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Dennis Potter has long been acknowledged as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. No stranger to controversy, he refused to compromise his art for the sake of shifting standards of decency and public approval, and remains highly regarded by writers and critics alike. Though he had considerable successes with the series format (such as The Singing Detective and Casanova) it is generally accepted that his strongest work is the single play, of which he wrote many for both the BBC and ITV. In celebration of Potter’s television work, Network is proud to present this set containing six plays originally broadcast between 1968 and 1980.
These rarely seen plays form a significant part of Potter’s body of work. Cream in my Coffee won the Prix Italia for Best Drama in 1980, and Peggy Ashcroft won the BAFTA for Best Actress. Blade on the Feather won a Best Actor BAFTA for Denholm Elliott, as well as one for Best Graphics. Accompanying the plays are two interviews that Potter did for Sir Melvyn Bragg’s South Bank Show in the late 1970s.
Blade on the Feather
What is the agenda of a retired spy’s sinister visitor?
Rain on the Roof
A bored housewife gives reading lessons to an illiterate man.
Cream in my Coffee
A couple return to the scene of promises made 46 years before.
Shaggy Dog
A man is pushed to his limit at a job interview.
Moonlight on the Highway
A young man seeks psychiatric help for his "wickedness".
Lay Down Your Arms
A War Office clerk finds an odd way to fit in at work.
