Jonathan Myerson Radio Plays

ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING ....1989
R4, 22 Jul 89, 90min. By Jonathan Myerson. A WW2 bomber is discovered in a marsh. The military want to lose the evidence of how it got there.

.....Another excellent thriller stemming from the discovery of a crashed Spitfire in East Anglia, and the gradual uncovering of the highly secret and highly illegal mission it was engaged in. The ending is reminiscent of the film Defence of the Realm, but it was a well-constructed play. ....Nigel Cropper.

YOU CHOOSE....1993
By Jonathan Myerson,R4,13.2.1993/1950,Amanda Root, Nathaniel Parker, Jonathan Cullen, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Nicholas Hutchinson, Federay Holmes, Jonathan Adams, David Holt, Sandra James-Young, Keith Drinkel, Matthew Morgan. Saturday Night Theatre. Psychological thriller, 90m. Original music by David Chilton and Nick Russell-Pavier; produced by the author.

A GREAT GULF FIXED....1993
Afternoon play, 30 Sep 93.

ANGEL STANDING....1994
6 Aug 94. By Jonathan Myerson; Monday play. A strange adult odyssey across decades and continents; the story of a young woman happy to prostitute herself for science. With Juliette Aubrey, Timothy West, Maggie Whiting, Aiden Gillan, Gavin Muir, Paul Panting, Peter Kenney, Cathy Sarah, Elaine Claxton, Neville Jason, Mark Lambert, Neil Dudgeon, Margaret John, Dan McCorkindale, Peter Whitman, James Taylor; music composed by Elizabeth Parker of the BBC radiophonic workshop. Produced by Peter Kavanagh. Rpt. 24.6.95

Angel brings zeal and commitment to her PhD research into sexuality. But when her supervisor realises she is working as a prostitute to get her statistics. Angel begins a frightening voyage of discovery. (G.L.)

GET WISDOM, GET UNDERSTANDING....1995
Afternoon play, 27 Jul 95. No other details.

THE SILENT SEA....1996
Afternoon play, 29 Aug 96.

My Bed in Darkness ....1997
7 Jun 97. By Jonathan Myerson. London's glitter tarnishes rapidly for those who are young, poor and sleeping rough. But sometimes life on the street is better than any other option. With James Thomas, Clare Isaac, Robert Harper and James Westaway. Director Alison Hindell.

The Write Stuff ....2001
JM as panelist on the popular quiz show, 18 Apr 01. James Walton chairs the game of literary correctness, flanked by captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh. Their guests are Jonathan Myerson and Jane Thynne, and the author of the week is Graham Greene.

The Write Stuff....2001
JM as panelist, quiz show, 9 May 01. James Walton chairs the game of literary correctness, flanked by captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh. Their guests are Jane Thynne and Jonathan Myerson and the author of the week is Harold Pinter.

The Story of Everyone Who Ever Lived in Our House, by Julie Myerson....2004
3 May 04. Dramatised by Peter Kerry. Hooked on the discovery that the occupants of her Clapham house in 1899 were Henry Hayward, a journalist and author, and his wife Charlotte, and their three children - the same ages as her own - Julie Myerson sets out to discover everyone else who ever lived there.

With Doon Mackichan as Julie Myerson, Michael Maloney as Jonathan Myerson and Chloe, Jake and Raphael Myerson as themselves.

Henry Hayward ...... Michael Fenton Stevens
Florrie Hayward ...... Sara Bispham
Charlotte Hayward ...... Angela Curran
Directed by Chris Wallis.

THE TORTURE WARRANT....2005
29 Sep 05. By Jonathan Myerson,R4,Afternoon Play,27 September 2005,14:15, John Castle/Antonia Bernath/Tim Woodward/Jon Glover/Ben Silverstone. A disturbing play about whether torture can be condoned by Government if the circumstances warrant it. Not in a remote part of the world as part of a corrupt regime but here in the UK. 45M.

