A Sleep of Prisoners


A Sleep of Prisoners is a 1951 verse play by Christopher Fry. 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. 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. It then toured churches around Britain with its cast of Stanley Baker, Denholm Elliott, Hugh Pryse and Leonard White. It was also performed in churches in America later the same year.

Critical reception

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."

1951 TV adaptation

The play was broadcast live by the BBC in December, 1951. Wolf Rilla produced.

Cast

The play was broadcast live by the ABC from Perth in February 1961. Raymond Menmuir directed.
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.

Cast

It was shot in St George's Cathedral with Michael Altria the lighting director.

Reception

The Bulletin TV critic called it "a triumph... must rank with the best in live television."