The Bedsitting Room (play)

The Bedsitting Room is a satirical play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus. It began as a one-act play which was first produced on 12 February 1962 at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, England. The Bedsitting Room was then adapted to a longer play and Bernard Miles put it on at the Mermaid Theatre, where it was first performed on 31 January 1963 before transferring several weeks later to the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End. A further transfer to the Comedy Theatre happened on the 4th March, playing eighty-eight performances, running until the 18th May.

Authors' intentions

In his 2002 book of reflections, Antrobus describes his idea as about "a man who fears he will turn into a bedsitting room, which he does, and the dubious doctor he has been seeing moves in with his fiancée, declaring that it will be easier to work a cure on the premises. Therein lies the dilemma. For the doctor to heal the condition would mean becoming homeless." In a 1988 interview with Bernard Braden on ITV's All Our Yesterdays, Milligan portrayed his view of The Bedsitting Room thus: == Original cast list for play ==

Original cast list for play

The following is the original cast list as it appears on page 5 of the 1973 paperback • Lord Fortnum of Alamein, Valentine Dyall • Mate/Arthur Scroake, Spike Milligan • Shelter Man, John Bluthal • Plastic Mac Man, John Bluthal • Underwater Vicar, John Bluthal • Brigadier/Sergeant, John Bluthal • Chest of Drawers/Gladys Scroake, Marjie Lawrence • Penelope, Marjie Lawrence • Diplomat, Bob Todd • First Announcer, Bob Todd • Sea Captain, Bob Todd • Second Announcer, Johnny Vyvyan • Delivery Man/Chauffeur, Johnny Vyvyan • Seaman, Johnny Vyvyan • Coffin Man, Clive Elliott • Pianist, Alan Chase • Third Announcer, Bill Kerr • Extras: • Phantom • Old Soldier • Orderly == Literary and dramatic counterparts ==

Literary and dramatic counterparts

The Bedsitting Room can be compared with The Goon Show, in which Milligan and Secombe were involved, but with a savage, cynical and even more surreal edge, and an existential despair. It is widely cited that a critic described it as being "like Samuel Beckett, but with better jokes", but this quote is never attributed to a particular author. However, in his review of the BFI's DVD and Blu-ray release of the film in The Guardian, Phelim O'Neill says, "It's a bleak and funny mix of music hall gags and Samuel Beckett-style existentialism". == Radio adaptation ==

Radio adaptation

A radio adaptation was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 26 December 2015 featuring Paul Merton, Derek Jacobi, Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate. ==See also==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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