Fable (The Wednesday Play)
4th episode of the 2nd season of The Wednesday Play
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"Fable" is a British television play, shown on 27 January 1965[1] as an episode of The Wednesday Play series on BBC 1.[1] Written by John Hopkins, the play is set in a parallel totalitarian Britain where those in authority are black people, and white people are their social underdogs – a reversal of the situation in contemporary apartheid South Africa.[2]
Episode 4
| "Fable" | |
|---|---|
| The Wednesday Play episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Christopher Morahan |
| Written by | John Hopkins |
| Narrated by | Keith Barron |
It was directed by Christopher Morahan and produced by James MacTaggart.
Cast
- Eileen Atkins – Joan
- Ronald Lacey – Len
- Thomas Baptiste – Mark
- Barbara Assoon – Francesca
- Carmen Munroe – Lala
- Keith Barron – Narrator
- Rudolph Walker – Policeman
- Leo Carera – Editor
- Bari Johnson – Deputy Editor
- Dan Jackson – Overseer
- Sally Lahee – Lilian
- George Roderick – Laughton
- Trevor D. Rhone – Assistant Editor
- John Rapley – Michael
- André Dakar – Head of State
- Frank Singuineau – Minister
- Charles Hyatt – Newsreader
- Thor Pierres – Secretary
- Kenneth Gardnier – Interrogator
Commentary
Hopkins had anti-racist intentions in writing the play.[1] Carmen Munroe has said that for the actors the production was a frightening experience "because suddenly you were being asked to perform the sorts of acts that were performed against you in real life".[1]
The programme's original screening, scheduled for 20 January 1965, was postponed by the BBC for one week "to avoid accentuating the colour issue" during the Leyton by-election to be held on 21 January.[3] In an era when negative responses to immigration were very high[2] audience research at the time of the original broadcast suggested that some whites in the audience saw the role reversal as threatening and reinforced their racist views.[1]
See also
- BabaKiueria – a 1986 Australian mockumentary about an oppressed white minority in a society dominated by Aboriginal Australians.
- White Man's Burden – a 1995 film about similar subject matter.
- Noughts and Crosses (TV series) – a 2020 television series, based on the novels by Malorie Blackman, about similar subject matter.
