Playboy of the West Indies

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Playboy of the West Indies is a play by Trinidadian playwright Mustapha Matura, a Caribbean version of Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. Playboy of the West Indies opened in 1984 at the Oxford Playhouse, where it had been commissioned by Nicolas Kent,[1] and subsequently toured the UK, finishing at the Tricycle Theatre in London. The original cast included Joy Richardson (as Alice), Jackie de Peza (Ivy), Frank Singuineau (Jimmy), Jim Findley (Ken), T-Bone Wilson (Mac), Mona Hammond (Mama Benin), Rudolph Walker (Mikey), Joan Ann Maynard (Peggy), Tommy Eytle (Phil), and Jason Rose (Stanley).[2]

The play has also enjoyed much success in the United States, most notably at The Court Theatre, Chicago; Arena Stage, Washington, DC; New Jersey and Yale Rep. The Court Theatre Chicago's production was nominated for four Jefferson Awards.[2] There was an extremely successful revival of the play at the Lincoln Center, New York, in 1993, directed by Gerald Gutierrez.[3]

Matura also wrote a television adaptation of the play, screened on BBC2 in 1985.[4]

The play has been called a "marvellous adaptation",[5] and in 2004 it was revived at the Tricycle Theatre and the Nottingham Playhouse, in a well reviewed production by Nicolas Kent, who first directed the play 20 years earlier.[6] Peter Hepple in The Stage stated: "Whereas Playboy of the Western World is recognised as a serious play, despite its comedy overtones, Mustapha Matura’s Trinidadian version is all good humour. Possibly this is because its setting, a small fishing village, may have some significance to West Indians but to us it is simply a colourful background for this clever adaptation."[7] Michael Billington wrote in The Guardian, "As comedy, Matura's version is hard to fault: he keeps all Synge's surprise entrances and adds to them his own 1950 period texture and joyous Creole dialogue...."[8][9][10]

References[]

  1. ^ Philip Fisher. "Playboy of the West Indies – Mustapha Matura | Tricycle, Kilburn (2004)". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Playboy of the West Indies By Mustapha Matura", National Theatre Black Plays Archive.
  3. ^ "Shows | April 14 - July 25, 1993: Playboy of the West Indies", Lincoln Center Theater.
  4. ^ Playboy of the West Indies Archived 2014-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, London: Oberon Books.
  5. ^ Charles Spencer, "Caribbean riot of love and grief", The Telegraph, 8 December 2004.
  6. ^ Adam Scott, "Playboy of the West Indies, Tricycle Theatre, London", The Independent, 14 December 2004.
  7. ^ Peter Hepple, "Playboy of the West Indies" (review), The Stage, 9 December 2004.
  8. ^ Michael Billington, "Playboy of the West Indies" (review), The Guardian, 7 December 2004.
  9. ^ Pat Ashworth, "Playboy of the West Indies", The Stage, 10 February 2005.
  10. ^ Steve Orme, "Playboy of the West Indies" (review), British Theatre Guide, 2005.

External links[]

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