Whose Life Is It Anyway? (play)
| Whose Life Is It Anyway? | |
|---|---|
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| Written by | Brian Clark |
| Characters | Ken Harrison (Claire Harrison in some later productions) Dr. Scott Dr. Emerson Mrs. Boyle Andrew Eden Dr. Barr Mr. Justice Millhouse John Peter Kershaw Sister Anderson Dr. Paul Travers Kay Sadler Philip Hill |
| Date premiered | 1978 |
| Place premiered |
Mermaid Theatre London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Accident victim, paralysed from the neck down, fights for the right to die. |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | a London hospital |
Whose Life Is It Anyway? is a play by Brian Clark adapted from his 1972 television play of the same title, which starred Ian McShane. The stage version premiered in 1978 at the Mermaid Theatre in London, and subsequently opened on Broadway in 1979. The play involves a sculptor who is paralysed.
Set in a hospital room, the action revolves around Ken Harrison (Claire Harrison in some later productions), a sculptor by profession, who was paralysed from the neck down (quadriplegia) in a car accident and is determined to be allowed to die. Clark presents arguments both in favour of and opposing euthanasia and to what extent government should be allowed to interfere in the life of a private citizen. In portraying Ken as an intelligent man with a useless body, he leaves the audience with conflicting feelings about his desire to end his life.
The play was televised on 12 March 1972 by Granada TV. It was directed by Richard Everitt, with the cast that featured Ian McShane (Ken), Susanne Neve (Dr. Scott), and Philip Latham (Dr. Emerson).
Whose Life Is It Anyway? opened at the Mermaid Theatre, London, on 6 March 1978, before playing at the Savoy Theatre from June 1978 to October 1979. This production originally starred Tom Conti and Jane Asher; Conti transferred to New York to star in the Broadway production.
The play, produced by Emanuel Azenberg and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, opened on Broadway at the Trafalgar Theatre (subsequently renamed the Nederlander Theatre) on 17 April 1979 and ran for 223 performances and 9 previews. It marked the Broadway debut of Tom Conti, who was joined by Jean Marsh and Philip Bosco. Conti was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. Both the play itself and Lindsay-Hogg were nominated as well.
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