Piece of Cake (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Piece of Cake is a six part 1988
television series, depicting the life of a Royal Air Force
fighter squadron from the day of the British entry into World War II
through to one of the toughest days in the Battle of Britain
(7 September 1940). The series was produced by Holmes Associates for London Weekend Television
and had a budget of 5 million pounds.
The series is based on the 1983 novel of the same name, by Derek Robinson. In the book, the squadron is equipped with Hurricanes
. The relative rarity of airworthy Hurricanes in the late 1980s precluded their use in the television series.
The squadron depicted was the fictional Hornet Squadron, which was equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
fighters, and deployed to France
, where it waited out the Phoney War in comfort and elegance, until the German attack on Western Europe
in May 1940. One by one, nearly all of the original pilots were killed and as losses mounted, the character of the squadron changed from a casual nonchalance to a fight for survival. By the end of the series, only four of the original fourteen officers had survived. Some of the major themes explored in the script include; the snobbery and class-consciousness that existed in the RAF during the era, the belief cherished by many of the pilots that the war would be fought as a sporting gentleman's contest, the inflexibility and in-effectiveness of the tactics used by RAF Fighter Command in early 1940 and the poor gunnery skills and in-adequate training of many of the British pilots. Like in Robinson's original novel, the storyline spans from the beginning of the war in September 1939 and climaxes with the German Luftwaffe's first massed aerial assault on London on 7 September 1940.
1988 in television
The year 1988 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1988.For the American TV schedule, see: 1988-89 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:...
television series, depicting the life of a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
fighter squadron from the day of the British entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
through to one of the toughest days in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
(7 September 1940). The series was produced by Holmes Associates for London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
and had a budget of 5 million pounds.
The series is based on the 1983 novel of the same name, by Derek Robinson. In the book, the squadron is equipped with Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. The relative rarity of airworthy Hurricanes in the late 1980s precluded their use in the television series.
The squadron depicted was the fictional Hornet Squadron, which was equipped with Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighters, and deployed to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it waited out the Phoney War in comfort and elegance, until the German attack on Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
in May 1940. One by one, nearly all of the original pilots were killed and as losses mounted, the character of the squadron changed from a casual nonchalance to a fight for survival. By the end of the series, only four of the original fourteen officers had survived. Some of the major themes explored in the script include; the snobbery and class-consciousness that existed in the RAF during the era, the belief cherished by many of the pilots that the war would be fought as a sporting gentleman's contest, the inflexibility and in-effectiveness of the tactics used by RAF Fighter Command in early 1940 and the poor gunnery skills and in-adequate training of many of the British pilots. Like in Robinson's original novel, the storyline spans from the beginning of the war in September 1939 and climaxes with the German Luftwaffe's first massed aerial assault on London on 7 September 1940.
- When the series was screened on Network Seven in Australia in 1990, the original run-time of over 5 hours was shortened to less than 4 hrs so it could be shown in two 2hr episodes (plus commercials). In order to condense the series, a considerable amount of footage was cut, mostly from scenes on the ground including some entire scenes such as when Chris Hart invites one of the ground-crew LAC Todd to play squash and the press conference held on Hornet Squadron's airfield in France.
- The series (in its complete original format of six episodes) was released on Region-1 DVD through BFS Entertainment in a 3-disc set in 2000 and has recently been re-issued in a new edition (also via BFS and in Region-1) in March 2011.
Main cast
- Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Ramsey (Pilot. Commanding Officer. Killed 1939) – Jack McKenzie - Squadron Leader Rex (Pilot. Ramsey's successor. Killed 1940) – Tim WoodwardTim Woodward-Biography:Woodward was born in London, England, the son of actors Edward Woodward and Venetia Mary Barrett.He is probably best known for his roles in the 1970s BBC drama Wings, the 1990s ITV soap opera Families and the 2000s ITV police drama Murder City...
