Do3 - Between Two Worlds

[french frank]

Sunday, 24 July, starting 8.45pm: A repeat of last July's play by Adrian Bean and David Hendy.

"Sir Oliver Lodge is a strange and forgotten figure from the Edwardian era: an Establishment scientist, the unacknowledged inventor of the wireless before Marconi, a dabbler in psychic phenomena, the friend of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Albert Einstein."

Lodge engaged in seances in an attempt to communicate with his dead son; he transcribed some of them and these form part of the play.

I missed this (or I gave this a miss) last time.

[Forget It (U2079353)]

I vaguely remember falling a sleep listening to this play - it's quite long and leads to no very useful conclusion.

[french frank]

I vaguely remember falling a sleep listening to this play - it's quite long and leads to no very useful conclusion.

I've just read the (quite substantial) entry on Lodge in the ODNB. Interestingly, I nearly fell asleep too until near the end with the section on Psychical Research.

I think this is the kind of aspect which draws playwrights to a real person but maybe there isn't enough in the character or drama to maintain interest. Better to write something inspired by the person, leaving room for the creative imagination, rather than be bound by the obligation to stick to the mundane facts.

[2LO]

I listened to Between Two Worlds and found it (almost) fascinating in parts. Unfortunately, the other parts went in one ear and straight out the other side. Contrary to hopes, the seances were deadly dull and the play seemed to end without notice.

However, having heard it and been prompted to read more about Oliver Lodge of whom I was ignorant, I can thank Radio 3 for the information.