The Cocktail Party [scenes]

Summary: 1967 Rediffusion presentation of scenes from T. S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party for ITV’s Drama for Sixth forms season titled Conflict, introduced by John Gielgud.
Theatre play: The Cocktail Party by T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) [more information]
Play synopsis: The play ‘focuses on a troubled married couple who, through the intervention of a mysterious stranger, settle their problems and move on with their lives. The play starts out seeming to be a light satire of the traditional British drawing room comedy. As it progresses, however, the work becomes a darker philosophical treatment of human relations. As in many of Eliot’s works, the play uses absurdist elements to expose the isolation of the human condition. In another recurring theme of Eliot’s plays, the Christian martyrdom of the mistress character is seen as a sacrifice that permits the predominantly secular life of the community to continue.' Elements of the play draw on Euripides’ Alcestis. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cocktail_Party.)
Production history: 'The Cocktail Party was first performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 1949. In 1950 the play had successful runs in London and New York theaters’ (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cocktail_Party.)
Date of transmission: Monday 16 January 1967
Time: 2.35-3.00pm
Series: Schools
Channel: ITV
Production company: Rediffusion (1964-68)