Shirley Valentine

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

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Concord Theatricals

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Cast Size

1w
Duration

120 minutes (2 hours)
Suggested Use
- Monologues
Target Audience

Adult

Details

Summary

The heroine in this actor's tour-de-force is an ordinary middle class English housewife. As she prepares chips and egg for dinner, she ruminates on her life and tells the wall about her husband, her children, her past, and an invitation from a girlfriend to join her on holiday in Greece to search for romance and adventure. Ultimately, Shirley does escape to Greece, has an "adventure" with a local fisherman and decides to stay. This hilariously engaging play was a hit in London and New York, performed by Pauline Collins, who later recreated her role on film garnering an Oscar nomination.

Cast Attributes

All Women

Keywords

F1 (42)

Time Period Contemporary, 1990s, 1980s
Setting A Kitchen, a beach.
Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“Russell’s script shows a deep and compassionate understanding of a certain kind of working-class woman at a certain age.” — The Guardian

“In this play [Mr Russell] touches English audiences directly in a way that no other playwright has done since the early John Osborne ... brilliantly funny ...” - The Times

“Absolutely smashing.” - The New York Post

“A joyful, captivating piece of theatre.” - The New York Daily News

“A thrilling, cheer raising piece of theatre.” - The Financial Times

Photos

Image: 2023 West End Production (Tristram Kenton)

Licensing & Materials

Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Scripts

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Authors

Willy Russell

Willy Russell’s career spans more than four decades; born in Liverpool in 1947, he left school at 15 and became a women’s hairdresser and part-time singer/songwriter performing on the local folk scene before returning to education and becoming a teacher.

Shirley Valentine