HENRY CECIL RADIO PLAYS

Henry Cecil was the pen-name of Judge Henry Cecil Lyon. Born Norwood Green; called to the Bar in 1923. Served with the Army in the second war. County Court Judge 1949-1967. He wrote many short stories and plays based on his experiences at the bench. "Brothers in Law" ( a long-running radio comedy series about odd legal cases) was based on his tales. The following list represents his full length plays.

BBC Broadcasts

01.12.1979 Alibi For A Judge*
03.07.1976 No Fear Or Favour*
05.07.1975 No Fear Or Favour
24.05.1975 Alibi For A Judge
13.09.1967 The Disagreeable Man*
08.12.1962 Unlawful Occasions
??.??.1963 The Painswick Line*
02.09.1961 Daughters In Law*
02.04.1960 Alibi For A Judge
14.03.1959 Settled Out Of Court
22.03.1958 Much In Evidence
27.07.1957 Much In Evidence
11.05.1957 Natural Causes
19.05.1956 According To The Evidence
10.03.1956 No Bail For The Judge


NOTES

Daughters-in-Law
(Saturday night Theatre 2.9.1961). This stands for the entire Henry Cecil output. His books had pages of humourous dialogue which translated effortlessly into radio drama. A protracted legal case about a borrowed lawn-mower, starring two veteran actors, Cecil Parker and Naunton Wayne. (Alan Whitby - part of his "Top Ten" radio plays)

Asterisked plays known to exist in VRPCC collections

Brothers in Law

1/1 First Brief 9.6.70
1/2 The Expert Witness 16.6.70
1/3 Breach of Contract 23.6.70
1/4 Judgement Summons 30.6.70
1/5 Counsel's Opinion 7.7.70
1/6 Special Damages 14.7.70
1/7 Separation Order 21.7.70
1/8 Reasonable Doubt 28.7.70
1/9 With Use of Bath 4.8.70
1/10 Without Due Care 11.8.70
1/11 Solicitor's Instructions 18.8.70
1/12 Special Examiner 25.8.70
1/13 Counsel for the Prosecution 1.9.70

2/1 Look It Up 13.7.71
2/2 Tell 'em the Tale 20.7.71
2/3 Statistics 27.7.71
2/4 In and Out 3.8.71
2/5 Polite Notice 10.8.71
2/6 Circling the Square 17.8.71
2/7 In Reverse 24.8.71
2/8 But... 31.8.71
2/9 Disqualified 7.9.71
2/10 1471 14.9.71
2/11 A Jewel of A Husband 21.9.71
2/12 Keeping it Warm 28.9.71
2/13 Brief Offer 5.10.71

3/1 Deaf Aid 24.4.72
3/2 One Double or Two singles 1.5.72
3/3 Menaces 8.5.72
3/4 Obstruction 15.5.72
3/5 Assault 22.5.72
3/6 Manipulation 29.5.72
3/7 And So on etc 5.6.72
3/8 Good Husband and Father 12.6.72
3/9 Faults on Both Sides 19.6.72
3/10 what Do You do? 26.6.72
3/11 Crabtree Disease 3.7.72
3/12 A Piece of Cake 10.7.72
3/13 Alibi 17.7.72

Series 1:
Adapted by Richard Waring from the television scripts, based on Henry Cecil's short stories. Producer - David Hatch. Richard Briers (Roger Thursby), Richard Waring (Henry Blagrove), John Glyn-Jones (Grimes), Ann Davies (Sally).

Series 2:
By Henry Cecil & Basil Dawson. Producers - David Hatch (1-10 and 13), Simon Brett (11 and 12) Richard Briers (Roger Thursby), John Glyn-Jones (Grimes), Julia Lockwood (Sally), Bridget Armstrong (Joy).

Series 3:
By Henry Cecil & Basil Dawson (1-6, 8, 11-13); Henry Cecil (7, 9, 10). Producer: Trafford Whitelock. Richard Briers (Roger Thursby), John Glyn-Jones (Grimes), Julia Lockwood (Sally), Bridget Armstrong (Joy), Jean Anderson (Mrs Thursby).

Also concerned with the legal profession but on a more serious note was an 8-part series entitled "Queen's Counsel", written by Jack Roffey. It went out on R4 on Fridays at 1225 and starred Kenneth More as Simon Crawford, Q.C., supported by Ewan Roberts and Jean Harvey :-

No. 1 - "Last Train Home" 6.8.1971
No. 2 - "By Gas - That's Murder" 13.8.1971
No. 3 - "The Family Affair" 20.8.1971
No. 4 - "The Not So Civil Servant" 27.8.1971
No. 5 - "The No-Hoper" 3.9.1971
No. 6 - "A Question of Turkey" 10.9.1971
No. 7 - "The Weakling" 17.9.1971
No. 8 - "Pictures In The Fire" 24.9.1971

lists of plays compiled from info. supplied by Roger Bickerton

Nigel Deacon / Diversity website

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