Sharp wit and powerful drama in Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias

Hurstpierpoint Players are putting on Steel Magnolias from Tuesday to Saturday, May 26 to 30, at the Players Theatre, High Street, Hurstpierpoint.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th May 2015, 23:52 BST
From left: Lyn Snowdon, Linda Burton, Robyn Jenkins, Sue Wicks, Karinn Grierson and Jan BellFrom left: Lyn Snowdon, Linda Burton, Robyn Jenkins, Sue Wicks, Karinn Grierson and Jan Bell
From left: Lyn Snowdon, Linda Burton, Robyn Jenkins, Sue Wicks, Karinn Grierson and Jan Bell

A spokesperson for the group said: “Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias has remained consistently popular since making its stage debut in 1987.

“Bolstered by a successful, star-studded film adaptation a few years later, the play continues to be staged at numerous theatres across the country.

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“The play’s enduring relevance stems from a combination of its strong female characters, its theme of the power of sisterhood, and its witty, memorable script.

“The show includes some powerful emotional moments that can border on melodrama, but Harling’s script balances out the pathos with some wickedly funny lines.

“The challenge with staging a show that has been turned into an iconic film is that, fairly or not, the production is going to be compared to the best-known version of the work.

“This production by Hurstpierpoint Players will bear comparison and should please both fans of the film and the play itself. Much of the dialogue in the movie was lifted from the play, including basically all of the choice comic lines and the entire plot.

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“Six southern women gather to discuss their various personal lives, with a particular emphasis on the complicated relationship between bride-to-be Shelby and her mother, M’lynn.

“The main difference between the film and the play is that none of the male characters ever appear – they are only mentioned in the extremely witty dialogue.”

Performances start at 8pm. Doors open at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions) available from Vanilla, 40 High Street, Hurstpierpoint. Call 01273 834506 between 9am and 5pm only.

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