Wilderness of Monkeys

Summary

1954 live BBC studio production of Peter Watling’s drama Wilderness of Monkeys, set in a boys’ public school.

Theatre play

Wilderness of Monkeys by Peter Watling [more information]

Play synopsis

'There is conflict in the wilderness which is a boys’ school, conflict between boy and boy, between master and master, between sport and study. The two masters are Mr Payne (who is in charge of the school sports) and Mr Reynolds (who teaches Classics). Their proteges are Pemberton, who is spoiled and an ass but is good at cricket, and Miller, who is scruffy and perhaps given to hysteria, but a considerable scholar’ (Radio Times, 2 July 1954, p. 14).

Production history

Performed at the Embassy Theatre, London, in July 1949.

Date of transmission

Sunday 4 July 1954

Time

9.25-10.25pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Director

Chloe Gibson

Producer

Dennis Vance

Playwright

Peter Watling

Designer

Stephen Bundy

Cast

Jack Allen	Mr Miller
Peter Coke (1913-2008)	Roger Payne
Rachel Gurney	Miss Haslam
Mary Horn	Lady Hildebrand
Stuart Hutchison	Pemberton
John Robinson	Mr Reynolds
Nicholas Stevenson	Miller

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 9.45pm on Thursday 8 July 1954.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

schools, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 2 July 1954 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 14