The Plays: Year-by-Year (1959)

This page contains productions details for all plays produced by Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, during 1959. All information on this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. from programmes, brochures and newspaper articles.

Summer 1959

All plays - with the exception of The Birthday Party - performed in-the-round in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 17 June to 12 September 1959. The Birthday Party, which marked Harold Pinter's debut as a professional director, was rehearsed in Scarborough but performed on tour in Leicester and Birmingham. It is included here due to the historical significance of the production to the Scarborough company.

The Birthday Party

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Harold Pinter
No

12 January 1959
12 January 1959
14 March 1959

Harold Pinter
Character
Petey
Meg
Stanley
Lulu
Goldberg
McCann
Actor
David Campton
Dona Martyn
Alan Ayckbourn
Faynia Jeffery
David Sutton
Rodney Wood

Bell, Book & Candle

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
John Van Druten
No

17 June 1959
17 June 1959
19 August 1959

Rodney Wood
Character
Gillian Holroyd
Anthony Henderson
Miss Holroyd, Gillian's aunt
Nicholas Holroyd, Gillian's brother
Sidney Redlitch
Pyewacket
Actor
Dona Martyn
William Elmhirst
Faynia Jeffery
Alan Ayckbourn
David Campton
Joanna (a cat)

Double Bill: Alas, Poor Fred

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
James Saunders
Yes

25 June 1959
25 June 1959
12 September 1959
Director:

Character
Mr Pringle
Mrs Pringle
Rodney Wood

Actor
William Elmhirst
Dona Martyn
Note: Alas, Poor Fred was performed in a double-bill with Halfway To Heaven.

Double Bill: Halfway To Heaven

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Hilda Valentine
Yes

25 June 1959
25 June 1959
12 September 1959

Stephen Joseph
Character
Stella, a widow
Penny, Edward's daughter
Mrs Heslop
Edward, Stella's father
Actor
Faynia Jeffery
Rosemary Green
Ann Hughesdon
David Campton
Note: Halfway To Heaven was performed in a double-bill with Alas, Poor Fred.

Easter

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final night:

Director:
August Strindberg
Peter Watts
No

2 July 1959
2 July 1959
8 July 1959

Rodney Wood
Character
Elis, a teacher
Kristina, his fiancee
Mrs Heyst, his mother
Eleonora, his sister
Benjamin, his student
Lina, a maid
Lindkvist
Actor
Alan Ayckbourn
Faynia Jeffery
Penelope Davies
Dona Martyn
Lewis Teasdale
Ann Hughesdon
Rodney Wood

The Square Cat

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Roland Allen (Alan Ayckbourn)
Yes

30 July 1959
30 July 1959
2 September 1959

Stephen Joseph
Character
Sidney Glover
Alice Glover, his wife
Steve Glover, his son
Susan Glover, his daughter
Jerry Wattis / Arthur Brummage
Actor
David Campton
Dona Martyn
William Elmhirst
Faynia Jeffery
Alan Ayckbourn

Frankenstein

Author:
Adaption:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
David Campton
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Yes

16 July 1959
16 July 1959
12 August 1959

Stephen Joseph
Character
Victor
Henri
Elizabeth
Justine
Mme. Couper
M. Clerval
The Creature (uncredited)
Actor
William Elmhirst
Alan Ayckbourn
Dona Martyn
Faynia Jeffery
Ann Hughesdon
David Campton
Stephen Joseph

Winter 1959

The 1959 winter season was performed in-the-round at the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 14 December 1959 to 2 January 1960.

Double Bill: Vienesse Interlude

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Colin Wilson
Yes

14 December 1959
14 December 1959
19 December 1959
Director:

Character
Dr Otto Steinmetz
Franz, a waiter
August Strindberg
Stephen Joseph

Actor
David Campton
Paul Levy
William Elmhirst
Note: Vienesse Interlude was performed in a double-bill with Miss Julia.

Double Bill: Miss Julia

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
August Strindberg
Peter Watts (translated as Miss Julia)
No

14 December 1959
14 December 1959
19 December 1959
Director:

Character
Jean, the valet
Kristin, the cook
Miss Julie
Clifford Williams

Actor
Barry Boys
Faynia Jeffery
Dona Martyn
Note: Miss Julia was performed in a double-bill with Vienesse Interlude.

Love After All

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Roland Allen (Alan Ayckbourn)
Yes

21 December 1959
21 December 1959
26 December 1959

Clifford Williams
Character
Scrimes, a miser
Minta, his maid
Angelica, his daughter
Rupert Hodge, her suitor
Jim Jones, a hero
Actor
David Campton
Faynia Jeffery
Dona Martyn
William Elmhirst
Barry Boys

In Camera (Huis Clois)

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Jean-Paul Sartre
Stuart Gilbert
No

28 December 1959
28 December 1959
2 January 1960
Director:
Design:

Character
Garcin
The valet
Inez
Estelle
Stephen Joseph
Stephen Joseph

Actor
Barry Boys
William Elmhirst
Dona Martyn
Faynia Jeffery

1959 Production Notes

○ A fascinating yet little know piece of the Library Theatre’s history is Harold Pinter made his directorial debut with the Studio Theatre company directing only the second professional production of his play The Birthday Party with Alan Ayckbourn playing Stanley.
○ Despite its significance as Pinter’s directorial debut, this production of The Birthday Party is often over-looked. It rehearsed in Scarborough in the Library' Concert Room during the 1958 winter season but was never performed in Scarborough. It was part of the company’s subsequent winter tour and performed for a week at Birmingham Theatre Centre from 12 - 17 January and for a week at the Vaughan College, Leicester, from 9 - 14 March.
○ Bell, Book & Candle was programmed to tie in with Scarborough's Dutch Week (of which, sadly, no other details are forthcoming in the programme) and was chosen because the author was of Dutch descent.
○ Bell, Book & Candle features a cat, Pyewacket, which is credited in the programme as "Joanna appears courtesy of Mr. Eric Mason."
○ Alas, Poor Fred and Halfway to Heaven were presented in a double bill, although this was not the original intention nor how it was originally advertised. After Stephen Joseph made extensive cuts to Alas, Poor Fred, substantially reducing its running time, a second play - Halfway to Heaven - was added to the evening.
○ The Square Cat was Alan Ayckbourn's first full-length, commissioned play. It was written under the pseudonym of Roland Allen - misspelt in the programme as Roland Allan.
○ Frankenstein was originally intended to run for three weeks in repertory. However, the final week (27 August - 2 September) was replaced by Alan Ayckbourn's The Square Cat due to the popularity of the latter.
○ The role of The Creature in Frankenstein was uncredited in the programme, but was actually played by the company's Artistic Director Stephen Joseph.
○ Colin Wilson, who wrote Viennese Interlude, was - at the time - a noted author due to the success of his philosophical book, The Outsider. Although he had written several plays previously, this was his first to be produced. The company's Artistic Director Stephen Joseph believed an association with Wilson would provide good publicity and a higher profile, particularly if presented in London.
○ The original programme for Viennese Interlude credits Alan Ayckbourn in the part of the waiter Franz. However, the role was actually played by Paul Levy due to Alan Ayckbourn being called up for (a short-lived) National Service. He would later play the role in London in March 1960.
○ Miss Julia is not a spelling error. All advertising, press notices and characters names reflected the title as Peter Watts translation of the play was originally published as Miss Julia, before being later altered to Miss Julie.
○ Love After All was written by Alan Ayckbourn with the intention he would play the lead role. However he was called up for (a short-lived) National Service and was unable to take on the role. He would later perform it in a revival of the play in Scarborough in 1960.
○ The majority of productions in 1959 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).