A Play
AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY
The Potting Shed A Play
Viking, 1957.
First edition. Original oatmeal cloth printed in dark green, in buff dustwrapper printed in green. Author's presentation copy inscribed to John and Gillian Sutro on the front endpaper, "For John & Gillian with love, this play that I don't like. Graham." A near fine, clean copy, in a near fine dustwrapper with a trace of wear to the spine ends and corners.
A fine association copy, inscribed by Greene to some of his closest friends in later life. John Sutro was a film producer and Gillian, a fashion journalist, described by Nancy Mitford as "one of the ten best dressed women in England". Sutro had known Evelyn Waugh at Oxford and his literary circle included Arthur Koestler, Christopher Sykes, John Sparrow and Jean Cocteau. The Sutros were introduced to Greene in the 1950s and became close friends. They were near neighbours in Antibes and each corresponded independently with him, Gillian helping him through his tumultuous affair with Yvette Cloetta.
The American edition precedes the UK first by a year. This play, a psychological drama, was first performed on Broadway in 1957 and opened in the West End the following year with Sir Laurence Olivier playing the role. The third act was entirely different in the Broadway version of the play, but Greene was dissatisfied with it and reverted to his original third act for the British publication and theatre production.
Stock ID: 35506
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