A Harlot's Progress....2006
6 Feb 06. 5 x 12m. Woman's Hour Serial. Comedy fleshing out the stories in William Hogarth's famous sequence of engravings. One day in 1732, an impoverished portraitist abandons his classical training and sets out to paint the wicked tale of a country girl's downfall on the streets of London. It's a story which will lead him and his imaginary heroine, Moll Hackabout, to very different ends. Details of first episode:

1/5. Plate 1, Moll arrives in London. Cast: William Hogarth ...... Will Keen, Jane Hogarth ...... Indira Varma, Moll Hackabout ...... Liz White, London Girl 1 /Susannah ...... Amelia Lowdell, London Girl 2 / Floss ...... Annabel Scholey, Mrs Needham ...... Rosemary Leech, Charteris/Keeper ...... Crawford Logan, Gourlay /Gonson ...... Gerard McDermott, Wagondriver/Curate/Francis/Card Sharp ...... Stephen Critchlow, Giuseppe ...... Paul Reynolds, Solomon Nunes/Sir James ...... Nickolas Grace, Bess ...... Amelda Brown, James/Dr Rock ...... Ben Crowe, Client/Joshua/Dr Misaubin ...... Geoffrey Beevers. Director Jonquil Panting.

MIND OUT....2006
Apr 27 06. The members of a family are undergoing self-help cognitive therapy; without letting the others know. Dad is back on the wagon, Mum seems to be sliding into depression and Daughter is becoming ever more anxious. But will the therapist inside their heads take over their lives?

Cast: Voice ...... Lucy Robinson, The Father ...... Philip Jackson, The Mother ...... Maggie O'Neil, The Daughter ...... Beverly Rudd. Director Clive Brill.

Llama Lashes and Grumpy old Gits (Hep C blog)....2006
5 Jun 06. By Anne Edyvean and Jonathan Myerson. Interesting play on the experiences of those with hepatitis C, based on internet blogs, mainly by sufferers. Good radio.

Cast: Ron ...... Kenneth Jay, Lu ...... Tracy Wiles, Jonathan ...... Nicholas Boulton, Martin ...... Gerard McDermott, Sue ...... Barbara Barnes, Wendy ...... Christine Ellerbeck, Paul ...... Kim Wall, Ijaz ...... Harmage Singh Kalirai, Newspaper voice ...... David Holt .

Male Order....2006
Woman's Hour serial, 4 Dec 06. 5 episodes. Details for second episode: "Galina"........ Galina lives with her nine-year-old son Alexei in Moscow. She recently signed up with an internet agency that specialises in setting up social evenings with visiting foreign men. The promise of escape comes in the form of Giles, who works for an insurance company in Basingstoke. But she has to decide whether or not to jettison her independence.

Marriage a la Mode....2007
Woman's Hour serial, 5 episodes. A second series based on a series of William Hogarth's paintings. BBC publicity for the first episode: "The Marriage Settlement" - 26 Feb 07: A marriage made in the Bank of England unites the aristocratic Squanders with the bourgeois Grubpumps, to the disgust of both bride and groom.

Cast:-William Hogarth ...... Will Keen, Jane Hogarth ...... Rebecca Johnson, Charles, Viscount Squanderfield (later Earl Squander) ...... Stephen Mangan, Emily Grubpump (later Countess Squander) ...... Anna Madeley, Grubpump ...... Robin Soans, Sylvester Silvertongue/Sir Andrew ...... John Dougall, Old Squander/Misaubin ...... Sam Dale, Mrs Wisebourne ...... Nichola McAuliffe, Tyers ...... Anthony Glennon, Clarissa ...... Poppy Friar, Missus ...... Rachel Bavidge, Steward ...... Mark Straker, Simmy ...... Jasmine Callan, Little William ...... Jordan Clarke.

Number 10....2007
Series of Friday 60m plays by Jonathan Myerson depicting life inside Downing Street. Details from ep. 1. " Good News Day". Broadcast 7 Sep 07. As the Prime Minister prepares to announce an amnesty for all immigrants working illegally in the UK, a serious tube crash threatens to jeopardise his plans.

Cast: Prime Minister ...... Antony Sher, Monica Smith ...... Sasha Behar, Polly Cairns ...... Haydn Gwynne, Colin Brenner ...... Colin McFarlane, Steve McKay ...... Stephen Mangan, Frank ...... Anthony O'Donnell , Lord Cairns ...... James Laurenson, Nigel Ogden ...... Christopher Ettridge, Rebecca ...... Flora Montgomery, Conrad ...... Nick Rowe, Mrs Austen ...... Claire Perkins, Journalist and News reader ...... Alice Arnold. Directed by Clive Brill.

