The After-Dinner Joke

"The After-Dinner Joke" is the 17th episode of eighth season of the British BBC anthology TV series Play for Today. The episode was a television play that was originally broadcast on 14 February 1978. "The After-Dinner Joke" was written by Caryl Churchill, directed by Colin Bucksey, produced by Margaret Matheson, and starred Paula Wilcox.

Unfolding through a sequence of 66 short, episodic scenes and utilising many characters, the drama explores the politics of charity through the story of a young woman called Selby who wants "to do good." As a charity worker, she studiously avoids becoming embroiled in political issues, only to discover during the course of the action that this is impossible. "There's something political about everything," a local Mayor assures her.

It has also been produced for the stage, including a major revival at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, London, directed by Sophie Boyce in May 2014.

Cast

 * Paula Wilcox as Selby
 * Richard Vernon as Price
 * Clive Merrison as Dent
 * Derek Smith as the Mayor