Radio Plays, 1940
AARON'S FIELD....1940
By D.G.Bridson. This play is extremely early; 74 years old. It wears surprisingly well. The script is in verse, but not unpleasantly so. Duration- about 45 minutes.
BBC Home Service, Thursday 16th November 1939. A modern morality play and told in verse, set in the Pennine country on the eve of war. The play opens on the 1st of September, 1939, somewhere in Northern England where old Mr. Aaron has just bought a field in the Pennine country and wants to keep it private and natural, but all those who visit him at the field that day want to either buy it, or use it...... The Times described "Aaron's Field" as a delightful new morality play in verse.
Cast:
Ivor Barnard .................... Old Mr. Aaron, New Owner of the Field
John Wardle .................... The Narrator
Alfred Wolstencroft ......... The Lawyer, Mr. Lawson of Jones & Lawson / Banker
Graham Caw ................... The Squire, Sir Richard Hunter
Wilfred Pickles ................ The Farmer / The Vicar
Philip Wade ..................... Mr. Whittle from the Council
J. N. Broadbent ............... The Motor Tourist from Town
Philip Robinson ................ Game Keeper
J. H. Miller ....................... A Hiker
G. B. Smith ...................... National Trust Representative
A. G. Mitcheson ............... A Builder
D. A. Clarke-Smith .......... The Industrialist, Mr. Rip of Rip-Free Fabrics
Frank Milnes .................... Mr. Bung, the Publican
May King ......................... A Woman, the Local ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Warden
Laidman Browne .............. The Man
Incidental music specially composed by Norman Fulton (staff), and played by Jack Hardy's Little Orchestra.
Produced by D. G. Bridson. Re-broadcast on Sunday 28th January 1940 and followed by a repeated in October 1940 as part of a BBC listener's popularity week. It was repeated a third time before WWII ended. A new production of the play was broadcast on Third Programme on 28th December 1947 with the following cast: Ivor Barnard, Ivan Brandt, Ronald Simpson, Bryan Powley, Jimmy Harrison, Denys Blakelock, James R. Gregson, Eric Naden, Philip Robinson, James Miller, Charles Maunsell, Victor Fairley, D. A. Clarke-Smith, Tom Harrison, Charles Leno, Lydia Sherwood, and Laidman Browne.
Recording obtained from Brian Dyson, Uppermill, Oldham, 1998.
