Glyn Dearman Radio Plays
Glyn Dearman was originally a child actor; at about ten he was Jennings in the radio version of the Anthony Buckeridge school stories. He was also in films -including Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby", and was Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol" (1951).
He was a respected radio producer, achieving drama of the highest standards: "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God", done at the Maida Vale studios, are examples of his work. There are different ways of getting decent results as a producer; Glyn did it by choosing the SMs (Studio Managers) most suited to the production, and being fully involved both with them and the actors, giving detailed notes about each bit of the script, more notes on later takes, and sometimes offering an extra pair of hands (an offer not always accepted!) at the mixing desk.
He produced some well-known plays including Andrew Sach's wordless "The Revenge", the surreal "Oedipus, Gunslinger" by Ian Weir, Stoppard's "Dissolution of Dominic Boot", the Earthsearch serials by James Follett, Estelman's "Sherlock Holmes v. Dracula", and Andrew Rissik's "Psychedelic Spy". He produced Rodney Wingfield's first radio play (Our West Ladyton Branch) and many others including Better Never than Late in which Leslie Sands played Detective Inspector Chew, a character considered by many to be the prototype for Jack Frost.
In the 1980s Glyn was the baddie in a special play written for Children in Need, called "The Dead Room", where most of the parts were taken by producers.
A number of Glyn's colleagues have spoken of the fun and interest of working in his productions. He was also a superb cook and a proficient DIY-er. It was a great loss to the world of radio drama when he died in an accident at home.
I am indebted to Carol McShane for talking to me; Carol worked as an SM for Glyn from 1968 to 1993. Thanks also to R.D.Wingfield, who read the page and did some editing before it went on-line.
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SOME OF GLYN DEARMAN'S RADIO PRODUCTIONS
(in approximate order of transmission)
Mrs. Dale's Diary
Waggoner's Walk
1964 The Dissolution of Dominic Boot (T.Stoppard)
1968 Our West Ladyton Branch (R.D.Wingfield)
1973 Sins of Commission (R.D.Wingfield)
Sauce for the Goose (and other Georges Feydeau farces)
The Revenge (A.Sachs)
1979 The Tor Sands Experience (B.Stewart)
1981 A fall of Moondust (A.C.Clarke)
1981 The first men in the moon (H.G.Wells)
1981 Journey into Space
1981 The technicolour time machine (Gallagher)
1981 Earthsearch (J.Follett)
1981 Sherlock Holmes v. Dracula (dram. G. Dearman)
1982 Blythe thou never wert, Change of View, Normal Service (Melville)
1982 Earthsearch 2 (J.Follett)
1982 Project Genesis
1984 Oedipus, Gunslinger (I.Weir)
1983 Revelations
1987 Death Duties (F.Bradnum)
1989 R.U.R (Capek)
1990 Dan Dare
1990 The Psychedelic Spy (A.Rissik)
1991 Who Goes There?
The Miser (Goldoni)
Room with a View (Forster), rpt. BBC7 Apr. 2004
The haunted man and the ghost's bargain (Dickens),rpt BBC7 Dec 2005
NOTES
BETTER NEVER THAN LATE....1972
28/04/1972, by R D Wingfield. With Leslie Sands as Inspector Chew.'Twelve years ago the force was my life - but things change. Twelve years ago while I was looking for a kidnapped child my son died and my wife walked out on me. I want to solve that case before I retire - I want to wipe the slate clean.
Insp.Green Brian Haines
Sgt. Rushton Sean Barrett
Det. Insp Collins Fraser Kerr
Det.Insp. Smith Malcolm Gerrard
Chief Supt.Lawton Charles Simon
Sam Fletcher Malcolm Hayes
Peggy Fletcher Sheila Raynor
Bill Alan Haines
Ann Marlow Jill Simcox
Pamela Fulton Nicolette Bernard
Sarah Fulton Patricia Gallimore
Hampton Nigel Lambert
Mr.Cresswell Frederick Treves
Producer Glyn Dearman
SHERLOCK HOLMES V. DRACULA....1981
A play for radio by Glyn Dearman, from the writings of
John H. Watson, as edited by Loren B. Estelman. With John
Moffatt as Sherlock Holmes, Timothy West as Dr. Watson, David
March as Count Dracula and Aubrey Woods as Professor Van
Helsing. ...."I feel it my duty to set the record straight
regarding a number of erroneous statements made recently
concerning the events I am about to describe. I refer in
particular to a spurious monograph by one Bram Stoker, entitled
DRACULA, which completely ignores the part which Sherlock Holmes
played in bringing that affair to a successful conclusion."
.......(from a posthumously published memoir of Dr. John H.
Watson) Also stars Michael Maloney, Noel Howlett,
Theresa Streatfield, Nicholas Courtney, Katherine Parr, John
Hollis, Ned Bridger. Directed by Glyn Dearman.
Cracking tale, immaculate production....superb entertainment.90 min.
"*Oedipus, Gunslinger"....1984
A highly stylised version of the
Oedipus story; a Western in the style of a Greek tragedy, and
a wonderful piece of radio. It even has a Greek chorus. Details:
broadcast R3, December 84, 55m, Bruce Boer as Marshal Prestridge,
Bob Sherman as Adam Shand, Brian Michael as Liberty Shand, Blaine
Fairman as Justin Lawrence, Keith Edwards as Deputy Marshal Gimball,
David March as the Ancient Indian. Squint was played by Cyril Shaps
, Doc Halloran by Alan Tilvern, Old Barley by Robert Henderson,
Silas Weathervane by Ed. Bishop, Widow Wentworth by Gladys
Spencer, Twitchell by William Hope, and Burlap by Mark Rolleston.
The music was composed and conducted by Philip Pickett, and played
by Imogen Barford, Stephen Henderson, Melinda Maxwell and David
Roach. Directed by Glyn Dearman.
Death Duties....1987
by Frederick Bradnum.
With Maurice Denham, Martin Jarvis, Jill Balcon and Margaret Courtenay.
Produced by Glyn Dearman.
R 3, 20 Oct 87.
rpt. R3, 15 Aug 1989.
Jeremiah's motley family are after his will, but he isn't dead yet and has a bombshell from beyond the Iron Curtain to drop.
Who goes there?....1991
By Bob Shaw, dir. Glyn Dearman. It's AD 2386 and Warren Peace has joined the
Space legion to forget something. He can't remember what. 55m.
THE HAUNTED MAN AND THE GHOST'S BARGAIN
With John Moffat, Ronald Herdman, Dilys Lay. Rebroadcast
over Xmas 2005. ....info from Stephen Stallcup, N. Carolina - many
thanks.
Nigel Deacon, Diversity website
