Copy of NEWS 100524

News

The Friendly Invasion?

There's a very big TV event this year concerning the Eighth Air Force. Yes, that one. I'm working on a supporting aspect of that effort and I can't go into any detail, but it is big: IMAX big.

Black Eye White Diss (w/t)

Currently on pause while working on the one above, a short feature based on a true story. It's about the unique way British locals chose to deal with American attempts to impose their Jim Crow laws in wartime Britain. Shows the Brits in a different and heartwarming light.

Masha

Masha is a longheld passion project screenplay I used lockdown to write. It's a disturbing psychological horror about a tank, Masha, on the Eastern Front in the Second World War. Her story is narrated by a veteran American P.O.W., and is loosely based on the experiences of Joseph R. Beyrle, who escaped east towards Russia in early 1945 and fought alongside tank commander Aleksandra Samusenko.

The screenplay is out now.

Bomber - The Radio Drama

This was a pleasure - cast and crew of BBC Radio 4's BOMBER, talking about how the production was put together.

WW2 TV

This is my most recent appearence, an in-depth look at the visual storytelling in historical re-enactment events.

Rule of Law

Rule of Law is a police procedural with a nasty truthful political twist. I'm sending it out now.

Digitising Old Cassette Tapes

This is a draft version of a page about this hoary old subject. Comments welcome. This brilliant cartoon is copyright Lorie Ransom.

Her War

Her War - my very first opera libretto, about trauma then and now for nurses in combat medicine. We'll be going back to this again after our premiere last year. More news here shortly, I hope.

Watch Her War here

Recent Tommies News

The Guardian website had nice things to say about TOMMIES: I don't know how long the link will hold up, but you can read about the show - and Homefront - here.

Feedback on Radio 4 were very positive about the series. Would that I could say that about many of my previous productions, oh boy.

Recent Comedy

I always enjoy doing a spot of exec-producing for prodco Curtains For Radio, especially as the day of recording draws heavily on my old line producer and sound FX skills.

The latest is this, "Looking for Oil Drum Lane" a dramatisation of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's comedy writing partnership - from Tony Hancock's departure to striking gold with Steptoe and Son.

It starred Marc Wootton, P hil Cornwell, Barry Castagnola, James Hurn and Toby Longworth. And me on teacups.

Older Stories

Pix and sound from a BBC feature I made in November 2017 about D51 Deborah in Flesquieres. Excuse the very quick montage of images I had to put together quickly to go with the piece, which went out on the BBC Radio 4 PM programme.

And I couldn't be more proud than to have had the opportunity to donate my WW1 shell recordings for use in this 2016 film on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. I've felt over the years I owe them a huge debt for the work they do, and to be able to contribute my little bit is a rare privilege.

Have I Got Some Quite Old News Now

Really going back in time now, but I'm still delighted to say TOMMIES shared the 2015 Audio Awards' "Outstanding Contribution to Diversity" Award with BBC Radio 1Xtra.

This was a wonderful to win and the Tommies cast, crew and productions teams deserve it.

We built on our reputation for diversity and accurate casting over the years - thanks as always to Jonquil Panting and David Hunter.

I go into this in more detail elsewhere but just briefly here are two quotes I gave the papers at the end of the run:

"Historical documents show the involvement of many nations in the conflict. It wasn’t a question of consciously taking steps to include anyone – they were all there anyway. Maoris, Chinese, Gurkhas, Canadians, Australians, Malawians, Nigerians, New Zealanders, Egyptians, Italians, white and red Russians, black and white US soldiers, not to mention the Hong Kong & Singapore Mountain Battery and the Zionist Mule Corps, as well as the British Indian Army.”

and

"Radio Drama gave the world, some for the very first time, women who fought in the trenches of Serbia, decoded German codes in Paris, won medals up the Dvina River in Russia in the Voluntary Aid Detachment, (not to mention the Russian Women's Battalions of Death), drove under shellfire in France, subverted the empire in Egypt and flew aircraft on the Italian front."

As you can see, the actual award is a slate from the roof of the old Broadcasting House.

And the bunch here are the ones lucky enough to be there on the night to get the award, (l to r) Caleb Knightley, sound design, director the late and much missed Nandita Ghose, actor Danny Rahim who plays Ahmadullah, and me.

GB Films