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A Dead Secret

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A Dead Secret
Written byRodney Ackland
Date premiered22 April 1957
Place premieredRoyal Court Theatre, Liverpool
Original languageEnglish
GenreCrime
SettingWillesden, London, 1911

A Dead Secret is a 1957 crime play by Rodney Ackland. It is a murder drama set in 1911 London and is based on the Seddon murder trial. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool then transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 212 performances.[1] The West End cast included Paul Scofield, Madge Brindley, Dinsdale Landen, Megs Jenkins, Harold Scott, Gretchen Franklin, Arthur Lowe, Maureen Delany and Laidman Browne.[2]

Plot

Insurance agent Frederick Dyson owns a house in London with his wife. Among the lodgers is a misery elderly woman, Miss Lummus, who hoards her money in the house. When she is murdered, Dyson is charged with the crime.

1959 British television version

A version aired 3 March 1959 as part of British television series ITV Play of the Week. The adaptation was by John McKeller. This version is believed to be lost.[3]

1959 Australian television version

A Dead Secret
Directed byWilliam Sterling
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time75 mins
Original release
Release21 May 1959 (1959-05-21) (Melbourne, live)[4][5]
Release24 June 1959 (1959-06-24) (Sydney, taped)

A television version aired 21 May 1959 on Australian broadcaster ABC. This version aired live in Melbourne,[6] and was kinescoped for interstate broadcasts. It is not known if the kinescope still exists.

It was made when Australian drama was very rare.[7] It starred Bryce Archer who was in the film Smiley Gets a Gun.[8]

Cast

Reception

The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald thought that the "potential dramatic richness" of the play "was not fully exploited" because the director "had little time—or space—to create the atmosphere which can come much more easily to a stage director". However he did think the production "was, without any startling virtues, nevertheless a satisfactory piece of domestic entertainment.[9]

1963 Australia radio version

A radio version aired 15 December 1963 on Melbourne Australia radio station LO.[10]

1963 Australian television version

A Dead Secret
Directed byAlan Burke
StarringRon Haddrick
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 mins
Original release
Release8 May 1963 (1963-05-08) (Sydney)
Release18 July 1963 (1963-07-18) (Melbourne)[11]

An Australian television version aired 1963 on ABC.[12][13]

Cast

See also

References

  1. ^ Wearing p.504
  2. ^ Wearing p.504
  3. ^ "Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  4. ^ "Thursday". The Age. 14 June 1959. p. 12.
  5. ^ "Advertisement". The Age. 21 March 1959. p. 22.
  6. ^ "Television guide". The Age. 15 May 1959. p. 1.
  7. ^ Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  8. ^ "Murder Case As Plot". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 1959. p. 13.
  9. ^ "A Dead Secret On ABN -2". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 June 1959. p. 6.
  10. ^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  11. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 18 July 1963.
  12. ^ "Thriller screened live". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 April 1963. p. 13.
  13. ^ "Paul Scofield starred in first performance". The Age. 18 July 1963. p. 25.

Bibliography

  • Wearing, J.P. The London Stage 1950–1959: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.

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