This Is Your Life: Alec McCowen

Alec MCCOWEN CBE (1925-2017)

The first edition to acknowledge a same-sex relationship

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Alec McCowen, actor, was surprised by Michael Aspel during the curtain call of Jeffrey Archer's play Exclusive at the Strand Theatre in London.

Alec, who was born in Tunbridge Wells, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in repertory theatre before making his London debut in 1950. He established a reputation in classical stage roles, working in the West End, on Broadway and with The Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Although he made regular screen appearances on film and television, he achieved his greatest success in theatre, winning the Evening Standard Best Actor award three times. His solo performance of the St Mark's Gospel - a show he devised and directed himself - earned him one of his three Tony Award nominations.

"Gracious! Mercy me! Are you sure you don't mean Jeffrey Archer?"

programme details...

Edition No: 764
Subject No: 756
Broadcast date: Wed 6 Dec 1989
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 4 Oct 1989
Repeated: Thu 7 Dec 1989 1.30pm
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 30
Edition: 7
Code name: Smart

on the guest list...

David - brother-in-law
cast members of Exclusive
Eileen Atkins
Jean - sister
Mary - mother
Dick Miles
Lala Lloyd
Phyllis Calvert
Anna Massey
Alan MacNaughtan
Margaret Courtenay
Ellen Pollock
Nigel - nephew
Jeffrey Archer
Julie Walters
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies

production team...

Researcher: Tom Wettengel
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, Paul Kirrage
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

This Is Your Life

The Daily Mail profiles the programme's history

This is my life...

Radio Times interviews Michael Aspel

Phyllis Calvert

Ellen Pollock

Screenshots of Alec McCowen This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

When Michael Aspel surprised Alec McCowen on stage at the Strand Theatre on 4 October 1989, where he was appearing in the Jeffrey Archer play Exclusive, set in a Fleet Street newspaper office, the programme made real-life headlines, and for a reason no one could have predicted.

On stage with him were Paul Scofield and Eileen Atkins, and we had assembled surprise contributions from some famous names who had worked with this three-times Stage Actor of the Year winner. Phyllis Calvert, Anna Massey, Alan MacNaughtan, Margaret Courtenay, Julie Walters, George Bernard Shaw's great leading lady Ellen Pollock, and ninety-eight-year-old Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, all sang his praises.

But the following day, Alec rang to say he was not happy – and it was his reason that made the headlines.

He was concerned nothing had been mentioned of actor Geoff Burridge, his close companion of many years, who had fallen victim to AIDS two years before.

But he was satisfied when Michael Aspel recorded a voice-over after the closing titles to the effect that no life story of Alec McCowen would be complete without mention of Geoff Burridge.

Series 30 subjects