Quiz (play)

Quiz
Official poster of the 2018 West End production
Written by James Graham
Date premiered 10 November 2017 (2017-11-10)
Place premiered Minerva Theatre, Chichester
Original language English
Setting 2001, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Quiz is a play written by James Graham. It made its world premiere at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in November 2017, before transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End in March 2018. The play centres on the true story of Charles Ingram and the coughing scandal that surrounded his 2001 win of £1,000,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.[1]

Background

Quiz is written by British playwright James Graham.[1] The play centres around the true story of Charles Ingram (whom later came to be known as "the Coughing Major")[2] and the coughing scandal that surrounded his 2001 win of £1,000,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the subsequent court trial.[3]

Charles Ingram, a major in the British Army entered British quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in September 2001. Suspicions arose during filming after coughing was heard loudly adjacent to the correct answers. A sound technician informed Celador CEO Paul Smith of their suspicions, with filming allowed to continue and the tapes reviewed after filming had completed.[4] Ingram eventually won the million pounds,[4] however upon reviewing the tapes and each cough heard, Ingram was accused of cheating by having his wife, Diana, and an accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, cough as Ingram announced the correct answer from the available choices.[4][5][6] Ingram "refuted" the claims.[4]

Following trial on 7 April 2003, a jury declared the Ingrams and Whittock guilty of procuring the execution of a valuable security by deception.[7] The Ingrams were sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of £15,000 plus £10,000 for costs each. Whittock received a 12-month suspended sentence with a £10,000 fine plus a £7,500 costs order.[8]

Graham was a teenager when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? first appeared on British television in 1998[9] and became "fixated" by the subsequent trial and what he describes as the most "British crime in the history of the world."[10] He later received a copy of the 2015 book Bad Show: The Quiz, the Cough, the Millionaire Major.[9] It raised questions about the case and raised the possibility that Ingram was innocent of all charges[11] and forms the basis of which Quiz was adapted.[12] In February 2017,[13] it was announced the play would premiere at the Minerva Theatre, part of the Chichester Festival Theatre.[14] The play is directed by Daniel Evans,[15] with movement direction by Naomi Said,[16] design by Robert Jones,[17] lighting design by Tim Lutkin,[17] video design by Tim Reid[18] and music and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham.[17]

Production history

Quiz began previews at the Minerva Theatre, on 3 November 2017, with an official opening night on 10 November,[14] running until 2 December.[19] Due to demand the run was extended to 9 December 2017.[20] Notable casting included Gavin Spokes and Stephanie Street as Charles and Diana Ingram, with Keir Charles playing Chris Tarrant.[21][22] Following its premiere production the play transferred to the West End's Noël Coward Theatre where it began previews on 31 March 2018, with an official opening night on 10 April, booking for a limited period until 16 June.[23][24] It was produced by William Village, Playful Productions and Chichester Festival Theatre[25]. Sharon Ballard joined the original cast for the London run.[26] Prior to the production transferring around 40% of the play was rewritten by Graham[1] and on stage seating added to provide a more studio like environment for audiences.[27] Explaining the extensive rewrite Graham explained that the changes were:

not because we weren't happy with what happened in Chichester, but you learn so much when you do a tryout for a show, so we streamlined the narrative, I reordered some of the structure, we had to think about a West End proscenium Victorian theatre, which is very different to a studio theatre in Chichester.[1]

In addition, people that were involved in the production of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? had seen the show in Chichester and had provided additional information, which in turn had allowed Graham to enhance the play. One who attended, but in disguise, was the erstwhile host of the show, Chris Tarrant. He would later write a piece for the Daily Mail saying the show was entertaining but Ingram was guilty. [1]

The audience are given the opportunity to act as the jury via electronic voting[28] after each act, where they will have witnessed the arguments for the prosecution and the defence to decide whether Ingram was guilty.[29][30]

Principal roles and original cast

Character Chichester performer[21][22] West End performer[21][31]
Charles Ingram Gavin Spokes
Diana Ingram Stephanie Street
Rachel da Costa Sharon Ballard
Nicholas Hilliard QC / Quizmaster / John de Mol Paul Bazely
Warm Up / Chris Tarrant / Jim Bowen / Des O'Connor / Leslie Crowther Keir Charles
Paul Smith / Paddy Spooner / Adrian Woolfe Greg Haiste
Tecwen Whittock / Major General Roberts / David Briggs Mark Meadows
Adrian Pollock / Mark Burnett Henry Pettigrew
Judge Rivlin / David Liddiment / DS Williamson / Elsie Tanner Jay Villiers
Production Manager / Claudia Rosencrantz / Ruth Settle / Alyn Morice Lizzie Winkler
Sonia Woodley QC / Hilda Ogden Sarah Woodward

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Millionaire cough scandal: 'The most British crime of all time'". BBC News. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "15 years since "the Coughing Major"". Vice. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Who Wants to be Millionaire scandal inspires new play: what happened next to the coughing Major?". The Telegraph. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?: Major Fraud". Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. Episode 1. 8 May 2003. ITV. ITV1.
  5. ↑ Jonathan Evans (17 January 2015). ""Coughing Major" and his Welsh accomplice, who cheated their way to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? jackpot, release new book claiming innocence". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "We don't want to give you that, Who Wants to be a Millionaire bosses tell 'cheating major' Charles Ingram". BT. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "Bad show: The Quiz, The Cough and the Millionaire Major". Inside Time. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "Millionaire trio escape jail". BBC News. 8 April 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  9. 1 2 "James Graham interview: the playwright on Quiz, his take on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". The Times. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "James Graham on why the Quiz scandal is 'the most British crime in history'". Evening Standard. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "From Umbrella Man to the Coughing Major, the truth is often very strange". The Spectator. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "The "coughing major" comes to the stage..." Chichester Observer. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  13. ↑ "Chichester Festival Theatre 2017 season will feature Ian McKellen as King Lear and a new play from Edna O'Brien". Evening Standard. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Casting announced for new James Graham play Quiz". Whats On Stage. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  15. ↑ "Daniel Evans: 'I am quite unashamedly a populist. I like making big shows in big spaces'". The Guardian. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Graham, James (2 April 2018). Quiz. Methuen Drama. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-3500-6929-9.
  17. 1 2 3 "James Graham's Quiz, Based on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Scandal, Will Transfer to West End". Playbill. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "'Quiz': Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  19. ↑ "Djalili and McKellen to star in Daniel Evans' first Chichester Festival Theatre season". The Stage. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Quiz Extends To 9 December". Chichester Festival Theatre. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 Graham, James (2 April 2018). Quiz. Methuen Drama. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-3500-6929-9.
  22. 1 2 "QUIZ Cast and Creatives". cft.org.uk. Chichester Festival Theatre. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  23. ↑ "James Graham's Quiz announces West End transfer". The Stage. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  24. ↑ "James Graham's Quiz to transfer to the West End". Whats On Stage. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  25. ↑ "James Graham's Quiz announces West End transfer". The Stage. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
  26. ↑ "Quiz announced West End On Stage Seating And Casting". Official London Theatre. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  27. ↑ "James Graham's Quiz West End transfer to have onstage seating". Whats On Stage. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  28. ↑ "James Graham has all the right answers". The Guardian. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  29. ↑ "In James Graham's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire play, the audience is the jury of the 'coughing major'". The Independent. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  30. ↑ "Did the 'Coughing Major' cheat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? At new West End play Quiz you get to decide". I. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  31. ↑ "West End Transfer of Quiz Finds Its Cast". Playbill. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
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