A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Ben and Imo
Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 1m
The true story of the passionate partnership between Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst.
-
Cast Size
1w, 1m -
Duration
More than 120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Period
Details
Summary
To mark the occasion of the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Benjamin Britten is commissioned to write an opera in nine months about Elizabeth I. The disheartened composer enlists the help of Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav and an accomplished musician in her own right. Her can-do attitude works to balance the often-maddening Britten, and what first begins as an arrangement of musical assistance, turns into a friendship that sees Gloriana to its premiere.
Originally written to mark the centenary of Britten’s birth and performed on BBC Radio 3 in 2013, Mark Ravenhill’s Ben and Imo is a powerful play that explores the brilliant yet often turbulent working relationship of two of the 20th Century’s greatest musical minds.
History
Keywords
- Time Period 1950s
- Setting Benjamin Britten’s work room in Crag House, Aldeburgh.
- Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Media
“Pitch perfect.” — East Midlands Theatre
“Playful and finely tuned.” — Daily Mail
“Finely crafted.” — The Observer
“Utterly sublime.” — The Reviews Hub
“Tasteful” — The Stage
Licensing & Materials
Authors
