The Plays: Year-by-Year (1958)

This page contains productions details for all plays produced by Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, during 1958. All information on this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. from programmes, brochures and newspaper articles.

Summer 1958

All plays performed in-the-round in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 19 June to 13 September 1958. It was preceded by a touring production of Phèdre which was produced by Stephen Joseph Studio Theatre Ltd company.

Phèdre

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Costumes:
Music:
Jean Racine
No

17 March 1958
17 March 1958
22 March 1958

Campbell Allen
Gillian Thornton
Stanley Taylor
Character
Theseus, King of Athens
Phaedra, his wife
Hippolytus, his son
Aricia, princess of Athenian blood
Oenone, nurse to Phaedra
Theramenes, tutor to Hippolytus
Ismeme, companion to Aricia
Panope, lady-in-waiting
Actor
Bernard Horsfall
Margaret Rawlings
Keith Baxter
Ann Sears
Isabel Rennie
Moray Watson
Constance Lorne
Cynthia Taylor

Who Cares?

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Leo Lehman
No

19 June 1958
19 June 1958
9 July 1958 (TBC)

Rodney Wood
Character
Harry Peterson, a professor
J.G., a junior lecturer
Felicia, Harry's wife
Stefan
Billy, Harry's daughter
Actor
Ian Curteis
David Sutton
Pauline Devaney
Robert Fyfe
Christine Roland

Dial M For Murder

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Frederick Knott
No

26 June 1958
26 June 1958
Not known

Stephen Joseph
Character
Sheila Wendice
Max Halliday
Tony Wendice
Captain Lesgate
Inspector Hubbard
Constable Williams
Actor
Pauline Devaney
David Sutton
Robert Fyfe
Rodney Wood
Ian Curteis
Alan Ayckbourn

Captain Carvallo

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Dennis Cannan
No

10 July 1958
10 July 1958
27 August 1958

Stephen Joseph
Character
Anni (the maid)
Smilja Darde
The Baron
Professor Winke
Private Gross
Captain Carvallo
Caspar Darde, Smilja's husband
Actor
Christine Roland
Pauline Devaney
Rodney Wood
Robert Fyfe
Alan Ayckbourn
David Sutton
Ian Curteis

Double Bill: Love & Chance

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Marivaux
J.W. James
No

24 July 1958
24 July 1958
Not known

Rodney Wood
Character
Silvia
Lisette, her maid
Orgon, her father
Mario, her brother
Dorante, her suitor
Pasquin, his valet
Actor
Pauline Devaney
Christine Roland
Robert Fyfe
Ian Curteis
David Sutton
Alan Ayckbourn
Note: Love & Chance was performed in a double-bill with The Man With A Flower In His Mouth.

Double Bill: The Man With a Flower in his Mouth

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Luigi Pirandello
Frederick May
No

24 July 1958
24 July 1958
Not known
Director:

Character
The Man
The Traveller
The Waiter
The Woman
Rodney Wood

Actor
Robert Fyfe
Ian Curteis
Alan Ayckbourn
Pauline Devaney
Note: The Man With A Flower in his Mouth was performed in a double-bill with Love & Chance.

A Sense of Loss

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
J.W. James
Yes

7 August 1958
7 August 1958
10 September 1958
Director:
Assistant Director:

Character
Johnny
Lona
Frank
Jean
Stephen Joseph
Rodney Wood

Actor
Robert Fyfe
Pauline Devaney
David Sutton
Christine Roland

Winter 1958

The 1958 winter season was performed in-the-round at the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 15 December 1958 to 3 January 1959.

Martine

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Jean Jacques Bernard
John Leslie Frith
No

15 December 1958
15 December 1958
20 December 1958

Rodney Wood
Character
Martine
Julien
Alfred
Madame Mervan
Jeanne
Actor
Dona Martyn
David Sutton
Alan Ayckbourn
Ann Summers
Faynia Jeffery

Ring of Roses

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
David Campton
Yes

22 December 1958
22 December 1958
27 December 1958

Stephen Joseph
Character
Stacey
Fred
Mum
Eric
Brewster
Milkman
Actor
Faynia Jeffery
David Sutton
Dona Martyn
Alan Ayckbourn
Rodney Wood
Harold Goodwin

Squaring The Circle

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Valentin Kataev
Basil Ashmore
No

29 December 1958
29 December 1958
3 January 1959

Rodney Wood
Character
Vasya
Ludmilla
Tonya
Abrahm
Emilian
Actor
David Sutton
Faynia Jeffery
Dona Martyn
Alan Ayckbourn
Rodney Wood

1958 Production Notes

○ Phèdre was - essentially - an experiment by Stephen Joseph to take an in-the-round production on tour with a star name; in this case Margaret Rawlings. It toured to London, Leicester, Birmingham and Scarborough during 1958.
○ The production of Who Cares? was first seen by the public on 13 June 1958 when, prior to it opening in Scarborough, an open rehearsal was held in the Chenil Galleries, Chelsea, under the auspices of the Studio Theatre Club - this marked the final event held by the 'club'.
○ No brochure survives in archive for the complete 1958 summer season. As a result, closing dates have been collated through newspaper articles, reviews and other miscellany. Due to this, occasional dates during the season are not 100% confirmed as accurate.
○ Love & Chance was not originally intended to be presented as part of a double-bill and was advertised as just one play. However, when it was realised the running time was just 70 minutes, a decision to add a second play - The Man With A Flower in his Mouth - for the evening was made.
○ A Sense Of Loss was the only new play of the summer 1958 season at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.
○ Ring Of Roses is the play which Alan Ayckbourn took offence at his role in, leading him to complain to Stephen Joseph about the quality of his roles with the company. As a result of this, Stephen challenged Alan to write his first play, The Square Cat (1959). For many years, Alan named the offending play as Bell, Book & Candle (1959) so as not to offend his friend, David Campton.
○ The Squaring The Circle programme makes mention of the fact Harold Pinter was rehearsing his play The Birthday Party at the Library Theatre as part of Studio Theatre Ltd’s winter tour.
○ The majority of productions in 1958 were performed without an interval.
All information for this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd and should not be reproduced without permission. Any approved reproduction of information from this page should always credit 'A Round Town (www.theatre-in-the-round.co.uk).