- Flight LieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Marriott (Engineering Officer. Killed 1940) – Stephen MacKennaStephen MacKennaStephen MacKenna was an Irish translator of Plotinus. In Joyce's Ulysses, the librarian Richard Best says, "Mallarmé, don't you know, has written those wonderful prose poems Stephen MacKenna used to read to me in Paris" .... - Flight Lieutenant 'Uncle' Kellaway (Adjutant) – David HorovitchDavid HorovitchDavid Horovitch is an English actor best known for playing the character of Inspector Slack in Miss Marple.-Life and career:...
- Flight Lieutenant 'Fanny' Barton (Pilot and Flight Commander. Succeeded Rex as C.O. May 1940) – Tom BurlinsonTom BurlinsonTom Burlinson is an Australian actor and singer.He attended Pittwater High School on Sydney's Northern Beaches and was the School Captain in his final year...
- Flying OfficerFlying OfficerFlying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
'Skull' Skelton (Intelligence Officer) – Richard HopeRichard Hope (actor)Richard Hope is a British actor.-Career:Born in Kettering and brought up in Norfolk, Mr. Hope attended Oakham School in Rutland from 1967–1971 and trained at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain from 1972 - 1976. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre Association and an Associate... - Flying Officer 'Moggy' Cattermole (Pilot. Killed 1940) – Neil DudgeonNeil DudgeonNeil Dudgeon is a British actor best known for his many television appearances, most often in crime drama.-Early Life:Dudgeon was born 1 January 1961 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, and attended Danum Grammar School among others. He established himself as an actor in school plays and went on to study...
- Flying Officer 'Pip' Patterson (Pilot) – George Anton
- Flying Officer 'Flip' Moran (Pilot and Flight Commander. Killed 1940) – Gerard O'Hare
- Flying Officer 'Flash' Gordon (Pilot. Killed 1940) – Nathaniel ParkerNathaniel ParkerNathaniel Parker is an English actor best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.-Personal life:...
- Pilot OfficerPilot OfficerPilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
'Fitz' Fitzgerald (Pilot. Killed 1940) – Jeremy NorthamJeremy NorthamJeremy Philip Northam is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Ivor Novello in the 2001 film Gosford Park, as Dean Martin in the 2002 television movie Martin and Lewis, and as Thomas More on the Showtime series The Tudors... - Pilot Officer 'Sticky' Stickwell (Pilot. Killed 1940) – Gordon Lovitt
- Pilot Officer 'Mother' Cox (Pilot. Wounded in Action 1940) – Patrick Bailey
- Pilot Officer Hart (Replacement Pilot. U.S. Volunteer. Killed 1940) – Boyd GainesBoyd GainesBoyd Payne Gaines is an American stage, film, and television actor.Gaines was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Ida and James Gaines. He has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Fame, L.A...
- Pilot Officer 'Dickie' Starr (Pilot. Killed 1939) – Tom Radcliffe
- Pilot Officer 'Moke' Miller (Pilot. Killed 1940) – Mark WomackMark Womack (British actor)Mark Edward Womack is an English actor, best known for starring in Liverpool 1, Sorted and Willy Russell's Dancin thru' The Dark.Womack was born in Liverpool in 1961, eldest son of Frances and Tom Womack...
- Mary (Schoolteacher & wife to Fitz. Widowed 1940) - Helena MichellHelena MichellHelena Michell is an Australian actress.She is the daughter of the actors Keith Michell and Jeanette Sterke. She has appeared with them at Chichester in 1997....
- Pilot Officer Trevelyan (Pilot. Killed 1940) - Jason Calder
- Pilot Officer 'Dumbo' Dutton (Pilot. Killed 1940) - Sam MillerSam MillerSam Miller is an English television director. He is best known for his work on the BBC television dramas Cardiac Arrest and This Life. -Filmography:-Actor - Filmography:...
