The Bread-Winner (play)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bread-Winner (1930) was William Somerset Maugham's third last play and is a comedy written in one continuous act, lasting about 2 hours, but with the curtain lowered twice to rest the audience.
It is the story about Charles Battle and the effect of his being hammered in the London Stock Exchange to the point where he may or may not be bankrupted. Although this is the over-riding plot to the play Maugham takes the viewer (reader) through a good deal of the play before we know of the disaster that may or may not befall Charles. As soon as we are made aware of the situation, we learn what the effect of this event is to have upon his wife and his late teenage son and daughter. Charles' good friend Alfred Granger and his wife as well as their son and daughter, all of whom are a similar age to the Battle counter parts and best friends with each other fill the back scenes in the Battles’ house at Goulders Green near London.
The play was in written in 1930 and then first produced in the same year at the Vaudeville Theatre London on September 30, 1930.
The play has survived the years and is one of a number of Maugham’s works that has been resurrected in recent years. There is a current 2005-2006 performance running at The Connelly Theatre.
[edit] Main Cast Original Production
- Ronald Squire – Mr Charles Battle
- Marie Löhr – Mrs Battle, Margery
- Peggy Ashcroft – Judy
- Jack Hawkins – Patrick
- Evelyn Roberts – Mr Alfred Granger
- Dorothy Dix – Mrs Granger, Dorothy
- Margaret Hood – Diana
- William Fox – Timothy
