''Dalliance'' is a play by
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
, based on
Arthur Schnitzler
Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist.
Biography
Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...
's play ''Liebelei''. ''Dalliance'' was first performed at the
Lyttelton Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...
, London, on 27 May 1986. It was directed by
Peter Wood, with music by
Andre Previn. It starred
Stephen Moore,
Brenda Blethyn,
Sally Dexter
Sally Julia Dexter is an English actress of stage and screen. She won the 1987 Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer for '' Dalliance''. Her other West End stage credits include the musicals '' Oliver!'' (1994), ''Sister Act'' (2010) and ...
and
Tim Curry
Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...
. Dexter won the
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for her performance.
Plot summary
Fritz, who considers himself a man-about-town in 1890s
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, timezone = CET
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, timezone_DST ...
, is despondent because a sophisticated, upper-class lady has ended their affair. Fritz's friend Theodore tries to cheer Fritz up by introducing him to Christine, a seamstress for the
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
, believing that a dalliance with a charming lower-class woman can take a man's mind off his troubles. Almost immediately after beginning a relationship with Christine, Fritz receives a challenge from the sophisticated lady's husband. Fritz knows he has little chance of surviving the
duel. In the few remaining days in his life, Fritz and Christine fall in love, and he recognises the superiority of a simple life of mutual love over the ''bon vivant'' life of an urban bachelor. Beyond the addition of Stoppardian wit in the adaptation, Stoppard's major change from the original is to shift the last scene from Christine's apartment to backstage at the opera. A comic opera with a similar plot is taking place on stage when Christine hears the news that Fritz has been killed in a duel.
References
Further reading
*Stoppard, Tom. "Dalliance." "Plays Four" London, Faber and Faber, 1999. pp. 1–72.
{{Tom Stoppard
1986 plays
Plays based on other plays
Plays by Tom Stoppard