University of Oxford Student Season: Hilary Term 2026

By Sam Steiner

The average person will speak 123,205,750 words in a lifetime. But what if there were a limit?

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons follows Oliver and Bernadette, a young couple struggling to navigate the implementation of the Quietude Bill: a decree limiting all citizens to 140 words a day. But there are some things you can’t say in just 140 words: “Forget wedding speeches, or presentations or epic poetry. Songs.”

Sam Steiner’s award-winning play illustrates the human experience of being unable to communicate. It explores the wider issues of democracy and free speech, but also more intimate issues lying at the centre of our relationships.