Wild Decembers

Summary

BBC Television production of Clemence Dane’s Wild Decembers.

Theatre play

Wild Decembers by Clemence Dane (1888-1965) [more information]

Play synopsis

A play in three acts about Emily, Anne, Branwell and Charlotte Brontë. Set in 1842-1855, the action of the play is centred on Haworth Parsonage in the Yorkshire moors, but scenes also take place in the Pensionnat Heger in Brussels and the offices of Messrs Smith Elder and Co. in London.

Production history

Published in 1932 by Heinemann, the play was staged at the Apollo Theatre in London in May 1933 and received a BBC Radio performance in 1934.

Date of transmission

Thursday 5 April 1956

Time

8.00pm (120 mins)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Chloe Gibson

Playwright

Clemence Dane (1888-1965)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Dulcie Bowman	Miss Wooler
Edward Brooks	a very junior partner
John Cairney	Patrick Branwell Brontë
Margaret Dale	Martha
Margaret Diamond	Ellen Nussey
Richard Foat	Mr Williams
Fred Johnson	The Rev. Patrick Brontë, A.B.
M. A. Jones	a clerk
Janet Joye	Madame Heger
Janice Kane	Louise Heger
John Kidd	a doctor
Sheila Manahan	Anne Brontë
Peter Moffat	Thackeray
Anthony Newlands	Monsieur Heger
Terence O’Regan	The Rev. Arthur Bell Nicholls, A.B.
Maureen O’Reilly	Mademoiselle Blanche
Maureen Pryor	Charlotte Brontë
John Ruddock	a priest
John Saunders	George Smith
Margot van der Burgh	Emily Brontë
Kathleen Williams	Tabby

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

19th-century setting; north of England, as theme or setting; poetry and literature, as theme

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 30 March 1956 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing on p. 3

Title

Wild Decembers, 1956 (Television script)

Author/creator

Clemence Dane (Author)

Archive

V&A Theatre and Performance Collections [more information]

Address

Blythe House, 23 Blythe Road
London
W14 0QX
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7942 2723

Email

tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk

Website

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/t/theatre-and-performance/

Access

Open Tuesday to Friday from 10.15am to 4.30pm, by appointment only.

Reference

THM/120/2/30