BRIAN DESMOND HURST

In 1976/7 I helped the Irish film director, Brian Desmond Hurst, put together his memoir, Travelling the Road. Recent years have seen a revival of interest in Brian and his films which include Scrooge, Malta Story, Dangerous Moonlight and Theirs is the Glory. I recently participated in a radio documentary for RTE about Brian's story. It's narrated by Brian's great-nephew, Allan Smith and produced by Adam Fowler. The documentary called An Irishman Chained to the Truth can be found on the RTE website - http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/

STRANGERS ON A FILM

Clive Swift has just been cast as Alfred Hitchcock in my radio play, Strangers on a Film, which records in late August. He joins Patrick Stewart who again plays Raymond Chandler. The play is about the writing of the screenplay for Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train and broadcasts on Radio 4 at the end of September.

PARADISE TOWERS DVD

My copy of the Paradise Towers dvd arrived today in the post. They've done a really good job with the extras and I'm relieved to discover that I didn't make a complete idiot of myself in the interview and commentary. The story will no doubt continue to inspire very mixed reactions. Some people like it. Some seem to be still apoplectic with rage over it twenty five years on. Hopefully there'll also be some people out there discovering it for the very first time.

PJ HARVEY INTERVIEW

I was intrigued to read in an interview in the Observer with PJ Harvey for 24th April that one of the main inspirations for her recent album Let England Shake was my radio play Memorials to the Missing. The interview can be found on the Observer's website.

DR WHO ON DVD

According to Amazon, the DVD of Paradise Towers is being released on July 18th in the UK and August 9th in the States. We're also recording an audio commentary to accompany the eventual DVD release of THE GREATEST SHOW IN THE GALAXY in early May.

A VICTORIAN MIKADO

Stephen has written the script for Krazy Kat Theatre's new show A VICTORIAN MIKADO. It opens at the New Theatre Royal Plymouth on 4th May and then tours throughout May. Details on the Krazy Kat website.

STANDARD BEARER IN HOLLYWOOD

Neil Dickson will be performing Stephen's monologue THE STANDARD BEARER at The Actors Collective Theatre in West Hollywood on April 28th and May 5th. The play will be directed by Julian Sands.

BESTBRITISHTV.COM

There's now a further interview with Stephen about his work on WHO and CASUALTY on http://www.bestbritishtv.com/?p=335

WHOTOPIA

Whotopia 20  contains an interview with Stephen about his work on Dr Who on pp.38-41. It's available to download at www.whotopia.ca.

CHANDLER AND HITCHCOCK

Stephen has recently been commissioned by Radio 4 to write a companion piece to DOUBLE JEOPARDY about the collaboration between Raymond Chandler and Alfred Hitchcock. Called STRANGERS ON A FILM, it will be broadcast in the autumn alongside the second part of the CLASSIC CHANDLER season. Patrick Stewart is booked to repeat his role as Raymond Chandler.