Samantha Harvey's 'Quartet in Autumn' Opens
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- Quartet in Autumn is a stage adaptation of Barbara Pym’s 1977 novel, which was shortlisted for the Booker prize.
- Samantha Harvey adapted the play; her novel "Orbital" won the Booker prize in 2024.
- Dominic Dromgoole directed the production, featuring Anthony Calf, Kate Duchêne, Pooky Quesnel, and Paul Rider as the four retirees.
- Ellie Wintour designed the costumes, using chunky knits and oversized spectacles to anchor the show in the 1970s.
- Stagecraft uses spotlights to let characters voice inner thoughts, a technique that captures the novel’s interiority.
Why it matters: Theatregoers gain a fresh, witty window onto Pym's 1970s novel, while the production revives interest in Pym's work and showcases Harvey's Booker‑winning dramatization, expanding literary awareness.
