User:Omphaloscope/Travesties

Travesties is a comedic play by Tom Stoppard, first produced in 1974.

The play draws on an historical note: in 1916, at the height of World War I, three figures of the twentieth century were living as exiles in peaceful Zürich: James Joyce, then writing Ulysses; Lenin, researching for his treatise on imperialism; and Tristan Tzara, who was instigating the Dadaist movement in the city's now-famous Cabaret Voltaire (Zürich). Historical truth aside &mdash; the three never met &mdash; Stoppard's play imagines what such a meeting might have been like.

The story unfolds as a series of modern-day recollections by a fourth character, also taken from history, the minor English consular official Henry Carr, who had really met James Joyce in 1916: he had performed in a production of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, for which James Joyce was the business manager; he was later included in Ulysses as Private Carr, a minor character. Stoppard uses this production and Carr's mixed feelings surrounding it as a framework to explore art, the war and revolution. Situations from Earnest feature prominently within the action. Travesties' characters also includes versions of two of Earnest's: Gwendolen and Cecily. As he explores his recollections, Carr's now geriatric memory becomes prone to distraction, giving rise to a mazy-minded interpretation of the historical figures.

Stoppard uses many intellectual and theatrical devices within the play, including puns, limericks, and even a vaudeville song.

Original production
The play was first produced on June 10, 1974, at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The play was directed by Peter Wood, and designed by Carl Toms, with lighting by Robert Ornbo. It closed March 30 1976 after 156 performances. The original cast comprised eight actors and actresses:
 * John Wood as Henry Carr,
 * John Hurt as Tristan Tzara,
 * Tom Bell as James Joyce,
 * Frank Windsor as Lenin,
 * John Bot as Bennett,
 * Maria Aitken as Gwendolen,
 * Beth Morris as Cecily, and
 * Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Nadya.

Awards
The play won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Comedy. John Wood, who starred as Henry Carr, won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Performance by an actor. The play also won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play of 1975-1976 season.