Drama

A new play commissioned by the Ealing Autumn Festival. In 1941, fleeing from the Nazis, radical left-wing German playwright, Bertolt Brecht, found himself in Hollywood where he met the British movie star Charles Laughton.

 

Orbits imagines their working relationship as they collaborated for three intense, creative years on the translation of Das Leben des Galilei (The Life of Galileo) for its American premiere.

 

The premiere was directed by Joseph Losey with Laughton playing Galileo.  It took place in 1947 against a background of the bombing of Hiroshima and increasing anti-communist paranoia.

 

There will be Open discussion after each performance with playwright, Wally Sewell, and director, Anthony Shrubsall of OPEN Ealing.