Marching Song

Summary

BBC Television production of John Whiting’s Marching Song.

Theatre play

Marching Song by John Whiting (1917-1963) [more information]

Play synopsis

The play is a discussion on whether an ageing general, who has just been released from a long stay in prison, should kill himself with a cyanide pill or face trial - a choice given to him by the chancellor of his country. The setting is a living-room in London. None of the other characters, who include a priest and a doctor, are morally perfect.

Production history

Premiered in 1954.

Date of transmission

Sunday 26 August 1956

Time

8.30pm (90 mins)

Series

Sunday-Night Theatre

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Royston Morley

Playwright

John Whiting (1917-1963)

Designer

Roy Oxley

Cast

Michael Ashwin	Matthew Sangosse
Patrick Barr	Rupert Forster
Faith Brook	Catherine de Troyes
Miranda Connell	Dido Morgan
Dennis Edwards	Bruno Hurst
Stanley Maxted	Harry Lancaster
Kevin Stoney	Father Anselm
Ernest Thesiger	John Cadmus

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

prison

Print sources

Title

BBC Programmes for the Weekend (Newspaper listing)

Reference

The Times, 25 August 1956, p. 4

Title

Marching Song (Audience Research Report)

Archive

BBC Written Archives Centre (WAC) [more information]

Address

Peppard Road
Caversham Park
Reading
Berkshire
RG4 8TZ
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)118 948 6281

Email

heritage@bbc.co.uk

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/wac

Access

The WAC is open from 9.30am to 5.00pm on Wednesdays to Fridays throughout the year to academics, postgraduate students and writers by appointment.

Reference

Report reference VR/56/446, held in file R9/7/23

Title

Radio Times, 24 August 1956 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing on p. 14 and article on p. 15