Four Nights in Knaresborough

Last updated

Four Nights in Knaresborough
Written byPaul Webb
Date premieredNovember 1999
Place premiered Tricycle Theatre, London
Original languageEnglish
SubjectThe aftermath of the murder of Thomas Becket
Genre Historical fiction
Setting Knaresborough Castle, 1171

Four Nights in Knaresborough is a play written by Paul Corcoran (now known as Paul Webb) and first performed at the Tricycle Theatre, London in 1999. It recounts the aftermath of the murder of Thomas Becket by four knights making "the worst career choice in history". [1] Despite being an historical drama, the play uses modern language, including an abundance of profanity and slang. [2]

Contents

A film version of the play, scripted by Webb and titled Four Knights is to be produced by The Weinstein Company, directed by Paul McGuigan. [3] [4]

Characters

Plot

Set in 1171, Four Nights in Knaresborough opens in Canterbury Cathedral where four knights, Brito, Fitz, Morville, and Traci come to arrest Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, rather than arresting him, Becket is killed by Fitz. [5] The knights then flee to Knaresborough Castle in Yorkshire where they ensconce themselves for a year to avoid the wrath of the public and the Pope.

Over the course of four evenings, in January, March, September and December, the play portrays the gradual decline of the knights, showing their repressed desires, fears and misgivings. [2] Emphasising clashes of personalities, the play glosses over the deeper political and historical consequences of the murder. [6]

Of the four knights, Morville is the one most upset by his excommunication and isolation and argues that Becket had to die as he was opposing the progressive reforms of King Henry II. He even claims that Henry is playing a careful political game but is really on the knights' side. [5]

Brito is not an aristocrat like the other knights, but is rather a "new man" who joined the others less out of conviction than of opportunism. As the most active and the youngest of the four knights, his imprisonment is a kind of rite of passage and he grows through the play. Brito is also rampantly heterosexual and, despite a mutual attraction between himself and Traci, he chases Catherine and ultimately martyrs himself for her when she succumbs to a fatal disease circulating the village of Knaresborough. [5]

Traci is the most complex character in the play. Guilt-ridden like Morville, he is also in love with Brito. In the past he has had a relationship with the fourth knight, the aristocratic Fitz, but is now very much alone. [5]

While the knights wait out their time in the castle, Catherine keeps the villagers at bay by assuring them that her tenants are seeking penance through a constant cycle of fasting and prayer. Ultimately, she is tried as a witch by water. [5]

History

Four Nights in Knaresborough was the first play written by Paul Corcoran (now Paul Webb) and is the only one of his theatrical works to have been performed, receiving its premiere at the Tricycle Theatre, London in 1999. [7] This production suffered financial difficulties and director, Richard Wilson, had to put his own salary for the job back into the production to make it happen. [8]

Productions

Since its premiere in 1999, there have been a number of additional notable productions of Four Nights in Knaresborough across the United Kingdom. [7]

Premiere. Tricycle Theatre, London, November – December 1999 [1] [2]
UK tour, Autumn 2001 [9]
Traverse Theatre, Scottish Premiere, Edinburgh, 2004 [10]
Riverside Studios, London, 23 March – 17 April 2005 [11]

Reception

Reviews of Four Nights in Knaresborough have been very mixed. In reviewing the premiere, The Times said that the play was confused and did not know whether it was a tragedy of character, a straight historical dramatisation, a light comedy, a political-philosophical statement, or a satirical study of sexual longing. Nevertheless, the play sustained interest and it was felt that Webb could produce something remarkable with more discipline. [2] The Guardian review of the premiere, in awarding the play 3 stars, found the play to be a lively debut and thought that Webb could be better if he stopped using four-letter words in an attempt to hold the audience's attention. [1] Indeed, several reviewers have criticised the play's crude and tiresome references to wanking, [12] and extended turd jokes. [13]

The play's use of modern language and idiom has also received mixed reviews, drawing comparisons with Blackadder, [14] A Knight's Tale and Reservoir Dogs. [15] The Guardian review of the premiere felt that it was a good, if overused comic device, [1] while the Times thought the language, while adding realism, made the play feel lightweight. [2]

Film adaptation

A film version of the play has been scripted by Webb. Titled Four Knights , it was produced by The Weinstein Company, directed by Paul McGuigan [3] and produced by Laurence Bowen of UK-based production company Feelgood Fiction [16]

Harvey Weinstein has told the director to think of the film as being like Young Guns. The screenplay is also reportedly full of action, with the knights always fleeing and being on the road. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Becket</span> English archbishop and martyr (1119/20–1170)

Thomas Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket, served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then notably as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the King in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was canonised by Pope Alexander III. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard le Breton</span> 12th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman

Sir Richard le Breton or Richard de Brito was one of the four knights who in 1170 murdered Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

<i>Murder in the Cathedral</i> Play by T. S. Eliot

Murder in the Cathedral is a verse drama by T. S. Eliot, first performed in 1935. The play portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during the reign of Henry II in 1170. Eliot drew heavily on the writing of Edward Grim, a clerk who was an eyewitness to the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonny Lee Miller</span> British actor (born 1972)

Jonathan Lee Miller is an English actor. He achieved early success for his portrayal of Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson in the dark comedy-drama film Trainspotting (1996) and as Dade Murphy in Hackers (1995) before earning further critical recognition for his performances in Afterglow (1997), Mansfield Park (1999), Mindhunters (2004),The Flying Scotsman (2006), Endgame (2009), and T2 Trainspotting (2017). For The Flying Scotsman he received a London Film Critics' Circle nomination for Actor of the Year. He was also part of the principal cast in the films Melinda and Melinda (2004), Dark Shadows (2012), and Byzantium (2013). He has appeared in several theatrical productions, most notably After Miss Julie and Frankenstein, the latter of which earned him an Olivier Award for Best Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knaresborough</span> Market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Knaresborough is a market and spa town and civil parish on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. It is three miles east of Harrogate and was in the Borough of Harrogate until April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Purefoy</span> British actor