- Pilot Officer 'Boy' Lloyd (Pilot. Killed 1940) - Timothy Lyn
- LAC Todd (Ground-Crew)- Neil Clark
- LAC Gullet (Batman)- John Bleasdale
- Medical Officer- Richard Durden
- Henri- (Cafe Owner)- Daniel Andre Pageon
Crew
- Director – Ian ToyntonIan ToyntonIan Toynton is a British television director, producer and editor.His most notable work has been on The O.C., on which he served as director, supervising producer and co-executive producer for a number of episodes. He has both directed and produced episodes of the series Bones, The Pretender,...
- Producer – Andrew Holmes
- Associate producers – Adrian Bate and Robert EagleRobert EagleRobert John Eagle is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Conference National side Grimsby Town...
Plot
- The series begins in September 1939 on the day that the Second World War is declared. Squadron-Leader Ramsey is working furiously to whip Hornet Squadron into shape. Having just landed after a practice flight, Ramsey accidentally taxis his Spitfire into a slit-trench and his angry impatience causes him to fall from the aircraft and fatally fracture his neck. His temporary replacement is Australian pilot Fanny Barton who is un-certain about his capabilities for such a role. A tragic mistake is made when Barton leads a patrol to intercept what they are led to believe is a German attack and he shoots down a bomber which is later identified to be a British BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
, killing the pilot in the process. New Squadron Leader Rex arrives and Barton is sent away to face a court of enquiry. Rex is immediately popular as he provides his pilots with many luxuries whilst demanding strict discipline and adherence to textbook tactics in return. - Hornet squadron is despatched to France to await a possible German invasion. Billeted in a luxury manor, the pilots live well although one pilot, Moggy Cattermole, shows himself to be a vicious bully, singling out vulnerable characters Pip Patterson and Dicky Starr in particular. In a dangerous stunt, Moggy flies his Spitfire under a low bridge, goading Patterson and Starr to do the same. Starr is killed whilst attempting to do so and Moggy shows not the slightest remorse. A new pilot arrives, an American named Chris Hart who has fought in the Spanish Civil War and is un-impressed with the gentlemanly tactics favoured by Rex. Two of the pilots, Fitz and 'Flash' Gordon start romances with two local school-teachers, a young French woman named Nicole and an expat Englishwoman named Mary. Barton returns to the squadron. Other pilots include 'Old' Miller, Irishman 'Flip' Moran, 'Mother' Cox and cheeky 'Sticky' Stickwell.
- As the 'Phoney War' draws to a close, Hornet Squadron begin to see more action. Hart is un-impressed by the tactics and skills of his fellow pilots when it takes six of them to destroy a single crippled German bomber. In its first encounter with German fighters, one pilot, Miller, is killed and three Spitfires lost without any successes to show for it. In another sortie, Cox is badly wounded and a rookie pilot flying at the rear of the tight and neat formation that Rex demands is picked off by a German fighter without anyone else in Hornet squadron even noticing.
- It is now May 1940 and the German BlitzkriegBlitzkriegFor other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
has begun with the invasion of France and Belgium. The squadron celebrates a double wedding as Fitz and Gordon marry their respective partners. The happy reception is brutally interrupted by a German air-raid that causes considerable damage. Rex is badly wounded by shrapnel but conceals his injuries from the other pilots but the painkillers he takes render him euphoric and over-confident. Recklessly ordering his men to attack a much larger German formation, Rex dives down to his death whilst Barton orders the others not to follow. - Now squadron leader, Barton leads what remains of the squadron against the overwhelming German invaders. Sticky is killed and Patterson is nearly undone by fear and abandons his still-intact aircraft by parachute. Gordon's wife Nicole is killed by German air-attack whilst fleeing as a refugee but Fitz's wife Mary reaches England. The surviving pilots are likewise evacuated.
