''The York Realist'' is a 2001

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

by Peter Gill. It was premiered at

the Lowry The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...

in November 2001 before moving to the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

and the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

in January 2002 by

English Touring Theatre English Touring Theatre (ETT) is a major touring theatre company based in London, England. History English Touring Theatre was founded in 1993 by Stephen Unwin. In 2008, the directorship of the company was taken over by Rachel Tackley, making E ...

, with Gill himself directing. It transferred to the Strand Theatre in March 2002. Nick Curtis and Jessie Thompson writing for the Evening Standard, listed ''The York Realist'' as one of the 50 Best Plays of the 21st century.

Plot

It is set in the early 1960s and revolves around George (a Yorkshire farm labourer involved in a production of the ''

York Mystery Plays The York Mystery Plays, more properly the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English cycle of 48 mystery plays or pageants covering sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgment. They were traditionally presented on the feast day ...

'' who withdraws from the production), John (the production's shy assistant director who tries to convince him to come back), the love affair between them, and the clash between regional and London culture.

Reception

Reviews of the original production ranged from "a rare blast of reality"
the ''Guardian''
to a "stunningly boring slab of dour social realism"
the ''Telegraph''
. The play was nominated for Best New Play at the

Olivier Awards 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 ...

and

Evening Standard Theatre Awards 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 Standar ...

and won the Critics Circle Award for Best New Play.

Original cast

*George -

Lloyd Owen Richard Marcus Lloyd Owen (born 14 April 1966) is an English actor. Trained at the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, he is known for portraying Indiana Jones's father Professor Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. in ...

*John -

Richard Coyle Richard Coyle is an English actor. He portrayed lead role of Father Faustus Blackwood in Netflix series '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'', and Jeff Murdock in the sitcom ''Coupling''. Early and personal life Coyle was born in Sheffield, En ...

*George and Barbara's Mother -

Anne Reid Anne Reid, MBE (born 28 May 1935) is a British stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000); and her role ...

*Barbara - Caroline O'Neill *Arthur -

Ian Mercer Ian Cameron Mercer (born 10 July 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Gary Mallett in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 1995 to 2000, having previously appeared in 1987 as Pete Jackson. His other television credits in ...

*Doreen - Wendy Nottingham *Jack - Felix Bell

Creative Team

*Director - Peter Gill *Designer - William Dudley *Lighting Designer - Hartley T A Kemp *Composer - Terry Davies *Assistant Director -

Josie Rourke Josie Rourke (born 3 September 1976) is an English theatre and film director. She is a Vice-President of the London Library and was the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse theatre from 2012 to 2019. In 2018, she made her feature film debut ...

*Dialect Coach - Jeanette Nelson

Revivals

The play was revived in October 2009 at

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having closed for redevelopment i ...

Good Night Out Presents Good Night Out Presents is one of the resident theatre companies at The Cock Tavern Theatre in London. History Good Night Out Presents was formed in August 2008 and moved to The Cock Tavern Theatre following a residency at The White Bear Theatr ...

. The production received positive reviews, with Michael Billington describing the production as "lovingly revived by

Adam Spreadbury-Maher Adam Spreadbury-Maher is an Australian/Irish theatre artistic director, producer and writer. He is the founding artistic director of the Cock Tavern Theatre, OperaUpClose and The Hope Theatre, and is the current artistic director of the King's ...

"
the ''Guardian''
. The production was seen as particularly fitting given that

Gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

founded the

in 1975, and that this would be the first

production at the theatre for 30 years. The play was revived in September 2009 at the

by the company Good Night Out Presents, to mark Gill's 70th birthday. It was revived again in February 2018 at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...

Riverside Studios Creative Team

*Director -

*Designer - Kate Guinness *Costume Designer - Mia Thomson *Lighting Designer - Steve Lowe

Donmar Warehouse Creative Team

*Director - Robert Hastie *Set and Costume Designer - Peter McKintosh *Lighting Designer - Paul Pyant *Sound Designer - Emma Laxton *Composer - Richard Taylor

References

External links

The York Realist homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:York Realist 2002 plays English plays