The Perfect Alibi

Summary

1949 BBC live studio production of A. A. Milne’s mystery play The Perfect Alibi, which was originally titled The Fourth Wall.

Theatre play

The Fourth Wall by A. A. Milne (1882-1956) [more information]

Play synopsis

Mystery play. The action takes place in Arthur Ludgrove’s house in the country, in 1928. The young Susan Cunningham is a talented amateur detective: she discovers who murdered her guardian, when the police are convinced it was suicide.

Production history

First performed at the Haymarket Theatre on 29 February 1928.

Date of transmission

Saturday 6 August 1949

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Joel O’Brien

Playwright

A. A. Milne (1882-1956)

Sets / Settings

Richard R. Greenough

Cast

P. H. Alexander	Adams
Clifford Buckton	P. C. Mallet
Daley Burrell	Mrs Fulverton-Fane
Oliver Burt	Edward Laverick
Philip Dale	'Sergeant’ Mallet
Ian Fleming	Arthur Ludgrove
Denis Gordon	Jimmy Ludgrove
Sheila Huntington	Jane West
Edward Lexy	Major Fothergill
Honor Shepherd	Susan Cunningham
Arthur Young	Edward Carter

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; murder; mystery; thriller

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 29 July 1949 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 39; brief article, p. 37