January 1927

1927

Monday 3 January 1927 Birmingham 8-8.45

*'The Garden of Lost Hearts' (John Overton)

Written for broadcasting

pr Percy Edgar

Phoebe Brant (housekeeper) – Gladys Joiner

Valerie Carew - John Overton

Sir Herbert Perkins - Joseph Lewis

Maisie - Gladys Colbourne

Gertrude - Phyllis Richardson

Lady Perkins - Norah Tarrant

The Reverend Tony Mackinnon - Percy Edgar

A Pedlar - Joseph Lewis

Tizzy - Dorothy English

Lorimer – Percy Edgar

Parlour Maid – Elsie Wakham

Farmer Lee – Joseph Lewis

Major Trehearne – J.C.S. Paterson

A Chauffeur – Percy Edgar

A Girl Guest – Phyllis Richardson

A Village Woman – John Overton

A Village Girl – Gladys Colbourne

The whole of the action takes place in and around the village of Ash Holt, a typical English country place, and the garden of the ‘Grange’.

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Thursday 13 January 1927 London 10-10.30

‘The Seven Ages of Mechanical Music’ (L. de G. Sieveking)

A Quaint Fantasy

Written by L. de G. Sieveking

Music reproduced mechanically, without needing the intervention of a skiled musician, is far older than most of us probably think. It is mentioned in Greek literature as early as the third century B.C., and the pianola and gramophone of to-day are really only the culmination of a long series of experiments. Some of these old forms of reproduction have a considerable charm – the tinkling clarity of last century’s musical box has a definite, even if a somewhat meretricious appeal to ears accustomed to Caruso records and Paderewski rolls. In this programme will be heard the Musical Snuff-Box, the Polyphon, the Hurdy-Gurdy, and the earliest Phonograph, and a Calliope (the music-maker of the roundabout) will be relayed from Olympia. The whole will be given unity by a dialogue in the form of a little play.

[no cast]

Friday 14 January 1927 Birmingham 8-8.20

* ‘Fire’ (A.J. Alan)

[explained in previous publicity that specially written for broadcasting but not here]

Albert Buckle – Frank Denton

Jane Buckle – Florence Hill

Mrs. Buckle – Gladys Young

Mabel Henderson – Phyllis Panting

Ruth Henderson – Margaret Gaskin

A Policeman – Laurence Gowdy

Firemen, etc.

The thrilling story of two young ladies who go to view an empty house and there undergo a number of exciting experiences, culminating in a rescue by the London Fire Brigade. Just as their safety is assured they experience the worst shock of all.

On the front-door steps of an empty house, 88. Landsdowne Crescent, Albert Buckle is standing. He and his wife are just starting out to get a few things from the neighbouring shops before closing time.

Monday 17 January 1927 Cardiff 8-8.45 (mixed)

[Two plays]

* ‘Emperor II’ (John Cooper)

A Radio Drama

Produced by Gordon McConnell

Professor Martin – Donald Davies

Scanlon – Ivor Maddox

O’Grady – Sidney Evans

Watson – John Derwent

In the dining-room of his house in Regent’s Park, Professor Martin is entertaining two fellow anthropologists, and zoologists, O’Grady and Scanlon. Dinner is just over. The night is stormy and oppressive. The Professor is talking to Scanlon as the play commences.

‘The Red-Haired Tramp’ (D. Humphreys)

Produced by Gordon McConnell

Mr. Smith – Sidney Evans

Mrs. Smith – Flora McDowell

The Visitor – Donald Davies

Mr. And Mrs. Smith are breakfasting in their dining-room. Mr. Smith is reading his morning post, which consists chiefly of bills.

