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Special Edition 6 - January 2019 - HHH Recording Venues

Hancock’s Half

Hour –

Recording

Venues

By Martin Gibbons

Hancock’s Half Hour – Rehearsal and Recording Venues

Introduction

At 10:00 am on the 30th October 1954, history was made when the cast of the brand new series

Hancock’s Half Hour gathered at The Camden Theatre London for rehearsals of the very first episode.

Recording took place from 12:30 on the same day and the rest, as they say, is history!

Over the six radio series of Hancock’s Half Hour, shows were either rehearsed or recorded at many

venues used by the BBC for radio recordings. None of these venues are used by the BBC today and,

unfortunately, not all of them survive. However, a number of them remain as places of entertainment

and this article provides a brief history and pictorial view of these venues today.

The THAS has been granted behind the scenes access to two locations and the Society would like to

thank those venues for their kind hospitality in allowing us exclusive behind the scenes access.

The Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue near Trafalgar Square

We start our tour at The Playhouse Theatre which is adjacent to Charing Cross Railway Station in

London. The first episode of Hancock’s Half Hour to be rehearsed and recorded there was the third

episode of the third series: The Idol.

Extract from the script of The First Night Party, Recorded on 30th October 1954 at The Camden Theatre

Extract from the script of The Idol, Recorded on 13th November 1954 at The Playhouse Theatre

The theatre originally opened in 1882 with a seating capacity of 1,200. Productions during these early

years comprised comic operas, burlesques and farces featuring many Music Hall stars of the day. By its

second decade, productions started to include drama.

Work on remodelling the interior of the theatre took place in 1905. However, a disastrous accident took

place during this work when the roof of the adjacent Charing Cross Station, which was situated above

the theatre, partially collapsed. The roof and girders of Charing Cross station fell across the train lines

but part of the station's western wall also fell and crashed through the roof and wall of the theatre,

extensively damaging the incomplete interior of the theatre. This resulted in the deaths of three people

in the station, three workmen on the theatre site and injuries to many more.

The theatre was repaired and re-opened as The Playhouse on 28 January 1907 with a reduced seating

capacity of 679. The opening night performance was a one-act play called The Drums of Oudh.

Throughout the following years, The Playhouse Theatre put on wide range of dramas including W.

Somerset Maugham's Home and Beauty, which premièred at the Playhouse on 30 August 1919 and ran

for 235 performances! Alec Guinness made his stage début there in Ward Dorane's play Libel! on 2

April 1934.

The theatre was taken over by the BBC in 1951 as a studio to record live performances. In addition to

Hancock’s Half Hour, performances of many radio shows including The Goon Show and the radio version

of Steptoe and Son were also recorded there. The theatre also hosted live performance from the great

rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, including, KISS, Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles and Pink

Floyd.

The BBC left the theatre in 1976, leaving the theatre dark and in danger of demolition. The theatre was

restored in 1987 to its 1907 design, with the restoration also including the original sub-stage machinery

which remains in place to this day.

The theatre has subsequently passed through a number of different owners including American

Investment Banker Patrick Suleiman Cole who oversaw a complete refurbishment under the guidance of

English Heritage, with the auditorium luxuriously decorated, with grandiose murals, caryatids (a sculpted

female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar), golden pillars,

carved balustrades, and shining gold decoration. It reopened in 1997.

The theatre is currently owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group. There have been a number of

successes at the Playhouse since the late 1990s. These have included Naked (1998); J. B. Priestley's An

Inspector Calls (2001) and Journey's End, directed by David Grindley.

As mentioned above, the THAS was fortunate to have been granted extensive behind the scenes access

and the following photos were taken by the author during this visit in 2017.

For full details of the Hancock’s Half Hour shows rehearsed or recorded at each Theatre, please see the

Appendix at the end of this article.

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: The front of Charing Cross Station can be seen immediately behind the

theatre in the photo above.

