The Bread-Winner (play)
Encyclopedia
The Bread-Winner is William Somerset Maugham's third-last play
. It is a comedy in one continuous act, lasting about 2 hours, but with the curtain lowered twice to rest the audience. Girls cannot be the Breadwinner.
Charles Battle has been 'hammered' in the London Stock Exchange
, to the point where he may be bankrupted. Maugham keeps his audience ignorant of the disaster facing Charles for much of the play, at which point we learn what the effect would be on his wife and teenage son and daughter. Charles' good friend Alfred Granger and his wife and son and daughter, all of whom are a similar age to their Battle counterparts, fill the scenes in the Battles’ house at Golders Green
in London.
The play was in written in 1930 and first produced by Athole Stewart
at the Vaudeville Theatre
London
on September 30 of the same year. Ronald Squire
and Peggy Ashcroft
played Charles and Judy Battle. The title format for the Vaudeville playbill, as reproduced in Who's Who in the Theatre, (Seventh edition, 1933) is The Breadwinner.
According to theatre archivist Robert Tanitch
(Peggy Ashcroft, Hutchinson, 1987, ISBN 0091710308), one of Peggy Ashcroft's lines, "Don't you know that since the war the amateurs have entirely driven the professionals out of business? No girl can make a decent living now by prostitution," was quoted so much by 'the gentlemen of the Press' that it was cut after the first night, the management anticipating rightly that the Lord Chamberlain
would be paying the theatre a visit.
The play has survived the years and is one of a number of Maugham’s works that has been resurrected. In 2005-2006 it was revived at The Connelly Theatre.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. It is a comedy in one continuous act, lasting about 2 hours, but with the curtain lowered twice to rest the audience. Girls cannot be the Breadwinner.
Charles Battle has been 'hammered' in the London Stock Exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, to the point where he may be bankrupted. Maugham keeps his audience ignorant of the disaster facing Charles for much of the play, at which point we learn what the effect would be on his wife and teenage son and daughter. Charles' good friend Alfred Granger and his wife and son and daughter, all of whom are a similar age to their Battle counterparts, fill the scenes in the Battles’ house at Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
in London.
The play was in written in 1930 and first produced by Athole Stewart
Athole Stewart
-Selected filmography:Athole appeared in the following films:* Canaries Sometimes Sing * The Speckled Band * The Faithful Heart * The Constant Nymph *Loyalties * The Four Masked Men...
at the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on September 30 of the same year. Ronald Squire
Ronald Squire
Ronald Squire was an English character actor.Born in Tiverton, Devon, England, he spent his early acting career in Liverpool repertory theatre in light comedy roles, before moving on to films...
and Peggy Ashcroft
Peggy Ashcroft
Dame Peggy Ashcroft, DBE was an English actress.-Early years:Born as Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft in Croydon, Ashcroft attended the Woodford School, Croydon and the Central School of Speech and Drama...
played Charles and Judy Battle. The title format for the Vaudeville playbill, as reproduced in Who's Who in the Theatre, (Seventh edition, 1933) is The Breadwinner.
According to theatre archivist Robert Tanitch
Robert Tanitch
Robert Tanitch, who lives in London, is a playwright, author, biographer, lecturer, theatre and film critic.He had the first professional production of one of his plays while he was still up at Oxford University....
(Peggy Ashcroft, Hutchinson, 1987, ISBN 0091710308), one of Peggy Ashcroft's lines, "Don't you know that since the war the amateurs have entirely driven the professionals out of business? No girl can make a decent living now by prostitution," was quoted so much by 'the gentlemen of the Press' that it was cut after the first night, the management anticipating rightly that the Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
would be paying the theatre a visit.
The play has survived the years and is one of a number of Maugham’s works that has been resurrected. In 2005-2006 it was revived at The Connelly Theatre.