STEPHEN GALLAGHER RADIO PLAYS
Stephen Gallagher was born in Salford in 1954. He worked first as a documentary researcher, then for a television company before becoming a full-time freelance writer with the sale of his first novel in 1980. Chimera has now been adapted for television. Other novels include Valley Of Lights, Oktober, Down River, Rain, and The Boat House. His stories have been published in numerous magazines both in Britain and the US (info. found by Clive Lever, in "The Man In Black", BBC Publications 1990, ISBN 0 563 20904 6)
BBC Broadcasts; radio plays / dramas
??.??.77 Last rose of summer (Piccadilly Radio), 6 part serial
??.??.78 Hunters' Moon (Piccadilly Radio), 8 part serial
??.??.79 Babylon run (Piccadilly Radio), 4 part serial
17.03.79 The Humane Solution
26.04.80 A Resistance To Pressure
16.05.87 The Kingston File
16.11.79 An alternative to suicide
20.04.85 Chimera
07.02.93 Lifeline
NOTES ON SOME OF THE PLAYS
THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER
Written by Stephen Gallagher
Mitchell was played by John Munday
Randell by Charles Foster
The Voice of Central Command by Chris Kaye
Baxter by Malcolm Brown
Avery Sim was played by David Marlowe.
Killoran was played by Mike Hurley,
Mrs Mitchell by Diana Mathur
and the nurse was played by Barbara Greenhalgh.
The shopkeeper and Mrs Giloray were played by Meg Johnson,
Uncle Arthur by David Marlowe,
Morden by Alan Bardsley,
the librarian and WPC Parkins by Barbara Greenhelj.
The museum attendant and Mr Greenbaum were played by Charles Foster.
Supermarket manager and library attendant were played by Malcolm Brown,
Supermarket assistant, pilgrim and Cary by Chris Kaye
Collinson and the video show presenter were played by Mike Hurley.
The Last Rose of Summer was produced by Tony Hawkins, engineered by Pete Baker and recorded at Studio 3, Piccadilly Radio, Manchester.
Casting details of this play and the two sequels (see below) provided by Steve Wilson - many thanks, Steve.
The Last Rose of Summer, Hunter's Moon and The Babylon Run is a trilogy of science fiction serials made for Piccadilly Radio. THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER was syndicated around most of the commercial stations in the UK and led to two sequels. Radio Drama on commercial radio is now almost non-existent.
HUNTERS' MOON
Randell was played by Charles Foster,
Globo by David Marlowe,
Mitchell by John Munday.
Killoran was played by Mike Hurley,
Morden by Chris Kaye.
Carol Hayman as Baylem
with Ian Flintoff as Marius.
Booscroob was played by Jim Pope
bird, Peter Wheeler
the worm, Colin Weston
Colm, Ian Flintoff,
and Palmer, Chris Kaye.
Willis was played by Graham James
Mrs Mitchell by Diana Mathur
the captain by Malcolm Brown
and the mate by Will Casey
The chapel receptionist and Moskey were played by Peter Wheeler
The priest and Peerson by Malcolm Brown
and the nurse by Barabara Greenhelj
The voice of the Weck was by Chris Cabe
Hunter's Moon was engineered by Pete Baker and produced by Tony Hawkins
THE BABYLON RUN
Willis was played by Alan Rothwell
Scorkia by Russell Dickson
Tair, Gwen Taylor
Ella Desmond, Richard Forsyth
Kyle, Ian Flintoff
Kittyvale, James Tomlinson
Kane was played by Martin Oldfield
Saras, Peter Chandler
Randell, Charles Foster
The voice of Babylon by Mike Hurley
THE HUMANE SOLUTION 1979 90m
Thriller involving a hijacked plane at a fogbound airport. Saturday Night Theatre. Produced by John Tydeman.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUICIDE 1979 90m
Science fiction. Set in the future; the crews of interstellar ships are little more than super-efficient automatons who have been programmed from birth for their life away from Earth. One of them breaks his conditioning and finds the truth about his existence. Superior sf play. With Michael Jayston, Catherine Kessler, Paul Maxwell, Brian Haynes, John Bull, Michael Drew, Adrian Egan, Murray Cash, Carole Boyd, Margaret Robertson, Peter Marinker, Nigel Lambert, Danny Schiller, Roger Hammond, Patrick Barr, Graham Faulkner, Henry Knowles. Directed by Martin Jenkins.
A RESISTANCE TO PRESSURE 1980 90m
Saturday Night Theatre; produced by Gerry Jones. Thriller.
Gareth Armstrong/John Rowe/Brian Haines.SNT. Michael McStay in cast, as Sergeant Reid / TV producer.
CHIMERA 1985 90m
Adaptation of the novel; Saturday Night Theatre. Thriller involving a secret research establishment and some unexplained killings. With Sarah Badell as Alison, Christian Rodska as Peter, Brian Glover as Stoneleigh, John Webb as Shaffer. Also stars Jenny Fernall, David Sinclair, Tessa Worsley, Christopher Douglas, Graham Blockey, Marlene Siddaway, Bernard Brown, Helena Breck, Sean Arnold, Leonard Fenton, John Voce. Directed by Martin Jenkins.
THE KINGSTON FILE 1987 90m
A terrifying thriller with some very nasty scenes; don't say I didn't warn you. A nutter is possessed, and the play follows the social worker who trys to sort him out. Saturday Night Theatre. With Sean Prendergast as Gary, Mick Ford as Michael, also stars Helena Breck, Christian Rodska, Stephen Thorne, Tessa Worsley, Stephen Harrold, Sue Broomfield, Brian Haynes, Andrew Branch, Stephen Hattersley, Julie Berry, Alan Dudley, Susie Brann. Directed by Martin Jenkins.
BY THE RIVER, FONTAINBLEAU 1988 30m
In the Fear on Four series; from the short story by Stephen Gallagher. Produced by Martin Jenkins.
THE WONDERFUL VISIT 1988 45m
H.G. Wells' social-comment novel about an angel, crammed into forty-five minutes - but it works. Produced by Martin Jenkins.
THE HORN 1989 30m
Fear on Four series. From the short story. Produced by Martin Jenkins.
THE VISITORS' BOOK 1992 15m
Short story reading, R4.
LIFE LINE 1993 30m
Fear on Four: Edward de Sousa narrates...with Nicholas Murchey as Ryan, Jonathan Tafler as Colin, Moir Leslie as Susan, Federay Holmes as Belinda; also stars Anne Windsor, Matthew Morgan, Melinda Walker, Julian Rhind-Tutt; directed by Martin Jenkins. From the short story by Stephen Gallagher.
Finally, an excerpt from an interview with Steve
Gallagher, supplied by Greg Linden:
........ Most of my sales
were to Saturday Night Theatre, a 90' slot for solid, well-told
stories. One of these was a science fiction piece which my producer
sent over to the Doctor Who office with a note, and out of that came
my first TV commission. I used to say of radio drama that it was the
nearest thing we had to a National Writing School. It's still a way
in, but there aren't as many radio openings as there were.
compiled from info. supplied by Roger Bickerton, Greg Linden & ND collection
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
