BUTLEY | Simon Gray asked me to direct Butley in 1970. I found its savage, lacerating wit hard to beat and accepted the invitation... The extraordinary thing about Butley, it still seems to me, is that the play gives us a character who hurls himself towards the destruction while living, in the fever of his intellectual hell, with a vitality and brilliance known to few of us. He courts death by remaining ruthlessly – even dementedly – alive. It’s a remarkable creation..... Harold Pinter, from his introduction published in Simon Gray: Plays 1 (Faber, 2010) | Butley, the central character of Simon Gray's brittle and brilliant play...could well join that distinguished gallery of human debris represented by Willie Loman, Jimmy Porter and Bill Maitland in post-war drama… What is so wondrous about a play so basically defeatist and hurtful is its ability to be funny. The stark, unsentimental approach to the homosexual relationship, the cynical send-up of academic life, the skeptical view of the teacher-pupil associations are all stunningly illuminated by continuous explosions of sardonic, needling, feline, vituperative and civilised lines. Milton Shulman, Evening Standard, July 15th 1971 | Synopsis Butley is a play about a university lecturer, Ben Butley, who shares his office and his flat with a former star pupil, Joey, now also a lecturer. On the day when the play takes place Butley faces both the ultimate breakdown of his marriage and of his intense friendship with Joey. Butley’s painful discoveries are made against a background of petty university politics and unease about student dissent. He greets them with a blistering torrent of repartee and rhetoric. |
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About the cast: | | Dominic West, playing Ben Butley, has made a number of celebrated appearances on the London stage in recent years, starring in The Voysey Inheritance (National), Rock ‘n’ Roll (West End) and Life Is A Dream (Donmar). West made his name as the character of Jimmy McNulty in five seasons of The Wire (HBO) from 2002 to 2008. His other screen credits include The Devil’s Whore, Centurion and 300. | | Penny Downie, who plays Edna Shaft, was seen in the RSC's Hamlet, playing Gertrude opposite David Tennant, and Penelope in The Penelopiad | | Paul McGann, who plays Reg Nuttall, is best known for his role in "Withnail and I" and as the 8th Doctor "Doctor Who." His theatre credits include Helen at Shakespeare's Globe and Mourning Becomes Electra at the National. | | Amanda Drew, who will play Anne Butley, played the role of Beth in the recent West End revival of Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged. Other recent stage appearances include House of Games (Almeida), ENRON (Chichester/Royal Court/West End), Parlour Song (Almeida) and The Ugly One (Royal Court). | | Martin Hutson, who will play Joseph Keyston, has been seen on stage in Antony and Cleopatra (Liverpool Playhouse), Taking Sides / Collaboration (Chichester/West End), The Voysey Inheritance (NT), The Comedy of Errors (Sheffield) and As You Like It (RSC). He was nominated in 2001 for the Ian Charleson Award for his roles in Ghosts (West End) and As You Like It (Sheffield). | Lindsay Posner's directorial credits include West End productions of An Ideal Husband, A View from the Bridge, Fiddler on the Roof, Fool for Love, Oleanna and Death and the Maiden. |
Read Josephine Hart's appreciation of Simon Gray's work | | |  | PRODUCTION HISTORY
| | | Butley was first presented by Michael Codron on 14th July 1971 at the Criterion Theatre, London. It won the 1971 Evening Standard Award for Best Play. | | | | The cast was as follows: | | | | BEN BUTLEY – Alan Bates | | JOSEPH KEYSTON – Richard O’Callagham | | MISS HEASMAN – Brenda Cavendish | | EDNA SHAFT – Mary Wimbush | | ANNE BUTLEY – Colette O’Neil | | REG NUTTALL – Michael Byrne | | MR GARDNER – George Fenton | | | Director: Harold Pinter | | | The role of Butley was subsequently taken on by Richard Briers and Alec McCowen in the same production. MORE | | Selected other productions of Butley | | | The play was subsequently made into a film starring Alan Bates and directed by Harold Pinter. |
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Alan Bates and Richard O'Callaghan in Butley PUBLISHING INFORMATION Butley was published as a Faber Contemporary Classic in Simon Gray: Plays 1 on July 7th 2010. To order a copy on special offer at 25% discount please contact Faber and use code GRAYPLAYS. Or check out the Plays section of our bookshop. | | | | Butley is also published in the following editions: | | | Key Plays (Faber and Faber 2002 ISBN 0-571-21634-X) | | | The Definitive Simon Gray Volume I (Faber and Faber 1992 ISBN 0-571-16223-1) | | | As an individual play: | | | Butley (Eyre Methuen 1971) | | | Butley(Samuel French US) |
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LICENSING INFORMATION For UK and Worldwide performance rights please contact Judy Daish Associates at rozzy@judydaish.com. For English-speaking amateur rights, apply to Samuel French Ltd at www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk. For amateur rights in the USA and Canada, apply to Samuel French Inc at www.samuelfrench.com.
