Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Women of Twilight
Women of Twilight is a 1951 play by Sylvia Rayman that became a 1952 film directed by Gordon Parry.
"The scene throughout is a semi-basement living room in a house near London, a grim and sordid place inhabited for sleeping and eating by a motley group of unmarried young women with babies - already born or about to be hustled into an unfriendly world. The 'proprietress' - a sadistic, unscrupulous woman called Helen Allistair - though a qualified nurse, exploits these unfortunate outcasts from society until one of them - the despairing girl Vivianne, whose gangster lover is hanged and who has nothing to lose - discovers this ghoulish creature's baby-farming activities. Vivianne, whose baby is shortly to be born, faces Mrs Allistair with her accusation, is brutally assaulted and almost loses her life. In the end justice is done, and Mrs Allistair gets her just desserts."
Women of Twilight was the first play written by Sylvia Rayman (1923–86).
According to the play's Broadway programme, "Sylvia Rayman's address, before she arrived in London, was Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. After she finished her schooling she worked in a factory and library and then went to London to become a writer. She supported herself as an usher, a nurse girl and a clerk in a ticket agency." By 1951, when Women of Twilight was picked up for production, she was working as a part-time waitress at a cafeteria on north London's Finchley Road.
Presented by Jean Shepeard and Evelyn Dysart at the Regent Theatre, Hayes on 30 July, Rayman's debut was advertised as 'an all-women play' and directed by Rona Laurie. Among material ordered cut by the Lord Chamberlain's office was dialogue relating to one character having been raped, plus the use of the Girl Guide motto "Be prepared" with an obvious sexual innuendo. The published text contains an introduction by Laurie ("This is a strong, forceful play calling for great sincerity both in production and acting"), plus the following note: "Sylvia Rayman gratefully acknowledges Miss Jean Shepeard's work in adapting the script for stage presentation, for finding its present title, and for first presenting it." The cast on this occasion included future playwright Ann Jellicoe.
A different production, directed by Anthony Hawtrey, was mounted at the Embassy Theatre in Swiss Cottage on 15 October. According to Oscar Lewenstein (later co-founder of the English Stage Company), "Jean [Shepeard] was reluctant to let us have the rights, but eventually I was able to make a deal with her. Tony was enthusiastic and got a strong cast, all women, most of whom had worked at the Embassy before." Having been taken up by impresario Jack Hylton, Hawtrey's production transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End on 7 November. Billed as 'London's most daring play', it was variously described by reviewers as "a disturbing but undeniably strong all-women drama", "a painful, compelling, horrific and dramatically gripping piece" and "a strong, lurid melodrama not for the squeamish". The production closed on 19 April 1952 after 186 performances.
After a two-month break (during which the show went on tour and the film version was made), Hawtrey's production was revived at the Victoria Palace on 18 June, playing twice-nightly until 1 November and achieving another 235 performances. For this run, Freda Jackson, star of the yet to be released film, was added to the cast. Noted The Stage newspaper, "Jack Hylton feels this play has a vast potential audience who will welcome the cheaper seats obtainable at the Victoria Palace. There is no question of the play, which deals with the social problem of the unmarried mother, being sensationalised by its transference to a twice-nightly theatre."
By this time, Hylton and Hawtrey had already taken the play on an ill-fated excursion to New York, where it opened at the Plymouth Theatre on 3 March, was deemed "repulsive" by local critics and closed on 8 March after only eight performances. This production marked the only Broadway appearance for such British actresses as Betty Ann Davies, Miriam Karlin, Gwen Watford and June Whitfield.
Hub AI
Women of Twilight AI simulator
(@Women of Twilight_simulator)
Women of Twilight
Women of Twilight is a 1951 play by Sylvia Rayman that became a 1952 film directed by Gordon Parry.
"The scene throughout is a semi-basement living room in a house near London, a grim and sordid place inhabited for sleeping and eating by a motley group of unmarried young women with babies - already born or about to be hustled into an unfriendly world. The 'proprietress' - a sadistic, unscrupulous woman called Helen Allistair - though a qualified nurse, exploits these unfortunate outcasts from society until one of them - the despairing girl Vivianne, whose gangster lover is hanged and who has nothing to lose - discovers this ghoulish creature's baby-farming activities. Vivianne, whose baby is shortly to be born, faces Mrs Allistair with her accusation, is brutally assaulted and almost loses her life. In the end justice is done, and Mrs Allistair gets her just desserts."
Women of Twilight was the first play written by Sylvia Rayman (1923–86).
According to the play's Broadway programme, "Sylvia Rayman's address, before she arrived in London, was Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. After she finished her schooling she worked in a factory and library and then went to London to become a writer. She supported herself as an usher, a nurse girl and a clerk in a ticket agency." By 1951, when Women of Twilight was picked up for production, she was working as a part-time waitress at a cafeteria on north London's Finchley Road.
Presented by Jean Shepeard and Evelyn Dysart at the Regent Theatre, Hayes on 30 July, Rayman's debut was advertised as 'an all-women play' and directed by Rona Laurie. Among material ordered cut by the Lord Chamberlain's office was dialogue relating to one character having been raped, plus the use of the Girl Guide motto "Be prepared" with an obvious sexual innuendo. The published text contains an introduction by Laurie ("This is a strong, forceful play calling for great sincerity both in production and acting"), plus the following note: "Sylvia Rayman gratefully acknowledges Miss Jean Shepeard's work in adapting the script for stage presentation, for finding its present title, and for first presenting it." The cast on this occasion included future playwright Ann Jellicoe.
A different production, directed by Anthony Hawtrey, was mounted at the Embassy Theatre in Swiss Cottage on 15 October. According to Oscar Lewenstein (later co-founder of the English Stage Company), "Jean [Shepeard] was reluctant to let us have the rights, but eventually I was able to make a deal with her. Tony was enthusiastic and got a strong cast, all women, most of whom had worked at the Embassy before." Having been taken up by impresario Jack Hylton, Hawtrey's production transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End on 7 November. Billed as 'London's most daring play', it was variously described by reviewers as "a disturbing but undeniably strong all-women drama", "a painful, compelling, horrific and dramatically gripping piece" and "a strong, lurid melodrama not for the squeamish". The production closed on 19 April 1952 after 186 performances.
After a two-month break (during which the show went on tour and the film version was made), Hawtrey's production was revived at the Victoria Palace on 18 June, playing twice-nightly until 1 November and achieving another 235 performances. For this run, Freda Jackson, star of the yet to be released film, was added to the cast. Noted The Stage newspaper, "Jack Hylton feels this play has a vast potential audience who will welcome the cheaper seats obtainable at the Victoria Palace. There is no question of the play, which deals with the social problem of the unmarried mother, being sensationalised by its transference to a twice-nightly theatre."
By this time, Hylton and Hawtrey had already taken the play on an ill-fated excursion to New York, where it opened at the Plymouth Theatre on 3 March, was deemed "repulsive" by local critics and closed on 8 March after only eight performances. This production marked the only Broadway appearance for such British actresses as Betty Ann Davies, Miriam Karlin, Gwen Watford and June Whitfield.