1987 Radio Plays
VIVA VERDI....1987
An Operatic Life in 3 Acts,
researched and complied by Michael Oliver.
A 3-part dramatisation of the life of the great Italian composer.
Featuring Daniel Massey as Giuseppe Verdi & Sarah Badel as Giuseppina Strepponi.
SM Robin Cherry. Directed by John Powell
28 December 1987:
Act 1 - The Life of the Galley Slave,
with Geoffrey Matthews, Crawford Logan, John Rye, Manning Wilson and Rosalind Shanks
30 December 1987:
Act 2 - Farewell to the Muses,
with Clifford Norgate, Anthony Hall, Crawford Logan, Manning Wilson and Kate Binchy.
1 January 1988:
Act 3 - The Maestro,
with Manning Wilson, Clifford Norgate, Crawford Logan and Nigel Graham.
*SWEET TOOTH....1987
Unusual play by Mel Calman, cartoonist from (I think)
the Guardian. The characters in this play are all cakes. He followed
this up with *PAWNSHOP BLUES (1993), where the characters are items
waiting to be reclaimed in a pawnshop. Finally he did *HEARTACHE (1996)
-unfortunately I can't remember the plot, but I think it was loosely about heart attacks.....
*CONAN DOYLE AND THE EDALJI CASE....1987
12.Dec 87. By Rop Apps. At the peak of his fame, Conan Doyle became bored with his creation Sherlock Holmes and resentful of a public which knew nothing of his other work. The true story of George Edalji, accused of maiming animals, began to intrigue him. Here was a chance to do some real detective work. Cast: Iain Cuthbertosn, John Church Michael Harbour, Margot Boyd, Victoria Carling, John Baddeley, Michael Tudor Barnes, Anthony Jackson, Steve Harrold, Alan Dudley. Producer Brian Miller.
*AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME....1987
5 Dec 70. A delightfully quirky comedy about a guy who
is a caravan fanatic. Full of wry observations
about human nature. By Ray Ball. With Hywel Bennett,
Brenda Bruce, Caroline Mortimer. 90m.
*MY BABY MINE....1987
Play by Paul Angus about two men who work for an advertising company. One is a womaniser; one is a family man.
But the Jon Juan changes when he meets a special young lady .... an ultimately cheerful story of love
against adversity.
*Waxwork
By Peter Lovesey.
R4,3.10.1987/1900,
By Brian Cox/John Cater/Sarah Berger.
*Unto The Grave
By John Penn.
R4,22.8.1987/1900,John Castle/Tessa Worsley. 90m, thriller.
*The Smiler With The Knife
By Nicholas Blake,R4,15.8.1987/1900,Jackie Smith-Wood/Simon Cadell.
The Three Feathers
Adapted from Grimms' Fairy Tales by Peter Redgrove. 14 Aug 87, R3.
Produced by Brian Miller. When a king is ill, he sets a contest to decide which of his three sons, one of whom is a simpleton, will succeed him.
Grimald ..........Terrence Hardiman,
Rudolf ...............Pavel Douglas,
Dominic (Dummling)....Andrew Branch,
Gretchen ..........Jennifer Piercey,
Matilda/Zoe ............Susie Brann,
Mother Toad ...........Sheila Grant,
King (Old and Young)...Michael Tudor Barnes.
This was the second of six plays adapted from Grimms' Fairy Tales by Peter Redgrove:
1. Ashiepaddle - 11 August 1987
2. The Three Feathers - 14 August 1987
3. The Juniper Tree - 18 August 1987
4. The One Who Set Out To Study Pear - 21 August 1987
5. The Master-Thief - 25 August 1987
6. The Flounder - 28 August 1987
Death & The Dancing Footman
By Ngaio Marsh,R4,8.8.1987/1900,Nigel Graham/Laurence Payne.
Trent's Last Case
By E.C. Bentley,R4,1.8.1987/1900,Martin Jarvis.
Humanity Farm
By John Kirkmorris,R4,11.7.1987/1900,Stephen Thorne/Elizabeth Bell.
Swing, Swing Together
By Peter Lovesey,R4,4.7.1987/1900,Barry Foster/John Cater.
The House At Spook Corner
By Bob Couttie,R4,27.6.1987/1900,Frank Windsor/Michael Drew.
DEATH'S HEAD BERLIN....1987
By Jack Gerson, 6.6.87. A spate of murders in Berlin, 1934, and a famous German detective, Lohmann, is ordered by the Fuhrer to investigate. Fascism is on the rise; victimization of the Jews and confiscation of their property has begun. Lohmann is not impressed by the Fuhrer, or by the Nazis, or by their loathsome philosophy. Steve Hodson as Hitler, Bob Peck as Lohmann. Producer Peter King. 90m. Saturday Night Theatre.
THE RAILWAY STATION MAN....1987
Monday play, 1 Jun 87 by Jennifer Johnston, ad. Denys Hawthorne. 90m. Rpt as afternoon play, 14 Oct 90. The relationship between a man disabled in WW and a middle-aged lady. He is restoring an old railway station; she was an art student but now only dabbles... Stella McCusker, John Rowe, Peter Quigley, Aiden McCann, John Hewatt, Doreen Hepburn, Tom Jordan, Catherine Gibson. Producer Clive Brill, in Belfast.
The Champion
By Martin Worth. R4,4.4.1987/1900,Timothy Spall/Ian Thompson. About W.G.Grace, the best cricketer there's ever been.
The play is also interesting in shedding light on the class
system of the time. 90m. Saturday Night Theatre. More about this
on the cricket plays page.
Helbeck Of Bannisdale
By Mrs. Humphry Ward,R4,28.3.1987/1900,Alan Howard/Tessa Peake-Jones. Dram. Michelene Wandor. Recording sent by Michelene....many thanks.
ALPHABETICAL ORDER....1987
By Michael Frayn, 14 Mar 87.
HYACINTH....1987
By Saki (H.H. Munro). 24 Feb 87. Dramatised by Brett Usher. Thirty Minute Theatre, 11:00.
Matilda, inspired by the fashion for introducing children into political
campaign, insists on bringing her son along on election day -- despite the
incident with the Gaffins and the goat carriage.
With Rachel Gurney and Anna Cropper. (....GL)
*FROZEN ASSETS
By Barrie Keeffe, produced by Richard Wortley. R3, 95m, 30 Jan 87.
First performed by the RSC (Warehouse, 1977). A Borstal boy is on the run after a fatal accident.
Cast:
Julian Firth.................Buddy
Judy Loe.....................Pam
Clive Mantle.................Ronnie
Richard Durden...............The Priest
Harold Innocent..............Lord Plaistow
Robin Summers................Al
Danny Schiller...............Sammy
John Hollis..................The Screw
Avril Clark ..................Joan
Kate Williams................Aunt Connie
George Parsons...............Henry
Sheila Grant.................Edna
Gordon Reid..................Frank
Tony Hyppolyte...............Davy
Ronald Herdman...............Referee
Deborah Makepeace............Nurse
Pauline Letts................Matron
David Learner................Youth
Thanks to 's-j' of 'radiofans' .... -ND
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Above plays known to exist in VRPCC collections, though we haven't got the John Kirkmorris.
