''Canaries Sometimes Sing'' is a

comedy play Comedy is a genre of dramatic performance having a light or humorous tone that depicts amusing incidents and in which the characters ultimately triumph over adversity. For ancient Greeks and Romans, a comedy was a stage-play with a happy endi ...

by the British writer

Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), '' The Balkan Princess'' (1910), '' Betty'' ...

that was first staged in 1929 at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...

in the West End. It represented the breakthrough role as a solo performer of the French comedienne

Yvonne Arnaud Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1890 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Ar ...

.Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre p.41

Film adaptation

In 1931 it was adapted into the British film ''

Canaries Sometimes Sing ''Canaries Sometimes Sing'' is a 1931 British romantic comedy film directed by Tom Walls. The film is a four-hander, starring Walls, Cathleen Nesbitt, Athole Stewart and Yvonne Arnaud. It is a screen version of the witty and sophisticated ...

'' directed by and starring

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

along with Yvonne Arnaud and

Cathleen Nesbitt Cathleen Nesbitt (born Kathleen Mary Nesbitt; 24 November 18882 August 1982) was an English actress. Early life and education Kathleen Mary Nesbitt was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, in 1888. She was of Welsh and Irish descent.Before ...

References

Bibliography

* Chambers, Colin. ''Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre''. A&C Black, 2006. * Donaldson, Frances. ''Freddy Lonsdale''. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011. * Nicoll, Alardyce. ''English Drama, 1900-1930: The Beginnings of the Modern Period. Part I''. Cambridge University Press, 1973. Plays by Frederick Lonsdale 1929 plays British plays adapted into films West End plays {{UK-theat-stub