Too Close To The Sun

Why see Too Close To The Sun?

Considered one of the greatest American novelists of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway shot himself in the head with a shotgun and died on 2 July 1961, less than three weeks short of his 62nd birthday. He had previously attempted suicide and suffered from depression and alcoholism.

Amongst his many accolades, Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize, for The Old Man and the Sea, in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His other best-known novels include The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms and To Have and Have Not. He also penned numerous short story collections and two stage plays.

Too Close to the Sun provides a fictional account of the events leading up to Hemingway’s death. In it, the writer, battling the indignities of old age, takes solace in the company of his young secretary. His wife, tolerating this liaison so as not to lose him, is unaware that the secretary has a secret agenda - to become wife number five and inherit his estate. The arrival of Rex, an old school friend, adds a further complication, as he tries to secure the film rights to the life of the notorious writer. With bribery, lies and manipulation, Rex plays a dangerous game to achieve his goal.

Key Information

Audience

Too Close to the Sun is suitable for audiences aged 12 and upwards.

Dates

Finished 5 Sep 2009

Cast

Helen Dallimore
James Graeme
Jay Benedict
Tammy Joelle

Creative

Music: John Robinson
Lyrics: Robinson & Roberto Trippini
Book: Roberto Trippini

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