Only the lonely - Tamsin Oglesby

When 12 year old Joe's mate Billy goes missing, the whole community begins to eye each other with deep suspicion. Abandoned by his dad and ignored by his mum, it's little wonder that Joe turns to the next door neighbour, Bill, 'the dog man' who introduces him to his strange obsessions with gardening and maths. But when the police begin a murder investigation and everyone's life comes under scrutiny, Joe must choose where his real loyalties lie.Only The Lonely is a sharp, funny and incisive exploration of one of modern life's last taboos - the fear of being alone - by the writer of the hit comedy My Best Friend co-produced by the Birmingham Rep and Hampstead Theatre in 2000. It premieres at the Birmingham Rep in November 2005.