Number 10....2007
Play 2: 14 Sep 07. The party promised to eliminate Britain's carbon footprint (debateably a fraudulent concept), but poll ratings are plummeting and the unions are cutting up rough. Even the PM's stepson is protesting.

Cast: Adam Armstrong ...... Anthony Sher, Monica Smith ...... Sasha Behar, Polly Cairns ...... Haydn Gwynne, Colin Brenner ...... Colin McFarlane, Steve McKie ...... Stephen Mangan.

Play 4. Rule of Law. ....2007
28 Sep 07 (can''t trace ep. 3) - The PM is launching a new organisation intended to integrate Muslims into British society and prevent radicalisation. But first he has to decide whether to back Turkey's application for EU membership.

Play 5. Home and Away....2007
Crises on two fronts as the Prime Minister faces a backbench rebellion while British troops are being held hostage overseas.

Dr Zhivago....2007
11 Nov 97. Classic serial, six episodes. Jonathan Myerson's dramatisation of Boris Pasternak's epic tale spanning four decades of war, revolution, passion and terror. Details for ep. 1. Set in 1895. Yuri and Lara are coming of age on different sides of Moscow. Their lives are parallel but on very different tracks.

Cast: Voice ...... Ian McDiarmid, Yuri ...... Tom Goodman-Hill, Lara ...... Eve Best, Komarovsky ...... Henry Goodman, Tonya ...... Clare Corbett, Pasha ...... Don Gilet, Alexander ...... Alan David, Amalia ...... Annette Badland, Misha ...... Carl Prekopp, Anna ...... Susan Jameson, Tishkyevitch ...... Jeremy Swift, Olya ...... Katy Cavanagh, Lena ...... Joannah Tincey. Other parts played by John Dougall, Carolyn Pickles, Ben Crowe, Peter Marinker, Sam Pamphilon, Ben Onwukwe, Simon Treves, Poppy Friar and Gagan Sharma. Cello played by Anna Edwards. Directed by Jonquil Panting.

DOMBEY & SON....2007
Woman's Hour drama, dramatised by JM in twenty 12-minute episodes beginning 19 Nov 07.

The Way We Live Right Now....2008
Anthony Trollope's satire about money, greed and dishonesty, updated by Jonathan Myerson. Fifteen episodes, each 12m. Woman's Hour serial.Details for first episode: Former British tennis star Flex Carbury once had a career. Now he has a problem. 16 Jun 08.

NUMBER TEN....2010
Four more plays. Oct-Nov 2010.


DO YOU KNOW WHO WROTE THIS?....2012
By Jonathan Myerson; 29 Aug 12. The BBC's Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones stars as himself in this wicked comedy about internet fakery by the creator of Number 10. Stay-at-home mum Ali finds herself lampooned on a mothers' chat site. She can't help wishing she knew the real identity of her tormentors. But when her wish comes true, she finds she's unleashed an unstoppable global revolution. Rpt. 7 Apr 15.

Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting.

Ali ...................... Lydia Leonard
Himself ................Rory Cellan-Jones
Ned ...................... Ben Crowe
Zoe ...................... Lizzy Watts
Josh ...................... Richard Linnell
Rachel ...................... Liza Sadovy
Mark Z ...................... Chris Pavlo
Archbishop of Canterbury .... Patrick Brennan
Bret ...................... Paul Stonehouse
News Anchor ...................... Stephanie Racine
Reporter ...................... Adam Nagaitis

