The Secretary Bird

The Secretary Bird is a British stage play by William Douglas Home.

The Secretary Bird
Written byWilliam Douglas Home
Date premiered1968
Original languageEnglish
Genrecomedy

The original run starred Kenneth More who appeared in it for a year.[1] He described the play as "simple and straightforward, and has some witty dialogue." It was the biggest stage success of More's career.[2]

It was adapted into an Italian film Duck in Orange Sauce.

Premise

A married man worries his wife is having an affair so he tries to make her jealouse with his secretary.

Reception

William Home wrote it at a time when sex comedies were out of fashion and the play was turned down by thirteen managers before being picked up by Tony Roye. It toured successfully in the provinces then made it to the West End with Kenneth More in the lead and produced by John Gale.[3]

The play was very successful. Peter Saunders estimated it cost £6,500 to put on and made a profit of more than £300,000.[4]

The play was seen by Noël Coward, who wrote in his diary for 3 November 1968:

I saw The Secretary Bird, which was not bad and much enhanced by Kenny More, who is a lovely, deft comedian in the proper Hawtrey, Du Maurier, Coward tradition! In fact he doesn’t apparently make any effort to get his effects and manages to get every one. No asking for laughs or begging for attention. Very satisfactory.[5]

The play had a successful run in Australia starring Patrick Macnee.[6]

1969 TV version

Scenes from the play aired on television in 1969 as an episode of Theatre Date.[7]

Cast
  • Kenneth More
  • Jane Downs as the wife
  • Terence Longdon as the admirer
  • Judith Arthy as the secretary

References
  1. Vagg, Stephen (16 April 2023). "Surviving Cold Streaks: Kenneth More". Filmink.
  2. More, Kenneth (1978). More or less. p. 214.
  3. Home, William Douglas (1979). Mr. Home pronounced Hume : an autobiography.
  4. Saunders, Peter (1972). The Mousetrap man. p. 202.
  5. Coward, Noel (2000). The Noel Coward Diaries. p. 669.
  6. Miller, Harry M (1983). My Story. p. 177.
  7. "Television tonight". Evening Post and News. 10 January 1969. p. 13.


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