Fable (The Wednesday Play)

"Fable" is a British television play, shown on 27 January 1965[1] as an episode of The Wednesday Play series on BBC 1.[1] Written by John Hopkins, the play is set in a parallel totalitarian Britain where those in authority are black people, and white people are their social underdogs - a reversal of the situation in contemporary apartheid South Africa.[2]

"Fable"
The Wednesday Play episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 4
Directed byChristopher Morahan
Written byJohn Hopkins
Narrated byKeith Barron
Produced byJames MacTaggart

It was directed by Christopher Morahan and produced by James MacTaggart.

Cast

Commentary

Hopkins had anti-racist intentions in writing the play.[1] Carmen Munroe has said that for the actors the production was a frightening experience "because suddenly you were being asked to perform the sorts of acts that were performed against you in real life".[1] The programme's original screening, scheduled for 20 January 1965, was postponed by the BBC for one week "to avoid accentuating the colour issue" during the Leyton by-election to be held on 21 January.[3] In an era when negative responses to immigration were very high,[2] Audience Research at the time of the original broadcast suggested that some whites in the audience saw the role reversal as threatening and reinforced their racist views.[1]

See also

References
  1. Sarita Malik Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television, London: SAGE Publishing, 2002, p.138–139. Some sources suggest the play went out on 20 January, including the BFI's Screenonline article below, but the Leyton by-election was held on 21 January 1965.
  2. Mark Duguid "Fable (1965)", BFI screenonline
  3. "T.V. Play on Colour Issue Deferred". The Times. London. 13 January 1965. p. 6.


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