PAYBACK....2012
15 Sept: Saturday Drama. By Jonathan Myerson. 6th October 1973... Golda Meir has become Prime Minister of Israel in her seventies. Syrian and Egyptian troops are massing on Israel's borders, but despite eleven warnings of impending war in the past month, the Israeli cabinet has not called up the reserve. In Florida, Richard Nixon awaits the final verdict of the Washington Appeal court on his objections to surrendering the Watergate Tapes. In New York, Henry Kissinger is about to be woken at his room in the Waldorf Astoria, with news of a new Middle East War. The drama investigates how domestic and international politics were about to combine, to change the Middle East forever. Henry Kissinger ........ Henry Goodman, Richard Nixon ........ Peter Marinker, Golda Meir ........ Sara Kestelman, Simcha Dinitz ........ Kerry Shale, Al Haig ........ Kerry Shale, Anatoly Dobrynin ........ Ewan Bailey, James Schelsinger ........ Sam Dale, Jacob Javits ........ Sean Baker, other parts:...... Christine Kavanagh. Producer ........ Jonquil Panting.

13 Feb 2015: How Did I Get Here?
Afternoon play by Jonathan Myerson. The relationship between Rebecca, a middle-aged woman coming to terms with her father's dementia. An interesting dramatic device is used: an experimental drug gives him the ability to talk to her both as an old man, confused and forgetful, and as he was when he was 38. It's a rather poignant examination of the way in which the condition affects his family. Dad: Joseph Millson, Grandad: Ben Whitrow, Rebecca: Racquel Cassidy, Murray: Ewan Bailey, Tanya: Rosie Wyatt, Daniel, a.k.a. Reggie: Adam Thomas Wright, Gazmend: Paul Heath. Producer: Jonquil Panting.

20 June: Saturday Play - Born in the DDR
By Jonathan Myerson. During July 1988, Bruce Springsteen played a long gig in a field in Communist East Berlin, in front of about 300,000 people. This was the first such event allowed by the Stasi on the far side of the Iron Curtain. Bryan Dick, Mark Heap, Ayesha Antoine, Chris Pavlo, Mark Edel-Hunt, Hannah Arterton, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale, David Acton, Jane Slavin, Stephen Critchlow, Tom York. Produced by Jonquil Panting.

16 Aug 15: Classic Serial: The Talisman
By Walter Scott, dram. Jonathan Myerson. During the dying days of the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart's military campaign ground to a halt. This adaptation updates the action to a modern encampment: Occupy London outside St. Paul's in 2011. Kenny: John Wark, Hakim: Danny Rahim, Theo: Nicholas W. Producer: Clive Brill. Indie (Brill Productions).

26 Sep 2015: Saturday Play: The Price of Oil: Stand Firm, You Cads
By Jonathan Myerson. First in a series of dramas about the oil industry. THis first episode is about the way British Oil was thrown out of Iran in 1951, leading to riots, demonstrations and a shipping blockade. We see events through the eyes of the expats on the island of Abadan.Janet: Anna Maxwell-Martin, Rashid: Danny Rahim, with Luke Treadaway, Raad Rawi, Paul Chahidi, David Houslow, Stephen Critchlow, Jessica Turner, Sam Dale, David Acton, Rhiannon Neads, Finn Monteath, Laurie O'Brien. Producers: Jonquil Panting and Nick Kent.

29 Sep 2015: The Price Of Oil: The Weapon
By Jonathan Myerson; about the OPEC siege, Dec 1975, by Carlos Martinez, aka Carlos the Jackal. Carols: Joseph Balderrama, Sheikh Yamani: Zubin Varia, Nada: Kristin Atherton, Jamshid Amouzegar: Bijan Daneshmand, with Mark Edel-Hunt, Amir El-Masry, Alex Lanipekun, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale and Stephen Critchlow. Producer: Nicolas Kent; director: Jonquil Panting.

30 Sep 2015:The Price Of Oil: Baby Oil
By Jonathan Myerson. Last weeks in the White House as George Bush, US President, struggles to sell to the American people the idea of American troops defending Kuwait. Recruiting Sergeant / Admiral: Daniel Betts, Forbes McEwan III: James McArdle. George H.W.Bush: Michael J. Shannon, Dick Cheney: Sam Dale, UK Military Attache: Chris Pavlo, Drake: Stephen Critchlow, Diana: Jessica Turner, Cashier: Alex Tregear, Nayirah: Rhiannon Neads. Producers: Jonquil Panting and Nicolas Kent.

