The Philadelphia Story

Thank you for your invitation to join you for a visit to the suburbs of Philadelphia for the high society wedding of Tracy Lord. The play tells the story of a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and an attractive journalist.

The film of The Philadelphia Story is one of Hollywood greats, starring Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart and Cary Grant. Wisely. The director wisely did not attempt to impersonate the film but made it his own. He had clearly worked with the cast to develop their characters to bring the story to the stage, but a little more of the romantic flirtatious elements would have added more contrast and interest to the performance. I was pleased that the cast all had American accents which they maintained brilliantly throughout, and they all spoke with clarity and good projection. In the first half, the background story was set, and we were introduced to the family and the men in Tracy’s “love quadrangle”. The energy raised in the second half as the story came to its climax and the entanglements were resolved. 

The costumes were excellent and in period with patterned dresses, wide legged trousers and ballgowns. The stage was very well dressed with lots of period furniture and period pieces and I was very impressed that you managed to get a grand piano onto the set! The attention to detail with the folding camera, black and white portraits and bakelite telephone all added to the authenticity.

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