Tales of Piccadilly

1 9 7 1 (UK)
6 x 60 minute episodes

This anthology of hour-long plays from London Weekend Television aired in the ITV Sunday Night Theatre timeslot in January and February 1971.

From his plinth in the centre of London’s Piccadilly Circus, Eros looked down on a bustling world of contrasts. From the brighter lights of the theatres and advertisements to the shadowy byways of Soho. But the biggest contrasts are in the people.

With a mixture of romance, comedy, charm and simplicity, this anthology of plays looked at some of the people who live and worked in the area.

The debut play was “Behind The Spearmint Sign” by Nicholas Palmer, which took place in the Circus itself, behind the neon of a famous spearmint sign in the small seedy office of Harry Throle (Derek Smith), Inquiry Agent. Business was poor, and debts were mounting up. Then Helen Burroway (Alethea Charlton) came to see Harry and explained that her wealthy banker husband was missing. Was this the big chance Harry had been waiting for?

“Roomful of Holes” by Colin Welland starred Richard Beckinsale as Pete, an intense art student and Fiona Walker as Glynis, a 28-year-old schoolmistress. Much of the play took place in the Rembrandt room at the National Gallery, but the gallery insurers were reluctant to let LWT loose amongst painting worth £10 million. So the producers built a complete replica of the room, using life-size prints of the priceless paintings.

In “A Special Occasion” by Bradley Grant, Michael (John Gregson), a Dean Street newsagent who had been married for 25 years, and 43-year-old Christine (Isabel Dean), who was living with her widowed hypochondriac mother (Mary Merrall), met in a small cafe as strangers – but were they?

“Out of Town Girl” by Alexander Baron featured extrovert Fiona (Denise Buckley) and sensitive Jenny (Angela Down), two receptionists in the London office of an American airline, who have a date with US Marine lieutenants Buzz (Bob Sessions) and Pat (Richard Pendrey).

John Kershaw’s “A Windmill in the Window” was set in an exclusive Soho restaurant where the rich, mostly theatrical, clientele were growing older and fewer by the year.  Owner Robert (Joseph O’Conor) – a French emigre – clung to the past and refused to introduce any modern innovations, causing him and his son, Charlie (Neil McCallum), had bitter words about the future of their business. Mary Miller played Charlie’s fiancee.

The final play, “The Way Out” by Julian Bond, told the story of Dick Quarry (Michael Denison), his wife Miriam (Joyce Redman), their 21-year-old son (Sean Roadtree) and teenage daughter (Celia Bannerman). Dick, a successful wine merchant, was considered “square” and pompous by his children and on the advice of his attractive secretary (Stephanie Beacham), Dick took steps to alter his image. The consequences – as he blossomed out in snakeskin jackets, gaucho hats and kaftans – were somewhat embarrassing.

Episodes

Behind The Spearmint Sign | A Roomful of Holes | A Special Occasion | Out of Town Girl | A Windmill in the Window | The Way Out