Charlotte Jones Radio Plays
Charlotte Jones graduated from Balliol, having read English. After a spell as an actress she began writing. She has a considerable talent for it. Her play HUMBLE BOY played at the National before being adapted for radio.
Charlotte is about 39 with a young son. (N.D., May 13)
TITLES
17/06/98 Mary Something Takes The Veil
17/09/98 Airswimming
19/04/99 Future Perfect
07/05/99 Postcards (serial, Woman's Hour)
18/02/00 A Seer of Sorts
13/01/01 Sea Symphony for Piano and Child. R3.
05/03/01 Blue Air, Love & Flowers
05/09/03 The Sound of Solitary Waves
26/04.04 Mia and Maia
06/04/05 Dolly's Mexican Wave
05/09/06 The Sound of Solitary Waves, rpt.
23/06/07 Humble Boy
02/03/12 An American Rose
23/02/14 Pride and Prejudice (ad), Classic serial, 3 x 55m.
21/11/16 Wild Things, 5 x 15m
01/01/17 Britt-Marie Was Here (ad), Classic Serial, 2 x 55m
NOTES
BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE....2017
1.1.2017, R4, Classic Serial slot. By Fredrik Backman, adapted for radio by Charlotte Jones, from a translation by Henning Koch. Britt-Marie needs purpose in her life and she bravely goes out to look for it. She ends up in Borg, a quiet Swedish town. Her part-time job leads to an extraordinary turn of events, beyond anything she imagined. But she finds that bringing people into her life also brings problems and she's soon in the midst of a football drama, involved in a family crisis and at the corner of an unexpected love triangle.
In part 2, Britt-Marie has to rely on the people of Borg to come through for her and the team, but suddenly the January Cup is the least of her worries as a family in crisis need her help.
Britt-Marie ... Pippa Haywood, Sven ... Matthew Gravelle, Kent ... Simon Greenall, Sami ... Justin Davies , Vega ... Maddison Daye, Omar ... Christopher Benning, Pirate ... Jacob Foot, Bank ... Carys Eleri, Somebody ... Wanda Opalinska, Girl at the Unemployment Office ... Alexandria Riley, The Narrator ... Gunnar Pettersson. Directed by Janine H. Jones. BBC Wales.
WILD THINGS....2016
21.11.16. The Brighton Ladies' Sea Swimming Club; tough women who swim in the sea in winter. Fictional drama following some experiences of the members. A young girl gets drawn into their lives. Shellie: Michelle Austin, Davina: Sheila Reid, Angie: Josie Lawrence, Jane: Karen Bartke, young Cassie: Keziah Joseph, with John Bowler as the police officer; producer: Liz Webb. Rpt. on R4X, 24 Jan 21.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE....2014
Adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, starting 23 Feb 14. Narrated by Amanda Root, with Pippa Nixon as Elizabeth, Jamie Parker as Mr. Darcy, Samantha Spiro, Toby Jones,David Troughton, Michelle Terry, Joshua Maguire, Fenella Woolgar, Lydia Wilson, Georgie Fuller, Carys Eleri, Rosie Wyatt, Priyanga Burford, David Seddon, Carolyn Pickles, Sean Murray, Arthur Hughes, Joel McCormack. Producer Sally Avens.
AN AMERICAN ROSE....2012
By Charlotte Jones. 3 Mar 2012. Saturday Drama. The Kennedys were the most famous family in
England when Joseph became American Ambassador
in London. But daughter Rosemary's behaviour began to
cause the family increasing concern.
Rosemary Kennedy ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Kathleen Kennedy ..... Lydia Wilson ,
Rose Kennedy ..... Lisa Eichhorn,
Deborah Mitford ..... Tilly Gaunt,
Billy Hartington ..... Carl Prekopp ,
Dr Freeman ..... Don Gilet,
Sister Margaret ..... Tracy Wiles,
John White ..... Harry Livingstone.
Produced by Claire Grove.
Directed by Sally Avens.
The play is inspired by the lives of two of JFK's sisters, 'Rosemary' Kennedy, who died in 2005, but underwent a prefrontal lobotomy aged 23 and Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy who married the heir to the Duke of Devonshire.
HUMBLE BOY....2007
By Charlotte Jones. Saturday play, 90m. 23 Jun 07. Felix Humble is a Cambridge scientist with plenty of brains but little sense.
Like Einstein, he's in search of a Unified Field theory. Following the death of his father, he returns to his
home and his mother. He soon realises that his life is a sham and a substitute for real living; he can't relate
to ordinary people. There are some moments of high comedy. Cast: Adrian Scarborough as the
academic no-hoper, Diana Rigg as the mother, Marcia Warren, Nicky Henson, Cathryn Bradshaw, John Standing. Producer
Steven Canny.
Summarised excerpt from review by Moira Petty, in "The Stage":
Charlotte Jones fields a different type of anti-hero in Humble Boy. Her astro-physicist Felix
is bullied by his mother, overshadowed by his late father, outwitted by his one-time lover and even the
equations which will bring him academic fame elude him. Jones has always written for radio so it
is appropriate that this, her greatest theatrical hit, should have been adapted for it.
Felix vacillates between optimism and pessimism.
