The Stage

Defending a good rep

Published Tuesday 16 March 2010 at 12:00

I found Nick Smurthwaite’s article on the BBC Radio Drama Company (Rulers of the airwaves, Broadcasting, February 25, pages 26-27) very interesting, especially as for some 50 of the 70 years that the Radio Rep has been in existence, I have been a regular listener to radio drama.

In the early days, the Rep was known as the BBC Drama Repertory Company and some plays were produced and cast entirely from the Radio Rep. I remember Romeo and Juliet produced by Val Gielgud in November 1958, with June Tobin and Gabriel Wolf as the ill-fated pair.

There was also Libel (1962), which featured James McKechnie and, in 1966, John Justin played Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde in an all Radio Rep production of Stevenson’s classic tale.

With a smaller radio rep today, such productions would be difficult, but I hope the BBC will not let the 70th anniversary pass without mounting some special productions and, as your article said, the radio rep is part of the cultural life of Britain.

Also, when there are now few TV drama of the likes of the Wednesday Play, we need good radio drama more than ever.

Bruce McGarva

Fawley Green

Bournemouth