The Daughter-in-Law
The Daughter-in-Law is the first play by D. H. Lawrence, completed in January 1913. Lawrence described it as "neither a tragedy nor a comedy - just ordinary". It was neither staged nor published in his lifetime.[1]
| The Daughter-in-Law | |
|---|---|
| Written by | D. H. Lawrence |
| Characters | Mrs Gascoyne Joe Gascoyne Mrs Purdy Minnie Gascoyne Luther Gascoyne Cabman |
| Date premiered | 16 March 1967 |
| Place premiered | Royal Court Theatre, London, England |
| Original language | English |
The first stage production, by Peter Gill at the Royal Court Theatre in 1967, contributed to a reappraisal of Lawrence's dramatic writing. In 1968 The Times Literary Supplement said it was "a fine and moving piece of work" that "ought to be as well known as Sons and Lovers and the best Nottinghamshire stories".[2] In 2012 the critic Michael Billington described it as "quite extraordinary ... one of the great British dramas of the 20th century".[3]
Characters
- Mrs Gascoyne
- Mrs Purdy
- Joe Gascoyne
- Minnie Gascoyne
- Luther Gascoyne
- Cabman
Production history
The play premiered on 16 March 1967 at the Royal Court Theatre, London, directed by Peter Gill. The cast comprised Gabrielle Daye, Anne Dyson, Victor Henry, Judy Parfitt and Mike Pratt.[4]
References
- Lawrence, David Herbert (2001). The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd and Other Plays. Oxford University Press. p. xxvii.
- Moran, James (2015). The Theatre of D. H. Lawrence. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 6.
- "The Daughter-in-Law review, The Guardian".
- "The Daughter-in-Law, Peter Gill".
Sources
- Worthen, John D.H. Lawrence: The Early Years 1885-1912 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. 458-60.