The Fastest Clock in the Universe
| The Fastest Clock in the Universe | |
|---|---|
 Poster advertising 2013 revival of The Fastest Clock in the Universe at the Old Red Lion Theatre. | |
| Written by | Philip Ridley |
| Characters | Three men, two women, aged 15-88 |
| Date premiered | 14 May 1992 |
| Place premiered | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | In-yer-face theatre, Black Comedy |
| Setting | "A dilapidated room above an abandoned factory in the East End of London" |
The Fastest Clock in the Universe is a two act play by Philip Ridley.[1] It was Ridley's second stage play and premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, London on 14 May 1992 and featured Jude Law in one of his early major stage roles in the part of Foxtrot Darling. The production was the second collaboration between Ridley and director Matthew Lloyd, who would go on to direct the original productions for the majority of Ridley's plays until 2000.[2]
Like Ridley's previous play The Pitchfork Disney, The Fastest Clock was considered shocking for its time but generated considerable more controversy due to it featuring scenes of violence onstage. Nevertheless the play was a major success, winning a variety of awards.[3]
The play is the second entry in Ridley's unofficially titled "East End Gothic Trilogy", preceded by The Pitchfork Disney and followed by Ghost from a Perfect Place.[4] These plays are considered major works in the development of In-yer-face theatre which radicaly changed British Theatre in the 1990s.[citation needed]
Notable productions
Premiere
14 May 1992 at Hampstead Theatre, London, directed by Mathew Lloyd.
- Cougar Glass - Con O'Neill
- Captain Tock - Jonathan Coy
- Foxtrot Darling - Jude Law
- Sherbert Gravel - Emma Amos
- Cheetah Bee - Elizabeth Bradley
Hampstead Theatre 50th Anniversary Celebrations[5]
22 September 2009 at Hampstead Theatre, London, directed by Edward Dick.
- Cougar Glass - Alec Newman
- Captain Tock - Finbar Lynch
- Foxtrot Darling - Neet Mohan
- Sherbert Gravel - Jaime Winstone
- Cheetah Bee - Eileen Page
2013 revival
5 November 2013 at the Old Red Lion Theatre, London, directed by Tom O'Brien.
- Cougar Glass - Joshua Blake
- Captain Tock - Ian Houghton
- Foxtrot Darling - Dylan Llewellyn
- Sherbert Gravel - Nancy Sullivan
- Cheetah Bee - Ania Marson
Awards
- 1993 - The Meyer-Whitworth Award[6]
- 1992 - A Time Out Award
- 1992 - Critics' Circle Theatre Award for most promising playwright[7]
- 1992 - Evening Standard Award for most promising playwright[8]
Further reading
- Urban, Ken (2007). Ghosts from an Imperfect Place: Philip Ridley's Nostalgia
- Rebellato, Dan (2011). The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights. Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781408122785. Pages 430 - 3.
- Sierz, Aleks (2012). Modern British Playwriting: The 1990s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations. Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781408181331. Pages 98 – 104.
- Dorney, Kate and Gray, Frances (2013). "The Fastest Clock in the Universe". Played in Britain: Modern Theatre in 100 Plays. A&C Black. ISBN 9781408164808. Pages 146-47.
References
- ^ "The Fastest Clock in the Universe (Modern Plays) Philip Ridley: Methuen Drama". Bloomsbury.com. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
- ^ http://www.casarotto.co.uk/assets/x/50760.pdf
- ^ "Philip Ridley - Knight Hall Agency". knighthallagency.com.
- ^ "Philip Ridley". Dan Rebellato.
- ^ http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/london-shows/show/item106428/The-Fastest-Clock-In-the-Universe/
- ^ "Playwrights' Studio, Scotland | ProjectsPlaywrights' Studio, Scotland | Awards". Playwrightsstudio.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140810210511/http://www.albemarle-london.com/awards/AwardWinners.php?Award_Type=Critics%20Circle%20Awards&Year=1992
- ^ "Evening Standard Theatre Awards 1980-2003". The Evening Standard.