A Voyage Round My Father

Cover of DVD release of 1982 production

A Voyage Round My Father is an autobiographical play by John Mortimer, originally written for radio (1963) and subsequently adapted for television (1969 and 1982) and for the London stage (1970, 1971–72 and 2006). The central role of the father – Clifford Mortimer, a barrister who has gone blind but is determined to ignore the fact – has been played by Roger Livesey, Mark Dignam, Alec Guinness, Michael Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi and Rupert Everett.

Background

John Mortimer studied law to oblige his father, Clifford, a blind barrister who hoped his son could help him in his practice in the Middle Temple.[1] By the time Mortimer was called to the Bar in 1948 he had published his first novel and it became plain that his principal career would be as a writer, although he continued to practise law also.[2] He drew extensively on his legal background in his writing, and his first play, The Dock Brief (1957), written for BBC Radio, centred on a barrister and his client. It was subsequently adapted for television: the critic Bernard Levin described it as a masterpiece: "more moving, more funny and more profound than anything I have yet seen by courtesy of the seventh art".[3] It was performed on 280 foreign radio stations and won the Prix Italia prize in 1958.[1] Further plays, for radio, television and the theatre followed.[2]

Premieres

Originally a 45-minute radio play with the title A Voyage Around My Father, it was broadcast on the Third Programme on Christmas Day 1963. The Radio Times summed it up: "A son recalls his dead father with irony, with humour, and above all, with affection." Roger Livesey played the father, William Squire, the son, with other parts played by Olga Lindo, Earle Grey, Alexander John and Anthony Viccars. It was produced by Nesta Pain.[4] A year later the BBC broadcast a second production, again with Livesey, with a cast that included Hugh David as the son, Andrew Sachs, Garard Green and Gabriel Woolf.[n 1] Mortimer and Pain adapted the script as an eighty-minute television play, broadcast on BBC Two in October 1969. Claude Whatham directed, and the cast was headed by Mark Dignam and Ian Richardson as Clifford and John Mortimer.[6]

Mortimer then adapted the piece for the stage, shortening the preposition in the title from "around" to "round". The premiere was at the Greenwich Theatre on 25 November 1970. Whatham again directed and Dignam reprised his Clifford with David Wood as the son.[7] The author further revised the text for the West End premiere of the play. It opened on 4 August 1971 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket with Alec Guinness and Jeremy Brett as father and son.[8] The production, directed by Ronald Eyre, was recast during the run and from April 1972 Michael Redgrave took over the role of Clifford.[9] The play ran for 498 performances, closing on 14 October.[10]

In 1982 Mortimer turned the play back into a film for television. It was produced by Thames Television for ITV; Laurence Olivier played the father, Alan Bates the son, Elizabeth Sellars the mother and Jane Asher Elizabeth. Alvin Rakoff directed.[11]

In June 2006, the stage play was revived at the Donmar Warehouse with Derek Jacobi and Dominic Rowan; it transferred to Wyndham's Theatre in September. Thea Sharrock directed and the cast was headed by Derek Jacobi as Clifford.[12] A 2023 revival, directed by Richard Eyre, was presented at the Theatre Royal, Bath, subsequently touring to Richmond, Cambridge, Cardiff, Malvern, Chichester and Nottingham. It starred Rupert Everett as the father, with Jack Bardoe as the son, Eleanor David as the mother, Allegra Marland as Elizabeth and Julian Wadham as the headmaster.[13]

