Dangerous Corner

Dangerous Corner is a play by J.B. Priestley (1894-1984)[1].

The original text

Priestley's first solo play, this ingenious murder mystery was written in 1931, opening in May 1932 to poor reviews. However, it has since been produced all over the world. It was also his first experiment with Time, splitting it in two to show what might have happened. In the original London production Flora Robson played Olwyn Peel.

Published in Three time-plays: Dangerous corner ; Time and the Conways ; I have been here before by Pan in 1947.

Translations and Adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1932: Produced in His Majesty's Theatre by the Johannesburg REPS under contract to African Consolidated Theatres. Although only £12 was earned, the production was seen as an important recognition of the quality of work done by the amateur society.

1943: Performed in November by the personnel of 42 Air School, South African Air Force and Royal Air Force, (Port Elizabeth) in the YMCA Hut. Produced by Leslie Barry. Starring Pearl Kaplan (as Freda Caplan), Elaine Wassman (as Olwen Peel), Jean Eales (as Betty Whitehouse), Sheila Grant (as Miss Mockridge), Leslie Banks (as Robert Caplan) and Vic Falkinham (as Charles Stanton). Berry played Gordon Whitehouse. F/Sgt Norman Hewitt was the Bus Manager. "Apart from an initial nervousness and a slight forgetfulness with words, the play was a roaring success."

1946: Produced by the Johannesburg Repertory Society in the Standard Theatre, directed by Anna Romain Hoffman with Wendy Hardy Lezard ("Olwyn Peel"), Llorrine Scotts and Michael Dudley.

1948: Presented by the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society at the Little Theatre in September, directed by Peter Craig.

1956: Produced by National Theatre Organisation, directed by John Hussey who also played the lead, Edna Jacobson, Margaret Marshall, Brian Bell, Zoë Randall, Frank Wise and Sheila Houston.

1968: Produced by CAPAB Theatre-Go-Round.