Broken Silence

Summary

1955 BBC production of Broken Silence by Joyce Howard.

Theatre play

Broken Silence by Joyce Howard [more information]

Play synopsis

Madge is acutely shy and nervous by nature, but even more so when a young widow arrives on the scene.

Production history

Theatricalia lists this play as premiering in 1956, but the listing for a 1955 television production in the Radio Times of 1 April 1955, p. 14 says that Howard’s play was ‘adapted for television by’, suggesting that it existed as a stage play already at this point.

Date of transmission

Sunday 3 April 1955

Time

8.15-9.45pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Harold Clayton

Playwright

Joyce Howard

Adapted for Television by

Joyce Howard

Adapted for Television by

Alwyne Whatsley

Designer

Richard Henry

Cast

Terence Alexander	Ken Laird
Jessica Dunning	Penny Laird
Ian Fleming	Dr Felton
Freda Gaye	Mrs Felton
Ursula Howells	Alison Baily
Barbara Mullen	Madge Wade
Bernard Rebel	Mr Zweig
Sebastian Shaw	Henry Wade
Beatrice Varley	Mrs Merritt

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Repeated on Thursday 7 April 1955 at 9.30pm.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Print sources

Title

Children (Magazine review)

Author/creator

Philip Hope-Wallace (Author)

Reference

The Listener, 7 April 1955, p. 633

Notes

Details that the production of The Unguarded Hour was not broadcast as planned because of copyright problems. Of the repeated For Dear Life, Philip Hope-Wallace wrote: ‘I am bound to say [the production] stood up far better to second sight than I expected. The quality of the tele-film was excellent.' Also briefly discussed Broken Silence, with a production photograph.

Title

Radio Times, 1 April 1955 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, article and photograph on p. 14