The Celebration (Play)
Encyclopedia
Festen is a British stage adaptation of the Danish
film of the same name (The Celebration being the film's release title in North America
). The adaptation is by English playwright David Eldridge
. It was first staged by producer Marla Rubin at the Almeida theatre
in London
, and has since been staged in many countries around the world.
As the time arises for birthday speeches to be made to the party's subject, one of his sons stands and asks the assembled guests to choose which of two prepared speeches he should read. The guests select one not knowing its contents, and the son declares it the "truth speech". As he begins to talk, it becomes dramatically clear that he is not praising his father but accusing him of having abused him and his sister over a period of years during their childhood. The rest of the story traces the family's turbulent battle with the truth to discover whether the son's cold rage is justified or the product of a deranged imagination.
in London and ran until the 1 May 2004 before transferring to the Lyric Theatre
. It was directed by Rufus Norris
, designed by Ian McNeil and co-produced in the West End by Marla Rubin and Bill Kenwright
. The production then went on a four-month tour throughout the UK. Festen has gone on to be produced around the world in countries including Australia, Greece, Ireland, Mexico & South Africa.
In a review of the Almeida production, The Stage
noted that in the conversion from a film to a stage version, the story had "lost little of its power to shock and enthral in its transfer to the West End." A BBC London
reviewer described the play as "one of the most powerful, poignant and overwhelming evenings I've ever spent in the theatre."
The West End production ran from 15 September 2004 until 9 April 2005.
production ran at the Music Box Theatre
on Broadway
from 23 March until 9 April 2006.
The production retained director Norris, designer McNeil and co-producers Kenwright and Rubin, but was recast with American actors. It opened to mixed reviews, and a lack of sales success has meant that it remains the only U.S. production of the play.
A The New York Times
reviewer stated that the "indifferently acted" staging on Broadway caused problems for the credibility of the work as a whole. He continued:
The Variety
reviewer suggested that the production was better suited to the English national character than the American one:
as family patriarch and businessman Helge Klingenfeldt. The balance of the cast includes Rosemary Dunsmore
, Nicholas Campbell
, Philip Riccio, Allan Hawco
, Tara Rosling, Caroline Cave
, Richard Clarkin, Earl Pastko
, Milton Barnes, Gray Powell and Alex Paxton-Beesley.
The play ran at the Berkeley Street Theatre from 20 November through 13 December 2008, with previews beginning 17 November.
in 2005. It also won both the Evening Standard
and Critics Circle Best Director Awards and the Evening Standard Best Designer award, in addition to the Whatsonstage Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best New Play.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
film of the same name (The Celebration being the film's release title in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
). The adaptation is by English playwright David Eldridge
David Eldridge (dramatist)
David Eldridge is an English dramatist, born in Romford, Greater London, United Kingdom in 1973.His plays have been performed at major new writing institutions in the UK, including The Royal Court Theatre, the Bush Theatre, the Finborough Theatre and the National Theatre...
. It was first staged by producer Marla Rubin at the Almeida theatre
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and has since been staged in many countries around the world.
Synopsis
As in the original movie, Festen satirises the hypocrisy of a large and wealthy family by observing the events that unfold at the ancestral home during a reunion held to celebrate the oldest family member's 60th birthday.As the time arises for birthday speeches to be made to the party's subject, one of his sons stands and asks the assembled guests to choose which of two prepared speeches he should read. The guests select one not knowing its contents, and the son declares it the "truth speech". As he begins to talk, it becomes dramatically clear that he is not praising his father but accusing him of having abused him and his sister over a period of years during their childhood. The rest of the story traces the family's turbulent battle with the truth to discover whether the son's cold rage is justified or the product of a deranged imagination.
London productions
Festen premiered at the Almeida TheatreAlmeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
in London and ran until the 1 May 2004 before transferring to the Lyric Theatre
Lyric Theatre (London)
The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster.Designed by architect C. J. Phipps, it was built by producer Henry Leslie with profits from the Alfred Cellier and B. C. Stephenson hit, Dorothy, which he transferred from the Prince of Wales Theatre to open...
