Sean Grundy Radio Plays

Sean Grundy is an English playwright whose radio dramas, primarily broadcast on radio 4, blend comedy, surrealism, existential absurdity and unconventional biopics. He was born in Bradford.He graduated with a degree in drama and film.

25 Jul 24: The Poor Olympics and the Flying Housewife
By Sean Grundy. A drama about true events, broadcast the day before the 2024 Olympics. It’s 1948. London is picked to host the Olympics. But GB is skint, hungry and tired after eight years of rationing and a £7,000 million war debt. It has nothing left, including hope. This Olympics are set to be an embarrassing failure. In the middle of impending doom, young GB athletes Dorothy Manley, Maureen Gardner and Evelyn Betchley arrive, all set to race veteran Dutch runner Fanny Blankers-Koen (‘FBK’). At 30, mother-of-two FBK is considered too old to compete and battles with the anti-sportswomen male Establishment, led by Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee, who preaches how sport endangers female fertility. Cast: Martin Bonger, Hollie Burgess, AK Golding, Sandra-Mae Lux, Remmie Milner, Wilf Scolding and Kerry Shale. Soundtrack by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Ella Fitzgerald. Directed by Sean Grundy Executive Producer: Boz Temple-Morris. Recorded by Wilfredo Acosta. Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor. Produced by Cara Jennings. Indie (HandDrawn Productions).

3 Jul: Saturday Play - Ready Player Marx
By Sean Grundy and Cara Jennings. Drama about the battles, firings and dirty tactics a group of video game workers face trying to unionise in the £50 billion gaming industry. Inspired by real events. Video game workers Laura in the UK and Rachel in the US are close to breakdowns with their 100-hour weeks, making violent game content, dealing with industry racism and sexism. They want to start a union. Their bosses provide serious opposition. Laura - Nell Barlow, Rachel - Hollie Edwin, Eva - Jennifer English, Steve - Matt Addis, Gary - Paul Panting, Benedict - Jonathan Aris, Mum - Elizabeth Carling. Producer: Liz Anstee. Indie. (CPL).

2021-05-08: Death and Taxis
Adapted by Sean Grundy in four 15m episodes, broadcast at 21-45. Info here taken from episode 4. Everyone who was anyone in New York from 1976 to 1987 was in Andy Warhol's diary - from Mick Jagger to Donald Trump. The core themes to the dramas are Andy's loves (art, men, fame, money, mainly money) and his fears (failure, embarrassment and death). The episodes follow four themes, using four people in Andy's life from 76-87: homeless Crazy Matty, his boyfriend Jon Gould, writer Truman Capote and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. There are also appearances by Mick and Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, Liza Minnelli and Donald Trump.

Beginning in autumn 1976, Andy talked to his secretary by phone at 9:00 a.m. every Monday to Friday morning, for ten years. He would talk about the events of the previous day, and his office would transcribe his monologues into diary pages. The diary began as a careful recording of his use of money, from phone calls to nickels for bag-ladies to cab rides, but quickly evolved into personal observations. It was published posthumously in 1989; a condensed version of his 20,000-page diary. Here's a sample entry:

'Friday, August 30, 1978: The doorbell rang and it was Liza. She said, 'give me every drug you've got.' I gave them some coke, Valium and four Quaaludes. A little figure in a white hat came up, and it was Marty Scorsese, hiding around the corner. He and Liza went off to have their affair on all the drugs. (Valium $1)'

Jerry Hall..Ronnie Ancona, Andy Warhol............Scott Capurro, Mick Jagger/ Dr.Bernsohn/ Donald Trump: Jon Culshaw, Jean Michel Basquiat........Abdul Salis, Bruno Bischofberger / Crazy Mattie ....Kerry Shale, Bouncer.....Martin T Sherman. Based on The Andy Warhol Diaries, edited by Pat Hackett. Producer: David Morley. Director: Dirk Maggs. Indie (Perfectly Normal Productions)

7 Jun 2019: Rita, Sue and Andrea Too
By Sean Grundy. A play about Andrea Dunbar, the schoolgirl playwright whose play "Rita, Sue and Bob" was briefly popular in 1982. It's told through the words of Jennie Howarth, a film director and friend of Andrea. The play follows how she struggled to make money and how she fought to protect the authenticity of her work as it transferred from stage to film. Andrera: Natalie Gavin, Jennie Howarth: Claudia Jessie, Maz and Alan: Duncan Wisbey, Oscar: James Quinn, Alma and Peggy: Anjella Macintosh. Other parts played by Cara Jennings, Sophie Trott and members of the cast. Producer: Sally Harrison; director: Sean Grundy.

