"GLORIOUS!"
the hilarious true story of
Florence Foster Jenkins
- the worst singer in the world.
The West End and worldwide hit play
Nominated for the Olivier Award - Best New Comedy!
London premiere run at the Duchess Theatre
starring Dame Maureen Lipman.
Seen on stage by over two million people
in theatres in 36 countries across six continents.
"A lunatically funny comedy that will keep you very happy...Glittering and hilarious"
(Sunday Times)
"This delightful and blissfully funny play generates a rare glow of warmth and generous laughter"
(Daily Telegraph)
"Outstandingly droll and surprisingly touching"
( The Independent)
PUBLISHED BY METHUEN DRAMA/BLOOMSBURY (2005)
AND SAMUEL FRENCH/CONCORD (2008)
CAST SIZE: 4F/2M
There is also a version for 3 actors: 2F/1M
"Glorious!" tells the extraordinary and hilarious true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, an amateur opera singer in New York in the 1940s. Her vocal performances at recitals were so appalling that she amassed a huge entourage of fans (including Enrico Caruso and Cole Porter) and tickets became like gold dust. Her ultimate triumph was at Carnegie Hall where she played to a packed theatre, singing Mozart while wearing a halo and flapping angel wings. The play follows Florence as she prepares for a series of concerts and recordings while building a remarkable new friendship with her young accompanist Cosme McMoon. At first, he is in shock at her complete lack of talent, but Cosme slowly falls under her spell. "Glorious!" is a celebration of a unique woman who defied the critics and the audience´s laughter in order to pursue all of her dreams.
"Glorious!" had its world premiere at Birmingham Rep Theatre before transferring to London's West End in 2005. The production starred Dame Maureen Lipman and ran for 6 months at the Duchess Theatre, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Comedy. The show has since been seen by millions of people around the world, translated into 25 languages and performed in 36 countries. This has included very successful runs in Sydney, Hong Kong, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Madrid, Chicago, Berlin, Warsaw and Tokyo (these last two productions also broadcast live on television). In 2016, Florence Foster Jenkins was immortalised on film by Meryl Streep.