Australian TV Plays: Double Yolk (15 May 1963)

Adapt two short plays, "By Accident" and "With Intent"^. Both were by Hugh and Margaret Williams who had written The Grass is Greener.

Why do this? I guess Margaret was Australian, at least.

By Accident

"By Accident" is set in Northampton. It is about an air force pilot Bill about to be promoted to squadron leader whose wife Jane worries he will be killed in action, as her father was.

Cast

Elspeth Ballantyne as Jane
Fred Parslow as Bill
Dorothy Bradley as Ann Brylerly
Leslie Wright as Jim Bailey

With Intent

"With Intent" is set in a house between Liverpool and Southport. It is about an invalid woman, Helen, who has a nurse, Miss Bennett (Joan Letch). The woman receives a letter from her husband Colin which was intended for another woman.

Cast

Keith Eden as Colin
Betty Berrell as Helen
Joan Letch as Miss Bennett
Edward Howell as doctor

Original plays

Hugh Williams was an actor. Margaret was an actor and model. Both turned to writing.

The one act plays were performed together. It was the story of two married couples: one marriage is a success and the other marred by tragedy.

The two hander debuted in 1961, being their third play (after The Grass is Greener and Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat). Celia Johnson produced. Reviews were mixed and the play only had a short run.

Other productions

It was produced for British TV as an ITV Play of the Week.

Production

This was shot in Melbourne under the direction of Patrick Barton, who really didn't like Australian writing. A man after Frank Roberts' heart!

Phil Mann wrote to the agents saying Rediffusion had been hassling the ABC to show the British TV version. "This keeps occurring lately with various plays - mainly stage plays - from various sources, etc". What does Mann expect!