Rory Aforesaid

Summary

1938 BBC studio production of Rory Aforesaid, John Brandane’s Scottish version of an anonymous French medieval comedy.

Theatre play

La Farce de maître Pierre Pathelin by Anonymous [more information]

Play synopsis

A fifteenth-century medieval farce written originally in French. There are only five characters: Pierre Pathelin, his wife Guillemette, a clothier named Guillaume Joceaulme, a shepherd named Thibault l’Aignelet, and finally a judge. Pathelin is a lawyer with no formal training who tricks the clothier out of payment for some cloth and then advises a shepherd to defend himself in court by saying ‘Baa!" to every question he is asked. The shepherd wins the case, which has been brought against him by the clothier, but when Pathelin attempts to collect his fee the shepherd responds simply by saying ‘Baa!'

Production history

Thought to have been first performed c. 1440; published in Paris in an edition by Pierre Levet c. 1489. John Brandane’s Scottish version was published at least as early as 1928.

Date of transmission

Saturday 14 May 1938

Time

9.45pm (30 mins)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Moultrie R. Kelsall (1901-1980)

Adapted for the Stage by

John Brandane (1869-1947)

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 3.35pm on Tuesday 7 June 1938.

Notes

John Brandane’s adaptation is described in the Radio Times listing as ‘a West Highland comedy founded on the fifteenth century French play’.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

comedy; French drama; Medieval drama; Scottish drama

Print sources

Title

Broadcasting: Mr Tearle as Lear (Newspaper listing)

Reference

The Times, 14 May 1938, p. 17

Title

Radio Times, 6 May 1938 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 18; article, p. 17