25 Sep 2018: We're Backing Britain
By David Morley; directed by Sean Grundy. This is a satire inspired by the 'I'm Backing Britain' campaign in 1968. The country has been plagued by strikes; Harold Wilson has had to devalue the pound; he has seen his country plagued by excessive wage demands and strikes. In the words of RT: the play takes us back to the late sixties and shines a light on the industrial strife which followed. Fred Price: Nicholas Boulton, Brenda Mumford and Marcia Williams: Felicity Duncan, Joan Southwell: Catherine Lamb, Harry Tyler: Geoff McGivern, Valeria White: Alana Ramsey, Richard Seller andRory McCarthy: Wilf Scolding, Jack O'Hea and Harold Wilson: Duncan Wisbey. Produced by Richard Clemmow.

7 Jul 2018: Saturday Play: Low
By Sean Grundy. Play about David Bowie, when he was making his album "Low" in 1977. Bowie: Daniel Weyman, Iggy Pop: Kerry Shale, Tony Visconti: Martin Sherman, Roy Martin: Tom Alexander, Rony Haag: Scott Capurro, Coco: Laurel Lefkow, Angie: Helene Maksoud, Zowie Bowie: James Morley, Brian Eno: Wilf Scolding. Producer: David Morley; director: Dirk Maggs. 57m.

19 Aug: Saturday Play: 19 Aug 2017: Tolkien in Love
By Sean Grundy. Play about Ronald Tolkien and his future wife, Edith Bratt, whom he met when he was 16 and she 19. His guardian was unhappy about their association and prohibited their meeting until he was 21. The play is based on real events, some of which were later incorporated in 'Lord of the Rings'. Ronald: Wilf Merrick, Edith: Claudia Jessie, Fr. Francis: John Duttine, Mrs. Faulkner: Sally Grace, George: Paul Panting, Hilary: Ben Wilby. Producer: Liz Anstee.

11 Mar 2016: Burn Baby Burn
By Sean Grundy. A satirical drama inspired by the fire which destroyed Charles Saatchi's collection of works by Hirst, Emin, the Chapman Brothers and others associated with the Young British Artists movement. Tracey Emin / Nigella Lawson: Ronnie Ancona, Dinos Chapman / Vic Hislop: Wilf Scolding, Damien Hirst / Dante Skirmis: Ben Crompton, Brian Sewell / Death: Jon Culshaw, Hardy: Steve Hartley, Jake Chapman / Charles Saatchi: Carl Prekopp, Jacqui: Alana Ramsey. Producer: David Morley; director - Dirk Maggs. Indie; Perfectly Normal Productions.

The art of the Young British Artists' Movement is usually regarded as 'provocative' which means that only some people regard it as art. Jon Culshaw does an uncanny impersonation of art critic Brian Sewell as he describes a deliberately low-key investigation into a possible arson attack and makes no secret of his opinion of cows in formaldehyde and unmade beds.
(......ND, Diversity website review, April 2016.)

15 Feb 2016: In Pieces To Camera
By Sean Grundy. A satire following a writer of a scripted reality programme as he struggles to come to terms with exploiting people's lives for entertainment. Stephen Ridges: Richard Lumsden, Karen Qills: Michelle Holmes, Derren Badcock: Tim Downie, St. John Montgomery / Jason Custer: David Reed, Bess Harley: Katy Carmichael, Lucy Steptoe-Spencer: Alex Tregear, Harry Fford / Drunk 1 : Thom Tuck, Rupie Schultz / Drunk 2: Kenneth Collard. Produced by Alison Crawford.

30 Mar 2015: Far Side Of The Moore
By Sean Grundy. Biographical drama about astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore, who presented The Sky At Night from 1957 until his death in 2012, aged 89. This excellent play reached the shortlist for the Tinniswood Award. The young Patrick lives with his mother in East Grinstead and writes factual works on astronomy. His latest book gets a bad review from an academic, and he is left in despair ... Patrick Moore: Tom Hollander, Lorna: Felicity Duncan, Gertrude Moore: Patricia Hodge, Dr. Henry King: Anton Lesser, Eileen Wilkins: Charlotte Richie, Leonard Miall: David Shaw-Parker, Arthur C Clarke: Simon Treves, Paul Johnstone: Daniel Weyman. Producer: David Morley, director: Dirk Maggs. Indie (Perfectly Normal Productions, I think).

The astronomer Patrick Moore was commemmorated in FAR SIDE OF THE MOORE (R4, 1415, 30 Mar 15), a play by Sean Grundy about the early life of Patrick Moore, the astronomer, and the events surrounding the origins of the programme "The Sky At Night", which he presented for fifty-five years. This received very good reviews from many quarters, including the Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds, the website of "The Sky At Night", and the British Astronomical Society website.

It's set in 1957, and the little-known Patrick is living with his mother in East Grinstead. He studies the heavens and writes popular factual works on astronomy, and science fiction under a pseudonym. When his latest book Suns, Myths And Men gets a bad review from the academic Henry King, Patrick is in despair and, when the phone rings, he expects more bad news. Martin Mobberley said that although the play is fiction, loosely based on facts, they had gone to great lengths to get the certain details right; for example, they recorded one of Patrick's typewriters to get the Woodstock typewriter key-pounding correct. Essentially, this was the story of how a self-taught astronomer and eccentric became the presenter of The Sky At Night. It also talks about Patrick's lost love, who died in a german air raid when he was still a young man. Overall it is a story of triumph against the odds; he would never have been hired without producer Paul Johnstone (Daniel Weyman) having faith in his scientific expertise and natural gift for communication.

