# The White Carnation > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_White_Carnation > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_White_Carnation.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Carnation > Source revision: 1333719654 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1963 play by R. C. Sherriff For the 1954 TV episode, see [Climax!](/source/Climax!) The White Carnation Written by R.C. Sheriff Genre Drama ***The White Carnation*** is a 1953 play by English playwright [R. C. Sherriff](/source/R._C._Sherriff). Its premiere production had a cast led by [Ralph Richardson](/source/Ralph_Richardson), but it was not revived until a 2013 [Finborough Theatre](/source/Finborough_Theatre) production featuring [Aden Gillett](/source/Aden_Gillett) and [Benjamin Whitrow](/source/Benjamin_Whitrow).[1] In 2014, the play was performed at the [Jermyn Street Theatre](/source/Jermyn_Street_Theatre)[2] ## Plot John Greenwood says goodbye to the guests from his and his wife's [Christmas Eve](/source/Christmas_Eve), but a gust of wind shuts the front door and leaves him locked out of his own house. He breaks a window to gain entry and finds the house ruined and deserted. A policeman questions him what he is doing in the house, all of whose inhabitants were killed by a [V-1 flying bomb](/source/V-1_flying_bomb) during a Christmas Eve party in 1944, but Greenwood indignantly insists that he is in his own house. A [coroner](/source/Coroner) and doctor are summoned and inform Greenwood that he was one of the inhabitants killed and that he has returned to the house as a ghost - and that is now 1951. Greenwood is visited by Lydia Truscott, niece of the town clerk, who agrees to help him in his attempts at self-education and returning to the spirit-world. He also meets with a welcome from the local vicar Mr. Pendlebury and his next door neighbour Mrs. Carter, but also has to deal with the coroner and the Home Office, who are determined to move Greenwood out, knock the house down and build new flats on the site. As the house's demolition begins, Greenwood finally vanishes and in a final scene re-runs his last Christmas Eve party, reconciling with his wife, whom during his haunting he had realised that he had emotionally ill-treated during his lifetime. ## Critical reaction Writing in *[The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times)*, the critic [Harold Hobson](/source/Harold_Hobson) called the original production of the play "extremely and touchingly human".[3] Of the revival [Dominic Cavendish](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominic_Cavendish&action=edit&redlink=1) writing in the *[Telegraph](/source/Daily_Telegraph)* observed, "what a neglected little treasure it proves: not life-changing, maybe, but life-affirming".[3] However, writing in *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, [Michael Billington](/source/Michael_Billington_(critic)) called the play "passably entertaining, but much of its feels like quilted padding."[4] ## Adaptations The White Carnation Advertisement from The Age 1 May 1963 Directed by Christopher Muir Country of origin Australia Original language English Production Running time 60 mins[5] Production company Australian Broadcasting Commission Original release Release 1 May 1963 (1963-05-01) (Melbourne, live)[6] Release 29 May 1963 (1963-05-29)[7] ### Australian TV version The play was adapted for Australian TV in 1963 directed by [Christopher Muir](/source/Christopher_Muir).[8] Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[9] The play starred [Michael Duffield](/source/Michael_Duffield) as John Greenwood, and featured Stewart Weller, Neville Thurgood, Roly Barlee, Barbara Brandon, Margaret Cruikshank, Brian Gilmar, Edward Hepple, Jane Oehr as Lydia, Alwyn Owen, Hugh Stewart, Leslie Wright and Felicity Young. The set was designed by Kevin Bartlett.[10] Chris Muir stated while filming it the set caught fire. They kept filming it while the studio hands put out the fire with extinguishers before the sprinklers went on.[11] ### BBC Radio version The [BBC World Service](/source/BBC_World_Service) broadcast an audio adaptation by Penny Leicester in December 1990, starring [Philip Voss](/source/Philip_Voss) as John Greenwood. The recording has been repeated on [BBC Radio 4 Extra](/source/BBC_Radio_4_Extra).[12] ## See also - [List of television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1960s)](/source/List_of_television_plays_broadcast_on_Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation_(1960s)) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The White Carnation - 2013"](http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2013/the-white-carnation.php). Finborough Theatre. Retrieved 17 November 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["What's On - Jermyn Street TheatreJermyn Street Theatre"](http://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/whatson.html#thewhitecarnation). *Jermynstreettheatre.co.uk*. