Alan Bennett - Fory Years On - 1973
Alan Bennett Forty Years On 1973 A darkly comic requiem for a lost England. 1968. A public school on the South Downs The Headmaster of Albion House has been at the school for 50 years. Now he is retiring and takes part in the end-of-year entertainment for the last time. Entitled 'Speak For England, Arthur' it weaves together a multi-generational story of England and the yearning for times that are now long gone. The Headmaster finds himself reluctantly in this ' progressive ' end-of-term play devised by his imminent successor, Mr Franklin. The problem is, he’s yet to read the script. It soon becomes clear that ‘Speak for England, Arthur’ is not quite the celebration of school tradition the Headmaster might have expected. The West End cast reappear in this brilliant kaleidoscopic comedy, part parody and part nostalgia. Adapted for Radio By Alan Bennett Directed By:….Anthony Gould Producer:…..Richard Wortley Headmaster:….John Gielgud Matron:….Dorothy Reynolds Tempest:….Alan Bennett Franklin:….Paul Eddington Miss Nisbitt:….Nora Nicholson Headboy:….Sam Dastor Musical settings by Carl Davis Accompanied songs sung by boys Of City of London School directed by Anthony Gould Treble soloists Simon Preece and Simon Pearmain Forty Years On is a 1968 play by Alan Bennett. It was his first West End play. A glorious comedy, Alan Bennett’s first play is a hilarious and at times unnerving enquiry into Englishness, nostalgia and identity. Written at a time of tumultuous social change it explores, with great satirical verve, the impact of the past on the present. Saturday-Night Theatre: Forty Years On First broadcast: Sat 11th Aug 1973, 20:30 on BBC Radio 4 FM
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.