BBC Radio Plays from 1968
IDYLLS OF THE KING....1968
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Music-dramatic work prepared and produced by Hallam Tennyson.
Incidental music composed by Elizabeth Poston. Performed by members of Covent Garden Chorus, conducted by Douglas Robinson and by David Watkins (harp). Third Programme, 2 Feb 68.
A cycle of twelve narrative poems, published between 1856 and 1885, that retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him.
Cast:
Narrator...................................Carleton Hobbs
Guinevere & Narrator II.......................Irene Worth
Arthur.....................................Stephen Murray
Lancelot...................................Anthony Jacobs
Elaine & Nun..............................Rosalind Shanks
Lord of Astolat, Ambrosius & Dubric.......Frank Henderson
Percival & Sir Torre......................Denys Hawthorne
Sir Mordred & Sir Bedivere...................Frank Duncan
Lavaine & Knight......................Christopher Bidmead
(....GL)
Chiefest Enemy....1968
by Hope Lee,
adapted and produced by Hallam Tennyson.
with David Brierley, Ralph Truman and Shirley Cooklin.
Broadcast 24 Feb 68 - Saturday Night Theatre.
Drama set in a Japanese civilian detention center outside Shanghai
near the end of WW2.
A Place Like Tomorrow....1968
by Patrick Simpson,
with Margaret Robertson, John Bentley and Alan Tilvern.
Produced by Norman Wright.
18 May 68 - Saturday Night Theatre
Drama set in Ecuador.
CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING....1968
By Arnold Wesker. Monday play, 27 May 68. An exploration of the class system, set in a RAF training camp for National Service conscripts, shortly after the war. With Nigel Anthony, Peter Jeffrey, Leonard Fenton.
Dark Encounter....1968
By Vivian Paget R2 26.6.1968/2015 Petra Davies/Richard
Bebb/Noel Johnson.
KEEPING UP WITH FATHER....1968
Part of Michael Davies' trilogy of plays about a respectable
turf accountant. With Noel Johnson, Noel Hood.
R2, 17 Jul 68, Radio 2.
THE SACKING OF ROME....1968
23 Sep 68. By Patrick Simpson, 55m. Comedy drama - the clashes between a temperamental artist and his boss. Hubert Gregg, Gudrun Ewer, Peter Pratt, Grizelda Hervey; producer Norman Wright. 'Rome' isn't the place; it's the surname of the artist.
THE HOBBIT....1968
By J.R.R. Tolkien; adapted as a serial in eight parts by Michael Kilgarriff; first episode 29.9.68.
Tale Bearer.....Anthony Jackson,
Bilbo Baggins......Paul Daneman,
Thorin....John Justin,
Balin....Peter Pratt,
Dwalin .... Lockwood West,
Gloin/Wood Elf I..Peter Baldwin,
Fili/Voice II....David Brierley,
Dori/Wood Elf II/Voice I.....Alexander John,
Elven King.......Leonard Fenton,
Master....John Bryning,
Voice IV/Thrush...........Marjorie Westbury,
Bard....Peter Williams,
Herald....Ian Thompson,
Gollum....Wolfe Morris,
Gandalf.....Heron Carvic,
Bombur/ Lord of the Eagles/Warg Voice...Duncan McIntyre,
Oin/Warg Voice....Rolf Lefebvre,
Kili/Goblin Voice/Goblin V/Warg I.......Nicholas Edmett,
Ori/Goblin IV/Goblin Voice...Wilfrid Carter,
Nori/Warg Voice....Anthony Viccars,
Bifur/Bert/Goblin VI/Warg Voice/Dain.......Brian Haines,
Bofur/The Great Goblin/Goblin Voice......Denis McCarthy,
Bill/Goblin Voice/Goblin III...Victor Lucas,
Tom/Smaug......Francis de Wolff,
Elrond/Man III......John Pullen,
Great Grey Warg.....Haydn Jones,
Beorn...........Denys Hawthorne,
Spider I.........Hilda Kriseman,
Spider III..........Betty Hardy,
Woman II.........Gretta Gouriet,
Bard....Peter Williams,
Roac......John Wyse.
