Cool Hand Luke is a real original. He knows it always pays to get back up after you've been knocked down, to stand your ground and to always, always play a cool hand.
Most of you will imagine the role synonymously with
Paul Newman who played Luke in the 1967 film. The scene where Luke
eats fifty eggs in an hour to win a bet is a compelling piece of drama – however funny it sounds. But this prison drama set in a Florida prison camp after WW2, with its narrative of an individual refusing to be subdued by 'The Man' has been deemed so
"culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States library of Congress, that it's been selected to be preserved by the National Film Registry. So it goes a bit deeper than just being a great story.
This play has been adapted from the original novel, and shares many key scenes with the movie, including the egg eating. It records Luke's prison stay – he was sent down to the chain gang for knocking the heads off parking meters – and the strength of his spirit in the face of cruelty, incarceration and troubles.
It's a good play for this moment historically, and
Marc Warren has a meaty character to contend with in the title role.
