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Post by Jan on Jan 11, 2021 9:46:00 GMT
A list of plays (not musicals) that have theatre itself as a primary theme. I'm not accepting plays that include theatre only as a peripheral plot device (eg. Hamlet, The Seagull). Use of Google banned. Additions ? Deletions ?
1) Trelawny of the Wells - Pinero
2) A Chorus of Disapproval - Ayckbourn
3) Noises Off - Frayn
4) The Dresser - Harwood
5) A Life in the Theatre - Mamet
6) The Real Inspector Hound - Stoppard
7) The Knight of the Burning Pestle - Beaumont
8) The Critic - Sheridan
9) Our Country's Good - Wertenbaker
10) Six Characters in Search of an Author - Pirandello
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4,804 posts
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Post by Mark on Jan 11, 2021 10:06:47 GMT
The Habit of Art
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950 posts
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Post by vdcni on Jan 11, 2021 10:07:44 GMT
Harlequinade - Rattigan
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Post by Jan on Jan 11, 2021 10:14:50 GMT
Oh yes, I'd forgotten that. I did not see The Habit of Art - does it really have anything to say about the theater or is the play-within-a-play just a framing device ? I would exclude The Taming of the Shrew on that basis (ie. the Christopher Sly scenes). Amy's View is another that I haven't seen but I believe that theatre is a theme in it ? |
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 11, 2021 10:16:50 GMT
Teechers - John Godber
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4,804 posts
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Post by Mark on Jan 11, 2021 10:19:32 GMT
Oh yes, I'd forgotten that. I did not see The Habit of Art - does it really have anything to say about the theater or is the play-within-a-play just a framing device ? I would exclude The Taming of the Shrew on that basis (ie. the Christopher Sly scenes). Amy's View is another that I haven't seen but I believe that theatre is a theme in it ? I'd say it's very much a play about theatre. It's not so much the play within the play that does it, but it's a rehearsal and the characters regularly break out of the rehearsal to discuss things. The original production at the national, the set was actually a rehearsal room of the National Theatre. |
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Post by talkingheads on Jan 11, 2021 10:31:25 GMT
Ian Hislop and Nick Newman's A Bunch Of Amateurs
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584 posts
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Post by princeton on Jan 11, 2021 10:52:10 GMT
The Moderate Soprano by David Hare
Cressida by Nicholas Wright
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4,029 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 11, 2021 12:42:31 GMT
The Play That Goes Wrong. And Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
Would A Midsummer Night's Dream count? About a third of the piece is taken up by the Mechanicals planning & performing their play.
Not a well-known one but a few years ago I saw a fringe production of Waiting For Waiting For Godot, about two understudies for a production of Waiting For Godot sitting around backstage waiting to see if they'd get to go on.
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jan 11, 2021 12:50:39 GMT
Dawnstar had totally forgotten about that one, downstairs at the Other Palace or whatever it was called back then. Googled it to refresh my memory and can see with the Mischief connection it was in your radar.
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5,159 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Jan 11, 2021 13:01:38 GMT
I have been reminded by Dawnstar's post, that there is a new play called The Understudy, adapted by the Toast bloke, from the book of the same name. |
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950 posts
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Post by vdcni on Jan 11, 2021 16:41:16 GMT
Oh yes, I'd forgotten that. I did not see The Habit of Art - does it really have anything to say about the theater or is the play-within-a-play just a framing device ? I would exclude The Taming of the Shrew on that basis (ie. the Christopher Sly scenes). Amy's View is another that I haven't seen but I believe that theatre is a theme in it ? It's been a while since I've seen either but yes I'd say theatre is a theme in both of those as well though probably a stronger theme in Amy's View. Habit Of Art is more about the nature and truth of biography but theatre is certainly an element within that in the play. |
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Post by Dawnstar on Jan 11, 2021 17:48:36 GMT
Dawnstar had totally forgotten about that one, downstairs at the Other Palace or whatever it was called back then. Googled it to refresh my memory and can see with the Mischief connection it was in your radar. Yes, I only went to see it for the ex-Mischief cast members. Not because I've ever seen Waiting For Godot! |
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Post by Jan on Jan 11, 2021 18:17:58 GMT
The Play That Goes Wrong. And Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
Would A Midsummer Night's Dream count? About a third of the piece is taken up by the Mechanicals planning & performing their play.
Yes, good call, I’m inclined to allow that. There was an RSC production years ago where Peter Quince was played as Shakespeare, bossing them all around as he was the author but then at the actual performance totally overcome by stage fright. It was very funny. There are a few plays-within-a-play from that period, The Spanish Tragedy has one I recall. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jan 11, 2021 18:22:18 GMT
The Critic by Sheridan
The Real Inspector Hound by Stoppard
Marat/Sade by Weiss
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Jan 12, 2021 20:36:39 GMT
Stoppard’s The Real Thing has that playful conceit at the beginning tho the play is about other stuff really.
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