Moonlight and Magnolias at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Tower Theatre presents Moonlight and Magnolias, by Ron Hutchinson, directed by Despina Sellar, at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate, north London, from 6 to 10 March 2012.

1939 Hollywood is abuzz. Legendary producer David O. Selznick has shut down production of his new epic, Gone with the Wind, a film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel. The screenplay, you see, just does not work. So, what's an all-powerful movie mogul to do? While fending off the film's stars, gossip columnists and his own father-in-law, Selznick sends a car for famed screen writer Ben Hecht and pulls formidable director Victor Fleming from the set of The Wizard of Oz. Summoning both to his office, he locks the doors, closes the shades, and on a diet of bananas and peanuts, the three men labour over five days to fashion a screenplay that will become the blueprint for one to the most successful and beloved films of all time.