The Philanthropist (play)

The Philanthropist
Written byChristopher Hampton
Date premiered
August 3, 1970 (1970-08-03) (London),
March 15, 1971 (1971-03-15) (Broadway)
Place premieredEthel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway, New York City, New York
Original languageEnglish
SubjectThe Misanthrope

The Philanthropist is a play by Christopher Hampton, written as a response to Molière's The Misanthrope. After opening at the Royal Court Theatre, London in August 1970, the piece, directed by Robert Kidd, transferred to the May Fair Theatre in the West End and ran there for over three years, subsequently going on a regional tour in 1974.[1] In the meantime, the play, directed once again by Kidd, premiered on Broadway in March 1971, running till May of the same year.[2] Kidd had previously collaborated with Hampton[3] on When Did You Last See Your Mother? (1964), which had also been staged at the Royal Court Theatre.

Described by Hampton as a "bourgeois comedy", the piece is set in an "English University Town".[4] The Philanthropist demonstrated Hampton's ability "to write witty, subtle and revealing dialogue."[5]

  1. ^ "Production of the Philanthropist | Theatricalia".
  2. ^ "The Philanthropist – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22.
  3. ^ Coveney, Michael (4 March 2006). "A talent to adapt". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  4. ^ The Broadway League (June 28, 2009). "The Philanthropist". IBDB: The Official Source for all Broadway Information. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  5. ^ Chambers, Colin (2006). "Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre". Google Books. Continuum International Publishing Group. Retrieved 12 March 2011.