Christopher Reason Radio Plays

Christopher reason is a well-known writer for radio and television.

BBC notes, 2012:
Christopher is a core writer for EastEnders and has written for Casualty, The Bill and Coronation Street. His radio work includes 'The Good Soldier Svjek', 'Every Child Matters' (Sony Gold Winner) and 'The Thank You Present'. He specialises in tackling contemporary issues.

RADIO WRITERS ON TV
Clive Lever writes..... I notice that in recent months David Essex has been starring in East Enders as 'Ed'. On Monday night, his character left the programme with a brilliant father-and-son two-hander, written by Christopher Reason. So we have Peter Whalley writing for Corrie, and Christopher Reason for East Enders. Radio drama is obviously a great training ground for scriptwriters. (Oct 2011)

BBC RADIO PLAYS:
12.10.13 The Confessions of Caminada rpt. 25.07.14
17.10.12 Special Measures
15.10.10 Every Child Matters; sequel to 14.10.10
14.10.10 This Repulsive Woman
16.11.08 The Good Soldier Svejk, dram, 2 x 60m, Classic Serial
06.07.07 A Second to Midnight, by Andrew Walker & Christopher Reason
19.09.03 The Cooking Group, Friday Play
14.10.98 The Final Furlong
17.01.94 A Raging Fury, rpt 09.03.96
01.06.92 Unreasonable Behaviour rpt 27.02.93
28.06.89 A Box Of Chocolates
29.06.88 News of the World
21.05.88 The Girl Of My Best Friend
14.12.86 A Meeting Of Minds

NOTES ON SOME OF THE PLAYS

16 Jun 2021: The Citadel
Series 8, ep. 1: by Chris Reason and Tom Needham. Based on the novel by AJ Cronin. Today's episode is set over 24 hours, where both doctors deal with unexpected events; Dr. Denny is shocked to receive a visit from a former soldier from his past, and worries that a potential epidemic is about to strike the valley, whilst Dr. Manson finds himself in a luxurious flat with an attractive woman. Continues tomorrow. Dr. Andrew Manson ...... Richard Fleeshman, Phillip Denny ........ Matthew Gravelle, Christine Manson ........ Catrin Stewart, Frank Trevithick ...... Carl Prekopp, Arthur Greenwood ......Conrad Nelson, Mrs. Roberts /Receptionist ..... Kath Weare, Eleanor/Bronwyn ......Emily Pithon, Gwyneth...... Charlotte Sienna Lee. Producers: Pauline Harris and Gary Brown. Directed by Pauline Harris.

17 Jun 2021: The Citadel
Series 8, ep. 2. Dr. Manson, returns from London. He enforces quarantine on a local village. And the former soldier, Trevithick, is rushed to hospital. Dr. Andrew Manson ........ Richard Fleeshman, Phillip Denny ........ Matthew Gravelle, Christine Manson ...... Catrin Stewart, Frank Trevithick ..... Carl Prekopp, Mrs. Trevithick/Mrs. Thomas .... Jennie Platt, Dylan Thomas ... Luca Rawlinson, Freddy/Policeman ..... Rupert Hill, Mrs. Roberts /Mrs. Powell...... Kath Weare, Eleanor.....Emily Pithon, Gwyneth....... Charlotte Sienna Lee. Producers: Pauline Harris & Gary Brown.

12 Oct 2013: Saturday Drama - The Confessions of Caminada
An 18-year-old man faces execution after being convicted of murder, but a prominent social campaigner refuses to believe he's guilty. The play is based on a true case from the memoirs of 19th-century detective Jerome Caminada. The detective - George Costigan, Annie Swinton - Julia Ford, Father Dermot / Bannister - Russell Dixon, Fletcher / Wood -Jonathan Keeble, Moods - Justin Moorhouse, Charlie - Oliver Lee. Producer Gary Brown. Rpt. 2014.

SPECIAL MEASURES....2012
17 Oct 12; an inner-city school under pressure; academies and Ofsted. I think this was 60m and possibly a Friday Play.

