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Alan Melville Radio Plays

Alan Melville was a playwright, revue author and lyricist well-known in the forties and fifties. He became a television personality and tv writer in the sixties. As far as I am aware he wrote no radio plays but some of his stage plays were adapted for radio, and Radio 4 had an Alan Melville season in 1983.

Melville was a prolific contributor to West End revues which dominated the lighter side of West End theatre. His satire was gentle, and he poked fun at the middle classes. Long-running plays of his include DEAR CHARLES, DEVIL MAY CARE, CASTLE IN THE AIR and SIMON AND LAURA. He wrote topical sketches and lyrics for revue and his SWEET AND LOW, SWEETER AND LOWER and SWEETEST AND LOWEST lasted about 2000 performances. He also wrote lyrics for Arthur Askey in the musical BET YOUR LIFE, and collaborated with Ivor Novello on his last show GAY'S THE WORD.

He moved on to television, though as a non-tv watcher I have no idea what he wrote for it. He lived in Brighton and died in 1983.

PAUL GAFFNEY of Ottawa adds the follwing: "I was doing some internet research on Alan Melville because of a reference I found in a book titled "Broadcast from the Front - Canadian Radio Oversees in the Second World War" by A.E. Powley (Hakkert, Toronto, 1975, ISBN 0-88866-565-2). According to Powley, Melville wrote (or was, at least, one of the writers of) Britain's first soap opera -- "Front Line Family" -- a serial story of the fictional Robinson family that was first broadcast in Canada and the United States on April 4th, 1941, and subsequently carried by the BBC."

BBC Radio Broadcasts

ALAN MELVILLE PLAYS
05.05.66 Dear Charles*
17.05.67 The Minister's Mallard*, rpt 16.8.69
??.??.68 Events at Black Tor* (Roy Clarke) dir A. Melville
20.01.74 Jonathan
19.07.75 Balance Of Power*
04.09.76 At Your Service, rpt. 26.2.79
27.04.77 Lovely Morning This Evening!
15.09.78 The Knocker
??.??.83 Change of View*
??.??.83 Don't come into the garden*
??.??.83 Normal Service*
20.04.82 Blythe thou never wert*, rpt.14.9.83
29.04.81 A Lovesome Thing

compiled from info. supplied by Roger Bickerton, and own collection.

Asterisked plays exist within VRPCC.

NOTES ON THE PLAYS

DEAR CHARLES 1966
An excellent light comedy where a lady gets her three ex-lovers together to decide which one will be the best father to her children...

THE MINISTER'S MALLARD 1967
Another excellent light comedy, featuring some daft politicians, a woman with commonsense, and an orphan duck. With Michael Denison as the Minister, Corrall Brown as Janet, David Glover as Roger, Irene Sutcliffe as Mrs. Nicholson, Beth Boyd as Miss Dempster, Donald Perlmuir as Mr. Harrison, Clive Francis as David, Rosalind Shanks as Jennifer, Dennis Aliver-Peters as Mr. Aquieueueu, Preston Lockwood as Coombs, Betty Huntley-Wright as Mrs. Frome; Anthony Vickers and Clive Francis as the announcers; other parts by members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company. Produced by Guy Vaison.

EVENTS AT BLACK TOR 1968
A frightening, atmospheric serial, 6 x 30 min, with supernatural overtones. Directed by Melville; written by Roy Clarke, better known for his television series "Last of the Summer Wine".

BALANCE OF POWER 1975
The Tories and the Socialists each have 307 seats in the Commons...this means that the Scottish Independent MP holds the balance of power...90m, with Jean Anderson as Morag McGregor, Robert Lang as Arnold Sellars, Edward Hardwick as Vincent Mellors, Simon Lack as Duncan, Sandra Clarke as Jessie, Hector Ross as Andrew Lumley,Kate Coleridge as Miss F, with Nigel Anthony, Christopher Bidmead, Michael Cochran, Anthony Daniels, Maddi Head, Ann Jameson, Fraser Kerr, Clifford Norgate, Deborah Page, Roger Snowden, Goodran Euir, Peter Whitman and Peter Williams. Produced by John Tydeman.

BLYTHE THOU NEVER WERT 1982
21 Apr 82. A dotty inventor discovers a new fuel for vehicles. With Lockwood West as Arthur, Catherine Parr as Wyn, Margot Boyd as Florence, Patience Tomlinson as Brenda, Duncan Faber as Darren, Andrew Branch as P.C. Tarquin-Law, Alan Melville as Mr. Otterway, Peter Arne as Yamani, John Livesey as Harriman, Frances Jeater as Rose. Directed by Glyn Dearman.

CHANGE OF VIEW 1983
Fun and games when two wives decide to move house. The husbands' policy of amiable inertia may not be enough to prevent it... Jill Bennett as Janet, Michael Aldridge as James, Fenella Fielding as Geraldine, Timothy Bateson as Gerald. The director was Glyn Dearman.

NORMAL SERVICE 1983
A butler, who has worked at the highest level, finds he has to lower his sights a little. His new employers are definitely not "top drawer"...with Dave King as Charles, Sheila Steifel as Maggie, George Baker as Harry, Maddie Head as Mildred, Timothy Bateson as Mr. Kaupfman, and Jill Symcox as Mrs. Kaupfman. Directed by Glyn Dearman.

DON'T COME INTO THE GARDEN 1983
Amusing play about a jobbing writer...Norman Rodway as Aubrey Delaware, Dilys Laye as Angela, Timothy Bateson as Bernie, Stuart Organ as the editor, Maddi Head as Mrs. Dewsbury, Jean Trend as Mrs. McPhie, and Ronald Baddily as Colonel Latimer. Directed by Glyn Dearman.

Nigel Deacon / Diversity Website

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