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Passion Play
"More than Betrayal or The Real Thing, Passion Play makes one feel the ugliness of deceit, the escalating anguish that can come from loss of trust... Has an intensity of feeling, a moral scope and a theatrical inventiveness that neither of the others matches."— The Times
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
17 people want to read
About the author
Peter Nichols
103 books65 followersNOT alias for John Christopher
Peter Nichols was an English playwright, screenwriter, and journalist known for his sharp wit and incisive social commentary. His most celebrated works, including A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The National Health, and Privates on Parade, blend comedy with profound explorations of human struggles, often drawing from his own life experiences.
Born in Bristol, Nichols served in the British Army’s Combined Services Entertainment Unit before studying acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He initially gained recognition writing for television before transitioning to the stage, where his plays tackled themes such as illness, war, and personal betrayal, frequently using humor as a counterpoint to tragedy. His distinctive voice made him one of Britain’s most autobiographical playwrights, chronicling his experiences in his memoir Feeling You're Behind and his published diaries.
Over his career, Nichols received critical acclaim and numerous awards, culminating in his appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2018 for services to drama. His legacy endures through his sharp, compassionate, and deeply human storytelling.
Peter Nichols was an English playwright, screenwriter, and journalist known for his sharp wit and incisive social commentary. His most celebrated works, including A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The National Health, and Privates on Parade, blend comedy with profound explorations of human struggles, often drawing from his own life experiences.
Born in Bristol, Nichols served in the British Army’s Combined Services Entertainment Unit before studying acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He initially gained recognition writing for television before transitioning to the stage, where his plays tackled themes such as illness, war, and personal betrayal, frequently using humor as a counterpoint to tragedy. His distinctive voice made him one of Britain’s most autobiographical playwrights, chronicling his experiences in his memoir Feeling You're Behind and his published diaries.
Over his career, Nichols received critical acclaim and numerous awards, culminating in his appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2018 for services to drama. His legacy endures through his sharp, compassionate, and deeply human storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 31, 2017
From BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama:
Peter Nichols's acclaimed study of adultery and betrayal.
James and Eleanor are happily married, or so they think. Kate, the young widow of one of their oldest friends, makes it clear to James that she thinks him very attractive. It is an offer he finds very difficult to resist.
James ...... Nicholas Le Prevost
Eleanor ...... Joanna David
Agnes ...... Gemma Jones
Kate ...... Emily Bruni
Directed by Colin Guthrie.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008nb6p
Peter Nichols's acclaimed study of adultery and betrayal.
James and Eleanor are happily married, or so they think. Kate, the young widow of one of their oldest friends, makes it clear to James that she thinks him very attractive. It is an offer he finds very difficult to resist.
James ...... Nicholas Le Prevost
Eleanor ...... Joanna David
Agnes ...... Gemma Jones
Kate ...... Emily Bruni
Directed by Colin Guthrie.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008nb6p
January 15, 2019
Complete. Waste. Of. Time. Dreadful.
October 6, 2013
In the United States, this play was known as "Passion" and it has been published under the title as well.
The playwright engages this drama (in which a middle aged married couple reckons with infidelity) by splitting the roles into the two: the husband and wife each have different actors portraying their public and private personas. This lovely theatrical device is the best thing about the play. It doesn't end up with much to say on the themes of love, morality, sexual exclusivity in marriage that are brought up. And the character of Kate, the 'other woman,' is not developed beyond an object -- one almost wants to regard her as a bored husband's sexual fantasy, a young libertine readily available for the man's desires. Even with a very good actor in that role, it would be very difficult to make plausible the notion that their affair could be about more than sex.
The playwright engages this drama (in which a middle aged married couple reckons with infidelity) by splitting the roles into the two: the husband and wife each have different actors portraying their public and private personas. This lovely theatrical device is the best thing about the play. It doesn't end up with much to say on the themes of love, morality, sexual exclusivity in marriage that are brought up. And the character of Kate, the 'other woman,' is not developed beyond an object -- one almost wants to regard her as a bored husband's sexual fantasy, a young libertine readily available for the man's desires. Even with a very good actor in that role, it would be very difficult to make plausible the notion that their affair could be about more than sex.
June 8, 2009
Well technically...I like the deconstrutive method he used and the split characters and the alter ego! However, when it comes to content and ideas it did not appeal to me much! A play about lust and passion, yet its primacy falls in how he abruptly changes settings, uses split characters, all stemming from the postmodern techniques of Lacan and Derrida
February 1, 2017
Een echt Britse theatertekst, psychologisch subtiel, spelend met het verschil tussen tekst en subtekst, maar wel op originele wijze: de figuren splitsen zich uit in 2 personages, één die de beschaafde buitenkant voorstelt, één die de dierlijke, passionele binnenkant uitdrukt, wat vaak geestig werkt.
December 3, 2019
Began as an interesting conceit, but it flies off the rails in Act 2.
March 20, 2025
Ok - the way that this play is structured is CRAZY cool.
The main couple essentially have duplicates of themselves who speak their inner dialogue throughout the play. BUT (it gets better) sometimes they interact with each other (Eleanor/James vs Nell/Jim). IT’S SO COOL AND INTERESTING; how the author uses these characters specifically in each scene. It’s brilliant actually.
That being said, I gave it 3 stars because although I loved the play, I don’t LOVE the story/intention of the script. The ending had me feeling a little melancholy - but I super appreciate the use of these sort of “conscience” characters to represent the “natural man” in a way.
The main couple essentially have duplicates of themselves who speak their inner dialogue throughout the play. BUT (it gets better) sometimes they interact with each other (Eleanor/James vs Nell/Jim). IT’S SO COOL AND INTERESTING; how the author uses these characters specifically in each scene. It’s brilliant actually.
That being said, I gave it 3 stars because although I loved the play, I don’t LOVE the story/intention of the script. The ending had me feeling a little melancholy - but I super appreciate the use of these sort of “conscience” characters to represent the “natural man” in a way.
August 11, 2025
Female characters that were overt and obtuse in that they were clearly written by a man.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews