''Evelyn'' is a radio play by Rhys Adrian, first broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

on 21 October 1969. It was later adapted for television as part of

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

's '' Play for Today'' series which was transmitted on 28 October 1971.

Synopsis

The play is largely a two-hander comprising a series of vignettes featuring pillow talk between the characters referred to in the script simply as 'The Man' and 'The Girl'. He is a city professional in his mid-thirties, she is a

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. C ...

housewife in her early twenties; both are enjoying an extra-marital affair, meeting every Tuesday afternoon to make love while The Girl's husband works late at the office. During one of their liaisons, The Girl claims to love both The Man and her husband equally. Troubled by this revelation, he gently persuades her to leave her husband and commit to him. The Girl does not consider this practical, and reveals that, besides her husband, The Man is not the only lover in her life. The Man grows increasingly paranoid that he will soon be replaced in The Girl's affections. In an attempt to keep their love for each other alive, he invents a mistress called Evelyn who he intends to leave, along with his wife, so that he can be with The Girl – believing that this will finally persuade her to abandon her other lovers for him. Their meetings soon become more infrequent as The Girl begins to spend more time with her new lover, Peter. Despite the growing distance between them, The Girl reassures The Man that she still loves him. The play ends with a telephone conversation between the two, The Man suggesting times and places for them to meet, only for The Girl to inform him that she is unavailable. As she is about to hang up she tells The Man once more that she loves him, replaces the receiver and sighs wearily. ''Evelyn'' was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 1969. It was awarded the RAI Prize for Literary and Dramatic Programmes at the

Prix Italia The Prix Italia is an international television, radio-broadcasting and web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with th ...

in 1970.

Radio cast

* Ian Richardson as The Man * Pauline Collins as The Girl * Geoffrey Collins as Peter

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* ''Best Radio Plays of 1982'' ( Methuen; 1983) * John Drakakis (Ed.), ''British Radio Drama'' (

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

; 1981)

External links

The Diversity Website

The British Television Drama Website
1969 radio dramas BBC Radio 4 programmes British radio dramas Works by Rhys Adrian