Amy's View
David Hare
A sprawling, multi-generational play that explores the turbulent relationship between a legendary West End actress, Esme Allen, and her daughter, Amy. Spanning sixteen years, the story begins in 1979 as Amy introduces her mother to her new boyfriend, a cynical film critic who believes theater is a dying medium. The play serves as a defense of the live stage while simultaneously investigating the personal sacrifices required by art. It is a heartbreaking study of fame, financial ruin, and the enduring but difficult bond between mother and child, culminating in a powerful meditation on the redemptive power of performance.
Esme Allen: A grand, traditional stage actress who must navigate the decline of her career and the loss of her fortune while defending the relevance of theater. Amy Thomas: Esme’s loving daughter who seeks to forge her own path outside her mother’s shadow but finds her life tragically complicated by her husband’s career. Dominic Tyghe: Amy’s husband, a media-savvy filmmaker and critic whose disdain for the theater creates a lifelong intellectual and personal rift with Esme.
First Performance: 1997, at Lyttelton Theatre (National Theatre), London
Huge success; became a celebrated vehicle for Judi Dench, winning her a Tony Award on Broadway.
Original Actors: Judi Dench, Samantha Bond