Long Day's Journey into Night

Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill. (Written 1939-41, first performed 1955-6.) A powerful play about a disintegrating family, based on the author's own relationship with his parents and brother. Considered by many to be O'Neill's masterpiece and one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.

Performance history in South Africa

First performed in South Africa at the Hofmeyr Theatre and the Intimate Theatre by Leonard Schach and the Cockpit Players from October 1958 . Starred Joan Blake, John McKelvey, Leon Gluckman, Paddy Canavan and Nigel Hawthorne. Decor by Bruce Palmer.

Thereafter often produced, including by PACT (197*, directed by Francois Swart(?*), with i.a. ?*), The Space (1973, directed by Bill Tanner with i.a. Bill Flynn, Roshel Malbin, Peter Piccolo, Percy Sieff and Yvonne Bryceland).

CAPAB (1989, directed by Ralph Lawson, designer Peter Cazalet, costumes Birrie le Roux, with Patrick Mynhardt (James Tyrone) Diane Wilson (Mary Cavan Tyrone), David Clatworthy (James Tyrone, Jr., André Roothman (Edmund Tyrone), Belinda Koning) (Cathleen).

Translations and adaptations

It has been translated into Afrikaans as Lang Dagreis na die Nag by André P. Brink and first produced by TRUK in July 1970, directed by Leonard Schach. Decor by Richard Cook, costumes by Pat Slavin. In the cast were Tine Balder, Annette Engelbrecht, Schalk Jacobsz, Don Lamprecht, Louis van Niekerk.

In 2008 Marthinus Basson directed and designed the Afrikaans text for Vleis, Rys en Aartappels and the KKNK, starring Antoinette Kellermann en Marius Weyers, Stian Bam and Gustav Gerdener. This production won a number of awards.

Sources

Inskip, 1977. p 122.

Nico Malan Theatre pamphlets, Feb-March 1989

Astbury, 1979.

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