No, not a Friday Play - here are the RT notes:


Afternoon Drama - Special Measures
The OFSTED inspectors arrive at Castle Steps Primary, an inner city primary school which thrives despite myriad social problems. The committed head teacher, Georgina Love, is under pressure for the school to become a sponsored academy, so it is vital the inspection goes well, buy she has the suspicion that she is being set up. Georgina ....... Zara Turner, Richard ....... Kevin Doyle, Malina ....... Szilvi Naray-Davey, Manpreet ....... Rani Moorthy, Trevelyan ....... Kathryn Hunt, O'Donohue ....... Robert Pickavance, Producer ....... Gary Brown.

THIS REPULSIVE WOMAN....2010
By Christopher Reason. 14 Oct 10. Fictional high-profile court case about a woman being prosecuted under the Protection of Children Act 1978. With Maxine Peake, Neil Dudgeon. Producer Stefan Escreet.

THE GOOD SOLDIER SVEJK....2008
Nov 2008; dramatised by Christopher Reason in two 60-minute episodes. This is a very competent version of Hasek's anti-war rant, as voiced by the Good Soldier Svejk. It's much shorter than the version with Richard Griffiths which went out in 1981, so a lot of material is omitted, but it still has the flavour of the original. Stars Sam Kelly, Adrian Lukis, Fiona Clark, Mark Chatterton, Melissa Jane Sinden, James Quinn. Producer Gary Brown. Here in Hasek's tale, with all its blasphemy, treason and bawdiness, we can follow the progress of Svejk, the only loyal Czech in the Austrian army of 1914. Enmeshed in red tape, chivvied by police, doctors, clergy and officers, the good soldier, once discharged as an idiot, ploughs his patient furrow towards the crowning moment when he is captured by his own troops. (summary of a note from the Penguin edition of the novel, 1980) - ND.

note from the bbc messageboard: ...."So much of the original dialogue was ignored, especially some of the wonderful dialogue between Svejk & Otto Katz & his creditors. Maybe I'm asking too much, but I'd have loved 4 or 5 episodes instead of 2 with the original dialogue being brought out more. That said, the acting was absolutely marvellous & the Svejk & Katz characters were just right."

A SECOND TO MIDNIGHT....2007
R4, 2102, 13 Jul 07 and 20 Jul 07) ... an exciting two-part Friday Play by Andrew Walker and Christopher Reason about the oil industry in Nigeria and some of the conflicts of interest between the indigenous people and those, like us, who use the oil. This play attracted much comment on the BBC messageboard, from drama enthusiasts and energy experts, and was well-received. It had a feel of Saturday Night Theatre about it, with good pacing and plot development over the two episodes. It starred Ian Puleston-Davies, Charlotte Emmerson, Cyril Nyi, Brigit Forsyth ("Thelma" from "The Likely Lads", I recently discovered) and was produced by Susan Roberts (ep.1) and Gary Brown (ep.2).

BBC blurb: A contemporary thriller set in Nigeria in two parts. Western Governments and global oil companies have long predicted that the 'Peak'; when oil reserves become finite and the markets begin to panic; is as far off as 2030. But oil company geologist Dr Rob Turner wrote a report trashing this timescale; saying that we had already reached the 'Peak'. But then he was forced to bury it.

2/2. Kidnapped by gunmen in the Nigerian Delta; Rob is floored when he discovers Helen is alive. Can she persuade him to back her cause? Rob ...... Ian Puleston-Davies, Helen ...... Charlotte Emmerson, Kolo ...... Cyril Nri, Liz ...... Brigit Forsyth, Joseph ...... Richard Pepple, Geraldine ...... Sue Jenkins, Henry ...... David Fleeshman, David ...... James Nickerson, Alice ...... Abi Eniola. Directed by Gary Brown.

LJ: ...It was written by Andrew Walker (the economics correspondent with the World Service?) and Christopher Reason (q.v.). .....no - it's a different Andrew Walker ...... Ed.

R4 trailed the play quite heavily as concentrating specifically on the issue of the Peak Oil thesis – and in my opinion it didn’t. The Friday Play is usually the one that’s supposed to tax the intellect which is possibly why some listeners are critical.

I don’t know if other contributors noticed, but I thought it had a definite ‘Saturday Night Theatre’ feel about it – ‘Liz’ and ‘Rob’ reminded me of Mike and Claire Nash out of Waggoners’ Walk. I was intrigued as to how a grown man can hide in the hatch area of a Peugeot 205. In fact I tried it myself and the parcel shelf was balanced on my head, so the rebels would certainly have caught me. I liked the ending to part (1): ‘Hello Dad’, so tuned into Part (ii).

