Christopher William Hill Radio Dramas

Christopher William Hill has written Dead Money, Killing Maestros, and Love Me, Liberace for BBC Radio Four.

Christopher studied Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Kent, where he specialised in theatre direction. Since then he has worked as a writer, actor, director and script editor for Bedlam Theatre Company of Cornwall and has twice directed for the company. His stage plays (for a variety of theatres) include Tenth From The End; Stealing The Smile; Lam; Blood Red, Saffron Yellow; Song Of The Western Men; Icons; Multiplex; The Jonah Lie. Christopher is currently under commission to Plymouth Theatre Royal, the Northcott Theatre, Bedlam Theatre Company of Cornwall, Chelsea Theatre, Unicorn Theatre for Children and the Stephen Joseph Theatre.

Christopher has also worked as librettist for the opera The Murder of Charlotte Dymond.

NOTES


NIGHTINGALE WOOD....2011
9 Oct 11; 2 part dramatization of Stella Gibbons' romance about three women looking for the right man. Classic Serial.

Cast: Victoria Hamilton, Dinah Stabb, Paul Moriarty, Francine Chamberlain, Simon Bubb, Adam Billington, Adjoa Andoh, Alex Rivers, Joan Walker, Ian Masters, Victoria Inez Hardy, James Lailey, Judith Coke, Gerard McDermott. Producer Marion Nancarrow.


MARMALADE FOR COMRADE PHILBY....2009
Comedy drama by Christopher William Hill, R4 30 Jul 09, afternoon play. A novelist finds that his French translator has reworked his latest spy novel as his autobiography. Will he own up or not? After all, spies generally get the pretty girls. Cast: Patrick Bradyn ...... Bill Nighy, Hannah Olrod ...... Penelope Wilton, Delphine Barbret ...... Rachel Atkins, Ken ...... Geoffrey Whitehead, Lottie ...... Claudia Elmhirst, Barlow ...... Adrian Scarborough. Original music by Lucinda Mason Brown; produced by Gordon House. Production company: Goldhawk Essential for radio 4.

This was a good comedy with an excellent cast. It attracted some interesting comments on the BBC messageboard. I'm editing and reproducing some of them below:

m.f.: .....I suspect the writer knew who was going to play the parts. It just felt right.

l.r.m.:...........Loved it, suppose the resolution was that he goes for the money and fame plus the wishes of the woman who loves him and never mind the consequences or indeed the truth.

LOVE ME, LIBERACE*....2004
R4, 13 Feb 04, Friday play, 55m. A play based on the events surrounding Liberace's 1959 libel trial against the Daily Mirror. Cassandra couldn't stand Liberace and put the boot in, perhaps a bit too vigorously, and a trial was the result. Against this background, an East End teenager is growing up and isn't sure whether he prefers women or men...Owen is 15 and thinks Liberace is the world's best piano player when the story begins in 1956. Over the next three years he writes many letters to his hero, sets about learning the piano, and falls in love with his piano teacher. The play stars Freddy White as Owen, Henry Goodman as Liberace; also stars Frances Barber,James Fleet, Ann Beach, John Rowe, Philip Fox, Ioan Meredith and the author. Pianist Colin Guthrie; directed by Liz Webb.

KILLING MAESTROS....2003
R4, 14 Aug 03. Productions of Tristan and Isolde have often been jinxed by mysterious deaths. Conductor Sergei Bodanov convinces himself that he too will suffer from the curse and tells his therapist that he has six weeks to rid him of this "evil" before the first performance. With Bill Nighy, Henry Goodman, Lorelei King, Sylvestra La Touzel, and Andrew C Wadsworth. Piano: Colin Guthrie. Director Liz Webb .

Update: "Killing Maestros" shortlisted for
Tinniswood Award 2003

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is the “Scottish Play” of the Opera world - jinxed with mysterious deaths. When conductor Sergei Bodanov takes over a production following the heart attack of a fellow conductor, he convinces himself that he too will suffer from the Opera’s curse - and tells his therapist that he has six weeks to cure him of this evil before the first performance.

Quite apart from the on-stage deaths in Tristan und Isolde, there are many off-stage deaths connected to the opera. George Ander was due to play Tristan in the first production of the opera, but went mad and was replaced by Ludwig Carolsfeld who died shortly after the premiere and the conductors Felix Mottl and Joseph Keilberth both expired whilst conducting the second act.

In this black comedy, conductor and health freak Max Blom clutches his heart and dies at the 89th bar of Act II during a rehearsal. His friend Sergei Bodanov takes over, driven by an ingrained sense of Russian fatalism. But Sergei is convinced that Max was killed by Wagner, and believes that he too will suffer a similar fate. He begins sessions with psychotherapist Karl Lieberman and tells him that he has six weeks before the first performance “six weeks for you to cure me, doctor”. Karl is initially fascinated by this “inherited fixation”, but Sergei’s paranoia and hypochondria gradually infect Karl, Karl’s wife Ruth and his friend Laura - with disastrous consequences.

Cast: Bill Nighy (Love Actually; State of Play), Henry Goodman (RSC’s Richard III), Lorelei King (Second Nature; Notting Hill), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Hearts and Bones) and Andrew C. Wadsworth (Kiss Me Kate).
Producer: Liz Webb
Broadcast: 14/08/2003, BBC Radio 4

Expanded synopsis supplied by Jo Hodder, Society of Authors. Used by permission.

More information on Gordon House's page.


OTHER PLAYS: (dates not known)

Hindenburg*
Sueing Mr. Spargoe*

*exist in collections within VRPCC

Nigel Deacon, Diversity Website

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