'I don't know what it means this old flame turning up again. I wonder if you aren't deluding yourself in thinking you really loved this woman all these years. What's the proof?' This play, the only one adapted entirely by Iris Murdoch herself, has only recently come to light. Famous theatre director Charles Arrowby has retired to the sea to abjure a life of egoism. Missing his power over women, he attempts to draw his former lover, Lizzie, back under his spell. By the time she arrives Charles has discovered Hartley, the great love of his life, living nearby with her husband, Ben. Only the arrival of Charles's wise and mystical brother James averts the tragedy that befalls these characters in Murdoch's novel. This funny and thought-provoking adaptation of her most famous book is a disturbing illustration of the dangerous power of fantasy and illusion.| 15 Jan 14 | Rose Theatre Kingston Kingston, Surrey Performance Details => Venue archive |
