Archives - The Killing of Sister George

by Frank Marcus

Directed by Janet While

Friday 20th – Saturday 28th January 2012 in the Auditorium

The famous comedy about a radio soap star who finds herself written out of the show.

June, nicknamed George, plays a cheerful district nurse in a BBC soap opera. She lives ‘peacefully’ with her roommate Childie, a thirty-something woman. The 1960’s, when the play was written, have a certain resonance to the present-day BBC cost-cutting…

The crux of the play is George finding out that her rôle is going to be killed off by an off-stage car accident. The only part that George could then have is being the voice of a cow in a children’s programme! So there is something to laugh about!

The cast consists of four women, each a multi-layered character. The bullying prima donna is basically insecure. Childie craves affection, but underneath has a domineering streak. And the other two are also complex personalities.

In the behaviour of the characters there is a slight suggestion of lesbianism. A film produced in 1968, four years after the play was written, was so explicit that it was the first film to be given an X certificate. However, the interactions in the play have been interpreted as the playwright’s exploration of the pattern of domination and submission found in gay as well as in straight relationships.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale now for just £10.

School groups pay only £5 per seat. Teachers interested in booking seats should contact our Education Coordinators Cindy Lawford and Elliot Brown to find out about available workshops and talks on the play.

Free-of-charge pre- and post-show talks:

• Wednesday 25^th at 7.30pm in the Clubroom
  Director Janet While discusses how seriously we should take this comedy.
• Thursday 26^th at 7.30pm in the Clubroom
  Dr. Cindy Lawford looks at the play’s 1960s lesbianism.
• Friday 27^th after the performance
  Cast members stay on stage to answer audience questions.