It may not be the most well-known event in 20th-century history – eclipsed by two World Wars and the digital revolution.
But the 1956 Suez Crisis had far-reaching effects which can still be felt today, both in our standing in Europe and across the world.
Hugh Whitemore’s new epic is examining the activities of those responsible for the historical flashpoint, which saw Britain, France and Israel collude in political and military machinations to stop the new nation of Egypt nationalising a major trade route.
The political fall-out saw Prime Minister Anthony Eden forced to resign after lying to the House Of Commons about any collusion between Israel and the UK.
It is often highlighted as a moment when the country realised it was no longer a world power – having been forced to abandon the conflict when the US threatened to pull vital funding helping rebuild austerity Britain if they didn’t.
“The parallels between Suez and Iraq are alarming,” says Whitemore. “At one point in the play, an Arab leader says that for the British to behave as we did was rather like catching his granny stealing from his money box. All the trust and confidence they had in us was swept away by the affair.”
Whitemore’s play, which stars Anthony Andrews as Eden, also looks at the tangle of extra-marital affairs and love triangles at the heart of the ruling classes.
It was inspired by stories Whitemore heard backstage at a charity benefit run by James Bond writer Ian Fleming’s family for the British Heart Foundation.
“This tangle of relationships was mentioned between Gaitskill [played by Nicholas Le Prevost], who was having an affair with Fleming’s wife Ann [Imogen Stubbs],” says Whitemore. “There was this extraordinary group of writers and politicians all together at the same time in 1956 – and I thought it could make a play.”
At the heart of A Marvellous Year For Plums is the issue of trust, not just between nations, but between husband and wife.
“If trust is absent then things go sadly wrong,” says Whitemore. “When Eden was forced to pull out of Suez it enraged the French.
“Later, the French prime minister was having lunch with the German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, talking about the unreliability of the British as they were preparing to go into the Common Market. Adneur said to the French prime minister, ‘Let this be your revenge’.”
Whitemore admits Thomas Hardy’s maxim “fact is far more astonishing than fiction” plays a major part in his plays – having previously written the Emmy-Award winning The Gathering Storm about a troubled period in the Churchills’ marriage just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
“It’s like going along a deserted beach and suddenly, under the sand, seeing something glittering,” he says. “The research is so fascinating.
When I made the films about Churchill I met members of his family and it was wonderful – they were interesting people, and the atmosphere they breathed was the same air, they occupied the same Earth – it was a privilege to meet them and share their lives.”
The Suez Crisis preceded a major social change in the UK. Rock ’n’ roll took off in 1956 giving birth to the teenager and, later on, The Beatles, who soundtracked the rise of the middle classes and the crumbling power of the aristocracy.
“In the play, Eden goes on a cruise to New Zealand after he resigns as Prime Minister because his health is in a shocking state,” says Whitemore.
“One of the stewards who looked after him was [future deputy Prime Minister] John Prescott.
“It was like the old guard meeting the new. You can imagine my joy when I found out about that
Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, Chichester, Friday, May 11, to Saturday, June 2
Starts 7.30pm, 7pm Thurs 17, 2.15pm matinees Sat, Wed 23 and Thurs 31, tickets from £14. Call 01243 781312.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here