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RADIO PLAYS
The descriptive resumés of most of my radio plays I found as a link on my website one I knew nothing about . A couple of highly skilled radio boffins , have complied a comprehensive list of most of my plays with dates. It has been an invaluable rescue mechanism for plays I had ‘lost’ The info is at;
diversity@btinternet.com NIGEL DEACON
THE SMELL OF BURNING ( reading)....1992
27 Dec 1992. In December 1942, a 17-year-old Russian girl left her high school to join an Airfield Maintenance Battalion in the Leningrad region. For three years Inna Froug kept a diary .......... the account of a spirited girl quickly maturing in the face of harsh reality. Abridged and read by Elizabeth Morgan. Producer: John Theocharis.A few months earlier Liz had interviewed Inna in Moscow for Moscow Television convincingly amplifying the incredible diary .
MEES MARGARET 1989
28.9.89. A visit to France to her Franch grandmother’s house , now empty suddenly and dramatically changes lonely Margaret's life, up until now cloistered in an English girls’ boarding school.
Director Gerry Jones.
ANASTASIA REES....1988
21 Jan 88. In Pontypridd, the Rees family legend of being descended from Russian noblemen has faded with the years. Suddenly, however, Grandma Rees's eccentric behaviour prompts a search for the truth. What they find astounds them all
Elizabeth Morgan, Cathy Jo Manning Wilson, Emily Morgan,.
Directed by Gerry Jones.
RESPONSES The Afternoon Play: -....1985
16.1.85."Haven't brought you flowers lately, have I? In the first few weeks this room was like Kew Gardens. I had some romantic notion you would wake up to colour, beauty and scent." That's what Mike says to his wife, Ann, as she lies in a hospital bed, apparently deep in coma as good as dead, and rapidly approaching the six month cut off period for support machines . He doesn't know that she can hear everything even his developing relationship with the nurse . . Elizabeth Morgan, John Pullen,: Frances Jeater, Mrs Baker:. Directed by Gerry Jones.
SKI LARK The Afternoon Play 2.1.85 By Elizabeth Morgan. A ski-ing holiday in Eastern Europe is the background to an unusual affair concerning two English divorcées who can't be sure if the two local men they meet are after their bodies, their clothes or their nationality. With Maryse Hepworth Elizabeth Morgan. Directed by Gerry Jones
DEAR COUNTESS The Monday Play 2.5.83 - By Elizabeth Morgan. . John Ruskin’s five year non marriage
"You will indeed be a good husband to me, John. You who are so kind will be a perfect lover as a husband." So wrote Effie( Euphemia) Chalmers Gray to her husband-to-be, John Ruskin. She was soon to discover that reality was very different from Ruskin’s abnormal idea of marriage.
Derek Jacobi: Bridget McCann, Timothy West, Elizabeth Morgan, Michael Fenner, John Rye. Directed by Gerry Jones.
From EM's website, www.elizabeth-morgan.co.uk:
Delighted my play ‘Dear Countess’ written in the eighties went out again yesterday pm BBC R4 Extra/ – about the unconsummated marriage of John Ruskin and Effie Grey. Derek Jacobi played Ruskin so beautifully that although I disliked the man intensely when writing the play D’s performance was so magical I felt a sympathy for this emotionally inept man. Timothy West played Ruskin’s father and I played his mother. (Four times rebroadcast Jan 2015 and 2018 and again twice 2019 EM. )
BELOVED EMMA..1981
8.8.81. written and performed by Elizabeth Morgan. "Nelson's Alpha and Omega is Emma, my affection and love is beyond even this world." So wrote the Admiral to his adored mistress. Off Cadiz, he wrote asking that Emma and their daughter Horatia be legacies to the nation, 'to be given ample provision to maintain their rank in life. These favours I ask of my King and country at this moment when I am going to fight their battle.' Nelson's request was ignored. Director : Gerry Jones.
Performed on Radio 4,
BBC Television
National Theatre. Theatre Tours UK and USA, listed at end of this section
Afternoon Theatre 26.1.78 - THE DUMPLING ( 'Boule de Suif’) Guy de Maupassant, translated by H.N.P.Sloman Dramatised by Elizabeth Morgan. A handful of privileged citizens share a coach in their flight from occupied Rouen during the Franco-Prussian war. Among them is a pretty, plump young woman whose profession scandalises her aristocratic and self-centred fellow travellers. Nevertheless, they need her bargaining powers. This is the first radio dramatisation of this famous story. with . Miriam Margolyes Director .Margaret Etall.
