NCP First Anniversary Production (1957) - Payment Deferred

Payment Deferred is a crime novel by C.S. Forester first published in 1926. It became a Broadway play in 1931 and was made into a film in 1932 with Charles Laughton in the lead role. The novel was adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Dell.

The plot is based around William Marble, a bank clerk, who, fearing his creditors, kills his nephew who has just arrived, a stranger in London. He buries the man in his garden. A prey to his conscience he spends the money that he has got through committing the crime. Through tragic circumstances and mishaps he brings tragedy to himself and his family. His wife having taken poison on discovering what he has done, dies.

Payment Deferred was the fourth and first anniversary production of NCP. It was produced by Rurik Ronsky and staged at the National Theatre from 7-16 November 1957. However, very little memorabilia exists on this NCP production. Donald Whittle played the lead role (William Marble) and Dorothy Patience was cast as his wife. A typewritten review of the play exists but it is not clear whether this review was published in any of the Kenya newspapers.