James Brian Mark Purefoy is an English actor. He played Mark Antony in the HBO series Rome, Nick Jenkins in A Dance to the Music of Time, college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series The Following, Solomon Kane in the film of the same name, and Hap Collins in the Sundance series Hap and Leonard. In 2018, he starred as Laurens Bancroft in the first season of Altered Carbon, a Netflix original series. Following an uncredited role as V in the 2006 film V for Vendetta, he was cast in a main role as Captain Gulliver "Gully" Troy / Captain Blighty in the 2020–2021 second and 2022 third season of the television series Pennyworth, the prequel to both Gotham and V for Vendetta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiln Theatre</span> Theatre in Kilburn, London, England

The Kiln Theatre is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as new writing, political work and verbatim reconstructions of public inquiries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William de Tracy</span> 12th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman and assassin of Thomas Becket

Sir William de Tracy was a knight and the feudal baron of Bradninch, Devon, with caput at the manor of Bradninch near Exeter, and was lord of the manors of Toddington, Gloucestershire and of Moretonhampstead, Devon. He is notorious as one of the four knights who assassinated Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, in December 1170.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltwood</span> Village in Kent, England

Saltwood is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe District of Kent, England. Within the parish are the small hamlets of Pedlinge and Sandling.

Lee Williams is a British actor, Voice Over artist, director, screenwriter and former model from Bangor, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reginald Fitzurse</span> 12th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman and assassin of Thomas Becket

Sir Reginald FitzUrse (1145–1173) was one of the four knights who murdered Thomas Becket in 1170. His name is derived from Fitz, the Anglo-Norman French term meaning "son of" and urse meaning a bear, likely the nom de guerre of an ancestor. Although he lived before the true age of heraldry, which developed in the early 13th century, his shield bore the cognizance of a bear, which is visible in a contemporary drawing portraying the murder of Becket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh de Morville, Lord of Westmorland</span> 12th-century Anglo-Norman nobleman and assassin of Thomas Becket

Sir Hugh de Morville was an Anglo-Norman knight who served King Henry II of England in the late 12th century. He is chiefly famous as one of the assassins of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170. He held the title Lord of Westmorland and of Knaresborough; his father was Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland.

Events from the 1170s in England.

<i>The 39 Steps</i> (play) Play written by Patrick Barlow

The 39 Steps is a parody play adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original concept and production of a four-actor version of the story was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, and premiered in 1996. Patrick Barlow rewrote this adaptation in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Kane</span> Scottish actor (born 1969)

Sean Kane is a Scottish actor born in Peebles. He trained in Acting at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knighton Gorges Manor</span>

Knighton Gorges Manor was one of the grandest manor houses on the Isle of Wight, located in the hamlet of Knighton, near Newchurch.

Paul Miller was the artistic director of the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London from 2014 to 2022, succeeding the theatre's founder, Sam Walters.

Ranulf de Broc was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and royal official during the reign of King Henry II of England. He held two offices in the royal household as well as performing other administrative duties for the king. During the Becket controversy between King Henry and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, de Broc supported the king and was granted the administration of the exiled archbishop's lands during the later half of the 1160s. This earned de Broc three sentences of excommunication from the archbishop because of de Broc's financial exactions from the estates. De Broc was with the four men who murdered Becket in December 1170, although he did not take part in the actual murder. At de Broc's death around 1179, he left behind a widow and five daughters, who were his co-heiresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?</span> 1170 quote prompting Thomas Beckets killing

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" is a quote attributed to Henry II of England preceding the death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. While the quote was not expressed as an order, it prompted four knights to travel from Normandy to Canterbury, where they killed Becket due to an ongoing dispute between crown and church. The phrase is commonly used in modern-day contexts to express that a ruler's wish may be interpreted as a command by his or her subordinates. It is also commonly understood as shorthand for any rhetorical device allowing leaders to covertly order or exhort violence among their followers, while still being able to claim plausible deniability for political, legal, or other reasons.

Paul Webb is a British screenwriter and playwright. He is known for writing the screenplay of the 2014 film Selma. For his work in Selma, Webb won the Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay. Webb was also nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work in Selma, which he lost to Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler. In addition to Selma, Webb also served as one of the writers for the 2017 BET miniseries Madiba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Billington, Michael (11 November 1999). "Look back in rancour (review of premiere)". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Doubting castle (review of premiere)". The Times . London. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  3. 1 2 "McGuigan to shoot 'Four Knights'". Time Out, London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  4. 1 2 Malvern, Jack (10 June 2006). "Hollywood shines a light on geezers who killed à Becket". The Times . London. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Riverside production)". Online Review, London. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  6. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of UK tour)". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  7. 1 2 "Paul Webb (Playwright & Screenwriter)". PFD. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  8. ↑ "Actors angry as admin eats theatre cash". The Independent . London. 20 February 2000. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  9. ↑ "Production listing (UK tour)". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  10. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Traverse production)". The British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  11. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Riverside production)". The British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  12. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Riverside production)". MusicOHM.com. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  13. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (29 March 2005). "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Riverside production)". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  14. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Burton Taylor production)". The Oxford Student. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  15. ↑ "Four Nights in Knaresborough (review of Burton Taylor production)". BBC Oxford. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  16. ↑ Gardner, Chris (12 June 2006). "McGuigan counts on 'Four'". Variety . Retrieved 30 May 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.