Lettice and Lovage
| Lettice and Lovage | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Peter Shaffer |
| Date premiered | October 6, 1987 |
| Place premiered | Theatre Royal, Bath |
| Original language | English |
Lettice and Lovage is a comedic and satire play by Peter Shaffer. It is centered around a flamboyant tour guide who loves to embellish the history behind an English country house butts heads with a fact-conscious official at the house. The play was written specifically for Maggie Smith, who originated the title role of Lettice Douffet in both the English and American runs of the production. The role of Lotte Schoen was played by Margaret Tyzack.
Following a tour of provincial theatres, the play was produced in London in 1987. Its two-year run of 768 performances at the Globe Theatre counts as one of the longer runs in London theatrical history. After a year in the West End play, Smith and Tyzack were replaced by Geraldine McEwan and Sara Kestleman. The play was revised by Shaffer in 1988, and it was that revised version that later ran in New York.
Lettice and Lovage's first American production opened with a preview performance in New York, New York at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 13, 1990. It ran from March 25, 1990 to December 23, 1990 with a total of 286 performances.
Peter Shaffer describes Lettice and Lovage as a "very English piece" as far as its humor and references. He altered the ending for the American production, but not for the reason of "Americanizing" it
This version contains a significant rewrite. In the original... the two ladies were left at the end preparing to blow up a select list of modern architectural monstrosities with a petard - a medieval explosive device. This fantastic conclusion produced much laughter, but I was always aware of how assiduously it had been tacked onto the play in order to do just that. It was a forced climax, dismissing the piece into improbability... Finally the present one was born, and seemed to me both correct and pleasing... with this rewrite, Lettice prospers, and Lotte prospers with her, and their progenitor is happy.
In the introduction to his 1990 version of the play, Shaffer goes on to suppose that American audiences might not appreciate the comedic device of mocking English architecture, opining that America outranks England in their contemporary architecture and therefore would not find the issue as funny or relevant.
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