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Donkey's Years
''Donkeys' Years'' is a play by English playwright Michael Frayn that premiered at the Globe Theatre, London, in 1976. The play is a West End farce, a genre that Frayn parodied five years later in his play within a play "Nothing On" from ''Noises Off''. In ''Donkeys' Years'' six former students spend the weekend at their old university college for their 25th year reunion. The wife of the Master of the college becomes locked within its walls for the night, supplying the material for a classic bedroom farce. A Government minister is placed in a series of embarrassing positions. The play won the 1976 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. The play featured Penelope Keith, who subsequently won the 1976 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance. The play was revived in 2006 at the Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen (play), Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy (play), Democracy''. Frayn's novels, such as ''Towards the End of the Morning'', ''Headlong (Frayn novel), Headlong'' and ''Spies (novel), Spies'', have also been critical and commercial successes, making him one of the handful of writers in the English language to succeed in both drama and prose fiction. He has also written philosophical works, such as ''The Human Touch: Our Part in the Creation of the Universe'' (2006). Early life Frayn was born at Mill Hill, north London (then in Middlesex), to Thomas Allen Frayn, an asbestos salesman from a working-class family of blacksmiths, locksmiths and servants and his wife Violet Alice (née Lawson). Violet was the daughter of a failed palliasse merchant; having studied as a violinist at the Royal Academy of Music, she worked as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greece: in Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in Ancient Greek theatre, theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance pitting two groups, ages, genders, or societies against each other in an amusing ''agon'' or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions posing obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth then becomes constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to resort to ruses which e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense; satire, parody, and mockery of real-life situations, people, events, and interactions; unlikely and humorous instances of miscommunication; ludicrous, improbable, and exaggerated characters; and broadly stylized performances. Genre Despite involving absurd situations and characters, the genre generally maintains at least a slight degree of realism and narrative continuity within the context of the irrational or ludicrous situations, often distinguishing it from completely absurdist or fantastical genres. Farces are often episodic or short in duration, often being set in one specific location where all events occur. Farces have historically been performed for the theatre, stage and film. Historical context T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. A second Globe Theatre was built on the same site by June 1614 and stayed open until the London theatre closure 1642, London theatre closures of 1642. As well as plays by Shakespeare, early works by Ben Jonson, Thomas Dekker (writer), Thomas Dekker and John Fletcher (playwright), John Fletcher were first performed here. A modern reconstruction of the Globe, named "Shakespeare's Globe", opened in 1997 approximately from the site of the original theatre.Measured using Google Earth Location Examination of old leases and parish records has identified the plot of land acquired for building The Globe as extending from the west side of modern-day Southwark Bridge Road eastwards as far as Porter Street and fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gielgud Theatre
The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and opened on 27 December 1906 as the Hicks Theatre, named after Seymour Hicks, for whom it was built. The first play at the theatre was a hit musical called '' The Beauty of Bath'' co-written by Hicks. Another big success was '' A Waltz Dream'' in 1908. In 1909, the American impresario Charles Frohman became manager of the theatre and renamed the house the Globe Theatre, a name that it retained for 85 years. '' Call It a Day'' opened in 1935 and ran for 509 performances, a long run for the slow inter-war years. '' There's a Girl in My Soup'', opening in 1966, ran for almost three years, a record for the theatre that was not surpassed until '' Daisy Pulls It Off'' opened in April 1983 to run for 1,180 performances. Refurbished in 1987, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Play Within A Play
A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes called nested stories. A play may have a brief play within it, such as in Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet''; a film may show the characters watching a short film; or a novel may contain a short story within the novel. A story within a story can be used in all types of narration including poems, and songs. Stories within stories can be used simply to enhance entertainment for the reader or viewer, or can act as examples to teach lessons to other characters. The inner story often has a symbolic and psychological significance for the characters in the outer story. There is often some parallel between the two stories, and the fiction of the inner story is used to reveal the truth in the outer story. Often the stories within a story are used to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noises Off
''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind." The prototype, a short-lived one-act play called ''Exits'', was written and performed in 1977. At the request of his associate, Michael Codron, Frayn expanded this into what would become ''Noises Off''. It takes its title from the theatrical stage direction indicating sounds coming from offstage. Characters of ''Noises Off'' *Lloyd Dallas: The director of a play-within-the-play, ''Nothing On''. Temperamental, exacting and sarcastic. Involved with both Brooke and Poppy. *Dotty Otley: A middle-aged television star who is not only the top-billed star but also one of the play's principal investors. Dating the much younger Garry. *Garry Lejeune: The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bedroom Farce
A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy focusing on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors. Overview Georges Feydeau plays, presented in Paris in the 1890s, are considered forerunners. The Viennese playwright Arthur Schnitzler took bedroom farce to its highest dramatic level in his '' La Ronde'', which in ten bedroom scenes connect the highest and lowest of Vienna. Some of the English Aldwych farces by Ben Travers which were popular in the 1920s and 1930s have aspects of "bedroom farce", e.g. '' A Cuckoo in the Nest'' or ''Rookery Nook''. However, in each case the sharing of a bedroom or house turns out to have an innocent explanation. In modern times, Woody Allen's ''A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982) presents aspects of the bedroom farce. Michael Frayn's 1977 play '' Donkeys' Years'' is a classic bedroom farce; Frayn parodied the genre in his 1982 play ''Noises Off'' via its play-wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurence Olivier Award For Best Entertainment Or Comedy Play
The Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier. The award was titled Comedy of the Year from its establishment in 1976 until 1990, was renamed to Best Comedy starting in 1991, Best New Comedy starting in 1999, then retitled to its current name for the 2020 Olivier Awards – when "Entertainment" was moved to join Best Comedy Play from the Best Entertainment and Family award, which was renamed Best Family Show at that same time. Winners and nominees 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s See also * Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play * Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play * Tony Award for Best Play References * External links * {{OlivierAward Entertain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Penelope Keith
Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith (''née'' Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and '' To the Manor Born''. She succeeded Lord Olivier as president of the Actors' Benevolent Fund after his death in 1989, and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the arts and to charity. Keith joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963, and went on to win the 1976 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for the play '' Donkeys' Years''. She became a household name in the UK playing Margo Leadbetter in the sitcom ''The Good Life'' (1975–78), winning the 1977 BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance. In 1978 Keith won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for '' The Norman Conquests''. She then starred as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in the sitcom ''To the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olivier Award For Best Comedy Performance
Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to: * Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Olivier (surname), a list of people * Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery *Olivier, Louisiana, a rural populated place in the United States * Olivier (crater), on the Moon * Olivier salad, a popular dish of Russian cuisine * ''Olivier'' (novel), the first published novel by French author Claire de Duras * The Olivier Theatre (named after the actor Laurence Olivier), one of three auditoria at the Royal National Theatre * The Laurence Olivier Awards, a theatrical award * Olivier (comics) Olivier is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of the antihero the Punisher. Olivier was created by Bernie Wrightson, Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegos ..., a foe of the Punisher See also * '' Olivier, Olivier'', a 1992 drama film {{disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harold Pinter Theatre
The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,"Harold Pinter has London theatre named after him" ''BBC News'', 7 September 2011, accessed 8 September 2011. is a , and opened on Panton Street in the , on 15 October 1881, as the Royal Comedy Theatre. It was designed by Thomas Verity and built in just six months in painted ( |
