| Tipping the Velvet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Laura Wade |
| Date premiered | 28 September 2015 |
| Place premiered | Lyric Hammersmith |
| Setting | 1887, Victorian England |
Tipping the Velvet is a play based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Sarah Waters, adapted for the stage by Laura Wade. It received its world premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith, in September 2015, before transferring to the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh the following month with whom it is a co-production.
Tipping the Velvet has been adapted for the stage by Laura Wade, based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Sarah Waters. [1] The novel was previously adapted into a BBC television series in 2002. [2] On 14 April 2015, it was announced the play would receive its world premiere the same year and would begin previews at the Lyric Hammersmith on 18 September 2015, with an official opening night on 28 September, booking for a limited period until 24 October. [3] The adaption had been in production for around four years. [4]
The play is directed by Lyndsey Turner, [5] with choreography by Alistair David, [6] design by Lizzie Clachan, [7] lighting design by Jon Clark, [6] music by Michael Bruce [6] and sound by Nick Manning. [6] Following its premiere production the play is scheduled to transfer to the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of the 50th anniversary season of the Royal Lyceum Theatre company, [8] where it will run from 28 October to 14 November 2015. [9] A typical performance runs two hours and 54 minutes, including one interval of 20 mins. [10]
Speaking about her novel being adapted Waters said she was "thrilled" and that she could "think of no better setting for the play than the lush Lyric interior or the beautiful Lyceum in Edinburgh, and no more exciting creative talents than those of writer Laura Wade and director Lyndsey Turner." [11] In addition Sean Holmes the artistic director of the Lyric speaking about what he commissioned the piece said that “What’s so brilliant about the novel is it is such an upfront, unapologetic celebration of sexuality that just happens to be between two women. “Obviously it’s set at a time when that’s frowned upon but it’s also just really about the journey to love and sexual discovery and the massive, formative journey that applies to everyone, whatever your sexuality is, and yet you never see portrayed between gay women.” [4]
| Character | Lyric Hammersmith performer [12] [13] |
|---|---|
| Nancy Astley | Sally Messham [14] |
| Kitty Butler | Laura Rogers [14] |
| Walter Bliss | Jared Ashe |
| Diana Lethaby | Kirsty Besterman |
| Chairman | David Cardy |
| Mother/Dendy/Mrs. Jex/Annie | Amanda Hadingue |
| Sweet Alice | Ru Hamilton |
| Florence Banner | Adelle Leonce |
| Ralph Banner | Andy Rush |
| Blake | Sarah Vezmar |
Tipping the Velvet is a 1998 debut novel by Welsh novelist Sarah Waters. A historical novel set in England during the 1890s, it tells a coming-of-age story about a young woman named Nan who falls in love with a male impersonator, follows her to London, and finds various ways to support herself as she journeys through the city. The picaresque plot elements have prompted scholars and reviewers to compare it to similar British urban adventure stories written by Charles Dickens and Daniel Defoe.
Simon Stephens is a British-Irish playwright and Professor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University. Having taught on the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre for many years, he is now an Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith. He is the inaugural Associate Playwright of Steep Theatre Company, Chicago, where four of his plays, Harper Regan,Motortown, Wastwater, and Birdland had their U.S. premieres. His writing is widely performed throughout Europe and, along with Dennis Kelly and Martin Crimp, he is one of the most performed English-language writers in Germany.
Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005 biographical musical comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Martin Sherman. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young. It tells the true story of Laura Henderson, an eccentric British socialite who opened the Windmill Theatre in London in 1931.
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.
Tanika Gupta is a British playwright. Apart from her work for the theatre, she has also written scripts for television, film and radio plays.
Laura Wade is an English playwright.
Sean Holmes is a British theatre director and former Artistic Director of Lyric Hammersmith.
David Farr is a British writer, theatrical director and Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
James Doherty is an English actor.
Pressure is a 2014 play written by David Haig, based on true events that took place during World War II. It centres on the true story of James Stagg and the weather forecasts that determined the date of the D-Day landings as part of Operation Overlord. The personal and military stresses of Stagg, the tensions between the teams with different weather forecasts for the date of the proposed D-Day, and the events of the 72 hours leading up to D-Day are explored throughout the play. It premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in May 2014, and had its West End premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre in June 2018. The play had its North American premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto in January 2023.
I Am Thomas: A Brutal Comedy with Songs is a play based around the death of Thomas Aikenhead, the last person to be hanged for blasphemy in Britain. The play received its world premiere at the Liverpool Playhouse, in February 2016, before embarking on a short UK tour. It is a co-production between Told by an Idiot, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Lyceum Theatre.
Mrs Henderson Presents is a musical comedy with music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain, with lyrics by Don Black and a book by Terry Johnson. Based on the 2005 film Mrs Henderson Presents, the musical received its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 2015 and transferred to the West End's Noël Coward Theatre in February 2016. The film was based on the true story of Laura Henderson and London's Windmill Theatre.
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is a play based on the 1998 novel The Sopranos by Alan Warner, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. It received its world premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2015, before embarking on a short UK tour. The play is a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre. The production ran at London's National Theatre in August 2016 and was scheduled to transfer to the West End's Duke of York's Theatre in May 2017.
Hangmen is a play by the British-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its world premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2015, before transferring to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre. The play was directed by Matthew Dunster, designed by Anna Fleischle, and featured David Morrissey and Reece Shearsmith among others. It was universally acclaimed by theatre critics, and was nominated for numerous awards including the Olivier Awards, Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. For its U.S. premiere in 2018 at Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company, Hangmen won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.
Fantastic Mr Fox is a musical stage adaptation of the children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, adapted by Sam Holcroft with music by Arthur Darvill and lyrics by Holcroft, Darvill, Darren Clark and Al Muriel. The story follows Mr Fox who hatches a plan to outsmart his three farmer neighbours in order to feed his family and friends.
Laura Pitt-Pulford is a British actress, best known for her work in musical theatre and for playing Carol Butler in Emmerdale.
Local Hero is a musical with music and lyrics by Mark Knopfler, and a book by Bill Forsyth and David Greig. The musical is based on the 1983 film of the same name, written by Bill Forsyth. It tells the story of an American oil company representative who is sent to the fictional village of Furness on the west coast of Scotland to purchase the town and surrounding property for his company. The musical made its world premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in March 2019.
Solaris is a 2019 science fiction play based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Stanisław Lem, adapted for the stage by David Greig. Its notable feature is different gender of the protagonist, as well as gender-balanced spaceship crew, combating the science fiction male-dominated cliche.
Touching the Void is a play written by David Greig, based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson. It made its world premiere at the Bristol Old Vic in September 2018, before embarking on a short UK and international tour. The play centres on the true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, climb of the 6,344-metre west face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.
Home, I'm Darling is a play by Laura Wade.