PACK OF LIES
Perforances 14-17 May 2008
In 1961 Peter & Helen Kroger were convicted at The Old Bailey of spying for the Russians and sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. This powerful and gripping Drama is a dramatic account of the events leading up to their arrest, with the action focused on the unsuspecting Jackson family who lived opposite the Kroger’s in Ruislip, Middlesex. The Krogers and Jacksons had become great friends; the Jacksons believing the Krogers to be a happy “ordinary” Canadian couple who sold books for living.Then a mysterious stranger arrives on the scene and announces that he is from the security services. He persuades the Jacksons to allow him and his assistants to use the Jacksons house in
order to assist his investigations. Ultimately the Jacksons happy lives are shattered as the truth about their great friends unfolds. Award winning writer Hugh Whitemore’s popular Drama is all about deception and treachery. Barbara Jackson (played by Judy Dench in the original West End production) reaches breaking point when she finds that she is caught up in a web of deceit and lies and realises that the Krogers had betrayed her country and she, in turn, has betrayed the Krogers.
Peter Wilde….Bob Jackso
Roger Williams….Peter Kroger
Giles Webb….Mr Stewart
History
Wikipedia
Wikipedia provides a reasonably good overview of the whole scandal, the historical background and the people, together with a reference list for further reading.
This is the fascinting obitituary of Charles Elwell, the real ‘Mr Stewart’, the MI5 officer credited with unmasking George
Lonsdale and smashing the spy ring.
There is a lot of background information available on the web about the Portland Spy Ring.