Dumb Show
Encyclopedia
Dumb Show is a play by Joe Penhall
.
The three-character play, directed by Terry Johnson
, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
' London, September 4, 2004. It received its American premiere at South Coast Repertory
in September, 2006. It was performed at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake
from June-November 2011.
Fans may know him as “Mr. Saturday Night,” but the perks and privileges of superstardom have always eluded Barry. So when the promise of true celebrity beckons, he greedily takes the bait. At last he’s going to get what he deserves!
Joe Penhall
’s darkly comic Dumb Show opens in a luxury hotel suite, where hot-shot private bankers John and Jane are plying television personality Barry with equal parts outrageous flattery and vintage champagne, both of which he finds irresistible. Under the guise of crafting a provocative after-dinner speech, the pair cajole him into revealing some of the seamier aspects of his off-camera life. This is more than he bargained for. So what if he’s using them to get what he wants? That doesn’t give them the right to do the same thing to him, does it? But then doesn’t the public have a right to know who the “real” Barry is (not to mention the “real” John and Jane)?
The tension mounts and the stakes keep getting higher as these three masters of manipulation take turns out-witting one another and rewriting reality according to their own power-crazed agendas. At each surprising turn, Dumb Show confronts questions of ethics, exploitation and personal morality in a culture where humiliating celebrities has become a favorite national pastime. In the playwright’s own words, Dumb Show is “about what happens in the absolute absence of compassion, where society is becoming a vacuum devoid of any real empathy and sympathy, where the only thing that’s left is an utterly plasticized, platitudinous and prurient tabloid sentimentality.”
Joe Penhall
Joe Penhall is a British playwright and screenwriter.Born in London, his first major play was Some Voices for the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1994, which won the John Whiting Award. It has twice been revived off Broadway...
.
The three-character play, directed by Terry Johnson
Terry Johnson (dramatist)
Terry Johnson is a British dramatist and director working for stage, television and film. He is a Literary Associate at the Royal Court Theatre. At The Court he directed Dumb Show by Joe Penhall and opened his play Piano/Forte...
, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
' London, September 4, 2004. It received its American premiere at South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
in September, 2006. It was performed at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake
Theatre by the Lake
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Cumbria, England is situated on the shores of Derwentwater in one of the most picturesque locations in the Lake District. It opened in 1999, replacing the old Blue Box Touring Theatre, and was made possible by an Arts Council Lottery Fund Grant...
from June-November 2011.
Fans may know him as “Mr. Saturday Night,” but the perks and privileges of superstardom have always eluded Barry. So when the promise of true celebrity beckons, he greedily takes the bait. At last he’s going to get what he deserves!
Joe Penhall
Joe Penhall
Joe Penhall is a British playwright and screenwriter.Born in London, his first major play was Some Voices for the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1994, which won the John Whiting Award. It has twice been revived off Broadway...
’s darkly comic Dumb Show opens in a luxury hotel suite, where hot-shot private bankers John and Jane are plying television personality Barry with equal parts outrageous flattery and vintage champagne, both of which he finds irresistible. Under the guise of crafting a provocative after-dinner speech, the pair cajole him into revealing some of the seamier aspects of his off-camera life. This is more than he bargained for. So what if he’s using them to get what he wants? That doesn’t give them the right to do the same thing to him, does it? But then doesn’t the public have a right to know who the “real” Barry is (not to mention the “real” John and Jane)?
The tension mounts and the stakes keep getting higher as these three masters of manipulation take turns out-witting one another and rewriting reality according to their own power-crazed agendas. At each surprising turn, Dumb Show confronts questions of ethics, exploitation and personal morality in a culture where humiliating celebrities has become a favorite national pastime. In the playwright’s own words, Dumb Show is “about what happens in the absolute absence of compassion, where society is becoming a vacuum devoid of any real empathy and sympathy, where the only thing that’s left is an utterly plasticized, platitudinous and prurient tabloid sentimentality.”
External links
- Rupert Graves on-line Review
- Dumb Show at South Coast RepertorySouth Coast RepertorySouth Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...