TS Eliot: A poet’s plays

As the Donmar Warehouse celebrates his work in a two-month festival, take a look at the popular poet's dramas
  
  


The Family Reunion
The cast of The Family Reunion at the Donmar: (from left) Anna Cartaret, Hattie Morahan, Paul Shelley, Gemma Jones, William Gaunt, Una Stubbs, Penelope Wilton and Sam West Photograph: Johan Persson
Family Reunion
The Family Reunion, about a birthday party that spirals out of control, was first performed in 1939 at the Westminster theatre. Ruth Lodge and Michael Redgrave were among the cast Photograph: Felix Man/Hulton Archive
Murder in the Cathedral
Eliot's most famous play is probably Murder in the Cathedral, a portrait of Thomas à Becket. This 1970 production took place in Canterbury Cathedral to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Becket's assassination Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Murder in the Cathedral
Jean Vilar starred as Becket in a 1952 production in Paris Photograph: Roger Viollett/Getty
Murder in the Cathedral
Michael Feast played the role in a 1993 RSC production at the Swan in Stratford Photograph: Tristram Kenton
The Cocktail Party
TS Eliot (centre) discusses a 1950 production of his drawing-room comedy The Cocktail Party with (from left) Margaret Leighton, Martin Brown, Rex Harrison and Ian Hunter Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty
The Cocktail Party
A 1999 production of The Cocktail Party at the Edinburgh festival, where the play had its premiere 50 years earlier Photograph: Murdo Macleod
Cats
Of course, TS Eliot enjoyed his biggest stage success with Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats Photograph: Joseph Barrak/AFP
Penelope Wilton
Penelope Wilton in rehearsals for The Family Reunion at the Donmar Photograph: Marc Brenner
TS Eliot
The Donmar's TS Eliot festival opens on November 20 and runs until January 17 2009 Photograph: Al Grutz/Hulton Archive
 

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