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Tag Archives: Drama
Broken Colours
All 3 Series of BROKEN COLOURS are now available on BBC SOUNDS
Series 3 is now available on BBC SOUNDS.
****UPDATE****. BROKEN COLOURS Series 3 will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 30th November 2023.
***UPDATE***. BROKEN COLOURS Series 2 will be broadcast on BBC RADIO 4 on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th of December 2022. It will be available on BBC SOUNDS after it goes out. (The series has 4 x 45 min episodes.)
My new series BROKEN COLOURS is on BBC Radio 4 and available as a Podcast from Tuesday 22nd February 2022.
(On R4 it goes out every Tuesday for 5 episodes of 45 mins. On Podcast it’s 10 eps of 22 mins approx.)
“Jess meets Daniel and falls in love. It changes both of their lives. Holli Dempsey and Josef Altin star in a new thriller of conflicting perception.”
CAST:
Jess…..Holli Dempsey
Dan…..Josef Altin
Johnny…..Tom Byrne
Melissa…..Alexandria Riley
Petal…..Rina Mahoney
Daisy…..Grace Cooper Milton
EPS 1, 2, 4 and 5 (Eps 1-4, 7-10 of the podcast) – written by Matthew Broughton.
EP 3 (Eps 5&6 of the podcast) written by Faebian Averies
Sound design by Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
A BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC Radio 4, directed by John Norton and Emma Harding.
All episodes of the Podcast version of Broken Colours are now available on the ‘Drama of the Week’ podcast – Here.
Sunday Times 20/2/22
UPDATE: December 2022. Broken Colours is on the short-list, nominated for a BBC AUDIO DRAMA AWARD for Best Original Series.
A Fortunate Man by John Berger
I’ve adapted John Berger’s book “A FORTUNATE MAN“ for BBC Radio 4.
It was broadcast on R4 Saturday 27th June 2020 at 3pm.
It’s now available on BBC SOUNDS for a month.
It’s a book I’ve known and loved for many years.
In the 1960s writer John Berger was living in the Forest of Dean, and became friends with his extraordinary local GP John Eskell in the village of St Briavels. Interested in this talented and complex man, Berger asked the doctor if he could shadow him for some weeks to observe his working methods and his relationships with his patients in the forest.
Along with photographer Jean Mohr, Berger turned this experience into a remarkable book – A FORTUNATE MAN. It describes many patient case studies, asks how we value human life, and meditates on the role of the doctor in society. (To protect Eskell’s identity, Berger changed his name in the book to John Sassall.)
For me it’s a fascinating, intelligent, and challenging book. It’s filled with poetry, unsentimental emotion, and is ultimately extremely moving.
While the book was published in 1967, it feels modern, relevant and resonant to the world now (and particularly this country and the NHS.)
The last sections could have been written this year.
“There are such things as national crises of such an order that they test all those who live through them. There are moments of truth in which, not everything, but a great deal is revealed about individuals, classes, institutions, leaders…”
(From A FORTUNATE MAN – JOHN BERGER.)
Set in the Forest and the somewhat isolated Forester community – it speaks directly to today.
And there is a bitter twist to the ending.
————————————————————————————————
Although I can’t claim I knew John Berger, I did meet him on a few occasions while working with the Theatre Company ‘Complicite’ in the early 2000s. (While adapting Torgny Lindgren’s novel ‘LIGHT’ with the company.) He was a great observer, listener, and thinker – often surprising and passionate, always insightful. (His death 3 years ago was a great loss.)
A FORTUNATE MAN the AUDIO DRAMA:
My radio adaptation of A Fortunate Man – is an hour long.
(It was written and recorded under lock down conditions in March/April.)
It’s produced/directed by John Norton.
Sound designed by Nigel Lewis.
Cast:
Adrian Scarborough
Peter Marinker
Barbara Flynn
Joe Sims
Carys Eleri
Scarlett Courtney
And the voices of Dorothy Burley, Kevin and Karen Wellham, Anne Childs and Robin Harris, recorded by the Reading the Forest project.
(The latter are real village voices recorded in recent years as they remember their Dr. Eskell.)
PRESS:
Radio Times (27th June-3rd July)
Guardian (27/6/20)
***UPDATE***
A Fortunate Man was repeated on BBC RADIO 4 on Saturday 10th September 2022 at 3pm. It’s now available to listen to on BBC SOUNDS.
Orson Welles in Norwich – Urban Myths
Now available on Sky on demand and NOW TV.
TX- 28th October 2020 (Sky Arts – Freeview Ch 11)
I’ve written an episode of Urban Myths (Series 4) for SKY ARTS.
Robbie Coltrane as Orson Welles
It’s about the time Orson Welles presented “Great Mysteries” for Anglia TV in the early 1970s.
Orson was working on his experimental film “F for Fake” in Europe, but was out of money and doing what he could to raise funds – commercials, presenting jobs… This brought him to Norwich.
Orson Welles in Norwich is a comedy drama – it stars Robbie Coltrane as Orson Welles, and co-stars Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) Sean Biggerstaff (Harry Potter) Alice McMillan, Apphia Campbell, and Craig Ferguson.
Directed by Richard Curson Smith
Producer- Jeremy Campbell
Orson Welles In Norwich is made by Absinthe Entertainment.
Robbie as Orson
Press:
TRACKS Series 4 : INDIGO
The fourth Series of Tracks: Indigo is now available.
10 Episodes of 15 minutes each.
Details Here.
The entire series (and all 3 of the previous series) are available on BBC SOUNDS and as a PODCAST.
(Be aware that the episodes are often out of order on BBC SOUNDS (I have no idea why) – so double check or use the Tracks Homepage:)
TRACKS HOMEPAGE ON BBC WEBSITE
Starring:
Dr Helen Ash – Romola Garai
Freddy Fuller – Jonathan Forbes
Helen is involved in a serious car accident – but why did the car hit her? Where was she going? What is wrong with her baby daughter Frances? And what’s wrong with time?
Press:
The Observer
Daily Mail
Sunday Times
TRACKS series 1, 2 and 3. (and 4)
Ahead of Series 4, TRACKS Indigo-
The BBC have put the first 3 series of TRACKS onto BBC SOUNDS.
For design consistency the first series is now called TRACKS Origin.
and CHIMERA
(For reasons I don’t understand, the episodes are often out of order on BBC SOUNDS – so do double check!)
Are all now available:
COMING SOON: Series 4: Tracks Indigo
Gulliver’s Travels on Audible
My version of GULLIVER’S TRAVELS is now available to buy on AUDIBLE.
Starring Arthur Darvill.
I’ve previously blogged on this 3-part drama series here.
Tracks Chimera
Tracks Chimera (Tracks Series 3)
The return of Dr Helen Ash and Freddy.
Tracks Chimera is now going out every Thursday at 2.15pm on BBC Radio 4. (The series finale will be broadcast on R4 on 27th December.)
All 9 episodes are also now available online as a boxset and podcast.
EPISODE 3 – (Written by Matt Hartley)
EPISODE 4 – (Written by Lucy Catherine)
EPISODE 6 – (Written by Caroline Horton)
EPISODE 7 – (Written by Timothy Atack)
Podcast (All episodes of Series 3 are now available.)
WARNING: From 26 January 2019 TRACKS: CHIMERA will no longer be freely available to listen to online (The BBC are planning a commercial release later this year).
If you want to hear Series 1 and 2 – They are available on AUDIBLE and AMAZON.
Helen and Freddy in studio
Tracks Chimera – Previews / Reviews:
Radio Times
The Times
The Mail
The Times (2/11/18)
Music:
(A list of some of the music used in this series)
Black Phase – by Tim Hecker
Toccata – by Jaga Jazzist
E-musik – by Neu!
Satellite Snyper – by Pantha Du Prince
Im Bann – by Pantha Du Prince
Laker Boo – by Portico Quartet
We Move Lightly – by Dustin O’halloran
Shattered Glass – by DJ Food
Turquoise Hexagon Sun – by Boards of Canada
Seoul – by Amiina
Boga – by Amiina
Elephant Gun – by Beirut
September Song – Agnes Obel
Scenic World – by Beirut
Muesli – by Minotaur Shock
Beau Nash – by Minotaur Shock
La Foule – by Edith Piaf
Never Understand – by The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Refused are fucking dead – by The Refused
Barok Main – by Mica Levi and Oliver Coates
Singularity – by Jon Hopkins
TRACKS: Strata
TRACKS STRATA is Series 2 of Tracks
Tracks: Strata is a prequel to the first series, and is set in 1980 in the mountains of Snowdonia.
It stars Fiona O’Shaughnessy (Utopia), Kai Owen (Torchwood) and Robert Pugh (Game Of Thrones).
Told over six 15-minute episodes, the drama is an online-first commission for Radio 4. It will be serialised as a podcast online before being broadcast on air as two 45-minute Afternoon Dramas.
TRACKS – Series 1:
TRACKS STRATA (Tracks Series 2):
Tracks: Strata will be broadcast as an omnibus on BBC Radio 4 – 7 & 8 December at 2.15pm.
Omnibus – TRACKS STRATA:
All Episodes of Series 1 and 2 are now available on AUDIBLE or AMAZON.
Cast:
Rachel…. Fiona O’Shaughnessy
Ifan…. Kai Owen
Sam…. Robert Pugh
Afa…. Betsan Llwyd
Charlotte…. Shelly Rees
Ronny…. Dafydd Emyr
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production
13/11/17 – Tracks Strata was reviewed on Front Row – BBC Radio 4. (Roughly the last ten minutes of the programme.)
10/12/17 – Tracks Strata was Sheila McClennon’s BBC Radio 4 ‘Pick of the Week.’ (It appears as the second item in the programme.)
LINKS:
Tracks Strata – Guardian Preview
*****Slightly Spoiler-ish*****
(Don’t read if you’d rather not hear anything about the story before you listen to it.)
This (below) is from the BBC publicity:
“Snowdonia, 1980. It’s the dawn of a new decade and the future is coming. But in the wilds of Snowdonia, the ancient history of the landscape is hard to escape.
Rachel Turner is looking for fossils with her four year-old son, Joe. But when a freak earthquake shakes the land beneath their feet, Joe vanishes. With the help of two locals, Rachel embarks on a desperate search to find her son. But as darkness descends, the secrets hidden in the ancient forests of the mountain are uncovered.
The first series of Tracks became the most successful drama series launched by Radio 4 in 2016. Over nine 45-minute episodes it told the story of Dr Helen Ash, as she uncovered a dark medical conspiracy.
Tracks: Strata is a prequel to series one, set 36 years before the events that rocked the life of Helen Ash. It explores the roots of a conspiracy that’s set to envelop the world.”
Radio Times
Tracks Strata is nominated for a BBC AUDIO DRAMA AWARD
Tracks
TRACKS is a 9-part conspiracy thriller with a cast led by Romola Garai.
It was Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (August-October 2016.)
Series 1 is available to download as a Podcast and on the BBC Iplayer
Series 2 of Tracks – “TRACKS: Strata” – is now available – Info and blog post
(9 Episodes x 45 mins) Trailer
Series 1 – EPISODES 1-9
Episode 1 – The Nervus Vagus – is Here
Episode 2 – The Broca and Wernicke Areas – is Here
Episode 3 – The Pineal Gland – is Here
Episode 4 – The Bridge of Varolius – is Here
Episode 5 – Hippocampus – is Here
Episode 6 – Nociceptors – is Here
Episode 7 – The Accumbens Nucleus – is Here
Episode 8 – Amygdala- is Here
Episode 9 – Habenula – is Here
(Archive: Here’s a STATEMENT by R4 about the broadcast of the last episode of Tracks)
All Episodes from Series 1 and 2 are now available on AUDIBLE or AMAZON
PRESS/REVIEWS/MEDIA
Review of Episode 1 in The Guardian
Review of Episode 1 in The Spectator
TRACKS Ep 6 was a R4 – “Pick of Week” – (18/9/16) – Chosen by Hardeep Singh Kohli.
TRACKS Producer, James Robinson was interviewed on Radio 4 Friday 30/10/16 – discussing audience FEEDBACK
TRACKS – DIRECTORS / PRODUCERS:
Episodes 1,2,5,8,9 – James Robinson @mcgrin
Episodes 3,4,6 – Helen Perry @bellaperry
Episode 7 – Abigail Le Fleming @haywarddollerton
Supervising Sound Designer – Nigel Lewis
SOME MUSIC USED IN THE SERIES:
Tracks theme – (written for the series) by Stu Barker.
Studio Suicide, 1980 – By Tim Hecker.
Prungen – By Jaga Jazzist.
Dido’s Lament (Dido & Aeneas) – Andreas Scholl, William Orbit, & Rico Conning.
Some Absolute End – Bill Ryder-Jones.
A1 – Olafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm.
I’ll See You In My Dreams – Johnny Mercer (featuring the Pied Pipers.)
Symphony Number 4 in G major: III. Ruhevoll, Poco Adagio – Mahler
Body Eraser – Halls.
Cancer – I Break horses
Other News:
(12/11/16): An interview with James Robinson (including audio) detailing some of the process of How We Made Tracks
Tracks short-listed for a British Podcast Award
Tracks short-listed for some BBC Audio Drama Awards
Tracks short-listed for a Prix Europa Award
A Tracks Q&A can be found on the menu above – beware it contains spoilers.
Readers/Listeners comments for Tracks are here under the Tracks post, under the Contact page, and under the Tracks Q&A page.
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