French without Tears

Summary

BBC Television production of Terence Rattigan’s comedy French without Tears.

Theatre play

French without Tears by Terence Rattigan (1911-1977) [more information]

Play synopsis

A comedy set in a ski resort in the south of France where some young undergraduate men try to master the French language despite the distractions provided by the young Diana who sets out to seduce each of them.

Production history

Premiered in 1936 at the Criterion Theatre, London.

Date of transmission

Saturday 7 June 1958

Time

9.00pm (90 mins)

Series

Saturday Playhouse

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Ronald Eyre

Playwright

Terence Rattigan (1911-1977)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Colin Broadley	Kenneth Lake
Petra Davies	Jacqueline Maingot
Denholm Elliott	The Hon. Alan Howard
Kenneth Fortescue	Kit Neilan
Elvi Hale	Diana Lake
Andrew Irvine	Lord Heybrook
Alan MacNaughtan (1920-2002)	Lt. Cmdr. Rogers
Nicholas Parsons	Brian Curtis
Eric Pohlmann	Monsieur Maingot
Sonia Windsor	Marianne

Additional details

Play tags

comedy; France, as theme or setting; universities, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Broadcasting Programmes for Week-end (Newspaper listing)

Reference

The Irish Times, 7 June 1958, p. 10

Title

Radio Times, 30 May 1958 (Magazine)

Linking notes

pp. 18 and 19, article and listing