| Bell, Book and Candle | |
|---|---|
| Written by | John Van Druten |
| Characters |
|
| Date premiered | November 14, 1950 |
| Place premiered | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City |
| Subject | Gillian Holroyd, a witch, casts a spell over Shepherd Henderson, a publisher. He falls head over heels in love with her, but witches, unfortunately, cannot fall in love. |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | Gillian Holroyd's Apartment in Murray Hill, New York City. |
Bell, Book and Candle is a 1950 Broadway play by John Van Druten.[1] The original production was directed by John Van Druten with scenic and lighting design by George C. Jenkins, costumes by Anna Hill Johnstone with additional costumes exclusively designed for actress Lilli Palmer by Valentina. The play opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on November 14, 1950 and ran for 233 performances before closing on June 2, 1951.
Following the close of the original Broadway production, a U.S. national tour of the play in 1952–53 starred Rosalind Russell and then Joan Bennett.
A later West End production at London's Phoenix Theatre opened on October 5, 1954 and ran for 485 performances,[2] closing on December 3, 1955. It was presented by H.M. Tennent Ltd and was directed by Rex Harrison, with settings by Alan Tagg and costumes by Pierre Balmain. This version relocated the action from Manhattan to Knightsbridge and changed the forename of the leading male character from Shep to Tony.[3]