The Wind Bear, by David Ashton
David Ashton - The Windbear
BBC Radio 4: Saturday Night Theatre
Broadcast: Saturday 30th April 1988 @ 7:45 p.m.
George Marchbanks has a passion for taxidermy and feels closer to his stuffed animals than with Margot, his wife of 25 years. It was an
unhappy relationship which had become strained.
Mrs. Roberts, their neighbour, became worried about Margot's whereabouts as she hadn't seen her in the Marchbank's front garden for
two weeks. Margot never passed the day without tending to her garden, that is, until two weeks ago when she and George came back
from holiday. She did not appear on her return and has not appeared since. As good friends, Margot would never have let two weeks pass
without dropping over to tell Mrs. Roberts what her holiday was like. Plus, two weeks without tending to her garden was unprecedented
and when Mrs. Roberts dropped by to ask George about the whereabouts of his wife, she was told to mind her own business. It was then
she decided to call the police ...
On their arrival, George tells the police they returned from their cottage in Cornwall late in the evening two weeks earlier and went straight
to bed (in separate bedrooms). When he awoke the next morning and went to Margot's bedroom, he found clothes to the right and left and
her suitcase on her bed, but no Margot. He checked around the house but could not find her. He felt she just decided to leave him but the
police, suspecting the worst, begin proceedings to dig up the grounds ...
With Bernard Hepton [George Marchbanks], Norman Jones [Detective Sergeant Smith], Alex Norton [Detective Constable John McIver],
and Stephen Tompkinson [Police Cadet Barraclough].
Other parts played by Anthony Jackson and Kim Wall.
Directed by Jane Morgan.
90 minutes
Jim
....An outstanding comedy - ND.
