Show History

History

Inspiration

Lady Audley's Secret is based on Mary Elizabeth Braddon's melodramatic novel of the same name. Lady Audley's Secret was published in Britain in 1862, Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. The plot hinges on a case of accidental bigamy, which was a popular British literary theme in the 1860s.

Productions


Lady Audley's Secret debuted in a limited run at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 1971, where it was very well received.

The show then moved Off-Broadway to the East Side Playhouse in New York City. It opened on October 3, 1972, and ran for eight performances, closing on October 8, 1972. This production was directed by Douglas Seale and featured Donna Curtis as Lady Audley and Douglas Seale as Sir Michael Audley.

The show then went on to have a string of incredibly well-received productions in major cities across North America, including in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and at the Shaw Festival in Canada. These productions received lavish love letters from the press.

Cultural Influence

The musical version Lady Audley's Secret is one of three stage adaptations of this source material.

The novel, Lady Audley's Secret, has also been adapted four times for the silver screen, with the first adaptation being a silent film that opened in 1912.