Ron Hutchinson, writer of the play Moonlight and Magnolias which is to run at Nottingham Playhouse, hopes that lifting the curtain on the backstage shenanigans behind Gone With the Wind will not spoil audiences’ appreciation of the film.
The play is set over five days. Gone With the Wind, at that point the most expensive film ever made, has run into trouble. Producer David O Selznick closed the production down because he was not satisfied with the script—even after 17 writers including Scott Fitzgerald had worked on it.
He locked himself in his office with the new writer and director and allowed them to eat only peanuts and bananas in the belief that would stimulate their brains.
The Nottingham Playhouse cast features Joe Alessi as Selznick, Dan Fredenburgh as “script doctor” Ben Hecht, Hayley Doherty as Miss Poppenghul and Oscar Pearce as director Victor Fleming.
Kirsty Patrick Ward directs. Designer is Tim Meacock, lighting designer is Jamie Platt and associate lighting designer is Lucia Sanchez Roldan. Ella Wahlström is sound designer, Will Simpson is video designer, Kev McCurdy is fight director, Marianne Samuels is voice coach and Robin Bowerman is voiceover artist.
Moonlight and Magnolias runs at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 7 March.