This week’s episode of Very British Futures features something brand new – a short history lesson. Because this week we look at a fairly unique meeting of Northern Ireland politics and science fiction in the Play for Tomorrow – Easter 2016 and I felt I needed to give listeners a bit of context for the significance of that date, since it was the centenary of the Irish Easter Uprising of 1916. The history of Northern Ireland is far too big a subject for a personal blog about science fiction. There is plenty I still do not know about it that I should, which is why I was adamant that I needed a guest from Northern Ireland to talk about this television play. So big thanks to Carolyn Arnold, who’s comes from the country and is also a cult TV fan.
The story takes place in Northern Ireland’s one and only integrated teacher training college. As Easter approaches, a struggle develops between Cyril Brown (Principal of the college) and Lennie North (Security Director), whose belief is that firm security as a means of prevention is more effective than liberal ideas about education and integration. The focus of their conflict is Catholic lecturer Connor Mullan and his plans to turn an exhibition about the uprising into a protest against the current Northern Ireland assembly. As all three men take extreme positions and compromise becomes impossible, a tragedy unfolds.
Easter 2016 was written by Graham Reid and broadcast on BBC1 on 18th May 1982. It starred Derrick O’Connor, Bill Nighy and Denys Hawthorne.
As it turned out, in 2016 the biggest talking point in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK was Brexit. As far as I can tell from my brief research, what centenary ceremonies took place were wholly peaceful affairs. This is the final part of the Play for Tomorrow season and I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into an obscure bit of British science fiction. Next week by extreme contrast we are discussing one of the most famous BBC SF shows – Blake’s 7!
To find out more about Carolyn Arnold and her “time travel” business, visit her Facebook page.
Hello there! It’s another quick round up of news from myself and friends this time.
After Hangmen was an enormous success for Bolton Little Theatre and myself personally getting some of the best notices I’ve ever had for playing Syd Ambleside, I have gone back into the control box for the next play of the season – Player’s Angels by Amanda Whittington.
In 1950’s Nottingham, John Player’s girls have the best jobs, the best wage and the best hairdos in town. And now, there’s a new face on the Navy Cut machine as 15-year-old Mae comes fresh from the country for her first job at the tobacco factory. Mae lodges with her Aunt Glad who sits alongside her on the production line but keeps her assignations with the young factory foreman to herself. Led by workmates Cyn and Vee, Mae takes her first steps into the world of the Player’s Angels: where a young girl can lose her halo and find her wings.
Running 22nd – 27th April, it’s a warm-hearted play about a group of friends supporting each other and facing a changing Britain, as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II ushers in a new age. You can book tickets now from Ticketsource.
Rik Hoskin and Chatri Art have been busy with a project of their own, a graphic novel called The Vampire Invasion. Set in 1969, their wild story imagines an alternative history where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s landing on the Moon triggers a retaliation from a colony of Nosferatu-like vampires who have been living on the dark side for centuries. It’s a very entertaining romp that recalls the best of Warren’s 70’s Creepy and Eerie horror comics. Renaissance man Chatri Art composed the theme for my podcast and his dazzling artwork has been featured in games and album art. He came up with the initial concept for this book when he was a teenager.
Rik also has a short story out this month in HyphenPunk magazine. The President’s Been Shot is a satirical cyber-punk with his trademark ingenuity. You can order it from Amazon Kindle or a PDF version from Ko-Fi.
Finally, my cousin Terrance McAdams has the second volume of his YA science fiction series out now. Biocode: Resolution finds Ciara and her friends discovering new twists to the mystery of a race of telepathic aliens who want to take over the Earth. Ciara has been seeing visions of her ancestor William on Captain Cook’s second voyage, but now she must travel into the past to save him and the future. Available now from all good bookshops.
In 1965 the death penalty, and hanging in particular, effectively ended in the United Kingdom. So what is Harry Wade, Britain’s last hangman to do? Especially when he is widely regarded as the country’s second-best executioner, after Albert Pierpoint? So begins, Martin McDonagh’s celebrated black comedy Hangmen, which is being staged by Bolton Little Theatre on 4th to 9th March 2024. Set in Harry’s grim pub in Oldham, where he holds court over a group of tatty regulars and his long-suffering wife and teenage daughter, the play opens with a young reporter seeking an interview with the hangman. Harry’s equilibrium is disturbed by the arrival of Mooney, a peculiar young cockney man. His unease increases when his despised old assistant Syd comes calling the next day, warning him about a strange visit he has recently had by a young man who knows a lot about their controversial execution of Hennessey a couple of years ago.