Adrian Scarborough played him with a touching elegiac quality that brought to mind a young Alan
Bennett. As his mother, Diana Rigg was overbearing but finally revealed a telling humanity. Marcia Warren
as her drudge of a friend made what could have been a cliche into a fully-fleshed character while Nicky
Henson was splendidly bouncy as Rigg’s suitor.
Mia and Maia....2004
26 Nov 04. Friday Play. Conjoined twin Mia and Maia long to be separate. As their 21st birthday nears, they approach American surgeon Dr Browne to take up their challenge. Cast:
Mia ...... Tracy Wiles,
Maia ...... Clare Yuille,
Mamma ...... Ellie Haddington,
Pappa ...... Tom Mannon,
Dr Browne ...... Stephen Hogan,
Nurse ...... Buffy Davis,
Mrs Browne ...... Emily Wachter,
Flight Attendant ...... Jason Chan.
Produced by Clare Grove. Shortlisted for Tinniswood Award, 2004.
THE SOUND OF SOLITARY WAVES....2003
Toby Jones/Shaun Parkes/Claire Rushbrook/Ben Crowe/Jemma Churchill/Li-eng Au. I wrote a review of this
at the time but can't find it .... interesting play; seem to remember some connection with Physics....can a single wave exist, in isolation from the one in front and the one behind? Parallels are drawn between this and 'waves' in a relationship, if my memory is correct. Nominated for a Sony Award, 2004.
- Edited summary of Guardian review, 5 Sep 03, by Phil Daoust:
The play follows the fortunes of a would-be novelist named Nigel (Toby Jones) who washes up behind the counter of a housing benefit office. His colleagues teach him the mantra which enables them to cope - "At the end of the day I get to go home" - but that's not enough for sensitive Nigel. He dabbles in Buddhism in his wishy-washy way and goes looking for love in libraries and antenatal classes. Then one day a disgruntled "client" turns his life upside-down...
....and a summary of another review from the Guardian, by Camilla Redmond, 8 Sep 03:
A play set in Hackney Housing Benefit Office where its hero, Nigel, a failed novelist, has reluctantly taken a job. From that description, it would be easy to imagine what might follow: weak jokes at the expense of loser Nigel, culminating in an implausible feelgood finale. Charlotte sidestepped all this and refused to allow her hero to be one-dimensional.
THE MAGPIE STORIES....2002
Series created by Shelley Silas. Woman's Hour dramas, 10 x 12m. Ten stories inspired by the superstitions associated with magpies.
18.02.02 One for Sorrow, by Charlotte Jones.
19.19.02 Two for Joy, by Katie Hims
20.02.02 Three for a Girl, by Katie Hims
21.02.02 Four for a Boy, by Charlotte Jones
22.02.02 Five for Silver, by Shelley Silas
25.02.02 Six for Gold, by Shelley Silas
26.02.02 Seven for a Secret Never to Be Told, by Sebastian Baczkiewicz
27.02.02 Eight for a Lie, by Sebastian Baczkiewicz
28.02.02 Nine for Truth, by Shelley Silas
01.03.02 The Secret of Eternal Youth, by Katie Hims
BLUE AIR, LOVE AND FLOWERS....2001
Sophie takes David to a Chagall exhibition, in a last-ditch attempt to kick-start their relationship, and finds the paintings full of Russian romance. With Nicholas Farrell, Julia Ford, Mia Soteriou and Jon Strickland. Directed by Claire Grove.
Sea Symphony for Piano and Child....2001
"The Wire", Radio 3: A series of plays by contemporary writers. An innocent 1960s seaside outing takes an alarming turn when a child goes missing. With Emily Woof (Marnie), Becky Hindley (Mother), David Thorpe (Father), Nicola Wall (Young Marnie), Ben Crowe (Donkeyman), Helen Ayres (Clairvoyant), Alex Trinder (Lifeguard) and Clare Corbett (Mother 2). Directed by Claire Grove. Pianist: Colin Guthrie.
A SEER OF SORTS....2000
In 1860 in the hallowed quarters of Dr Isaiah Kindle, celebrated and mysterious eye doctor of Shoreditch, a beautiful young woman shares a terrible secret. With Emma Fielding, Philip Voss and Jonathan Coy. Director: Claire Grove.
FUTURE PERFECT....1999
A doctor disappears, and his wife discovers an army of missing persons in her search for him and the future perfect. With Lesley Vickerage, Harry Myers and Sandra James Young. Director Claire Grove.
AIRSWIMMING....1998
Charlotte Jones's uplifting comedy of friendship, fantasy and freedom. 1924. Persephone is planning her coming-out ball when she finds herself consigned to a rather puzzling finishing school, St Dymphna's Hospital for the Criminally Insane. With Sophie Thompson, Charlotte Jones, Marcia Warren, Elizabeth Bradley and Geoffrey Whitehead. Director Jonquil Panting.
MARY SOMETHING TAKES THE VEIL....1998
A novice nun is about to take her final vows. All the nuns are called Sister Mary Something, the name of the saint to whom they dedicate themselves. She must find the right one before Brother Paul comes to take her confession. With Colleen Prendergast and Akbar Kurtha. Director Claire Grove.
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
