R3 & R4 mark Rattigan centenary

[french frank]

The BBC has commissioned four new radio productions for a Rattigan season in June.

Drama on 3: June 5th, 8pm - R3 has commissioned Flare Path, 'which stars Rory Kinnear as the bomber pilot Teddy, Ruth Wilson as his wife Patricia, and Rupert Penry-Jones as her former lover, Peter. Written and first produced in 1942 when Rattigan was serving as a tail gunner, it tells the story of the understated tensions and strained loyalties of life-and-death reality for RAF bombers and those close to them. This new production from Catherine Bailey is directed by Jeremy Herrin of the Royal Court Theatre in London.'

R4's productions are The Browning Version, In Praise of Love and Cause Célèbre, on Saturdays, 2.30pm, on the 11th, 18th and 25th June.

...

[Angle]

Thanks for flagging up these productions, ff.

It is pleasing to find that the BBC will commemorate the work of Terence Rattigan, one of Britain's most successful playwrights and one of the very few to be knighted. We are in for a bit of a feast.

FLARE PATH made the air-waves on 11 December1965 as a Saturday Night Theatre production. Diana Dors played Angela Rattenbury in the 1975 production of Cause Celebre, repeated as a Monday Play in 1976, Rattigan's first play written specially for radio. I wonder if R4X will repeat either of them in commemoration.

I look forward to In Praise of Love as I have neither read not seen it. When was it written ?

[MrGongGong]

I thought you meant the great Jim Rattigan
who must be the best Jazz Hornplayer in the UK
and an all round top musician IMV



http://www.jimrattigan.com/

and He is playing in the Charlie Hayden gig tonight at the Barbican (if you are in London !)

[french frank]

I thought you meant the great Jim Rattigan who must be the best Jazz Hornplayer in the UK and an all round top musician IMV

You must have been surprised to learn that he was 100, then, MrGG

Angle, I found this recent review (no spoilers) of In Praise of Love which it seems opened originally in 1973. R4's production is not the same one.

[salymap]

I remember enjoying 'The Deep Blue Sea' in a London production in the 50s. Can't remember who was in it though.

[Stanley Stewart]

If you mean the 1952 original production at the Duchess Theatre, salymap, it was Peggy Ashcroft as Hester Collyer, Roland Culver as her husband (Sir Wm) and Kenneth More as Hester's partner in Bayswater, Freddy Page. If you saw the production when Peggy Ashcroft went on holiday (1953) she was replaced by Celia Johnson. Vivien Leigh played Hester in the 1956 film version.

[mercia]

slightly off-topic I always found the plot of The Winslow Boy rather far-fetched though apparently it was based on a true case

[MrGongGong]

You must have been surprised to learn that he was 100, then, MrGG

Angle, I found this recent review (no spoilers) of In Praise of Love which it seems opened originally in 1973. R4's production is not the same one.

indeed
a fine achievement as the last time I saw Jim he arrived on his bike with his detachable bell horn in a rucksack which i'm sure he wouldn't have been able to manage if he was that old !

[salymap]

Stanley Stewart, thanks, yes it was the 1952 production with Peggy Ashcroft etc. I went to the Duchess Theatre a lot as a hard-up youngster, as a nurse friend of mine was given free tickets which helped us both to see a lot of plays. I don't know whether it is still done, but theatres often gave tickets to hospitals apparently.

[Mr Pee]

Rattigan enthusiasts might like to take a trip to Chichester over the Summer, where the Festival Theatre are celebrating the centenary with some interesting new productions, including a world premiere based on a previously unperformed Rattigan screenplay about Diaghilev and Nijinsky, and a double bill of The Browning Version paired with South Downs, a new play by David Hare which compliments the former work. There's also a new production of The Deep Blue Sea.


http://www.cft.org.uk/cft-production...ls.asp?pid=485

http://www.cft.org.uk/cft-production...ls.asp?pid=484

http://www.cft.org.uk/cft-production...ls.asp?pid=487