Television and London stage casts

Role BBC Television, 1969[6] Greenwich Theatre, 1970[7] Haymarket, 1971[8] Haymarket, 1972[14] Thames TV, 1982[11] Donmar, 2006[12]
Father Mark Dignam Mark Dignam Alec Guinness Michael Redgrave Laurence Olivier Derek Jacobi
Mother Daphne Oxenford Betty Huntley-Wright Leueen MacGrath Jane Baxter Elizabeth Sellars Joanna David
Son (grown up) Ian Richardson David Wood Jeremy Brett Barry Justice Alan Bates Dominic Rowan
Elizabeth Amanda Murray Amanda Murray Nicola Pagett Amanda Murray Jane Asher Natasha Little
Son (as a boy) Timothy Good Jason Kemp Jason Kemp Jason Kemp Alan Cox Lewis Aaltonen
Reigate John Lucas Christopher Reynalds Jeremy Burring Jeremy Burring James Downer Alexander Barnett
Iris Melanie Wallis Juliet Marshall Melanie Wallace Melanie Wallace Katie Warren
Headmaster Arthur Lowe John Nettleton Jack May Jack May Michael Aldridge Christopher Benjamin
George James Ottaway Jack May Colin Jeavons Osmund Bullock
Ham Royston Tickner Stanley Lebor Mark Kingston Colin Jeavons Norman Bird Osmund Bullock
Boustead Stanley Lebor Mark Kingston Colin Jeavons Jonathan Newth Osmund Bullock
Sparks Trevor Bannister Mark Kingston Colin Jeavons Jamie De Courcey
Mr Morrow Trevor Bannister Mark Kingston Andrew Sachs Neil Boorman
Lady Visitor Shirley Dynevor Phyllida Law
Matron Phyllida Law Tilly Tremayne Lily Bevan
Miss Cox Yvonne Gilan Shirley Dynevor Phyllida Law Tilly Tremayne Susan Littler Lily Bevan
Doris Susan Field Phyllida Law Tilly Tremayne Sadie Shimmin
Social Worker Susan Field Phyllida Law Rosalind Knight
Mrs Reigate Rhoda Lewis Rosalind Knight Sadie Shimmin
Miss Baker Janet Hargreaves Romy Baskerville Rhoda Lewis Rosalind Knight Gay Wilde Sadie Shimmin
First ATS Girl Shirley Dynevor Rhoda Lewis Rosalind Knight Ann Davies Katie Warren
Witness Sheila Beckett Susan Field Rhoda Lewis Connie Merrigold Jennie Goossens Sadie Shimmin
Ringer Lean George Moon James Ottaway Andrew Sachs Andrew Sachs Harold Goodwin Neil Boorman
Mr Thong James Ottaway Andrew Sachs Andrew Sachs Malcolm Terris Neil Boorman
Film Director Stanley Lebor Andrew Sachs Andrew Sachs Anthony Sharp Neil Boorman
Japhet Trevor Bannister Richard Fraser Richard Fraser Albert Welling Jamie de Courcey
First Judge Ernest Hare James Ottaway Richard Fraser Richard Fraser Esmond Knight Jamie de Courcey
Second Judge Walter Horsbrugh Trevor Bannister Richard Fraser Richard Fraser Raymond Huntley Osmund Bullock
Captain Wrothsley Ian Cooper
Barrister David Morrell
Chippy Richard Fraser Richard Fraser
Doctor Kevin Stoney Stanley Lebor Richard Fraser Richard Fraser Patrick Barr Osmund Bullock
Second ATS Girl Romy Baskerville Tilly Tremayne Gloria Connell Judy Riley Lily Bevan

Notes, references and sources

Notes

  1. ↑ Livesey also starred in Mortimer's Personality Split in 1964, another radio play directed by Pain, in which "A young man finds himself undecided between the gentle charm of the law and the more flamboyant appeal of the film world".[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Grove, pp. vi–vii
  2. 1 2 Grove, Valerie. "Mortimer, Sir John Clifford (1923–2009), barrister and author", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press., 2013 (subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required)
  3. ↑ Levin, Bernard. "BBC Television", The Manchester Guardian, 21 September 1957, p. 3
  4. ↑ "A Voyage Around My Father", BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2026
  5. ↑ "Personality Split", BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2026
  6. 1 2 "Plays of Today: 6: A Voyage Around My Father", BBC Genome. Retrieved 12 June 2026
  7. 1 2 "John Mortimer writes a play about his blind father", The Stage, 3 December 1970, p. 13
  8. 1 2 Mortimer, p. 3
  9. ↑ "Redgrave Haymarket take-over", The Stage, 23 March 1972, p. 1
  10. ↑ Herbert, p. 1320; and "Theatres", The Times, 14 October 1972, p. 10
  11. 1 2 "Voyage Round My Father, A", BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 12 June 2026
  12. 1 2 "A Voyage Round My Father", Theatricalia. Retrieved 12 June 2026
  13. ↑ Davis, Clive. "He's having a senior moment", The Times, 6 October 2023, p. 74
  14. ↑ Theatreprint Programme, Vol. 2 No. 10, p. 8

Sources

  • Grove, Valerie (2010). "Introduction". A Voyage Round My Father. London: Penguin. ISBN 9780141193410.
  • Herbert, Ian, ed. (1977). Who's Who in the Theatre (sixteenth ed.). London and Detroit: Pitman Publishing and Gale Research. ISBN 978-0-273-00163-8.
  • Mortimer, John (2010). A Voyage Round My Father. London: Penguin. ISBN 9780141193410.
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