Afternoon Theatre 18.3.77 - SPRING CAN WAIT
Louise Pearson is beautiful and spoilt - even her daughter spoils her. She buys a house in Provence where she and her daughter plan to spend an idyllic summer - but the plan tragically misfires. With.... Elizabeth Sellars,...Glynis Brooks, Phillipe Lecerf .... Andre Moranne. Directed by Kay Patrick.
Afternoon Theatre: 11.12.74 - TOM TIDLER'S POOL
" I have a week -seven days - to decide for the rest of my life. There's no going back now!",Director .... Betty Davies.
The Monday Play 19.8.74 - ACCORDING TO THE REGULATIONS
'Six days, that's all it took the Almighty to make this world of ours, and all the creatures therein. Nine months it takes to make a new human life - God's finest masterpiece. Nine seconds to take aim. and fire, and destroy that masterpiece ... Perhaps we'll learn one day.' This play is based on events which took place in Llanelli in 1911, but the Welsh characters’ names are fictitious their societal roles in the history of the strike and hierarchy of the Unions, are fact with .... Glyn Houston,.... Elizabeth Morgan, Sion Probert, Director Betty Davies.
Afternoon Theatre 22.8.73 - JESS
By Elizabeth Morgan. 'When Jess went without for you, she did it for love, not for what you could give her back. She lived her life through you ... she loved it and she was so proud of vou. You gave her another life if you like.'
Jess’ daughter, very bright , well educated , marries upper middle class Brit diplomat. They live in Hong Kong –and mix in class conscious circles and their special protocol. When Jess comes to stay for a short holiday, a simple Welsh working class woman the problems begin. Director : Roger Pine.
IT’S MARM AND THERE’S COMPANY....1974
6 Mar 74.By Elizabeth Morgan.
A study of a group of women in hospital, in a gynaecological ward in London’s East End and how they react to the place, and in particular to the fact that they are women. Afternoon Theatre: Directed by Betty Davies.
Liz Morgan writes (in 2018):
Miriam Margoyles played in this; she had just arrived on the BBC Rep as a student, straight from the Cambridge Footlights , and was excellent! The play was intended to highlight the monstrous law that existed at the time . A woman could not have an operation that could render her infertile, even a life threatening cancer, without the permission of her partner whether married or common law. If he refused to sign the necessary form she could be left to die. After the broadcast I had shoals of letters from women who refused to allow their partners to sign . They signed for themselves. I was also interviewed on Woman’s Hour twice; soon afterwards, the law was changed. I’d like to think the play helped a little.
Nigel Deacon adds: Notice that the blurb in RT for this play utterly misses the point. Things were different in 1974.
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LOT 132 ....1973 a play written for THE PRICE OF FEAR series.
A man buys a painting takes it home to his family. The portrait is strange spooky eerie . Dreadful events occur and there are bizarre behavioural changes to the purchaser Introduced by Vincent Price. 25.7.1973. Liz played opposite Vincent in the play There were three series of The Price of Fear .Vincent later chose his 10 favourite plays for the writers to turn them into short stories, which were later published as a collection The Price of Fear . The play has been successful in terms of repeats , the short story even more so. The last time it was recorded in Los Angeles and re broadcast twice in the UK.
OTHERS
ANY MANS EQUAL ....1978 Directed by Jerry Jones
The life, loves and friends of Hester Lynch Thrale (Mrs. Hester Piozzi), 1741-1821, compiled by Elizabeth Morgan from her writings. Recorded for the Archive of Recorded Poetry, 16 Oct 1978, in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress. Library blurb: "Welsh-born actress Elizabeth Morgan presents a lively and historical account of Mrs. Thrale's life, both as Mrs. Thrale and Mrs. Piozzi ‘ Performed on Radio 4, BBC Television, theatre Tours UK and USA, see all tours
ALL THINGS NICE .... A school Drama 1972 A girls school head believes her prize pupil has been stealing - parents become involved
The French Connection, BBC R4 An almighty linguistic car crash when a small town attempts to twin itself
with an equally clueless French counterpart – a comedy.