Screening: Dennis Potter, 'Double Dare' (1976)

Taking place as part of the public programmes for Hilary Lloyd Very High Frequency, this screening programme surveys key and rarely seen works by Dennis Potter.

The programme primarily focuses on Potter’s work for the BBC’s groundbreaking anthology drama series The Wednesday Play (1964–1970) and its successor Play for Today (1970–1984). Reflecting then-contemporary social and political contexts, these single-play formats became platforms for provocative storytelling that encompassed realism, satire and experimental drama. The series, which included Potter’s early semi-autobiographical works such as Stand Up, Nigel Barton (1965), helped launch his career, alongside directors such as Ken Loach and, later, Alan Clarke and Stephen Frears.

Two special marathon screenings showcase Dennis Potter’s most significant television serials. Pennies From Heaven (1978) marked Potter’s first major popular success and is recognised for transforming the possibilities of television drama. The Singing Detective (1986), widely regarded as his masterpiece, combines the themes and experimental structures of his earlier work to explore noir fantasy, childhood memory and musical interludes in a brilliant, hallucinatory narrative.

Potter’s readiness to engage with complex themes, including politics, class, illness, sexuality and religion, is a significant reminder of a time when a limited number of television channels vied for public attention and challenging content was broadcast to a mass audience.

Double Dare (1976)Wednesday 12 November 2025, 7–8.15 pm

Based on a real meeting between Dennis Potter and actress Kika Markham at a hotel on The Strand, Double Dare is one of Potter’s most exposing and self-referential works. It follows the playwright Martin Ellis (Alan Dobie) and actress Helen, played by Markham, whose meeting mirrors the fictional scenario they’re meant to discuss: a scene between a sex worker and her client.

Initially aired as part of the BBC's Play for Today series, the dialogue between the playwright and actress was said by Markham to be a faithful transcript of her initial meeting with Potter. Faithful to Potter's thematic interests explored in works such as The Singing Detective and Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Double Dare explores the tenuous boundaries between fantasy and reality, author and character.

Writer: Dennis Potter; Director: John Mackenzie; Producer: Kenith TroddRuntime: 70 mins

Content warning

Contains mature and potentially distressing material, including sexual content, strong language, and depictions of manipulation and psychological tension. The play also includes themes and dialogue of a sexual and unsettling nature. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. Age guidance: 15+.

Image credit

Alan Yentob interviews Dennis Potter, Arena, 1987, 61 minutes, film still. With thanks to the BBC Archives

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