ELLEN DRYDEN RADIO PLAYS

Ellen Dryden is the widow of the late, great Don Taylor, and a full appraisal of her work is impossible without reading Don's page. They collaborated on a very large number of radio dramas and other projects.

Ellen is a well-known radio author and producer in her own right, and listeners will be familiar with her works. "The Lake" is perhaps the best-known, a creepy, brooding thriller.

BBC BROADCASTS: RADIO PLAYS

SATURDAY NIGHT THEATRE
none

AFTERNOON THEATRE
19.5.83 Child In A Dark Wood: Penelope Wilton/George Baker

MIDWEEK THEATRE
27.12.67 R2 An Old-Fashioned Christmas (50 )by Paul Wheeler R2, starring David Garth/Ellen Dryden

OTHERS
20.11.84 Child in a dark wood
11.02.86 A photograph of Lindsay Mowat
27.05.86 Close of Play
09.04.88 The tower of Constance
18.10.93 The Lake
12.07.97 The Westward Journey (SP)
03.01.99 The Rose and the Ring, by W.M.Thackeray, dram (CS) 60m
27.12.99 Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield, dram, 5 x 30m
05.08.00 Losing Rosalind (SP)
25.12.00 The Ghost of Thomas Kempe,by P. Lively, dram, 5 x 30m
05.10.02 Any Other Name (SP)
16.04.03 Committed to Paper
18.09.04 I was born there (SP)
xx.06.05 Grief

SP = Saturday Play, CS = Classic Serial

date nk: The Lake

NOTES ON THE PLAYS

A PHOTOGRAPH OF LINDSAY MOWAT....1986
A woman takes a secretarial job an old stately home and is soon plagued by strange occurrences. A rather atmospheric, claustrophobic play; very effective. 60m.

THE LAKE....1993
Mystery story involving the murder of a child, and an odd individual being drawn back to the lake which he knew as a child. Probably mid 80s. With James Aubrey as Ben Wheeler, Karen Archer as Isabelle; also stars Pauline Yates, Frances Jeater, Barry Woolgar, Teresa Gallagher, David Thorpe, Nicholas Boulton, Steve Hodson, Isabelle Hewitt, John Prendergast, Hayley Thomas. Directed by Ned Chaillet.

Charles Collins sent the following additional information: broadcast 18 Oct 93 19:45-21:15 R4, and · 24 Sep 94 14:30-16:00 R4; · Recorded on 28 Aug 93. · Description by Ellen Dryden: Childhood memories and perhaps something a little more sinister continue to draw Ben Wheeler back to a lake. When a child disappears his obsession provokes suspicion.

LOSING ROSALIND....2000
How will Edmund's three wives react when they meet each other? 55m.

ANY OTHER NAME 2002
A teacher disappears under suspicious circumstances. Her family is worried, and so are the police. Then an unusual tape recording arrives. With David Bamber as Philip, Teresa Gallagher as Laura; also stars Carl Prekopp, Helen Longworth, Richard Firth, Laura Doddington. Directed by Marc Beeby.

COMMITTED TO PAPER
Barbara doesn't want to leave London for a life in the middle of nowhere...a thriller, presented as readings from a middle-aged man's diary and a girl's letters. Vincent, the disagreeable husband, was played by Paul Ritter, and his glamorous, idle wife was India Fisher. Ellen Dryden was the director.

I WAS BORN THERE....2004
Judith finds a clumsy little painting of where she used to live as a child...the nightmares begin. She has to rid herself of the terrible memories associated with that house. Director Ellen Dryden. With David Suchet, Elizabeth Bell, Leila Hackett, Susan Jameson, John Bennett.

GRIEF....2005
R4, Jun 2005. "Grief" is a play about two couples and the complex relationships that existed between them. Sarah is killed in a car accident; the remaining members of the quartet are confronted with the emotional fall-out. But for years, friend Nick has been perhaps closer to the dead woman than her husband. With whom can he share his grief?

.......Comment from the drama messageboard....The play is very sensitively acted by the four central characters and the direction is good. Inevitably, it is a depressing play because it does not try to gloss over the human flaws and frailties that bedevil us all.

.........Comment from ND....... - you can't really like this play, but there's no denying its realism. It has some strong comments on relationships, too.

Nigel Deacon / Diversity website.

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