Productions[edit]

The original Royal Court Theatre production opened in August 1970.^[7][8] After five weeks it transferred direct to the May Fair Theatre and remained there until late 1973.^[1]


The Philanthropist premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 15, 1971, following previews from March 11. As in London, the cast featured Alec McCowen^[9] in the lead role. David Merrick and Michael Codron produced.


The Broadway production ran for 64 performances, closing on May 15, 1971. The New York Times described it as "a good evening of high-class theatrical highjinks that says more than might be seen on the surface".^[10] The show was nominated for three Tony Awards, including the 1971 Tony Award for Best Play, and McCowen won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.^[11] Robert Kidd directed the production,^[12] which featured set design by John Gunter, costumes by Sara Brook, and lighting by Lloyd Burlingame.^[13]


The first US revival opened at the Manhattan Theatre Club on September 27, 1983, playing a limited engagement run until November 20, 1983.^[14] The play has been produced regionally many times, including the Bench Theatre Group's 1978 production at the Havant Arts Centre in Havant, Hampshire,^[15] and in Duluth, Minnesota in March 2003.^[16]


A major London revival was staged by Kenneth Ives at Wyndham's Theatre in 1991; with Edward Fox in the lead, it ran from May to October.^[17] A further revival was directed by David Grindley at the Donmar Warehouse, running from September to October 15, 2005 and starring Simon Russell Beale as Philip with Anna Madeley as Celia and Siobhan Hewlett as Araminta. ^[6]


In 2009, the Roundabout Theatre Company produced a revival starring Matthew Broderick, which opened on April 26 at the American Airlines Theatre in New York City.^[8] The revival, met with mixed reviews,^[18] and closed on June 28, 2009, after 73 performances.^[19][20] This production was directed by David Grindley; sets were by Tim Shortall, lighting was by Rick Fisher, and costumes were by Tobin Ost, with sound design by Gregory Clarke.^[21]


In 2017 it was revived at London's Trafalgar Studios, directed by Simon Callow, with a cast including Simon Bird, Matt Berry, Charlotte Ritchie, Lily Cole and Tom Rosenthal.


A BBC television adaptation, starring Ronald Pickup as Philip, Helen Mirren as Celia and James Bolam as Don, was screened in October 1975, and is contained in a 6 DVD set of Mirren's work for the BBC.^[22]