The Changing Room
| The Changing Room | |
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First edition
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| Written by | David Storey |
| Characters | 22 men: rugby players and staff |
| Date premiered | 9 November 1971 |
| Place premiered | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | Changing room of a rugby field |
The Changing Room is a 1971 play by David Storey, set in a men's changing room before, during and after a rugby league football game. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on 9 November 1971, directed by Lindsay Anderson. The 1973 Broadway production, directed by Michael Rudman, won several awards including the New York Drama Critics' Circle award for Best Play and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for John Lithgow.
At the play's core is a semi-pro Northern England rugby league team. During the week, its members are peaceable men toiling away at mindless, working class jobs. On Saturday, they prepare for gory combat on the playing field. The changing room is where they perform their pre-game initiation rites, strip down, loosen muscles, and get into their uniforms. After the match they return, often broken, muddy, and bloody, regretting their loss or giddy with victory in the communal shower. There is little in the way of plot, but Storey engages his audience with his ability to dissect his characters' hurts, hopes, desires, and fighting instincts.
Premiering on 9 November 1971 at London's Royal Court Theatre, The Changing Room had a limited, sold-out run before transferring to the Globe in the West End on 14 December. It was directed by Lindsay Anderson and the cast included Jim Norton, David Daker, Warren Clarke, Brian Glover and Alun Armstrong.
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