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Ring of Jackals

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By Edmund Ward

The play was first produced at Theatre Royal, Windsor under the title Whitewash Man, on October 1964.

  • Evans Plays: London & New York, pp. 92 (1966)
  • First Produced : 1965 Brighton
  • Roles: Male : 6 Female : 3 Other

John Godfrey is PRO for Manton Equipment, a medium-sized engineering firm. An ex-journalist, brilliant at his job, Godfrey knows every trick in the game of manipulating opinions and people. Manton Equipment is fighting off a takeover bid, and as Godfrey marshals the financial columnists on their side, the shares rise high enough to discourage the bidders-or so it would seem. Too late Godfrey discovers that he is being used, just as he uses others.

Programme from 1965 production

programme_cover1000.jpg - 286.8 KBWeek commencing Monday, 1st February, 1965
H. M. Tennent Ltd. and John Counsell
present

Ring Of Jackals by Edmund Ward

Cast in order of appearance:
William Lucas as John Godfrey, Public Relations Officer at Manton Equipment
Derek Francis as David Manton, Managing Director of Manton Equipment
Diane Clare as Susan Billings-Hurst, John Godfrey's Assistant
Dermot Walsh as Gerald Ainsley M.P. , Sales Director of Manton Equipment
Jan Holden as Katherine Godfrey, John Godfrey's wife
Lennard Pearce as Peter Grimston, Financial Journalist
Dorothy Primrose as Margaret Ainsley, Gerald Ainsley's wife
Hedger Wallace as T.V. Interviewer
Eric Dodson as Henry Dunning M.P., Personal Assistant to Lord Craigallen, Chairman of a Group attempting a take over of Manton Equipment.

ACT I

Scene 1 John Godfrey's office-five o'clock in the afternoon
Scene 2 David Manton's office-the same evening
Scene 3 Sitting room at Gerald Ainsley's flat-later the same evening

Interval

ACT II

Scene 1 David Manton's office-the next morning
Scene 2 Sitting room at Gerald Ainsley's fiat-evening a week later

Interval

ACT III

Scene 1 John Godfrey's office-a week later, 5 o'clock
Scene 2 David Manton's office-later the same evening

Directed by Joan Riley

Settings designed by Hal Henshaw

Lighting by Joe Davis

At the Piano : Hazel Dorling

For H. M. Tennent Ltd.
General Manager Bernard Gordon
Company and Stage Manager Mary Lynn
Deputy Stage Manager Gordon Duttson
Assistant Stage Manager Jill Marlowe
Production Manager lan Dow
Chief Electrician Joe Davis
Chief Costume Supervisor Lily Taylor
Press Representative Vivienne Byerley (GERard 3681)

Scenery built and painted in the Theatre Royal, Windsor, workshops. Furniture by Old Times Furnishing Co. Properties by Studio and Television Hire Ltd. Industrial Photographs loaned by Cecil H. Greville Ltd., Churchill House, Slough. Display photographs by Castle Studios, 5 Market Street, Windsor. Sound by Stagesound (London) Ltd. Lighting equipment by Strand Electric and Engineering Co. Ltd. Wardrobe care by Lux. Nylon stockings by Kayser. Diane Clare's hair styled by Carita. Lighters by Ronson. Cigarettes by Senior Service. Falstaff Panatellas by J.. R. Freeman and Sons. San Patricio sherry by Garvey's. Brandy by Denis Mounie. 'High and Dry' Bin by Booth's. Scotch whisky by J. Haig an Co Ltd.

Next week: Michael Codron will present a new play Loot, with Kenneth Williams. This fine actor has been seen at the Theatre Royal in a wide range of parts from the revue Share My Lettuce to his superb performance in Private Ear, Public Eye. Filmgoers will have found great delight in his absurd antics in the Carry On... series, while millions of listeners will have laughed at his joyous characterisations in Beyond Our Ken.

Another delightful star, Geraldine McEwen, co-stars with him, and Duncan Macrae and Ian McShane complete the cast of Loot, which is prior to West-End presentation.