Rediscovered John Osborne Play To Be Staged At The Finborough

In a production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, the London premiere – and the first production in over 40 years – of John Osborne's A Subject Of Scandal And Concern will run at the Finborough Theatre from 22 May 2016.

Cheltenham, 1842. George Jacob Holyoake is a poor young teacher, making his way from Birmingham to Bristol to visit a friend who has been imprisoned for publishing a journal that criticises the establishment. When he makes a stop in Cheltenham to address a lecture, his words and his overwhelming commitment to speaking the truth will change his life forever.

Arrested and tried for blasphemy, and separated from his starving wife and child, Holyoake is faced with the choice of conforming to the establishment or staying true to his beliefs during in a time of injustice and intolerance.

Based on the true story of the last man to stand trial for blasphemy in England, A Subject Of Scandal And Concern was originally written for television in 1960 starring Richard Burton and Rachel Roberts, and directed by Tony Richardson, and was first seen onstage in Nottingham in the early 1960s. This production marks the first theatrical staging of the play in over 40 years and its long overdue London premiere.

A Subject Of Scandal And Concern will be directed by Jimmy Walters and will feature Ralph Birtwell, Edmund Digby-Jones, Doron Davidson, Caroline Moroney, Jamie Muscato and Richard Shanks.

A Subject Of Scandal And Concern will run at the Finborough Theatre from 22 May 2016