The Young Elizabeth
The Young Elizabeth is a play by Jennette Dowling Letton (1909-1999)[1] and Francis Letton ()[].
Contents
The original text
A play about Elizabeth I from the time of King Henry VIII's death to the death of her sister Mary Tudor.
(There is some confusion about the theme of the play as described on certain commercial websites, where it is wrongly described as a play about Elizabeth II, before her coronation in 1952 - this is pertinently and confusingly so of the IMDb entry[2] on the 1953 TV drama).
Originally performed as Princess Elizabeth (c. 1948), Before the Throne (c. 1949), then as The Young Elizabeth (1952) - the title under which it is best known and was published by Elek Books, 1952, Issue 170 of French's acting edition, and by Dramatists Play Service in 1955..
Performed as The Young Elizabeth at the New Theatre, London, on 2 April, 1952, directed by Charles Hickman.
The text was published by Elek Books, 1952, Issue 170 of French's acting edition, and by Dramatists Play Service in 1955.
Translations and adaptations
Adapted as a novel by Jenette Dowling Letton ()[] and published by Harper & Brothers in 1953.
Adapted as a BBC TV drama by the same authors, and broadcast in 1953.
Performance history in South Africa
1953: Presented by the Johannesburg Repertory Players (a Coronation Production) was directed by Leonard Schach at the Alexander Theatre, opening 10 June 1953. Décor was by Len Grossett and costumes by Louis Jacobson. In the cast were Theo Aronson, Philip Birkenshaw, Rigby Foster, Anthony James, Robert Lang, Doreen Mantle, Gertrude Miles.
1953: Presented by the Repertory Theatre Society (later known as the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society), from 16 to 26 September.
Sources
Partial facsimile version of the text of the 1955 edition, Google Books[3]
Open Library [4].
Inskip, 1977. p 120.
NELM: [Collection: FLETCHER, Jill]: 2005. 75. 19. 61.
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