Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Encyclopedia
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is a stage play by Tom Stoppard
with music by André Previn
. It was first performed in 1977. The play criticizes the Soviet practice of treating political dissidence as a form of mental illness. Its title derives from the popular mnemonic
used by music students to remember the notes on the lines of the treble clef. The cast comprises six actors, but also a full orchestra, which not only provides music throughout the play but also forms an essential part of the action. A chamber-orchestra version exists.
The play is dedicated to Viktor Fainberg
and Vladimir Bukovsky
, two Soviet dissidents
expelled to the West.
, from which he will not be released until he admits that his statements against the government were caused by a (non-existent) mental disorder.
In the hospital he shares a cell with a genuinely disturbed schizophrenic, also called Ivanov, who believes himself to have a symphony orchestra under his command. Alexander receives visits from the Doctor and from a Colonel in the KGB
.
Meanwhile, his son, Sacha, is seen in a school classroom with a teacher who attempts to convince him of the genuineness of his father's illness.
Its 1977 premiere was staged at the Royal Festival Hall
in London as part of Queen Elizabeth
's Silver Jubilee
. That performance featured Ian McKellen
(Alexander), John Wood
(Ivanov) and Patrick Stewart
(the Doctor), as well as the London Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Previn.
In 1978 the play was produced for television by the BBC
. The producer was Mark Shivas
and direction was shared by Trevor Nunn
and Roger Bamford. The filming was undertaken at a live performance at Wembley Conference Centre
in April 1978, conducted by Previn. The cast for this production was Ian McKellen (Alexander Ivanov), Ben Kingsley
(Ivanov), Frank Windsor
(the Doctor), John Woodvine
(the Colonel), Barbara Leigh Hunt (the Teacher) and James Harris
(aka Jim Harris
and James Pickering) (Sacha).
Following its BBC production, the play ran at the Mermaid Theatre
in London during the summer and autumn of 1978. Cast changes included John Carlisle
taking on the role of the Colonel from John Woodvine, who played Alexander Ivanov, Ian McDiarmid
(Ivanov), Rowena Cooper
(the Teacher) and Rhys McConochie (the Doctor). The role of Sacha was played by a number of young actors including Harris again, and Anthony Robb. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour was the last production at the old Mermaid before it was demolished and redeveloped.
Patrick Stewart also appeared in a 1992 production (produced by Charles Johanson for the Orange County Symphony) which toured to four US cities. The cast included his Star Trek: The Next Generation
colleagues Gates McFadden
, Jonathan Frakes
, Brent Spiner
and Colm Meaney
.
The play was performed in 2002 in Philadelphia as a collaboration between the Wilma Theater and the Philadelphia Orchestra
, taking advantage of the fact that Previn had reorchestrated the score for chamber orchestra, making smaller productions possible.
In 2008 it was performed at The Town Hall
in New York City by the Boston University College of Fine Arts, directed by Jim Petosa and conducted by Neal Hampton, as part of their Incite Festival. This production was revived (director, Jim Petosa, conducted by William Lumpkin) and played the Boston University Theatre in October, 2009 and then again for two performances at Maryland's Olney Theatre Center in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
In July 2008 The Chautauqua Theater Companyhttp://www.ciweb.org/Theater/index.html at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York
state, performed the play in conjunction with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
for the 25th Anniversary Gala of the theater company. Directed by Ethan McSweeny with Conductor Timothy Muffitt http://www.ciweb.org/Theater/special_events.html; Michael Emerson
as Alexander and Brian Murray
as Ivanov.
London's National Theatre
mounted a revival in January 2009, starring Toby Jones
and featuring the pioneering orchestra Southbank Sinfonia
.
"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" was performed at Carnegie Hall by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra
on May 7, 2011 as part of the "Spring for Music" Festival. The performance was directed by Cornel Gabara and the speaking cast consisted of Pete Cross, David DeChristopher, Yazan "Zack" Safadi, Kevin Hayes, Actor (Colonel), Benjamin Pryor, and Pamela Tomassetti. The piece was the second half of a program performed by the Toledo Symphony under the guidance of Conductor Stefan Sanderling and with participation of the Glacity Theatre Collective. The two-part evening was composed of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 30 and the play,and marked the Toledo Symphony's debut at Carnegie Hall, as well as the premiere of the full orchestra version of "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" in New York.
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
with music by André Previn
André Previn
André George Previn, KBE is an American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the most versatile musicians in the world, and is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings. -Early Life:Previn was born in...
. It was first performed in 1977. The play criticizes the Soviet practice of treating political dissidence as a form of mental illness. Its title derives from the popular mnemonic
Mnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
used by music students to remember the notes on the lines of the treble clef. The cast comprises six actors, but also a full orchestra, which not only provides music throughout the play but also forms an essential part of the action. A chamber-orchestra version exists.
The play is dedicated to Viktor Fainberg
Viktor Fainberg
Viktor Isaakovich Fainberg is a philologist, prominent figure of the dissident movement in the Soviet Union, participant of the 1968 Red Square demonstration, and fighter against punitive psychiatry....
and Vladimir Bukovsky
Vladimir Bukovsky
Vladimir Konstantinovich Bukovsky is a leading member of the dissident movement of the 1960s and 1970s, writer, neurophysiologist, and political activist....
, two Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents were citizens of the Soviet Union who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government and actively protested against these actions through either violent or non-violent means...
expelled to the West.
Plot
The play concerns a dissident, Alexander Ivanov, who is imprisoned in a Soviet mental hospitalMental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
, from which he will not be released until he admits that his statements against the government were caused by a (non-existent) mental disorder.
