Shirley Valentine

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Shirley Valentine

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  1w

Willy Russell

Shirley Valentine
by Willy Russell

The heroine in this actor's tour-de-force is an ordinary middle class English housewife. As she prepares chips and egg for dinner, she ruminates on her life and tells the wall about her husband, her children, her past, and an invitation from a girlfriend to join her on holiday in Greece to search for romance and adventure.

Image: 2023 West End Production (Tristram Kenton)

Shirley Valentine

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Suggested Use
    • Monologues
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
The heroine in this actor's tour-de-force is an ordinary middle class English housewife. As she prepares chips and egg for dinner, she ruminates on her life and tells the wall about her husband, her children, her past, and an invitation from a girlfriend to join her on holiday in Greece to search for romance and adventure. Ultimately, Shirley does escape to Greece, has an "adventure" with a local fisherman and decides to stay. This hilariously engaging play was a hit in London and New York, performed by Pauline Collins, who later recreated her role on film garnering an Oscar nomination.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
  • Time Period Contemporary, 1990s, 1980s
  • Setting A Kitchen, a beach.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“Russell’s script shows a deep and compassionate understanding of a certain kind of working-class woman at a certain age.” — The Guardian

“In this play [Mr Russell] touches English audiences directly in a way that no other playwright has done since the early John Osborne ... brilliantly funny ...” - The Times

“Absolutely smashing.” - The New York Post

“A joyful, captivating piece of theatre.” - The New York Daily News

“A thrilling, cheer raising piece of theatre.” - The Financial Times

Photos

  • Shirley Valentine

    Image: 2023 West End Production (Tristram Kenton)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

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Authors

Willy Russell

Willy Russell

Willy Russell’s career spans more than four decades; born in Liverpool in 1947, he left school at 15 and became a women’s hairdresser and part-time singer/songwriter performing on the local folk scene before returning to education and becoming a teacher.

Whilst at St Katharine ...

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