James Bond , 007 - Radio Plays
The first radio 007 was Bob Holness, working for SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) in 1956 as a jobbing actor, in a 90-minute dramatisation of "Moonraker". This was a lot more faithful to the novel than the later film version. But SABC kept no radio archives until 1964 so it's virtually certain that no recording exists. In fact I have been unable to discover if they have retained any archives at all; after the political upheavals of the last couple of decades.
The next radio 007 was Michael Jayston, an actor who was once tipped to take over from Roger Moore in the Bond films. The adaptation was done by Michael Bakewell. The radio Bond, with no possibility of visual gimmicks, was more cerebral than the film,substituting intrigue and inner monologues for exploding fountain pens, to quote Jane Anderson, radio editor of Radio Times.
To celebrate Ian Fleming's centenary, the BBC has commissioned another Bond radio play: Dr. No, at 2.30pm on 24 May 08, with Toby Stephens as 007, who is sent to investigate a strange disappearance in Jamaica. Let's hope it's as good as the last one. The running time is again about 90 minutes.
NOTES
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE....1990
15 Dec 1990, R4. The only James Bond film to be dramatised for radio. It's excellent. Michael Jayston stars as 007; dramatisation by Michael Bakewell, who has been involved with radio drama since the early sixties. Saturday afternoon play, 90m. .
DR. NO....2008
24 May 08. With John Standing as M, David Suchet as Dr. No, Toby Stephens as 007, Janie Dee as Miss Moneypenny, Peter Capaldi, Nicky Henson, Inika Leigh Wright, Samuel West. Martin Jarvis is the voice of Ian Fleming, and the production is by Jarvis and Ayres. Dramatisation by Hugh Whitemore.
These 2 plays are known to exist in vrpcc collections.
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
