The After-Dinner Joke - Misplaced Pages

17th episode of the 8th series of Play for Today

"The After-Dinner Joke"

Play for Today episode

Episode no.

Series 8
Episode 17

Directed by

Colin Bucksey

Written by

Caryl Churchill

Original air date

14 February 1978 (1978-02-14)

Episode chronology

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"Our Day Out"

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"Days of Hope"

"The After-Dinner Joke" is the 17th episode of eighth season of the British BBC anthology TV series Play for Today. The episode was a television play that was originally broadcast on 14 February 1978. "The After-Dinner Joke" was written by Caryl Churchill, directed by Colin Bucksey, produced by Margaret Matheson, and starred Paula Wilcox.

Unfolding through a sequence of 66 short, episodic scenes and utilising many characters, the drama explores the politics of charity through the story of a young woman called Selby who wants "to do good." As a charity worker, she studiously avoids becoming embroiled in political issues, only to discover during the course of the action that this is impossible. "There's something political about everything," a local Mayor assures her.

It has also been produced for the stage, including a major revival at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London, directed by Sophie Boyce in May 2014.

Cast

Paula Wilcox as Selby
Richard Vernon as Price
Clive Merrison as Dent
Derek Smith as the Mayor

References

"The After-Dinner Joke". Orange Tree Theatre.

Sources

Churchill, Caryl. 1990. Shorts. London: Nick Hern Books. ISBN 978-1-85459-085-5.

External links

"The After-Dinner Joke" at IMDb

Caryl Churchill

Theatre

Downstairs (1958)
Having a Wonderful Time (1960)
Easy Death (1960)
Owners (1972)
Moving Clocks Go Slow (1973)
Objections to Sex and Violence (1975)
Traps (1976)
Vinegar Tom (1976)
Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (1976)
Cloud Nine (1979)
Top Girls (1982)
Fen (1983)
Softcops (1983)
Midday Sun (1984)
Serious Money (1987)
Icecream (1989)
Mad Forest (1990)
The Skriker (1994)
Blue Heart (1997)
A Number (2002)
Love and Information (2012)

Short plays

The Hospital at the Time of the Revolution (written 1972)
Seagulls (written 1978)
Three More Sleepless Nights (1980)
A Heart's Desire (1987)
Hot Fudge (1989)
This Is a Chair (1999)
Far Away (2000)
Drunk Enough to Say I Love You? (2006)
Seven Jewish Children – a Play for Gaza (2009)
Ding Dong the Wicked (2013)
Escaped Alone (2016)
War and Peace Gaza Piece (2014)
Here We Go (2015)
Tickets Are Now on Sale (2015)
Pigs and Dogs (2016)
Beautiful Eyes (2017)
Glass (2019)
Kill (2019)
Bluebeard's Friends (2019)
Imp (2019)

Opera, dance and cabaret	Floorshow (1977) A Mouthful of Birds (1986) Lives of the Great Poisoners (1991) Hotel (1997)

Adaptations and translations	Schreber's Nervous Illness (1972) Thyestes (1994) A Dream Play (2005) Bliss (2008)

Radio plays

You've No Need to be Frightened (1959)
The Ants (1962)
Lovesick (1966)
Identical Twins (1968)
Abortive (1971)
Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen (1971)
Schreber's Nervous Illness (1972)
Henry's Past (1972)
The Judge's Wife (1972)
Perfect Happiness (1973)

Television

Turkish Delight (1973)
The After-Dinner Joke (1978)
The Legion Hall Bombing (1979)
Crimes (1982)
Fugue (1987)

Max Stafford-Clark

v t e Play for Today
Robin Redbreast (1970) Alma Mater (1971) The Foxtrot (1971) The Rank and File (1971) Traitor (1971) Edna, the Inebriate Woman (1971) Evelyn (1971) Home (1972) The Operation (1973) Hard Labour (1973) Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (1973) Joe's Ark (1974) Penda's Fen (1974) The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil (1974) Leeds — United! (1974) The Evacuees (1975) Gangsters (1975) Funny Farm (1975) Just Another Saturday (1975) Days of Hope (1975) Rumpole of the Bailey (1975) Nuts in May (1976) The Other Woman (1976) Willie Rough (1976) Double Dare (1976) Bar Mitzvah Boy (1976) Kiss of Death (1977) Spend, Spend, Spend (1977) The Price of Coal (1977) Abigail's Party (1977) Licking Hitler (1978) Red Shift (1978) The Spongers (1978) Our Day Out (1978) The After-Dinner Joke (1978) Blue Remembered Hills (1979) Comedians (1979) Just a Boys' Game (1979) A Gift from Nessus (1980) The Black Stuff (1980) The Imitation Game (1980) The Flipside of Dominick Hide (1980) Home, Sweet Home (1982) Another Flip For Dominick (1982) Z for Zachariah (1984) Brimstone and Treacle (1987, completed 1976) Scum (1991, completed 1977)
Associated	Play for Tomorrow (1982 series)

Play for Today

Robin Redbreast (1970)
Alma Mater (1971)
The Foxtrot (1971)
The Rank and File (1971)
Traitor (1971)
Edna, the Inebriate Woman (1971)
Evelyn (1971)
Home (1972)
The Operation (1973)
Hard Labour (1973)
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (1973)
Joe's Ark (1974)
Penda's Fen (1974)
The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil (1974)
Leeds — United! (1974)
The Evacuees (1975)
Gangsters (1975)
Funny Farm (1975)
Just Another Saturday (1975)
Days of Hope (1975)
Rumpole of the Bailey (1975)
Nuts in May (1976)
The Other Woman (1976)
Willie Rough (1976)
Double Dare (1976)
Bar Mitzvah Boy (1976)
Kiss of Death (1977)
Spend, Spend, Spend (1977)
The Price of Coal (1977)
Abigail's Party (1977)
Licking Hitler (1978)
Red Shift (1978)
The Spongers (1978)
Our Day Out (1978)
The After-Dinner Joke (1978)
Blue Remembered Hills (1979)
Comedians (1979)
Just a Boys' Game (1979)
A Gift from Nessus (1980)
The Black Stuff (1980)
The Imitation Game (1980)
The Flipside of Dominick Hide (1980)
Home, Sweet Home (1982)
Another Flip For Dominick (1982)
Z for Zachariah (1984)
Brimstone and Treacle (1987, completed 1976)
Scum (1991, completed 1977)

Associated

Play for Tomorrow (1982 series)

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