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-finboroughtheatre1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-finboroughtheatre1_3-1) ["The White Carnation"](http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/2013/the-white-carnation.php). *Finborough Theatre*. Retrieved 29 December 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Billington, Michael (29 November 2013). ["The White Carnation - review"](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/nov/29/white-carnation-review). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 29 December 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["TV Guide"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/121249282/?terms=%22white%2Bcarnation%22). *Sydney Morning Herald*. 27 May 1963. p. 15. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Untitled"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OVBVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YpUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6792%2C3617347). *The Age*. 25 April 1963. p. 19. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Ghost Theme for Play"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/121238541/?terms=%22white%2Bcarnation%22). *Sydney Morning Herald*. 20 May 1963. p. 11. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [*The White Carnation*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4080752/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). ["60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s"](https://www.filmink.com.au/60-australian-tv-plays-1950s-60s/). *Filmink*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["TV Guide"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/122051583/?terms=%22white%2Bcarnation%22). *The Age*. 25 April 1963. p. 27. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-day_11-0)** Day, Christopher (1981). "TV Drama". In Peter Beilby (ed.). *Australian TV: The First 25 Years*. Thomas Nelson. p. 138. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["BBC Radio 4 Extra - The White Carnation by RC Sherriff"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002nkmw). *BBC*. Retrieved 9 January 2026. v t e Works by R. C. Sherriff Plays Journey's End (1928) Badger's Green (1930) St Helena (1936) Miss Mabel (1948) Home at Seven (1950) The White Carnation (1953) The Long Sunset (1955) Screenplays The Invisible Man (1933) One More River (1934) Dracula's Daughter (1936) The Road Back (1937) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) The Four Feathers (1939) Lady Hamilton (1941) This Above All (1942) Mrs. Miniver (1942) Stand By for Action (1942) Forever and a Day (1943) Odd Man Out (1947) Quartet (1948) No Highway in the Sky (1950) Trio (1950) The Dam Busters (1955) The Night My Number Came Up (1955) Novels The Fortnight in September (1931) The Hopkins Manuscript (1939) TV plays The Long Sunset (1958) v t e TV productions of Christopher Muir TV plays The Proposal (1957) Dark Brown (1957) Killer in Close-Up (1957) The Duke in Darkness (1957) Last Call (1958) Outpost (1959) Black Chiffon (1959) Antony and Cleopatra (1959) Till Death Do Us Part (1959) Dinner with the Family (1959) The Astronauts (1960) Uncle Martino (1960) Eye of the Night (1960) It's the Geography That Counts (1960) Waters of the Moon (1961) The First Joanna (1961) The Rivals (1961) Quiet Night (1961) Marriage Lines (1962) Martine (1961) Boy Round the Corner (1962) Fury in Petticoats (1962) The Teeth of the Wind (1962) She'll Be Right (1962) Man of Destiny (1963) A Piece of Ribbon (1963) The White Carnation (1963) The Physicists (1964) Six Characters in Search of an Author (1964) Luther (1964) Nude with Violin (1964) Everyman (1964) The Tower (1965) Boy with Banner (1966) (not screened) Topaze (1966) A Ride on the Big Dipper (1967) Shadow on the Wall (1968) The Party (1969) Operas Amahl and the Night Visitors (1957) Fidelo (1958) Albert Herring (1959) The Bartered Bride (1960) The Secret of Susannah (1961) Il Tabarro (1961) The Ambitious Servant Girl (1962) The Prodigal Son (1962) The Consul (1962) Bastien and Bastienne (1963) Simone Boccanegra (1963) Peter Grimes (1964) Martha (1964) Carmen (1965) Ballets Giselle (1959) Ballet Studio (1959) The Nutcracker (1960) Coppelia (1960) Sylvia (1961) Caranval (1961) The Spider's Banquet (1963) One in Five (1963) Robert Pomie Ballet (1963) Hans Christian Anderson (1963) The Bloodless Sand (1964) The New Horizon (1964) The Fir Tree (1964) Seven Deadly Sins (1965) She (1967) Feature film Libido (1973) TV series Lucky Colour Blue (1975) (TV series) Andra (1976) (TV series) Golden Pennies (1985) (TV mini series) Great Expectations: The Untold Story (1988) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The White Carnation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Carnation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Carnation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.