SYNOPSIS

Matty Beancourt, a life-affirming, slightly naïve woman in her late fifties, lives alone in a small town near London. When she reads the autobiography of famous painter Mark Gorman, who grew up in the same East End streets as her, she becomes so enthused by his childhood memories – so similar to hers – that she decides to write to him. Weeks later she receives a not exactly encouraging reply but, chatty by nature, Matty adamantly keeps writing and a correspondence develops with the cantankerous and moody artist. When she spontaneously decides to pay him a surprise visit, she discovers that her idol isn’t the shining star she held him to be and leads a far less glamourous life she imagined. But Matty isn’t a woman to shy away from a challenge. A difficult friendship starts to blossom between these two diverging characters and their impact upon each other is startling.
Groupie is a charming and touching play about affection and friendship, dreams and hopes in those past the “prime of their life”.

“Wesker’s plays are animated by ideas but also remarkable for their capacity to arouse feeling –something evident from the early work right up to marvellous recent play Groupie.” –The Guardian

Cast & Creative Team

There will be one interval of twenty minutes.

No photographs or recording allowed in the theatre
without prior permission from the management


‘Groupie began life as a commissioned play for BBC Radio 4, ‘The Friday Play’. Transmitted 23rd November 2001 with Barbara Windsor and Timothy West, Director, Ned Chaillet

World stage premiere presented 21st July 2002 by Company Gli Ipocriti of Naples at the Festival di Todi, Italy as Quando torna la primavera with Simona Marchini and Luigi Diberti. Director, Meme Perlini/ Designer, Bruno Buonincontri /Translator, Donatella Calamita’