''The Common Pursuit'' is a

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 ...

Simon Gray Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a Academia, university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teach ...

which follows the lives of six characters who first meet as undergraduates at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

when they are involved in setting up a literary magazine called ''The Common Pursuit''. The title is an allusion to

F. R. Leavis Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis ( ; 14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was an English literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. He taught for much of his career at Downing College, Cambridge, and later at the University of York. Leav ...

's 1952 collection of essays ''Scrutiny: The Common Pursuit''.

Characters

*Stuart Thorne *Marigold Watson *Martin Musgrove *Humphry Taylor *Nick Finchling *Peter Whetworth

Synopsis

The characters of ''The Common Pursuit'' first meet in Stuart Thorne's rooms in Cambridge, at the first meeting of a literary magazine Stuart is starting called ''The Common Pursuit''. He and Marigold are very much in love, Nick is determined to become a theatre critic, Humphry wants to be a philosophy professor, Martin is set on a career in publishing and Peter only seems interested in chasing women. The play then follows their various lives and careers over the next 20 years, and their struggles to remain faithful to their ambitions and the things they love.

Productions

''The Common Pursuit'' was first performed at the

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London."About the Lyric" > "History" ''Lyric'' official website. Retrieved January 2024. Background The Lyric Theatre ...

on July 3, 1984, directed by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

, with the following cast: *Stuart Thorne - Nicholas le Prevost *Marigold Watson - Nina Thomas *Martin Musgrove -

Ian Ogilvy Ian Raymond Ogilvy (born 30 September 1943) is an English actor, playwright and novelist. Early life Ogilvy was born in Woking, Surrey, England, to Francis Fairfield Ogilvy, brother of advertising executive David Ogilvy, and actress Aileen R ...

*Humphry Taylor -

Clive Francis Clive Francis (born 26 June 1946) is a British actor and illustrator, known for his extensive work in television, film, and theatre. He has appeared in a wide range of British television dramas and comedies, including ''Poldark'', ''Yes, Prime ...

*Nick Finchling - Robert East *Peter Whetworth - Simon Williams Simon Gray kept a diary of the original production which was published as ''An Unnatural Pursuit and other pieces'' by

Faber and Faber Faber and Faber Limited, commonly known as Faber & Faber or simply Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, Margaret S ...

in 1985. The play was first performed in London's West End on April 7, 1988, with Rik Mayall,

John Sessions John Sessions (born John Marshall; 11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020) was a British actor and comedian. He was known as a regular performer on comedy improvisation show '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as co-creator, co-writer and co-star of the ...

, Sarah Berger, Paul Mooney,

Stephen Fry Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...

and

John Gordon Sinclair John Gordon Sinclair (born Gordon John Sinclair; 4 February 1962) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for playing Gregory in the 1981 film '' Gregory's Girl''. There was a Gordon Sinclair already registered with Equity, so he took John Gordon ...

, directed by Simon Gray. In July, the cast changed to

James Wilby James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English actor. Early life and education Wilby was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father. He was educated at Terrington Hall and Sedbergh School, studied for a degree in M ...

Patrick Barlow Evan George Patrick Barlow (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, ''Desmond Olivier Dingle'', is the founder, artistic director and chief executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, whic ...

and Jason Carter with Sarah Berger, Paul Mooney and John Gordon Sinclair. Between the 1984 and 1988 London productions, Gray directed the American premiere of ''The Common Pursuit'' at the Promenade Theatre, Off-Broadway. It opened on October 19, 1986, won positive notices, ran for 352 performances, and won both the 1987 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, and the 1987 Outer Critics Circle for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. The original cast included: *Stuart Thorne -

Kristoffer Tabori Kristoffer Tabori (born Christopher Donald Siegel; August 4, 1952) is an American actor and television director. He is also known as K.T. Donaldson. Early life Tabori was born in Malibu, California, the son of American film director Don Siege ...

*Marigold Watson - Judy Geeson *Martin Musgrove - Michael Countryman *Humphry Taylor - Peter Friedman *Nick Finchling -

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. Since 1975, he has been Nathan Lane on screen and stage, on stage and screen in both comedic and dramatic roles. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Na ...

*Peter Whetworth -

Dylan Baker Dylan Baker (born October 7, 1959) is an American actor. He gained recognition for his roles in films such as '' Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), ''Happiness'' (1998), '' Thirteen Days'' (2000), '' Road to Perdition'' (2002), ''Spider-Man ...

Television

Simon Gray adapted ''The Common Pursuit'' for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 1978 ...

'' series, which was broadcast on 8 March 1992, with Kevin McNally,

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (; born 14 May 1961) is an English actor. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the " Brit Pack". After garnering attention in television productions '' Made in Britain'' (1982) and '' Meantime'' (1983), ...

, Stella Gonet, Andrew McCarthy,

and

James Fleet James Edward Fleet (born 11 March 1952) is an English actor of theatre, radio and screen. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' and the dim- ...

. It was directed by Christopher Morahan and produced by Kenith Trodd.

Critical reception

In a review for ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' of a production of ''The Common Pursuit'' at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London in 2008, Charles Spencer wrote:

Notes

References

*Gray, Simon. ''Simon Gray: Plays 4''. London, Faber and Faber, 2010. *Gray, Simon. ''An Unnatural Pursuit and other pieces''. London, Faber and Faber, 1985.

External links

* *
Simon Gray website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Common Pursuit, The 1984 plays English plays West End plays Off-Broadway plays Plays adapted into television shows