Synopsis

University-educated, sweet-stall owner, Jimmy Porter and his middle-class wife Alison are holed up in a dingy bedsit with their friend, Cliff. With the marriage at a crisis point, their self-styled ‘nut-house’ echoes to the sounds of banter and battling, until Helena arrives…

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Michael’s View

I realised that the only way it could work was if you could take the curse off the huge speeches that Jimmy has. I’d had enough life experience to know that if anyone talks that much, it’s because they feel they’re being attacked. Up until then the way of looking at Jimmy was that he was attacking all the time. It’s deadly in the theatre for someone to come on stage and do their speech and everyone goes: “Oh yes, that was marvellously done.” The play kind of disappears. I knew the key would be to make sure, even in scenes where Alison is saying nothing, that she had the loudest voice. You see that Jimmy is defending himself against her silence, as he says. It should feel like a dialogue rather than just one person speaking

Awards & Nominations

Laurence Olivier Awards 2000: Best Actor – Nominated
Evening Standard Drama Awards 2000: Best Actor – Nominated

Reviews

A tremendous leading performance from Michael Sheen as Jimmy Porter.. People often ask what Porter is so angry about. This production and Sheen’s great performance make it clear… Michael Sheen will blaze in the firmament for years to come. This brilliant young actor was a definitive Jimmy Porter four years ago in Manchester and last night recreated, and even improved upon, that memorable performance…

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