The Reluctant Debutante (play)
The Reluctant Debutante is a 1955 play by the British playwright William Douglas-Home.
It was first performed (for a 'try-out' week) at the Theatre Royal Brighton after William Douglas-Home spotted the untrained 17-year-old actress Anna Massey and brought her in to audition for the title role.[1] After she wowed the Brighton audiences the play quickly transferred to the Cambridge Theatre, London on 24 May 1955, where it enjoyed a long run [2] with Wilfred Hyde-White continuing to play the father and Celia Johnson the neurotic mother, Sheila Broadbent. The production was directed by Jack Minster.
On June 30, 1955, MGM bought the film and stage rights to this hit London success [3] with the aim of taking it to Broadway.
In 1956 the play premièred on Broadway at the Henry Miller's Theatre with a mostly changed cast but still with Anna Massey in the lead and Wilfred Hyde-White playing her father [4]
The Plot
The plot follows an aristocratic family during one of London's debutante seasons. It is a light-hearted, almost farcical, comedy which revolves around the mother's deep anxiety and attempts to avoid scandal after she confuses two men (both called David) and accidentally sets up her daughter with 'David Hoylake-Johnston' (who has a reputation as a philanderer) instead of 'David Bulloch' (who she believes to be the perfect match for her daughter).
The debutante season was designed for aristocratic parents to find 'suitable' husbands for their daughters by throwing (often very expensive) parties and inviting eligible bachelors. 'Sheila Broadbent', the mother of Jane (the eponymous 'Reluctant Debutante'), is petrified that her daughter will lose the chance to meet a good husband if there is a scandal - i.e. 'David Hoylake-Johnston' charming her into having sex; something it is rumoured he has done before with other girls. But, at the same time, the rumours are only rumours so she cannot be rude to him, especially after accidentally inviting him to be Jane's date for the night.
Original Cast (1955-56)
- Anna Massey as Jane Broadbent
- Wilfred Hyde-White as Jimmy Broadbent
- Celia Johnson as Sheila Broadbent
- John Merivale as David Hoylake-Johnston
- Peter Myers as David Bulloch
- Ambrosine Phillpotts as Mabel Crosswaite
- Anna Steele as Clarissa Crosswaite
- Gwynne Whitby as Mrs Edgar
Original Broadway Cast (1956-57)
- Anna Massey as Jane Broadbent
- Wilfred Hyde-White as Jimmy Broadbent
- Adrianne Allen as Sheila Broadbent
- John Merivale as David Hoylake-Johnston
- David Cole as David Bulloch
- Brenda Forbes as Mabel Crosswaite
- Christina Gillespie as Clarissa Crosswaite
- Reneé Gadd as Mrs Edgar
In 1958 it was made into a film by MGM and on 28 February 1966 ITV produced the story as a teleplay.[5] A second film based on the play was produced in 2003, under the title What a Girl Wants.
ITV Play of the week cast (1966)
- Philippa Gail as Jane Broadbent
- Leslie Phillips as Jimmy Broadbent
- Joan Greenwood as Sheila Broadbent
- Paul Ferris as David Hoylake-Johnston
- Raymond Clarke as David Bulloch
- Georgina Cookson as Mabel Crosswaite
- Anna Carteret as Clarissa Crosswaite
- Virginia Clay as Mrs Edgar
The play was most recently produced by Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre prior to a national tour [6]
UK national tour (2011)
- Louise Calf as Jane Broadbent
- Clive Francis as Jimmy Broadbent
- Jane Asher as Sheila Broadbent
- Ed Cooper Clarke as David Hoylake-Johnston
- Alex Felton as David Bulloch
- Belinda Lang as Mabel Crosswaite
- Lucy May Barker as Clarissa Crosswaite
- Andrea Miller as Mrs Edgar
References
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lj1aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TkwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=893,5671953&dq=the+reluctant+debutante&hl=en
- ↑ http://www.reallyuseful.com/theatres/cambridge-theatre/history-1
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z5pRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BGwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1977,4030307&dq=the+reluctant+debutante&hl=en
- ↑ http://broadwayworld.com/shows/cast.php?showid=322927
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0926604/
- ↑ http://www.thestage.co.uk/listings/production.php/49783/the-reluctant-debutante