Britain in 1956: the Suez Crisis.

Prime Minister Anthony Eden, described by a colleague as ‘half mad baronet and half beautiful woman’, is faced with the terrible possibility of leading his country into war. His health is collapsing. His friends, colleagues and opponents, among them Hugh Gaitskell and Ian Fleming and his wife Ann, are facing crises of their own, crises of conscience and crises of the heart. Hugh Whitemore’s new play is a true epic: a suspenseful thriller, an achingly romantic love story and a fascinating examination of a flashpoint in our history which still resonates today. What is the cost of an ‘illegal’ war?

This intelligent, well-ordered play stirred some bitter memories * Guardian *
[A] sophisticated political thriller * Southern Daily Echo *
Whitemore's concentration on the human follies and affections makes a play that will last. * Libby Purves, The Times *

Hugh Whitemore is an English playwright and screenwriter. He began his writing career in British television with both original teleplays and adaptations of classic works. He twice won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain award. His work for American TV includes Concealed Enemies, and The Gathering Storm, which focused on a troubled period in the marriage of Clementine and Winston Churchill just prior to World War II. He won an Emmy Award for each. He also was nominated for his adaptation of the Carl Bernstein/Bob Woodward book about President Nixon, The Final Days. His most recent teleplay was My House in Umbria (2003), an adaptation of the novella by William Trevor starring Maggie Smith. His plays Breaking The Code and Pack of Lies are published by Oberon Books.