Born in the Gardens

Last updated March 15, 2019

Born In The Gardens is a comedy play by Bristol-born playwright Peter Nichols.

Peter Nichols English writer of stage plays, film and television

Peter Richard Nichols is an English playwright, screenwriter, director and journalist.

Nichols wrote the play in 1979,^[1] after his now famous drama Privates On Parade was rejected by the Bristol Old Vic for being too controversial. Born In The Gardens was staged in the Theatre Royal (now the Bristol Old Vic) to celebrate its 200th anniversary. The cast for the premiere included Beryl Reid, Peter Bowles, Barry Foster and Jennie Linden and the production transferred to the Globe Theatre in London where it played for nine months. Reid won the Society of West End Theatre Award for Best Comedy Performance. A television version with Constance Chapman replacing Reid was shown in 1986.

Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a financially independent organisation in the 1990s. Bristol Old Vic runs a Young Company for those aged 7–25.

Beryl Elizabeth Reid, was a British actress of stage and screen. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Killing of Sister George, the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for Born in the Gardens, and the 1982 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Smiley's People. Her film appearances included The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954), The Killing of Sister George (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969) and No Sex Please, We're British (1973).

Peter Bowles is an English actor of stage and television

The play centres on an elderly Bristolian mother and son living in a crumbling Victorian manor house.

The title comes from a sign in the Polar Bear enclosure in Bristol Zoological gardens and referred to a polar bear called Misha.

It was revived by the Peter Hall Company in 2008, beginning a run at the Theatre Royal, Bath, before embarking on a national tour. Stephanie Cole starred as Maud, and the cast also included Simon Shepherd, Allan Corduner, and Miranda Foster.

The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audience of around 900.

Patricia Stephanie Cole is an English stage, television, radio and film actress, known for high-profile television roles in shows such as Tenko (1981–1985), Open All Hours (1982–1985), A Bit of a Do (1989), Waiting for God (1990–1994), Keeping Mum (1997–1998), Doc Martin (2004–2009), Still Open All Hours (2013–present), Man Down (2014–present) and as Sylvia Goodwin in ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2011–2013).

Simon Stephen Shepherd is an English actor best known to TV audiences from many appearances, including as Dr Will Preston in five series of ITV's Peak Practice and Doctor Jonathan Barling in Casualty in Five Days.

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Privates on Parade: A Play with Songs in Two Acts is a 1977 farce by English playwright Peter Nichols, with music by Denis King.

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References

↑ Griffiths, Trevor R. (2014). The Theatre Guide: A Comprehensive A-Z of the World's Best Plays and Playwrights. A&C Black. p. 245. ISBN 9781408103135.

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[1] Griffiths, Trevor R. (2014). The Theatre Guide: A Comprehensive A-Z of the World's Best Plays and Playwrights. A&C Black. p. 245. ISBN 9781408103135.