Birth; marriage; death. And everything in between. Our Town tells the story of a love affair that celebrated community and humanity.
“Do any human beings ever realise life as they live it? Every – every, minute?”
Set in the fictional village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, Our Town tells the story of two neighbours, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, who meet as childhood friends. As they grow together, the pair develop a blossoming romance and decide to marry.
But when Emily dies during childbirth, the play takes on a new dimension as it explores the circle of life, from childhood through to adulthood, and finally, death. The backdrop of the pair’s love affair is rediscovered throughout the show as the production asks timeless questions about the meaning of love, life and death.
Written by Thornton Wilder, this timeless Pulitzer Prize-winning play celebrates what it means to be human, the bonds that hold communities together, and our relationships with the ancient past and the eternal tomorrow.
One of Thornton’s most performed plays, this universal three-part story has been shown across the globe and won critical acclaim since its early beginnings on Broadway in 1938.
The Our Town cast is led by Natalie Klamar (recent credits including Cleansed, National Theatre) as Stage Manager, along with Francesca Henry (The Wolves) as Emily Webb and Arthur Hughes (The Innocents, Netflix) as George Gibbs. The cast also includes Tom Edden, Pandora Colin, Karl Collins, and Thusitha Jayasundera, amongst others.
Our Town will be directed by Ellen McDougall, who is also the Artistic Director at the Gate Theatre. Ellen’ previous theatre includes: Effigies of Wickedness, The Tale of the Unknown Island, Idomeneus (Gate); The Wolves (Stratford East); Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe); Aladdin, Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith); The Rolling Stone (Orange Tree/Royal Exchange Manchester); The Remains of Maisie Duggan (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); The Glass Menagerie (Headlong); Anna Karenina (Royal Exchange Manchester); Henry the Fifth (Unicorn); Glitterland (Secret Theatre/Lyric Hammersmith); Ivan and the Dogs (Olivier Award-nomination, Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre; Actors Touring Company/Soho).
Part of the 2019 season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Our Town will be performed from 16 May 2019 to 08 June 2019.