The Way of the World

Summary

1951 BBC live studio production of William Congreve’s play, The Way of the World, presented as part of the Festival Drama season linked to the Festival of Britain.

Theatre play

The Way of the World by William Congreve [more information]

Play synopsis

'The play is based around the two lovers, Mirabell and Millamant [...]. In order for the two to get married and receive Millamant’s full dowry, Mirabell must receive the blessing of Millamant’s aunt, Lady Wishfort. Unfortunately, she is a very bitter lady, who despises Mirabell and wants her own nephew, Sir Wilfull, to wed Millamant.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_the_World.

Production history

Premiered in 1700 in the theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London.

Date of transmission

Sunday 3 June 1951

Time

8.20-10.20pm

Series

Festival Drama

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Stephen Harrison

Playwright

William Congreve

Sets / Settings

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Elwyn Brook-Jones	Petulant
Robert Brown	Sir Wilfull Witwoud
Heron Carvic	Witwoud
Peter Doughty
Sonia Dresdel	Mrs Millamant
Jessie Evans	Foible
Jonathan Field	Waitwell
Rowena Gregory
Joan Harben	Mincing
Christopher Hodge
Griffith Jones	Mirabell
Agnes Lauchlan	Lady Wishfort
Norman Mitchell
Nancy Nevinson	Mrs Fainall
Stanley Rose
Margaretta Scott	Mrs Marwood
Alan Wheatley	Fainall
Iris Williams

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 8.00pm on Thursday 7 June 1951.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

18th-century setting; comedy; marriage; Restoration drama

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 1 June 1951 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 40 and article by Lionel Hale, ‘The Way of the World’, p. 39