THE COUNTRY WIFE Haymarket
Theatre
(27th September 2007 - 12th January 2008) |
One of the greatest and funniest comedies of the Restoration, The Country Wife tells the story of Horner, a notorious and lascivious man-about-town and his ingenious scheme for the rampant and mass seduction of the women of London society. By spreading the false rumour of his own impotence, he gains the sympathy of the husbands of the town and, more importantly, free access to their wives.
Meanwhile the newly-married Pinchwife desperately attempts to keep his naïve country bride from the clutches of predatory London bachelors. When she and Horner meet, events spiral out of his control...
Award-winning actors David Haig, Patricia Hodge and Toby Stephens lead the company in Wycherley's dazzling comedy. Joining them is exciting young actress Fiona Glascott in the title role.
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| Evenings-
Monday to Saturday 7.30 |
| Matinees-
Wednesday & Saturday
2.30 |
Prices
(£)
25.20 to 59.85 |
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Royal
Haymarket Theatre -
Built in 1720 by John Potter and called the Little
Theatre in the Haymarket, this theatre has witnessed
many dramatic events, and not always on the stage. Early
satires aimed at both political parties and the
Royal Family led to the censoring by the Lord
Chamberlain of all plays. At a Royal
Command performance in 1794 fifteen people were
crushed to death in a stampede, and in 1805 hundreds
of tailors protested at the staging of The
Tailors,
which was viewed as an affront to their craft. As
a result of alterations in 1800 the theatre boasted
the first picture-frame stage, and accompanied
by strong protests, orchestra stalls replaced
the pit, which had previously offered cheap seats
near the front. The present
interior is a result of refurbishment carried
out in 1905. Many great names in
theatre have appeared on the Theatre Royal's
stage, including: John
Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Ralph Richardson, Alec
Guinness, Claudette Colbert, Christopher Reeve,
Lauren Bacall, and Jack Lemmon and more recently
Dame Judi Dench. |
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