The Lover

Summary: This Associated-Rediffusion production for ITV of Harold Pinter’s The Lover won the Prix Italis for television drama and prizes from the Guild of British Television Producers and Directors.
Theatre play: The Lover by Harold Pinter [more information]
Play synopsis: One-act play about a husband and wife’s fantasy extramarital affair they play out with each other. The husband appears threatened by his wife’s enjoyment of their fantasy and demands an end to the affair.
Production history: In January 1963, Pinter asked Guy Vaesen to direct The Lover on the London stage; it was first performed on television, in March, and the Arts Theatre stage production followed in September 1963, with Vaesen as Assistant Director of a double bill with The Dwarfs (source: Michael Billington, The Life and Work of Harold Pinter, p. 145).
Date of transmission: Thursday 28 March 1963
Time: 9.45-10.45pm
Channel: ITV
Production company: Associated-Rediffusion (1955-1964)

Director

Joan Kemp-Welch (1906-1999)

Playwright

Harold Pinter

Composer

Denis Lopez

Designer

Fred Pusey

Cast

Title: The Lover (A-R for ITV, 1963)
Archive: BFI Research Viewing Service [more information]
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
UK
Telephone
+44 (0)20 7957 4726
Email
Use the contact form at http://www.bfi.org.uk/form/contact-research-viewing-services
Website
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services
Access
The Research Viewing Service is available to non-commercial researchers and to students wishing to view research related material. It allows access to all films and videos designated as ‘viewing copies’ in the BFI National Archive. Viewings take place by appointment, between 10.30am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. Charges apply: please see the website for further details.

Title: BFI Screenonline: The Lover (1963) (Website)
Author/creator: Mark Duguid (Author)
Reference: BFI Screenonline at http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/968178 (accessed 1 May 2017)

Title: Teleview: Did you Enjoy Harold Pinter’s The Lover last night? (Newspaper review)
Reference: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, 29 March 1963

Title: The Lover (Archive file)
Archive: BFI Reuben Library [more information]
Address
BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road
South Bank
London
SE1 8XT
UK
Email
Use the contact form at http://www.bfi.org.uk/form/contact-bfi-library
Website
http://www.bfi.org.uk/education-research/bfi-reuben-library/visiting-bfi-reuben-library
Access
The BFI Library is open from 10.30am to 7.00pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Access to special collections material is by appointment.
Reference: Special Collections, Associated-Rediffusion Television papers, file reference ART/133/1-2

Title: TV Times, 24 March 1963 (Magazine)
Linking notes: listing, p. 37; ‘The world of Harold Pinter’, article, pp. 12-13

This record has been viewed 411 times.