I am playing the part of Syd, Harry old assistant, and part-time pornographer. It’s a brilliantly written part and enjoying rehearsals a lot, not having played a major role on stage for a while. It is fun finding his accent, that variety of camp Northern nasal sound usually used by comedians like Alan Carr, but with more unhappiness and desperation.
Hangmen premiered in 2015 and went on to become a West End and Broadway hit. It has won several major awards and the original production has been broadcast by National Theatre. Its writer Martin McDonagh is probably best known for his black comedy films In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Epping, Missouri. Hangmen is a superbly written play, funny and frightening in equal measure. I hope we get a healthy audience for it.
I was shocked, along with the whole North West amateur theatre scene, by the sudden death of Sandra Leatherbarrow on Friday 13th October 2023. Not only because she was a good friend of many years, but because I am currently working in her last production, Blue Stockings at Bolton Little Theatre. I had only been speaking to her on Thursday night, little knowing that under two hours later I would be watching paramedics hurrying in, after she suffered a stroke. I still have emails in my inbox from her, about the play and providing technical help to the Little Theatre Guild conference she was simultaneously organising.
Sandra was always filled with energy from the first time I met her at the theatre. She loved directing and acting, and was always prepared to assist with the less glamorous side of the theatre too, regularly serving as house manager for other productions, and being a long time member of the committee. She cast me in a dual role of medical officer and private in My Boy Jack, one of the plays I am proudest of from my career. She kindly took on the role of Samuel Crompton’s mother in a short play I directed at Hall’ith Wood called A Fine Spinner. I provided sound cues for many of her productions.
I wish I had a hilarious anecdote to share but right now my memories are of a bundle of energy, occasionally exasperating, certainly eccentric but in a productive way that raised up everyone around her. Not just at Bolton Little Theatre, over her life she was involved in several companies, not to mention being a keen golfer. I’m sure I’m going to find out even more over the next few weeks about all her achievements. She supported so many people. In my case I know that each year she lobbied for one of my pantomime scripts to be produced, which I appreciated even though it has not happened yet.
Sad as it is that Blue Stockings will now be a tribute to her, rather than simply her latest production, it is an excellent choice by fate. It’s cast includes old friends and young actors who had only just met her, everyone grateful for the opportunity to work with her and who have been inspired. It’s a play about remarkable women who helped leave the world a better place. Exactly what Sandra did.
I’ve been improv acting as a simulated patient over the last few years, and the odd voiceover, but between October 21st and 28th I’m heading back to the stage as an actor in Blue Stockings, by Jessica Swale. The play is on at Bolton Little Theatre. This one of several productions of Jessica Swale’s popular debut play being staged nationwide that week.
1896. At Girton Colllege, female students are welcomed to study at the University of Cambridge for the first time. The Girton girls study ferociously and many match their male peers grade for grade. Yet, whilst the men graduate, the women leave with nothing but the stigma of being a ‘blue stocking’ – an unnatural, educated woman. The play follows them over one tumultuous academic year, in their fight to change the future of education. There is laughter, thwarted romance and bravery from both the women and their few male supporters. Whilst in the background is the suffragette movement, which ironically might do as much to damage their cause as support it.
I play Radleigh, one of Cambridge dons who is against encouraging women to study degrees, viewing it as youthful indiscretion which will destroy their future prospects of marriage and respectability. It is a fairly small part, appearing in two scenes but I must admit I was struggling to memorise my lines after leaving that part of my brain unexercised for years. But they are in there now and I hope my performance gets richer now with each rehearsal. This is all useful practice for a much larger role I’ll be taking on next year in Hangmen by Mike Bartlett.
I posted recently that Rik Hoskin had recently written the comic strip adaptation of Book Two of The Wheel of Time – The Great Hunt. He has recently had a couple more interviews published, where he talks about Robert Jordan’s writing and the experience of adapting such a famous, influential fantasy world.
I had the great pleasure recently of joining my friends Rebecca, John and Dani to record an edition of their podcast I Don’t Do Sci-Fi. This time, Dani was being exposed to Nigel Kneale’s 1972 BBC Christmas Day ghost story – The Stone Tape. It is a pioneering blend of science fiction, horror, and psychological drama that has left a lasting impact on viewers and critics alike.
