''Variation on a Theme'' is a 1958 play by the British writer
Terence Rattigan. It is a reworking of
Alexandre Dumas, fils's nineteenth century novel and subsequent play ''
La Dame aux Camélias''.
Original production
Directed by
John Gielgud, the play opened (after a pre-London tour), at the
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...
, London, on 8 May 1958, with the following cast:
*Hettie -
Jean Anderson
*Rose -
Margaret Leighton
*Ron -
Jeremy Brett
Peter Jeremy William Huggins (3 November 1933 – 12 September 1995), known professionally as Jeremy Brett, was an English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in four Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV series), Granada TV series from 1984 ...
*Kurt -
George Pravda
George Pravda (19 June 19161 May 1985) was a Czechoslovak theatre, film and television actor.
Early life
He began his career in Czechoslovakia, where he was credited as Jiří Pravda, and then emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1956.
Career
He ...
*Fiona - Felicity Ross
*Adrian - Lawrence Dalzell
*Mona -
Mavis Villiers
Mavis Villiers (born Mavis Clare Cooney; 10 December 190923 February 1976) was an Australian-born British actress of stage, film and television. Her parents were John Cooney and Clara Smythe. Her brother, Cecil Cooney, was a camera operator an ...
*Sam -
Michael Goodliffe
Lawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe (1 October 1914 – 20 March 1976) was an English actor known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working-class parts.
Biography
Goodliffe was ...
Reception
While not received well by the critics, the play ran for 132 performances.
Kenneth Tynan wrote in ''
The Observer'':
"As far as I could see the star of the show was Norman Hartnell, from whose contributions – a white diamanté sack, a shocking-pink cocktail dress in pleated chiffon, a casual ensemble of blouse and pedal-pushing slacks, and a two-tiered ball-gown in navy-blue pebble-crèpe – the lean extremities of Margaret Leighton nervously protuded ."
References
Bibliography
* David Pattie. ''Modern British Playwriting: The 1950s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations''. 2013.
1958 plays
Plays by Terence Rattigan
West End plays
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