Drama on Radio 3

[Ein Heldenleben]

That makes sense. I think I did turn up some other figures more in line with the current ones, and probably comparable. They suggested payments had been fairly stable for a few years now i.e. hadn't increased much, if at all, with inflation. Not unexpected, I suppose.

I can’t be sure because I known very little about Radio is costed. When I worked there none of the studio costs were charged to production. That changed with producer choice in the 90’s . Most BBC TV and I guess radio,is produced to a guide tariff price which doesn’t include the BBCs own overheads - like the cost of commissioning and transmitting. The only explanation I can think of between the 2009 and 2022 figures is that the former is a total cost and the latter a guide tariff. It is however perfectly possible that the tariff has fallen from 24 k odd to 18k. I worked on a programme (TV ) which had an approximate 15 percent cut in budget between 2002 and 2020 - and I mean actual numbers - not allowing for inflation. With inflation the cut would have been more like 30 per cent.That’s pretty typical across the board which is why the schedules feel pretty thin at the moment.

[JasonPalmer]

The tempest looks good, not sure my partner would like it but one to listen again to in the week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0011cm5

[smittims]

Hope you enjoy it, Jason. BBC4 are doing a season of Shakespeare plays, probably to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the First Folio, which is the only surviving source for nearly half his output, including some of his most famous works. .

[JasonPalmer]

Hope you enjoy it, Jason. BBC4 are doing a season of Shakespeare plays, probably to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the First Folio, which is the only surviving source for nearly half his output, including some of his most famous works. .

did a google and lots of intersting links/programs cams up but not radio four plays, i tend to avoid radio 4 plays as they do them in installments where i prefer the whole performance

[AuntDaisy]

did a google and lots of intersting links/programs cams up but not radio four plays, i tend to avoid radio 4 plays as they do them in installments where i prefer the whole performance

I think Smittins was meaning BBC4 on the TV / iPlayer.

On Thursday they had Henry V (1989) with Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Paul Scofield, Robert Stephens, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Briers, Judi Dench, Ian Holm...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007xry1

The 1965 BBC / RSC "The Wars of the Roses" productions of Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III have also been on

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001r3hg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gfvb7d

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0gfvdy0

[JasonPalmer]

Auntdaisy, oh yes. He did. Saw that henry V was on with kenneth branagh, watched a bit of it. Will check out those plays you mention on iplayer sometime, thanks for the info.

[smittims]

The Merchant of Venice is a vintage one with Maggie Smith, Charles Grey and Richard Harris. Quite a cast.

[AuntDaisy]

The Merchant of Venice is a vintage one with Maggie Smith, Charles Grey and Richard Harris. Quite a cast.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, as you say smittims, an all-star cast (details here & here). Lovely to see Edward Petherbridge & Richard Morant together pre-Wimsey; not to mention David Spenser & John Moffat. Difficult to believe it was from 1972.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rk4k

[Bryn]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, as you say smittims, an all-star cast (details here & here). Lovely to see Edward Petherbridge & Richard Morant together pre-Wimsey; not to mention David Spenser & John Moffat. Difficult to believe it was from 1972.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rk4k

Rather fond of another BBC production, myself, that with Warren Mitchell as Shylock. A brilliantly balanced portrayal, I feel.



There was also a radio production which also had Woareen Mitchell as Shylock:

[Ein Heldenleben]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, as you say smittims, an all-star cast (details here & here). Lovely to see Edward Petherbridge & Richard Morant together pre-Wimsey; not to mention David Spenser & John Moffat. Difficult to believe it was from 1972.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rk4k

Mustn’t forget Frank Finlay’s Shylock - probably the best performance in the show - very subtle. Charles Gray’s supremely arrogant Antonio is in full RSC orotundity mode. It throws the audience sympathy very much on Shylock. Luxury casting with the peerless Edward Petherbridge in a relatively minor role. Maggie S puts in a very polished performance. The one thing that struck me is the very high standard of acting : so much better than any BBC /ITV current mainstream drama.
As for the production - the set couldn’t be cheaper and the long camera shots were presumably to save on the then expensive 2 inch video tape editing. No retakes for camera wobbles then . Despite that very well directed .

[AuntDaisy]

Rather fond of another BBC production, myself, that with Warren Mitchell as Shylock. A brilliantly balanced portrayal, I feel.
There was also a radio production which also had Warren Mitchell as Shylock:

Yes, Warren Mitchell was a fine Shylock.

Here's a list of the (older) radio versions that have survived:
1976 R3 Alan Badel, Anna Massey, Patrick Barr, Sarah Badel
1980 WS Peter Vaughan, Anna Calder-Marshall, Geoffrey Matthews, Nigel Anthony (1/11/1980)
1987 R3 David Suchet, Hannah Gordon, Peter Jeffrey, Nicky Henson
1996 R4 Warren Mitchell, Juliet Aubrey, Martin Jarvis, Samuel West

World Service also broadcast Arnold Wesker's "The Merchant" with the same excellent cast the following two weeks (8 & 15/11/1980).

[AuntDaisy]

Mustn’t forget Frank Finlay’s Shylock - probably the best performance in the show - very subtle. Charles Gray’s supremely arrogant Antonio is in full RSC orotundity mode. It throws the audience sympathy very much on Shylock. Luxury casting with the peerless Edward Petherbridge in a relatively minor role. Maggie S puts in a very polished performance. The one thing that struck me is the very high standard of acting : so much better than any BBC /ITV current mainstream drama.
As for the production - the set couldn’t be cheaper and the long camera shots were presumably to save on the then expensive 2 inch video tape editing. No retakes for camera wobbles then . Despite that very well directed .

I agree, it's a fine production & the small sets almost make it feel as if you're in the theatre. Frank Finlay was a great actor, I saw him in "The Woman in Black" many years ago.
I loved the costumes and the codpieces (I can't resist putting in a link to Perry Pontac's excellent Shakespearean parodies / homages, the book Codpieces).

[Ein Heldenleben]

I agree, it's a fine production & the small sets almost make it feel as if you're in the theatre. Frank Finlay was a great actor, I saw him in "The Woman in Black" many years ago.
I loved the costumes and the codpieces (I can't resist putting in a link to Perry Pontac's excellent Shakespearean parodies / homages, the book Codpieces).

Frank was the go to actor for so many BBC productions of the seventies. An absolute master of the medium.

looking through the cast list - Nerys Hughes of Liver Birds fame and Christopher Gable - good actor and of course even better ballet dancer. A bit of a seventies who’s who. The versatility of actors then. God it must be boring for them just doing jukebox musicals and crime dramas now,

[smittims]

I agree. Now all we need is for Radio 3 to repeat some of their best programmes from the1970s (music as well as drama). Sadly, I don't think that's what Sam wants us to listen to.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I agree. Now all we need is for Radio 3 to repeat some of their best programmes from the1970s (music as well as drama). Sadly, I don't think that's what Sam wants us to listen to.

It occurred to me that , after seeing Maggie S on fine form last night, getting her to play the dowager Lady Downton(or whatever her name is ) in Downton Abbey is like getting Liszt to play chopsticks. I laughed out loud when she admitted she’d never watched a single frame.