The story revolves around a team of scientists and technicians from Ryan Electronics who move into an old Victorian mansion called Taskerlands, which has been converted into a research facility. Their objective is to develop a new disruptive technology that surpasses anything in the existing market. However, they soon discover that Taskerlands has a dark history and an eerie presence lurking within its walls.
In a room said to be haunted, Jill, the lead computer programmer sees the ghost of a terrified Victorian maid. Soon, everyone bar one young man can hear her screams.
The team conjecture that they have uncovered a phenomenon nicknamed the “stone tape theory,” a concept suggesting that buildings can absorb and replay the energy of past events, essentially becoming a recording of the past. This notion serves as the central theme of the play, blending elements of the supernatural with scientific exploration. When the experts try to understand the process better, hoping to turn it into the next generation of consumer technology, they learn it has psychological effects too. Whilst Jill begins to fear that there may be deeper layers to the stone recording, but containing what?
It stars Jane Asher, Michael Bryant, Iain Cutherbertson and Michael Bates, and was directed by Peter Sasdy. I’d last seen it on the big screen in 2022 as part of the excellent Nigel Kneale Centenary celebration in London, organised by Jon Dear and introduced by Ms Asher herself.
Whilst I’m on the plugging trail, let me also mention that I am currently working on the sounds for the next Bolton Little Theatre production – The Ladykillers – which is running from 26th June and 1st July. It’ll be a funny night and you can find out more here.
The Day of the Triffids aired on BBC1 in 1981 and became one of those SF television series that broke out of the genre ghetto and became part of popular culture, fondly remembered by many who saw it back then. Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise since the novel of the same name by John Wyndham had been a bestseller, remaining in print since it debuted in 1951. The series follows the story of a group of survivors living in a post-apocalyptic world after a meteor shower has rendered most of the population blind and given rise to deadly, venomous plants called Triffids. The main protagonist is Bill Masden, a young farmer who has ironically retained his sight due to being protected by bandages after a Triffid attack. As he navigates the dangers of post-apocalyptic England, he must also deal with the threat posed by the plants, which are able to move on their own and attack humans.
Like the book, the series explored themes of survival, adaptation, and morality. Produced by David Maloney, directed by Ken Hannam and adapted for television by Douglas Livingstone, it starred John Duttine, Emma Relph, and Maurice Colbourne.
I had an excellent time recording this episode with Rik Hoskin, and Chris and Ella Burton and we got unexpectedly deep in places when it came to the moral challenges faced by the characters. You listen to our debate by finding Very British Futures on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and many more platforms. Or go to its page on the podcast website.
In other news, I am currently back on the sound desk at Bolton Little Theatre for the upcoming play Flamingoland which runs 20th to 27th May 2023. Written by ex-Coronation Street actor Deborah McAndrew, it’s the story of two sisters, their daughters, and a local pest control officer. Mari is terminally ill and spends her days organising her funeral and her will. Her sister Bridie wants her to focus on making the most of her remaining time. But the whole family is poisoned by a secret from their teenage years. Will bringing it out in the open help them to heal or is too late? Sound effects for this one are fairly domestic. Probably the biggest challenge was filming a video sequence at the open mic night at the Doffcocker Inn, Bolton, for the finale. But it gave me a chance to put a new 4K Canon XA50 camera and shotgun microphone through its paces.
Several fun news items to report on today. My old friend Will Hadcroft has achieved one of his personal ambitions (and mine too someday) of having an official Doctor Who story released. The Resurrection Plant is being released on CD and download by the BBC and Penguin Books on 4th August 2022. It features the Second Doctor (as played by Patrick Troughton), together with Jamie and Zoe and is read by Frazer Hines, who not only played Jamie in the television series but in recent years has been acclaimed for embodying the Second Doctor in new adventures for Big Finish. Here’s the description:
The TARDIS brings its occupants to Calico Three, an Earth-like planetoid where industrial foundries are worked alongside sophisticated technology. The Doctor is staggered to learn about the Resurrection Plant, which re-births anyone mortally wounded in the line of work. While Jamie is put to work in the foundry, Zoe and the Doctor investigate the Plant – but when the machine goes terribly wrong, they must work with the locals to combat a horrifying monster. The Doctor also uncovers a shameful secret that, for him at least, hits close to home.
Will’s been on the publicity trail for his audiobook and was recently extensively interviewed by Greg for the YouTube channel The Time Scales. He’s also just guested alongside myself on The Folklore Podcast.
