Commemoration of Ellen Terry's eightieth birthday
Monday, 27 February 1928
Those who take part will be for the most part members of the Terry family
Fred Terry, Marion Terry, Mabel Terry Lewis, - not to mention the two young Gielguds [John/Val], great-nephews of Ellen Terry, who are rapidly making a name for themselves on the stage.
includes scenes from:
'Hamlet'
Oscar Wilde's Sonnet to Ellen Terry as Portia spoken by Henry Ainley
Our Birthday Greetings spoken by Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson
A Message from Ellen Terry
'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Act II, Scene 1
Monday 27 February 1928 8-9
Ellen Terry
In Honour of her Eightieth BirthdayPuck - Mary Casson
Fairy - Virginia Parsons
Oberon - John Gielgud
Titania - Elizabeth Irving
'The Merchant of Venice'
Act III Scene 2
Monday 27 February 1928 8-9
Ellen Terry
In Honour of her Eightieth BirthdayPortia - Mabel Terry Lewis
Bassanio - John Gielgud
'Hamlet'
Act IV Scene 5
Monday 27 February 1928 8-9
Ellen Terry
In Honour of her Eightieth BirthdayQueen - Mabel Terry Lewis
Horatio - John Gielgud
Ophelia - Fay Compton
King - Charles Terry
Laertes - Ben Webster
'Lord Jim'
A Romantic Radio Story-Play
(Joseph Conrad and Cecil Lewis)
Tuesday 10 April 1928 Daventry 5GB 7.45-10
Wednesday 11 April 1928 London and Daventry 9.20-11.35Taken from the novel by Joseph Conrad, by Cecil Lewis
Captain Marlow - Harcourt Williams
Jim - John Gielgud
Skipper of the 'Patna' - Hector Abbas
George - Herbert Lugg
Brown - H. Ste. Barbe West
Eggstrom - Eric Cowley
Stanton - George Ide
O'Brien - Ronald Hammond
Stein - Gilbert Heron
Jewel - Lilian Harrison
Cornelius - Philip Wade
Doramin - Leslie Perrins
Dain Waris - Cyril Nash
Tamb Itam - Eric Lugg
A Yankee - George Ide
Kassim - Walter Hudd
Muda - A. Carlow Grand
Haji Saman - Eric Cowley
Woman - Helen Leeman
'Improvisation in June'
Europe is Dead! Long Live the European!
(Max Mohr)
Tuesday 24 July 1928 Daventry 5GB 7.35-9
Wednesday 25 July 1928 London and Daventry 9.35-11The English version by Susan Behn and Cecil Lewis
Princess Orloff - Mabel Terry Lewis
Tompkininov, a Keeper - Harcourt Williams
Adam Zappé, Improvisator - Bruce Winston
Olga, his Daughter - [no actor listed]
Samuel Miller, an American Millionaire - George Ide
Ian Mill, his Son - John Gielgud
Dr. Varley, Physician to Sam mill - A. Scott Gatty
Elkin, Secretary to Sam mill - Frederick Burtwell
Major-domo - Ernest Haines
Servants, Criminal Officers
'Love'
(Lance Sieveking)
Thursday 29 November 1928 London and Daventry 9.35-10.30
Music arranged by Scott Goddard
The cast includes:
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Robert Speaight
Margot Sieveking
Eliot Seabrook
Bruce Belfrage
John Gielgud
H.S. Ede
C. Dennis Freeman
Margaret Gerstly
Mary Eversley
From ListJohn Gielgud
John Gielgud - the longest radio career
John Gielgud may have had the longest radio broadcasting career of any actor. His first broadcast was on Thursday 31 August 1923, when three scenes from the play 'Robert E. Lee' (by playwright John Drinkwater) were relayed directly from the stage of the Regent Theatre, King's Cross, by the British Broadcasting Company. Gielgud played the Aide to General Lee. The stage producer was Nigel Playfair, responsible in January 1924 for the first original radio play. The lead was played by Felix Aylmer (to be seen as Polonius in the 1948 Olivier film of 'Hamlet').