6 Aug 2016: Saturday Play: The Clintons, 1
Play 1 of 3: Heck, don't vote for him. By Jonathan Myerson. The first of three plays about key moments in the lives and careers of Hillary and Bill Clinton. In this first play, Bill launches his campaign to get the Democratic nomination. A woman comes forward to say she had a 12-year affair with him, but Hillary responds. Hillary Rodham: Fenella Woolgar, Bill: Corey Johnson, Steve Kroft / Dick Morris: Kerry Shale, Betsey Wright: Laurel Lefkow, James Carville: Jason Barnett, George Stephanopoulos: Tom Forrister, Secretary: Clare Perkins. Producer: Jonquil Panting. 45m.

13 Aug 2016: Saturday Play - The Clintons, 2
By Jonathan Myerson. Play 2 of 3. Impeachment. The play is set in 1995, when independent counsel Kenneth Starr tackles Bill Clinton over the failed Whitewater property scheme. Plans to derail Clinton's presidency are foiled when Susan McDougal, a partner in the scheme, refuses to implicate Bill in return for her own immunity. However, Monica Lewinsky enters the frame ... and there is now a real possibility of Clinton being removed from office. Bill Clinton: Corey Johnson, Hillary: Fenella Woolgar, Susan McDougal: Samantha Dakin, Bobby McDaniel / Rahm Emanuel: Rashan Stone, Jim McDougal: Brian Protheroe, OIC lawyer / Sidney Blumenthal: Joseph Balderrama, George Stephanopoulos: Tom Forrister, Claudia Riley: Clare Perkins, Waitress: Kirsty Oswald, Judge: Sean Baker. Producer: Jonquil Panting. 45m instead of the usual 60.

20 Aug 2016: Saturday Play - The Clintons,3
By Jonathan Myerson. Play 3: The Man Scale. This is the story of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and the rise of Barack Obama. It is 2008, and Bill Clinton is helping her campaign. [Seems odd that there is a play about the Clintons at the same time that Hillary Clinton is fighting the election campaign against Donald Trump - Ed. ] Cast: Hillary: Fenella Woolgar, Bill: Corey Johnson, Chelsea Clinton: Janine Harouni, Patti Solis Doyle: Nancy Crane, Mark Penn: Trevor White, Huma Abedin: Lisa Cafruccio, with Jason Barnett and Kirsty Oswald. Producer: Jonquil Panting. 45m.

26 Nov 2016: Saturday Play: Born in the DDR
By Jonathan Myerson. In 1988, Bruce Springsteen played a gig in East Berlin (which was under Communist rule) in front of about 30,000 people. This was the first such event licensed by the Stasi on that side of the Berlin Wall. The play is about that piece of history. Bryan Dick, Mark Heap, Ayesha Antoine, Chris Pavlo, Mark Edel-Hunt, Hannah Arterton, Rhiannon Neds, Sam Dale, David Acton, Jane Slavin, Stephen Critchlow and Tom York. Producer: Jonquil Panting.

THE REPUBLICANS....Oct 2018
An interesting three-episode series of plays about the Republican Party by Jonathan Myerson, produced by Jonquil Panting, was broadcast during October. The first play, RONALD REAGAN - DEATH VALLEY DAYS (R4,1430, 6 Oct 18) was set in 1965. Ronnie Reagan is working as the host and actor on Death Valley Days, a well-loved TV show. Meanwhile the country has election fever, and Barry Goldwater is the Republican candidate. His campaign against Lyndon Johnson is turning out to be a disaster. The party needs a fresh face; someone who can handle television with confidence. One day, Reagan, a very popular figure, is approached by the Republican Party with an offer. Will he consider standing for president at some point in the future? Reagan begins to wonder about the possibility of a president with no political experience. The drama is framed as an episode of the TV show. Reagan is played by Kerry Shale, Nancy by Madeleine Potter, Maureen Reagan by Samantha Dakin and Barry Goldwater by Corey Johnson. Richard Nixon (Jonathan Hyde) also makes an appearance. Johnson was president from 1963-69; Nixon from 1969-74.

