Plague Over England to close 2 weeks early on 2 May

Plague Over England to close 2 weeks early on 2 May

Plague Over England, by the Evening Standard theatre critic, Nicholas De Jongh, will now close 2 weeks early on 2 May 2009.

The play opened at the Duchess Theatre 23 Feb 2009, following previews from 11 Feb to good notices from the popular press: THE GUARDIAN says, "Fine play." The DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "De Jongh, who can sometimes seem harsh in print, here reveals a warm and even sentimental heart. Equally importantly he displays an assured touch as a dramatist." THE STAGE says, "A smart, moving play." THE INDEPENDENT says, "Occasionally heavy-handed, Tamara Harvey's bouncy production and witty performances, holds our interest."

The cast includes Michael Feast (John Gielgud) & Celia Imrie (Dame Sybil Thorndike)

The play premiered at the Finborough Theatre, a fringe venue in Earl's Court, where it ran from 28 Feb to 22 March 2008.

It is directed by Tamara Harvey, designed by Alex Marker, lighting by James Farncombe, costumes by Trish Wilkinson, sound by Theo Holloway, and produced by Bill Kenwright / Ambassador Theatre Group.

Based around the controversial 1953 conviction of Sir John Gielgud - for persistently importuning men for immoral purposes.

More than just a dramatisation of a scandalous event in one actor's life, this new play shows how Gielgud's arrest played a small but distinct part in the battle to make homosexuality legal. It captures the spirit of Britain in the early 1950s when judges, politicians and the national press were describing homosexuality as a cancer, an epidemic and a threat to national life. It is an extraordinary insight into the dramatic changes in social attitudes to gay life in the last fifty years.