Hosted by author, lecturer and folklore expert Mark Norman, The Folklore Podcast is a long running series which “…began in the summer of 2016, after it became apparent that there were very few podcasts which dealt with folklore in an accessible and yet informative way. Most were of the storytelling, ‘campfire’ variety. The ethos of this podcast is simple. To bring world-class experts in the fields of folklore and its associated areas of interest to a wide audience, completely free of charge.” (taken from the official Folklore Podcast website)
Will mentioned my name to Mark after being invited on to talk about the crossovers between Doctor Who and folklore. What followed was an entertaining hour and a bit of conversation between the three of us, looking at the ways the programme had used not just British myths but legends of other cultures too, such as China and Greece. A theme developed that in an almost Scooby Doo fashion, whatever was introduced as supernatural was almost inevitably unmasked as alien by the end of the story. We gave special attention to The Daemons, The Awakening, The Curse of Fenric and The Shakespeare Codex. Our debate moved into the show’s educational remit, its treatment of religion and the often thin line between genuine folk stories and cinema inventions. I enjoyed guesting a lot, and you can listen to the finished episode on your favourite podcast platform or directly from the website.
Speaking of podcasts I have recorded two conversations so far, covering The Aliens and The Flipside of Dominick Hide and I am currently editing them for hopeful release later this month. So watch this space.
I am pleased to say that I have graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University after four years, having achieved a First Class honour in BSc Digital Technology and Solutions Apprenticeship.
Finally, I have begun work as the sound designer/operator on Bolton Little Theatre’s forthcoming production of ‘Allo ‘Allo by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. Based on the hit BBC sitcom it will be running from 12th to 17th September and you can book tickets now. This includes me using QLab extensively for the first time and to support this and future web design work I’ve bought my first MacBook after a lifetime of PC use.
It’s getting busier as a new academic year looms and the UK slowly brings itself back to normality after more than a year of lockdowns and distancing. I’ve reached that stage where I am having to be careful about how I manage my time and future plans, but that’s really a good state of affairs to be in.
The Very British Futures podcast has been a great success and definitely the most fulfilling project I’ve been involved in for a long while. It’s been great to reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones along the way. Plus I’ve enjoyed the speed of the production process too. So it will be a wrench to take a break but I need to to concentrate on the final year of my BSc apprenticeship. Season 1 will be ending with a look at Outcasts and a reunion of three regular contributors. Season 2 will be coming in the Spring of 2022 and will feature another wide spread of British programmes, from Day of the Triffids to The Comic Strip. Thanks to all the blog readers who have supported it.
Rik Hoskin’s novel Bystander 27 has made a good debut. You can read my review on the blog. For newcomers it’s a fresh take on the superhero genre, looking at what it is like to live as an ordinary New Yorker in a city that seems to constantly under attack by super criminals, invasions from other dimensions, and power crazed scientists. Whilst Captain Light and The Jade Shade fight in the air above Manhattan one day, it’s business as usual for Jon Hayes, ex-soldier, and his pregnant wife Melanie, Until a burning helicopter thrown from the sky crushes Melanie in front of her husband. Grief starts Jon asking questions about the whole pantheon of superbeings. Why are there unnamed leagues of minor and major superheroes who only fight enemies at their ‘level’? Who can hold people like The Mechanic to account? Why is the world imperiled once a year by a threat that can only be defeated by a large team up? As Jon delves deeper he’s shocked to find his search coming painfully close to home.
The nature of modern publishing being what it is, reviews and social media are significant indicators that what publishers’ keep an eye. So not only do I recommend the book, if you have read it or do in the future, if you can leave a short review on Amazon etc. or just tweet your thoughts, it can really help. You can buy Bystander 27, a standalone fantasy novel from all good bookshops.
Unusually, some news from my day job. Manchester Metropolitan University’s Brooks Resource Centre was recently featured as a model of good practice by the National Technician Development Centre. You can read an article about where I work on the website, and see the above lovely picture of myself and fellow technician Lucy (pretending to be a customer).
After a long hiatus, Bolton’s amateur theatre scene is coming back to life. I’m currently involved getting the sound together for Bolton Little Theatre’s first production of the season Dick Barton – Special Agent. It’s quite a challenge since as well as the needs of this play, I am also putting the sound deck back together again and upgrading it too. But it will be ready for 13th September.
Dick Barton – Special Agent is a fast-moving comedy, affectionately mocking the famous 30’s/40’s hero of radio, TV and film, as he and his sidekicks Snowy and Jock battle Evil Foreigners In London (EFIL) and their plan to drug the nation with cannabis-laced tea. Running 13-18th September 2021. You can book online now.
