The Complete Plays: 1959 Overview
This page contains details about the 1959 season at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough. For details about individual plays, click on the play titles below.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 were performed in-the-round in the Concert Room on the first floor of Scarborough Library. The season ran from 17 June to 12 September 1959. The plays were performed in rep with a change of programme on Thursdays.Early 1959 also saw Studio Theatre Ltd present Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, which marked the playwright's debut as a professional director. It rehearsed in Scarborough at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre during December 1958 before becoming part of the company's 1959 winter tour. It was never performed in Scarborough, despite rehearsing here and featuring the Scarborough company and was only performed in rep in Leicester and Birmingham between 12 January and 14 March 1959. However, It is included on this website due to the historical significance of the production to the Scarborough company.
Advertised Programme
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Easter
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ The Square Cat
○ Frankenstein
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ The Square Cat
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Easter
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ The Square Cat
○ Frankenstein
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ The Square Cat
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
17 - 24 June
25 June - 1 July
2 - 8 July
9 - 15 July
16 - 22 July
23 - 29 July
30 July - 5 August
6 - 12 August
13 - 19 August
20 - 26 August
27 August - 2 September
3 - 12 September
25 June - 1 July
2 - 8 July
9 - 15 July
16 - 22 July
23 - 29 July
30 July - 5 August
6 - 12 August
13 - 19 August
20 - 26 August
27 August - 2 September
3 - 12 September
Actual Programme
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Easter
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ The Square Cat
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ The Square Cat
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ Easter
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
○ The Square Cat
○ Bell, Book & Candle
○ Frankenstein
○ The Square Cat
○ Alas, Poor Fred (Double Bill)
17 - 24 June
25 June - 1 July
2 - 8 July
9 - 15 July
16 - 22 July
23 - 29 July
30 July - 12 August
13 - 19 August
20 - 27 August
28 August - 2 September
3 - 12 September
25 June - 1 July
2 - 8 July
9 - 15 July
16 - 22 July
23 - 29 July
30 July - 12 August
13 - 19 August
20 - 27 August
28 August - 2 September
3 - 12 September
Creatives
Stephen Joseph (Artistic Director)Rodney Wood (Director)
Alan Ayckbourn (Writer)
David Campton (Writer)
James Saunders (Writer)
Hilda Valentine (Writer)
Actors
Alan AyckbournDavid Campton
Penelope Davies
William Elmhirst
Rosemary Green
Actors
Ann HughesdonFaynia Jeffery
Dona Martyn
Lewis Teasdale
Other Staff
David Campton (Theatre Manager)Rodney Wood (Theatre Manager)
Ann Hughesdon (Stage Manager)
Don Brown (ASM)
Rosemary Green (ASM)
Ann Summers (ASM)
Ken Boden (Local Secretary)
Margaret Boden (Box Office)
Veronica Pemberton-Billing (Catering)
Winter 1959 / 1960
All plays were performed in-the-round in the Concert Room on the first floor of Scarborough Library. The season ran from 14 December 1959 - 2 January 1960. The plays were performed consecutively - not in rep - with a change of programme on Mondays.Advertised / Actual Programme
14 - 20 December
21 - 27 December
28 December - 2 January
21 - 27 December
28 December - 2 January
Creatives
Stephen Joseph (Artistic Director)Clifford Williams (Director)
Alan Ayckbourn (Writer)
Colin Wilson (Writer)
Actors
Barry BoysDavid Campton
William Elmhirst
Actors
Faynia JefferyPaul Levy
Dona Martyn
Other Staff
Stephen Joseph (Theatre Manager)Joan Macalpine (Assistant)
Ann Hughesdon (Stage Manager)
Paul Levy (Stage Manager)
Ken Boden (Local Secretary)
Veronica Pemberton-Billing (Catering)
1959 Production Notes
○ A fascinating yet little know piece of Theatre in the Round at 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 Concert Room at Scarborough Library during the 1958 winter season but was never performed in Scarborough. It was part of the company’s subsequent 1959 winter tour and performed for a week at Birmingham Theatre Centre from 12 to 17 January 1959 and for a week at the Vaughan College, Leicester, from 9 - 14 March 1959.
○ Bell, Book & Candle was programmed to tie in with Scarborough's annual Dutch Week 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."
○ 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 to 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.
○ The role of Theatre Manager is credited to both Rodney Wood and David Campton for the summer season, but no explanation survives as to why Campton appears to have replaced Wood midway through the season.
○ 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.
○ Despite its significance as Pinter’s directorial debut, this production of The Birthday Party is often over-looked. It rehearsed in Scarborough in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library during the 1958 winter season but was never performed in Scarborough. It was part of the company’s subsequent 1959 winter tour and performed for a week at Birmingham Theatre Centre from 12 to 17 January 1959 and for a week at the Vaughan College, Leicester, from 9 - 14 March 1959.
○ Bell, Book & Candle was programmed to tie in with Scarborough's annual Dutch Week 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."
○ 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 to 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.
○ The role of Theatre Manager is credited to both Rodney Wood and David Campton for the summer season, but no explanation survives as to why Campton appears to have replaced Wood midway through the season.
○ 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).