by Michael Voysey
with Wilfred Pickles as William Johnson

'When I go out for my drink every night I always go exactly the same way and at exactly the same time. That sounds boring to you, but it's the familiar that's important.'

(See facing page)

The Honest Man
Whatever the law may say about a man being innocent until he is proved guilty, most of us, perhaps, tend to think that a man is a criminal as soon as he has been charged, particularly if there are a number of independent witnesses to support the prosecution.

In today's play, William Johnson, a modest man working in a humdrum office job, has a mild upset with his wife over money, and decides, on the spur of the moment, to walk home along an unfamiliar route and forgo his usual drink with a few friends. A shopkeeper in the vicinity is attacked and he finds himself suspected of robbery with violence. When the police ask for an account of his movements on the evening in question, it ought to be easy to establish an alibi. But for William, whose life is in a comfortable rut, one day seems exactly like another, and so many people are convinced of his guilt that it needs an effort on the part of his wife and son to believe in his innocence.

Wilfred Pickles, whose recent performance in the film Billy Liar was a reminder of the fact that he is not only a gifted compere and interviewer but also a talented actor, plays William Johnson, the part he created when the play was televised two years ago.
(Alfred Bradley)