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27-644: The play ran for 363 performances at the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End between 17 October 1917 and 24 August 1918. The play was revived in 1922 at the same venue for another 257 performance run, with du Maurier again in the cast along with Mabel Terry-Lewis , Alfred Drayton , Ronald Squire and Joyce Carey . The theme of the play is whether it would benefit people if they could have their lives over again and make different choices. The characters consist of dissatisfied couples, who all feel that they have taken

54-528: A "delicately realistic style of acting that sought to suggest rather than to state the deeper emotions". His Times obituary said of his career: "His parentage assured him of engagements in the best of company to begin with; but it was his own talent that took advantage of them." Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier was born on 26 March 1873 in Hampstead , London , the son of Emma (Wightwick) and George du Maurier, author and Punch cartoonist, who created

81-408: A children's stage version of The Witches , which ran during March 2005; followed by a controversial limited season of Eve Ensler 's The Vagina Monologues , which ran without the stars – Sharon Osbourne and her daughter Aimee, who dropped out the night before the production opened. In 2005, theatre patrons saw Helen McCrory star alongside Sienna Miller , Reece Shearsmith and Clive Rowe in

108-614: A production of Shakespeare's As You Like It . A large-scale replica of the facade of the theatre was constructed at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida as part of the park's London-themed area. In May 2005, the theatre was taken over by Cameron Mackintosh 's Delfont-Mackintosh Ltd., which began operations of the venue in September 2005. In October 2005, the theatre presented Tom Stoppard 's Heroes ,

135-710: A translation of the French play Le vent des peupliers by Gérald Sibleyras , which starred Richard Griffiths and John Hurt . The following year the theatre hosted a new production of Joanna Murray-Smith 's play Honour starring Diana Rigg, Martin Jarvis and Natascha McElhone , which ran between 7 February and 6 May 2006. It later hosted the West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory 's hit production of Stephen Sondheim 's musical Sunday in

162-533: Is a West End theatre , one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre ). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster , it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague , the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916. It was designed to seat 759 patrons on three levels; later refurbishment increased this to four seating levels. The theatre

189-649: The Garrick Theatre . After playing a number of small roles before 1900, including a part in his father's popular drama Trilby with Herbert Beerbohm Tree in 1895, his popularity became assured as a result of his acclaimed performance in major roles during the premieres of two J.M. Barrie plays: as Ernest in The Admirable Crichton during 1902, and the dual role of George Darling and Captain Hook (instead of Seymour Hicks , who had refused

216-649: The St James's Theatre . Knighted during 1922 at the height of his popularity, he continued to perform throughout his life. During later years he acted in cinema roles such as Lord Camber's Ladies (1932), a German doctor in I Was a Spy (1933), the emperor's valet in Catherine the Great (1934) and, soon before his final illness, Weissensee in the Michael Balcon version of Jew Süss (1934). Du Maurier

243-470: The Park with George , which starred Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell and ran till September. Between December 2006 and April 2007, the theatre presented the West End commercial transfer of Alan Bennett 's National Theatre hit The History Boys which played to sell-out houses during its run until April 2007. Bill Kenwright 's production of Somerset Maugham 's The Letter played through summer 2007. There

270-650: The actress and writer Angela du Maurier (1904–2002), the writer Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) and the painter Jeanne du Maurier (1911–1997). His wife retired from the stage in 1910. His nephews, his sister Sylvia Llewelyn Davies 's sons , were the inspiration for Peter Pan and other boy characters of Barrie's fiction. The character of Wendy Darling in Peter Pan shares one of her middle names with du Maurier's daughter Angela, who in later years portrayed Wendy onstage herself. With Frank Curzon , he co-managed Wyndham's Theatre from 1910 to 1925, and then worked for

297-457: The artist and his wife are reconciled, and the dream child of Act 2 has become almost real to both of them and lives on in their hearts. The play was favourably reviewed. One critic said, " Dear Brutus fascinated me … His humour is at its best and his one note of pathos true. Another wrote, "Barrie-ish, yes. But what an elusive quality this is – sentimental, wistful, pathetic, cheerful, familiar, fantastic!". Several reviewers commented that despite

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324-659: The cast. It opened in October 1996, and transferred to the Whitehall Theatre in October 2001. Madonna made her West End debut there in 2002, performing in a sell-out production of Up For Grabs . This was followed by many other dramatic productions, including Dinner and the National Theatre 's Democracy during 2004, Holly Hunter in By The Bog Of Cats , American TV star Ruby Wax in

351-564: The character of Svengali in the 1894 novel Trilby . During his childhood the family home was at New Grove House in Hampstead Grove . He attended Heath Mount School and Harrow School . He initially pursued a career in business, but it did not suit him, and he began working as an actor. He obtained his first engagement, a small part in Sydney Grundy 's An Old Jew , by means of his father's friend John Hare , manager of

378-455: The characters return to reality, having benefited to varying degrees from their experiences in the wood in Act 2. The butler resigns himself to domestic service rather than high finance; the philanderer is so little reformed that he is found attempting a fresh conquest, to the amusement of his wife and his mistress; an elderly man who had longed for a second youth proposes again to his faithful spouse;

