Glyndebourne love story is born again

PLAYWRIGHT David hare is re-shaping his romantic drama about the founding of Glyndebourne for the West end.

roger Allam and Nancy Carroll (pictured), who starred in the hampstead theatre production of the Moderate soprano two years ago, have finally become available, as has the original director Jeremy herrin.

hare told me it had been an ‘absolute nightmare to juggle their dates’ but, at last, ‘all the pieces are together, in the right time and the right place’.

Allam has, primarily, been occupied with playing top cop Fred thursday in the itV series endeavour. Ms Carroll was busy filming prime suspect 1973 and Will, and is currently appearing in young Marx at London’s splendid new Bridge theatre.

in the Moderate soprano, Allam portrayed John Christie, the boffin who founded Glyndebourne; and Carroll his wife the, well, moderate soprano Audrey Mildmay. theirs was the love story that launched the world famous opera house in the east sussex countryside.

i remember the play being enormously touching. hare explained it was written as a one-act play for hampstead. ‘Now, i’m turning it into a twoact play.’ the aim is to bring out more of the relationship between Christie and Mildmay.

hare claimed he can’t travel on the London Underground ‘without people coming up to me saying: “i’ve never loved any play of yours as much as i’ve loved that one.” ’

even folks who’ve never been to Glyndebourne.

the playwright said he also wants to make clearer the theme of the english and German characters. ‘this supposedly english institution was actually created with the help of people who escaped hitler. it’s actually three- quarters German,’ he noted — adding that he wrote the play long before Brexit.

the Moderate soprano will run at the Duke of york’s theatre from April 5 until June 30. hare’s tube groupies can purchase priority tickets from 10am today (Friday); they go on general sale tuesday morning.