An Awfully Big Adventure (novel)
 First edition | |
| Author | Beryl Bainbridge |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Psychological Fiction, Theatre-fiction |
| Publisher | Duckworth |
Publication date | 1989 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-0-7531-5120-4 |
| Preceded by | Watson's Apology |
| Followed by | The Birthday Boys |
An Awfully Big Adventure is a novel written by Beryl Bainbridge. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990[1] and adapted as a movie in 1995. The story was inspired by Bainbridge's own experiences working at the Liverpool Playhouse in her youth.[2] The title is an ironic reference to the original Peter Pan story, in which Peter says "To die will be an awfully big adventure."
Storyline
[edit]Set in working-class England in 1950,[3] the story observes sexual politics among a troupe of actors working at a shabby regional playhouse. During a Christmas production of Peter Pan, the play turns into a dark metaphor for youth when Stella Bradshaw, an ambitious teenage girl from the slums of Liverpool, joins the company and gets entangled in the backstage intrigue.
Film adaptation
[edit]In 1995, Fine Line Features released a motion picture adaptation starring Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and then-unknown actress Georgina Cates in the central role. The film was directed by Mike Newell and is one of the few film versions of Bainbridge's works.
References
[edit]- ^ "An Awfully Big Adventure". Booker Prize Foundation. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ Janet Watts (2 July 2010). "Dame Beryl Bainbridge obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ People who love people who love somebody else Retrieved 19/6/21.
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