Lucinda Mason Brown Radio Plays

Lucinda works in radio drama and music; she is a classical composer. She has been involved in a large number of radio dramas as producer, composer and sound designer.

Lucinda worked for a while in BBC Radio Drama and at the BBC Writers Room. She is an experienced producer and script editor who has also worked on arts-related features, narrative-driven comedy, readings and short stories. Since 2006 she has worked for Indie company Goldhawk Essential.

Notes on a few of the programmes on which she has worked are shown below.

10 Jan 17 Making the Grade
Not a drama - this is a feature... why are more and more older people taking up instruments and putting themselves through music exams? Presenter and terrible musician James Peak follows the stories of several candidates as they try for their ABRSM piano exam. James is aiming for Grade 1 piano and discovers that everyone has reasons for trying to make the grade. Along the way he meets Carroll (with Parkinson's Disease) and Nicola (who suffers from stage fright). Written and presented by James Peak. Produced by Lucinda Mason Brown. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

27 Aug 16: Saturday Play - Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
By Alan Sillitoe. A borstal youth recalls his crimes and works out his future as he trains to take part in a big cross-country race. The borstal governor is keen for his boy to win, and says that taking part in the race may transform him into an honest man. Smith, the youth: Lee Rufford, Governor: Karl Johnson, Roach: Tom Turner, Mrs. Smith: Natalie Grady, with Hoah Burdett, Tom Vanson, Graeme Hawley, David Hounslow, Michael Thomas, Barbara Kirby, David Timson, Millie Binks and Eve Manning. Produced by Lucinda Mason Brown; directed by Carl Prekopp. Indie (Goldhawk).

Winner of best debut performance: Lee Rufford (2017 Audio Drama Awards 29 Jan 17)

I enjoyed LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER (R4, 1430, Saturday Play 27 Aug 16) by Alan Sillitoe, adapted for radio by Robert Rigby. The film is well-known: a borstal youth recalls his crimes and works out his future as he trains to take part in a big cross-country race. He is unusually talented as a runner, and there's every chance that he will win. The borstal governor is keen for him to succeed, and says that taking part in the race may turn him into an honest man. If only life were that simple! Smith was played by Lee Rufford and the governor by Karl Johnson; the director was Carl Prekopp. (......ND, Diversity Website review, Dec 2016)

27 Jul 14 Classic Serial - Eugenie Grandet,Episode 1 of 2
Rose Tremain's dramatisation of Balzac's novel. The story is about Grandet, elderly vineyard owner, and his daughter Eugenie. Grandet is a miser who runs his household along frugal lines. Everything changes with the arrival of Eugenie's cousin, Charles Grandet, from Paris. Charles has brought with him a letter from his father, Guillaume, who has committed suicide. He has placed his debts and the care of his son in his brother's hands. Grandet .................... Ian McKellen, Eugenie .................... Alison Pettitt, Nanon .................... Shirley Dixon, Madame Grandet .................... Anna Calder-Marshall, Charles .................... Blake Ritson, Cruchot .................... Harry Hadden-Paton, Des Grassins .................... David Horovitch, Madame Des Grassins .................... Jenny Funnell, Abbe Cruchot .................... Geoffrey Beevers, Adolphe .................... Arthur Hughes. Cello and Treble Recorder: Alison Baldwin. Original Music: Lucinda Mason Brown. Produced and directed by Gordon House. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

3 Dec 13 Afternoon Drama - Kindness
Psychological drama by Julian Poidevin. Family life is disrupted when Tom's son Simon comes to stay. His arrival starts a chain of events exposing old and new deceptions. Simon wants to fit in, Sophie wants to escape and Tom's wife Lorna is forced to question the stability of her home life. Tom .................... Nicholas Gleaves, Simon .................... Ashley Margolis, Lorna .................... Sophie Thompson, Sophie .................... Jessica Clark, Dave .................... Nicholas Keith, Director: Peter Darney. Producer: Lucinda Mason Brown. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

8 Sept 13: Classic Serial - Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
2/2. By Alan Sillitoe. Anrgy young man continues to be angry, but his past catches up with him and he has to face the consequences. The appearance of a new woman also presents further challenges (when does it not? - Ed). Arthur - Joe Dempsie, Brenda - Natalie Grady, Aunt Ada - Shirley Anne Field, Winniw - Sarah Smart, Doreen - Sian Hill, with Jilly Bond, Rachel Atkins, Sean Baker, Philip Fox, Julia Hills, Ashley Cook, Victoria Brazier, Graeme Hawley, Paul Stonehouse, Stephen Critchlow. Producer Lucinda Mason Brown, director Carl Prekopp. Sound: David Chilton. Indie (Goldhawk).

