Angels in America at the British National Theatre: Premiere, Revival and Transatlantic Legacy, 1993-2018

Angels in America was one of the most significant pieces of American theatre in the 20th Century. Much has been written on Tony Kushner’s epic drama. However, the National Theatre of Great Britain’s productions of the show are relatively under-discussed. Not only was the National Theatre responsible for helping to originate the play in the early 1990s, but it helped revitalize interest in 2018 with Marianne Elliott’s reimagined version starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane.

This book considers the role of the National in the play’s history, and how Elliott’s production reframed the play 25 years after the original; it chronicles the tumultuous first production and the play’s successes in London and New York. The book also looks at the key features of the play: its representation of AIDS, its status as an iconic gay play and its searing political commentary. Concluding with an in-depth analysis of Marianne Elliott’s reimagining of the play, this book is an up-to-date history of Angels in America and a reflection on its continued importance.

Emily Garside spent a number of years as an academic and lecturer, beginning with her PhD on theatrical responses to the AIDS crisis, and the evolution of LGBTQ theatre. She specializes in Queer Culture Writing. As a journalist, she is a regular contributor for The Queer Review and has written for American Theatre, Slate, BBC and The Stage. She lives in the United Kingdom.