1981 Radio Plays
The Sword In The Stone,T.H. White,R4,26.12.1981/2000,Michael Hordern/Toby Robertson. Dram. by Neville Teller. Classic adaptation of T.H.White's story - will never be repeated; the Disney Corporation have the rights. SNT. (Saturday Night Theatre). See Neville's page - and more details are shown on Graham Gauld's pages....click on: Radio Plays-Producers-Graham Gauld-Single Plays.
Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula,Glyn Dearman,R4,19.12.1981/2030,John Moffatt/Timothy West/David March. Dram. by Glyn Dearman (I think) of someone's novel (L. Estelman?), mixing two very different gentres. It works. 90m. SNT.
Hal
Atmospheric play by Charlotte Hastings. 18 Dec 81. A young woman finds the house of her dreams - a Tudor cottage. It is idyllic, but she is haunted by visions and a voice from the past. No details of cast or producer on my recording, which ends as the play finishes, but I guess it's Graham Gauld.
Cardboard Christmas Cutouts
10 Dec 81, by Brian Thompson. Humorous play set in a alrge store in the Christmas season. Enter the working-class boy. Will he make good? And if he does, what will it cost him? Excellent play produced by Alfred Bradley.
The Autonomous Murder Complex,Frederick Bradnum,R4,5.12.1981/2030,Robin Ellis/Frances Jeater. Is the murderer real, or part of someone's subconscious? SNT. Imaginative thriller.
4.12.1981 To Kill A Town, by Derek Raby. With James Villiers/Neville Jason/Stephen Garlick. Afternoon play produced by Margaret Etall. A message is received by the police that a town is going to be killed unless a large ransom is paid.
A Voice In My Hand,Charlotte Hastings,R4,14.11.1981/2030,Flora Robson/Marius Goring. Peculiar tale involving a walking stick which exerts influence over its owner. See Graham Gauld pages - Flora Robson Festival.SNT.
Operation Lightning Pegasus,Alick Rowe,R4,7.11.1981/2030,Timothy West/Joy Harrison/Neil Stacy. from Alick Rowe's excellent comedy set in classical times. See his page.SNT.
The Hessian,Howard Fast,R4,31.10.1981/2030,Derek Jacobi/Patricia Gallimore/Ian Hogg. A Hessian is a person from the Hesse region of Germany. (Rheinhessen....familiar to wine lovers)..SNT.
Leave It To Psmith,P.G. Wodehouse,R4,3.10.1981/2030,John Gielgud/Michael Hordern/Joan Greenwood/Simon Ward. Humorous romp with a good cast. SNT.
The Best Of Friends,J.C.W. Brook,R4,19.9.1981/2030,Michael Cochrane/Christopher Scoular/Angela Down. See JCW's page. SNT.
A STUDY IN SIN
By Michael Robson. 18 Sep 81. A woman receives a threatening 'phone call, which alters the course of her life. She has no choice but to do as she's told. There's a terrific twist at the end. 45m.
Frame Of Deference,Rod Beacham,R4,12.9.1981/2030,Stuart Milligan/Stephen Garlick/Patience Tomlinson.
The Technicolour Time Machine,Harry Harrison/Chris Boucher,R4,5.9.1981/2030,Lee Montague/Richard Pearson/John Bay/David March/Michael Kilgarriff. Very unusual in that this is a comic science-fiction tale. SNT.
The Englishman Abroad,Christopher Douglas,R4,29.8.1981/2030,Michael Cochrane/Robert Lang/Michael Kitchen/David Threlfall. See cricket plays page. "Douglas Jardine set out in the winter of 1932 with the avowed intent of destroying "those ruddy convicts" - the Australian cricket team. The tour became known as the Bodyline Tour ".....SNT.
A Case To Be Answered,Jill Hyem,R4,1.8.1981/2030. Very effective play about an awkward subject - violence to women by their partners. SNT.
A Full Account,John Kirkmorris,R4,25.7.1981/2030,Jeffry Wickham/Sheila Grant/John Hollis. See John Kirkmorris page. SNT.
A Fall Of Moondust,Arthur C. Clarke/Andrew Lynch,R4,30.5.1981/2030,David Buck/Barry Foster/Roland Curram/Bill Simpson. A people transporter gets stuck in the middle of nowhere on the moon. Superb science fiction. SNT.
Bequest To The Nation,Terence Rattigan,R4,23.5.1981/2030,Sian Phillips/Michael Bryant/Anna Massey/Alan Lake. This is a play about Horatio Nelson, his death, and his "bequest" ... the woman he loved.
The Treadgold Conspiracy,Malcolm Stewart,R4,9.5.1981/2030,Nicholas Courtney/Margaretta Scott. Thriller; up to MS's usual high standard. SNT.
The Chrysalids,John Wyndham,R4,25.4.1981/2030,Stephen Garlick/Amanda Murray/Judy Bennett. The well-known sci-fi tale about those who have just a little more ability than their peers....directed by Michael Bartlett. SNT.
The Rundle Gibbet,Peter Terson,R4,4.4.1981/2030,Haydn Jones/June Barrie. A middle aged busybody starts a scandal-sheet where he slags off all and sundry. Some of them do not like it, and decide to teach him a lesson he will not forget. SNT.
Stranger In The Dark,Robert Garrett,R4,14.3.1981/2030,Tony Osoba/Cyril Shaps. Thriller. SNT.
The Return From Mars,Charles Chilton,R4,7.3.1981/2030,John Pullen/Anthony Hall/Ed Bishop/Nigel Graham. 25 years after the last "Journey Into Space", Charles Chilton wrote a sequel. This is it. It doesn't disappoint. SNT.
There'll Almost Be An England,Bruce Stewart,R4,7.2.1981/2030,Elizabeth Bell/Robert Morris. Comic play by BS. SNT.
Stoker Leishman's Diaries,Peter Tinniswood,R4,24.1.1981/2030,Robin Bailey. Very funny play about the "Stoker"; a guy who has explored the Antarctic. Now he's old, and there's a fight to decide who will have (and publish) his journals. But what exactly is in them? SNT.
The First Men In The Moon,H.G. Wells,R4,17.1.1981/2030,Hywel Bennett/William Rushton. Classic tale of lunar exploration written over a hundred years ago. Rushton is well-cast as Cavor.Dramatised by Terry Jones.
Directed by Glyn Dearman.
Captain Of Heretics,Anthony Read,R4,10.1.1981/2030,Charles Kay/Clifford Rose/Hugh Dickson/Sheila Grant. Adventure story. SNT.
Ice,Max Williams,R4,3.1.1981/2030,Charles Foster/Paul Copley. A murder story - but where is the weapon? See the page "Ice" (Radio plays by topic). SNT.
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Above plays known to exist in VRPCC collections
