Connoisseur (The)
Original Title
'The Wednesday Play'- Director: Waris Hussein
- Writer: Hugo Charteris
- Producer: Peter Luke
CGiii Comment
It's all about the writing...in this orgian stable for the privileged.
Whistle-blowing and concealment, or rather...containment...what goes on in a boys' school, stays in a boys' school...it is most definitely not for the wider [unprivileged] world.
From the sinister Housemaster (a collector of boys) to the sadistic student (abuser of boys)...this small world is insidious...where all boys are such barbarians.
This is the 60s, conservative rather than swinging...the writing is not conservative, it is a double-edged sword that takes no prisoners...
Married virgins with bent offspring...just one of the indelible lines uttered.
A serious and disturbing piece of work.
Impressive.
No trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
An edition of The Wednesday Play which offers a frank look at the obvious sexual implications of public school life. Written by Old Etonian Hugo Charteris and apparently based on a real life Eton housemaster, this powerful drama examines the impact on an ancient public school of an article published by a troubled 'Captain of House' (an early role for Richard O'Sullivan). He confronts his father, the school chaplain, with the words: 'this house is a brothel'. But Christopher has his own reasons for nervousness. He is bullied by the bold Trooper Ballantyne (Ian Ogilvy) who is also interested in the angelic choirboy Benson. When forced to deal with the issue the masters do everything in their power to ignore it.
Cast & Characters
Derek Francis as G.C. Stoupe;
Rosalie Crutchley as Pauline Tenterden;
Michael Goodliffe as Rev. Adrian Tenterden;
Richard O'Sullivan as Christopher Tenterden;
Ian Ogilvy as Viscount Ballantyne;
Rosalie Westwater as Martha Stoupe;
John Kidd as Auctioneer;
John Wentworth as Peter Benson;
Nicholas Young as Lewthwaite;
Stephen Whittaker as Davis