Although I have stopped linking to every review, I am still a regular reviewer on the Talking Pictures TV podcast. The station has gone from strength to strength, with an increasing amount of vintage British television joining their film library. Their Saturday Morning Pictures programming has been a big success, and they are hoping for equal reaction to their new Friday night cult film nights, The Cellar Club, hosted by Caroline Munro. I review the first night on the current podcast, which includes Hammer’s The Mummy and nudie flick How to Get Undressed in Public. Available, like Very British Futures, on all major podcasting platforms.
Recently I had the pleasure of guesting on The Randomiser podcast, talking about Doctor Who and Red Dwarf with Tim Reid and Chas Auchterlonie. The time flew by and hopefully the episode will be out soon. In the meantime you can check out this excellent banter pod at randomiserpodcast.buzzsprout.com
In further podcast news, my friends and VBF contributors John, Dani and Rebecca will shortly be starting Tripodscast, all about the classic BBC SF show and perfect if we’ve intrigued you with our recent coverage. Nicky Smalley is also going into the podcast business with Unended, a show pondering what happened next to the fictional lives of characters in popular TV shows.
I’ll be back soon with more on Outcasts soon and other theatre news. Thanks for reading.
Lockdown has not been kind to theatres or indeed creative groups of any discipline. Overcoming restrictions however can be its own kind of inspiration and this month saw the release online of my most ambitious video in quite a while.
To give credit where it is due, Stages in Waiting (working title – BLT Lockdown Podcast) was initially conceived and written by Peter Scofield, the actor and director who I’ve worked with quite a bit over the years, both as a co-star and behind the scenes. When ideas were being thrown around the committee for what kind of videos Bolton Little Theatre could make, monologues were the obvious answer and the Life Bites series grew from that. However from the beginning Peter liked the idea of performing something bigger. He written quite a lot of humorous poetry over the years and he had the idea of a short video anthology, filmed on location in the environs of Bolton Little Theatre. As well as Peter’s words, there would be a bit of Shakespeare and some public domain songs too. Initially there was talk of a live streaming broadcast followed by an edited version on demand. Ultimately, the project was scaled back to an on demand video, due to the complexities, challenging enough under normal conditions.
The idea of filming actors separately was always there, to make it easier to film in restricted C19 conditions, but originally the cast would gather together on stage for the final number. We had an initial meeting and set a recording date in late August. Then Bolton entered a local lockdown and the general feeling among the participants was it was too risky. Government advice waxed and waned, I was preoccupied by my house move, and suddenly we were halfway through October. Peter, Sandra and I had the feeling that if the film wasn’t made soon it might never be, now that winter was setting in, Christmas was on peoples’ minds and the theatre hoping to re-open in the New Year. So a revised production was put into action, now wholly made up of single performers who would only meet in Adobe Premiere. We agreed new dates and Sandra Leatherbarrow organised the rota of actors who would come to the theatre over two evenings. Then in the preceding weekend, Boris announced Lockdown 2, beginning right in the middle of our schedule! Nevertheless we decided to push ahead, even though this meant some last minute cast changes. Including a surprise cameo from myself.
If that wasn’t enough, I also decided to make this film with a new kind of camera I had only recently obtained – a DSLR (Canon EOS60D to be precise). I had seen that many other filmmaking acquaintances of mine had been using DSLR cameras instead of camcorders for years, now that they could record HD video. DSLR’s offer the benefits of customisation, better lenses and a socket for an external microphone, something basic that nevertheless a lot of camcorders in model’s price range seemed to lack. My first attempts at filming were somewhat blurry but I had learnt more and now was fairly confident I could get some decent material. I think the results speak for themselves. I’ve still more to learn, but Stages in Waiting is my best looking personal film yet. Rich colours, and between my two lenses, some depth of field shots I’ve never tried before. I’m now fully converted to the DSLR cause, at least as far as tripod filming is concerned. My camcorder is still superior for moving hand held shots.
My direction was light, confined to just encouraging one or two to be a bit ‘bigger’ in their delivery. My cast were all experienced performers so I could concentrate on the shots and just listen out for fluffs. Considering nobody acted with anyone else, their performances meshed together magically well in the digital cutting room. Released on Saturday 21st November on Bolton Little Theatre’s YouTube channel, the response so far has been gratifying positive. I’m proud of Life Bites too, but Stages in Waiting is just a bit more unique than I’ve seen any other local group do. I hope you enjoy it too if you watch it.
The Phantom Frame 