Closer is the second play by Patrick Marber. It first premiered in 1997 in London at the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre. The play is centrally about truth, and Marber blends modern and post-modern styles in order to keep the audience active in their participation with the storyline. He does this, for example, by not mentioning that a period of time has passed between scenes. This strategy requires the audience to keep up.
The play's original London cast included, Liza Walker, Clive Owen, Ciarian Hinds, and Sally Dexter. It was later turned into a film by acclaimed director Mike Nichols in 2004 starring Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman. The play has been compared to the works of Noel Coward and Harold Pinter as a blend of their style of work.
Closer won the 1997 Evening Standard Best Comedy Award and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, as well as the 1999 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.