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: The auditorium seen from the stage.

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: The auditorium seen from the stage.

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: The stage seen from the auditorium

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: Interior shots

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: Dressing rooms

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: Original sub-stage machinery

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: Stage door

The Playhouse Theatre in 2017: Another

interior shot (top) and the view from the

theatre towards the Thames (bottom)

The Camden Theatre, 1A Camden High St, London

Our next visit is to The Camden Theatre which is situated close to Mornington Crescent tube station,

made famous in the long running radio series I’m Sorry, I Haven’t A Clue. The first episode of Hancock’s

Half Hour to be rehearsed and recorded there was the very first episode of Hancock’s Half Hour and no

fewer than eight of the first 16 episodes were recorded at this venue.

The Camden Theatre opened on Boxing Day 1900 and had a capacity of 2,434, making it one of the

largest theatres outside of London’s West End. Originally opened as a playhouse, with performances

including operas, the theatre transferred to variety in 1909 and was re-named the Camden Hippodrome

Theatre in 1909.

With the growth in the popularity of silent films in the early part of the twentieth century, the

Hippodrome started to include films in its programme from 1911 and, in 1913, converted to a cinema

known as the Camden Hippodrome Picture Theatre which was taken over by the Gaumont British

Cinema Group in 1928.

Along with many theatres and cinemas, the Camden Hippodrome Picture Theatre closed during the

Second World War and was re-born in 1945 as a BBC Radio Theatre. One of the first programmes to

broadcast live from the theatre was The Richard Tauber Programme (from 1945 – 1947); Richard was an

Austrian tenor and film actor.

Other programmes quickly followed and, in addition to Hancock’s Half Hour, other programmes to be

recorded at The Camden Theatre included The Goon Show and the Monty Python’s Flying Circus Album.

The BBC left the Camden Theatre in 1972 and, in 1977, the venue was renamed The Music Machine, a

live music venue.

By 1982, the venue had been renamed the Camden Palace and continued with its live music events, and

was famous for its weekly rave events. The venue closed in 2004 and was left in a poor run-down

condition.

Extract from the script of The Diamond Ring, Recorded on 6th November 1954 at The Camden Theatre

Purchased later the same year, the new owners (Mint Entertainment) saw the potential of the venue

and undertook a multimillion pound restoration project over several months. At the end of this period,

the venue was re-born as Koko and continues to this day as a fantastic live music venue.

Whist the THAS has obtained some photos from the theatre (which are credited below), we were unable

to obtain official access to the theatre in the same was as we did with The Playhouse Theatre. However,

the author has attended a number of music gigs at the venue and some of these photos were taken at

these gigs giving a real feel for the venue in action today.

The Camden Theatre (now Koko) in 2017 (Koko Photo)

The Camden Theatre (now Koko) Official Auditorium Photos (Koko Photo)

The Camden Theatre (now Koko) during a gig by Swiss Band Cellar Darling in 2018

The Camden Theatre (now Koko); Many original features were restored during the 2004 renovation

Many original features were restored during the 2004 renovation, including the deep red colour scheme (above). Official

photoshoot by Austrian Band Serenity in 2018, showcasing the auditorium (below)

The Camden Theatre (now Koko) pictured in December 2018

BBC Paris Studios

Our next visit is to the BBC Paris Studio, which was based in a former cinema at 12 Lower Regent Street,

London. The first episode of Hancock’s Half Hour to be rehearsed and recorded there was episode 10 of

the first series of Hancock’s Half Hour (Cinderella Hancock) and seven of the first 16 episodes were

recorded at this venue.

The Paris Cinema was in the basement of an office building called Rex House and the entire building was

designed by the noted cinema architect Robert Cromie. The cinema opened in April 1939 but had closed

by November 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Cinema Treasures describes the cinema as follows:

Externally, there was no canopy over the entrance which was adjacent to the entrance to Rex House on its northern side. A doorway led into a small foyer, with stairs down to the auditorium. Seating was provided on a single floor. The plain Art Modern styled decoration was broken only by ribs in the ceiling, which contained concealed lighting and a back-lit alcove on each side of the proscenium.