405-423: The high-and-mighty aristocrat who belittles him in the first act is now in love with him. A philanderer now married to his mistress discovers his affinity with his former wife. A heavy-drinking painter, despised by his wife and lamenting his lack of children, finds himself happy with a devoted daughter; his wife is alone, and starving, abandoned by the aristocrat she had wished in Act 1 that she had married. In Act 3

432-463: The lead role in Mrs Dane's Defence in 1900, upon which Wyndham said that “ the applause when the curtain fell was the most tremendous he had ever known ”. In 1910, Gerald du Maurier began an association with the theatre which lasted 15 years and to include the stage debut of the screen actress Tallulah Bankhead . Du Maurier's small daughter, Daphne , often watched her father's performance from

459-661: The much smaller Players' Theatre , was moved to the Wyndham stage. It ran for 2,078 performances, before eventually transferring to Broadway . During the 60s and early 70s, the theatre continued to provide a setting for stars such as Alec Guinness ( Wise Child ), Vanessa Redgrave and Diana Rigg . The blockbuster of the 1970s decade – Godspell – opened at Wyndham's in January 1972 and ran to October 1974. The original cast included David Essex , Marti Webb and Jeremy Irons . Among more recent distinguished productions were

486-544: The part) in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up , at the Duke of York's Theatre , London, on 27 December 1904. He also played in other Barrie plays, including Dear Brutus . In 1902, during The Admirable Crichton , also in the cast was actress Muriel Beaumont as Lady Agatha. They were married five months later on 11 April 1903 at St Peter, Cranley Gardens , Kensington . Du Maurier and his wife had three children:

513-533: The quotation from Julius Caesar in Barrie's title, the Shakespeare play that repeatedly came to mind was A Midsummer Night's Dream . The theatrical cartoonist of The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News drew the aristocrat and the butler in Act 2 as Titania and Bottom , and the philanderer, his wife and mistress as Lysander , Helena and Hermia . Wyndham%27s Theatre Wyndham's Theatre

540-488: The wings. Thirty years later she presented her own play, The Years Between , on the same stage. In 1917, J. M. Barrie 's Dear Brutus ran for more than 360 performances at Wyndham's. The same play was revived in 1922 for another lengthy run. In April 1953, the theatre premiered Graham Greene 's first play, The Living Room , with a cast including Dorothy Tutin . In January 1954, a small-scale musical pastiche, Sandy Wilson 's The Boy Friend , which had premiered at

567-522: The world premiere of The Ride Down Mt. Morgan by American playwright Arthur Miller and the British premiere of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women , starring Maggie Smith . Twenty-five years after making her debut there, Diana Rigg returned to play a hugely successful season as Medea . The critically acclaimed comedy, 'Art' , by Yasmina Reza , began its record-breaking run at Wyndham's in 1996 with Albert Finney , Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott in

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594-476: The wrong turning in life. They are brought together to the house of an ancient individual bearing the Shakespearean name of Lob , who is described as "all that is left of Merry England ". Outside his house on Midsummer Night an enchanted wood springs up, in which, in Act 2, the visitors undergo a metamorphosis. A light-fingered butler has taken another turning and become a rich but fraudulent financier;

621-533: Was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in September 1960. Wyndham had always dreamed of building a theatre of his own, and through the admiration of a patron and the financial confidence of friends, he was able to realise his dream. Wyndham's Theatre opened on 16 November 1899, in the presence of the Prince of Wales . The first play performed there was a revival of T. W. Robertson 's David Garrick . A number of successes followed, including Lena Ashwell playing

648-837: Was a regular cigarette smoker, and the du Maurier brand was named after him as a paid endorsement deal (he did not smoke them himself), to which he agreed to help pay taxes owed. He served as President of the Actors' Orphanage Fund (now the Actors' Charitable Trust ) from 1914 to his death, when he was succeeded by Noël Coward . He joined the Freemasons ' Green Room Lodge No. 2957 on 4 November 1904, an actors' lodge which included Leedham Bantock , Fred Terry and George Grossmith Jr. among its members. He died on 11 April 1934 of colon cancer , at Cannon Hall , Cannon Place, Hampstead , his home since 1916. A blue plaque has been placed at

675-582: Was a short hiatus after Chita Rivera was forced to postpone a scheduled London return. Shadowlands , based on the life story of C. S. Lewis opened in October 2007, starring Charles Dance and Janie Dee , before another return of Alan Bennett 's The History Boys from December 2007. The theatre closed temporarily for refurbishment works, before reopening in September 2008 with Kenneth Branagh starring in Michael Grandage 's production of Chekhov 's Ivanov . This new version by Tom Stoppard

702-433: Was an English actor and manager . He was the son of author George du Maurier and his wife, Emma Wightwick, and the brother of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies . In 1903, he married the actress Muriel Beaumont , with whom he had three daughters: writers Angela du Maurier (1904–2002) and Dame Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989), and painter Jeanne du Maurier (1911–1997). His popularity was due to his subtle and naturalistic acting:

729-669: Was the opening play in the Donmar West End twelve-month season at Wyndham's, with tickets at Donmar Warehouse prices. The Donmar West End season also included Derek Jacobi starring in Twelfth Night , Judi Dench in Yukio Mishima 's Madame de Sade , and Jude Law in Hamlet , all staged by Grandage. Gerald du Maurier Sir Gerald Hubert Edward Busson du Maurier (26 March 1873 – 11 April 1934)

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