Saturday 29 January 1927 Birmingham 7.45-8.45

‘Heterodyned History of Historical Events As They Might Have Been’ a broadcast revue (L. du G. of Punch) [Revue]

In this Novel Revue the Professor of History As It Might Have Been, arguing that historians never agree as to how anything happened or whether it actually happened at all, takes the liberty of building up new versions of important episodes in our history. The instances dealt with in the revue cover what may have happened in such notable incidents as the following:

1. Caesar’s attempt to Land in Britain

2. King Alfred and the Cakes

3. Edgar and the Danes

4. King Canute on the Seashore

5. Henry VIII’s Excursions into Matrimony

6. The Writing of Shakespeare’s Plays

[no cast listed]

Saturday 5 February 1927 Daventry 7.45-8.45

‘Heterodyned History of Historical Events As They Might Have Been’ a broadcast revue (L. du G. of Punch) [Revue]

7. Caesar’s attempt to Land in Britain

8. King Alfred and the Cakes

9. Edgar and the Danes

10. King Canute on the Seashore

11. Henry VIII’s Excursions into Matrimony

12. The Writing of Shakespeare’s Plays

The Cast will include:

Lilian Harrison, Joyce Tremayne, Mortlake Wren, John Charlton, Andrew Churchman, Laurence Ireland, William Macready

[Note not Tommy Handley as London]

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Wednesday 2 February 1927 Birmingham 8.20-9 (mixed)

* ‘A Tale of the Hebrides’ (D.G. Couzens)

Specially written for broadcasting

Played by the London Radio Repertory Players

Characters:

The Skipper

Ian

Donald

Angus

[no actors listed]

The Gaelic legends afford many interesting, not to say thrilling, examples of the weird and mysterious.

This play is founded upon one of these, and illustrates in an emphatic manner the strong belief in legends that survives to this day in the more remote parts of our own country.

The action opens in a small fishing-boat in heavy weather off one of the Islands of the Hebrides.

The crew join in a traditional shanty while shortening sail because of the storm which is about to break. In this wild setting Donald, Angus, and Ian discuss the ancient legend with its curious application to Ian’s family, and during the course of the play its remarkable fulfilment is shown.

Friday 25 March 1927 Cardiff 8-8.22

* ‘A Tale of the Hebrides’ Specially written for broadcasting (D.G. Couzens)

The Skipper – William Macready

Ian – Ian Fleming

Donald – Ernest G. Cove

Angus – J. Hubert Leslie

The Gaelic legends afford many interesting, not to say thrilling, examples of the weird and mysterious.

This play is founded upon one of these, and illustrates in an emphatic manner the strong belief in legends that survives to this day in the more remote parts of our own country.

The action opens in a small fishing-boat in heavy weather off one of the Islands of the Hebrides.

Friday 8 April 1927 Plymouth 7.45-8.8

* ‘A Tale of the Hebrides’ Specially written for broadcasting (D.G. Couzens)

The Skipper – William Macready

Ian – Ian Fleming

Donald – Ernest G. Cove

Angus – J. Hubert Leslie

The Gaelic legends afford many interesting, not to say thrilling, examples of the weird and mysterious.

This play is founded upon one of these, and illustrates in an emphatic manner the strong belief in legends that survives to this day in the more remote parts of our own country.

The action opens in a small fishing-boat in heavy weather off one of the Islands of the Hebrides.

====================================================

Tuesday 29 March 1927 Bournemouth 9.40-10

* 'By Virtue of a Broadcast' (Frank H. Shaw)

A Play specially written for Broadcasting

Play by the London Radio Repertory Players

The Rev. Hilary Standish - Dodd Mehan

First Elder - Herbert Lugg

Second Elder - Frank Denton

Capt. Standish - Henry Oscar

Menzies (First Mate) - Reginald Dance

Fyfe (Chief Engineer) - Ernest Cove

Third Mate - Dino Galvani

Wireless Operator - Lawrence Gowdy

Helmsman - Fred Vigay

Sailor - Roger Maxwell

The essential action of this play takes place in Frank Shaw’s favourite setting - the sea – but in an interesting manner he shows how the medium of wireless may provide incidents which in another age would have been almost supernatural.

