Maria Marten; or, The Murder in the Old Red Barn

Summary

1965 BBC production of the 19th-century melodrama Maria Marten; or, The Murder in the Old Red Barn. This was the first in a new series of melodramas under the title Gaslight Theatre.

Theatre play

Maria Marten; or The Murder in the Red Barn by Anon. [more information]

Play synopsis

A Victorian melodrama which, in various versions, was a great hit on the 19th-century stage. ‘The Red Barn Murder was a notorious murder committed in Polstead, Suffolk, England, in 1827. A young woman, Maria Marten, was shot dead by her lover, William Corder. The two had arranged to meet at the Red Barn, a local landmark, before eloping to Ipswich. Maria was never heard from again. Corder fled the scene and, although he sent Marten’s family letters claiming she was in good health, her body was later discovered buried in the barn after her stepmother spoke of having dreamt about the murder. Corder was tracked down in London, where he had married and started a new life. He was brought back to Suffolk, and after a well-publicised trial, found guilty of murder. He was hanged in Bury St Edmunds in 1828; a huge crowd witnessed Corder’s execution. The story provoked numerous articles in the newspapers, and songs and plays.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Barn_Murder.

Production history

19th century.

Date of transmission

Saturday 31 July 1965

Time

7.50-8.50pm

Series

Gaslight Theatre

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Bryan Sears ('the Whole was Judiciously Adjusted to your screen by’)

Lighting

John Summers ('the New Electric Lights were all man-handled by’)

Adapted for Television by

Alec Clunes

Conductor

Maurice Arnold (conducted ‘a fully augmented two-piece orchestra’)

Sets / Settings

Clifford Hatts

Costumes

Sonia Kerr

Make-up

Christina Morris

Sound

Dick Chamberlain ('acousticals were in the Sound hand of’)

Advisor

Alec Clunes

Cast

Ronnie Barker	Old Marten / Aged Ishmael / Young Ishmael
Leslie French	Tim Bobbin
John Gower	Mark Antony
Eira Heath	Maria Marten
Alfred Marks	William Corder
Sandra Michaels	Ann Marten
Gwen Nelson	Dame Marten

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

19th-century setting; melodrama; murder

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 29 July 1965 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article, p. 4; listing, p. 7