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Girls & Boys  By  cover art

Girls & Boys

By: Dennis Kelly
Narrated by: Carey Mulligan
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Publisher's summary

When they met at an airport, it was love at first sight. But in time, everything collapsed. As an unnamed but unforgettable woman muses on her life—from meet cute to marriage and parenthood—her recollections inexorably build to a devastating truth. In this shattering performance, Carey Mulligan, star of the critically lauded drama An Education, captivates audiences with playwright Dennis Kelly’s harrowing ruminations on family, ambition, gender, and violence. An acclaimed Off-Broadway play, the gut-wrenching world of Girls & Boys now thrives as an Audible Theater production.

After the play, this program includes an interview with Tony-winning playwright Dennis Kelly, who shares the inspiration behind his work.

Note: Girls & Boys is intended for a mature audience and contains graphic descriptions of violence.

©2018 Dennis Kelly (P)2018 AO Media, LLC.

Riding on Dennis Kelly's rollercoaster monologue Girls & Boys, Mulligan gives a phenomenal, unpredictable solo performance—a proper feat of acting—as a woman so self-assured she might just smash the patriarchy apart single-handedly.

- Variety

Go Behind the Scenes with Carey Mulligan

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Publisher's summary

When they met at an airport, it was love at first sight. But in time, everything collapsed. As an unnamed but unforgettable woman muses on her life—from meet cute to marriage and parenthood—her recollections inexorably build to a devastating truth. In this shattering performance, Carey Mulligan, star of the critically lauded drama An Education, captivates audiences with playwright Dennis Kelly’s harrowing ruminations on family, ambition, gender, and violence. An acclaimed Off-Broadway play, the gut-wrenching world of Girls & Boys now thrives as an Audible Theater production.

After the play, this program includes an interview with Tony-winning playwright Dennis Kelly, who shares the inspiration behind his work.

Note: Girls & Boys is intended for a mature audience and contains graphic descriptions of violence.

©2018 Dennis Kelly (P)2018 AO Media, LLC.

Our favorite moments from Girls & Boys

Mum-versation
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It was there. We had it.
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I think a lot about violence.
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Part of the same…male impulse.
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  • Girls & Boys
  • Mum-versation
  • Girls & Boys
  • It was there. We had it.
  • Girls & Boys
  • I think a lot about violence.
  • Girls & Boys
  • Part of the same…male impulse.

About the Performer

Carey Mulligan’s passion for acting was ignited when she was merely 6 years old. Upon seeing her brother perform in a school production of The King and I, she was so enamored with the theatrical magic that the director allowed her to join the chorus. From that day on, Mulligan has been an unstoppable force in the world of film and theater. From her first major role in Pride & Prejudice (2005) to her acclaimed, award-winning breakthrough performance in An Education in 2009, Mulligan has proved herself to be one of the most dynamic voices of her generation. In addition to Girls & Boys, she has made a name for herself in the theater circuit with her performance in the much-lauded West End revival of The Seagull at the Royal Court Theatre in 2007.

About the Author

Dennis Kelly is a writer and producer for theater, television, and radio. He wrote and staged his first play, Debris, in his early thirties, and hasn’t stopped since. The productions to his name—more than 23 and counting—include the musical adaptation of Matilda, which won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Off stage, Kelly is known from his success on the small screen; he co-wrote the beloved BBC Three sitcom Pulling and penned the well-received action-drama Utopia.

What listeners say about Girls & Boys

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Be aware of the content before listening

The performance of the narrator was top notch. And I like the idea of free content from Audible. However, this title had no description attached to it and the sample gave no indication of the plot of this short story. As the mother of two children who died way too soon, I would have NEVER, chosen this book. This isn’t a topic that anyone, regardless of their background should have sprung on them. It isn’t a fun surprise. And audible should be ashamed for thinking this could be appreciated without a proper warning.

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164 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It should be called 'Stunning & Real'

I listened to Girls & Boys as an audiobook read by Carey Mulligan. (It's more accurate to say she "acted it out"--it was, performed by Carey Mulligan because I could visualize every word she said.) I first listened to the sample, which was, quite possibly, the funniest snippet of an audiobook I've ever heard--and spot on as far as human nature goes...so I bought it, not really reading what this play was about. To be honest, it was Carey Mulligan that attracted me to the monologue. I saw her featured as the narrator--a recommendation from an Audible editor named Sam. The whole thing is only about 90 minutes--the length of a movie and I had time for that so I downloaded it.