1 Sept 13: Classic Serial - Saturday Night & Sunday Morning
By Alan Sillitoe. 1/2. British New Wave. Novel set in Nottingham, 1958. Angry young man Arthur Seaton rails against the boredom of his job and living at home with uninspiring parents. Arthur - Joe Dempsie, with Shirley Anne Field as Aunt Ada, Natalie Grady as Brenda, Sarah Smart, Philip Fox, Julia Hills, Ashley Cook, Victoria Brazier, Rachel Atkins, Stephen Critchlow, Graeme Hawley, Lorna Jones, Sean Baker, Paul Stonehouse, Felix Lailey. Sound: David Chilton. Producer Lucinda Mason Brown; director Carl Prekopp. (Goldhawk)

21 Jun 13 Afternoon Drama - Mind Hackers
By Lou Stein, inspired by the phone hacking scandal. Media lawyer Hayley Schaffer begins to suspect that a daily newspaper is illegally obtaining information about one of her clients. She pushes the boundaries of legality to defend her client and advance her career. She locks horns with her former lover and mentor, newspaper lawyer Paul Madsen, in an effort to uncover the truth behind the scandal. But Paul has reasons of his own to encourage her to ditch her evidence. Hayley Schaffer .................... Jessica Brown Findlay,, Paul Madsen .................... Anthony Head, Rex Kingsley .................... Owen Brenman, Grandmother .................... Marcia Warren, Colin Maitley .................... Sean Baker, Angela .................... Alison Pettitt, Vicki .................... Alison Pettitt, Trish .................... Katy Daghorn, First Waitress .................... Katy Daghorn, Lorraine .................... Claudia Elmhirst, Second Waitress .................... Claudia Elmhirst, Luvvy .................... Nicholas Boulton, Tom Batchley .................... Nicholas Boulton, Directed by Lou Stein. Producer: Lucinda Mason Brown. Sound Editor: David Chilton. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

18 Mar 13: Thinking of Leaving Your Husband?
Episode 3 - The Flying Dutchman
Sarah continues to go on a variety of internet dates with an assortment of highly contrasting men. All prove very unsatisfactory until she meets Paul, a Dutch pilot, who has been brought up in South Africa but now lives in Amsterdam. Paul is handsome, charismatic and charming and Sarah convinces herself that finally she has found the man of her dreams. But a romantic night is followed by complete silence from the elusive Paul. Could Sarah's Flying Dutchman be a lying Dutchman? Sarah - Lia Williams; Paul … and all Sarah's internet dates - Henry Goodman; Mother - Miriam Margolyes; Tania - Frances Barber; Francis Parker - Roger Hammond; Lucy - Eleanor Butters; Ellie - Hayley Roberts; Angie - Elyse Blemmings; Sound Design - Lucinda Mason Brown; Original Music - David Chilton; Director - Gordon House; Producer - Gordon House; Indie (Goldhawk Essential)

23 Dec 11 Classic Serial - The Eustace Diamonds, Episode 1 of 3
By Trollope, dram. Rose Tremain. Lizzie Eustace fights to retain possession of her magnificent diamond necklace, which she claims was left to her as a gift by her late husband. Her immediate relatives, spurred on by the family lawyer, argue that the diamonds are an heirloom, and cannot be retained by her. Lizzie disagrees. Original Music: Lucinda Mason Brown Lizzie .................... Pippa Nixon, Lord Fawn .................... Jamie Glover, Florian .................... Nicholas Boulton, Lady Linlithgow .................... Richenda Carey, Lady Fawn .................... Stella Gonet, Frank .................... Joseph Kloska, Lucy .................... Amy Morgan, Camperdown .................... Malcolm Sinclair, Crabstick .................... Alison Pettit, Harter .................... Sam Kelly, Benjamin .................... Stephen Critchlow, John Eustace .................... Alex Waldmann, Augusta .................... Laura Hanna, Lydia .................... Ellie Butters, Nina .................... Ella Dale. Produced and directed by Gordon House. Indie (Goldhawk Essential). Harpist: Cecilia De Maria Cellist: Alison Baldwin.

27 Sep 11 Afternoon Drama - Development
Doug Lucie's dark comedy about the credit crunch, set in Britain in 2008. Mike is a property developer who appears to have it all, but the foundations are shaky.When the debts are called in, his au pair's brother offers a solution, but is it what it seems? Mike ..... Mark Bazeley, Zoe ..... Samantha Spiro, Marie ..... Amy Shindler, Joe ..... Ashley Cook, Tatyana ..... Larissa Kouznetsova, Leo ..... Basher Savage, Location Recordist: David Chilton, Sound Designer: Lucinda Mason Brown, Producer: Janet Whitaker. Indie (Goldhawk).

