The Highlander

Summary

1959 BBC Television production of The Highlander by Robert Kemp, from the BBC’s television studio in Scotland. The production included film sequences by the BBC Film Unit, Scotland. This was the television debut of the Edinburgh Gateway Company; its chairman was the playwright.

Theatre play

The Highlander by Robert Kemp (1908-1967) [more information]

Play synopsis

Set in Edinburgh, the play details what happens when a young Highland girl, Shona Cameron, takes up the position of companion to a wealthy old lady and finds herself in a plot to murder her.

Production history

The Radio Times notes that ‘Kemp expanded his play The Heart is Highland [...] into a novel’ (17 April 1959, p. 17).

Date of transmission

Tuesday 21 April 1959

Time

8.30pm (75 mins)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Theatre company

Edinburgh Gateway Company

Credits

Producer

Finlay J. Macdonald

Playwright

Robert Kemp (1908-1967)

Designer

Robert Macgowan

Cast

Pamela Bain	Nurse Bacon
Brian Carey	Charlie
Gino Coia	Wilson
Michael Elder	Dr Mackenzie
Evelyn Elliot	Secretary
Tom Fleming	Major Geoffrey Stobo
Norman Fraser	Electrician
James Gibson	Mr Spottiswoode
Walter Graham	Policeman
Lennox Milne	Miss Stobo
Effie Morrison	Mrs Devlin
Iris Russell	Carol Delaunay
Annie Scotland	Waitress
June Shields	Shona Cameron
William Simpson	Donald Macleod
John Young	Superintendent Doubtfire

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

murder; Scotland, as theme or setting; Scottish drama

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 17 April 1959 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, article and photograph on p. 17

Title

The Highlander On BBC Television: Edinburgh Gateway Company (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Times, 22 April 1959, p. 16