| A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 2001 West End revival theatrical poster | |
| Written by | Peter Nichols |
| Date premiered | 1967 |
| Place premiered | Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Scotland |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Parents with a child with cerebral palsy use humour to cope |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | Present day, Bristol, England |
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg is a 1967play by the EnglishplaywrightPeter Nichols, first staged at theCitizens Theatre inGlasgow, Scotland, before transferring to theComedy Theatre in London's West End.
The play centres on a British couple, Bri and Sheila, who are struggling to save their marriage whilst trying to raise their only child, a small girl named Josephine, who hascerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair and is nonverbal, which her parents see as unable to communicate. Caring for her has occupied nearly every moment of her parents' lives since her birth, taking a heavy toll on their marriage. Sheila gives Josephine as much of a life as she can, while Bri wants the child institutionalised and has begun to entertain chilling fantasies of killing himself and Josephine.
After its premiere in Glasgow in 1967,A Day in the Death of Joe Egg opened in London'sWest End in 1967 then transferred to Broadway the next year. On Broadway, the play received four nominations forTony Awards, including Best Play, Best Actor (Albert Finney), Best Featured Actress (Zena Walker) and Best Director (Michael Blakemore). Walker won the Tony for Best Featured Actress. The play was profiled in theWilliam Goldman bookThe Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.
TheBrunton Theatre Company,Musselburgh, produced the play under the direction of Sandy Neilson during its first season in 1979.
The play has been revived twice on Broadway. A 1985 revival staged at theLongacre Theatre ran for 93 performances. It was directed byArvin Brown and the cast includedJim Dale,Stockard Channing,Joanna Gleason,Christina Pickles andKate Wilkinson. The production won theDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival.
A revival in the West End opened in October 2001 at the New Ambassadors Theatre, starringClive Owen andVictoria Hamilton and was directed byLaurence Boswell. This production transferred to the Comedy Theatre in December 2001, with Eddie Izzard replacing Owen.[1] The same production opened on Broadway, produced byRoundabout Theatre, in March 2003 at theAmerican Airlines Theatre and played for 69 performances. Directed by Lawrence Boswell, the play starredEddie Izzard andVictoria Hamilton.[2]
In October 2011 theCitizens Theatre again staged the play that premiered there in 1967, with a cast that includedMiles Jupp,Sarah Tansey, andMiriam Margolyes.[3]
In May 2013 it received anoff-off-Broadway production fromRetro Productions in New York City.[4]
In September 2019, the play had a West End revival atTrafalgar Studios, starringClaire Skinner andToby Stephens, directed bySimon Evans.[5][6]
Nichols adaptedA Day in the Death of Joe Egg for two films, first in 1970, and again in 2002. The 1970 adaptation, which was not released until 1972, was directed byPeter Medak, starringAlan Bates,Janet Suzman,Joan Hickson,Peter Bowles andElizabeth Robillard. A 2002 television version was directed byRobin Lough, with starsEddie Izzard,Victoria Hamilton,Prunella Scales, andRobin Weaver.