A comedy of East End Cafe-Society
with Alfie Bass , Harry Fowler, Valerie Kirkbright
Written by Terrance Dicks
More About Joey
Last year the Light Programme broadcast a single comedy programme written by Terrance Dicks, entitled The Lonely Hearts. The story concerned young Joey Green who, living more by wit than work, decided that a marriage bureau could be a means of self-service as well as public service.
Tonight Terrance Dicks's first series begins. In it are six half-hour programmes, each an amusing w the somewhat uncertain existence of Joey Green. The three main characters are Hymie Rosen, a kindly and philosophical Jewish cafe proprietor, Mary, Joeys girl-friend, whose main interest is to pin him down to wedding date; and Joey Green himself. Alfie Bass plays Rosen, Valerie Kirkbright is the girl-friend, and Harry Fowler the ebullient Joey. Most of the action draws colour from regular and irregular members of an East End cafe society: market traders, small-time spivs and crooks, the local law, and now and then an import from the plushier West End. Tonight's story concerns a consignment of plastic toy ducks from which Joey hopes to turn over several honest pennies.
Throughout the series the status quo is of course preserved. Whether Joey tries to promote a pop-star, or promote Hymie Rosen to the local council-even in his David-and-Goliath encounter with big business-Joey survives, and is never dull while he is doing it.
(John Bridges)