''Christie in Love'' is an early

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

by Howard Brenton concerning the life of

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

John Christie, who murdered at least seven women between 1943 and 1953, after which he was caught, tried and

hanged Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

Stage history

The play, Brenton's first for Portable Theatre, was directed by David Hare, designed by

Tony Bicat Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

and the stage management was by

Snoo Wilson Andrew James Wilson (2 August 1948 – 3 July 2013), better known as Snoo Wilson, was an English playwright, screenwriter and director. His early plays such as ''Blow-Job'' (1971) were overtly political, often combining harsh social comment wit ...

. Hare continued on as director when the play was presented at the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

on 12 March 1970.

John Russell Taylor John Russell Taylor (born 19 June 1935) is an English critic and author. He is the author of critical studies of British theatre; of critical biographies of such figures in film as Alfred Hitchcock, Alec Guinness, Orson Welles, Vivien Leigh, ...

reviewed the play favourably in ''The Second Wave'', while

Ronald Bryden Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

noted that “Brenton catches the peculiar cosy horror which surrounded our most sensational murder trial of the fifties”. The play won Brenton the

John Whiting Award Between 1965 and 2010, the John Whiting Award (from 2007 renamed the Peter Wolff Trust Supports the John Whiting Award) was awarded annually to a British or Commonwealth playwright who, in the opinion of a consortium of UK theatres, showed a new ...

for 1970. There have been revivals of the play in 1972 (

Liverpool Playhouse The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actres ...

, starring

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series ''Docto ...

); in 2003 starring Paul Dundee, Strath Martin and Paul Pirie undee Rep; and in 2008 (

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

). The play was revived in 2009 in a co-production between Thrill Seeker and Cheekish. It was performed at the Lion and Unicorn from 27 October to 22 November.

Style

The author's production note to the play states that “It is written to be played very slowly” and should last nearly an hour. Portable Theatre was a touring company with limited resources and ''Christie in Love'' was written for these conditions. Brenton described plays like this as being for the poor theatre and written “to turn “bad theatrical conditions” to advantage”.''Plays for the Poor Theatre'' by Howard Brenton, Methuen, 1980 p.6

Notes

{{John Whiting Award 1969 plays British plays Cultural depictions of male serial killers Cultural depictions of rapists One-act plays Plays based on actual events

Stage history

Style

See also

Notes