Are artists subject to the same rules of behavior as the rest of us? That's the central question of Pam Gems's West End and Broadway hit drama about the life and loves of real-life British painter Stanley Spencer. The answer to that question appears to be "yes"--but only up to a point. And the price can be staggering. Gems's Spencer is a great talent, but is also a black hole of ego. With grotesquely childlike insistence, he tries to juggle his long-suffering wife, his manipulative mistress, his sterling reputation, and his beloved home, but winds up losing them all--along with his fortune and health. In the end, only his talent remains. But for one moment we're allowed to see that it's no longer enough--the loss has penetrated even the hermetic world in his heart.
Stanley FROM THE PUBLISHER
Stanley Spencer is the wayward genius of modern British painting. Coming from humble origins, he never lost his 'rough edges' despite being taken up by the smart set. His stubborn championing of ordinary people and local places as suitable subjects for religious painting was revolutionary. His appetite for life was hugely attractive, though his attitude to women in general and his long-suffering wife in particular was deeply selfish: 'Why can't I have two wives if that's what I need?'. Premiered at the Royal National Theatre with Antony Sher as Spencer, Stanley is a brilliant and painfully truthful re-creation of the man and his milieu.
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