Terence Rattigan dominated British theatre in the Forties and Fifties with world famous plays such as “The Winslow Boy” and “The Browning Version” .
He was also very successful as a scriptwriter in a large number of successful Hollywood and English movies that included “The Prince and The Showgirl” starring Marilyn Monroe.
With the arrival of John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger” in 1956 , “The Angry Young Men” and their kitchen sink concerns made “old fashioned” story telling and the dramatic dynamic of family and affairs of the heart suddenly passé .
It is said that Rattigan died a sad and overlooked figure despite the late life award of his knighthood in 1977.
How the world turns and Rattigan is all the rage again with the Andrew Davies film of “The Deep Blue Sea” and the BBC running a series of his plays on radio.
Rattigan fever now reaches us here in the North East as theatre goers can see for themselves in this long anticipated run of Separate Tables at the People’s Theatre on the 19th of june.
Based on two one act plays with the same guest house and staff featuring it tells the stories around the characters who meet at two separate tables in the dining room a few months apart.
Filmed memorably with David Niven and Burt Lancaster in 1958 this is the theatre show to catch this week.
Rattigan is back and appearing on your doorstep.
Separate Tables plays the People’s Theatre Heaton Road Newcastle from tomorrow night (19th June) until June 23rd with a 7.30pm start.