In the hospital he shares a cell with a genuinely disturbed schizophrenic, also called Ivanov, who believes himself to have a symphony orchestra under his command. Alexander receives visits from the Doctor and from a Colonel in the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
Meanwhile, his son, Sacha, is seen in a school classroom with a teacher who attempts to convince him of the genuineness of his father's illness.
Production history
Because of the difficulties in staging a play that requires a full orchestra in addition to the cast of actors, the play is rarely performed.Its 1977 premiere was staged at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in London as part of Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
's Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
. That performance featured Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
(Alexander), John Wood
John Wood (English actor)
John Wood, CBE was an English actor.-Biography:Wood was born in Derbyshire and studied law at Jesus College, Oxford where he was president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society. Changing to drama, Wood became known as a stage actor, appearing in numerous West End productions as well as on...
(Ivanov) and Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
(the Doctor), as well as the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
conducted by Previn.
In 1978 the play was produced for television by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. The producer was Mark Shivas
Mark Shivas
Mark Shivas was a British television producer, film producer and executive. He began his career at BBC Television in the 1960s, and quickly became one of the department's noted producers...
and direction was shared by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
and Roger Bamford. The filming was undertaken at a live performance at Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre near Wembley Stadium, Wembley, in London, England.-History:Opened in 1977, it was the first purpose built Conference Centre in the UK. Events included conferences, corporate hospitality, annual general meetings, banquets and sports events including...
in April 1978, conducted by Previn. The cast for this production was Ian McKellen (Alexander Ivanov), Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
(Ivanov), Frank Windsor
Frank Windsor
Frank Windsor is an English actor, mainly on television.He attended Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall. He began his career on radio and made an appearance in a 1953 film of Henry V...
(the Doctor), John Woodvine
John Woodvine
John Woodvine is an English stage and screen actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.-Early life:...
(the Colonel), Barbara Leigh Hunt (the Teacher) and James Harris
James Harris
James Harris is the name of:*James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury , English diplomatist*James Harris, 2nd Earl of Malmesbury , British peer*James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury , British statesman...
(aka Jim Harris
Jim Harris
Jim Harris may refer to:* Jim Harris , American novelist, author of A Bottle of Rain* Jim Harris , American children's book illustrator* Jim Harris , American naturalist...
and James Pickering) (Sacha).
Following its BBC production, the play ran at the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
in London during the summer and autumn of 1978. Cast changes included John Carlisle
John Carlisle
John Carlisle may refer to:* John Carlisle , British television actor* John Carlisle , British Conservative Party Member of Parliament and member of the Conservative Monday Club...
taking on the role of the Colonel from John Woodvine, who played Alexander Ivanov, Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid is a Scottish theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television.McDiarmid has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others and although he has appeared mostly in theatrical productions,...
(Ivanov), Rowena Cooper
Rowena Cooper
Rowena Cooper is an actress who appeared in the last three series of Rumpole of the Bailey as the wife of Chambers Head Sam Ballard; and also appeared in other roles on television. She is married to actor Terrence Hardiman.-Notes:...
(the Teacher) and Rhys McConochie (the Doctor). The role of Sacha was played by a number of young actors including Harris again, and Anthony Robb. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour was the last production at the old Mermaid before it was demolished and redeveloped.
Patrick Stewart also appeared in a 1992 production (produced by Charles Johanson for the Orange County Symphony) which toured to four US cities. The cast included his Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
colleagues Gates McFadden
Gates McFadden
Cheryl Gates McFadden usually credited as Gates McFadden, is an American actress and choreographer. She is best known for portraying the character of Dr...
, Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
and Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
.
The play was performed in 2002 in Philadelphia as a collaboration between the Wilma Theater and the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, taking advantage of the fact that Previn had reorchestrated the score for chamber orchestra, making smaller productions possible.
In 2008 it was performed at The Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
in New York City by the Boston University College of Fine Arts, directed by Jim Petosa and conducted by Neal Hampton, as part of their Incite Festival. This production was revived (director, Jim Petosa, conducted by William Lumpkin) and played the Boston University Theatre in October, 2009 and then again for two performances at Maryland's Olney Theatre Center in metropolitan Washington, D.C.
In July 2008 The Chautauqua Theater Companyhttp://www.ciweb.org/Theater/index.html at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state, performed the play in conjunction with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, the resident summer orchestra of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York State. Founded in 1929, the ensemble plays concerts on most Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights throughout the Institution's nine-week season. The CSO...
for the 25th Anniversary Gala of the theater company. Directed by Ethan McSweeny with Conductor Timothy Muffitt http://www.ciweb.org/Theater/special_events.html; Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice.-Early life:...
as Alexander and Brian Murray
Brian Murray
Brian Murray is a South African actor and theatre director. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2004....
as Ivanov.
London's National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
mounted a revival in January 2009, starring Toby Jones
Toby Jones
Toby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Hammersmith, London, the son of actors Jennifer and Freddie Jones...
and featuring the pioneering orchestra Southbank Sinfonia
Southbank Sinfonia
Southbank Sinfonia describes itself as "Britain's Newest Orchestra and one of the most exciting projects in music for decades."...
.
"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" was performed at Carnegie Hall by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra in Toledo, Ohio. It's the biggest "musical resource for the region". They perform in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana...
on May 7, 2011 as part of the "Spring for Music" Festival. The performance was directed by Cornel Gabara and the speaking cast consisted of Pete Cross, David DeChristopher, Yazan "Zack" Safadi, Kevin Hayes, Actor (Colonel), Benjamin Pryor, and Pamela Tomassetti. The piece was the second half of a program performed by the Toledo Symphony under the guidance of Conductor Stefan Sanderling and with participation of the Glacity Theatre Collective. The two-part evening was composed of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 30 and the play,and marked the Toledo Symphony's debut at Carnegie Hall, as well as the premiere of the full orchestra version of "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" in New York.