Michael Bakewell Radio Plays
Michael Bakewell has dramatised an enormous number
of tales for radio. One of his Agatha Christie serials
is going out at the moment. Here's a start to his page:
........................TV and Radio writer and director. Drama Documentary, Biography. Radio Dramatisations include Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Lord of the Rings, East Lynne, Dombey and Son, Jamaica Inn, A Fatal Inversion, Evil Under the Sun. Features on Dickens, Chekhov, Tolstoy, Henry James and Edith Wharton, Alma Mahler. Biography, Lewis Carroll, published by Heinemann 1996.
RADIO PLAYS
04.06.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Red-Headed League
11.06.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Musgrave Ritual
18.06.78 *Sherlock Holmes: Silver Blaze
02.07.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Priory School
16.07.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Copper Beeches
06.08.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Solitary Cyclist
20.08.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Abbey Grange
27.08.78 *Sherlock Holmes: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
??.??.81 *Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley), 26 x 30m.
14.06.87 East Lynne, by Mrs. Henry Wood: 7 x 60m
04.01.90 *The Sittaford Mystery (5 x 30m)-Agatha Christie
14.05.92 *Sad Cypress - Agatha Christie: 90m
03.04.93 *The Pale Horse (90m)- Agatha Christie
??.??.01 *At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie
NOTES
SHERLOCK HOLMES:
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE....1978
Producer & director Roger Pine, adapter Michael Bakewell. With Barry Foster as Sherlock Holmes, David Buck as Dr. Watson, along with Michael Harbour, Geoffrey Matthews, Michael Deacon, Jack Holloway, Stephen Hancock.
THE MUSGRAVE RITUAL....1978
Roger Pine, Michael Bakewell, Barry Foster, David Buck, Martin Jarvis, Graham Weston, Hedli Niklaus.
SILVER BLAZE....1978
Roger Pine, Michael Bakewell, Barry Foster, David Buck,Geoffrey Matthews, Alexander John, Patricia Gibson, Pat Gallimore, Peter brookes, Adrian Bracken.
THE NAVAL TREATY....1978
This one was adapted by Bill Morrison, not Michael Bakewell.
THE PRIORY SCHOOL....1978
Directed by Peter Novis; producer Roger Pine, adaptor Michael Bakewell. With Barry Foster, David Buck, William Fox, Alan Dudley, Peter O'Dwyer, Ralph Lawton.
CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON....1978
This one adapted by Bill Morrison.
THE COPPER BEECHES....1978
Roger Pine, Peter Novis, ad. Michael Bakewell. With Barry Foster, David Buck, Rosemary McHale, Tony Church, Zena Walker, Irene Sutcliffe, Stella Tanner, William Eedle.
THE BLUE CARBUNCLE and THE REIGATE SQUIRES....1978
Adapted by Bill Morrison
THE SOLITARY CYCLIST....1978
Producer Roger Pine, director/adaptor Michael Bakewell, with Barry Foster et. al, also Miriam Margolyes, Manning Wilson, Douglas Blackwell, Sean Barrett, Ralph Lawton.
THE SIX NAPOLEONS....1978
Adapted by Bill Morrison.
THE ABBEY GRANGE....1978
Roger Pine, Michael Bakewell, with Barry Foster et. al. and Nicolette McKenzie, Michael McClain, Maddi Head, George Little.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LADY FRANCES CARFAX....1978
Roger Pine, Michael Bakewell et. al.
LORD OF THE RINGS....1981
Unsurpassed dramatisation of the Tolkien classic, done with Brian Sibley. There are many websites devoted to this, so I won't add further comments. 26 x 30m.
EAST LYNNE, by Mrs. Henry Wood....1987
Provincial and American dramatisations of East Lynne were quick to follow the book's publication in 1861. One of the earliest London production took place at the New Surrey Theatre on 5th February 1866 Mrs. Henry Wood wrote to Charles Dickens for his suggestions to prevent the production. He responded with some practical advice, but the inadequate contemporary copyright laws meant there was little Wood could do to halt the play version.
The immediately succeeding years saw many different adaptations, which all failed to pay any royalties to Wood. The most successful was probably that of T.A. Palmer of 1874. This was first performed in Nottingham, and toured the country with great success.
