The World of Light

Summary

1950 BBC live studio production of Aldous Huxley’s comedy The World of Light.

Theatre play

The World of Light by Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) [more information]

Play synopsis

'Mild and shy Mr Wenham, living at ease in his country-house, is a student of spiritualism. His son Hugo, a tutor at Cambridge, unwillingly engaged to an intense young lady called Enid, bolts off with his friend Bill to Guiana. His aeroplane crashes. In a series of seances, the medium, Hubert, reports him as happy in death, and his father publishes a best-selling book on the subject of his conversations with his dead son. But what if he is not dead?' (Lionel Hale, ‘Aldous Huxley and Spiritualism’, Radio Times, 30 June 1950, p. 37.)

Production history

Written in 1931.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 4 July 1950

Time

8.30-10.15pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Stephen Harrison

Playwright

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Sets / Settings

Richard R. Greenough

Cast

Vivienne Bennett	Enid Deckle
Denys Blakelock	Mr Wenham
Fabia Drake	Mrs Wenham
John Justin	Bill Hamblin
Richard Leech	Hubert Capes
David Markham	Hugo Wenham
Alexis Milne	Maid
Michael Shepley	Mr Gray

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

supernatural; universities, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 30 June 1950 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 38; article, p. 37