American socialite, Florence Foster Jenkins, was both the worst and best known soprano in New York City in the early 1940s. Glorious is the play that inspired the acclaimed movie released last year – Florence Foster Jenkins – starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant.
In the 1940s the singer everyone wanted to see perform live in New York was the enthusiastic soprano Florence Foster Jenkins – ‘ the first lady of the sliding scale’. Surrounding herself with devoted friends, almost as eccentric as she, this deliciously happy and delusional woman paid scant attention to her critics and would screech and warble to her audiences, most falling about with laughter. This is the voice of which the great Enrico Caruso – a fan – once said he had never before heard it’s like. There is something at once mesmerising and sublime about listening to a pair of vocal cords in search of a note, finding it, losing it again and continuing on a meandering path to approximation. And when the “singing” is carr
...moreAmerican socialite, Florence Foster Jenkins, was both the worst and best known soprano in New York City in the early 1940s. Glorious is the play that inspired the acclaimed movie released last year – Florence Foster Jenkins – starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant.
In the 1940s the singer everyone wanted to see perform live in New York was the enthusiastic soprano Florence Foster Jenkins – ‘ the first lady of the sliding scale’. Surrounding herself with devoted friends, almost as eccentric as she, this deliciously happy and delusional woman paid scant attention to her critics and would screech and warble to her audiences, most falling about with laughter. This is the voice of which the great Enrico Caruso – a fan – once said he had never before heard it’s like. There is something at once mesmerising and sublime about listening to a pair of vocal cords in search of a note, finding it, losing it again and continuing on a meandering path to approximation. And when the “singing” is carried out with the supreme and serene confidence it is simply breathtaking. This heart-warming comedy moves from Florence’s charity recitals and lavish balls, through to her very odd recording sessions and her ultimate performance triumph at New York’s Carnegie Hall, incorporating her wonderfully colourful relationships along the way.
The show premiered in London’s West End in November 2005 and received a Laurence Olivier Award nomination as Best New Comedy and has since been seen by two million plus people across six continents.
Director: Denny Lawrence
Producer: Christine Harris & HIT Productions
Set, Lighting & Costume Design: Sophie Woodward & Jacob Battista
Featuring: Diana McLean
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