
The Insect Play
Synopsis
A tramp falls asleep in the woods. He dreams of observing a range of insects that stand in for various human characteristics in terms of their lifestyle and morality: the flighty, vain butterfly, the obsequious, self-serving dung beetle, the ants, whose increasingly mechanized behavior leads to a militaristic society.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Wilfrid Grantham
The Lepidopterist / First Snail
Edmund Willard
The Tranp
Pamela Standish
The Chrysalis
Frank Birch
Mr. Beetle / Commander of the Yellows
Maire O'Neill
Mrs. Beetle / Philanthropist
Charles Peters
Robber Beetle/Journalist
Rupert Bruce Lockhart
The Ichneumon Fly / Inventor
Sheila Kay
The Larva
Leslie French
Mr. Cricket / Second Snail
Wendy Toye
Mrs. Cricket
Wilfred Franks
The Blind Ant Timekeeper
Geoffrey Wincott
The Parasite
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Stephen Thomas
- Screenplay & Story
- Karel Čapek, Clifford Bax, Josef Čapek
- Original Score
- Frederic Austin
- Original Title
- The Insect Play
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Production Studios
- BBC
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Stephen Thomas
Karel Čapek, Clifford Bax, Josef Čapek
Frederic Austin
Stephen Thomas
Department Leadership Roster
Karel Čapek
Writer
Stephen Thomas
Producer
Stephen Thomas
Director
Hugh Stevenson
Costume Design
Josef Čapek
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Insect Play.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Insect Play
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Insect Play about?
A tramp falls asleep in the woods. He dreams of observing a range of insects that stand in for various human characteristics in terms of their lifestyle and morality: the flighty, vain butterfly, the obsequious, self-serving dung beetle, the ants, whose increasingly mechanized behavior leads to a militaristic society.
Who directed The Insect Play?
The Insect Play was directed by Stephen Thomas.
Who stars in The Insect Play?
The principal cast of The Insect Play includes Wilfrid Grantham, Edmund Willard, Pamela Standish, Frank Birch, Maire O'Neill.
When was The Insect Play released and how long is it?
The Insect Play was released in 1939 with a total runtime of 1h 30m.
Who composed the musical score for The Insect Play?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Insect Play was composed by Frederic Austin.



















