''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1963) is a
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
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* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
based on
Ken Kesey
Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s.
Kesey was born in ...
's 1962 novel
of the same name.
[IBDB entry](_blank)
/ref>
Productions
Dale Wasserman
Dale Wasserman (November 2, 1914 – December 21, 2008) was an American playwright, perhaps best known for his book for Man of La Mancha.
Early life
Dale Wasserman was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the child of Russian immigrants Samuel ...
's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito
was a Japanese composer and performer. He is best known for his scores for the avant-garde films by Maya Deren.
Early life
Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan to a theatrical family. His mother, Teiko Ono, was a dancer and his father, Yuji Ito, was ...
, made its Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82 performances. Since then, the play has had two revivals: first off-Broadway in 1971, directed by Lee Sankowich with Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...
as Martini, then as a Broadway production in 2001 with Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise (; born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, humanitarian, and musician. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a sta ...
as McMurphy. The film version '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' was released in 1975 and was based on the play, not on the novel.Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
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* Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
retained the movie rights due to an innovative loophole of basing the rights on the play rather than the novel, despite Kesey's objections. See Kirk Douglas entry and https://deadline.com/2020/02/kirk-douglas-one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-movie-michael-douglas-spat-1202852836/ DeVito reprised his stage role in the film.
The 1963–64 Broadway production starred Kirk Douglas as Randle Patrick McMurphy
Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy (also known as R.P. McMurphy) is the protagonist of Ken Kesey's novel ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1962). He appears in the stage and film adaptations of the novel as well. Jack Nicholson portrayed Randle Pat ...
, Gene Wilder
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
as Billy Bibbit, William Daniels
William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor, who is best known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig in the drama series '' St. Elsewhere'', for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT in the t ...
as Harding, Ed Ames
Ed Ames (born Edmund Dantes Urick; July 9, 1927), who also recorded as Eddie Ames, is an American singer and actor. He is known for playing Mingo in the television series ''Daniel Boone'', and for his pop hits of the mid-to-late 1960s including " ...
as "Chief" Bromden, Al Nesor as Martini, and Joan Tetzel
Joan Margaret Tetzel (June 21, 1921 – October 31, 1977) was an American actress.
Early years
Tetzel was born in New York City and grew up in the Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx, Spuyten Duyvil section of the Bronx. Her father, an illustrator, was Austr ...
as Nurse Ratched
Nurse Ratched (full name Mildred Ratched in the movie, also known as "Big Nurse") is a fictional character and the main antagonist of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', first featured in Ken Kesey's 1962 novel as well as the 1975 film adapt ...
. Douglas retained the rights to make a film version of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' for a decade, but was unable to find a studio willing to make it with him. Eventually, he gave the rights to his son Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
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Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
, who succeeded in getting the film produced. At that time, Kirk Douglas was deemed too old for the role of McMurphy, and the role was given to Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
.
In 1982 Greg Hersov
Gregory A. "Greg" Hersov (born 1956) is a British theatre director. Hersov was educated at Bryanston School and Mansfield College, Oxford.
Overview
Hersov has been associated with the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester since 1979. He became a ...
directed a production at the Royal Exchange, Manchester with Jonathan Hackett as Randle McMurphy, Linda Marlowe
Linda Virginia Marlowe (née Bathurst, born 26 July 1940) is an Australian-born British film, theatre, and television actress. She is noted for her association with Steven Berkoff, performing in many of his theatrical works, creating a one-woman ...
as Nurse Ratched and Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny ( ; born 18 September 1956) is an English actor. He is known for his many roles on stage and television, including as Lord Percy Percy and Captain Darling in the 1980s British sitcom ''Blackadder''.
Early life
McInnerny was bor ...
as Billy Bibbitt.
In April 1988, the Playhouse Theatre was the site for the first London production of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest''. The play was brought to the London stage by Cuckoo Productions, formed by Diane Hilton, Karin Parnaby, and Judy Kershaw. They raised £100,000 in 24 hours to bring the play to the London theatre.
In 2001, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Unitarian church on Half Day Road in Deerfield, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on ...
produced a Broadway revival, winning the Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
for Best Play Revival. This production was directed by Terry Kinney
Terry Kinney (born January 29, 1954) is an American actor and theater director, and is a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise, and Jeff Perry. Kinney is best known for his role as ...
and starred Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise (; born March 17, 1955) is an American actor, humanitarian, and musician. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a sta ...
