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Dominic Cooke First staged at the Young Vic over Christmas 1998, this inventive
re-telling of the stories from the Arabian Nights brings back to
life such fabled characters as Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor and many,
many more. The Young Vic's Christmas shows have become a sure-fire
source of the finest plays for young audiences. Play.
Tom Stoppard In 1809 at Sidley Park, the orderly classicism of Lady Croom's Capability
Brown grounds is being turned into picturesque romantic chaos, as
fashion dictates. In a Regency room overlooking the work is Lady
Croom's brilliant adolescent daughter, Thomasina Coverly, with her
tutor. They are interrupted by, among others, the amorous Lady Croom
and Ezra Chater, a cuckold and minor poet, determined on satisfaction.
180 years later, in the same room, a corresponding group try to unravel
the events of 1809 - with spectacularly wrong results.
Play. Arthur Miller. 3 men, 2 women. Interior The setting is an ornate room in a former Archbishop's palace in
an Eastern European capital, a room which has probably been bugged
by the secret police. The central character is a middle-aged author,
Sigmund, who, having embarrassed the current regime, -is faced with
the choice of detention and punishment or defection to the West.
He is encouraged in the latter by two of his former friends, also
writers, his compatriot Marcus, an ex-political prisoner now in favor
with the regime, and Adrian, a visiting American with strongly liberal
ideals. The situation is complicated by the presence of Myra, a poet
and actress, who has been the mistress of all three. It is the complexity
of the relationship of these four, the inextricable interweaving
of politics, art and sex, and the constant uncertainty as to whether
what they say may be overheard that makes for a rich and deeply intriguing
play - and one which, in the final essence, raises questions not
only about morality and individual responsibility but also about
the very nature of reality in a world where absolutes seem to shift
and blur as expediency dictates. Play. David Greig Leo Black was an architect of his time, a builder of buildings, an idealistic designer, but these days he has an executive role in designing car parks. Has he really sunk so low? His family are falling apart and his buildings are falling down, leaving Leo struggling with the grubby reality of his once magnificent visions. The play was premiered at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre in 1966 Comedy. Frederick Lonsdale Willie is a devoted husband but falls prey to the charms of a beautiful
young woman while his wife, Margot, is on holiday. Margot is furious
when she discovers the affair, but becomes terrified when Willie's
father finds out about her own holiday romance. Eventually she realises
that Willie still loves her and confesses her infidelity. Forgiveness
is mutual.
Play.
Brian Friel Set in the mid-1970s in a crumbling Georgian mansion in County Donegal, this is a portrait of an upper-class Catholic family which, over four generations, has declined from a position of social power to one of genteel poverty. The characters find themselves attending the patriarch's funeral, and sit about the lawn drinking and quarrelling. ' ... sad, enchanting play ... a heart aching world of crushed hopes and futile longings.' Evening Standard ' ... Friel's eloquence and piquant irony speaks volumes.' Time Out Comedy Nord Riley. 5 men, 5 women. Interior The Air Force desperately wants a new missile system lest Congress give the money to the Navy. The inventor of the system, however, has just been divorced and his ex-wife now controls the company. She informs the Air Force, however, that she is not interested in making weapons, so the top brass devises a strategy to subject her to the charms of the Air Force's most attractive officer. He, and a young lieutenant, visit the divorcée posing as writers from a business magazine. Soon they are getting along swimmingly. But the young Lieutenant is soon won over to the lady's viewpoint, falls in love with her daughter and resigns his commission. On top of that, the divorced couple are really still in love. In the end they are reconciled, the Air Force gets its missile system and all turns out happily. Serio-Comedy. Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. 3
men. Interior. How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who
the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc's best friends, Serge,
has just bought a very expensive painting. Its about five feet by
four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting
is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn't have the proper standard
to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own
problems, allows himself to be pulled into the this disagreement.
Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are
drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it
as an excuse to batter one another relentlessly over various failures.
As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they
border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge
hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: "Go on." This is where the
friendship is finally tested and the aftermath of action, and its
reaction, affirms the power of those bonds. Play. Joanna M. Glass. 5 men, 2 women. Interior. The scene is the Morley farm, in the prairie country of Saskatchewan,
Canada. Margaret and Walter Morley have been estranged for fourteen
years, ever since his encounter with a "water witch" resulted in
the arrival of his illegitimate daughter, Lily Agnes, and led to
Walter's banishment to the smokehouse. Margaret has remained in the
main house, with'Lily Agnes (whom she has raised as her own), and
her father, Gramps. They are joined for the summer by Gibson McFarland,
Gramps adopted son, now a college professor, who is recovering from
a mild nervous breakdown. Gibson's return reopens old wounds and
desires, and it is soon apparent (and so reported by two gossipy
bachelor neighbours) that Margaret's needs for culture and affection
are now being satisfied at last. As summer wanes so must the idyll
of Gibson and Margaret, but her transgression, in Walter's eyes,
evens the score between them - and as the play ends it is dear that
the Morley household, so long divided, will once again know the harmony
and love which anger and stubborn pride have so long denied. Comedy. Jeffrey Essmann
Joseph Kesselring : Comedy 11M 3F Interior set A timeless and classic hit both on Broadway and in the West End, Arsenic
and Old Lace is the amusing story of two charming and innocent
elderly ladies who decide that by poisoning their poor, lonely
lodgers and burying the bodies in their cellar, they are saving
these unfortunates from the sorrows of this world - however, not
everybody shares their views! This is one of the World's most widely
acclaimed comedy hits, and remains an extremely popular and much
performed title. Play. Tom Stoppard Donner, Beauchamp and Martello three elderly avant-garde artists,
have coexisted for over fifty years. The play opens with Beauchamp
and Martello accusing each other of the murder of Donner. In a series
of flashbacks from 1972 to 1914, the bickering trio are contrasted
with their young counterparts. The pivot is Sophie, loved by each
of them in different ways. In the play's final moments, the reality
of Donner's death is revealed. Arturo Ui. See Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
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