Perhaps not significantly better in overall performance terms than the R4 version done in 2006, although with a great central performance from Jessica Raine as Beatie, this was an excellent transcription of the recent Donmar Warehouse production, and the ideas of the play have lost none of their punch.
Russ
"But us, count? Count, mother, I wonder, do we? Do you think we really count? You don't want to take any notice of what them old papers say about the workers being all important these days. That's all squit. Because we aren't. Do you think when the really talented people in this country get to work, they get to work for us? And if they do, do you think they don't know we don't make the effort? The writers don't write thinking we can understand. The painters don't paint expecting us to be interested. The composers don't give out music thinking we can appreciate it. But us, they say, the masses is too stupid for us to come down to them. For us, they say, if they don't make the effort, why should we bother? So do you know what comes along? The slop singers, and the pop writers, and the film makers, and the women's magazines and the Sunday papers, and the picture strip love stories, that's who comes along. And we don't have to make no effort for them, no, that comes easy. We know where the money lies, they say. The workers have got it, so let's give them what they want. They want slop song and film idols, we'll give them that then. They want words of one syllable, we'll give them that then. They want the third rate, well, we'll give them that then. Anything's good enough for them, because they don't ask for no more. The whole stinking commercial world insults us, and we don't care a damn. Well Ronnie's right - it's our own bloody fault. We want the third rate, we've got it. We've got it."
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