South Downs is a 2011 play by the British playwright and author David Hare. It is set in 1962 in a public school, similar to Hare's own school, Lancing, in the South Downs.[1] It is a response to Terence Rattigan's 1948 play The Browning Version and was commissioned by Rattigan's estate to mark Rattigan's Centenary.
It premiered alongside a revival of Rattigan's The Browning Version from 2 September to 8 October 2011 at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester (the small auditorium of the Chichester Festival Theatre). The two plays were directed separately by Jeremy Herrin (South Downs) and Angus Jackson (The Browning Version).
The plays re-opened after a sell-out run at Chichester, at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London, on 24 April 2012 for three-months.[2]
A radio version was produced for BBC Radio 4, broadcast on 1 September 2012. It was also directed by Jeremy Herrin, produced by Catherine Bailey, and performed by the original cast members.[3]
| Role | Premiere Cast, 14 September 2011 Minerva Theatre, Chichester | London Premiere Cast, 24 April 2012 London, Harold Pinter Theatre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Blakemore | Alex Lawther | ||
| Rev. Eric Dewley | Nicholas Farrell | ||
| Belinda Duffield | Anna Chancellor | ||
| Basil Spear | Andrew Woodall | ||
| Jeremy Duffield | Jonathan Bailey | ||
| Colin J.T Jenkins | Bradley Hall | ||
| Tommy Gunter | Jack Elliot | Tom Spink | |
| Roger Sprule | Liam Morton | ||
2011, Chichester, Minerva Theatre
2012, London, The Harold Pinter Theatre