The cinema reopened for occasional Trade Shows in February 1940 and closed as a cinema again in

September 1940 when it was requisitioned by the government.

After the end of the Second World War, the cinema became a BBC Radio studio. With a capacity of only

400 and a stage raised approximately a foot above the audience, the venue was perfect for both

recording comedy programmes and for live broadcasts. In addition to Hancock’s Half Hour, shows such

as Hi Gang!, I’m Sorry I haven’t A Clue, the radio Dad’s Army and The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

were all recorded there. The venue was also used for many music recordings including The Beatles,

David Bowie, Deep Purple, Pink Floyds and Simple Minds.

When the new BBC Radio Theatre was opened in Broadcasting House in 1995, the BBC Paris Studios

were closed. They were left empty for several years and eventually were converted into an LA Fitness

gym in 1995. Today it remains a gym – called Pure Gym.

Extract from the script of Cinderella Hancock, Recorded on 3rd January 1955 at The BBC Paris Studios

Images of the Paris Cinema / BBC

Paris Studios

BBC Paris Studios Today (December 2018).

The original entrance was behind the ‘Pure

Gym’ window in the above photo.

The Fortune Theatre

Next we go to The Fortune Theatre which is situated in Russell Street, close by where Hancock and Larry

Stephens shared a flat. The change of venue for the third series of Hancock’s Half Hour was largely

driven by the unavailability of the other venues. The first episode of Hancock’s Half Hour to be

rehearsed and recorded there was the first episode of Series 3 (The Pet Dog) and all but one episode of

Series 3 was recorded at this venue. Interestingly, this venue was not used again after Series 3 had

finished.

The Fortune Theatre opened its doors as The Fortune Thriller Theatre on 8th August 1924 with the play

Sinners by Lawrence Cowen. The theatre was built on the site of the Albion Tavern, a pubic house that

was frequented by actors during the Georgian and Victorian era.

Shortly before the Theatre's opening, The Era Theatrical Newspaper printed a review of the building in their October the 30th 1924 edition which said:-

The theatre will certainly be one of the most beautiful in London. The facade alone with its strange medieval art is already one of the features of metropolitan architecture, and the interior decorations follow the same fresh and original note.

The colour scheme of blue greys, creams, browns, red and old gold is supplemented by an almost lavish use of marble, onyx, copper and wrought iron, and the curtain is a gorgeously rich and satisfying piece of colour. Every seat has a full view of the stage, and they are all of mahogany, upholstered tastefully in dark blue leather.

The famous Schwabe-Hazait lighting system has been installed, not only for its stage purposes, but throughout the theatre, and one of its features is that the lighting in the front of the house is by reflection; not a single lamp being visible to the eye. The entrance hall is an exceedingly handsome affair

Extract from the script of The Pet Dog, recorded on 16th October 1955 at The Fortune Theatre

of marble and copper, and the first thing to meet the eye is the challenging inscription, 'There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune’.

The building is certainly unusual. Built in early art deco style characterised by the bold geometric styles

of Cubism, the popular art form of the 1910s and 1920s typified by Pablo Picasso, the theatre also

originally featured bright colours typically associated with the Fauvism art style typified by Henri

Matisse.

The structure of the theatre is also unusual being one of the first buildings in London to be built with an

exposed concrete façade with the roof supported by a series of brick pillars.

The theatre boasts a famous figurine in the form of Terpsichore, one of the nine muses found in Greek

Mythology who was the Goddess of dance and chorus. Her name, Terpsichore, means ‘delight in

dancing.’

The venue only seats 432 and, as such, is one of the smallest theatres in London’s West End. Such a

small venue was ideally suited for recording radio shows. The theatre was refurbished in 1960 and is

currently owned by the same owner as The Playhouse Theatre: theAmbassador Theatre Group. It is

Grade 2 listed.

Although it has put on many plays over the decades, The Fortune Theatre is most famous for The

Woman in Black. This show has been performed at The Fortune since 1989 and is now in its 29th year.

No information has been uncovered regarding the period in which The Fortune was used for the recording of Hancock’s Half Hour. However the recordings took place between the end the Agatha Christie’s The Hollow (which commenced in 1951 and ran for 376 performances) and Flanders and Swann’s At the Drop of a Hat which ran from November 30, 1956 to November 30, 1958.

As mentioned above, the THAS was fortunate to have been granted extensive behind the scenes access

and the following photos were taken by the author during this visit in 2018. Unfortunately, external

photos were somewhat marred by the white vans parked outside the venue!

The Fortune Theatre Russell

Street – December 2018

The Fortune Theatre: View of the Stage from the Upper Circle (above) and artwork above the Upper

Circle (below)

(below)

The Fortune Theatre: Upper Circle Bar (above) and Dress Circle Bar (below)

The Fortune Theatre: View of the Stage

from the Dress Circle (above) and view of

the ‘boxes’ from the Dress Circle (left)

The Fortune Theatre: View of the Stage from the Stalls

The Fortune Theatre: Foyer and Box Office (above and below left); the ‘challenging inscription’

mentioned in the text above (below right)

The Fortune Theatre: Views of the auditorium from the stage.

The Fortune Theatre: Below the stage and the stage ‘trap door’

The Fortune Theatre: View above the stage

(left). The Fortune Theatre has the only

threefold purchase block and tackle rope

system in the country due to the fact that the

theatre is built over the entrance to a church

and the ropes do not reach straight down to

the stage but, instead, are routed over the

church entrance.

The entrance to the church can be seen in the

external photo (below)

The Fortune Theatre Dressing Rooms

The Fortune Theatre: Art Deco features: Lead lighted

internal doors (above); Geometric styling in the

auditorium (bottom)

The Fortune Theatre: Art Deco features: Geometric

styling in the auditorium (left); the ceiling above the

stage (below)

The Fortune Theatre: Stage Door and side view

(above) and main entrance (below)

The Fortune Theatre: Plaque on the front of the theatre (above).

Previous page: Front above the entrance showing Terpsichore (top left) and a closer view of Terpsichore

(top right).

Side view of the Theatre (bottom left) and advert for the show The Woman in Black which has been

running since 1989 (bottom right)

The Piccadilly

Our next stop is The Piccadilly Studios which were housed at 201 Piccadilly, London. The only episodes

to be recorded there were the first two episodes of Series 4 (Back from Holiday and The Bolshoi Ballet)

and the four transcription service re-makes (The 13th of the Month, The New Secretary, The Ballet Visit

and The Election Candidate).

There were two studios at 201 Piccadilly which were housed behind a small doorway placed between

two shop fronts. A corridor led from the small doorway to Piccadilly 1 (where the Hancock’s Half Hours

were recorded) and a staircase led down to Piccadilly 2. Piccadilly 1 could only hold an audience of 50

and had a very small stage. The studio was usually used for light entertainment shows which required an

audience and, after being refurbished in the mid1960’s, played host to many musical greats of the day

including George Harrison of The Beatles.

It is currently occupied by retail outlets.

Extract from the script of Back from Holiday, recorded on 7th October 1956 at Piccadilly Studio

Studio 1 at 201, Piccadilly

201 Piccadilly is now a number of retail units.

One of the retail units at 201 Piccadilly (above)

Very appropriately, passing 201 Piccadilly is one of the latest generation London buses sporting an

advert for BBC Sounds, the new name for BBC Radio, podcasts and music (below)

The Aeolian

Although many script ‘read through’ sessions and rehearsals took place at The Listening Room at The

Aeolian, only one episode was recorded at this venue. This was the final radio episode to be recorded

The Christmas Club Handout on 6th December 1959.