The scene opens in the Albert Hall at the close of a religious gathering, but in a flash the listener is transported to the deck of a vessel battling with storm off the Ushant Light. In the fight for life which follows, the ship’s company have the audible encouragement of prayer and well-wishing from their fellow-men on land, and that which in other days might have been a vision, becomes by modern science an actual fact.

Wednesday 6 April 1927 Birmingham 8-8.25

* 'By Virtue of a Broadcast' (Frank H. Shaw)

A Play specially written for Broadcasting

Play by the London Radio Repertory Players

The Rev. Hilary Standish - Dodd Mehan

First Elder - Herbert Lugg

Second Elder - Frank Denton

Capt. Standish - Henry Oscar

Menzies (First Mate) - Reginald Dance

Fyfe (Chief Engineer) - Ernest Cove

Third Mate - Dino Galvani

Wireless Operator - Lawrence Gowdy

Helmsman - Fred Vigay

Sailor – Fred [Roger] Maxwell

Wednesday 9 February 1927 Manchester 7.45-8.10

* 'By Virtue of a Broadcast' (Frank H. Shaw)

A Play specially written for Broadcasting

Played by the London Radio Repertory Players

The Rev. Hilary Standish – Doo [Dodd] Mehan

First Elder - Herbert Lugg

Second Elder - Frank Denton

Capt. Standish - Henry Oscar (Andrew Churchman)

Menzies (First Mate) - Reginald Dance

Fyfe (Chief Engineer) - Ernest Cove

Third Mate - Dino Galvani (Fred Vigay)

Wireless Operator - Lawrence Gowdy

Helmsman - Fred Vigay (Dino Galvani)

Sailor - Roger Maxwell

The essential action of this play takes place in Frank Shaw’s favorite setting - the sea – but in an interesting manner he shows how the medium of wireless may provide incidents which in another age would have seemed almost supernatural.

The Scene opens in the Albert Hall at the close of a religious gathering but in a flash the listener is transported to the deck of a vessel battling with storm off Ushant Lights.

In the fight for life which follows, the Ship’s company have the audible encouragement of prayer and wellwishing from their fellowmen on land and that which in other days might have been a vision becomes by modern science an actual fact.

(Script)

The Play opens in an anteroom at the Albert Hall where a few sailors and the Rev. Standish are speaking about (speak of) the congregation which he is about to address in the adjoining hall. The service is little more than started before it fades away and we find ourselves (Shortly after the service commences the action moves to the s.s. Adalbert) at sea in the Bay of Biscay, on the deck of the s.s. "Adalbert".

Monday 28 February 1927 Cardiff 10-10.25

* 'By Virtue of a Broadcast' (Frank H. Shaw)

A Play specially written for Broadcasting

Played by the London Radio Repertory Players

The Rev. Hilary Standish – Dodd Mehan

First Elder - Herbert Lugg

Second Elder - Frank Denton

Capt. Standish - Henry Oscar

Menzies (First Mate) - Reginald Dance

Fyfe (Chief Engineer) - Ernest Cove

Third Mate - Dino Galvani

Wireless Operator - Lawrence Gowdy

Helmsman - Fred Vigay

Sailor - Roger Maxwell

=======================================================

Monday 25 April 1927 Plymouth 6-6.3-

* ‘Thanks to Mr. Milligan!’ a play in one act (Constance Enne)

Presented by the Micrognomes

(no cast listed)

The sitting-room of Mrs. Cresswell’s flat. Time: 8 o’clock, evening

Miss Constance Enne, short-story writer and author of ‘Little Letters to You’, has now turned her talent for dialogue and ‘situation’ to the writing of plays, of which ‘Thanks to Mr. Milligan!’ is the first to be produced on either stage or ether.