, Amy Morton
Amy Morton (born April 3, 1959) is an American actress and director, best known for her work in theatre. Morton was nominated two times for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performances in '' August: Osage County'' and ''Who's Afra ...
, Tim Sampson (playing Chief, his father Will Sampson
William Sampson Jr. (September 27, 1933 – June 3, 1987) was a Muscogee painter, actor, and rodeo performer. He is best known for his performance as the apparent deaf and mute Chief Bromden, the title role in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' ...
's role in the film version), Eric Johner, and Ross Lehman.
In 2004, Guy Masterson
Guy Alexander Masterson (''Mastroianni''; born 10 August 1961) is a British actor, writer, theatre director, producer and playwright widely known for his solo theatre performances of ''Under Milk Wood'', ''Animal Farm'', and ''Shylock'' by Ga ...
and Nica Burns
Lounica Maureen Patricia "Nica" Burns OBE (born August 1954) is a London theatre producer and co-owner with her business partner Max Weitzenhoffer of the Nimax Theatres group, comprising six West End theatres: the Palace, Lyric, Apollo, Ga ...
mounted a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
, Mackenzie Crook
Paul James "Mackenzie" Crook (born 29 September 1971) is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He played Gareth Keenan in ''The Office'', Ragetti in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, Orell in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones ...
and Frances Barber
Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is an English actress. She received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays '' Camille'' (1985), and ''Uncle Vanya'' (1997). Her film appearances include three collaborations with Gar ...
and a cast of comedians including Owen O'Neill. Masterson famously resigned as director & co-producer just prior to opening citing "ill health" and the production was finally delivered by Terry Johnson and Tamara Harvey. The show was a huge box office hit and transferred to London's Gielgud Theatre
The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels.
The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...
where it ran for over 20 weeks. This production was itself revived in 2006 with Alex Kingston
Alexandra Elizabeth Kingston (born 11 March 1963) is an English actress. Active from the early 1980s, Kingston became noted for her television work in both Britain and the US in the 1990s, including her regular role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday in ...
taking over the role of Nurse Ratched. It then toured the UK in 2007 with Shane Richie
Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...
playing McMurphy and Sophie Ward
Sophie Anna Ward (born 1964) is an English stage and screen actress, and a writer of non-fiction and fiction. As an actress, she played Elizabeth Hardy, the female lead in Barry Levinson's '' Young Sherlock Holmes'' (1985), and in other feat ...
Nurse Ratched.
A production of the play was staged by London's Tower Theatre Company
The Tower Theatre Company is a performing non-professional acting group based in a building in Northwold Road, Stoke Newington, having moved there in April 2018 from the St Bride Institute (on the site of the former Bridewell Palace), in the Ci ...
23–27 October 2012 Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate, London.
In 2018, After Hours Theatre Company in Los Angeles created an immersive version of the work. The Oregon State Hospital was recreated in a 7,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Burbank. Each audience member was provided a costume and a patient wristband. During the immersive pre-show, audience members were tasked with finding clues as to why they have been admitted to the hospital that eventually led them to join the patient revolution. This production was nominated for 6 Ovation Awards
The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winne ...
, including a win for Best Lighting Design, Intimate Theatre.
In 2022, an Australian Adaptation of Dale Wasserman's play, directed by Chris McRae was created by Luke Miller, Chris McRae and Samuel Yombich Pilot-Kickett, and performed by Darlington Theatre Players in Perth, Western Australia. The adaptation recontextualised the play to 1960s Australia, with the reimagining of the "Chief" Bromden character as a local Aboriginal man, as well as some adjustment of language to fit the Australian idiom. The production included musical composition by Kieran Ridgway, with the inclusion of didgeridoo and didgeribone as part of the underscoring to reflect the new setting.
Awards and nominations
2001 Broadway revival
See also
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel)
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (film)
References
External links
*
*
''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' at ThatTheatreSite
Provides character descriptions and updated audition listings.
Original Production's ITDb
1971 revival's ITDb
2001 revival's ITDb
{{TonyAward PlayRevival 2001–2025
1963 plays
Broadway plays
Plays based on novels
Works set in psychiatric hospitals
Psychiatry in the United States in fiction
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest