Drama on 3: 1963
What unites the Profumo affair (sex, a Russian spy and the secretary of state for war), the Great Train Robbery (£2.6 million taken from a Glasgow to London Royal Mail train) and the assassination of John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States?
They all took place in 1963, the same year in which writer Peter Flannery passed the 11+ and his friend next door took his life. 1963 was a pivotal year that changed the world. Peter Flannery re-visits his 11 year old self and remembers the year the world looked on in amazement while failing to notice the death of his friend and his triumph in his 11 Plus.
A new half hour drama for BBC Radio 3 by Peter Flannery, recorded in front of a live audience at the Edinburgh Festival.
Narrator: Andy Clark
Young Peter: Curtis Appleby
Bernard: Ross Waiton
Grandmother and Mother: Jill Dellow
Peter: Micheal Ajao
A new half hour drama for BBC Radio 3 by Peter Flannery, recorded in front of a live audience at the Edinburgh Festival.
Narrator: Andy Clark
Young Peter: Curtis Appleby
Bernard: Ross Waiton
Grandmother and Mother: Jill Dellow
Peter: Micheal Ajao
Writer: Peter Flannery
Director: Melanie Harris
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore
Exec Producer: Eloise Whitmore
Comment:
This is a brilliant play evoking the way in which world events impinged on a backwater of 1963, and a boy growing up, as much concerned with the 11 plus as the nation and world news, and not quite understanding his neighbour and friend, who clearly is gay, and has a gay friend, but the young boy just can’t see it. .
There’s also a lot of humour about confessions to a priest and a certain famous photograph of Christine Keeler sitting on a chair which “arouses” the young boy, and when he is trying to overhear what has happened on a bus, but only catching fragments of conversation – it was Kennedy’s death, which he had completely missed!
The narrator is older and wiser, and provides a nice contrast as he looks back at his naive younger self, and all that teenage angst. What I particularly liked was the evocation of time and place, and the fears of failing the 11 plus, which the young boy sees as consigning himself to the scrap heap. Of course, despite his fears, he passes. Curtis Appleby is quite brilliant at evoking the unsophisticated but clever young Peter.
Director: Melanie Harris
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore
Exec Producer: Eloise Whitmore
Comment:
This is a brilliant play evoking the way in which world events impinged on a backwater of 1963, and a boy growing up, as much concerned with the 11 plus as the nation and world news, and not quite understanding his neighbour and friend, who clearly is gay, and has a gay friend, but the young boy just can’t see it. .
There’s also a lot of humour about confessions to a priest and a certain famous photograph of Christine Keeler sitting on a chair which “arouses” the young boy, and when he is trying to overhear what has happened on a bus, but only catching fragments of conversation – it was Kennedy’s death, which he had completely missed!
The narrator is older and wiser, and provides a nice contrast as he looks back at his naive younger self, and all that teenage angst. What I particularly liked was the evocation of time and place, and the fears of failing the 11 plus, which the young boy sees as consigning himself to the scrap heap. Of course, despite his fears, he passes. Curtis Appleby is quite brilliant at evoking the unsophisticated but clever young Peter.
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