19 Aug 11 Afternoon Drama - No Particular Place to Go
Written by Robert Rigby. Iraq veteran Alex is finding it hard to adapt to his latest mission as an undercover security guard patrolling the floors of a provincial department store, and shoplifter Simon has his own tactics. Alex ..... Steve Nicolson, Simon ..... Rikki Lawton, Jude / Ken ...... Ben Crowe, Helen ..... Teresa Gallagher, Chorus ...... Robert Rigby, Location Recording: Lucinda Mason Brown, Sound Design: David Chilton, Original Songs: Robert Rigby, Producer: Nick Russell-Pavier. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

29 Mar 11 Afternoon Drama - The Man with Wings
By Rachel Joyce. A war-damaged man wishes to fly, and there's a village boy, desperate for the return of his father. It is 1947 and there is a gloomy and desolate feel to the small Gloucestershire village where young Jack Leach's boy lives. It is a village almost entirely populated by women and children; the men have yet to return from the war - and many will never return. Narrator ...... Ian McDiarmid, Mireille ...... Niamh Cusack, Man ...... Tom Goodman-Hill, Boy ...... Jo Joyce-Venables, Sister Mary ..... Kate Binchy, Mother ..... Emily Joyce, Neighbour ...... Alex Tregear, Original Music by Lucinda Mason Brown. Producer: Gordon House. Indie (Goldhawk Essential).

7 Mar 11 Afternoon Drama - Mr Jones Goes Driving
By Shelley Silas. Johnny Jones isn't particularly old, he's a regular man with a regular wife, two grown up children and a handful of grandkids. His has a good life, and for that he's grateful. He accepts that growing old is just one of those things, and until now, he has just got on with everything thrown his way. He has always lived his life by getting up each day and getting on. However, all that is about to change. Johnny Jones ...... Richard Briers, Alice Jones ..... Ann Davies, Imran ..... Muzz Khan, Lizzie Gray ..... Helena Breck, Ian ..... Jonathan Holby, Patrick ..... Ben Tosh, Johnny's Mother ..... Stella Duffy, Johnny's Grandchildren ..... Wilf and Ruby Armstrong Ashdown. Original Music composed by Lucinda Mason Brown. Producer: Gordon House. Indie: Goldhawk Essential.

Shelley Silas's beautiful play "Mr. Jones goes Driving", with Richard Briers, was a gentle love story involving a man who, because of epilepsy, has to give up driving. Before he does so, he goes out in his beloved vintage car one last time. (....ND, Diversity website review, Apr 2011)

23 Jan 11 15:00 - Classic Serial - The Moonstone, Episode 1 of 4
Doug Lucie's dramatisation of Wilkie Collins' detective masterpiece from 1868. The Moonstone involves a huge diamond stolen from the forehead of an Indian deity, plundered in a siege and finally given to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. It is said to carry a curse and mysteriously disappears on the night of the celebrations. Lady Verinder ..... Eleanor Bron, Rachel Verinder ..... Jasmine Hyde, Betteridge ..... Steve Hodson, Franklin Blake ..... Paul Rhys, Sergeant Cuff ..... Kenneth Cranham, John Herncastle ..... Stephen Critchlow, Rosanna Spearman ..... Alison Pettitt, Godfrey Ablewhite ..... Mark Straker, Penelope ..... Clare Corbett, Mr Murthwaite ..... Paul Battacharjee, Khan/Indian..... Narinder Samra, Housemaid ..... Carolyn Pickles, Boy ..... Alex Miller. Recorded on location by Lucinda Mason Brown. Original Music by David Chilton. Dramatised by Doug Lucie. Producer: Janet Whitaker. Indie: Goldhawk Essential.

7 Jan 11 21:00 - Friday Drama - Bad Memories
By Julian Simpson. In 2004, a successful architect and his family mysteriously disappear from their home. Six years later five bodies are found in the cellar of their house. They are identified as Jonathan and Imogen Blake and their son, Matthew; Philip Gibson, who was on the missing person's register and a woman, identity unknown. Forensics determine that not only were they murdered, but the time of death was 1926. There are audio files found with the bodies. Rachel Weir ..... Nicola Walker, Jim Marquez ..... Rupert Graves, Phillip Gibson ..... Steven Mackintosh, Jonathan Blake ..... Anthony Calf, Imogen Blake ..... Jana Carpenter, Matthew Blake ..... Oscar Richardson, Mary Marston ..... Imogen McCurdy, Boy 1 ...... Ashley Cook, Boy 2 ......Marcus Webb. Directed by Julian Simpson. Recorded by Lucinda Mason Brown and David Chilton at Stanmer House in Brighton. Sound design by David Chilton. Producer: Karen Rose. Indie (Sweet Talk).

