A Penny for a Song | |
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Written by | John Whiting |
Date premiered | 12 February 1951 |
Place premiered | Wimbledon Theatre, London |
Original language | English |
Genre | Historical comedy |
Setting | A country house, Dorset, 1804 |
A Penny for a Song is a 1951 historical comedy play by the British writer John Whiting. In 1967 it was adapted into an opera of the same title by Richard Rodney Bennett, performed at Sadler's Wells.
It premiered at Wimbledon Theatre before transferring to the Haymarket Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 35 performances between 1 and 31 March 1951. The original cast included Virginia McKenna, Ronald Squire, Ronald Howard, Basil Radford, George Rose, Alan Webb, Denis Cannan, Denys Blakelock and Marie Lohr. It was directed by Peter Brook. The production marked McKenna's West End debut. [1] It has been revived on a number of occasions, notably in a Royal Shakespeare Company production starring Marius Goring and Judi Dench in 1962 staged at the Aldwych Theatre, London.
In 1804 with Britain facing with an imminent French invasion, a Dorset country gentleman hatches a plan to thwart the enemy by impersonating Napoleon.
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation Rating the Movie Stars, described her as "a no-nonsense actress who literally took command of the screen whenever she appeared on film". Despite many notable film performances, Hiller chose to remain primarily a stage actress.
Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE was a Scottish character actor who began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his death in 1976. Starting in 1935, he also appeared in more than fifty British films, including an iconic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol, released in 1951 as Scrooge in Great Britain and as A Christmas Carol in the United States. Though an accomplished dramatic actor, he is often remembered for his comically sinister performances.
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Waters of the Moon is a 1951 stage play by N. C. Hunter which originally ran for two years at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 1951 to 1953. It was adapted into a 1961 TV play broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. This version was directed by Christopher Muir. In 1977 it was revived at the Theatre Royal Haymarket with Ingrid Bergman as Helen Lancaster and Wendy Hiller, who had appeared in the original 1951 production, now playing the role of Mrs. Whyte.
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Count Your Blessings is a 1951 comedy play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. A married couple draw up a plan to solve their financial problems, but this soon runs into trouble.
Young Wives' Tale is a 1949 comedy play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Brighton before transferring to the Savoy Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 373 performances between 7 July 1949 and 27 May 1950. The original London cast included Naunton Wayne, Joan Greenwood, Derek Farr, Joan Haythorne and Margaret Scudamore.