Gossip destroys lives as Classic American drama comes to Balham

Balham’s award-winning theatre group, Southside, will stage ‘The Children’s Hour’, Lillian Hellman’s classic drama, from Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 May (half-term) at Chestnut Grove School Theatre.

Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play ‘The Children’s Hour’ was banned in some cities and America and in London for its then-daring premise of sexual love between two women.

This intense drama charts the downfall of two schoolteachers when one of their girl students spreads a rumour that they are having a lesbian affair.

The play explores the sometimes malevolent power of children in the claustrophobic and emotionally charged environment of a girls’ boarding school. It’s a challenging drama that resonates today, played by an almost exclusively female cast. (‘The Children’s Hour’ was recently revived in the West End with Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss.)

Lillian Hellman wrote ‘The Children’s Hour’ when she was only 29, and went on to become one of the most famous female American writers of the last century, along with her other success, ‘The Little Foxes’.

‘The Children’s Hour’ ran for more than two years when it was first produced on Broadway.

Southside theatre group has been staging high-quality drama in the Balham area for 25 years. Now more than 60 members strong, the group stages three main productions a year, along with rehearsed readings and lots of social events.

Dates and booking information

Chestnut Grove Theatre at Chestnut Grove School, Boundaries Road, Balham, SW12 8JZ, Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 May 2015.

Wednesday – Friday at 7.45pm, Saturday at 5.00pm.

Tickets: £10.00, concessions (Wednesday and Saturday only) £7.50.

Box office 07914 657 524 or book online at: www.southsideplayers.org.uk or https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/82765

Further information on the Southside website, or email them at southsideplayers@hotmail.co.uk. Follow Southside on Twitter and Facebook.