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Shirley Valentine
''Shirley Valentine'' is a one-character play by Willy Russell. Taking the form of a monologue by a middle-aged, working class Liverpool housewife, it focuses on her life before and after a transforming holiday abroad. Plot Wondering what has happened to her youth and feeling stagnant and in a rut, Shirley feels as if her family treats her more like a servant and she finds herself regularly alone and talking to the wall while preparing an evening meal of "chips and egg" for her emotionally distant husband. When her best friend wins a competition for two to Greece, she packs her bags, leaves a note on the cupboard door in the kitchen, and heads for a fortnight of rest and relaxation. In Greece, with just a little effort on her part, she rediscovers everything she had been missing about her existence in England. She finds so much happiness, in fact, that when the vacation is over she decides not to return, ditching her friend at the airport and going back to the hotel where she' ...
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Willy Russell
William Russell (born 23 August 1946) is an English dramatist, lyricist and composer. His best known works are '' Educating Rita'', '' Shirley Valentine'', '' Blood Brothers'' and '' Our Day Out''. Early life Russell was born in Whiston, Lancashire (which is now Merseyside). On leaving school, aged 15, he became a women's hairdresser, eventually running his own salon, until the age of 20 when he decided to go back to college. This led to him qualifying as a teacher. During these years, Russell also worked as a semi-professional singer, writing and performing his own songs in folk clubs. At college, he began writing drama and, in 1972, took a programme of three one-act plays to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where they were seen by writer John McGrath, who recommended Russell to the Liverpool Everyman, which commissioned the adaptation, ''When The Reds…'', Russell's first professional work for theatre. Career Russell's first play was ''Keep Your Eyes Down'' (1971), writte ...
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Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the " Triple Crown of Acting". She has also received a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award. Burstyn made her acting debut on Broadway in ''Fair Game'' in 1957 before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for '' Same Time, Next Year'' (1975). She earned the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as the widow Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese's romantic drama '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974). Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in '' The Last Picture Show'' (1971), ''The Exorcist'' (1973), '' Same Time, Next Year'' (1978), '' Resurrection'' (1980), and '' Requiem for a Dream'' (2000). Her other notable films include '' Harry and Tonto'' (1974), '' How to Mak ...
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Tony Award For Best Performance By A Leading Actress In A Play
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a Broadway play. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American actress who died in 1946. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, to "honor the best performances and stage productions of the previous year." The award was originally called the Tony Award for Actress—Play. It was first presented to Ingrid Bergman and Helen Hayes at the 1st Tony Awards for their portrayals of Mary Grey / Joan of Arc and Addie Bemis in '' Joan of Lorraine'' and '' Happy Birthday'', respectively. Before 1956, nominees' names were not made public; the change was made by the awards committee to "have a greater impact on theatr ...
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Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspapers, digital and national publications, and other media beyond Broadway. The awards were first presented during the 1949–50 theater season. History The Outer Critics Circle was founded as the Outer Circle during the Broadway season of 1949–50 by an assortment of theater critics led by John Gassner, a reviewer, essayist, dramaturg, and professor of theater. These critics were writing for academic publications, special interest journals, monthlies, quarterlies, and weekly publications outside the New York metro area, and were looking for a forum where they could discuss the theater in general, particularly the current New York season. The creation of the OCC was also a reaction to the New York Drama Critics Circle, which did not all ...
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Drama Desk Award For Outstanding Actress In A Play
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The award was one of eight new acting awards first presented in 1975, when Drama Desk retired an earlier award that had made no distinction between work in plays and musicals, nor between actors and actresses, nor between lead performers and featured performers. After the 2022 ceremony, all eight acting categories introduced in 1975 were retired. The award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, along with Outstanding Actor in a Play, were replaced in 2023 with the gender neutral category of Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play. Winners and nominees 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Multiple wins ; 3 wins * Cherry Jones ; 2 wins * Zoe Caldwell * Rosemary Harris * Janet McTeer * Phylicia Rashad * Jessica Tandy See also * Laure ...
