Look Back In Anger (1976)
by John Osborne
Directed by Malcolm Saunders
Performances: Sun 5th – Sat 11th September 1976, Main Stage
Contents
Introduction
The action throughout takes place in the Porter's one room flat in a large town in the Midlands.
Act One:- Early evening, April.
Act Two:- Scene 1: Two weeks later. Scene 2: The following evening.
Act Three:- Scene 1: Several months later. Scene 2: A few minutes later.
Cast
- Jimmy Porter - Bruce Murray
- Cliff Lewis - Mike Mawby
- Alison Porter - Fo Fountain
- Helena Charles - Julia Stratton
- Colonel Redfern - John Anderson
Crew
- Stage Manager - Jonathan Taylor
- Assistant Stage Manager - Di Skypala, Lesley Mitchell, Ruth Majors & Christine McMillan
- Lighting Design - Peter Boon
- Lighting Operator - Colin Lenton-Smith
- Sound - Geoff Potter
- Set Design - Charles Cheetham
- Wardrobe - Ann Mattey
- Box Office Managers - Helen Boutall & Jean Warboyes
Reviews
"Osborne's love-hate clash wears well"
Can it really be two decades ago since the first Angry Young Man stalked the stage in John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger"?
It certainly didn't seem so in the South London Theatre Centre's production of the trend-setting work which sent all aspiring playwrights back to their typewriters.
For although the theme of the first kitchen-sink drama has been constantly remodelled and embellished over the years nothing can lull the bite of Osborne's fresh decisive dialogue.
Although the play itself has become something of a cliché, it is perhaps one of the most succinct documentations of the mood of that era - something the South London players managed to portray with neat skill.
Bruce Murray made an effective Jimmy Porter, with his petulant struts, shouts and endless tirades against his long-suffering wife masking his basic insecurity. (Fo) Fountain provided a perfect foil with her studied boredom and lack of reaction to most of her husband's attacks.
The audience watches helplessly as the couple's already struggling marriage is crippled even further by the interference of their friends. Both Helena and Cliff, played by Julia Stratton and Mike Mawby, side with the long-suffering Alison Porter, adding only further to Jimmy's insecurities. The girlfriend well-meaningly encourages Alison to fight back, while Cliff acts as the father-confessor.
The air hangs heavy with the love-hate relationships and latent emotion of the players as, with the entry of John Anderson, playing Colonel Redfern, the script unfurls to its final denoument (sic).
Uncredited press cutting.
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
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See Also
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References
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