The Wind and the Rain (play)

The Wind and the Rain
Written by	Merton Hodge
Directed by	Auriol Lee
Date premiered	9 October 1933
Place premiered	Opera House, Manchester
Original language	English
Setting	Mrs McFie's house, a Scottish university city

The Wind and the Rain is a 1933 play by New Zealand author Merton Hodge. It was the first play by a New Zealander to be produced on the West End. ^{[1] [2]}

The play was first produced as As It Was in the Beginning.

It was performed 1,001 times, from 1933, at St. Martin's Theatre in London's West End, and six months in 1934 at the Ritz Theatre on New York's Broadway, ^[3] toured the world and was translated into nine languages.

Premise

The adventures of young medical students at university over a five year period. The main character, Charles, is torn between three women - his mother, a sculptress, and a childhood sweetheart.

German version

The play was adapted into German by Douglas Sirk as Regen und Wind. ^[4]

Adaptations

The play was adapted for television in 1938. ^[5]

It was adapted for Australian radio in 1942, 1950, and 1957.

Stage productions

• 1932 (as "As It Was In The Beginning”) at Arts Theatre in London
• 1933 at St Martin's, London ^[6] - with Celia Johnson in the cast
• 1934 at Ritz Theatre, New York
• April 1934 at Northampton Rep - cast included Errol Flynn
• 1934 in Sydney ^[7]
• July 25-30 1938 at Millbrook Theatre, Millbrook, Connecticut - with Montgomery Clift and Celeste Holm in the cast
• 1943 in La Boite Theatre, Brisbane ^[8]
• 1944 in Sydney ^[9]
• 1960 in Liverpool
• 2023 at Finborough Theatre, London ^[10]

References

1. "PLAY'S SUCCESS". The Sun. No. 7426. New South Wales, Australia. 18 October 1933. p. 1 (LAST RACE EDITION). Retrieved 21 May 2025– via National Library of Australia.
2. "HONOR in HIS OWN COUNTRY". The Sun. No. 1602. New South Wales, Australia. 10 December 1933. p. 48. Retrieved 21 May 2025– via National Library of Australia.
3. "The Wind and the Rain", IBDB, accessed 16 August 2021
4. Sirk, Douglas (1997). Sirk on Sirk : conversations with Jon Halliday. p. 32.
5. The Wind and the Rain at IMDb
6. The Wind and the Rain at Theatricalia
7. "FIRST in Films Now in THEATRE". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. II, no. 4. Australia, Australia. 30 June 1934. p. 18. Retrieved 21 May 2025– via National Library of Australia.
8. The Wind and the Rain at La Boite
9. ""THE WIND AND THE RAIN"". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 33, 228. New South Wales, Australia. 23 June 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 21 May 2025– via National Library of Australia.
10. Finborough Theatre production details

External links

• Hodge, Merton (1934). "The Wind and the Rain". Famous Plays of 1933-1934. Gollancz.