Apr 13, 2021
Play for Today: The Fishing Party (BBC, 1972)
"There'll be entrées."
"Entrées?"
"What's entrées?"
"Don't be ignorant."
"Entrées! You've seen it on the side of a meat bottle label, haven't you?"
"I never read meat sauce bottle labels."
"You ought to start. A revelation, they are. It says on the label: to be taken with fish, cheese, meat, and entrées. And that's what we'll get. Entrées."
"Well, I don't know what entrées are!"
"Oh, well, leave it on the side of your plate."
#play for today#The fishing party#Peter terson#Michael Simpson#Single play#Brian Glover#Ray Mort#Douglas Livingstone#Jane Freeman#Frank Moorey#John Comer#Deirdre Costello#James Garbutt#The PfT team were well known for tackling controversial issues and turning a harsh light on social injustice and societal ills#What's sometimes forgotten is that they weren't above a little comedy now and then. Terson wrote this play for them in 72 and it was#Successful enough to spawn two sequels‚ also under the PfT banner. All three concern the misadventures of a trio of miners and their#Interactions with an increasingly middle class world; the three fit the classic three stooges mould‚ if somewhat softened. Glover is the#Self appointed leader‚ slightly pompous and concerned with the betterment of his two fellows. Mort is the easygoing follower‚ content to go#Along with the others. Livingstone (himself a prolific writer who had already contributed scripts to PfT) is the one more liable to#Challenge Glover or to sound a note of negativity. Regardless all three are thoroughly loveable creations and it isn't hard to see why they#Were brought back. The play is honestly a delight‚ as the trio‚ seemingly oblivious to the hostility and price gauging of their guest house#Hosts‚ attempt their best to behave well and make a good impression; as well as doing some fishing and avoiding the call of the brown ale.#Of course they can't resist too long and the fishing trip itself quickly becomes a doomed enterprise. The plot is really secondary here to#The sheer joy of spending time with these three wonderful characters‚ and hearing Terson's typical blend of the poetic with the earthily#Naturalistic‚ in the hands of three brilliant actors. Glover plays this perfectly‚ so that his character never becomes overbearing or#Frustrating (even when he insists the three should not occupy the same room at any point in the guest house‚ it just not being done) nor#Making him a total fool or figure of fun. Rather‚ his over concern with appearances and matching his middle class hosts becomes endearing#Ultimately‚ despite their attempts to present an enhanced version of themselves‚ in their simple honesty and good heartedness the three are#Already the superior to their hosts. Not that this is as patronising as I may be making it sound. Really‚ it's just a simple little tale#About three friends whose camaraderie and affection can overcome anything; even their own over enthusiasm..