1923            - Broadcasts of Shakespeare on all Stations

 

TOTAL = 24

 

(The Times gap 15 February to 22 February 1923)

 

(1)   London 1

Friday 16 February 1923 2LO 7.15-9 (mixed)

‘Scenes from Shakespeare’

First radio drama broadcast (Gielgud, 1957, 17)

[B.B.C. Programme Records]

7.15 Harry Tate: Broadcasting; Margaret Jewell (Sop.); W. Walmisley (piano); Shayle Gardner and Hubert Carter: Scene from “Julius Caesar”; Grace Ivell and Vivien Worth (Duets). 9.0 Dr. J.A. Fleming: The Invention of the Valve. 9.0 2G.N.B.  9.50 Progr.[General News Bulletin]

 

(2)   Cardiff 1

Tuesday 17 April 1923 Cardiff 9.45

Scene from Shakespeare

 

(3)  London 2

Monday 23 April 1923 2LO  6

British Empire Shakespeare Society (broadcast)

Trial scene from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ with Arthur Bourchier as Shylock and supported by members of the Old Vic company.

Letter scene from ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ with Florence Saunders and Athene Seyler.

Fall of Wolsey from ‘Henry VIII’ with Acton Bond as Wolsey.

Tent scene from ‘Julius Caesar’ with Basil Gill and Lyn Harding

Hamlet’s soliloquy (listed in ‘The Times’ as by Miss Eva M. Donne)

Casket scene from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ with Cathleen Nesbitt, the most prominent name in the new radio drama, and Gerald Lawrence

Prison scene from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ with Henry Caine and Fred Groves

Speech from ‘As You Like It’ with Nigel Playfair

 

[B.B.C. Programme Records] p 13

Monday 23 April 1923

6.0 British Empire Shakespeare Society: Trial Scene from “The Merchant of Venice” – Arthur Bourchier (Shylock), and other scenes with Lyn Harding, Basil Gill, Athene Seyler, Nigel Playfair, etc.

 

(Boycott against the B.B.C. from 27 April 1923 by the Entertainment Industry Joint Broadcasting Committee)

 

(Tuesday 1 May 1923 - New Studio opened at Savoy Hill)

 

(4)  London 3

Monday 28 May 1923 2LO 7.30-9.45

Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’

(source 'The Times')

Orsino - Gerald Lawrence

Sir Andrew Aguecheek - Nigel Playfair

Sir Toby Belch - Henry Caine

Malvolio - Herbert Waring

Clown - George Hayes

Captain - Arthur R. Burrows

Viola and Sebastian - Cathleen Nesbitt

Olivia - Enid Ross

Maria - Mabel Tait

music by Purcell will be played during the entr’actes

listed in ‘The Times’ p 10  Broadcasting   Performance of ‘Twelfth Night’

[B.B.C. Programme Records] p 17

7.30 “Twelfth Night” – Gerald Lawrence, Nigel Playfair (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Henry Caine (Sir Toby Belch), Herbert Waring, George Hayes, Cathleen Nesbitt (Viola), Enid Rose (Olivia), Mabel Tait, Norman Notley; Wireless Quintet

 

(5)  London 4

Wednesday 30 May 1923  London  8.30-9.15

(source 'The Times')

Miss Ellen Terry will recite the “Hubert and Arthur” scene from ‘King John’ from the London station of the B.B.C.

 

(6) London 5

Thursday 7 June 1923 2LO 8.0

[B.B.C. Programme Records]

Violet Vanbrugh: Excerpt from “Henry VIII”; Message of thanks from Ellen Terry

 

(7)  London 6

Friday 15 June 1923 2LO 8.0

[B.B.C. Programme Records] p 19

‘The Merchant of Venice’ (Shakespeare)

Gerald Lawrence (Shylock), Ben Webster (Antonio), George Relph, George Hayes,  Stafford Hilliard, Robert Harris, Laurence Hanray, George Howe, L. Winter, P. Thomas, Cathleen Nesbitt (Portia), Norman Notley, Wireless Quartet

9.45 J. Drinkwater: Robert E. Lee

 

(8) London 7

Thursday 5 July 1923 London 8.0-10.0   

(source 'The Times')

‘Romeo and Juliet’

Prince of Verona -  Arthur C. Burrows

Old Montague  - Rex Palmer

Paris - Basil Howes

Capulet and Peter - Stafford Hilliard

Mercutio -  Lawrence Hanray

Benvolio - George Howe

Tybalt  -  Robert Harris

Friar Laurence - Ben Webster

Romeo  - Ernest Milton

Juliet - Cathleen Nesbitt

Nurse - Dame May Whitty

Lady Capulet - Helen Rous

Prologue - Cecil A. Lewis

Music ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Ed. German)

by the London Wireless Orchestra, under the direction of L. Stanton Jeffries

also [B.B.C. Programme Records] p 22 lists Kenneth Kent

 

(9)  Birmingham 1

Saturday 14 July 1923 Birmingham 7.30 - 8.0

(source 'The Times')

Mr William Macready and Miss Edna Godfrey Turner in a few scenes from Shakespeare

8.45-10.0

A farce in one act by Charles Dance

10.0 talk - 10.20

Mr William Macready and Miss Edna Godfrey Turner in a dramatic duologue

 

(10) Manchester 1

Wednesday 18 July 1923  Manchester  8.15

(source 'The Times')

First Shakespeare Night   ‘Twelfth Night’

 

(11) London 8

Wednesday 25 July 1923  London  8-10

(source 'The Times')

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Shakespeare)

Lysander  -  Kenneth Kent

Demetrius - Stanley Warmington

Quince - Edmund Breon

Sly -  Arthur C. Burrows

Bottom  -  Nigel Playfair

Flute - Ivan Berlyn

Snout - Rex F. Palmer

Starveling - Stafford Hilliard

Hermia -  Sonia Seaton

Helena - Elizabeth Pollock

Oberon - Ernest Milton

Titania - Cathleen Nesbitt

Puck  - George Howe

Fairies - Leslie Winter

Prologue - Cecil A. Lewis

(music by Mendelssohn conductor Mr Dan Godfrey)

[B.B.C. Programme Records] 24

arr. Cathleen Nesbitt

 

(12) Cardiff 2

Tuesday 31 July 1923  Cardiff  8.40-10.0

(source 'The Times')

Mr Eastman; Marie Thomas

M Dawson

scenes from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Hamlet’

Mr Eastman: scenes from ‘Henry VIII’ and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’

 

(13) Cardiff 3

Tuesday 14 August 1923  Cardiff  8.0-10.0

(source 'The Times')

'Macbeth' Act I Scenes 5-7; Act II Scene 2

Mr George Gilbert, Miss Lily Chatworthy in ‘Henry VIII’ Act III Scene 1

 

(Saturday 23 September 1923 - Radio Times published for the first time)

 

(14) Newcastle 1

Thursday 28 September 1923 Newcastle  7.35-7.50

(1)                                                              Act III Scene 5 from ‘Romeo and Juliet’  (Shakespeare)

(2)                                                              10.5-10.15

‘Hamlet’ Act II Scene 5   

 

(15) London 9

Thursday 18 Oct 1923 London 7.30-9.30

(source 'The Radio Times')

Shakespeare Evening

Excerpts from ‘Macbeth’ arranged by Miss Cathleen Nesbitt

 

(16) Birmingham 2

Saturday 20 October 1923  Birmingham 8.45

(source 'The Radio Times')

Mr Sydney Russell and Party

Trial Scene from ‘The Merchant of Venice’

 

(17) Bournemouth 1

Saturday 20 October 1923  Bournemouth 8.0 

Excerpts from Shakespeare

 

(18) Bournemouth 2

Friday 2 November Bournemouth 8.0

(source 'The Radio Times')

Three excerpts from Shakespeare under the direction of Miss Lillian Edwards

 

(19) Cardiff 4

Tuesday 6 Nov 1923 Cardiff  7.30-9.30

(source 'The Radio Times')

Cardiff Station Dramatic Company

Shakespeare Evening III

'Henry VI' Parts 1, 2 and 3

 

(20) London 10

Thursday 8 Nov 1923 London 7.30

(source 'The Radio Times')

London Shakespeare Evening

Scenes from ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘As You Like It’ and ‘Hamlet’

Relayed to Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle

 

(21) Birmingham 3

Tuesday 13 Nov 1923  Birmingham 8.45-9.30

Birmingham University Literary and Dramatic Society will present ‘Malvolio’ in five episodes (taken from ‘Twelfth Night’)

 

(22) Cardiff 5

Tuesday 4 December 1923 Cardiff  7.30-9.30

Cardiff  Literary Night 

‘Romeo and Juliet’ (Shakespeare)  (with talk)

 

(23) Birmingham 4

Saturday 15 December 1923  Birmingham 7  

Balcony scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’

 

(24) London 11

Monday 24 December 1923 London 7-9.30  

Sir Frank Benson in Shakespearean Recitals (from Newcastle) with appropriate musical numbers