The Land of Heart’s Desire

Summary

1948 BBC live studio production of W. B. Yeats’ short drama The Land of Heart’s Desire.

Theatre play

The Land of Heart’s Desire by W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) [more information]

Play synopsis

'In this theatrical lament on age and thwarted aspirations, a faery child encounters the newlyweds Shawn and Maire Bruin. The child, who at first is thought of by the Bruins as of gentle birth, denounces God and shocks Father Hart. She expounds on the ephemeral nature of life, in a bid to entice Maire to leave with her to the world of faery. Shawn implores the previously listless Maire to remain in the real world, but she dies in his arms, surrendering herself to the laughter and eternal, youthful dance of the otherworld, and to the seductive draw of immortality and mindless joy.' (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Land_of_Heart’s_Desire; accessed 8 August 2014)

Production history

First performed in 1894 at the Avenue Theatre in London. This was the first professional production of one of Yeats’ plays.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 7 September 1948

Time

9.15-9.45pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

George More O’Ferrall (1907-1982)

Playwright

W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

Cast

Henry Oscar (1891-1969)	Shawn Bruin
Mary O’Farrell	Maire Bruin

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

19th-century setting; Irish drama

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 3 September 1948 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 26