Performance Notes End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter Peter Quilter’s dynamic play, which is part concert part drama, tells of the final decline of Judy Garland, following a lifetime of abuse, addictions, and attempted suicides. Initially, she appears to be on the way to a full recovery and has booked a six-week run at London’s Talk of the Town nightclub, encouraged by her fiancée and manager, Mickey Deans, and in cahoots with her gay pianist friend Anthony. Despite Judy’s best intentions, as the run gets underway, she cannot suppress her destructive streak that has characterised her life up until this point. Quilter’s play is a powerful, and at times hilarious, exploration of the final days of this lonely and exploited star, whose only way of travelling over the rainbow is through drugs. End of the Rainbow premiered in August 2005 at the Sydney Opera House. ‘It's not so much the colours of the rainbow that light up Peter Quilter's moving yet often funny musical, as the deep, dark cracks between them.’ Independent Genre: play with songs Fee: £56 plus VAT, per performance Cast: m2 f1 Scripts: ISBN 9780413775320, £8.99 Set: The Ritz/nightclub 1968 Length : 2 acts Contact: [email protected] EXTRACT Mickey Oh, shut up. Anthony Oh my God, your head! What happened? Judy What are you asking me for? I don’t know! Judy Hey – I’m Judy Garland – you show me some respect! I’ll get something. Anthony He goes back into the bathroom. Mickey And I’m your fiancé. So why don’t you start to fucking earn it? Where the hell have you been? I’ve been Mickey waiting here for hours. She grabs an ashtray and hurls it across the room at Judy Don’t you raise your voice to me! Mickey. It misses him and smashes against the wall. Mickey I wasn’t! Judy I know, I’m just warning you! I’m entitled to go Anthony (re-entering) I found some antiseptic. out on my own sometimes, you know. I am a card- carrying adult – all right! Mickey When you’re done, hide it, or she’ll try and drink it. Mickey You’re drunk as hell. Judy That’s right. And I love it. You should try it too, Judy Go screw yourself. Mickey. People might like you more. If you enjoyed this, you might like: • Natural Breaks and Rhythms by Julius Ayodeji (m4) • Losing Louis by Simon Mendes da Costa (m3 f4) • A History of Falling Things by James Graham (m5 f2) Methuen Drama, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY Tel: +44 (0)20 7758 0310 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.methuendrama.com .