''Berkeley Square'' is a play in three acts by John L. Balderston (in collaboration with

J.C. Squire Sir John Collings Squire (2 April 1884 – 20 December 1958) was a British writer, most notable as editor of the ''London Mercury'', a major literary magazine in the interwar period. He antagonised several eminent authors, but attracted a coterie ...

) which tells the story of a young American who is transported back to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in the time of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

and meets his ancestors. The plot is loosely based on

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was th ...

' posthumous 1917 novel ''

The Sense of the Past ''The Sense of the Past'' is an unfinished novel by the American author Henry James that was published in 1917, a year after James' death. The novel is at once an eerie account of time travel and a bittersweet comedy of manners. A young America ...

''. The play premiered at the

St Martin's Theatre St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre which has staged the production of ''The Mousetrap'' since March 1974, making it the longest continuous run of any show in the world. The theatre is located in West Street, near Shaftesbury Avenue, in t ...

in London's

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

in 1926, where it ran for 179 performances. Its production on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 1929 was an enormous success with

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' and was one ...

(who also co-produced and co-directed the play with

Gilbert Miller } Gilbert Heron Miller (July 3, 1884 – January 3, 1969) was an American theatrical producer. Born in New York City, he was the son of English-born theatrical producer Henry Miller and Bijou Heron, a former child actress. Raised and educated i ...

) in the role of time traveler Peter Standish and ran for 229 performances, a substantial run for its time. The play was later adapted into a 1933

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

with

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also prob ...

repeating his stage role of Peter Standish, winning him an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

nomination. The play was also produced for a 1959

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

television production and the 1951 film ''The House in the Square'' (released in the United States as '' I'll Never Forget You'').

Original London cast

*Tom Pettigrew - Brian Gilmour *Mr. Throstle -

Ivor Barnard Ivor Barnard (13 June 1887 – 30 June 1953) was an English stage, radio and film actor. He was an original member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, where he was a notable Shylock and Caliban. He was the original Water Rat in the first L ...

*The Ambassador -

J. Fisher White Joseph John Fisher White (1 May 1865 – 14 January 1945) was a British stage and film actor. The eldest of four sons of Rev. John White, of Ampfield, of that family formerly of Hursley, by his wife Martha, daughter of Rev. John Fisher, he ...

*Peter Standish - Lawrence Anderson *Maid - Jane Millican/Edith Martyn *Lady Anne Pettigrew - Beatrice Wilson/Georgina Wynter *Miss Pettigrew - Valerie Taylor *Helen Pettigrew -

Jean Forbes-Robertson Jean Forbes-Robertson (16 March 1905 – 24 December 1962) was an English actress. A versatile Shakespearean actress, she was often cast in boys' roles because of her slim build, playing Jim Hawkins in a stage version of ''Treasure Island'', Pu ...

*Mrs. Barwick - Frances Ruttledge *Marjorie Frant - Grizelda Hervey/Juliet Mansell/Jane Millican

Original Broadway cast

*Mrs. Barwick - Lucy Beaumont *Miss Barrymore - June English *Marjorie Frant - Ann Freshman *Helen Pettigrew -

Margalo Gillmore Margaret Lorraine "Margalo" Gillmore (31 May 1897 – 30 June 1986) was an English-born American actress who had a long career as a stage actress on Broadway. She also appeared in films and TV series, mostly in the 1950s and early 1960s. Family ...

*Tom Pettigrew - Brian Gilmour *H. R. H. The Duke of Cumberland -

Robert Greig Robert Greig (December 27, 1879 – June 27, 1958) was an Australian-American actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1930 and 1949, usually as the dutiful butler. Born Arthur Alfred Bede Greig, he was the nephew of Australian pol ...

*Maid - Irene Howard *Peter Standish -

*The Lady Anne Pettigrew - Alice John *Mr. Throstle - Tarver Penna *The Duchess of Devonshire - Louise Prussing *Major Clinton - Charles Romano *Kate Pettigrew - Valerie Taylor *Lord Stanley - Henry Warwick *The Ambassador - Fritz Williams

References

External links

* * Literature about time travel American plays adapted into films 1929 plays Broadway plays West End plays Plays set in London Plays set in the 18th century Plays based on novels {{1920s-play-stub