The Barretts of Wimpole Street is a 1930 play by the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her domineering father's unwillingness to allow them to marry. Presented first at the Malvern Festival in August 1930, the play transferred to the West End, where it ran for 528 performances. An American production, produced by and starring Katharine Cornell, opened in 1931 and ran on Broadway for 370 performances. The play has subsequently been revived onstage and adapted for television and the cinema.

The play caused some protests from the descendants of one of the central characters, Edward Moulton-Barrett, objecting to what they saw as his depiction as a depraved monster, although the author and original director denied that the play did so.

Production The Barretts of Wimpole Street was Rudolf Besier's only success as a playwright. It was first staged on 20 August 1930 at the Malvern Festival in Malvern, Worcestershire. Elizabeth Barrett lived near Malvern as a child, which suggested to the director, Sir Barry Jackson, the appropriateness of opening the play there before presenting it in the West End."Malvern Festival", The Stage, 20 March 1930, p. 14 The production starred Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Elizabeth Moulton-Barrett and Scott Sunderland as Robert Browning.Besier, unnumbered introductory page The production was later seen in Birmingham"Repertory Theatre", Birmingham Daily Gazette, 26 August 1930, p. 6 before opening, with the original cast unchanged, at the Queen's Theatre in London on 23 September 1930, where it ran until 2 January 1932,"The Queen's", The Stage, 25 September 1930, p. 16; and "The Theatres", The Times, 10 December 1931, p. 12 a total of 528 performances.Herbert, p. 1602

The production provoked protests from some of Edward Moulton-Barrett's grandchildren about the portrayal of their grandfather as a monster with "unspeakable vices"."The Barretts of Wimpole Street", The Times, 29 August 1930, p. 10 Besier and Jackson issued a statement that neither when writing the play nor in its production was there any intention to portray Barrett as a man with incestuous impulses, and that such interpretation of the play was erroneous and unfounded."The Barretts of Wimpole Street", The Times, 3 November 1930, p. 10 The text of the play was published by Victor Gollancz in 1931. It is dedicated to Hugh Walpole."The Barretts of Wimpole Street",

In search of an American production, Besier was rebuffed by 27 producers, then the actress Katharine Cornell took an interest in the play and had it staged at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on 29 January 1931.Hochman, pp. 344–345 The play then went to Broadway, where it opened on 9 February, at the Empire Theatre, starring Cornell and Brian Aherne, running for 370 performances. The Stage wrote in 1974 that Elizabeth was Cornell's most famous part."Obituary", The Stage, 20 June 1974, p. 21

Stage casts RoleOriginal production (1930)US production (1931) Doctor Chambers Aubrey Mallalieu George Riddell Elizabeth Moulton-Barrett Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies Katharine Cornell Wilson Eileen Beldon Brenda Forbes Henrietta Moulton-Barrett Marjorie Mars Margaret Barker Arabel Moulton-Barrett Susan Richmond Joyce Carey Octavius Moulton-Barrett Barry K. Barnes John Halloran Septimus Moulton-Barrett B. B. Coleman William Whitehead Alfred Moulton-Barrett Hugh Moxey Vernon Downing Charles Moulton-Barrett Leonard Bennett Frederick Voight Henry Moulton-Barrett Douglas Quayle Basil Harvey George Moulton-Barrett Anthony Marshall Leslie Denison Edward Moulton-Barrett Cedric Hardwicke Charles Waldron Bella Hedley Joan Barry Dorothy Mathews Henry Bevan Oliver Johnston John D. Seymour Robert Browning Scott Sunderland Brian Aherne Doctor Ford-Waterlow Wilfred Caithness Oswald Marshall Captain Surtees Cook Barry Wilcoxon John Buckler Flush (Elizabeth's dog) Tuppenny of Ware Flush Source: Playscript.

Plot The action of the play takes place in Elizabeth Barrett's bed-sitting room in her father's house. She is an invalid, taking comfort from her pet spaniel, Flush. Her sister Henrietta tells her that their father is in a fury because of the impending visit of their cousin Bella, who is about to marry – something Barrett will not allow his daughters to do: "So long as Papa's alive none of us will ever be able to marry with his consent – and to marry without it is unthinkable". To Moulton-Barrett, love entails "cruelty and loathing and degradation and remorse ... With the help of God, and through years of tormenting abstinence, I strangled it in myself. And so long as I have breath in my body, I'll keep it away from those I was given to protect and care for".Besier, p. 155

When Bella arrives, Elizabeth confesses that she too has an admirer – the handsome young poet Robert Browning. Invigorated by his renewed declaration of love, she gets up and walks for the first time in years.Besier, p. 115

Some months later, Elizabeth is so much better that she is planning a trip to Italy, on her doctor's advice. Her father cannot bear to let her go. When Browning begs her to marry him and leave for Italy together, Elizabeth pleads for time. When Barrett discovers that Henrietta has an admirer, he is so angry that he assaults her and makes her swear never to see him again.Besier, pp. 134–140 Elizabeth, realising that she must act, secretly marries Browning and elopes with him, leaving a note for her father. Barrett, devastated, wants revenge. "A smile of indescribable ugliness flickers across his face" and he orders Elizabeth's beloved dog to be destroyed – but she has taken Flush with her. Learning from Henrietta that his cruel vengeance has been thwarted, Barrett stands perfectly still, "staring straight before him and mechanically tearing Elizabeth's letter into little pieces, which drop to his feet".Besier, p. 165

Revivals and adaptations

Revivals Cornell revived the play twice on Broadway: at the Martin Beck Theatre (1935) and the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (1945)."The Barretts of Wimpole Street", Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 23 March 2024 There was a West End revival of the play in 1948 at the Garrick Theatre, starring Margaret Johnston, Alec Clunes and Tom Walls."The Garrick", The Stage, 13 May 1948, p. 1

Film

It was filmed in 1934, starring Fredric March, Norma Shearer and Charles Laughton. That film was remade scene-for-scene and almost shot-for-shot, in colour, in 1957, starring Bill Travers, Jennifer Jones and John Gielgud. Both films were directed by Sidney Franklin.Milberg, p. 28

Television

BBC television broadcast an adaptation of the play on 14 October 1951, starring Pauline Jameson as Elizabeth, Griffith Jones as Browning and D. A. Clarke-Smith as Edward Moulton-Barrett."The Barretts of Wimpole Street", BBC Genome. Retrieved 23 April 2024 On 2 April 1956 NBC's Producers' Showcase aired a production featuring Cornell as Elizabeth. A 1982 TV film of the play was made by the BBC starring Jane Lapotaire as Elizabeth, Joss Ackland as her father and Jeremy Brett as Browning (Brett had previously played Browning in 1972 on radio)."The Barretts of Wimpole Street", BBC Genome. Retrieved 23 March 2024

Radio BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of the play in October 1972, with Dorothy Tutin as Elizabeth, Paul Rogers as her father and Jeremy Brett as Browning. It was rebroadcast in October 2025 on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Brett went on to play the same role on television in 1982.

Musical The play also spawned a musical, Robert and Elizabeth, with book and lyrics by Ronald Millar and music by Ron Grainer. It opened in London on 20 October 1964, starring June Bronhill, Keith Michell and John Clements and ran for 948 performances.Gaye, p. 201 and Herbert, p. 1633

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