Cast

Synopsis

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Directors Notes

Turgenev spent much of his life in Paris. In a journal of the time, 1868, he was referred to as “that foreign writer who has so delicate a talent— a charming colossus, a pleasant giant with white hair who looks like the good spirit of a mountain or a forest”

Turgenev had fallen in love with a French opera singer, Madame Viardot, quarrelled with his mother who owned the estate, and followed his siren out of Russia back to the west, spending most of his life in Paris where he died in 1883.

‘A Month in the Country’ was written in 1850, but not produced until 1872, first appearing in London at the Royalty Theatre in 1926 with Gillian Scaife playing Natalia. Michael Redgrave writes: “At the core of this play is the gold of true theatre and it has a wealth of good acting parts. Tho original very lengthy Moscow production has been cut in this translation and made more manageable by Emlyn Williams’ dialogue-it floats ilke a bright soap bubble over a summer garden”.

I am very grateful to the committee of Bingley Little Theatre for giving me the opportunity to produce this very fine play and hope that our audience may have a very rewarding and enjoyable evening.