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| NEWS & EVENTS |
The Common Pursuit in New York: an interview with the director
Moises Kaufman talks about the production at the Roundabout Theatre, plus photos of the cast |
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The Common Pursuit in New York: casting announced
The Roundabout Theatre Company's production will open at the Laura Pels Theatre on May 24. |
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Otherwise Engaged: new production on Radio 4
James Purefoy will lead the cast in Simon Gray's classic comedy, to be broadcast on 24th March at 2:30pm. |
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Stage Struck reading at Westport Country Playhouse, Connecticut
Jefferson Mays will lead the cast in Simon Gray's comedy thriller on 12 March 2012. |
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Simon Callow's new website!
A new website devoted to the wonderful actor, writer and director has now been launched. |
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Congratulations to Tom Wells: Most Promising Playwright at the Critics' Circle Awards
First recipient of the Simon Gray Award wins for The Kitchen Sink at the Bush Theatre last year. |
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An interview with Tom Wells, whose play The Kitchen Sink is the first play to be supported by the Simon Gray Award at the Bush Theatre, London
Tom's play, The Kitchen Sink, runs at the Bush Theatre from 16th November to 17th December. |
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Quartermaine's Terms at the Stables Theatre and Arts Centre in Hastings
A new production will be running from 18 to 26 November 2011. |
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Congratulations to Christopher Morahan on his CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Morahan has collaborated frequently with Simon Gray during his career, on both stage and screen. |
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Exclusive interview with Christopher Morahan, by Colin MacCabe
The film, television and theatre director talks about his career and collaborations with Simon Gray |
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Many congratulations to Harriet Walter on being made a Dame in the New Year Honours list.
Harriet has appeared in Simon Gray's works on stage, screen and the radio, and has also played his mother in a documentary. |
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FABER NEW EDITIONS - SPECIAL OFFER
Get 25% off The Early Diaries (RRP 14.99) and each individual volume of Simon Gray: PLAYS 1-5 (RRP 16.99) including free P&P. |
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Critical Quarterly: Simon Gray special edition
An issue of the literary magazine dedicated to Simon Gray's work, edited by Colin MacCabe, came out in April 2010. |
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VIDEO AND PODCAST OF RUNNING LATE EVENING
Watch or listen to Peter Bowles, Udayan Prasad and James Fleet in discussion with Harry Burton at Le Cine Anglais screening |
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THE SMOKING DIARIES AUDIO BOOKS SPECIAL OFFER
Buy the audio books of all three volumes of The Smoking Diaries and Coda, all read by the author, for GBP40 or get 20% off each individual CD volume. |
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VIDEO: Colin Firth talks about A Month in the Country
The actor discusses the film with Ken Trodd, Pat O'Connor and Harry Burton |
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An Interview with Daniel Gerroll
Read an exclusive interview with Daniel Gerroll, the star of The Holy Terror and Chariots of Fire, in our blog now. |
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Ian Jack's blog on Simon Gray and Prizes
Our first guest blogger, Ian Jack, writes exclusively for us on Simon Gray and literary prizes. |
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Margy Kinmonth honored at Women in Film & Television Awards 2009
Producer/Director Margy Kinmonth, who directed the Imagine documentary about Simon Gray, was honored at the ceremony on 4th December. |
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