''Stanley'' is a 1996 play written by English playwright,

Pam Gems Pam Gems (1 August 1925 – 13 May 2011) was an English playwright. The author of numerous original plays, as well as of adaptations of works by European playwrights of the past, Gems is best known for the 1978 musical play '' Piaf''. Personal ...

. The play was premiered at the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London.

Plot synopsis

The play explores the complicated life of British painter

Stanley Spencer Sir Stanley Spencer, CBE RA (30 June 1891 – 14 December 1959) was an English painter. Shortly after leaving the Slade School of Art, Spencer became well known for his paintings depicting Biblical scenes occurring as if in Cookham, the small ...

, who was played by

Antony Sher Sir Antony Sher (14 June 1949 – 2 December 2021) was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a four-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 and ...

in the play's London and Broadway debuts. Spencer was a twentieth century painter, whose work attempted to combine the sexual with the divine in contemporary English settings. His paintings frequently showed biblical scenes taking place in ordinary English villages, particularly Cookham, and often depicted, or used figures inspired by, his friends, relatives and lovers. Spencer married two different women; he left his first wife,

Hilda Carline Hilda Anne Carline (1889–1950) was a British painter, daughter of the artist George Francis Carline, and first wife of the artist Stanley Spencer. She studied art under the Post-Impressionist Percyval Tudor-Hart, with her brothers Sydney and ...

, an artist who put her ambition aside to make a home for him, to marry

Patricia Preece Patricia Preece, Lady Spencer (22 January 1894 – 19 May 1966), born Ruby Vivian Preece, was an English artist, associated with the Bloomsbury Group, and the second wife of painter Stanley Spencer, for whom she modelled. It was later discovered ...

, a defiantly unconventional lesbian who made her reputation as an artist by passing off the works of her lover,

Dorothy Hepworth Dorothy Mary Hepworth (30 September 1894 – 8 September 1978) was a British painter and the life partner of Patricia Preece. Hepworth signed Preece's name to many of Hepworth's paintings, even after Preece's death. Early life Hepworth was born ...

, as her own, and who was incapable of loving him. Much of the play revolves around his passionate attachment to both women.

Awards and nominations

; Awards * 1996

Evening Standard Award The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...

for Best PlayEvening Standard Awards
Retrieved on 8 October 2009 * 1997

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

for Best New Play * 1997 Laurence Olivier Award for

Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to th ...

- Antony Sher * 1997 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role-

Deborah Findlay Deborah Findlay (born 23 December 1947) is an English actress. She joined a theatre company while studying English at the University of Leeds. Career Findlay has worked primarily on stage and appeared in numerous productions, including the origi ...

* 1997 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Designer-

Tim Hatley Tim Hatley is a British set and costume designer for theater and film. He is the winner of the Tony Award for Best Set Design and Best Costume Design, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Desi ...

; Nominations * 1997

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 * 1997 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play- Antony Sher * 1997 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play- John Caird * 1997 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role-

Anna Chancellor Anna Theodora Chancellor (born 27 April 1965) is a British actress who has received nominations for BAFTA and Olivier Awards. Background and early life Chancellor was born in Richmond, England to barrister John Paget Chancellor, eldest son of ...

References

External links

* * {{OlivierAward Play 1976–2000 1996 plays English plays Broadway plays Off-Broadway plays Laurence Olivier Award-winning plays West End plays