The Aeolian Hall was built in 1876 as The Grosvenor Art Gallery. In 1903 the building was purchased by

the Orchestrelle Company of New York (the Aeolian Company). They were manufacturers of musical

instruments such as the mechanical piano-player known as the pianola and converted the building into

offices, a showroom for their musical instruments and a concert hall.

In 1943, the BBC’s broadcasting studio St George’s Hall in Langham Place was extensively damaged by

wartime bombs and the BBC relocated to The Aeolian Hall. St George’s Hall was demolished in 1966.

The Aeolian Hall was initially used for the recording and broadcast of concerts and recitals so the use of

the venue for radio comedy was unusual and just the final episode of Hancock’s Half Hour to be made

was recorded there. The venue comprised a number of BBC offices plus the huge concert studio, and a

smaller but still quite substantial studio.

The BBC left the premises in 1975, but it had been home to some of the biggest names in pop and show

business. The Beatles recorded Taste of Honey in the hall in July 1963 for Pop Goes the Beatles, and

music sessions for The Jimmy Young Show and Terry Wogan were also recorded ‘as live’ in the Hall.

Renoir House now occupies the site: the earlier building's frontage has been preserved and includes a

retail outlet whilst the hall at the rear is divided into offices.

Extract from the script of The Christmas Club Handout, recorded on 6th December 1959 at The Aeolian

Other Rehearsal Venues

On two occasions, alternative venues were used for rehearsals, both at Broadcasting House, Portland

Place. These were:

Studio 8b Broadcasting House – Rehearsals for The Jewel Robbery (series 3, episode 2); and

Studio 1 Broadcasting House - Rehearsal for Hancock in the Police (series 4, episode 18).

BBC Radio Theatre

And now to bring everything up to date: The BBC Radio Theatre

The Radio Theatre is situated in Broadcasting House in Portland Place London. It was originally opened

as the BBC Concert Hall. Around 1995, the Concert Hall was restored and reimagined as an intimate

radio theatre, seating approximately 300, with the floor several feet higher than the original floor at the

stage end.

Only the frontage of The Aeolian survives today as a retail outlet

All of The Missing Hancock’s recorded to date have been rehearsed and recorded at the BBC Radio

Theatre although, at the time of writing there are three more still to be recorded, with these scheduled

for January 2019. The venue for these is not yet known.

Extract from the script of A Holiday in France Recorded 2nd December 2016

Broadcasting House December 2018

The Radio Theatre (above – BBC Photo)

The Radio Theatre for The Missing Hancock’s – Uncredited on-line photo)

The Radio Theatre contains 12 friezes, an example of which is shown above. Gilbert Bayes (1872 - 1953)

was commissioned to create these friezes for the walls of the original Concert Hall and these were

retained when the Radio Theatre was created. The carvings on the western wall are of classical scenes

such as poetry, dancing and music. Those on the opposite wall depict modern scenes. Bayes, who

studied in London and worked in France and Italy, is best-known for his Queen of Time (1908), which

supports the clock above the main entrance of Selfridge's in London's Oxford Street.