Perhaps Mary Goldring would have been the ideal person to have written a play about Peak Oil. It would have been full of interesting technical and economic info., relating to the decline of oil production – and would also have possessed a digestible romance/sexual content. Miss Goldring would certainly have described Dr. Turner’s deep blue eyes in great detail!

MHC......This was brilliant, gripping, wonderful radio drama, I was rivetted by the first episode and had the radio on in every room in the house as I ploughed my way through the housework determined not to miss one second - and was not disappointed.

I have some knowledge of the oil industry but am not an expert and listen to radio dramas for entertainment, to take me away from reality. The factual programmes give me information and often leave me depressed but this was fantastic fictional entertainment right up to the last second.

THE FINAL FURLONG....1998
Starring Bernard Cribbins. Can a heartbroken old man rescue a desperate situation? He looks back over his life, with the help of a tape recorder. Directed by Martin Jenkins. Rpt 19.11.99.

A RAGING FURY....1996
By Christopher Reason, R4, 9.3.1996/1950, James Aubrey/John Branwell/Stephen Hall. Saturday Night Theatre. 90m. Psychological drama with a passing reference to the "Captain Hurricane" stories from the "Valiant", in the 1960s.

UNREASONABLE BEHAVIOUR ....1992
27.2.1993; Russell Dixon/Siriol Jenkins. Monday Play, 1 Jun 92. Christopher Reason's play about an ambitious local councillor. It won the 1992 Writers' Guild Award for best original radio play. Also, Siriol Jenkins won the Radio Times Award for Best Actress. ...(.Jim)

BOX OF CHOCOLATES....1989
With Prunella Scales. A monologue in which a woman is caused to show her soft side when she receives a box of chocolates from her estranged aunt. But watch out for the nuts. (rpt. R4 Extra 1 Jan 2015)

NEWS OF THE WORLD....1988
29 Jun 1988. By Christopher Reason, writing as David Morgan. Sony Award winner for Best Drama Production. Set in 1965: Every week, 10-year-old Max is packed off to Sunday school with a shilling for the collection plate. But Max spends it on a Mars bar and the News of the World, finds a park bench and begins to unravel life's mysteries. Max: Steven Rendall, Dad: Rob Whelan, Mum: Pam Ferris, Sally: Jane Hazlegrove, Miss Hope: Joan Campion, Headmistress: Rosal, Mrs Fox: Daphne Oxenford, Presenter: Randal Herley, with and the children of Hurst Head Junior School. Producer: Robert Cooper.

THE GIRL OF MY BEST FRIEND....1988
21.5.1988/1945. SNT. When Jules finds a pile of old photographs and a letter in her husband's desk drawer, she unlocks a tragic past which has haunted their troubled marriage. Mark: Russell Dixon, Benny: Michael Maloney, Mel: Emma Chambers, Jules: Kathryn Hurlbutt, Fiona: Jane Hazlegrove, Mrs White/Station announcer: Maureen Morris. Directed by Clive Brill, BBC Manchester. (Re.broadcast on Monday at 3. 00pm)

14.12.86 The Afternoon Play: A Meeting of Minds
Henry's craving for the company of an intelligent, civilised human being who will share his love of music and literature seems about to be satisfied; James should fulfil all of Henry's desires. But there are always those who will snigger and sneer. Henry ...... Malcolm Hebden, Maisie ..... Brigit Forsyth, Jenny ...... Jane Hazlegrove, James ...... Chris Larner, Mr Armitage ...... Anthony Benson, Edie ...... Eileen O'Brien, Waiter ...... Christopher Reason. Directed by Robert Cooper, BBC Manchester.

Paradise & No Adam....1986
By Keith Goodall. SNT 6 Sep 1986. A grandmother's lurid account of a 17th-century murder feeds a young girl's hatred of her mother's lover. BBC Manchester. Jenny: Sonia Ritter, Gran: Clare Kelly, Sara: Carole Nimmons, David: Ian Redford, Lucy: Julia Ford, John: Pearce Quigley. Music composed by Chris Reason. Producer: Robert Cooper.

Nigel Deacon / Diversity website

Most of these plays known to exist in VRPCC collections

Page updated Jan 2015

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