This extraordinary collection of Simon Gray ’s work, three unseen plays and one revival, performed under the umbrella title, In the Vale of Health, which refers to the Hampstead hamlet where all four plays are set, offers a unique experience five years after the writer’s death.
See 1, 2, 3 or all 4 plays featuring the same characters – brothers competing for the love of the same woman – but each telling a different story with astonishingly different outcomes.
‘Rejoice that these plays have finally been stirred into compelling action’ The Telegraph
Simon Gray’s dark comedy Japes, directed by Peter Hall, enjoyed a successful run in the West End in 2001. Watching rehearsals, the playwright realised the characters might have made different choices and arrived at a different ending, so he set to work on Japes Too. Concerned that he had still only told one side of the story he then set down Michael. But the characters continued to haunt him so he kept writing, and Missing Dates is a further attempt to put them to rest.
‘ In the Vale of Health consolidates Gray’s position at the top of any list of the most formidable rewriters in literature’ Guardian
Simon Gray is the award-winning author of over 30 plays, including Butley, Quartermaine’s Terms and The Common Pursuit. His other writing includes screenplays, novels, and a hugely successful series of diaries culminating in The Smoking Diaries.
Tamara Harvey’s numerous theatre credits include Tim Rice’s new musical From Here to Eternity (West End), Educating Rita (Menier Chocolate Factory / UK Tour) and Whipping It Up (West End).
Each play in In The Vale Of Health stands alone so you can see 1, 2, 3 or all 4 plays from this collection of work. They are all individual plays and can be watched as such: one doesn’t conclude in another.