Goodness, How Sad!

Summary

1951 BBC live studio production of Robert Morley’s gentle comedy Goodness, How Sad! Two of the original West End cast, Mary Merrall and Kathleen Bouthall, reprised their roles for this television production.

Theatre play

Goodness, How Sad by Robert Morley (1908-1992) [more information]

Play synopsis

A three-act gentle comedy about a struggling repertory company, set in a theatrical digs in a Midlands town.

Production history

The play, which premiered on the stage in 1937, was turned into a 1940 Ealing Studios film Return to Yesterday directed by Robert Stevenson. It was first performed at the Perranport Beach Theatre in Bristol and then had a West End run at the Vaudeville Theatre in London.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 10 April 1951

Time

8.30-10.10pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Stephen Harrison

Playwright

Robert Morley (1908-1992)

Cast

Kathleen Boutall	Selina Angst
James Carney	Mrs Priskin’s Other Guest
Peter Hammond	Peter Thropp
Avice Landone	Christine Lawford
Carol Marsh	Carol Sands
Mary Merrall	Mrs Priskin
Hugo Schuster	Captain Otto Angst

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; Midlands, as theme or setting; theatre or acting, as theme

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 6 April 1951 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 42 and brief article, p. 40