The Wrecker
Encyclopedia
The Wrecker is a British
play
, written in 1924 by Arnold Ridley
, who much later played Private Godfrey in Dad's Army
.
The play is about an old engine driver who thinks his engine is malevolent and self-aware. The finale is a huge train wreck using elaborate stage special-effects as per The Ghost Train, an earlier and more famous play by Ridley.
The play ran for 165 performances at St. Martin's Lane Theatre
and was adapted as a film under the same title
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, written in 1924 by Arnold Ridley
Arnold Ridley
Major William Arnold Ridley, OBE was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play The Ghost Train and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army .-Early life:Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, England where...
, who much later played Private Godfrey in Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
.
The play is about an old engine driver who thinks his engine is malevolent and self-aware. The finale is a huge train wreck using elaborate stage special-effects as per The Ghost Train, an earlier and more famous play by Ridley.
The play ran for 165 performances at St. Martin's Lane Theatre
St Martin's Theatre
St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre, located in West Street, near Charing Cross Road, in the London Borough of Camden. It was designed as one of a pair of theatres with the Ambassadors Theatre by W.G.R...
and was adapted as a film under the same title
The Wrecker (1928 film)
The Wrecker is a 74 minute silent film made in 1928 . The film was based on the play of the same title by Arnold Ridley. It was produced by Michael Balcon for Gainsborough Pictures, directed by Hungarian Géza von Bolváry and starred Carlyle Blackwell, Joseph Striker and Benita Hume. A...
.
See also
- The Ghost Train, the earlier 1923 play by Arnold Ridley
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