A young woman from the mill-town Hindle returns home to her parents after a weekend getaway. Wakes Weeks began as religious festivals but then became secular (bank) holidays where factories would close down up to ten days. Those who could afford it might spend their time at Blackpool, a local English seaside resort akin to New York’s Coney Island. Written by Stanley Houghton, Hindle Wakes essentially is the aftermath of “spring break” circa 1912.
One hundred years ago, this play was an enormous hit in England, subsequently made into four films, two in the silent era. A Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University banned its students from all theaters performing the play. The Guardian wrote that Hindle Wakes “not only scandalized playgoers, but persons who had never been inside a theater and who were never likely to visit one joined in the general outcry.” When the play landed on Broadway that same year, it failed largely due to a negative New York Times review. During a 1922 revival, the paper changed its mind and said “it is now, as it was then … a shrewd, and nourishing and artful comedy.” Ninety five years later, the Mint Theater has mounted Hindle Wakes for the first time in New York since then.
What was going on in the minds of young men and women, and also their parents, back in the day? Our playwright, Stanley Houghton, wrote over a dozen plays, many of which called for women’s sexual and economic freedom. One hundred years later, this play remains topical. Directed by Gus Kaikkonen, a frequent Mint collaborator, the production values (set, costumes) are top notch and the cast is excellent. Even the maid, in a bit part, is perfect. This play takes place over two days following a spring break dalliance in 1912. What was on the playwright’s mind back then? What do these characters think and why? Simple and straight forward, a serious comedy with big ideas, Hindle Wakes is a rediscovered classic. My advice: run to see this one.