Beyond The Fringe to be the focus of a Radio 4 drama
- Radio 4 is to air a series of dramas that explore turning points in history, some of which are comedy dramas
- Jeremy Front has written an episode that goes behind-the-scenes on satirical 1960s stage revue Beyond The Fringe
- The season also includes politics-focused Wasps In A Jam Jar, Shakespeare themed First Folio and Jon Culshaw playing Johnny Rotten in an episode about the Sex Pistols obscenity trial
Radio 4 has announced that is to air a series of dramas that explore turning points in history.
Beyond The Fringe on Saturday 5th August at 3pm will focus on the creation of the satirical 1960s stage revue of the same name which starred Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore.
The comedy drama has been written by Jeremy Front, but the actors who will play the four comedy stars have not yet been revealed.
The BBC explains: "In 1961, Beyond The Fringe not only transformed the style of British comedy, lighting the fuse of the satire boom, it also fired a broadside at The Establishment and sent a blast of fresh air through the fusty corridors of power. Before the Beatles made the 60s swing, the Fab Four of comedy, Bennett, Cook, Miller and Moore opened the door to social change through their iconic comedy. This drama takes listeners behind the scenes, examining what made Beyond The Fringe so significant.
Wasps In A Jam Jar, a politics-focused comedy drama, will also air as part of the new season.
The plot is described as follows: "Geoffrey Howe's 1990 resignation speech meant the end of Margaret Thatcher's premiership and carved battle lines within the Conservative Party, splitting the party over Europe to the present day. This comedy drama tells the story of Elspeth Howe, Geoffrey's wife, whose feminist views put her at odds with Thatcher, in a rivalry which would ultimately lead to her husband's resignation and have a lasting impact on UK politics."
Written by Jonathan Maitland, Wasps In A Jam Jar will air on Saturday 10th June at 3pm with Penelope Wilton playing Elspeth and Harriet Walter as Thatcher.
First Folio - coming to Radio 4 on Saturday 11th November at 3pm - is a comedy drama that celebrates the 400th anniversary of the publication of the 'definitive' work that made Shakespeare's reputation. Writer Mike Harris will imagine the process of publishing the First Folio in the episode.
Meanwhile Jon Culshaw will play Johnny Rotten in Never Mind The Ballocks, a comedy drama about the notorious Sex Pistols obscenity trial, which questioned public attitudes towards "bad language". Due to air on Saturday 7th October at 3pm, Michael Eaton's episode also stars Alistair McGowan as John Mortimer QC.
Topics touched upon in the season, via straight dramas, include the first IVF baby, the LGBT-focused case of Lord Sempill of Craigievar's inheritance, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the jailing of Mae West, Tim Berners-Lee inventing the internet, and the 1979 Southall protests against the National Front.
Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama and Fiction, Alison Hindell, says: "Drama has a unique ability to cast new light on the world around us, and I hope Radio 4 listeners will find these stories illuminating. Through drama, we can experience stories from within, rather than observing from a distance - and that's what makes these fresh takes on historical turning points so fascinating. The BBC has been at the forefront of audio drama for the past 100 years, and I'm proud to continue that tradition of championing new and original writing with these commissions."