Priory Theatre

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Moonlight & Magnolias

A Comedy by Ron Hutchinson

Wednesday 02 - Saturday 12 February 2011

In January 1939, the movie ‘Gone With the Wind’ (originally called Moonlight and Magnolias) went into production. 3 weeks later, producer David O Selznick closed the set and sacked the director. Just 5 days before shooting was due to resume, he hired Ben Hecht to write a new script (Hecht had never read the book!) and pulled Victor Fleming off The Wizard of Oz, where he was having trouble with the Munchkins, to direct.

Hutchinson’s comedy imagines what might have happened during the 5 days in Selznick’s locked office, as the 3 men turned a 1,000 page novel into a 130 page screenplay that went on to become one Hollywood’s highest grossing movies. Bananas and peanuts help the three to act out and create the characters from Rhett to Scarlett.

A Note from Ron Hutchinson

I’m delighted to have MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS performed by the Priory because in a way it means the play comes home. Although it was written about Hollywood in the Golden Years and a way of writing about my own experiences in Hollywood, its genesis was Coventry. Walking along Quinton Rd. one day I suddenly remembered that years back the reissued print of GONE WITH THE WIND had been screened at the old Coventry Hippodrome.

One night the projector broke down and the manager and usherettes jumped on stage and performed parts of the movie from memory, while it was being repaired. In turn that triggered a recollection that Ben Hecht, one of my screenwriting heroes, had a great story in his autobiography about his work on the script for the movie. I re-read that section and was inspired to write the play.

I hope you like the production although I should mention that I was turned down by the Priory as an actor sometime in the 1960s. I’ve pretty much gotten over that by now but still…

Production Photos

Rehearsal and production photos for Moonlight and Magnolias can be found in our Moonlight and Magnolias photo gallery.

Cast

Production Team

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