Productions of East Lynne became less frequent in the twentieth century but at least three film versions have been made. A lavishly-produced early talkie appeared in 1931. 1931 also saw the release of a popular British film farce entitled East Lynne on the Western Front in which soldiers attempt to put on a production of the play.
A more recent adaptation of East Lynne occurred in 1987 - a year which marked the centenary of Wood's death. This took the form of seven hour-long episodes broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and represents the most comprehensive dramatisation ever made of one of Wood's novels. The series was extremely well-acted by an exceptional cast who played it straight, proving that even in the cynical 1980's that Wood's most famous novel could still work effectively as a captivating and engrossing drama. Each episode was dramatised by Michael Bakewell and directed by David Johnston. Piano played by Martin Goldstein.
Episode 1: 'The Broken Cross' 14/6/1987
Mrs. Henry Wood - Rosemary Leach ; Lady Isabel - Moir Leslie ;
Mr. Carlyle - David Collings ; Francis Levison - Anthony Edridge ;
Miss Cornelia - Maxine Audley ; Barbara Hare - Julie Berry ;
Lord Mount Severn - Alan Dudley ; Richard Hare - Kim Wall ;
Justice Hare - Brian Hewlett ; Mrs. Hare - Joan Matheson ;
Emma Vane - Margaret Ward ; Mrs Levison - Sheila Grant ;
Charles - Stephen Hattersley ; Andrew - Andrew Branch ;
Dill - Tim Reynolds ; Wainwright - Paul Gregory.
Episode 2: 'The Keepers of the Dead' 21/6/1987
Additional cast:
Lord Mount Severn - Stephen Thorne ; Joyce - Jo Kendall ;
Warburton - Paul Gregory ; Marvel - Susie Brann ;
Vane's Butler - Michael Tudor Barnes ; William Vane - Alexander Goodman.
Episode 3: 'A Chance Encounter in Boulogne' 28/6/1987
Wilson - Betty Huntley-Wright ; The Rev. Little - David Garth ;
Little Isabel - Bernadette Windsor ; Little William - Ben Robb.
Episode 4: 'Never to be Redeemed' 5/7/1987
Thorn - Paul Gregory ; Young Lord Vane/Pierre - Sean Arnold.
Episode 5: 'The Yearning of a Broken Heart' 12/7/1987
Afy - Angela Crow ; Baby Archibald - Alexander Goodman ;
Mrs. Latimer - Pauline Letts.
Episode 6: 'An MP for West Lynne' 19/7/1987
Pinner/Dobede - Colin Starkey ; Ball - Peter Acre ;
Bethel - Stephen Harrold ; James - Michael Tudor Barnes ;
Dr. Martin - Tim Munro.
Episode 7: Until Eternity 26/7/1987
Mr. Jiffin - Sebastian Stride ; Usher - Pul Gregory ;
Rubiny - Nicholas Goldwyn ; Clerk - David Goodland ;
Judge - Michael Bilton.
THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY....1990
In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a small table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: `Captain Trevelyan ... dead ... murder'. Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? Dramatised and directed by Michael Bakewell, with Geoffrey Whitehead (Inspector Narracott), Stephen Tompkinson (Charles Enderby), Melinda Walker (Emily Trefusis), John Moffatt (Mr Rycroft) & Norman Bird (Major Burnaby).
SAD CYPRESS....1992
Probably the best Poirot story, with John Moffatt playing Poirot brilliantly as usual.
THE PALE HORSE....1993
Saturday Night Theatre. dramatised by Michael Bakewell directed by Enyd Williams A dying woman gasps out her bizarre story to Father Gorman - but no sooner has he written it down than he is violently killed. The only clue he leaves is a twisted scrap of paper on which are written nine names. Inspector Lejeune, together with academic Mark Easterbrooke and his crime writer friend Ariadne Oliver, are led to The Pale Horse Inn, home of a psychic, a medium and a witch... This is in the BBC Radio Collection. Cast: Jeremy Clyde (Mark Easterbrooke), Stephanie Cole (Ariadne Oliver), Jonathan Adams (Inspector Lejeune) & Steve Hodson (Jim Corrigan).
AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL....2001
You'll never visit a themed resort again without a vague sense of unease....this play catches the book's menace.
Lots missed out, I'm afraid....many more dramatisations of Agatha Christie, etc., etc.....
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Asterisked plays known to exist in VRPCC collections
