Time and the Conways

Summary

1950 BBC live studio production of J. B. Priestley’s drama Time and the Conways.

Theatre play

Time and the Conways by J. B. Priestley (1894-1984) [more information]

Play synopsis

The action takes place in the Conways’ home in Newlingham in 1919 and 1937. In 1919, the sons and daughters of this middle-class family are ready for life, armed with firm aspirations. Priestley then ‘fast forwards’ to 1937 and shows how badly their aspirations were fulfilled, before taking us back to 1919, to look upon the characters with new eyes.

Production history

First staged in London in 1937.

Date of transmission

Sunday 19 November 1950

Time

8.15-9.55pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Harold Clayton

Playwright

J. B. Priestley (1894-1984)

Sets / Settings

James Bould

Cast

Kay Astor
Eric Berry	Alan
Barbara Everest	Mrs Conway
Margaret Hersant
Mary Jones	Joan Helford
Daphne Lawrence
Alvys [or Alvis] Maben	Hazel
Carol Marsh	Carol
Kathleen Michael	Madge
Diana Moyes
Peter Reynolds	Robin
Robert Sansom	Ernest Beevers
Helen Shingler	Kay
John Stuart	Gerald Thornton
Madoline Thomas

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 8.00pm on Thursday 23 November 1950.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

ageing

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 17 November 1950 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing and article by Lionel Hale, ‘J. B. Priestley’s Best Play’, p. 46