From the Bookshelf of the World

The Admirable Crichton

English · Drama, Satire

J. M. Barrie’s The Admirable Crichton is a comic stage play about a British aristocratic household whose carefully ordered social roles are overturned when its members become stranded on a desert island. The title character, Crichton, is the family’s capable butler, whose practical skill and authority take on new importance in their changed circumstances.

As the household tries to adapt, the play turns its attention to class, dependence, and the contrast between life at home and life beyond its familiar rules. Its humor comes from watching people accustomed to privilege confront the work and decisions that survival requires, while Crichton’s position shifts in ways that challenge the household’s assumptions.

This radio presentation brings Barrie’s theatrical comedy to the ear through spoken performance. The result is a witty social satire with an adventurous premise, balancing light comedy with questions about status and human nature.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.