Traitor’s Gate

Summary

1939 BBC studio production of Morna Stuart’s historical drama Traitor’s Gate, ‘based on Leslie French’s recent production at the Duke of York’s Theatre’ which had closed on 14 January 1939 (Radio Times listing, 20 January 1939, p. 17).

Theatre play

Traitor’s Gate by Morna Stuart [more information]

Play synopsis

The story of Sir Thomas More and his adopted daughter during the last year of More’s life.

Production history

The play opened at Duke of York’s Theatre in November 1938.

Date of transmission

Sunday 22 January 1939

Time

9.05-10.35pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

George More O’Ferrall (1907-1982)

Theatre Producer

Leslie French

Playwright

Morna Stuart

Cast

Margaretta Scott	Peg Clement
Basil Sydney	Sir Thomas More

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 3.00pm on Friday 27 January 1939.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

16th-century setting; royalty

Print sources

Title

Broadcasting: Sport, Variety and Music (Newspaper listing)

Reference

The Times, 21 Janaury 1939, p. 7

Title

Radio Times, 20 January 1939 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing p. 17 and photograph p. 16

Title

Television Last Week (Newspaper review)

Author/creator

Anon. (Author)

Reference

The Times, 30 January 1939, p. 20

Notes

'This was a deeply moving performance, with remarkably fine acting, which just failed because it was so much on one note. Some of the scenes were beautiful to look at, notably the garden of More’s house in Chelsea, but the eye tires of close-up pictures, and even the semblance of a crowd at More’es execution would have been welcomed.'