On Monday 2 March 1925 (High-Power Daventry transmitter), 'Popular Excerpts from Shakespeare' was broadcast. The producer was the then Head of Drama, R.E. Jeffrey. John Gielgud played Romeo with Dorothy Pantling as Juliet, in Act 2, Scene 2. This recreated his famous stage production, when he shot to fame.
Here are a couple of other early radio appearances.
On 27 February 1928, there was a celebration of Dame Ellen Terry's 80th birthday. (Gielgud was related to her.) Gielgud played scenes from Shakespeare along with others in the Terry-Craig family, such as Charles Terry and Minnie Terry, and other famous stars such as Fay Compton (sister of Compton Mackenzie). Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson broadcast a special birthday tribute. Dame Ellen was 'listening-in' at home to the broadcast.
Shakespeare's 'Othello' was broadcast on Sunday 6 March 1932 (Daventry) at 4.20-5.50 pm, produced by Val Gielgud and with John Gielgud as Iago. Henry Ainley played the Moor, and Peggy Ashcroft was Desdemona. This was the first Shakespeare at the new B.B.C. Broadcasting House and used two control panels for the first time. John Gielgud's brother was, of course, Val Gielgud - Val(entine) Gielgud (1900-1981), who became Head of Drama on 1 January 1929.
Gordon House, head of BBC World Service Radio Drama, e-mailed me with the following. Twenty years ago, Sir John was asked whether he worried that the onset of old age would make learning lines difficult, and thus put an end to his stage career. "Oh well - if the worst comes to the worst," he said "there's always the wireless...". Gordon reminded him of this four years ago, when he was directing him. So John Gielgud must have been the longest surviving actor to have broadcast on radio, and also to have worked in the original Savoy Hill studies.
Thursday 31 August 1923
8.30 Story of the play 'Robert E. Lee' (John Drinkwater)
8.45-9.0 Scene 2 (Forest Scene) from 'Robert E. Lee'
9.30-10.0 Scenes 4 and 5 (Battle Scene)
from the Regent Theatre, King's Cross 20 June 1923 to 22 September 1923
Robert E. Lee - Felix Aylmer
Aide to General Lee - John Gielgud
Presenters: directors of the Lyric Hammersmith
Producer Nigel Playfair
RELAYRT 27 February 1925 p 437
The search for actors who can impart sufficient personality and characterization to their voices to render them effective in Radio drama has been long, but has produced some interesting discoveries.
Raymond Trafford - Shylock Chelmsford 3 March 1925
actor-manager widely known
pic in heavy make-up
For radio purposes, however, he has decided to veil his identity under the above nom de theatre. He is one of the few who have succeeded in selecting and emphasizing these details of stage-craft which can be effectively transmitted to a wireless audience.
John Gielgud photo 'Romeo' 3 March (by contrast)Monday 2 March 1925 High-Power Daventry
Popular Excerpts from Shakespeare
pr R.E. Jeffrey
(1) 7.45-8
'Romeo and Juliet' (Shakespeare) Balcony Scene II, 2
Romeo - John Gielgud
Juliet - Dorothy Pantling
Nurse - Irene RookSunday 6 March 1932 Daventry 4.20-5.50 pm
'Othello' (Shakespeare)
pr Val Gielgud and E.R. Harding (previously pr 'The Tempest')
Henry Ainley - Moor
John Gielgud - Iago
Peggy Ashcroft -- Desdemona
Gwendolen Evans - Amelia
Lesie French - Roderigo
Ronald Simpson - Cassio
Daily Mail 21 January 1932
B.B.C. Sunday Play
First for more than a year
A concession
(B.B.C.) more plays broadcast and more alternative programmes
This will be made possible by the use of two "control panels" instead of one as at Savoy Hill.
AS most of these productions requre up to six or seven rehearsals, the panel has nearly always been in use, and a play had recently to be postponed because the panel could not be obtained for it.