A Comedy of Good and Evil

Summary

1948 BBC live studio production of Richard Hughes’ ‘fantastic’ play A Comedy of Good and Evil. According to the Radio Times listing, this presentation was ‘based on Vivienne Bennett’s stage production’.

Theatre play

A Comedy of Good and Evil by Richard Hughes [more information]

Play synopsis

'The central character is a servant of Lucifer, in the shape of a bewitching little wench who is given food and shelter in the humble cottage of a pious and poverty-stricken Welsh rector, the Rev. John Williams. There follows a conflict of good and evil in which this demon child is sorely tempted to betray her trust.' (John Swift, ‘Temptation of a Demon-Child, Radio Times, 12 March 1948, p. 25.)

Production history

First performed for the Three Hundred Club in London at the Court Theatre on 6 July 1924. Later produced at the Playhouse, Oxford, by J. B. Fagan, who brought it to London, where the first public performance opened at the Ambassador’s Theatre on 30 March 1925.

Date of transmission

Thursday 18 March 1948

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Stephen Harrison

Stage Producer

Vivienne Bennett

Playwright

Richard Hughes

Cast

Madge Brindley	Mrs Resurrection Jones
Vera Draffin	Mrs Jones Bakehouse
Hugh Griffith	Rev. John Williams
Dafydd Havard	Timothy Ysgairnolwen
Mary Jones	Mari Jones
Philip Leaver	Mr Gas Jones
Desmond Llewellyn	Owain Flatfish
Diana Morgan	Minnie
Jack Rodney	Scraggy Evans
Hilda Schroder	Gladys

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 3.00pm on Friday 19 March 1948.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

Christianity; fantasy; Wales, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 12 March 1948 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 27; illustrated article by John Swift, ‘Temptation of a Demon-Child’, p. 25