Summer and Smoke

What is Summer and Smoke about?

Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke tells the story of Alma Winemiller, a minister's daughter, and John Buchanan, the wild young doctor next door, in a small Mississippi town at the turn of the twentieth century. Alma is drawn to John's physicality and freedom, while John is attracted to Alma's spiritual depth. Over the course of the play, their positions reverse: Alma discovers sensuality while John finds spiritual meaning, but their timing is fatally wrong.

Why see Summer and Smoke?

This is Williams at his most poetic and heartbreaking. The play's central metaphor of the soul and the body is rendered with extraordinary delicacy, and the role of Alma is one of the great female parts in American theatre. London productions have brought fresh intensity to a play that was long overshadowed by Williams' more famous works, and recent revivals have established it as among his very best. The language is beautiful, the emotional stakes are devastating, and the performances demand everything from the leading actors.

Practical information for visitors

Summer and Smoke is periodically revived in London. Check current listings for the latest production and venue. The play deals with themes of repression, desire, and lost opportunity. It is best suited for older teenagers and adults. Running time is approximately two hours and thirty minutes including an interval.

Similar shows you might enjoy

For more Tennessee Williams, look for London productions of A Streetcar Named Desire or The Glass Menagerie. For other poetic American drama, consider Arthur Miller's The Price or The Crucible.