The Plays: Year-by-Year (1968)

This page contains productions details for all plays produced by Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough, during 1968. All information on this page has been researched and compiled by Simon Murgatroyd M.A. from programmes, brochures and newspaper articles.

Summer 1968

All plays were performed in-the-round in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 24 June to 14 September 1968.

A Boat In The Backyard

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
David Bramley
Yes

24 June 1968
24 June 1968
14 September 1968
Director:

Character
Cora Clarke
Arthur Clarke
Harry Clarke
Jack Dandy
Joan Macalpine

Actor
Patricia Clapton
Tom Baker
Bill Greaves
Francis Wallis

The Promise

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:
Alexei Arbuzov
Ariadne Nicolaeff
No

27 June 1968
27 June 1968
17 July 1968
Director:

Character
Lika
Marat
Leonidik
Joan Macalpine

Actor
Tina Matthews
Gregory Reid
Francis Wallis

The Strongbox

Author:
Translation:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Carl Sternheim
Maurice Edwards & Valerie Reich
No

18 July 1968
18 July 1968
11 September 1968

Rodney Wood
Character
Henry Krull, professor
Fanny Krull, his second wife
Lydia Krull, his daughter
Elspeth True, the aunt
Alphone Silkenhand
Emma, Krull's maid
Dettmichel, notary
Actor
Bill Greaves
Tina Matthews
Patricia Clapton
Barbara Bolton
Tom Baker
Rosalind Speight
Gregory Reid

Hay Fever

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Noël Coward
No

1 August 1968
1 August 1968
28 August 1968

Rodney Wood
Character
Judith Bliss
David Bliss
Sorel Bliss
Simon Bliss
Myra Arundel
Richard Greatham
Jackie Coryton
Sandy Tyrell
Clara
Actor
Barbara Bolton
Gregory Reid
Rosalind Speight
Francis Wallis
Patricia Clapton
Tom Baker
Tina Matthews
Bill Greaves
Mary Piercy

Arden of Feversham

Author:
New Play:

First performance:
Opening night:
Final performance:

Director:
Anonymous
No

15 August 1968
15 August 1968
4 September 1968

Rodney Wood
Character
Thomas Arden
Franklin
Mosbie
Clarke
Bradshaw
Michael
Greene
Black Will
Shakebag
A Prentice
A Ferryman
Lord Cheiny
His man
Alice
Susan
Widow Reede
Mary
Actor
Francis Wallis
Jonathan Fryer
Gregory Reid
Robin Holmes
Lance Edynbry
David Bretton
Bryan Andrews
Tom Baker
Bill Greaves
Rosalind Speight
Lance Ednybry
Rodney Wood
Peter Boden
Tina Matthews
Patricia Clapton
Rosalind Speight
Penny Leatherbarrow

1968 Production Notes

○ The 1968 summer season is unique in the Stephen Joseph Theatre's history in that none of the acting company had ever worked at the Library Theatre before and none of them would rejoin the company in subsequent years.
○ This season marked an early professional stage role for the actor Tom Baker, who would find long-term fame when he joined the popular British television series Doctor Who as the fourth Doctor in 1974.
○ A Boat In The Backyard was the only new play produced during the 1968 summer season at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre, Scarborough.
○ A Boat in the Backyard was David Bramley's first stage-play, although his prose had been professionally published and he had written two screenplays for the television series Z Cars. Although born in Northallerton, he lived in West Ayton, Scarborough.
○ The Promise was produced following its success in London in 1967 in a production featuring Judi Dench, Ian McKellen and Ian McShane. This debut production of the Russian play in England generated much interest and led to a significant number of productions by rep companies around the country in the wake of the London production.
○ The season included the English premiere of the play The Strongbox and presented the translation by Maurice Edwards & Valerie Reich.
○ Unusually, the programme for Hay Fever does not specifically credit the director of the production. It is likely however that it was the theatre's Director Of Productions (Artistic Director) for the season, Rodney Wood.
○ The original spelling for Arden of Faversham was 'Feversham' and this was the name used for this production in 1968 - it's generally not used today.
○ The majority of productions in 1968 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).