Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman
A play by Dario Fo (Italian title: Coppia aperta, quasi spalancata). [1]
Contents
Subject
The play takes place in the boudoir of Elizabeth I of England. In the midst of political upheaval aging Elizabeth is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her lover, the Earl of Essex, who is involved in an attempted coup d'etat against the queen. In order to prepare for this tryst, she has summoned her beautician, Dame Grosslady, who speaks primarily in grammelot. (Wikipedia [2]
In the original production Dame Grosslady was played by Franca Rame and Dario Fo played Elizabeth.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
Staged for CAPAB at the Grahamstown Festival in 1997, directed by Christopher Weare, with Robin Scott as Elizabeth and Anthea Thompson as Martha (Dame Grosslady).
Sources
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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