Ninety Sail

Summary

Live BBC studio production of Ninety Sail, W. P. Lipscomb’s historical drama about Samuel Pepys and Charles II.

Theatre play

Ninety Sail by W. P. Lipscomb [more information]

Play synopsis

Based on Arthur Bryant’s book Samuel Pepys. The drama recounts Pepys’ attempts, in the years after he stopped writing his diary, to build a new navy for Charles II, despite the wishes of enemies abroad and Parliament at home. Among the most vociferous opponents is the Earl of Shaftesbury.

Production history

Presented at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, from November 1937

Date of transmission

Sunday 17 October 1954

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Stephen Bundy

Playwright

W. P. Lipscomb

Original Book by

Arthur Bryant (titled ‘Samuel Pepys’)

Designer

Harold Clayton

Cast

Joss Ambler	Sir Richard Ford
Daphne Anderson	Nell Gwyn
Beckett Bould	Stapeley
Michael Brennan	Johnny Huff
Peter Copley (1915-2008)	James, Duke of York
Colin Douglas	Captain Priestman
Donald Eccles	Chiffinch
John Leslie Frith	Skelton
Campbell Gray	Titus Oates
Mervyn Johns	Samuel Pepys
Susan Lyall Grant	Louise de Querouaille
Henry Oscar (1891-1969)	Earl of Shaftesbury
Harold Pinter	First Official (listed under his stage name David Baron)
John Stuart	Sir Edmund Godfrey
Reginald Tate	King Charles II
Richard Wade	Second Official
Richard Wattis	Mr Hayter

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Later transmissions

Presented again at 9.05pm on Thursday 21 October 1954.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

17th-century setting; historical drama; military / army / navy / air-force; monarchy, British

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 15 October 1954 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 14; article by W. P. Lipscomb, ‘King Charles and Mr Pepys’, p. 7