The Rest is Silence

About the show

The Rest is Silence is a 1944 historical play by the British writer Harold Purcell. It is based on the 1857 trial of Madeleine Smith accused of poisoning a former lover which concluded in a not proven verdict. The play premiered at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham on 4 April 1944 before transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 59 performances from 20 April to 3 June. The London cast featured Ann Todd as Madeleine Smith, Michael Whittaker, Peter Jones, Nicholas Hannen, Martin Walker, Hugh Miller, Karel Stepanek, Tristan Rawson, Sheila Burrell, Lesley Osmond, Lucy Griffiths and Renee Kelly. It was presented by George Black and choreographed by Wendy Toye. The rights to the film were acquired by the Rank Organisation. However, when it came to the 1950 film Madeleine, also starring Todd, director David Lean chose to discard the play and base the screenplay entirely from reporting of the trial.