The Last Waltz
The Last Waltz - now available as an e-book - was my breakthrough play. It tells the story of the friendship between two army wives, Denise and Christine, from its beginning to its end.
The play was first produced at the Soho Poly Theatre in London, directed by Sue Dunderdale, starring Celia Imrie and Alexandra Pigg.
Fiercely smart, Sue brought the force of her intellect and imagination to the text and the ensuing production. The cast she assembled was pitch perfect. Denise was played by Celia Imrie, now an international star. Celia - with her impeccable comic timing - was already familiar to and loved by British TV audiences. Alexandra Pigg, who had recently starred in the hugely successful romantic comedy Letter to Brezhnev, brought to the stage a freshness and innocence that made Christine’s journey up the social ladder both credible and heartbreaking. Audiences loved the piece. The run was a sell-out.
The critics liked it:
An acid but compassionate comedy in which Celia Imrie and Alexandra Pigg perform the danse macabre known as the English class system. I like the writing in this play.
Sunday Times
The dramatic equivalent of a Hogarth morality sequence.
The Times
Delightfully warm, funny, but quietly saddening. Richmond has an astonishingly light touch, creating a complex world of niceties and tensions.
The Guardian
Click here to go to the script.
The LastWaltz will shortly be available in paperback.