BBC WRITERS ROOM

There a short piece from me about working with Claire together with an extract from our radio drama book available now on the BBC Writers Room blog .

THE DEVIL IN THE BELFRY

Here's a link to a recording of the Gottingen performance of The Devil in the Belfry, Rob Orledge's completion of Debussy's short opera based on Poe's story with a libretto by Stephen Wyatt.

See also the post for 3rd December 2013.

CHANDLER REPEATED

Classic Chandler with Toby Stephens as Philip Marlowe, produced by Claire Grove, directed by Claire, Mary Peate and Sasha Yevtushenko and dramatised by Robin Brooks and Stephen Wyatt is being repeated on BBC Radio 4 on the following Saturdays at 2.30 pm -

The Big Sleep – 15^th Feb  (Robin/Claire)

The Lady in the Lake – 22 Feb  (Stephen/Claire)

Farewell My Lovely – I Mar (Robin/Mary)

Playback – 8 Mar  (Stephen/Sasha)

The Long Goodbye – 10 May (Stephen/Claire)

The High Window – 17 May (Robin/Sasha)

The Little Sister – 24 May  (Stephen/Claire)

Poodle Springs – 31 May  (Robin/Sasha)

THE DIVINE COMEDY

My producers, Marc Beeby and Emma Harding, have assembled a wonderful cast for my dramatisation of Dante's The Divine Comedy for Radio 4. It's headed by John Hurt, David Warner, Blake Ritson and Hattie Morahan. The first day of recording was today and I'm delighted with how things are turning out. The transmission dates are late March / early April.

Photo on front page shows Blake, me, John and David during recording.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE RADIO DRAMA?

A nice review in The Stage from Susan Elkin -

Published Thursday, January 2, 2014

So You Want to Write Radio Drama? By Claire Grove and Stephen Wyatt is a useful new addition to NHB’s eclectic So You Want series.  A radio dramatist and a radio play producer, the authors take you step by step through the process, from defining what radio drama is and how it works, to creating your own and, most importantly, the practicalities of marketing your work. It’s an inspiring book which left me thinking that perhaps during this bright, shiny new year I ought to hone my creative skills and have a go myself.

THE DREAM

Very much looking forward to working with Kinny Gardner and Krazy Kat Theatre on their exciting new version of Midsummer Night's Dream.

Details of the venues and dates for the Spring Tour have just been released.

Update on Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 8:46PM by Stephen Wyatt

Kinny has just described my suggestion for staging the Mechanicals' Play as "genius". Not a word often used in describing my work so wanted to share.

GILBERT HARDING

On 11th January between 9 and 12 Radio 4 Extra is devoted to the life of Gilbert Harding, televsion's first ever "personality". It features extracts from his appearances as quizmaster and panellist on Round Britain Quiz, Twenty Questions and What's My Line? as well as the whole of his Face to Face interview with John Freeman. Accompanying interviews include one with Roger Storey, his secretary, and one with me. The programme ends with a repeat of my Afternoon Drama about Gilbert Harding, Dr Brighton and Mr Harding, directed by Martin Jenkins with Roger Allam as Harding. The programme will be repeated in the evening and will also be available on the BBC's iPlayer.

SCRIPT DOCTOR

A revised version of Andrew Cartmel's Script Doctor has just been published. Still the best account of the McCoy years as they happened. And I should know as I was there! The new edition has a perceptive and supportive preface by Steven Moffat and lots of extra photos, some of them from my own archives.

WRITERS GUILD NEWSLETTER TRIBUTE TO CLAIRE

Just published online in the Writers Guild Newsletter a couple of extracts written by Claire for our book and a short article by me about working with her.

DEBUSSY PREMIERE

The Devil in the Belfry (Le Diable au Beffroi) receives its staged world premiere in Gottingen on 10th and 11th December. The Gottinger Symphonie Orchester is conducted by Christoph-Mathias Mueller with video-installations by Lyoudmila Milanova.

My libretto is based on Debussy's original scenario for a one act comic opera inspired by the E.A.Poe short story. The music has been completed and orchestrated by Robert Orledge, one of the world's leading Debussy experts. It plays in a double bill with Robert's completion of Debussy's other Poe opera, The Fall of the House of Usher.

The talk Rob Orledge and I gave at Gresham College last year on our reconstruction is available via You Tube

Update on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 2:39PM by Stephen Wyatt

Standing ovations and packed houses apparently for the two performances of the Debussy double bill. Sorry I wasn't able to be there!

"An outstanding and significant opera event". Goettinger Tageblatt