10 FACTS ABOUT WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Wed 3 Sep 2025
Three acts, two couples, one unforgettable night.
Next month (18 Oct – 8 Nov), witness Edward Albee’s gripping fly-on-the-wall drama, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? unfold live on stage.
Running exclusively in Leicester, this Made at Curve production is directed by Curve Associate Director Cara Nolan and features a stellar cast, including Cathy Tyson (MY FAIR LADY), Patrick Robinson (CASUALTY), George Kemp (BRIDGERTON) and Tilly Steele (DR WHO).
Before the drinks flow and the games begin, read below 10 facts that you might not know about this timeless play
  1. American playwright Edward Albee’s very first connection to the title ‘WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?’ was seeing these words written with dry soap on a bathroom mirror in a bar he was at one evening. Albee didn’t think about this title again until he was writing the play.
  2. The title itself is a play on the song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” from Walt Disney‘s “The Three Little Pigs.”
  3. The character names George and Martha were a direct reference to the first U.S. President and his wife, George and Martha Washington.
  4. Edward Albee told Bill Irwin (who played George in the Broadway Revival in 2005), “George’s role has as many words as there are in Hamlet so good luck.
  5. To this day the film adaptation (in 1966) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is one of only two films to gain Oscar nominations in every single category that it was eligible for.
  6. The play first premiered on Broadway on 13 October, 1962 to widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics alike.
  7. Many famous actresses have played the role of Martha on stage, including Imelda Staunton, Calista Flockhart, Holly Twyford, Kathleen Turner, Laurie Metcalf, Mercedes Ruehl and Diana Rigg.
  8. The play has won five Tony Awards, including Best Play.
  9. Actors who have performed the role of George include Rupert Everett, David Suchet, Ralph Waite, Conleth Hill, Bill Irwin, Matthew Kelly, Tracy Letts and Zachary Quinto.
  10. Both the award-winning play and film are still being referenced today in modern TV shows, such as The Office (US) episode “Dinner Party”.

You can see our Made at Curve production of WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? from Saturday 18 October – Saturday 8 November. To find out more and book, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.