Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Award-winning Edward Albee’s famous play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? takes the stage with James Macdonald as director.
The show stars Bafta and Olivier winner Imelda Staunton, who has played in A Delicate Balance, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy, and award-winning actor Conleth Hill, who has played in Game of Thrones, The Producers and Stones in His Pockets.
Other cast members include:
- Luke Treadaway: Olivier award-winning actor who has appeared in Fortitude, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Hollow Crown.
- Imogen Poots: Making her West End debut, Poots has appeared in Me And Orson Wells, Jane Eyre and A Long Way Down.
The play, first staged in 1962, follows the destruction of a marriage between a middle-aged couple, George and Martha. The couple meets a younger couple after a university faculty party, and drag them into their frustrated relationship.
As alcohol flows and the night runs on, the younger couple gets caught up in the couple’s toxic games. The evening culminates in a moment of truth-telling that is both shocking and devastating.
The show, which runs more than three hours, has three acts.
The play won the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1963 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for the Best Play.
A film adaptation of the play was launched in 1966, which was directed by Mike Nichols. The film included several big names, including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Sandy Dennis and George Segal. All four actors were nominated for Academy Awards.
Elizabeth Taylor took home the award for Best Actress.
The film was the center of many controversies, and was the first to use the phrases “hump the hostess” and “screw.”
The production explores several themes, including reality vs illusion and societal expectations. At the start of the show, the audience sees the illusion of the couple’s lives. Later, audiences see what’s really going on with the couple, who has fabricated a child and become dependent on that child to keep their marriage together.
The play has been revived several times since 1962. A 2005 version ran at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway, which closed after 177 performances.
The show toured the U.S. in San Francisco from April through May 2007.
James Macdonald’s production of the show first opened in February at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.
Critics have praised Macdonald’s staging, which is different in both looks and sounds. The show is broadcasted live from London’s Pinter Theatre to local cinemas.