Brian Sibley Radio Plays
Brian Sibley has written and broadcast a good deal about cinema, especially the animated film.
His voice became familiar to radio listeners through Radio 4's film programme Talking Pictures, the movie quiz, Screen Test, and some magazine programmes such as The Afternoon Shift and Kaleidoscope.
He did the radio series Disney's Women and David Puttnam's Century of Cinema for Radio 2, and It's Magic for the World Service.
His writing for radio includes the well known dramatisation of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", which he shared with Michael Bakewell, C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, two Tales of the Bizarre by Ray Bradbury, and Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan and Gormenghast, which won a Sony Award.
It's odd that in the original broadcasts of the Tolkien epic, Michael Bakewell alone was credited with the adaptation. I think this was corrected in repeat broadcasts.
Brian has written the official movie guide on the films of Lord of the Rings, and a number of other movie-related items.
He has written some books : Three Cheers for Pooh, Shadowlands, The wisdom of C.S.Lewis, and a biography of the Rev. W. Awdrey (the train man, friend of Teddy Boston) who wrote the Thomas the Tank Engine books.
He is a member of the Magic Circle, and lives with his partner, a magician, in South London. He collects books, videos, and movie and magic memorabilia.
Brian's website can be found at:
RADIO PLAYS / DRAMATISATIONS
1970s *Miss Hargreaves (Frank Baker), dram, 90m
1981 *26 x 30m Lord of the Rings (Tolkien),dram, with Michael Bakewell
1982 *Gormenghast (Peake), dram
1982 *Titus Groan (Peake), dram
2004 *The Pilgrim's Progress (Bunyan), dram, 2 x 60m
2004 *The Northern Irishman in C.S.Lewis
2006 *It's too late now
NOTES
Brian Sibley has dramatised a large number of tales
for radio. I am collecting information for this page. Please email
if you can help.
MISS HARGREAVES....1970s
Originally a novel by Frank Baker, who adapted it himself
as a stage play for Margaret Rutherford. The radio version was the
work of Brian Sibley, who made an elegant job of it. Constance
Hargreaves is an imaginary woman, invented and documented by two
young men during a holiday in Ireland. They conjure her up on the
spur of the moment, only to have her come inconveniently to life,
with enormous potential for their embarrassment. Her descent on
their segment of English provincial society gives her ample scope
for sophisticated mischief; and her eventual return to the shades
is beautifully managed. Jean Anderson plays this eerie old girl
with great relish and aristocratic authority - she creates with
her voice a world of privilege and cultured eccentricity.
...Donald Campbell
LORD OF THE RINGS....1981
Dramatised with Michael Bakewell in 26 half-hour episodes. With Ian Holm and
Michael Hordern. Debateably the best radio drama of all time.
It is a rich and varied performance; you can listen to it
whilst driving to work, when you can't have the book in your hand.
It sticks quite closely to the text, and though it isn't perfect, the production
will keep you gripped from episode 1 to episode 25 (sic).
-gripping 26-part epic which I would have found even better without some of the songs. The music was fine; well-written and performed, but I don't like Tolkien's poetry. The film makers evidently agree; the songs never made it into the movie version - N.D.
TITUS GROAN and GORMENGHAST....1982
Sony Award for best dramatisation and best production
respectively.
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS....2004
John Bunyan's story about a Christian pilgrim and his journey
to discover the nature of faith. It contrasts the physical hardship
of poverty and imprisonment with spiritual riches. Neil Dudgeon plays
Christian, with Anton Rodgers (Bunyan, the narrator), Anna Massey
as Interpreter, Alec McCowen, Peter Bowles, Don Warrington, Graham
Crowden and Caroline Lee Johnson. Produced by Pam Fraser-Solomon.
The Northern Irish Man in CS Lewis....2004
9 Oct 2004,
Saturday Play 09 October 2004 14:30 hrs 60 min Geoffrey Palmer/James
Ellis/Dario Angelone/John Hewitt/Jack Logue/Hannah R Gordon/Doreen
Keogh/Stuart Graham/Laura Hughes/Sarah Gordon/Coirie Magee/Patrick Gledhill
It's too late now....2006
R4, 6 Jan 2006, afternoon play. Marks the 50th anniversary of
the death of A.A.Milne on 31 Jan 1956. Best known as creator of
Winnie-the Pooh, (am I the only one who doesn't like this odious little
bear?) Milne would prefer not to be remembered as a children's
writer. Some of you will be aware that he wrote a series of witty
books of anecdotes entitled The Holiday Round, The Day's Play, etc.
Alex McCowen played Milne, Jasper Britton young Milne, Emma Gregory
was Daphne and the cast also included Maggie McCarthy and Thomas Helm.
Producer - John Tydeman.
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Asterisked plays known to exist in VRPCC collections
