I remember watching this play in 1964. Of course, being such a long time ago, my memories of it are very patchy, but I am absolutely sure that the play was set in England, during the First World War.
Peter McEnery played the part of Captain Richard Travers, a decorated hero, who was on leave back from the Front. Despite being a decorated hero, I think he was disillusioned by what was going on at the Front - something his family could not understand or relate to. At the time there would have been a lot of public support in England for the War, despite the publics lack of understanding, regarding the horror that the soldiers were suffering at the time.
The performance that did stand out was that of the actor, Thomas Heathcote, who I think played the part of the family manservant, Barrage, and also acted as a friend to Captain Travers.
The scenes that do stand out are, when the play begins someone is playing a piece of classical music on the piano - I think it might have been an excerpt from a concerto by Wagner. When the recital finishes, the Reverend Bennett, played by Peter Barkworth, makes a comment about the Germans not being able to enjoy such delightful music in the same way that themselves in England do.
Sir John Travers, played by Richard Vernon, mildly vexed at the vicars naivete, reminds him that the music was composed by a German. To which, the Reverend covers up his embarrassment by laughing mirthlessly and changing the subject.
Throughout the play, Barrage, is constantly making small talk with Captain Travers about how glorious it must be to be part of what is going at the Front, serving ones King and Country. Such exhilaration is only met with negative comments from Captain Travers, suggesting that his manservant dispelled any ideas about volunteering to be part of such carnage.
Another scene I remember is when Captain Travers and Barrage are in an open topped carriage, travelling around London. As they pass along Regent Street, Barrage, who has obviously never been to London before, asks who the statue at the top of a column represents. The Captain says that it is the Duke of York. At this, Barrage sounds quite surprised, as he makes a comment suggesting that he only knew of the Duke of York existing in a nursery rhyme.
I remember the play ending with Captain Travers overseeing a volunteer recruiting drive, and despite the Captains negative comments and trying to talk his manservant out of volunteering, the first man in the queue to volunteer is Barrage himself. They look despondently at each other and the play ends.
With the exception of the Director, John Llewellyn Moxey, who now lives in America and whose age would now be about 93; Peter McEnery himself; and the great Jean Marsh, there are very few people in the cast and production team who would be still alive. Therefore, any other information about the play would scarcely be available. However, the above is what I can remember about the play and I hope it is of some use to connoisseurs of great television programmes of the 1960s.
The play can only be described as one of the great plays that ITV was able to produce in the 1960s - the type of production that we rarely see on television today - full of social comment and mildly entertaining.
Peter McEnery played the part of Captain Richard Travers, a decorated hero, who was on leave back from the Front. Despite being a decorated hero, I think he was disillusioned by what was going on at the Front - something his family could not understand or relate to. At the time there would have been a lot of public support in England for the War, despite the publics lack of understanding, regarding the horror that the soldiers were suffering at the time.
The performance that did stand out was that of the actor, Thomas Heathcote, who I think played the part of the family manservant, Barrage, and also acted as a friend to Captain Travers.
The scenes that do stand out are, when the play begins someone is playing a piece of classical music on the piano - I think it might have been an excerpt from a concerto by Wagner. When the recital finishes, the Reverend Bennett, played by Peter Barkworth, makes a comment about the Germans not being able to enjoy such delightful music in the same way that themselves in England do.
Sir John Travers, played by Richard Vernon, mildly vexed at the vicars naivete, reminds him that the music was composed by a German. To which, the Reverend covers up his embarrassment by laughing mirthlessly and changing the subject.
Throughout the play, Barrage, is constantly making small talk with Captain Travers about how glorious it must be to be part of what is going at the Front, serving ones King and Country. Such exhilaration is only met with negative comments from Captain Travers, suggesting that his manservant dispelled any ideas about volunteering to be part of such carnage.
Another scene I remember is when Captain Travers and Barrage are in an open topped carriage, travelling around London. As they pass along Regent Street, Barrage, who has obviously never been to London before, asks who the statue at the top of a column represents. The Captain says that it is the Duke of York. At this, Barrage sounds quite surprised, as he makes a comment suggesting that he only knew of the Duke of York existing in a nursery rhyme.
I remember the play ending with Captain Travers overseeing a volunteer recruiting drive, and despite the Captains negative comments and trying to talk his manservant out of volunteering, the first man in the queue to volunteer is Barrage himself. They look despondently at each other and the play ends.
With the exception of the Director, John Llewellyn Moxey, who now lives in America and whose age would now be about 93; Peter McEnery himself; and the great Jean Marsh, there are very few people in the cast and production team who would be still alive. Therefore, any other information about the play would scarcely be available. However, the above is what I can remember about the play and I hope it is of some use to connoisseurs of great television programmes of the 1960s.
The play can only be described as one of the great plays that ITV was able to produce in the 1960s - the type of production that we rarely see on television today - full of social comment and mildly entertaining.