The Truth About Billy Newton

Summary

1961 BBC production of The Truth About Billy Newton by Doris Lessing, which the Radio Times states was ‘From the west’.

Theatre play

The Truth About Billy Newton by Doris Lessing (1919-2013) [more information]

Play synopsis

'It is the eightieth birthday of William Newton, philosopher, scientist, and writer. Without permission a television company has brought to his rather isolated house some members of his family to take part in a programme called The Truth About You. Among the are three ex-wives, an illegitimate daugher he refused to acknowledge, a top model from Australia...' (Radio Times, 1 June 1961, p. 21).

Production history

Staged at the Salisbury Playhouse in 1960.

Date of transmission

Monday 5 June 1961

Time

8.40-10.10pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Brandon Acton-Bond

Playwright

Doris Lessing (1919-2013)

Musician

Vic Ash (clarinet)

Designer

Desmond Chinn

Cast

Michael Alexander	Colin Dawson
Clemence Brittany	Yolanthe Summertime
John Brooking	Malcolm Payne-Gosling
Yvonne Coulette	Rosemary Payne-Gosling
Fabia Drake	Monica Manton
Ann Firbank	Jean Cunliffe
Malcolm Gerard	Mackintosh
William Greene	Milton Tennyson Schelakovsky
Richard Hart	Nigel Newton
Mary Hinton	Nancy Nation
Timothy Pearce	Flick
Hana Pravda	Rose Lebyatkin
John Welsh	Billy Newton

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

television, as theme

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 1 June 1961 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article, with image, p. 21; listing, p. 23, with a still from the production