Appendix

Hancock’s Half Hour Shows recorded or rehearsed at each Theatre / Studio

Hancock’s Half Hour Radio Recording Venues

Episode Number

Episode Title Recording Venue Rehearsal Venue Original

Broadcast Date

Series 1

1.01 The First Night Party Camden Theatre Camden Theatre 2/11/54

1.02 The Diamond Ring Aeolian Listening Room /Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 9/11/54

1.03 The Idol Aeolian Listening Room / Playhouse

Playhouse 16/11/54

1.04 The Boxing Champion Aeolian Listening Room /Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 23/11/54

1.05 The Hancock Festival Aeolian Listening Room /Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 30/11/54

1.06 The New Car Aeolian Listening Room /Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 7/12/54

1.07 The Department Store Santa

Camden Theatre Camden Theatre 14/12/54

1.08 Christmas At Aldershot Camden Theatre Camden Theatre 21/12/54

1.09 Christmas Eve Party Aeolian Listening Room /Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 28/12/54

1.10 Cinderella Hancock Piccadilly 1 / Paris Paris 4/1/55

1.11 A Trip To France Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 11/1/55

1.12 The Monte Carlo Rally Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 18/1/55

1.13 A House On The Cliff Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 25/1/55

1.14 The Sheikh Piccadilly 1 / Paris Paris 1/2/55

1.15 The Marriage Bureau Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 8/2/55

1.16 The End Of The Series Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 15/2/55

Series 2

2.01 A Holiday In France Camden Theatre Camden Theatre 19/4/55

2.02 The Crown Jewels Studio 1a Camden / Camden Theatre

Camden Theatre 26/4/55

2.03 The Racehorse Studio 1a Camden Camden Theatre 3/5/55

2.04 A Visit To Swansea Aeolian 2 / Paris Paris 10/5/55

2.05 The Holiday Camp Studio 1a Camden Camden Theatre 17/5/55

2.06 The Chef That Died of Shame

Playhouse Playhouse 24/5/55

2.07 Prime Minister Hancock Playhouse Playhouse 31/5/55

2.08 The Rail Strike Playhouse Playhouse 7/6/55

2.09 The Television Set Playhouse Playhouse 14/6/55

2.10 The Three Sons Playhouse Playhouse 21/6/55

2.11 The Marrow Contest Playhouse Playhouse 28/6/55

Episode Number

Episode Title Recording Venue Rehearsal Venue Original

Broadcast Date

2.12 The Matador Camden Theatre Camden Theatre 5/7/55

Series 3

3.01 The Pet Dog Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 19/10/55

3.02 The Jewel Robbery Studio 8B Broadcasting House

Playhouse 26/10/55

3.03 The Bequest Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 2/11/55

3.04 The New Neighbour Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 9/11/55

3.05 The Winter Holiday Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 16/11/55

3.06 The Blackboard Jungle Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 23/11/55

3.07 The Red Planet Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 30/11/55

3.08 The Diet Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 7/12/55

3.09 A Visit To Russia Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 14/12/55

3.10 The Trial of Father Christmas

Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 21/12/55

3.11 Cinderella Hancock Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 28/12/55

3.12 The New Year Resolutions Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 4/1/56

3.13 Hancock's Hair Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 11/1/56

3.14 The Student Prince Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 18/1/56

3.15 The Breakfast Cereal Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 25/1/56

3.16 How Hancock Won The War Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 1/2/56

3.17 The Newspaper Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 8/2/56

