The Complete Plays: Phedre (1958)
Production Details
Title:
Author:
New Play:
Venue:
Location:
Staging:
Author:
New Play:
Venue:
Location:
Staging:
Phedre
Jean Racine
No
The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Concert Room
Round
Jean Racine
No
The Library Theatre, Scarborough
Concert Room
Round
Translation:
Original Play:
First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Original Play:
First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Margaret Rawlings
Phèdre
17 March 1958
17 March 1958
22 March 1958
Phèdre
17 March 1958
17 March 1958
22 March 1958
Company Details
Director:
Costumes:
Music:
Stage Manager:
Costumes:
Music:
Stage Manager:
Campbell Allen
Gillian Thornton
Stanley Taylor
Bill Allen
Gillian Thornton
Stanley Taylor
Bill Allen
Character
Theseus, King of Athens
Phaedra, his wife
Hippolytus, his son
Aricia, princess of Athenian blood
Oenone, nurse to Phaedra
Theramenes, tutor to Hippolytus
Ismeme, companion to Aricia
Panope, lady-in-waiting
Theseus, King of Athens
Phaedra, his wife
Hippolytus, his son
Aricia, princess of Athenian blood
Oenone, nurse to Phaedra
Theramenes, tutor to Hippolytus
Ismeme, companion to Aricia
Panope, lady-in-waiting
Actor
Bernard Horsfall
Margaret Rawlings
Keith Baxter
Ann Sears
Isabel Rennie
Moray Watson
Constance Lorne
Cynthia Taylor
Bernard Horsfall
Margaret Rawlings
Keith Baxter
Ann Sears
Isabel Rennie
Moray Watson
Constance Lorne
Cynthia Taylor
Why is this play significant?
Phedre was the first and only major UK tour of an in-the-round production by Studio Theatre Ltd. It starred Margaret Rawlings - a rare case of star casting for Stephen Joseph - and was intended to draw attention to Studio Theatre Ltd and theatre in the round.Notes
○ Phedre was not part of the regular summer season at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, but performed separately as the final venue of a tour of the play by Studio Theatre Ltd.
○ This was advertised as the first professional English production of Racine's play in the UK - there is no evidence to suggest this was untrue.
○ It is believed to be the first ever in-the-round production of the play and was certainly the UK's first in-the-round production.
○ Whilst most modern translations of Phèdre are traced back to the 1961 adaptation by Robert Lowell, published in 1961 - this translation and production precedes it; indeed Rawlings' translation has been published a number of times subsequently. A contemporary newspaper article attributes the performed text to a Victorian translation by 'Professor Boswell' which the actress Margaret Rawlings then extensively revised, but no primary evidence to support this has been found.
○ Whilst typically the play is spelt Phèdre, this production was advertised as Phedre.
○ Phedre was - essentially - an experiment by Stephen Joseph to take an in-the-round production on tour with a star name; in this case Margaret Rawlings. It toured to Fitzroy Square, London (17 February - 1 March), the Theatre Centre, Birmingham (3 - 8 March); Vaughan College, Leicester (10 - 15 March) and The Library Theatre, Scarborough (17 - 22 March).
○ Phedre was presented without an interval.
○ This was advertised as the first professional English production of Racine's play in the UK - there is no evidence to suggest this was untrue.
○ It is believed to be the first ever in-the-round production of the play and was certainly the UK's first in-the-round production.
○ Whilst most modern translations of Phèdre are traced back to the 1961 adaptation by Robert Lowell, published in 1961 - this translation and production precedes it; indeed Rawlings' translation has been published a number of times subsequently. A contemporary newspaper article attributes the performed text to a Victorian translation by 'Professor Boswell' which the actress Margaret Rawlings then extensively revised, but no primary evidence to support this has been found.
○ Whilst typically the play is spelt Phèdre, this production was advertised as Phedre.
○ Phedre was - essentially - an experiment by Stephen Joseph to take an in-the-round production on tour with a star name; in this case Margaret Rawlings. It toured to Fitzroy Square, London (17 February - 1 March), the Theatre Centre, Birmingham (3 - 8 March); Vaughan College, Leicester (10 - 15 March) and The Library Theatre, Scarborough (17 - 22 March).
○ Phedre was presented without an interval.
Reviews
"… there is advantage in doing the play unconventionally, in the round, if the standard of performance in general is as high as in last night's production in English by Studio Theatre Club under Mr Campbell Allen's direction... the entire company from Miss Margaret Rawlings in the largest part down to Miss Ann Taylor in the smallest were exemplary."
The Times
"There was a magnificent performance by Margaret Rawlings in the title role…"
Daily Telegraph
"…a box office rush at the Mahatma Gandhi Hall... The main attraction was Margaret Rawlings... a titanic torment of ecstasy and agony, deserving far wider recognition than two consecutive Sunday night performances at a club theatre. Campbell Allen's production... gave the moangae and groaners a noble ring."
Cecil Wilson in the Daily Mail
"Translator and director in this Studio Theatre production have most tactfully and adroitly eased our acceptance of the play's improbabilities... The physical proximity of an actor and audience in the arena production is an advantage... Margaret Rawlings has the heavy task o f portraying Phaedra's illicit love... We see her passion a s a physical agony, a lust that grips the throat and racks the muscles. The two confession scenes, her confession of love to Hippolytus and of guilt to Theseus, are beautifully judged. The irony of the play, strong in these scenes... is manifest through the clear and intelligent playing of this fine cast... The production is, however, exciting the whole experiment, in interpretation and presentation, fascinating."
Sydney Heaven in Plays and Players
"I have no space left to praise as it deserves the imposing account of Phedre... A Phedre of daunting majesty, Margaret Rawlings is conceivably the only actress in England with the guns for the part."
Kenneth Tynan in the Observer
"Margaret Rawlings in her impressive performance... Her paroxysms of anguish do not shatter the conventions of theatre in the round and her moments of quietness give to Racine a new poignancy... The translation is exceptionally good... Why not print this version as an acting edition."
Harold Hobson in the Sunday Times
The Times
"There was a magnificent performance by Margaret Rawlings in the title role…"
Daily Telegraph
"…a box office rush at the Mahatma Gandhi Hall... The main attraction was Margaret Rawlings... a titanic torment of ecstasy and agony, deserving far wider recognition than two consecutive Sunday night performances at a club theatre. Campbell Allen's production... gave the moangae and groaners a noble ring."
Cecil Wilson in the Daily Mail
"Translator and director in this Studio Theatre production have most tactfully and adroitly eased our acceptance of the play's improbabilities... The physical proximity of an actor and audience in the arena production is an advantage... Margaret Rawlings has the heavy task o f portraying Phaedra's illicit love... We see her passion a s a physical agony, a lust that grips the throat and racks the muscles. The two confession scenes, her confession of love to Hippolytus and of guilt to Theseus, are beautifully judged. The irony of the play, strong in these scenes... is manifest through the clear and intelligent playing of this fine cast... The production is, however, exciting the whole experiment, in interpretation and presentation, fascinating."
Sydney Heaven in Plays and Players
"I have no space left to praise as it deserves the imposing account of Phedre... A Phedre of daunting majesty, Margaret Rawlings is conceivably the only actress in England with the guns for the part."
Kenneth Tynan in the Observer
"Margaret Rawlings in her impressive performance... Her paroxysms of anguish do not shatter the conventions of theatre in the round and her moments of quietness give to Racine a new poignancy... The translation is exceptionally good... Why not print this version as an acting edition."
Harold Hobson in the Sunday Times
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd. Image copyright: Scarborough Theatre Trust