. It was directed by Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris is an award-winning British theatre director who trained as an actor at RADA before turning to directing.In 2001 he won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his production of Afore Night Came at the Young Vic....
, designed by Ian McNeil and co-produced in the West End by Marla Rubin and Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
. The production then went on a four-month tour throughout the UK. Festen has gone on to be produced around the world in countries including Australia, Greece, Ireland, Mexico & South Africa.
In a review of the Almeida production, The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
noted that in the conversion from a film to a stage version, the story had "lost little of its power to shock and enthral in its transfer to the West End." A BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
reviewer described the play as "one of the most powerful, poignant and overwhelming evenings I've ever spent in the theatre."
The West End production ran from 15 September 2004 until 9 April 2005.
New York production
The U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
production ran at the Music Box Theatre
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theater is a Broadway theatre located at 239 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.The once most aptly named theater on Broadway, the intimate Music Box was designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed by composer Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris specifically to...
on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
from 23 March until 9 April 2006.
The production retained director Norris, designer McNeil and co-producers Kenwright and Rubin, but was recast with American actors. It opened to mixed reviews, and a lack of sales success has meant that it remains the only U.S. production of the play.
A The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reviewer stated that the "indifferently acted" staging on Broadway caused problems for the credibility of the work as a whole. He continued:
The Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reviewer suggested that the production was better suited to the English national character than the American one:
Toronto production
The Company Theatre in Toronto mounted the Canadian premiere of the play. This production was directed by Jason Byrne and starred veteran stage and screen actor Eric PetersonEric Peterson
Eric Neal Peterson, C.M. is a Canadian stage and television actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – Street Legal, Corner Gas and This is Wonderland.-Personal life:...
as family patriarch and businessman Helge Klingenfeldt. The balance of the cast includes Rosemary Dunsmore
Rosemary Dunsmore
Rosemary Dunsmore is a Canadian TV, film and theatre, actress, born in 1953.She has starred in some well known Canadian productions, that include, The Campbells, Anne of Green Gables, Road to Avonlea and Murdoch Mysteries.-External links:...
, Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell
Nicholas Campbell , sometimes credited as Nick Campbell, is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, who has won three Gemini Awards for acting. The movies Naked Lunch, Prozac Nation and the TV series Da Vinci's Inquest are some examples of his acting work.-Early life:Campbell was born in Toronto, Ontario,...
, Philip Riccio, Allan Hawco
Allan Hawco
Allan Hawco is a Canadian television and film actor, best known for his roles in the television series ZOS: Zone of Separation and Republic of Doyle and the television films H2O and The Trojan Horse....
, Tara Rosling, Caroline Cave
Caroline Cave
Caroline Cave is a Canadian film, television and stage actor, known for her roles in the films This Beautiful City, One Week and Saw VI, and the television series Cra$h & Burn...
, Richard Clarkin, Earl Pastko
Earl Pastko
Earl Pastko an American - Canadian actor. Born December 10, 1965 in Chicago, Illinois. He stands approximately 5"9" and he's a founding member of the Remains Theater Company. He moved to Canada in 1984. He's best known for roles in as Colonel Alexi Zukhov, Highway 61 and The Sweet Hereafter...
, Milton Barnes, Gray Powell and Alex Paxton-Beesley.
The play ran at the Berkeley Street Theatre from 20 November through 13 December 2008, with previews beginning 17 November.
Awards
The London production was nominated for five Olivier awardsLaurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
in 2005. It also won both the Evening Standard
Evening Standard Awards
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre. Sponsored by the Evening Standard newspaper, they are announced in late November or early December...
and Critics Circle Best Director Awards and the Evening Standard Best Designer award, in addition to the Whatsonstage Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best New Play.