The End of Longing

The End of Longing is a dark comedy play written by Matthew Perry. The play, which marked Perry's playwriting debut, made its West End and world premiere at the Playhouse Theatre in February 2016. The play made its United States debut Off-Broadway in May 2017 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

The End of Longing
Written byMatthew Perry
Date premiered11 February 2016 (2016-02-11)
Place premieredPlayhouse Theatre, London
Original languageEnglish
GenreComedy
SettingLos Angeles

Background

The End of Longing is written by former Friends actor Matthew Perry, in his playwriting debut.[1] Perry wrote the first draft of the play over a period of ten days,[2] with rewrites taking an additional year.[3] A reading of the play was held in New York City[4] in December 2015.[5] Set in a bar in downtown Los Angeles,[6] the play centres around four people in their forties who are searching for the meaning of life. Perry plays the drunk Jack and stated the role was "sort of an exaggerated form of myself" but added it was not an autobiographical part.[7]

Production history

West End production

On 4 December 2015, it was announced that the play would receive its world premiere at the West End's Playhouse Theatre on 11 February 2016,[8] following previews from 2 February,[9] for a limited run until 14 May.[10] The play reunites Perry with director Lindsay Posner,[11] whom he had previously worked with on the play Sexual Perversity in Chicago in 2003.[12] Casting for the production includes Perry as Jack, Lloyd Owen as Joseph, Jennifer Mudge as Stephanie and Christina Cole as Stevie.[13] The play is directed by Lindsay Posner,[14] with choreography by Darren Carnall,[15] fight direction by Terry King,[15] design by Anna Fleischle,[16] lighting design by Lucy Carter[16] and composition and sound design by Isobel Waller-Bridge.[16]

Rehearsals for the play began in January,[17] meaning Perry could not appear in person at the Friends reunion, which was put together as a tribute to the show's director James Burrows.[18] Speaking about the transition from actor to writer Perry said that "being on stage makes you feel naked. Being on stage in a play that I have written will make me feel doubly naked.[19]

The Guardian gave the play a lukewarm review, concluding "while the play clearly aims to deal with four loners struggling to come to terms with early middle-age, it feels more like an extended sitcom in which there is little going on behind the lines."[20]

Off-Broadway production

The play was performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Off-Broadway from May 18 to July 1, 2017, starring Perry as Jack and directed by Posner. It featured a new cast, including Quincy Dunn-Baker as Jeffrey (previously Joseph), Jennifer Morrison as Stephanie, and Sue Jean Kim as Stevie.[21] The production's creative team differed from the London production in that it included set design by Derek McLane, lighting design by Ben Stanton, costume design by Sarah Laux, and sound design by Ryan Rumery.[22] In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Perry revealed that he made changes to the script for New York, such as taking out a large amount of swear words.[23]

The New York Times gave the play an unfavorable review: "the play remains trite even as it approaches seriousness" and "[Perry] has written a synthetic play that mostly points out just how much better 'Friends' was written."[24]

Principal roles and original cast
Character West End performer[25] Off-Broadway performer[21]
Jack Matthew Perry
Jeffrey Lloyd Owen Quincy Dunn-Baker
Stephanie Jennifer Mudge Jennifer Morrison
Stevie Christina Cole Sue Jean Kim

References
  1. "Matthew Perry: the one where Chandler writes a West End play". theguardian.com. The Guardian. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  2. "Matthew Perry to star in new West End play The End of Longing". standard.co.uk. London Evening Standard. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. "Matthew Perry: Stage struck Friend". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  4. "Friends Star Matthew Perry to Bring Play The End of Longing to the West End". broadwayworld.com. Browadway World. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  5. "Jennifer Mudge on Being Friends with Matthew Perry and Making Her West End Debut in The End of Longing". broadway.com. Broadway.Com. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  6. "Matthew Perry to Star in Playwriting Debut 'The End of Longing'". variety.com. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  7. "Matthew Perry brings new play to West End". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  8. "Matthew Perry to Star in London World Premiere of His Playwriting Debut, The End of Longing". playbill.com. Playbill. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  9. "'Apocalypse's Lloyd Owen Joins Matthew Perry in UK Bow Of 'End Of Longing'". deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  10. "Matthew Perry To Star In His Debut Play 'The End Of Longing' On West End". deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  11. "Matthew Perry's London West End play sounds like a perfect excuse for a Friends reunion". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  12. "Friends star to return to West End stage". whatsonstage.com. Whats On Stage. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  13. "Perry Play Sets U.K. Cast". playbill.com. Playbill. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  14. "Matthew Perry to write and star in West End play". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  15. "Cast & Creative". endoflonging.co.uk. The End of Longing. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  16. "Lloyd Owen cast in The End of Longing alongside Matthew Perry". thestage.co.uk. The Stage. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  17. "Matthew Perry steps out in London ahead of the premiere of new play The End of Longing". mirror.co.uk. Daily Mirror. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  18. "Matthew Perry 'will not' attend Friends reunion". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  19. "Friends star Matthew Perry to write and star in West End's The End of Longing". thestage.co.uk. The Stage. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  20. Billington, Michael (11 February 2016). "The End of Longing review – Matthew Perry's flimsy play about friends in need". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  21. "The End of Longing: MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel Theatre". www.mcctheater.org. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  22. "See Who's Joining Matthew Perry in His New York Stage Debut". thestage.co.uk. The Stage. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  23. Jimmy Kimmel Live (2017-03-16), Matthew Perry on His Play 'The End of Longing', retrieved 2017-04-06
  24. Green, Jesse (5 June 2017). "Review: In Matthew Perry's First Play, a Chandler Gone to Seed". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  25. "Casting announced for Matthew Perry's The End of Longing". whatsonstage.com. Whats On Stage. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
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