The second play was RICHARD NIXON: SEARCHLIGHT HAS LEFT THE BUILDING (R4, 1430, 13 Oct 18). It's now 1970 and President Nixon has announced the invasion of Cambodia in a televised address to the nation. He justifies it as a necessary response to North Vietnamese aggression, and he says that the objective is to capture the headquarters of the communist military operation in South Vitenam. Student have protested loudly and vigorously; their protests have spread across America, with National Guardsmen shooting four students dead at Kent State University. Washington is on high alert. When President Nixon wakes up in the middle of the night and sees beligerent students gathering at the Lincoln Memorial, he walks over to talk to them. Richard Nixon was played by Jonathan Hyde, young Richard Nixon by Rupert Simonian, Bob Haldemann by Aaron Vodovoz and Manolo Sanchez by Joseph Balderrama.

The concluding play was about President Ford, who succeeded Richard Nixon in 1974 after the Watergate affair, in GERALD FORD - FASCIST INSECT (R4, 1430, 20 Oct 2018). Time has moved on; it's 1975; the President is fighting for his political survival and the Republican Party is in poor shape. Challenger Ronald Reagan is attacking him in weekly radio broadcasts: “Make America Great Again” is his catchphrase. Saigon has just fallen and the Panama Canal is threatened. There’s political fervour everywhere. Even Patty Hearst, celebrity rich-girl kidnap victim, seems to have turned terrorist. Then an FBI informant, Sara Jane Moore, decides that she is the woman to catalyse the revolution. She attempts to shoot Gerald Ford at a gathering in California, only 17 days after a failed assassination attempt in Sacramento. Two days later, California governor Jerry Brown responded to both assassination attempts by signing into law bills imposing mandatory sentences for persons convicted of using guns in committing serious crimes. (Ford was succeeded by Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and Reagan eventually became president in 1981, serving a double term.) Gerald Ford was played by Nathan Osgood, Betty Ford by Barbara Barnes, Sara Jane Moore by Sian Thomas and Bob Hartmann by Daniel Betts. (....ND, Diversity Website review, Dec 2018)

30 Mar 22: Bombing Ukraine
Rpt. of play by Jonathan Myerson, originally broadcast on Sat 25 Mar, 9pm. In Jonathan Myerson’s quick-response drama we meet some of the police officers in Kyiv who are dealing with the shocking events currently taking place. Like so many in Ukraine they must consider how to fight for their country and what it is to be Ukrainian. This is a fiction, informed by real events, written and recorded as the invasion has been taking place. Oleksiy Gordon Peaston, Polina Pearl Appleby, Super Sandy Grierson, Marichka Alyth Ross, Holub Nabil Eluahabi, Denysenko Noof Ousellam, Runner Charlie Archer, Titles Inna Bagoli Goncharenko. Other parts played by members of the company. Sound design by Alisdair McGregor. Produced and Directed by Boz Temple-Morris. Indie (Holy Mountain).

11 Jun 22: Saturday Play slot - The Price of Oil, 1- Stand Firm, You Cads!
By Jonathan Myerson. Factual dramas exploring the history of oil. This is the tale of how British Oil was thrown out of post-war Iran. Anglo-Persian Oil (later BP) was specially formed to exploit the 60-year oil concession to drill for oil, which was signed in 1901 by the Shah of Persia. Prompted by Winston Churchill, the British Government bought 51% of the company's shares. Persian oil soon became Britain's "single largest overseas asset". Fifty year later, newly-elected Prime Minister Mossadegh said that the concession was 'immoral', cancelled it, and on 1st May passed a law which nationalised the oil company. This series of plays will take us from 1951 to 2045, and to various parts of the world. Series devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson. Producer Jonquil Panting, for the BBC. Janet ..... Anna Maxwell-Martin, Rashid ..... Danny Rahim, Widman ..... Luke Treadaway, Prime Minister Mossadegh ..... Raad Rawi, Averell Harriman ..... Paul Chahidi, Eric ..... David Hounslow, Fitzy ..... Stephen Critchlow, Vera ..... Jessica Turner, Sir Richard Stokes ..... Sam Dale, Sir Francis Shepherd ..... David Acton, Sarah ..... Rhiannon Neads, Bryan ..... Finn Monteath, Pianist ..... Laurie O’Brien. Director: Nicolas Kent.

compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website

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