Up a Gum Tree

Summary

1962 BBC production of Up a Gum Tree by William Douglas Home.

Theatre play

Up a Gum Tree by William Douglas Home (1912-1993) [more information]

Play synopsis

Satirical comedy in which the British and the Russians both try to occupy the same seemingly uninhabited tropical island to stop anyone else using it as a rocket base. The king of the island plots to keep the island for himself.

Production history

First produced in Ipswich in 1960.

Date of transmission

Sunday 15 July 1962

Time

8.45-10.00pm

Series

Sunday-Night Play

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

David Willmott

Playwright

William Douglas Home (1912-1993)

Designer

Clifford Hatts

Cast

Alec Bregonzi (1930-2006)	Capt. Sergei Nikolai
Tony Britton	Col. Richard Saunderson
Graeme Bruce	Major Vassiliev Roskovich
Clifford Cox	Sgt.-Major
Anthony Dawes	Capt. David Derrington
Fabia Drake	Mrs Y
Peter Exposite	Lt. Pietro Cheknil
David Garth	Major Barry Thompson
Harold Goodwin	Pte. Bert Roberts
Sandra Hampton	Hontas
Charles Heslop	The British G.O.C.
Dan Jackson	The Balaika
Tristram Jellinek	Col. Ivan Zolovitch
William Job	Lt. Harry Hodgson
Oliver Johnston	Mr Y
Robin Lloyd	Lt. Robin Thorburn
Richard Marner	The Russian G.O.C.
Makki Marseilles	Lt. Georgei Pushkof
Nancy Nevinson	Mrs X
April Olrich	Poca
Lloyd M. Pearson	Mr X
Robert Scroggins	Pte. Jo Zobowsky
Brian Willett	Pte. Robinson

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; Russia (Soviet Union etc), as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 12 July 1962 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated article, p. 15; listing, p. 17