- August 1940-Hornet squadron is reinforced in readiness to take part in the Battle of Britain. Gordon has been rendered eccentric and mentally unstable by grief. Amongst the new pilots are a Czech pilot named 'Haddy' Haducek, a Pole named 'Zab' Zabarnowski and a nervous Englishman Steele-Stebbing whom Moggy chooses as his next victim for bullying. Hornet squadron are soon in the thick of the action as the German air-force repeatedly attack South-East Britain. To his horror, Steel-Stebbing is ordered by Moggy to destroy an un-armed German rescue plane. Flip Moran is killed, horribly burning to death and there is an awkward moment when his family arrive at the aerodrome and request to view the body. The squadron's generally poor standard of marksmanship soon becomes apparent and Intelligence Officer Skelton is sceptical about the numbers of enemy planes that the squadron is claiming to shoot down. Skelton is appalled when Moggy refuses to show any remorse when a Spitfire he has baled out of crashes into a town, killing four civilians.
- Fitz is killed in action and, in her grief, his pregnant widow Mary begins lurking around the edge of the aerodrome which the other pilots find disturbing. Zabarnowski is soon killed, followed by Gordon whose death upsets the surviving veterans in particular. On 7 September, the German air-force stages a massive raid on London and every available RAF fighter squadron is flown into action, leading to the biggest battle of the campaign. Hornet squadron has only five Spitfires left intact and Barton, Patterson, Moggy, Haddy and Hart fly into battle. They inflict heavy damage on the enemy but suffer in return. Haddy is the first to be killed. Hart pursues a crippled German fighter but decides to spare it, only to be killed by another from behind. Moggy shoots down three German planes, getting the third right over his own aerodrome but is surprised and killed from behind by another. Barton and Patterson are the only two survivors. A postscript describes how the battle on 7 September marked a turning-point in the Battle of Britain and the German campaign soon ended in defeat.
Differences to original novel
The TV series was generally faithful to the original 1983 novel by Derek Robinson. And for practical reasons, the series was obliged to change or combine certain incidents and characters. Some of the differences in the original novel include:-
- As already mentioned above, Hornet Squadron is equipped with Hawker Hurricane Mk-1s instead of Spitfires.
- The character of Fanny Barton is a New Zealander rather than an Australian.
- American Chris Hart is known as CH3-after his initials Christopher Hart the Third.
- 'Sticky' Stickwell has a prior history of mental illness and before the Blitzkrieg he is transferred from Hornet Squadron by order of Sqd-Ldr Rex for attacking enemy territory without orders. He later transfers to another squadron that flies two-seater Boulton-Paul Defiants and he is killed during the Battle of Britain.
- The marriages of Fitz and Gordon to their respective partners take place separately and prior to the German invasion. The air-raid that injures Sqd-Ldr Rex takes place at night.
- Marriott, the engineering officer, survives.
- Nicole loses her life whilst fleeing as a refugee but due to an accident when the motorcyclist she has gotten a lift with crashes.
- 'Mother' Cox escapes injury and is still flying with Hornet Squadron on 7 September where he bales out and is last mentioned drifting by parachute towards dry land.
- Newcomer to Hornet Squadron P/O Steele-Stebbing is harassed and picked on by Moggy Cattermole until the former retaliates with a practical joke. The two appear to be forming an unlikely friendship until the battle on 7 September when Steele-Stebbing is killed.
- Czech pilot 'Haddy' Haducek is shot down and killed a few days prior to 7 September.
- Moggy Cattermole is killed during the climatic battle on 7 September but he is first mistakenly attacked and damaged by a Spitfire and then finished off by German Me-109s.
- Air-Commodore Bletchley is killed in an air-raid during the Battle of Britain.
- At the end of the novel, Christopher Hart is still alive and he and Sqd-Ldr Barton are continuing to attack the massed formation of German bombers.