Produced by John Powell. Music by David Cain, BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Played by The Early Music Consort.
A MURDER OF QUALITY....1968
5 Oct 68; by John le Carre,
adapted by Frederick Bradnum. SNT, set in a public school in the early 1960s. When the wife of one of the masters is found bludgeoned to death, retired spy George Smiley, out of loyalty to an old friend, agrees to investigate.
George Smiley .... David Bird,
Fielding ......... Patrick Barr,
Miss Brimley ..... Joan Sanderson,
Rigby ............ Peter Williams,
Rode ............. Michael Spice,
Miss Truebody .... Pauline Letts,
Perkins .......... Brian Hewlett,
D'Arcy ........... Denys Hawthorne,
Dorothy D’Arcy ... Delia Paton,
Mad Janie ........ Maureen Beck,
Jill ............. Elizabeth Cassie,
Shane Hecht ...... Claire Davenport,
Charles Hecht .... Edward Jewkesbury,
Ann Snow ......... Jill Cary,
Simon Snow ....... John Pullen.
Produced by David Geary.
BONADVENTURE....1968
By Charlotte Hastings. At the convent of Our Lady of Rheims, in the Fens, homeless villagers are being housed in the convent until the floods caused by the breaking of the Great Drain recede.. The flood has also trapped two prison officials and their prisoner, a talented artist convicted of her brother's murder and on her way to the gallows. The evidence is circumstantial, and Sister Bonaventure is not sure of the woman's guilt. She makes some discreet inquiries. The story goes from there.
This excellent play starred Flora Robson in the title role and was produced by Graham Gauld.
OUR WEST LADYTON BRANCH....1968
By R.D.Wingfield. If my memory serves correctly, this
was Rodney's first radio play. Frederick Treves / Peter Pratt.
13 Nov 68, Radio 2.
CHOCKY....1968
By John Wyndham; not sure of the dramatist. 27 Nov 68, R2, with
Eric Thompson, Judy Bennett, Sheila Grant. One of JW's
lesser-known tales about a visitor from another world. An actress
takes the part of the young boy, as was usual at the time.
BBC details: Matthew is twelve, and a completely normal child.
Suddenly he starts asking unusual questions and
behaving oddly. It is then that his parents become aware
of Chocky.
Matthew Gore - Judy Bennett,
David Gore - Eric Thompson,
Mary Gore - Sheila Grant,
Alan Froome - Peter Baldwin,
Roy Landis - Michael Spice,
Sir William Thorne - Rolf Lefebvre,
Dr. Frost - Lockwood West,
Dennis Chattery - John Baddeley
and
Jack De Manio - As himself.
Producer - John Tydeman.
KAMA, or THE THIRD WAY....1968
Broadcast on the Third Programme on 27 November 1968. This "invention" is an entertaining study of the Kama Sutra, directed by the great Douglas Cleverdon, with Robert Eddison as the King and Denis Goacher as Vatsayana.
The full cast list is
Vatsyayana..................Denis Goacher
Farmer/Monk................Denis McCarthy
King.......................Robert Eddison
Courtier 1/V. Chancellor......Peter Pratt
Courtier 2/Bikhu...........Antony Viccars
Courtier 3.................Gordon Gardner
Chancellor..................Lockwood West
Shastri..................Francis de Wolff
Kamala.....................Janette Richer
Ananda....................Denys Hawthorne
Pushpa....................Rosalind Shanks
Nurse.........................Betty Hardy
Lakshmi/Wife 3..............Pauline Letts
Wife 1........................Jan Edwards
Wife 2.....................Hilda Kriseman
Porphry....................Norman Shelley
Girl..........................Olive Gregg
Boys.........Christopher Bidmead, Michael Deacon and Le Roy Lingwood
EVENTS AT BLACK TOR 1968
A frightening, atmospheric serial, 6 x 30 min, with supernatural overtones. Directed by Alan Melville; written by Roy Clarke, better known for his television series "Last of the Summer Wine".
ELLA....1968
By Rhys Adrian. Very amusing (and for its time, explicit) play about a woman and the contrast between her two lovers.... producer John Tydeman. 30m.
Most of the above recordings exist in vrpcc collections.
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
