MONSIGNOR QUIXOTE

A lovely week in studio with Monsignor Quixote directed by Marc Beeby and starring Bernard Cribbins and Philip Jackson. Bernard, aged 87, was an inspiration to us all with his energy and professionalism. He even spotted typos in the scripts which Marc and I had missed. The dramatisation will be on Radio 4 in August. And here for anybody who's never heard it is Bernard singing Hole in the Ground.

 Monsignor Quixote will be broadcast on Radio 4 in August.

THE VERY MAGIC FLUTE

Looking forward to working with Kinny Gardner and Krazy Kat theatre on a new version of The Very Magic Flute, the work with which I began my role as KK dramaturg over ten years ago.

ADVANCED RADIO DRAMA COURSE

The course ended on 9th April with a very successful day in the Pier Productions studios in Brighton. The participants had extracts from their plays recorded with a group of very talented actors under the masterly direction of the one and only Martin Jenkins.

THE CAPITOL

On Sunday 8th May I will be taking part in The Capitol - the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's 40th Anniversary celebrations at the Arora Hotel, Gatwick. A panel discussion of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is planned.

DEVIL IN THE BELFRY

The double CD of the Gottingen performances of Usher and Le Diable will appear with PAN CLASSICS on 16 May.

ADVANCED RADIO DRAMA COURSE

The Advanced Radio Drama Course I'm taking for New Writing South got off to a very promising start this month with a very keen and talented group of writers. Looking forward to working with them and the distinguished radio producer Martin Jenkins over the next eight weeks.

LE DIABLE AU BEFFROI

Rob Orledge's reconstruction of Debussy's one act opera based on Poe's The Devil in the Belfry with a libretto by me was performed in concert in Gottingen in December 2013. The recording is now scheduled for release by leading German record company Note 1 later this year.

MONSIGNOR QUIXOTE

Deal done on my dramatisation of Graham Greene's Monsignor Quixote to be recorded in April directed by Marc Beeby.

THE SIBELIUS FORUM ON FINLANDIA

Following a stupendous performance of Kullervo I settled down to enjoy the drama 'Finlandia'. This play involved conversations between Sibelius and Aino, mostly around the time of the 'big bonfire' at Ainola in the 1940's. This was interspersed with excerpts from the Kalevala and background music. The music played was mostly from pieces based on the epic. Lemminkainen Legends, Luonnotar and Tapiola but nothing from the Symphonies. Sibelius was interviewed by a journalist who inevitably asked if the Eighth Symphony was completed. The programme was a mix of factual events and some speculation. Aino was revealed as the devoted wife who suffered a great deal in supporting her husband through all the years of creativity and silence. I enjoyed the 90 minute drama with excellent performances from Tim Piggott-Smith as Sibelius and Barbara Flynn as Aino. All credit to Stephen Wyatt for an excellent drama.--kp

VANITY FAIR ON RADIO 4 EXTRA

My dramatisation of Vanity Fair directed by Claire Grove and Marc Beeby is back on Radio 4 Extra for the Christmas season.