A sharp-witted and searching examination of the mechanics of free speech and cultural criticism.

“Its brilliance lies in the way Shinn marries ideological debate to psychological complexity, shedding light, laser-bright and precise, on the way in which political discourse informs and shapes individual experience.” The Times Election night in the U.S. and things are looking rosy for the Democratic Party as the likely President-elect, his wife, advisors, and twenty-year-old son John Jnr prepare for victory. When controversial photos of John Jnr begin gathering momentum on the internet, his father's advisors are forced into damage limitation leaving father and son to try and reach an agreement. Christopher Shinn's potent play examines religion, freedom of expression and personal responsibility. It premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in September 2008. This new Modern Classics edition features an introduction by Dominic Cooke.

"Now or Later is as potent as David Mamet's Oleanna in its exposure of how liberal creeds can—one way or another—be murkily tied in with intolerance. Shinn reworks diverse real-life headlines into a gripping dramatic knot." - Independent

"Its brilliance lies in the way Shinn marries ideological debate to psychological complexity, shedding light, laser-bright and precise, on the way in which political discourse informs and shapes individual experience. Urgent and unmissable." - Times of London

"A complex father-son relationship lies at the heart of Shinn's nuanced and thought-provoking drama about freedom of speech…It's a heady and provocative brew, and it's over too soon." - Boston Globe

"The play undeniably keeps you rapt." - Guardian