Children of the Wolf

Children of the Wolf is a psychological thriller written in 1971 by Irish playwright John Peacock. With echoes of the myth of Romulus and Remus, Children of the Wolf is a dark, engrossing play with an intensely shocking twist.

The twenty one year old brother and sister twins lure the mother who abandoned them at birth after an unsuccessful and damaging attempt at abortion to the deserted home of the lover-father. There the macabre demolition of the mother begins, against the background question of will the lover come or will he not.

The original text

Premiered 15 March 1971 at the Player Wills Theatre, Presented by Dublin Theatre Festival. Published by Samuel French

Performance history in South Africa

1973: Staged by PACT in the Alexander Theatre, directed by John Hussey, featuring Leonie Hofmeyr (Linda), Richard Haines (Robin), Vivienne Drummond (Helena), John Llewelyn (Michael), with Jeremy Bonell, George Heale and Simon Heale as the children. Decor by Richard Cook and costumes by Christa Scholtz.

1975: Directed and lit by Brian Astbury for The Space (Cape Town), design by Bee Berman and featuring Blaise Koch, Ann Wakefield, George Duffy and Petronella Whitfield. The stage managers were Richard Morrison and Tony Scholtz.

1975: Directed by Helen Mann for the Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival 1975 production with cast members Mary de Meuse, Bruce Sanderson, Anita Lowrey-Bell, Paul Mann, Rocky Mann, Nelwyn Wilkins and Frank de Meuse

1997: Mark Graham directed a Pieter Toerien production opening 23 July 1997 at the Theatre on the Bay and 13 August at the Alhambra Theatre starring Rebecca Waddell (Linda), Gideon Emery (Robin), Grethe Fox (Helena) and Gavin Jones (Michael). Designs by Andrew Botha, lighting by Jannie Swanepoel, costumes co-ordinated by Colleen Moabelo.

2013: Presented by the Milnerton Players, directed by Bruce Sanderson, May 2013. The twins are played by Robyn Bensch and Timothy Mayers, their mother Natasha Starkenburg while Richard Wade makes a brief appearance as her lover.

Sources

http://www.irishplayography.com/play.aspx?playid=2474

PACT theatre programme, 1973.

Cape Times 28 May 2013; Tyger Burger 29 May 2013

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