Chariots of Fire

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Chariots of Fire

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 9m

Stage adaptation by Mike Bartlett

Based on the Enigma Productions Limited motion picture
By arrangement with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
And Allied Stars S.A. Panama

Based on the extraordinary true story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, Chariots of Fire is an Olympic tale of hope, honor and belief.

Image: 2012 Hampstead Theatre Production (Tristram Kenton)

Chariots of Fire

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 9m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptations (Stage & Screen)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary

1924. The Paris Olympic Games.

A devout Scottish Christian runs for the glory of God. The son of an immigrant Lithuanian Jew runs to overcome prejudice. Two young track athletes who live for the beautiful purity of running and who prevail in the face of overwhelming odds.

Please note: An underscore by Vangelis for the stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire may be available for performance for an additional fee.  Please contact your licensing representative for more information. 


History
Chariots of Fire premiered at London's Hampstead Theatre on 22 May 2012. On 23 June, the play transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End, where it ran through January 2013. Directed by Edward Hall, the production featured Jack Lowden and James McArdle.
Keywords
Performing Groups

HAROLD
ERIC
AUBREY
ANDY
REG
JIM
HEAD PORTER
MR RATCLIFFE – His assistant
MASTER OF CAIUS
MASTER OF TRINITY
CHARLIE
FRANK
VARIOUS SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF G AND S SOCIETY
SECRETARY OF G AND S SOCIETY
ROBIN
ALASTAIR
COLIN
JENNIE
SANDY
PROVOST
MR LIDDELL
SAM MUSSABINI
JOHN KEDDIE
FRENCH ATHLETE 1
FRENCH ATHLETE 2
JIMMIE
SYBIL
THE ENTIRE CAST OF THE MIKADO
TOFFY
JACKSON SCHOLZ
CHARLIE PADDOCK
FOSTER
REPORTERS
BIRKENHEAD
SUTHERLAND
CADOGAN
THE PRINCE OF WALES
VARIOUS REPORTERS
MANY DIFFERENT RUNNERS
20 COUNTRY'S OLYMPIC TEAMS
FLORENCE
GEORGES
ANDRE
THE FRENCH PRESIDENT
TOM WATSON
ANNOUNCER
STAGEHAND

The action of the play is fast, confident and continuous. Always something to focus on, especially in scene changes. The performance should require effort – an athletic event itself. By the end the performers should be exhausted.

  • Time Period 1920s
  • Setting Cambridge, Scotland, and the Paris Olympics. 1919-1924.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

★★★★★ “A bravura version of the 1981 movie... pure exhilaration.” – The Sunday Times

“[A] stirring crowd-pleaser.” – Evening Standard

“Gripping human confrontation... sure to be a huge popular theatrical success.” – The Stage

“Even this grumpy Olymposceptic was brought to actual tears, moved to empathy and understanding by the fabulous theatricality of it... above all, it's the sincerity: a full-blooded willingness to take the hearty morality, amateur spirit and patriotism at its own valuation without modish irony.” – The Times

“A fine Olympic-season project... [Bartlett] utilises the stage's greater ability to open up to the protagonists’ inner voices, showing Abrahams’ preoccupation with his never-present father and in particular Liddell's devout brand of muscular Christianity.” – The Financial Times

“Funny, pithy and creative... about as close to a West End musical as it's possible to get without in fact being one.” – Time Out

“What eventually emerges as the really engaging battle of wills is that of Abrahams and Liddell versus the British Establishment – ironic, as they each strive to shine for king and country.” – The Independent

“A triumph of will that is in keeping with the spirit of the story it tells... an unmissable theatrical offering in the year of the London Olympics.” – The Observer

★★★★★ “A bravura version of the 1981 movie... pure exhilaration... surely one of the great treats of the summer.” – The Sunday Times


Photos

  • Chariots of Fire

    Image: 2012 Hampstead Theatre Production (Tristram Kenton)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

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Please note: An underscore by Vangelis for the stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire may be available for performance for an additional fee.  Please contact your licensing representative for more information.

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Authors

Mike Bartlett

Mike Bartlett

Mike Bartlett is a multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Series two of Doctor Foster aired on BBC in 2017, as did his adaptation of his stage play King Charles III.

He was Associate Playwright at Paines Plough, Writer-In-Residence at the National Theatre, and Pears ...

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