The Daughter-in-Law

The Daughter-in-Law is the first play by D. H. Lawrence, completed in January 1913. Lawrence described it as "neither a tragedy nor a comedy - just ordinary". It was neither staged nor published in his lifetime.[1]

The Daughter-in-Law
Written byD. H. Lawrence
CharactersMrs Gascoyne
Joe Gascoyne
Mrs Purdy
Minnie Gascoyne
Luther Gascoyne
Cabman
Date premiered16 March 1967 (1967-03-16)
Place premieredRoyal Court Theatre, London, England
Original languageEnglish

The first stage production, by Peter Gill at the Royal Court Theatre in 1967, contributed to a reappraisal of Lawrence's dramatic writing.[2] In 1968 The Times Literary Supplement said it was "a fine and moving piece of work" that "ought to be as well known as Sons and Lovers and the best Nottinghamshire stories".[3] In 2012 the critic Michael Billington described it as "quite extraordinary ... one of the great British dramas of the 20th century".[4]

Characters
  • Mrs Gascoyne
  • Mrs Purdy
  • Joe Gascoyne
  • Minnie Gascoyne
  • Luther Gascoyne
  • Cabman

Production history

The play premiered on 16 March 1967 at the Royal Court Theatre, London, directed by Peter Gill. The cast comprised Gabrielle Daye, Anne Dyson, Victor Henry, Judy Parfitt and Mike Pratt.[5]

It was revived at The Young Vic in 2002 directed by Artistic Director David Lan.[6] With The Guardian calling it "one of the great British dramas of the 20th century".

The Mint Theater Company produced the play in 2003 in New York City [7] with The New York Times naming it a top ten production of the year.[8]

Arcola Theatre produced the play in 2018 directed by Jack Gamble[9][10]

Adaptations

In 2015 the National Theater co-produced with the Royal Exchange Theater Husbands and Sons an adaption that wove together The Daughter-In-Law, A Collier’s Friday Night, and The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd into a single three hour narrative.[11] The three D. H. Lawrence plays were adapted by Ben Power and the production was directed by Marianne Elliott[12]

Television

In 1985 the BBC broadcast a production directed by Martyn Friend with Sheila Hancock as Mrs Gascoigne, Cherie Lunghi as Minnie and David Threlfall as Luther.[13]

References
  1. Lawrence, David Herbert (2001). The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd and Other Plays. Oxford University Press. p. xxvii.
  2. Billington, Michael (4 September 2019). "A shining light: Peter Gill, the unsung hero of British theatre". The Guardian.
  3. Moran, James (2015). The Theatre of D. H. Lawrence. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 6.
  4. "The Daughter-in-Law review, The Guardian".
  5. "The Daughter-in-Law, Peter Gill".
  6. Billington, Michael (13 September 2002). "The Daughter-in-Law, Young Vic, London". The Guardian.
  7. Weber, Bruce (16 June 2003). "THEATER REVIEW; D. H. Lawrence's Young Wisdom". The New York Times.
  8. Weber, Bruce (28 December 2003). "THEATER: THE HIGHS; The Plays And Players Of the Year". The New York Times.
  9. Billington, Michael (29 May 2018). "The Daughter-in-Law review – is this the best British working-class drama?". The Guardian.
  10. "The Daughter-in-Law". Arcola Theatre. 5 February 2018.
  11. "Husbands & Sons". National Theatre. 23 October 2015.
  12. Billington, Michael (28 October 2015). "Husbands and Sons review – Anne-Marie Duff shines through violation of DH Lawrence". The Guardian.
  13. The Daughter-in-Law – BBC – Radio Times

Sources
  • Worthen, John D.H. Lawrence: The Early Years 1885-1912 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. 458–60.

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