Case Histories to Drama: Sacks, Pinter and Friel (in person at King's Place)
In 1973 renowned British neurologist Oliver Sacks published a collection of beautifully crafted case histories, Awakenings. An instant success, it inspired many writers and artists. This very special performance, taking place at Jewish Book Week, explores two outstanding examples, (former London Library President) Harold Pinter’s A Kind of Alaska and Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney, with reference to Sacks’ original case history.
Scripted by Tristram Powell and produced by Honor Borwick, this is their seventh specially commissioned production for the festival. Previous celebrations of Arthur Miller, Dorothy Parker and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala have featured Alison Steadman, Toby Jones and Celia Imrie.
First casting now announced: Geraldine James, whose five-decade career has ranged from her award-winning Portia alongside Dustin Hoffman in The Merchant of Venice to Netflix’s Anne With An E; W1A & Talking Heads star Monica Dolan, winner of a BAFTA for Appropriate Adult and an Oliver for All About Eve; and West End regular Mark Bazeley, best known on screen for Broadchurch, Home Fires and playing Alistair Campbell in The Queen.
Following the performance, there will be a discussion on Oliver Sacks, Harold Pinter and Brian Friel with Michael Billington, former drama critic of the Guardian and author of a biography of Harold Pinter; consultant neurologist and author Dr Guy Leschziner; and playwright and actor Alexis Zegerman, whose plays include The Fever Syndrome.
Tristram Powell is a film and television director whose credits include adaptations of Philip Roth’sThe Ghost Writer and Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Falling.
Honor Borwick has worked in the theatre, publishing, independent television and film, theatre, and radio as a script editor.
Michael Billington was drama critic of The Guardian from 1971 to 2019 and before that a critic of theatre, film and television for The Times. He is the author of several books including a biography of Harold Pinter; a prize-winning study of post-war British theatre, State of the Nation; an analysis of The 101 Greatest Plays; and most recently, a selection of his criticism entitled Affair of the Heart.
Dr Guy Leschziner is a consultant neurologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, where he leads the Sleep Disorders Centre, one of the largest sleep services in Europe. Alongside his clinical work, he is the presenter of the Mysteries of Sleep series on BBC Radio 4, is editor of the forthcoming Oxford Specialist Handbook of Sleep Medicine, and is Neurology Section editor for the next edition of Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.
Alexis Zegerman is a writer and actor. Her plays include The Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre, MTC/Alfred P Sloan commission), Holy Shit, (Kiln Theatre),The Steingolds, (NT Studio, finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize), Lucky Seven (Hampstead Theatre) and her BBC radio drama Deja Vu won the Prix Europa. As an actor, she appeared most recently in the original cast of Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt and she won a British Independent Film Award for best supporting actress for her role in Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky.
Jewish Book Week is an annual international literary festival, held in London, which brings together writers and speakers from the worlds of history, journalism, philosophy, science, art, music, poetry and fiction in a celebration of ideas. Tickets are on sale now for the 2023 festival, which takes place at Kings Place from 25 February to 5 March.
This event will take place at Jewish Book Week at Kings Place.