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Laurence Olivier Award For Best Actress
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a 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. This award was introduced in 1985, as Actress of the Year, then retitled to its current name for the 1993 ceremony. Prior to this award, from 1976 to 1984 (and again in 1988), there was a pair of awards given each year for this general category, one for Actress of the Year in a New Play and the other for Actress of the Year in a Revival. Winners and nominees 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Multiple awards and nominations for Best Actress Note: The below awards and nominations include individuals awarded and nominated under the now-defunct categories Actress of the Year in a New Play and Actress of the Year in a Revi ...
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Laurence Olivier Award For Best New Comedy
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 ...
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Matthew Dunster
Matthew Dunster is an English theatre director, playwright, and actor.Dominic Cavendish for The Telegraph. 17 Mar 201/ref> He was the Associate Director of the Young Vic from 2005 to 2009 and the Associate Director of Shakespeare's Globe from 2015 to 2017. His production of Love and Money by Dennis Kelly was nominated for the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2006 and his production of Mogadishu by Vivienne Franzmann was nominated for that same award in 2012. In January 2016 Dunster was appointed as a patron to the Arts Educational Schools, London. He was nominated for the Best Director award at the 2016 Oliviers' for Hangmen by Martin McDonagh. Directing credits * '' Love and Money'' by Dennis Kelly at the Royal Exchange Theatre and Young Vic Theatre. (2006) * ''You can see the Hills''. Written and directed by Matthew Dunster at the Royal Exchange Theatre (2008) * ''Macbeth''. At the Royal Exchange Theatre * Macbeth with Nicholas Gl ...
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Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress and singer. She came to prominence after playing a variety of characters in sitcoms, including '' The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' (2001–2009), ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2008–2010, 2024), and ''Benidorm'' (2009). She co-starred as Joey Ross in the drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (2009–2013) and went on to receive acclaim for starring in a succession of television dramas, such as '' Mrs Biggs'' (2012), ''Cilla'' (2014), '' The C Word'' (2015), '' Black Work'' (2015), '' The Moorside'' (2017), '' Cleaning Up'' (2019), and ''Four Lives'' (2022). Her film credits include ''Tower Block'' (2012), ''Quartet'' (2012), '' The Huntsman: Winter's War'' (2016), and '' The Railway Children Return'' (2022). Smith has appeared in the West End musicals ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (2007), '' Legally Blonde'' (2010), '' Funny Girl'' (2016), '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour ...
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Jodie Prenger
Jodie Christine Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known for winning the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006 and the BBC talent show '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008, the latter of which subsequently launched her career in theatre. In 2022, she began portraying the role of Glenda Shuttleworth in the ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street''. Early life Prenger was born on 12 June 1979 to a Dutch father and an English mother of part-Irish descent. She has one brother. Prenger was educated at Elmslie Girls' School in Blackpool, then Blackpool and the Fylde College before starting work in the area as an entertainer. She performed on the cabaret circuit in Northern England and also worked as an agony aunt. In June 1998 she appeared in the ''Tiptoes Summer Spectacular'' at Blackpool's Opera House theatre before appearing 20 minutes later in one of the main roles in a Blackpool and the Fylde College production of the musical comedy, '' Hot M ...
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Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Theatre is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. The Grade II listed building was built in 1930 with interiors in the Art Deco style as the Whitehall Theatre; it regularly staged comedies and revues. It was converted into a television and radio studio in the 1990s, before returning to theatrical use in 2004 as Trafalgar Studios, the name it bore until 2020, with the auditorium converted to two studio spaces. It re-opened in 2021 following a major multi-million pound project to reinstate it to its original single-auditorium design. History 1930 to 1996 The original Whitehall Theatre, built on the site of the 17th century ''Ye Old Ship Tavern'' was designed by Edward A. Stone, with interiors in the Art Deco style by Marc-Henri and Laverdet. It had 634 seats. The theatre opened on 29 September 1930 with ''The Way to Treat a Woman'' by Walter Hackett, who was the theatre's licensee. In November 1933 Henry Daniell ...
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