This Happy Breed

Summary

1962 BBC production of This Happy Breed by Noël Coward.

Theatre play

This Happy Breed by Noël Coward (1899-1973) [more information]

Play synopsis

'The story of the play concerns the working class Gibbons family between the end of World War I and the outbreak of World War II. It anticipates the non-violent ways in which social justice issues might be incorporated into post-war national reconstruction, examines the personal trauma caused by the sudden death of sons and daughters and anticipates the forthcoming return of English men from the war. It is also an intimate portrait of the economy and politics of Great Britain in the 1920s and 30s (such as the General Strike of 1926), as well as showing the advances in technology - the arrival of primitive crystal radio sets and telephones, home gas lights being replaced by electricity and mass broadcast radio. This Happy Breed is one of a very few Coward plays to deal entirely with domestic events outside an upper class or upper middle class setting.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Happy_Breed.

Production history

'It was written in 1939 but, because of the outbreak of World War II, it was not staged until 1942, when it was performed on alternating nights with another Coward play, Present Laughter. The two plays later alternated with Coward’s Blithe Spirit.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Happy_Breed.

Date of transmission

Sunday 1 April 1962

Time

8.35-10.05pm

Series

Sunday-Night Play

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Hal Burton

Playwright

Noël Coward (1899-1973)

Design Operatives Supervisor

Hal Burton

Cast

Brenda Bruce	Ethel Gibbons
Edward Cast	Bob Mitchell
Fay Compton	Mrs Flint
Adrienne Corri	Queenie
Avril Elgar	Sylvia
Sybil Ewbank	Edie Hornett
Kenneth Farrington	Reg
Richard Johnson	Frank Gibbons
Dinsdale Landen	Billy Mitchell
Brian Peck	Sam Leadbitter
Rowena Torrance	Phyllis Blake
Jennifer Wilson	Vi

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

class issues / differences; First World War, as theme or setting; politics; Second World War, as theme or setting; wartime, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 29 March 1962 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated article, p. 11; listing, p. 13