Monday 20 June 1927 London 10.5-10.30

* ‘An Old-Fashioned Girl’ (Arthur Temple)

A Short Play written for Broadcasting

Frank Selky (Cracksman) – Wolferstan Beck

John Mackert (Cracksman) – Henry Oscar

Ambrose Pellam, a Farmer – Henry Scatchard

Anne Pellam, his Daughter – Monica Stracey

Selkey and Mackert are driving along a country road at night. Their motor car breaks down.

Friday 24 June 1927 London 10.10-11

‘Pixie led’ ([L. du Garde Peach])

A Fantasy with Music for a Midsummer Night

By L. du G.

Pixie Songs specially composed by Kenneth A. Wright

First Fairy – Jean Shepherd

The Leprecaun – Charles Maunsell

Second Fairy – Ann Clark

First Gnome – Ivor Barnard

Will ‘o the Wisp – Lorna Hubbard

Reggie – John Charlton

Delia – Phyllis Panting

Jack ‘o Lantern – Brian Glennie

Jan ‘o Widdecombe – Wallace Evennett

Susan – Florence McHugh

Fairies, Gnomes and Pixies

Reggie and Delia, while motoring over Dartmoor, find themselves in Fairyland.

Several broadcasters have famialiarized the radio audience with two characters who owe their origin to the lively imagination of Mr. L. du Garde Peach, Reggie and Delia. Previously their surroundings have been essentially modern, but this is Midsummer’s Day, and even in 1927 one is apt to meet the fairies on this one night of all the year.

Tuesday 27 September 1927 Cardiff 10.5-10.30

* ‘The Ghost Ship’ (H.E.W. Gay)

A Play in One Act, specially written for broadcasting

Casting by H.E.W. Gray

Performed by the Station Radio Players

The action takes place on board a square rigged sailing ship six days out of San Francisco, on a quiet moonlight night. The sailing ship is real enough, but just at this spot some years ago six days out of ‘Frisco a sailing ship was rammed by a tramp steamer.

‘She sat the water like a bird and she sailed like a witch’, was her captain’s description of ‘Star of the Sea’. And the ex-captain, crazed by his loss is on this sailing ship watching, watching.

A Young Deck Hand of the sailing ship – Sidney Evans

Jim, an oldish seaman – Gilbert Heron

The Mate of the sailing ship – Donald Davies

Old Man Payne – G. Lynch Clark

Captain of the sailing ship – Tom Jones

Captain of the tramp steamer – Ivor Maddox

Several Seamen

Wednesday 4 May 1927 Birmingham 9.35-11 (mixed)

* ‘Venice – the City Beautiful’ (Ida M. Downing)

A Play written for Broadcasting

Gondolier (a Shade) – Edgar Lane

The Singer in a Boat – David Scott

Monk (the Spirit of the Stones) – Stuart Vinden

Idalia (an English girl) – Phyllis Richardson

Her Father – David Scott

In this is portrayed the dream of an English girl, spending a holiday in Venice. She is taken back to the ancient days of the city’s glory, and views the sights as they then were.

The action is laid on a stone terrace outside one of the large houses on the Venice Lagoon in summer time. The tide is high, and the lapping of the water is faintly heard. The calls of the gondoliers and their music is occasionally wafted across by the light Italian breeze.

Wednesday 14 December 1927 Bournemouth 10-10.15

* ‘Sea Silence’ A Play of Terror on the High Seas’ (Edwin Lewis)

Specially written for broadcasting

Alex, a seaman

Dan, Mate of the ‘Sea Lark’

Scene: The deck of the ‘Sea Lark’ at night in the tropics.

Presented by the Station Players

(no actors listed)

Thursday 15 December 1927 London and Daventry 5XX 9.35-10.30

* ‘Shadows’ (Valerie Harwood)

a Radio Scene in One Act

This experiment in Radio Drama is so complete and convincing in itself that to give any preliminary description of its contents other than that given by the Announcer in setting the stage would destroy its particular effect if natural spontaneity. It would help to create the atmosphere essential to the appreciation of this scene if listeners turned down the lights.

(no characters or actors listed)