3.18 The Greyhound Track Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 15/2/56

3.19 The Conjuror Aeolian 2 Paris 22/2/56

3.20 The Test Match Fortune Theatre Fortune Theatre 29/2/56

Series 4

4.01 Back From Holiday Piccadilly Studio 1 Piccadilly Studio 1 14/10/56

4.02 The Bolshoi Ballet Piccadilly Studio 1 Piccadilly Studio 1 21/10/56

4.03 Sid James' Dad Playhouse Playhouse 28/10/56

4.04 The Income Tax Demand Playhouse Playhouse 4/11/56

4.05 The New Secretary Playhouse Playhouse 11/11/56

4.06 Michelangelo 'Ancock Playhouse Playhouse 18/11/56

4.07 Anna & The King Of Siam Playhouse Playhouse 25/11/56

4.08 Cyrano De Hancock Playhouse Playhouse 2/12/56

4.09 The Stolen Petrol Playhouse Playhouse 9/12/56

4.10 The Espresso Bar Playhouse Playhouse 16/12/56

4.11 Hancock's Happy Christmas Playhouse Playhouse 23/12/56

Episode Number

Episode Title Recording Venue Rehearsal Venue Original

Broadcast Date

4.12 The Diary Playhouse Playhouse 30/12/56

4.13 The 13th Of The Series Playhouse Playhouse 6/1/57

4.14 Almost A Gentleman Playhouse Playhouse 13/1/57

4.15 The Old School Reunion Playhouse Playhouse 20/1/57

4.16 The Wild Man Of The Woods

Playhouse Playhouse 27/1/57

4.17 Agricultural 'Ancock Paris Paris 3/2/57

4.18 Hancock In The Police Studio 1 Broadcasting House / Paris

Paris 10/2/57

4.19 The Emigrant Piccadilly 1 / Paris Paris 17/2/57

4.20 The Last Of The McHancocks

Piccadilly 2 / Paris Paris 24/2/57

Series 5

5.01 The New Radio Series Playhouse Playhouse 21/1/58

5.02 The Scandal Magazine Playhouse Playhouse 28/1/58

5.03 The Male Suffragettes Playhouse Playhouse 4/2/58

5.04 The Insurance Policy Paris Paris 11/2/58

5.05 The Publicity Photograph Playhouse Playhouse 18/2/58

5.06 The Unexploded Bomb Playhouse Playhouse 25/2/58

5.07 Hancock's School Playhouse Playhouse 4/3/58

5.08 Around The World In Eighty Days

Playhouse Playhouse 11/3/58

5.09 The Americans Hit Town Playhouse Playhouse 18/3/58

5.10 The Election Candidate Playhouse Playhouse 25/3/58

5.11 Hancock's Car Playhouse Playhouse 1/4/58

5.12 The East Cheam Drama Festival

Playhouse Playhouse 8/4/58

5.13 The Foreign Legion Playhouse Playhouse 15/4/58

5.14 Sunday Afternoon At Home Playhouse Playhouse 22/4/58

5.15 The Grappling Game Playhouse Playhouse 29/4/58

5.16 The Junk Man Playhouse Playhouse 6/5/58

Episode Number

Episode Title Recording Venue Rehearsal Venue Original

Broadcast Date

5.17 Hancock's War Playhouse Playhouse 13/5/58

5.18 The Prize Money Playhouse Playhouse 20/5/58

5.19 The Threatening Letters Playhouse Playhouse 27/5/58

5.20 The Sleepless Night Playhouse Playhouse 3/6/58

1958 Specials

SP Welcome to London (Commonwealth Special)

No details known No details known 3/8/58

SP Bill and Father Christmas No details known No details known 25/12/58

Transcription Services Re-Makes

TS The 13th Of The Month The Piccadilly The Piccadilly 4/1/59

TS The New Secretary The Piccadilly The Piccadilly 11/1/59

TS The Ballet Visit The Piccadilly The Piccadilly 18/1/59

TS The Election Candidate The Piccadilly The Piccadilly 25/1/59

Series 6

6.01 The Smugglers Playhouse Playhouse 29/9/59

6.02 The Childhood Sweetheart Playhouse Playhouse 6/10/59

6.03 The Last Bus Home Playhouse Playhouse 13/10/59

6.04 The Picnic Playhouse Playhouse 20/10/59

6.05 The Gourmet Playhouse Playhouse 27/10/59

6.06 The Elopement Playhouse Playhouse 3/11/59

6.07 Fred's Pie Stall Playhouse Playhouse 10/11/59

6.08 The Waxwork Playhouse Playhouse 17/11/59

6.09 Sid's Mystery Tours Playhouse Playhouse 24/11/59

6.10 The Fete Playhouse Playhouse 1/12/59

6.11 The Poetry Society Playhouse Playhouse 8/12/59

6.12 Hancock In Hospital Playhouse Playhouse 15/12/59

6.13 The Christmas Club Aeolian 1 Aeolian 1 22/12/59

6.14 The Impersonator Playhouse Playhouse 29/12/59