Episode 008: The Deep Blue Sea by Terrence Rattigan

Host: Douglas Schatz Guest: Dan Rebellato, playwright, journalist and Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Welcome to The Play Podcast where we explore the greatest new and classic plays. Each episode we choose a single play, which we talk about it in more depth than you will find in the reviews of any one production. We'll discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing.

Terence Rattigan's masterpiece The Deep Blue Sea was written off for more than 30 years as a dated melodrama until a landmark production at the Almeida in 1993 led to its reappraisal as a "modern classic". The National Theatre at Home will broadcast their production starring Helen McCrory in the lead role as from 9th of July, and on the same day we will delve into the play in conversation with Dan Rebellato, the series editor of Rattigan's plays for specialist drama publisher Nick Hern.

Our conversation was recorded via video link during the Coronavirus lockdown.