Look Back In Anger

Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, UK

and Theatre Royal, Bath

Directed by Richard Baron

Written by John Osborne

Cast:

David Tennant as Jimmy

Kelly Reilly as Alison

Steven McNicoll as Cliff

Gareth Thomas as the Colonel

Alexandra Moen as Helena

From 15 January - 12 February 2005, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh.   14 - 19 February 2005, Theatre Royal, Bath

Synopsis

When the curtain came down on the first performance of John Osborne's explosive assault on Fifties Britain, theatre had changed forever.  Three friends spend another dreary Sunday with the papers and each other.  As Alison irons and Cliff tries to relax, Jimmy prods and pushes at the boundaries of the confined space in which he finds himself.  A man of romantic instincts, restless intellect and raging storms of anger which break through and lash everyone within range, his journey is a search for passion, meaning and a promised way of life which has failed to materialise.  And yet, in spite of all of their exhaustion and desperation, there is at the core of the play and of their lives a genuine and resilient hope.  Osborne expertly uncovered the rigid structures of the Establishment to show that the class system, gender inequality and the indignities of lower-middle class existence were all somehow still intact.  Even the pubs are shut.  But, more than this, Osborne defined the rebellion of youth not only for his generation but for every one since, and created a template for progress not only in theatre but in British life.

Tickets

Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh - 0131 248 4848, open Monday - Saturday 10.00am - 6.00pm or book online

Theatre Royal, Bath - 01225 448844, open Monday-Saturday 10.00am-8.00pm, Sun/Bank Holidays 12.00pm-8.00pm.  Venue information.

Look Back In Anger reviews - comments on Kelly Reilly:

"Young Kelly Reilly was nothing short of sensational in her last two stage appearances...  Now...she pulls off a hat trick with a beautifully measured performance...  Even when she's saying nothing...you can hardly keep your eyes off her...  Possessed of ravishing, unblemished good looks, Reilly has a rare gift for making impassivity eloquent.  ...both he [Tennant] and Reilly save their finest moments till last...to pull off...the harrowing final climax..." - from Dominic Cavendish's review in Arts Telegraph.

"...what a rare privilege it is to witness such an all-consuming display of talent from a group of such high calibre" - from Rachel Lynn Brody's review of Look Back in Anger in The British Theatre Guide.

Pictures:

Photographs © Euan Myles - reproduced with kind permission