It is not a funny story.

It's a story of survival.

It's a tale of violence and heartbreak.

And it feels real--disturbingly, horrifyingly real.

At one point, the narrator says that what she's about to tell you is not happening to you, and you think, "Oh, that's not--that's not good." Her warning, I found, was necessary. It gave me just enough distance to be able to hang on until that part was over. Just enough. Barely.

I'm not sure that I agree with all the conclusions that the author came to in this play. Some of it rings true, while other things are debatable. What I found absolutely brave was that Dennis Kelly had the nerve to ask those questions. The balls.

Carey Mulligan should win awards for this. Dennis Kelly should win awards for this. I know it's something that will stick with me forever.

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70 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I have never heard a story performed so well.

To me, this is Carey's best work. Its like this is her story and she is reliving it. All of that to say too that the monologue is incredibly smart and emotional. Very thought provoking about our society and family.

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58 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow. Just . . . wow.

Carey Mulligan is incredible. Her talent shines blindingly throughout this performance. I can scarcely imagine what it must be like to watch her perform this play on stage.

Yes, the subject matter is sometimes dark, but that’s not the overall point of the play, and not the focus of this performance. Despite some of the stark and bleak details, this is an audiobook I will listen to again and again...if nothing else, for the pure pleasure of hearing Carey Mulligan demonstrate her wide-ranging talents. (Sally Sparrow - you are BRILLIANT, and I wish the rain would never stop.)

I didn’t expect a less-than-two-hours audiobook to be so thought-provoking and stay with me so long. The playwright has a genius for natural conversational rhythms and the way we talk to ourselves inside our heads.

Highly recommend. I’d rate it higher than five stars if I could.

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54 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Woah! Good, I wish I would have known.

The story was good, it moved along and kept me engaged. the narrator was a lot of fun, although it took me a few minutes to adjust to her very fast paced English accent. ****Spoilers ahead****** but I really wish I would have known what was coming. I mean I get the twist is apart of the good listen, but my neighbor did this to his family 8 months ago. His wife, 4 year old daughter and 2 year old son. I have been haunted and struggling to come to terms with it, I hate that I see their house everytime I look out my window. I hate that the house just sold and that my state is a nondisclosure state so the new owners probably do not know, yet, it is only a matter of time. If I didn't have a more personal connection with murder-suicide, I probably would have loved it. But the moment I realized what was going on, it reopened my mind to thoughts that I was just learning to close up again....

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45 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful, but it gets dark really fast.

I bought this because the sample made me laugh my ass off. I've actually gotten just as pissed off about people letting gaps open up in a line. So I thought this play was going to be a comedy. It is not a comedy. The sample is the funniest part of the play. This is a tragedy, with a fantastically hilarious opening act.

That being said, it is a great listen and the narration really brings it all together. Carey Mulligan is fantastic. If I lived in New York or London I would definitely go see this in person.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal Acting but......

tragic. It starts out wonderfully funny, charming and clever. The actress’s accent is immensely engaging & her acting is very believable yet the story is dark. If you purchase it I highly recommend listening to the author’s interview at the end AFTERWARDS (spoiler alert).

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

This book should come with a warning

It’s really well done but the turn of events is unbelievably shocking. It was personally upsetting to me when I got to the end of the story. I really was not expecting it and it was very unpleasant. A clear warning at the beginning would have helped or possibly moving the interview to the beginning of the book rather than the end. That way listeners understand the intent and fictional nature of the story before they experience it.

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20 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

should have had a stronger warning

Repugnant, unexpected ending with very little warning. Excellent performance but I'd never select such grim content had I realized. Dark is an understatement.

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19 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Em
  • 12-14-19

Hated this.

Carey Mulligan was wonderful. This story was not. I hate that it’s part of my library. I hate that I have the story in my head. It was gut wrenching, depressing, and terribly disturbing. I still want to cry and be sick thinking about it.

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18 people found this helpful