 THE QUESTORS ARCHIVE |
|
| INDEX Plays A-C, D-F, G-J, K-M, N-Q, R-T, U-Z Authors A-B, C-D, E-H, I-L, M-O, P-R, S, T-Z Chronological List 1929-1939, 1940-1949 1950-1959, 1960-1969 1970-1979, 1980-1989 1990-1999, 2000- New Plays Student Shows Youth Theatre Minack Golden moments In fond memory History Quick guide |
|
| E-MAIL US | |
|
|
|
THE QUESTORS THEATRE
12 Mattock Lane,Ealing, London W5 5BQ Tel: 020 8567 0011 |
|
|
Registered in England and Wales No 469253
Registered charity No 207516 |
|
||
| In his introduction to the play, Nick Dear writes "I have [taken] liberties with history, too. In my opinion there's far too much of it .... This tactic served to discompose all those who urgently wanted to know what [Hogarth] ate for breakfast the morning after finishing Gin Lane but........l have lost no sleep over this - because I never let the facts get in the way of a good story." He went on to say that he wanted to write a play about television in an age before the camera, about the subconscious in an age before Freud and about sex before terms (or concepts) like "femininity" or "sexuality" existed.
When I was asked to direct this play, many months ago, one of the first things I did was to research William Hogarth and his times, in order to fix the context. It was fascinating and exciting to come across incidents and characters in the play. Mrs. Needham, for example, was a notorious bawd who died three days after being pilloried in 1731. Hogarth was a founder member of the sublime Society of Beefsteaks, but it wasn't established until 1735. It was said at the time that George II reigned, but Queen Caroline ruled, etc., etc.. However fascinating the research was, it became clear that The Art of Success is more than a biographical drama. In her superb biography of Hogarth, Jenny Uglow writes "Hogarth saw his art in terms of the stage, of human actors engaged not only in comedy and tragedy, but in the muddled morality play of daily life". The play not only captures the sprawling, confused, contrasting nature of early 18th Century London, but incorporates some of the splendid characters of that society. Every character is superbly crafted, each a little larger than life, each, like much of Hogarth's work, somewhat grotesque and surreal. It's very much a twentieth century play, however, with the content and the style reflecting contemporary concerns and theatrical forms. It's real "in your face" drama - an extraordinary play. Roger Lewis, |
||
| Return to The Art of Success (2000) | ||