The Barretts of Wimpole Street

Production

The production provoked protests from some of Edward Moulton-Barrett's grandchildren about the portrayal of their grandfather as a monster with "unspeakable vices". Besier and Jackson issued a statement that neither when writing the play nor in its production was there any intention to portray Barrett as a man with incestuous impulses, and that such interpretation of the play was erroneous and unfounded. The text of the play was published by Victor Gollancz in 1931. It is dedicated to Hugh Walpole.

In search of an American production, Besier was rebuffed by 27 producers, then the actress Katharine Cornell took an interest in the play and had it staged at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on 29 January 1931. The play then went to Broadway, where it opened on 9 February, at the Empire Theatre, starring Cornell and Brian Aherne, running for 370 performances. The Stage wrote in 1974 that Elizabeth was Cornell's most famous part.

Stage casts

:Source: Playscript.

Plot

The action of the play takes place in Elizabeth Barrett's bed-sitting room in her father's house. She is an invalid, taking comfort from her pet spaniel, Flush. Her sister Henrietta tells her that their father is in a fury because of the impending visit of their cousin Bella, who is about to marry – something Barrett will not allow his daughters to do: "So long as Papa's alive none of us will ever be able to marry with his consent – and to marry without it is unthinkable". To Moulton-Barrett, love entails "cruelty and loathing and degradation and remorse ... With the help of God, and through years of tormenting abstinence, I strangled it in myself. And so long as I have breath in my body, I'll keep it away from those I was given to protect and care for".

When Bella arrives, Elizabeth confesses that she too has an admirer – the handsome young poet Robert Browning. Invigorated by his renewed declaration of love, she gets up and walks for the first time in years.

Some months later, Elizabeth is so much better that she is planning a trip to Italy, on her doctor's advice. Her father cannot bear to let her go. When Browning begs her to marry him and leave for Italy together, Elizabeth pleads for time. When Barrett discovers that Henrietta has an admirer, he is so angry that he assaults her and makes her swear never to see him again. Elizabeth, realising that she must act, secretly marries Browning and elopes with him, leaving a note for her father. Barrett, devastated, wants revenge. "A smile of indescribable ugliness flickers across his face" and he orders Elizabeth's beloved dog to be destroyed – but she has taken Flush with her. Learning from Henrietta that his cruel vengeance has been thwarted, Barrett stands perfectly still, "staring straight before him and mechanically tearing Elizabeth's letter into little pieces, which drop to his feet".

Revivals and adaptations

Revivals

Cornell revived the play twice on Broadway: at the Martin Beck Theatre (1935) and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (1945). There was a West End revival of the play in 1948 at the Garrick Theatre, starring Margaret Johnston, Alec Clunes and Tom Walls.

Film

Main article: The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934 film), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957 film)

Television

BBC television broadcast an adaptation of the play on 14 October 1951, starring Pauline Jameson as Elizabeth, Griffith Jones as Browning and D. A. Clarke-Smith as Edward Moulton-Barrett. On 2 April 1956 NBC's Producers' Showcase aired a production featuring Cornell as Elizabeth. A 1982 TV film of the play was made by the BBC starring Jane Lapotaire as Elizabeth, Joss Ackland as her father and Jeremy Brett as Browning (Brett had previously played Browing in 1972 on radio).

Radio

BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of the play in October 1972, with Dorothy Tutin as Elizabeth, Paul Rogers as her father and Jeremy Brett as Browning. It was rebroadcast in October 2025 on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Brett went on to play the same role on television in 1982.

Musical

The play also spawned a musical, Robert and Elizabeth, with book and lyrics by Ronald Millar and music by Ron Grainer. It opened in London on 20 October 1964, starring June Bronhill, Keith Michell and John Clements and ran for 948 performances.

References

Sources

References

1. It was first staged on 20 August 1930 at the [[Malvern Festival (1929–1939). Malvern Festival]] in Malvern, Worcestershire. Elizabeth Barrett lived near Malvern as a child, which suggested to the director, [[Barry Jackson (director). Sir Barry Jackson]], the appropriateness of opening the play there before presenting it in the [[West End theatre. West End]]."Malvern Festival", ''The Stage'', 20 March 1930, p. 14
2. Besier, unnumbered introductory page
3. "Repertory Theatre", ''Birmingham Daily Gazette'', 26 August 1930, p. 6
4. "The Queen's", ''The Stage'', 25 September 1930, p. 16; and "The Theatres", ''The Times'', 10 December 1931, p. 12
5. Herbert, p. 1602
6. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", ''The Times'', 29 August 1930, p. 10
7. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", ''The Times'', 3 November 1930, p. 10
8. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", {{oclc. 469255516
9. Hochman, pp. 344–345
10. "''The Barretts of Wimpole Street''". [[Internet Broadway Database]].
11. "Obituary", ''The Stage'', 20 June 1974, p. 21
12. Besier, p. 155
13. Besier, p. 115
14. Besier, pp. 134–140
15. Besier, p. 165
16. [https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/the-barretts-of-wimpole-street-1851 "The Barretts of Wimpole Street"], Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 23 March 2024
17. "The Garrick", ''The Stage'', 13 May 1948, p. 1
18. Milberg, p. 28
19. [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d9a5ac086d5047cb8d5cb6805f105dfa "The Barretts of Wimpole Street"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 23 April 2024
20. [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/71e7f57ec92549b58f957a4f87d35a1a "The Barretts of Wimpole Street"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 23 March 2024
21. "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Barretts of Wimpole Street by Rudolf Besier".
22. Gaye, p. 201 and Herbert, p. 1633