Variation on a Theme is a 1958 play by the British writer Terence Rattigan. It is a reworking of Alexandre Dumas, fils's nineteenth century novel and subsequent play La Dame aux Camélias.[1]
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Original production
editDirected by John Gielgud, the play opened (after a pre-London tour), at the Globe Theatre, London, on 8 May 1958, with the following cast:[2]
- Hettie - Jean Anderson
- Rose - Margaret Leighton
- Ron - Jeremy Brett
- Kurt - George Pravda
- Fiona - Felicity Ross
- Adrian - Lawrence Dalzell
- Mona - Mavis Villiers
- Sam - Michael Goodliffe
Reception
editWhile not received well by the critics,[3] the play ran for 132 performances.[4] Kenneth Tynan wrote in The Observer:
"As far as I could see the star of the show was Norman Hartnell, from whose contributions – a white diamanté sack, a shocking-pink cocktail dress in pleated chiffon, a casual ensemble of blouse and pedal-pushing slacks, and a two-tiered ball-gown in navy-blue pebble-crèpe – the lean extremities of Margaret Leighton nervously protuded [sic]."[5]
1966 TV adaptation
editThe play was adapted for British television in 1966.[6]
Cast
edit- Irene Worth a Rose
- Gary Bond as Ron
- Catherine Lacey as Hettie
- Grant Taylor as Kurt
- John Bailey as Sam
- Helen Horton as Mona
References
edit- ^ Pattie p.232
- ^ "Production of Variation on a Theme - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
- ^ Billington, Michael (3 March 2014). "Variation on a Theme review – first revival of Rattigan's take on Dumas" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Variation on a Theme @ The Terence Rattigan Society". www.theterencerattigansociety.co.uk.
- ^ Tynan, Kenneth (14 February 2014). "Kenneth Tynan on Terence Rattigan's Variation on a Theme" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Variation on a Theme at IMDB
Bibliography
edit- David Pattie. Modern British Playwriting: The 1950s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations. 2013.
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