions asked. With unfettered access to the world's data and infinite powers of electronic intrusion, these unlikely agents are essential cogs in the national security machine. But when their window onto intelligence operations shows them more than they were meant to see, they begin to question their roles in a system whose reach is unlimited but whose safeguards are not... Al Blyth's play The Haystack is an explosive espionage thriller that challenges the 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' mantra and explores how we can live honestly, love freely, and stay authentic when the advances in cutting-edge technology outpace the law. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre in January 2020.

Al Blyth is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. His first full-length play, The Haystack, premiered at Hampstead Theatre in 2020. He was awarded Soho Theatre's Westminster Prize in 2006, for his play Furnace Four. Other awards include Paines Plough's Future Perfect award, and Channel 4's 4Talent Prize for Best Dramatic Writing.