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NIGHT AFTER NIGHT
It's 1958. Everybody's dressed up. Everybody's here and everybody's waiting-waiting for the show to start...Night after Night tells two stories: one takes place in 1958, when a young married man is looking forward to a night out in the West End of London; and the other takes place this year-or next year- when his son looks back at that night.
57 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
5 people want to read
About the author
Neil Bartlett
72 books79 followersBorn in 1958, Neil Bartlett has spent twenty-five years at the cutting edge of British gay culture. His ground-breaking study of Oscar Wilde, Who Was That Man? paved the way for a queer re-imagining of history ; his first novel, Ready To Catch Him Should He Fall, was voted Capital Gay Book of The Year; his second, Mr Clive and Mr Page, was nominated for the Whitbread Prize. Both have since been translated into five European languages. Listing him as one of the country's fifty most significant gay cultural figures, the Independent said "Brilliant,beautiful, mischievous; few men can match Bartlett for the breadth of his exploration of gay sensibility".
He also works as a director, and in 2000 was awarded an OBE for services to the theatre. He founded his first theatre company in 1982 and is now an "independent theatre-maker and freelance director", continuing to write novels and work as an activist for gay rights.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He also works as a director, and in 2000 was awarded an OBE for services to the theatre. He founded his first theatre company in 1982 and is now an "independent theatre-maker and freelance director", continuing to write novels and work as an activist for gay rights.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 1, 2023
I rarely read plays — I see this is only the 3rd one I've listed here. Reading a play or a screenplay requires an input from the reader, a level of participation that is often not demanded in prose.
So I confess — I didn't realize this slim volume was a play when I picked it up; I thought it was a novella!
The play takes place in 1958, but also looking forward to 1993, which is when it was actually written and first performed. There are layers here, since it is a play about a play, a musical about putting on a musical, a show about starting a show that is not really "started" but only talked about. In that way, it is about surfaces and "pretending." It is about playing a role.
Yes, it's a musical. There is singing and dancing. I had to sing the songs in my head and do all my own choreography — see what I mean about challenges!
In 1958 Neil Bartlett's parents attend the theatre; his mother is pregnant and later that year Neil is born. With humour, much winking and sly asides, the players talk about chorus boys and "how things were" in 1958. Neil takes after his father; then again he does not. Neil's adult life is unimaginable in 1958, and even for some it was unimaginable in 1993. This was a "gay play" in its day, yet I found the tone quite restrained, more consistent with the 1950s than the 1990s.
Let's be honest: I would have enjoyed watching a performance of this play a lot more than reading the script. For one thing, the choreography would have had some unexpected twists.
So I confess — I didn't realize this slim volume was a play when I picked it up; I thought it was a novella!
The play takes place in 1958, but also looking forward to 1993, which is when it was actually written and first performed. There are layers here, since it is a play about a play, a musical about putting on a musical, a show about starting a show that is not really "started" but only talked about. In that way, it is about surfaces and "pretending." It is about playing a role.
Yes, it's a musical. There is singing and dancing. I had to sing the songs in my head and do all my own choreography — see what I mean about challenges!
In 1958 Neil Bartlett's parents attend the theatre; his mother is pregnant and later that year Neil is born. With humour, much winking and sly asides, the players talk about chorus boys and "how things were" in 1958. Neil takes after his father; then again he does not. Neil's adult life is unimaginable in 1958, and even for some it was unimaginable in 1993. This was a "gay play" in its day, yet I found the tone quite restrained, more consistent with the 1950s than the 1990s.
Let's be honest: I would have enjoyed watching a performance of this play a lot more than reading the script. For one thing, the choreography would have had some unexpected twists.
February 13, 2022
2.5, rounded up.
I think I actually read this back in 1993, when it first came out, but had forgotten about it till another GR friend brought it fresh to my attention again. I have since read several of Bartlett's other works and have appreciated them. As to this, I applaud the intent behind it, but it is a very difficult script to read - as it's a musical and the score is NOT readily available, one has to work overtime imagining what it actually looked and sounded like in production. I was expecting much, MUCH more queer subtext, but it's fairly well buried -- and I doubt it will ever see a revival. I have a copy of Bartlett's new novel (Address Book) and will see if that fares any better.
I think I actually read this back in 1993, when it first came out, but had forgotten about it till another GR friend brought it fresh to my attention again. I have since read several of Bartlett's other works and have appreciated them. As to this, I applaud the intent behind it, but it is a very difficult script to read - as it's a musical and the score is NOT readily available, one has to work overtime imagining what it actually looked and sounded like in production. I was expecting much, MUCH more queer subtext, but it's fairly well buried -- and I doubt it will ever see a revival. I have a copy of Bartlett's new novel (Address Book) and will see if that fares any better.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews