Along with Passion Play and Privates on Parade, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg remains one of Peter Nichols‘ best known and most frequently performed plays. The black comedy was inspired by Nichols’ own experience of bringing up his disabled daughter, who died at the age of 11. In it, Bri and Sheila – played in this new production by Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner – are struggling to care for their non-responsive daughter Josephine, nicknamed ‘Joe Egg’. They lose themselves in fantasy games and black humour. Can they ultimately cope?
This is the first West End revival of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg since a 2001/2 staging that starred Clive Owen (and later Eddie Izzard) and Victoria Hamilton. And Simon Evans‘ new production makes history for two other reasons: first, sadly, it’s the first since Nichols himself passed away, on 7 September, one month before the Q&A, aged 92; second, more happily, it’s the first to cast a non-able-bodied actor (Storme Toolis) in the role of Joe Egg.
- What involvement did Peter Nichols have in the production before his death? What did he think of the casting approach?
- How much have attitudes to disability changed in the past 52 years?
- Why is now a good time to revive the play for us all?
- What advice did Storme offer to her able-bodied co-stars?
- How difficult is it to say – and to hear – the disablist language in the play?
- How does the show go on with Extinction Rebellion camps outside the theatre?
For this week’s post-show Q&A, I was joined by director Simon Evans and cast members Toby Stephens, Claire Skinner and Storme Toolis as well as Patricia Hodge, who plays Bri’s mother, and Lucy Eaton, who plays the couple’s appalled (and appalling) friend Pam.
Q&A photos
More from the Q&A
Don't miss our live-tweeting from A Day in the Death of Joe Egg post-show talke, plus event photos and video.
Terri Paddock founded WhatsOnStage.com and the WhatsOnStage Awards, running the company and its events from 1996 to 2013. Terri is also the author of two novels, Come Clean and Beware the Dwarfs, and has previously written for the Evening Standard, Independent, The Times and other national publications. She is renowned for her 'legendary' post-show Q&As and also produces the annual Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and acts as a digital, content strategy and event consultant for theatre, producers and other clients. She tweets about theatre at @TerriPaddock.
