A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Chariots of Fire
Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 9m
Stage adaptation by Mike Bartlett
Based on the Enigma Productions Limited motion picture
By arrangement with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
And Allied Stars S.A. Panama
Image: 2012 Hampstead Theatre Production (Tristram Kenton)
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Cast Size
3w, 9m -
Duration
More than 120 minutes (2 hours) -
Subgenre
Adaptation (Stage & Screen) -
Target Audience
Appropriate for All Audiences
Details
Summary
1924. The Paris Olympic Games.
A devout Scottish Christian runs for the glory of God. The son of an immigrant Lithuanian Jew runs to overcome prejudice. Two young track athletes who live for the beautiful purity of running and who prevail in the face of overwhelming odds.
Please note: An underscore by Vangelis for the stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire may be available for performance for an additional fee. Please contact your licensing representative for more information.
History
Cast Attributes
Keywords
- Time Period 1920s
- Setting Cambridge, Scotland, and the Paris Olympics. 1919-1924.
- Features Period Costumes
- Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Media
★★★★★ “A bravura version of the 1981 movie... pure exhilaration.” – The Sunday Times
“[A] stirring crowd-pleaser.” – Evening Standard
“Gripping human confrontation... sure to be a huge popular theatrical success.” – The Stage
“Even this grumpy Olymposceptic was brought to actual tears, moved to empathy and understanding by the fabulous theatricality of it... above all, it's the sincerity: a full-blooded willingness to take the hearty morality, amateur spirit and patriotism at its own valuation without modish irony.” – The Times
“A fine Olympic-season project... [Bartlett] utilises the stage's greater ability to open up to the protagonists’ inner voices, showing Abrahams’ preoccupation with his never-present father and in particular Liddell's devout brand of muscular Christianity.” – The Financial Times
“Funny, pithy and creative... about as close to a West End musical as it's possible to get without in fact being one.” – Time Out
“What eventually emerges as the really engaging battle of wills is that of Abrahams and Liddell versus the British Establishment – ironic, as they each strive to shine for king and country.” – The Independent
“A triumph of will that is in keeping with the spirit of the story it tells... an unmissable theatrical offering in the year of the London Olympics.” – The Observer
★★★★★ “A bravura version of the 1981 movie... pure exhilaration... surely one of the great treats of the summer.” – The Sunday Times
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
The Truth Behind... Chariots of Fire
by Matt Law
19 July 2024
Photos
Image: 2012 Hampstead Theatre Production (Tristram Kenton)
Licensing & Materials
- Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
Please submit a license request to determine availability.
Music Rentals
Authors
Mike Bartlett
Mike Bartlett is a multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Series two of Doctor Foster aired on BBC in 2017, as did his adaptation of his stage play King Charles III.
He was Associate Playwright at Paines Plough, Writer-In-Residence at the National Theatre, and Pears ...