''The Daughter-in-Law'' is the first

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 * P ...

by D. H. Lawrence, completed in January 1913. Lawrence described it as "neither a tragedy nor a comedy - just ordinary". It was neither staged nor published in his lifetime. The first stage production, by Peter Gill at 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, England ...

in 1967, contributed to a reappraisal of Lawrence's dramatic writing. In 1968 ''

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'' said it was "a fine and moving piece of work" that "ought to be as well known as ''

Sons and Lovers ''Sons and Lovers'' is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. It traces emotional conflicts through the protagonist, Paul Morel, and his suffocating relationships with a demanding mother and two very different lovers, which exert c ...

'' and the best

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

stories". In 2012 the critic Michael Billington described it as "quite extraordinary ... one of the great British dramas of the 20th century".

Characters

* Mrs Gascoyne * Mrs Purdy * Joe Gascoyne * Minnie Gascoyne * Luther Gascoyne * Cabman

Production history

The play premiered on 16 March 1967 at the

, London, directed by Peter Gill. The cast comprised Gabrielle Daye, Anne Dyson, Victor Henry,

Judy Parfitt Judy Catherine Claire Parfitt (born 7 November 1935) is an English theatre, film and television actress. She made her film debut in a minor supporting part in '' Information Received'' (1961), followed by supporting role in the BBC television ...

and Mike Pratt. It was revived at The Young Vic in 2002 directed by Artistic Director David Lan. With

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calling it "one of the great British dramas of the 20th century". The Mint Theater Company produced the play in 2003 in New York City with

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

naming it a top ten production of the year. Arcola Theatre produced the play in 2018 directed by Jack Gamble

Adaptations

In 2015 the National Theater co-produced with the Royal Exchange Theater ''Husbands and Sons'' an adaption that wove together ''The Daughter-In-Law'', ''A Collier’s Friday Night'', and ''The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd'' into a single three hour narrative. The three D. H. Lawrence plays were adapted by Ben Power and the production was directed by Marianne Elliott

References

Sources

*Worthen, John ''D.H. Lawrence: The Early Years 1885-1912'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. 458–60.

External links

Full text at Project Gutenberg Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daughter-In-Law 1912 plays Plays by D. H. Lawrence 1910s debut plays