This is a new original story for the BBC Play series.
Adapted for radio by Richmal Crompton in collaboration with Ian Smith and Alick Hayes.
Script published by David Schutte in William the Terrible. ISBN: 978 0 9546802 4 4
In this eventful tale, we further discover how much like his father William is! We often see both leaving the house, needing reminders about where shoes, hats, etc are. But in this tale, the outcomes of both William and Mr Brown so similarly conclude, showing that William is truly his father's son.
The topic of conversation as we enter the Brown household, this December morning, is about Christmas presents. More specifically, Mr and Mrs Brown are discussing what to get Ethel, who has finished three years of 'hard barrack-room soft of life'. Mrs Brown is trying to emphasise that Ethel will want to feel soft and pretty again, a concept that Mr Brown cannot understand. This is semi-concluded with the resolution that Mrs Brown will get a present for Ethel. At which point, the discussion turns to William, who Mr Brown immediately forbids the purchase of a chemistry kit as a Christmas present, with the call back to fireworks (mentioned in a previous episode) that William had made for VJ Day earlier in the year.
After some antics that leave Mr Brown's niblick broken, Ethel mentions a new man in her life. This man, going by the name of Charlie Boyd, is to gift Ethel a gramophone, so she gives Mr Brown £2 to obtain some records for her. Ethel readies her father for work, as he has forgotten where his briefcase, etc. are located!
Ethel walks him to the train station, giving Mrs Brown time to remember that Miss Milton has created the most lovely quilted silk dressing gown. The most perfect present for Ethel. While William is trying to convince her to buy Ethel a chemistry set instead!
Mrs Brown can't attend the sale it will be sold at (as the chimneysweep is due), and sends William instead, with a sum of money to act as a deposit. Before William leaves, he answers the phone to Charlie Boyd, who cannot now obtain the gramophone and refuses to send his 'love' to Ethel as he doesn't know her well enough. Poor Ethel.
William is first in line for the dressing gown with old pal, Ginger. Unfortunately, he doesn't declare his interest. While Ginger is frantically searching William's body for the money, another customer comes in and purchases the dressing gown, even though William is asking her to wait just a moment. Miss Milton sends William, Ginger, and Violet Elizabeth away as they are all furious with her.
Hubert entices William over to his stall and sell him a white cat, apparently for Mrs Brown, and a broken gramophone, for Ethel. How William falls for it, I don't know. But Hubert sells the gramophone on the fact that it only works when being manually wound - meaning that you don't have to get up to switch the thing off when you're done with it!
Violet Elizabeth carries the cat home for William and it is hidden in the shed (unknowingly with a bag of soot kept by the chimneysweep for Mr Brown's garden). Violet Elizabeth leaves and William enters his home, but not before actually thinking her for carrying the cat.
Mr Brown returns home, having spent money on records that he actually likes, under the guise that they were cheaper and therefore Ethel has money left over. He also presents Mrs Brown with a golf book that he has been wanting to read for some time!
William presents Ethel with the gramophone and Mr Brown sets to work with one of the records. William declares that he also has a present for Mrs Brown and sets off to the shed to recover the cat. While Miss Milton arrives to retrieve her white cat, which Hubert had stolen and sold. She is grateful to William for buying the cat and brings a chemistry set.
Although, the play ends in screams as white cats and bags of soot mix rather too well!
| Cast |
|---|
| William |
| Mr John Brown |
| Mrs Brown |
| Ethel |
| Ginger |
| Hubert Lane |
| Violet Elizabeth |
| Miss Milton |
| Miss Sprott |
| Sweep and Visiting Celebrity |