BAD MEMORIES (7 Jan 2011, Friday Play) by Julian Simpson was an unsettling supernatural thriller. Five bodies are found in a cellar, which is how the story begins. The police are called in, and the corpses are found to be very old, which conflicts with police evidence. One of the deceased has some audio recordings in his pocket, and it's there where the mystery starts to unfold. I was reminded of the American sixties series 'Macabre', which featured several frightening tales; this was in a similar style. Here are some listener comments:



R', from the BBC messageboard: ............I listened to this while making soup in the kitchen and in broad daylight and I still found myself looking over my shoulder.

...........Beautifully written and acted. Well done and thank you, Mr Simpson and the cast! You've certainly changed my plans for Saturday afternoon. I was going to tidy up my cellar, but suddenly, I feel it can wait a while ...

(.....ND, Diversity website review, Apr 2011)

5 Apr 10 11:30 - Thinking of Leaving Your Husband?
By Charlotte Cory. Episode title: Find-the-perfect-partner-4-u-dot-com. A four-part comedy drama which explores a middle-aged woman's attempts to find herself a new romantic interest by joining an internet dating site. Lia Williams stars as Sarah, our heroine, and Henry Goodman plays her ex-husband, her father, and all the various men she meets along the way. In this first episode, Sarah is deeply dissatisfied with her lot. Her marriage to the kindly but deeply boring Malcolm has long since failed to bring any spark to her life, and a brief relationship with a man called David, while ultimately unfulfilling, at least proves to her that she is not so unattractive that she cannot find happiness elsewhere... Sarah ..... Lia Williams, Malcolm and all Sarah's internet dates ..... Henry Goodman, Mother ..... Miriam Margolyes, Tania ..... Frances Barber, Francis Parker ..... Roger Hammond. Sound Design by Lucinda Mason Brown. Original Music by David Chilton. Series initiated by Nick Russell Pavier. Director - Gordon House. Indie: Goldhawk Essential.

30 Jul 09 14:15 - Afternoon Drama: Marmalade for Comrade Philby
By Christopher William Hill. When mediocre novelist Patrick Bradyn discovers that his French translator has reworked his latest spy novel as autobiography, he finds himself with a profound moral conundrum. Patrick Bradyn ...... Bill Nighy, Hannah Olrod ...... Penelope Wilton, Delphine Barbret ...... Rachel Atkins, Ken ...... Geoffrey Whitehead, Lottie ...... Claudia Elmhirst, Barlow ...... Adrian Scarborough. With original music by Lucinda Mason Brown. Indie: Goldhawk Essential.

22 May 09 21:00 - Friday Drama: A Hit to the Heart
By Rachel Joyce. The man with everything finds his perfect world blown apart when his daughter is linked to an act of terrorism. Peter ...... Nicholas Farrell, Verity ...... Niamh Cusack, Michael ...... Timothy Bentinck, Sara ...... Emma Fielding, Lucy ...... Angela Terence, Frank ...... Geoffrey Whitehead, Jim Hall ......Jon Strickland. With original music by David Chilton and Lucinda Mason Brown. Directed by Gordon House. Indie: Goldhawk Essential.

19 Apr 04 14:15 - Afternoon Play: Maigret and the Burglar's Wife
Second series, 1/4. Chief Inspector Maigret last met Ernestine when he was a young policeman and she refused to put her clothes on so he could arrest her. But now he must choose to believe her story about a murdered woman discovered by her thief husband or believe the respectable dentist who denies there ever was a burglary. By Georges Simenon , dram. Alison Joseph and translated by Alice Hart. Maigret .......... Nicholas Le Prevost, Simenon .......... Julian Barnes, Mme Maigret .......... Julie Legrand, Ernestine .......... Rachel Atkins, MmeSerre .......... Jill Johnson, Guillaume .......... Philip Franks, Janvier .......... Tom George, Ironmonger's lad .......... Scott Brooksbank, MmeOosting .......... Jennie Stoller, Moers .......... Philip Fox. Music by Lucinda Mason Brown, performed by the Viper's Dream Quartet. Producer/Director Ned Chaillet.

3 Dec 02 14:15 - Afternoon Play: Maigret - A Man's Head
By Georges Simenon. First series, 1/4. Dramatised by David Cregan. Inspector Maigret of the Police Judiciare in Paris takes on one of his most famous cases. Set in the 1930s, the story evokes the Paris of Hemingway with a touch of Dostoyevsky in a city of jazz. Maigret .......... Nicholas Le Prevost, Simenon .......... Julian Barnes, Lucas .......... Ron Cook, Kirby .......... Paul Birchard, Mrs Kirby .......... Beth Chalmers, Comeliau .......... Philip Fox, Bob .......... Philip Fox, Radek .......... Ifan Meredith, Janvier .......... Tom George, Edna .......... Jane Whittenshaw, Mother .......... Jane Whittenshaw, Heurtin .......... Ben Crowe, Dufour .......... Ben Crowe, Music by Lucinda Mason Brown. Producer: Ned Chaillet

compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website, from info supplied by NM - many thanks.

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