National Theatre

National Theatre at Home: The Deep Blue Sea

by Terrence Rattigan

Broadcast from 7th July to 16th July

 

 

 

 

Terrence Rattigan's play The Deep Blue Sea is being shown free on the National Theatre's YouTube channel from Thursday 9th July at 7pm then on demand for one week until Thursday 16th July 7pm. You will need to start watching by 4.45pm on the 16th to see it all.

 Set in a West London flat in 1952  over the course of one day beginning with the failed suicide attempt in front of a gas fire by Hestor Collyer. It relates in flashback her fraught relationship  with Freddie Page an ex RAF pilot, and the breakdown of her marriage to a High Court judge.

The play is based on Rattigan's secret relationship with Kenny Morgan, his former lover who took his own life in front of a gas fire in 1949. As we all know homosexual activity was illegal at this time, Rattigan was concerned that details of their relationship would become known.

Helen McCrory plays Hestor, Tom Burke plays Freddie and Peter Sullivan her husband, William Collyer. The play was performed at the National Theatre in 2016

To watch the production follow the link: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Sit down in your favourite armchair at some point in the next week and enjoy this brilliant and powerful staging of Rattigan's play.