Julian Simpson Radio Broadcasts
BAD MEMORIES....2011
7 Jan 2011, Friday Play by Julian Simpson. Creepy supernatural thriller. Five bodies are found in a cellar, which is how the story begins. The police are called in, and the corpses are found to be nearly seventy years old. This is odd, because they died only five years ago. But one of the deceased has some audio recordings in his pocket.... perhaps when they're cleaned up and examined they'll give a few clues....
This is one best listened to with a friend, in the sunshine; the sound effects are frightening.
Cast: Nicola Walker, Rupert Graves, Steven Mackintosh, Anthony Calf, Jana Carpenter, Oscar Richardson, Imogen McCurdy, Rohan Nijhawan, Ted Powell. Producer Karen Rose, director Julian Simpson.
- 'R', from the BBC messageboard: ............I listened to this while making soup in the kitchen and in broad daylight and I still found myself looking over my shoulder.
Beautifully written and acted. Well done and thank you, Mr Simpson and the cast! You've certainly changed my plans for Saturday afternoon. I was going to tidy up my cellar, but suddenly, I feel it can wait a while ...
(The play was a Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4)
THE HOST....2009
Another sequel to Journey into Space, created by Charles Chilton; written by Julian Simpson, broadcast 27 Jun 09.
- Gillian Reynolds (Daily Telegraph) commented on Charles Chilton's hugely industrious and successful BBC career, encompassing features, Variety, Westerns and science fiction. David Jacobs plays "The Host" in this very effective one-hour play. Toby Stephens played Jet Morgan (better casting, perhaps, than "Frozen in Time") and Charles Chilton himself (93 in Jun 09) read the closing credits. David Chilton, Charles' son, was responsible for sound design and music, and the producer was Nick Russell-Pavier of Goldhawk Productions. The play was reviewed by Paul Donovan for the Sunday Times, 21 Jun 09; the article is online. (date is correct; reviewers get preview discs)
Roger Howe of VRPCC has interviewed Charles Chilton, and his interesting account is shown on the radio articles page.
THE LISTENER....2008
22 Aug 08. Julian Simpson's psychological sci-fi thriller about a man trying to uncover his true identity, set against the backdrop of a war on terror. Cast: Mark Willis ...... Mark Bazeley, Mia ...... Indira Varma, Doctor Gruber ...... Nicola Walker, Samson ...... Mark Lewis Jones, Charlie ...... Jimmy Akingbola, Lenny ...... Paul Panting. Friday play. Producer Karen Rose, for Sweet Talk Productions.
FRAGMENTS....2006
Written and directed by Julian Simpson, 3 Feb 06, rpt. 31 Aug 07. Teenager Kelly Ryan and her parents move to Pleasant Green, an exclusive village 40 minutes from London. They are an affluent family and she has a good education. Yet two months later she has murdered a retired Royal Marine. Why? Cast:Grant ...... John Carlisle, Kelly Ryan ...... Sarah Smart, Mrs Ryan ...... Lesley Sharp, Mr Ryan ...... Philip Glenister, Carter ...... Daniel Ryan, Haynes ...... Sean Gallagher, Mrs Wilson ...... Nicola Walker, Dr Mortimer ...... Will Keen.
- Julian Simpson was the author of another repeated Friday Play, FRAGMENTS (R4, 2102, 31 Aug 07) in which a teenage girl is accused of the murder of a retired Royal Marine. There seems to be no motive; the evidence is circumstantial, and the convoluted plot flicks between police interviews, recordings from electronic "bugs", and uncomfortable conversations between the girl and her mother. John Carlisle played the 70-year-old Grant, Lesley Sharp was mother, and Sarah Smart was Kelly, indistinguishable from a genuine spoilt teenager. The producer was Karen Rose, for Sweet Talk Productions, and the author directed. (ND, VRPCC newsletter, Sep 07)
CURLY TALES....2003
28 Nov 03. Short story: 5/5. Writer's Block. By Julian Simpson. Read by Mark Heap and William Hootkins. A writer stares at the empty page and wishes for words. Perhaps a walk will give him inspiration and where is Aristotle when you need him? (BBC Publicity)
Director Lisa Osborne for Sweet Talk Productions.
Contact details:
Sweet Talk Productions
22 Montpelier Street
Brighton
BN1 3DJ
01273 772913
0777 550 5136
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