Trivia
- Hornet Squadron also featured in several of Robinson's books about the war in the air in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - Hornet SquadronHornet SquadronHornet Squadron is the name of a fictional Royal Flying Corps, and later Royal Air Force, fighter squadron featured in a number of novels by British author Derek Robinson....
was equipped with Spitfires, but in reality, only Hawker HurricaneHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
equipped fighter squadrons were deployed to France in 1939-1940 (Spitfires were retained in Britain). Other Aircraft deployed by the RAF in France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force were Bristol BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
s and Fairey BattleFairey BattleThe Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
s (both light bombers). - The flag of Hornet Squadron was shown a couple of times during the series. The central emblem of the squadron was a hornet. The motto beneath the emblem: BEWARE OUR STING
- There were various marks (types) of Spitfires used in the series. Three Mk.IXs, a Pr.XI and a Mk.Ia. At the time that the series was set (1939–40), the RAF only had the Mark I and Mark IA Spitfire in service.
- Six mock-up Spitfires were built as static props. Some were purposely destroyed for the air-raid sequences.
- Veteran Pilot Ray Hanna (1928-2005) performed the stunt where the Spitfire flies under the low bridge. The scene was filmed at a bridge at Winston near Barnard CastleBarnard CastleBarnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
. Hanna, a New-Zealand-born former RAF pilot and Red ArrowsRed ArrowsThe Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
member, was 59-years-old when he performed the stunt. - RAF squadrons are primarily designated by numbers, although some are named.
- The series used footage from the 1969 motion-picture 'Battle of Britain' for many of the dogfight scenes.
- Air-to air filming of the aerial sequences was done by a vintage B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
and an Augusta 109 helicopter, both of which served as camera-ships for the shoot. - For actor Tim Woodward, who played Sqd-Ldr Rex, this was the second TV series in which he played the role of a fighter-pilot. The first was Wings (BBC TV series) 1977-78 in which he starred as a young WW1 pilot Alan Farmer.
- Actor Nathaniel Parker, who played pilot 'Flash' Gordon in the series, lost two uncles in WW2, both of them real-life RAF fighter pilots. After he got the role, Parker's father Peter presented him with a white flying scarf that his uncle Alan had worn whilst serving as a Spitfire pilot during the war.
- The production made use of three vintage Messerschmitt BF 109Es which were actually Hispano Ha 1112 Buchons, a Merlin-powered version of the Me 109 that was used by the Spanish Air-ForceSpanish Air Force-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
up until the late 1960s. These aircraft later appeared in the motion-picture Memphis BelleMemphis Belle (film)Memphis Belle is a 1990 film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick, starring Matthew Modine and Eric Stoltz and introducing Harry Connick Jr. in his screen debut...
in 1990 and later in 2001 in the Battle of Britain sequence in Pearl Harbor (film)Pearl Harbor (film)Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American action drama war film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay...
. In addition, a Heinkel He-111 was also used, again a Merlin-engined version once used by Spain. In addition to the aerial scenes, the Heinkel was partially dismantled for the filming of the scene where Hornet Squadron visit the crash-site of their very first 'kill'. The Heinkel, serial no G-AWHB, was flown to the UK from Spain in 1968 to be used in the filming of the movie Battle of Britain and later appeared in the film PattonPatton (film)Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
. - For the scene where Cattermole and Steele-Stebbing destroy the German Rescue plane, a vintage Junkers Ju-52 (registered CASA-353L) was used.In the original novel, the aircraft is a Heinkel He 59Heinkel He 59|-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William.War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Six: Floatplanes. London: Macdonald, 1962.* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2....
. - Some of the exterior filming was completed at the old airfield at South CerneySouth CerneySouth Cerney is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, 3 miles south of Cirencester and close to the border with Wiltshire. It had a population of 3,074 according to the 2001 census...
in WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
UK which, in 1988, still featured several period hangars and a control-tower. - For the French base at "Le Touquet", the producers filmed at Cambridge AirportCambridge AirportCambridge Airport is a small regional airport in South Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the eastern outskirts of Cambridge, south of Newmarket Road and west of the village of Teversham, from the centre of Cambridge and approximately from London.Opened in 1938, when it replaced the old...
. - In an interview in 2010, Derek Robinson, author of the original novel Piece of Cake remarked that when the novel was first published in 1983, the first edition sold poorly in the UK (although it did well in the US). He credits the 1988 LWT production with greatly reviving interest in the novel.