A Sleep of Prisoners
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A Sleep of Prisoners is a 1951 verse play by Christopher Fry.[1] It concerns four English prisoners of war locked up in a church overnight, and the Old Testament style dreams they have springing from an argument between them.[2]
Four English soldiers are trapped in a bombed out Cathedral. Private King attempts to strangle Private Able. Separated by Corporal Adams and Private Meadows they bed down for the night. The remainder of the play reveals the dreams of each soldier and their attitude to life and death.
Background
Commissioned as part of the Festival of Britain, the anti-war drama, directed by Michael Macowan, opened at St. Thomas' church in Regent Street, London, in May 1951.[3][4] It then toured churches around Britain with its cast of Stanley Baker, Denholm Elliott, Hugh Pryse and Leonard White.[5][6] It was also performed in churches in America later the same year.[7]
Critical reception
T.C. Worsley wrote "Each of the dreams is dramatically conceived and touched off with that sharp sense of the comic incongruity of things which is Mr Fry's personal approach to life and words."[1]
1951 TV adaptation
The play was broadcast live by the BBC in December, 1951.[8] Wolf Rilla produced.[9]
Cast
- John Slater as Pvt. David King
- Andrew Leigh as Pvt. Tim Meadows
- Robin Lloyd as Pvt. Peter Able
- Peter Williams as Cpl. Joe Adams