''Semi-Detached'' is a play written by
David Turner. It premiered at the
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in June 1962 with
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series ''Rising Damp'' from ...
in the lead role, the production was directed by
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones (1963 film ...
.
In 1964, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
recorded a radio adaptation starring Rossiter, rebroadcast in 2016 in its series ''Repertory in Britain''.
The Belgrade Theatre production transferred to London, still directed by Richardson, but with
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
(replacing Rossiter),
Eileen Atkins
Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy A ...
,
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who appeared in a range of television, stage, and cinema roles. He starred in the television series ''Inspector Morse'' as title character Detective Chief Inspector ...
,
James Bolam
James Christopher Bolam (born 16 June 1935) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Terry Collier in ''The Likely Lads'' and its sequel ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'', Jack Ford in ''When the Boat Comes In'', Roy Fig ...
(replacing
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
) and
Mona Washbourne
Mona Lee Washbourne (27 November 1903 – 15 November 1988) was an English actress of stage, film, and television. Her most critically acclaimed role was in the film '' Stevie'' (1978), late in her career, for which she was nominated for a Gold ...
. The play reached Broadway in New York for a season in 1963 and a film version ''
All the Way Up'' (1970), directed by
James MacTaggart
James MacTaggart (25 April 1928 – 29 May 1974) was a Scottish television producer, director and writer. He worked in London from 1961.
Early life
MacTaggart was born in Glasgow and served in the Royal Army Service Corps from 1946, rising to ...
, starred
Warren Mitchell
Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1926 – 14 November 2015) was a British actor. He was a BAFTA TV Award winner and twice a Laurence Olivier Award winner.
In the 1950s, Mitchell appeared on the radio programmes ''Educatin ...
. The play was revived at the
Chichester Festival
Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin ...
in 1999.
Plot
Set in the Midlands, Fred Midway is working his way up the social ladder. His desire to be accepted in the social circles to which he aspires occupies much of his energy. At first, Fred's carefully laid plans to boost his standing in the local community backfire, before coming right in the end.
Original cast
*Arnold Makepiece - Brendan Barry
*Avril Hadfield -
Bridget Turner
Bridget Joanna Turner (22 February 1939 – 27 December 2014) was an English actress.
She played a radical English teacher, Judy Threadgold, opposite Alun Armstrong's woodwork teacher in Alan Plater's ''Get Lost!'' for Yorkshire Television, sho ...
*Eileen Midway - Fiona Duncan
*Fred Midway -
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series ''Rising Damp'' from ...
*Garnet Hadfield -
Sheila Keith
Sheila Keith (9 June 1920 – 14 October 2004) was a British character actress, active in theatre, films and TV. She was born to Scottish parents in London while they were visiting the city and brought up in Aberdeen, Scotland. Longing to act, ...
*Hilda Midway -
Gillian Raine
Gillian Mary Lorraine (28 December 1926Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - entry for Rossiter - accessed 4 July 2011 – 19 June 2018), known professionally as Gillian Raine, was a British actress and singer. She was married to actor Leonar ...
*Nigel Hadfield -
Michael Rothwell
*Robert Freeman - William Holmes
*Tom Midway -
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
[
]
References
External links
*
1962 plays
British plays
{{1960s-play-stub