Stanley

I am a theatre student, and absolutely love reading plays. I picked up this play on a whim after my teacher recommended Pam Gems, and started reading. At first, I absolutely HATED this play. With a passion. I thought the language was forced and that Pam Gems was trying to use big words just for the sake of using big words. There was really nothing about the play I liked. But then.... MY LORD!!! I don't know what happened, but I couldn't put the play down. It started to upset me. The characters are incredibly intriguing, the plot is complicated but certainly comprehensible, and the actual play is very theatrical. I would love to see it performed. I highly recommend this play. It is worth the money. **Bottom Line: Out of the many plays that I have read this summer, Stanley is the one that I cannot stop thinking about

This is the complex and at times frustrating story of a creative genius. Stanley Spencer was a gifted artist with a passion for two women - one who loves him dearly, the other who wishes to be associated with his fame. Stanley veers between the two with a vigour that is tragic. Pam Gems has done a marvellous job of revealing the creative mind of Stanley, while retaining sympathy for his wife. The final scene of this play was one of the most emotional ones I have ever read (or seen at its lengthy run at the Royal national Theatre, London). A brilliant play