The Wild Bird

Summary

1959 Associated Television production for ITV of La Sauvage by Jean Anouilh, under the title The Wild Bird.

Theatre play

La Sauvage by Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) [more information]

Play synopsis

'Thérèse, a young musician who plays in her father’s rather poor cafe orchestra, falls in love with a rich and successful composer, Florent France, and goes with him to his country house to prepare for her wedding. She finds herself torn between poverty with independence and happiness with all its responsibilities’ (TV Times, 19 June 1959, p. 21).

Production history

First performed: Théâtre des Mathurins, Paris, 10 January 1938.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 23 June 1959

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Associated Television (ATV, 1955-1982)

Credits

Director

Peter Potter

Playwright

Jean Anouilh (1910-1987)

Adapted for Television by

Ivor Dean

Translator

Lucienne Hill

Composer

John Hotchkis

Sets / Settings

Paul Mayo

Cast

Hermione Baddeley	Madame Tarde
Barbara Barnett	Marie France
Pamela Binns	Scullery Maid
Leslie Caron	Thérèse Tarde
Ivor Dean	M. Lebonze
Hugh Griffith	M. Tarde
Thomas Heathcote	Gosta
Gillian Hume	Head Housemaid
Miriam Karlin	Jeannette
Peter MacKriel	Waiter
Hugh Mathias	Drunken Customer
Clive Morton	Hartmann
Nora [or Norah] Nicholson	Madame Bazin
Jessica Spencer	The Fitter
Jean Theobald	The Fitter’s Assistant
Mogens Wieth	Florent France

Additional details

Play tags

French drama; marriage; music, as theme

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 19 June 1959 (Magazine)

Linking notes

cover image; article, p. 8; listing, p. 21