Patrick was played by Tom Hollander and his mother by Patricia Hodge. Felicity played Lorna, Daniel Weyman was Paul Johnstone, and Anton Lesser was Dr. Henry King, the jealous academic. Dirk Maggs directed, for Indie producer Perfectly Normal Productions. (ND, Diversity Website review, Apr 2015)

11 Feb 2015: Poorland
New play by Sean Grundy; a satire. Susan and John visit a poverty-inspired theme park, with a Benefit Island water ride and a Disenchanted Kingdom, on the council estate where they grew up. They each travel separately but bump into each other and discover that they remember their childhoods in very different ways. Susan: Angela Griffin, John/Mick: Andy Flanagan, Chris: Faye Castelow, Resus: Sam Barnett, A.R.Shoals: David Reed, Betty: Melanie Kilburn. Produced by Alison Crawford; editor Abigail Youngman.

PARADIGM....2014
21 Jan 2014. A very odd comedy by Sean Grundy in which members of a family discover that their lives aren't quite what they thought they were. And lest you think this play is entirely comedic, remember that there is much truth spoken in jest ... Michele Holmes, David Birrell, Lucy Gaskell, Adam Barlow, Rosie Cavaliero, John Biddie, with Sean Grundy as himself. Producer Alison Crawford.

TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER....2013
23 Dec 2013. 5 x 12m, 7.45pm, all week, Mon-Fri. Contemporary versions of the well-known stories, adapted and directed by Sean Grundy, with Johnny Vegas and colleagues from the entertainment world. Producer: Sally Harrison. Indie (Woolyback production).

BEST QUEUE....2012
22 Oct 12. Absurdist, existential drama by Sean Grundy about a family stuck in a queue that never ends. Thousands of people, miles long ...but as the days pass, the Brookers lose track of time... and their lives change from stability and ordinariness to despair and chaos and their commitment to the queue and to each other is sorely tested. Jean ......... Susan Cookson, Mark ......... Simon Armstrong, Sophie ......... Rachel Austin, Bradley ......... Samuel Holland, Doctor Keith ......... Alun Raglan, Other Voices ......... Alun Raglan, Celebrity ......... Tony Marshall, Newsreader ......... Will Glennon, Producer ......... Alison Crawford.

IN THE FAMILY....2011
5 Oct 2011: Afternoon Drama. After ten years, Peter leaves Gillian for Laura. Distraught, Gillian goes round to Peter's parents to be consoled. They take her in - then things go a little weird. CAST: Gillian Tattersall............ Diane Morgan, Peter Wells............Colin Hoult, Barbara Wells.............Janine Duvitski, Colin Wells............John Henshaw, Laura...........Zoe Gardner, Tina........Zahra Barri, Alan/Mr. Forester............John Biddle, Happy Jones.........Tony Marshall, Ann Tattersall...........Christine Hall, Barry Tattersall...........Sean Grundy. Producer: Alison Crawford.


THE RECORDIST....2011
16 May 11, rpt: A lecturer at a college for spies, torturers and surveillance experts uses his home life as source material for his courses. He 'bugs' his wife; her affair makes an amazing teaching aid. Producer: Alison Crawford.

Cast:
Stuart - John Gordon Sinclair,
Penny - Sharon Horgan,
Ren - Gemma Jones,
Neil - Ed Weeks,
Reese - Fergus Craig,
Munro - Nick Mohammed,
Penny's Mum - Phyllida Nash.


CAVITY....2009
Sean Grundy's outrageous X-rated comedy CAVITY (R4, 1415, 29 Jan 09) was in the same class as Steve Walker's "Haunted by More Cake" and Giles Cooper's "Disagreeable Oyster"; the sort of play usually no longer commissioned by the BBC for fear of offending sensibilities or obtaining tiny audiences; amazingly original, brilliant, absurd, and completely impossible to imagine in any medium other than radio. Full marks to the BBC for putting it on in the afternoon. Comments from the BBC messageboard were appreciative, though some listeners accustomed to the normal 'afternoon play' diet were clearly nonplussed at this very peculiar drama.

Kirsty, the heroine, has a lunchtime fling with a colleague but it goes disastrously wrong when the wife returns home unexpectedly. Kirsty hot-foots it into the loft, where she slips over the edge and falls down inside the cavity wall. Adrian drills holes in the walls all around the house, to 'communicate' with his lost love. Then he gets his wife to buy long, thin food. Julian Rhind-Tutt played Adrian and Ingrid Oliver was Kirsty; the producer was Alison Crawford. ....ND, VRPCC review, April 2009.

Nigel Deacon / Diversity website

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