The Complete Plays: 1970 Overview

This page contains details about the 1970 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 1970
All plays were performed in-the-round in the Concert Room at Scarborough Library. The season ran from 15 June to 12 September 1970. The plays were performed in rep with a change of programme on Thursdays.
Advertised Programme
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ Settle Us Fair (see Notes)
○ The Shy Gasman
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ The Shy Gasman
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ The Story So Far…
○ The Shy Gasman
○ The Story So Far…
15 - 17 Jun
18 - 24 Jun
25 Jun - 1 Jul
2 - 8 Jul
9 - 15 Jul
16 - 22 Jul
23 - 29 Jul
30 Jul - 5 Aug
6 - 12 Aug
13 - 19 Aug
20 - 26 Aug
27 Aug - 2 Sept
3 - 12 Sept
Actual Programme
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ Settle Us Fair (see Notes)
○ The Shy Gasman
○ The American Dream / The Sandbox
○ The Shy Gasman
○ Wife Swapping - Italian Style
○ The Shy Gasman
○ The Story So Far…
○ The Shy Gasman
○ The Story So Far…
15 - 17 Jun
18 - 24 Jun
25 Jun - 1 Jul
2 - 8 Jul
9 - 15 Jul
16 - 22 Jul
23 - 29 Jul
30 Jul - 5 Aug
6 - 12 Aug
13 - 19 Aug
20 - 26 Aug
27 Aug - 2 Sept
3 - 12 Sept
Production and dates in bold italics indicate alterations from the originally advertised programme.
Creatives
Alan Ayckbourn (Director of Productions / Writer)
Caroline Smith (Director)
Leonard Barras (Writer)
Actors
Richard Derrington
Joe Dunlop
Ronald Herdman
Robert Peck
Piers Rogers
Eve Shickle
Elisabeth Sladen
Heather Stoney
Stephanie Turner
Other Staff
Ken Boden (General Manager)
Philip Randell (Company Stage Manager)
Graham Phoenix (Deputy Stage Manager)
Gillian Davidson (ASM)
Jane Douglas (ASM)
Veronica Pemberton-Billing (Catering Manager)
Wilfred Houghton (FOH Assistant Manager)
Connie Garlic (Box Office) *
Herbert Ruff (Box Office) *
* These names - taken from the 1970 programmes - are spelt incorrectly. Connie Garlic should be Garlick and Herbert Ruff should be Hubert.
1970 Production Notes
○ Settle Us Fair was a production toured from the Hull Arts Centre. The comic musical documentary by Phil Woods explored the fishing industry in Hull in light of the July 1970 national dock strikes which closed most of the UK's docks.
○ Although not initially advertised as a double bill, The American Dream by Edward Albee was performed as a double bill alongside Albee's The Sandbox.
○ The American Dream's final week in rep was replaced by an extra week of performances of The Shy Gasman according to adverts from the period.
○ The Story So Far… is considered to be the 50th play to be premiered at Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre since it opened in 1955.
All research for this page by Simon Murgatroyd. Image copyright: Scarborough Theatre Trust