''Glorious!'' is a 2005 stage comedy by

Peter Quilter Peter Quilter is a West End and Broadway playwright whose plays have been translated into 30 languages and performed in over 40 countries. He is best known for his Broadway play ''End of the Rainbow'', which was adapted for the Oscar-winning f ...

, telling the story of

Florence Foster Jenkins Florence Foster Jenkins (born Narcissa Florence Foster; July 19, 1868 – November 26, 1944) was an American socialite and amateur soprano who became known, and mocked, for her flamboyant performance costumes and notably poor singing ability. S ...

, "the worst singer in the world". The show premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, followed by a UK tour. The production transferred to London's West End in November 2005. This premiere production starred

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

who was made a Dame in 2020. It ran for 6 months at the Duchess Theatre and was nominated for the

Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End The ...

. It has since played in 35 countries and been translated into more than 20 languages. The comedy is based on the true story of

, a New York socialite and amateur singer who could not carry a tune but was convinced she was a great singer. She performed mostly privately for trusted friends, so that she would not be mocked, and made recordings. Ultimately, at the age of 76, she gave a legendary public performance in

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

in New York. The British website ''This Is Theatre'' said, "Based upon a true story, the play spins from Florence's charity recitals and extravagant balls, through to her bizarre recording sessions and an ultimate triumph at Carnegie Hall in this hilarious and heart-warming comedy." The website quoted reviews from major British publications: "A lunaticly funny comedy". (''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'') "An affectionate tribute to a 22-carat eccentric... ''Glorious!'' is just that." ('' The Sun'') "In Peter Quilter's touching play, starring Maureen Lipman, what begins as a joke becomes a lesson in how to live your dream." (''

The Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'') A review in the ''British Theatre Guide'' described the play as "an interesting portrait of an eccentric American woman who, despite her patent lack of ability to sing, was firmly convinced of her greatness as a soprano singer." Since its London premiere, the comedy has been produced throughout the world, including runs in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Venezuela, the USA, Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Italy, Czechia, Poland, Estonia, Slovenia, Finland, Turkey, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Switzerland, Slovakia and Spain. Stage productions have also twice been broadcast live on television - in Japan and Poland.

References

External links

''Glorious!''
Official webpage

Official clips and trailers {{2000s-play-stub 2005 plays West End plays British plays