A Marvellous Year for Plums. Hugh Whitemore

      

      Hugh Whitemore

      A MARVELLOUS

      YEAR FOR PLUMS

      

OBERON BOOKS LONDON WWW.OBERONBOOKS.COM

      First published in 2012 by Oberon Books Ltd

      521 Caledonian Road, London N7 9RH

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      e-mail: [email protected] www.oberonbooks.com

      Copyright © Hugh Whitemore, 2012

      Hugh Whitemore is hereby identified as author of this play in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights.

      All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to Judy Daish Associates Limited, 2 St Charles Place, London W10 6EG. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the author’s prior written consent.

      You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      PB ISBN: 978-1-84943-496-6

      EPUB ISBN: 978-1-84943-615-1

      Cover image by www.SWD.uk.com

      Printed, bound and converted

      by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY.

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      ‘Nobody is acknowledged to have emerged well out of this business. There are no heroes. Only different sorts of traitor.’

      Nigel Nicolson reflecting on the Suez crisis

      in a letter to his parents, 22 January, 1957

      Special thanks to The Hon. Mrs. Fionn Morgan, Miss Lucy Fleming, Ian Curteis Esq.

      Characters

      ANTHONY EDEN

      HUGH GAITSKELL

      IAN FLEMING

      ANTHONY NUTTING

      SELWYN LLOYD

      SIR WILLIAM EDEN

      (also plays GENERAL GAZIER

      & GUY MOLLET)

      JOHN PRESCOTT

      (also plays GARDENER, MI6 OFFICER

      & GUY MILLARD)

      CLARISSA EDEN

      ANN FLEMING

      LAUREN

      (also plays Porton Down SCIENTIST

      & VIOLET BONHAM CARTER)

      Staging Upstage is a large screen upon which stills and film clips will be projected. Downstage are various items of furniture.

      The projections should be chosen to suggest a sense of place rather than a specific location; for example, a scene taking place in Downing Street could be played in front of an exterior image, even though, in realistic terms, the action takes place indoors.

      A Marvellous Year for Plums was first performed at Chichester Festival Theatre on the 11 May 2012 with the following cast in order of speaking:

SIR ANTHONY EDEN	Anthony Andrews
ANTHONY NUTTING	Martin Hutson
ANN FLEMING	Imogen Stubbs
HUGH GAITSKELL	Nicholas Le Prevost
IAN FLEMING	Simon Dutton
SELWYN LLOYD	David Yelland
CLARISSA EDEN	Abigail Cruttenden
SIR WILLIAM EDEN/WAITER/GAZIER/MOLLET	James Simmons
LAUREN/SCIENTIST/WAITRESS/DANCER/
VIOLET BONHAM CARTER	Olivia Darnley
PRESCOTT/GARDENER/MI6 AGENT/MILLARD/
PHILIP/WAITER	Daniel Easton

       Creative Team

      Director, Philip Franks Designer, Simon Higlett Lighting Designer, James Whiteside Music, Matthew Scott Choreographer, Mark Smith Sound Designer, Matt McKenzie Video Designers, Ian William Galloway and Dick Straker Casting Director, Gabrielle Dawes

      Produced in association with Duncan C Weldon.