Plenty (play)
Plenty is a play by David Hare, first performed in 1978, about British post-war disillusion.
Productions
The inspiration for Plenty came from the fact that 75 per cent of the women engaged in wartime SOE operations divorced in the immediate post-war years; the title is derived from the idea that the post-war era would be a time of "plenty", which proved untrue for most of England.
Directed by the playwright, Plenty premiered in the
The play premiered
In 1985, Hare's film adaptation was directed by Fred Schepisi, with Meryl Streep as Susan, and Charles Dance, Tracey Ullman, John Gielgud, Sting, Ian McKellen, and Sam Neill in supporting roles. Ullman and Gielgud were nominated for BAFTA Awards, and Gielgud was named Best Supporting Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics.
In 1999, Cate Blanchett played Susan in a production in London's Albery Theatre.[5] From 3 to 26 February 2011 the play was revived at the Crucible Theatre as part of a David Hare season (alongside Racing Demon and The Breath of Life), featuring Hattie Morahan, Edward Bennett and Bruce Alexander.[6]
The play was revived Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, opening on 20 October 2016. David Leveaux directed, with the cast that starred Rachel Weisz as Susan Traherne and Corey Stoll as Raymond Brock.[7] The 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1999 scripts were all examined and Hare was consulted as the production took shape.
Plenty was revived at Chichester in 2019, in the Festival Theatre between 7-29 June. Kate Hewitt directed and it starred Rachael Stirling as Susan and Rory Keenan as Raymond.
Overview
Susan Traherne, a former secret agent, is a woman conflicted by the contrast between her past, exciting triumphs and her present, more ordinary life. She had worked behind enemy lines as a
Susan Traherne's story is told in a non-linear chronology, alternating between her wartime and post-wartime lives, illustrating how youthful dreams rarely are realised and how a person's personal life can affect the outside world.
Reception
In the programme notes to the original production Hare writes that "...ambiguity is central to the idea of the play. The audience is asked to make its own mind up about each of the actions.". This ambiguity, however, was not understood by contemporary critics, who found themselves in a "consensus of confusion" over the work's meaning and significance. Colin Ludlow, writing in
Awards and nominations
Sources: Playbill;[4] Lortel [3]
- 1983 Tony Awardfor Best Play (nominee)
- 1983 Tony Award for Best Actor in Play (Herrmann, nominee)
- 1983 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (Nelligan, nominee)
- 1983 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (Martin, nominee)
- 1983 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play of the 1982–83 Season (winner)
- 1983 Drama League Awards
- Distinguished Performance, Edward Herrmann (winner)
- Distinguished Performance, Kate Nelligan (winner)
See also
- Licking Hitler (1978) – a BBC Play for Today by David Hare
References
- ^ "Plenty". National Theatre Archive. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "The Nominees and Winners of The Laurence Olivier Awards for 1978". Official London Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2007.
- ^ a b " 'Plenty' Off-Broadway" lortel.org, retrieved 11 February 2017
- ^ a b " Plenty' Broadway" Playbill, retrieved 11 February 2017
- ^ "Plenty of praise for Cate". BBC News. 28 April 1999.
- ^ "David Hare Season: Plenty". Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
- ^ Stasio, Marilyn. "Off Broadway Review: 'Plenty' With Rachel Weisz" Variety, 20 October 2016
- ISSN 0024-6085.
- ISBN 9781375386425.