A modern retelling of the classic tale of pride, folly and the ultimate wager 'I covet fame ...Yes, I would have fame. For my works, and fame surpassing them, till Faustus's renown shines free of accomplishment.' Faustus has it all - fame, success, a loving family. But a careless wager with a beguiling magician threatens everything. In Mamet's retelling of the Faustus story a famed philosopher in the prime of life claims to have reduced the secret of life to a mathematical equation. With the arrival of a mysterious magician, he agrees to wager the life of his family on the accuracy and authenticity of his discovery. This timeless retelling of a classic legend explores one man's discovery of life's most important and fragile treasures. In language, scope and theatrical sensibility, Faustus represents a big departure for Mamet, melding resplendent language and metaphysics in an eerie and moving retelling of the tragedy of Doctor Faustus. 'The finest American playwright of his generation' Sunday Times