Box for One
| Company type | Television drama |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom, Australia |
| Products | Live television plays |
Box for One is a live television drama that was broadcast on three occasions: twice by the British BBC and once by the Australian channel ABC. This 30-minute play, authored by Peter Brook, focuses on a London "spiv" and takes place entirely inside a telephone booth.
Premise
The narrative follows a London "spiv" who steps into a phone box, makes a call, and inquires whether a message awaits him. As he is about to exit, the telephone rings again—a young woman with a mistaken number is searching for her boyfriend. The spiv, fleeing from danger and in need of assistance, faces rejection from several individuals.
1949 version
The 1949 live BBC transmission featured actors Marius Goring, Ivan Craig, and Josée Richard. This performance was broadcast live and probably was not recorded, meaning no known copies exist today.
1953 version
In 1953, the BBC aired an episode of Wednesday Theatre including Robert Helpmann and Harold Lang. Due to the limited use of telerecording technology during that era, this version is also presumed lost.
1954 version
A subsequent filming occurred in 1954 starring Richard Attenborough alongside Sid James.
1958 Australian TV version
The 1958 Australian rendition was performed live on ABC’s Melbourne outlet ABV-2, with Robert Helpmann in the lead role. Having recently returned from London to engage in stage directing and acting in Australia, Helpmann both starred in and contributed to this production. A kinescope recording was created for Sydney’s ABN-2, though its current survival status is unclear.
During this time, Helpmann showed considerable enthusiasm for television while active in Melbourne's performing arts scene. ABC’s staging of Box for One followed their earlier telecasts of suspense dramas such as Sorry, Wrong Number (1958), exemplifying the early Australian TV industry’s preference for thrilling narratives.
Reception
A television reviewer from the Australian Women's Weekly characterized the play as "Sorry, Wrong Number written for men," remarking that it lacked the strength and production quality of Channel 2's previous adaptation of Sorry, Wrong Number.
In 1964, Helpmann revisited a portion of the play in his program Half an Hour with Robert Helpmann.
See also
- Ending It – 1939 BBC television drama with an Australian adaptation
- Miss Mabel – Stage play produced in both Britain and Australia
- Black Limelight – Theatrical work adapted for UK and Australian TV
- List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)
References
External links
- Articles with short description
- Lost BBC episodes
- BBC Television Service (TV network) original programming
- 1958 television plays
- 1958 Australian television plays
- Australian television films
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Australian live television shows
- British live television shows
- British English-language television shows
- Black-and-white British television shows
- 1949 television films
- 1953 television plays
- Television plays directed by William Sterling (director)