A psychological television play examining a man’s disturbing preoccupation with human cruelty.
Jepson (Anthony Douse) is a Birmingham office clerk who cultivates a private and morbid obsession. In his spare time, he immerses himself in the study of violence, poring over newspaper clippings of modern warfare and detailed accounts of historical torture. His fixation leads him to re-enact these events, including the execution of a religious sect in the 17th century, as he attempts to process the constant stream of horror reported by the media. His colleagues, including Miss Miles (Alex Marshall) and Mrs McAllister (Doreen Hepburn), remain oblivious to his unsettling inner life.
David Rudkin’s teleplay is a confrontational piece of theatre, using its protagonist not as a simple case study of obsession but as a lens to scrutinise a society desensitised to violence. The drama puts the viewer’s own consumption of news imagery on trial, questioning who is more unwell: the man who fixates on atrocity, or the culture that serves it up for daily consumption. Director Barry Hanson constructs a frenetic and visually disorienting experience. The narrative is fragmented, built from a series of intense vignettes rather than a conventional plot. Hanson’s camera focuses on unsettling details and moments of physical distress, creating a celluloid fever dream that mirrors Jepson’s own state of mind.
Broadcast: BBC Two – BBC Birmingham, 1 Episode, 15 March 1973
Written by: David Rudkin
Director: Barry Hanson
Producer: David Rose
Designer: Stanley Morris
Main Cast: Anthony Douse (Jepson), Alex Marshall (Miss Miles), Doreen Hepburn (Mrs McAllister), Malcolm Terris (Stranger in Waxworks)
