Bridgehead

Summary

1939 BBC live studio production of Rutherford Mayne’s play Bridgehead, based on Michael Macowan’s recent London Mask Theatre production at the Westminster Theatre.

Theatre play

Bridgehead by Rutherford [psued. Samuel Waddell] Mayne (1878-1967) [more information]

Play synopsis

A drama about the work and impact of the Land Commission in rural Ireland, when in 1881 its officials went about their work in fixing rents and facilitating the transfer of land from landlord to tenant.

Production history

First performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin on 18 June 1934. Published in Plays of Changing Ireland, New York: Macmillan, 1936.

Date of transmission

Sunday 16 July 1939

Time

9.05-10.35pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Television Presentation by

Dallas Bower (1907-1999)

Theatre Director

Michael MacOwan

Playwright

Rutherford [psued. Samuel Waddell] Mayne (1878-1967)

Cast

John C. Bland	Martin
J. Adrian Byrne	John Kearney
Elspeth Currie	Cecily Barrington
Kenneth Eaves	Michael Morrissey
Christine Hayden	Mrs Marcus Morrissey
Will Leighton	Hugh O’Neill
Stephen Murray	Stephen Moore
J. Hwfa Pryse	Inari Gosuki
Tony Quinn	Maurice Mockler
Guy Verney	Philip Watersley
Charles Victor	Dan Dolan
George Woodbridge	Dermot Barrington

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 3.00pm on Monday 24 July 1939.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

19th-century setting; Irish drama

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 14 July 1939 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 16