BBC Radio Play S01E11 - William Makes the Films

Initial broadcast information: Tuesday, 8 January 1946, 20:45 - 21:15.

This is a new original story for the BBC Play series.

Adapted for radio by Richmal Crompton in collaboration with Alick Hayes.

Script published by David Schutte in William the Lionheart. ISBN: 978 0 9546802 6 8

A joyous play in which William once again bests Hubert Lane by impressing a film director. Before is all unravels...

In a change to the regular set up, there is no Mrs Brown yelling, 'William'. However, as usual, we do find William at home.

Mrs Brown is encouraging William to write elaborate thank you letters for the Christmas presents he has received. Of course, to William this is 'torcher'.

The adult Browns are all heading to the Lanes house to meet a film director. Mr Lane has some financial arrangement with the director and he has agreed to provide them with a lecture. Shockingly, William has not been invited!

Eventually, William heads out to the old barn and provides the secret knock. Well, a version of it, as it seems William has adapted it along the way! With the barn door being blocked, due to Ginger's over-enthusiastic barricading, William enters via a hole in the wall. Once in, he finds that Ginger has acquired a prisoner in the form of Violet Elizabeth, who has very helpfully tied herself up.

Following this, Hubert breaches the peace, primarily to boast about the film director that is due to visit his home. He also makes it very clear that he ensured William would not be invited. This is a boast that Hubert would not normally make, however he is accompanied by Albert (S01E05 - William Finds a Home for Albert), his new bodyguard.

Albert is much the same, although laying on the 1930s American gangster accent on a bit too thick: 'Shall I give dis guy de woiks, boss?' being just one humorous example.

Hubert and Albert make a swift exit at William's repeated orders. He, Ginger, and Violet Elizabeth decide to make their own film. With a goat!

While William and Ginger retrieve the goat from the field, we are left with Violet Elizabeth, who provides us with her first monologue. Our first entry into the private mind of Violet Elizabeth is perhaps not as different as her public persona. She wishes to be a Queen in the film, with others at her beck and call, while she knights William with a borrowed sword.

The children are 'treated' to Ginger's Firewater recipe consisting of liquorice, custard powder, tomato sauce, lemon essence, and brown sugar all mixed in an old ginger pop bottle. If any dear readers are brave enough to try this recipe - and survive to tell the tale - please do get in touch via Facebook!

Though a series of evens, William flags down Mr Schmoltz's car, to prevent it bursting tyres on glass in the road. This elaborate and extravagant man gives them a one pound reward and offers to be in his next big production. He then follows them to the barn with his assistant, a likely long-suffering, Miss Filbert. After declaring them all to be geniuses to be given big roles in his next production, including the goat. They head of to the Lane's abode.

Hubert's first words upon seeing our gang: 'Who asked you here, William Brown - you hoppit'. However, Mr Schmoltz considers William to be stupendous, magnificent, colossal. So for the time being, William and friend stay.

Schmoltz orders Mrs Lane to get ice cream and a whole host of other goodies. However, we soon hear the news from Ginger that Florence, the goat, has eaten Schmoltz's hat. The same hat we've been told he was given by the Czar of all the Russias. 

Considering this a personal and intentional insult, all references to geniuses cease and are replaced instead by 'pig-dogs', all contacts null and void. Schmoltz, along with Miss Filbert, exit.

The play announcer, Margaret, sums this all up quite nicely: 'Well, that's show business for you.'

Cast
William
Mr John Brown
Mrs Brown
Ethel
Robert
Ginger
Hubert Lane
Violet Elizabeth
Mrs Lane
Miss Filbert
Mrs Lane's Parlourmaid (Perkins)
Albert
Mr Schmoltz

Thanks for reading and keep checking back as I explore this fascinating series of plays written by Richmal Crompton.

Richmal Crompton, Author of Just William: A Literary Life by Jane McVeigh

Not long now until this Richmal Crompton biography is released on 3 May (a change from July 9).

I noticed that there has been another price drop, this time to £15.83 from the original £17.99.

Head over to Amazon and check it out: https://amzn.to/3I81gKX

BBC Radio Play S01E10 - William Starts the New Year

Initial broadcast information: Tuesday, 1 January 1946, 20:45 - 21:15.

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 Lionheart. ISBN: 978 0 9546802 6 8

This is the first play in Volume 2 of the Richmal Crompton BBC plays, it is also the first play broadcast in 1946. The new year brought about a new air time of 8:45pm, which feels like an odd time to air such a programme, however regular afternoon repeats were provided.

Just William episode
advertised in the newspaper.

This episode begins, for the very first time, in the old barn. It is 4pm in the favourite hang out of the
Outlaws and William is wrapped up telling the story of Antonio. 

Antonio is a person who has had a change of heart and begins helping people. Of course, William thinks that this should be emulated, and when better to start than the 1st of January.

William may well have gotten out of actually performing any helpful tasks, if not for Hubert, who appears at the barn, as always, uninvited.

Our hero spends the rest of the day doing his genuine best to assist him family, who are all getting ready for a part that very evening. All the while, regardless of who William is helping, he recites the story of Antonio. Sadly, the story falls on distracted ears and never runs its full course, as William is send off to help another family member when accidental destruction happens at William's helping hands.

Just part of the eventual excitement includes:

When Mrs Brown tells William that she is giving him permission to clean 'Lulu', Robert's motorbike, he spends his time pretending to ride it instead! Being caught by Robert has him sent inside, where he answers the phone to Robert's latest forever love, Joan. He tells her that Robert is busy with Lulu in the garage and doesn't have time to come to the telephone!

Helping Ethel run a bath leads to fabric dye, rather than bath soap being added to the water. Using the electric sweeper, an early vacuum cleaner, leads to Mr Brown not only tripping over the cable, but tripping the fuse box. Ethel then gets into the bath, not wanting to lose a minute in preparation for the party.

Robert catches fire from the candle he is holding to see the fuse box in the dark, leading William knock over the telephone and inadvertently calling a fire engine. Joan arrives to throw Robert's love letters back at him as she is distraught about his new girl, Lulu. 

As the fuse box is switch back on and the light restored, Ethel is heard screaming. She has discovered that she is now dyed blue. The sirens of a fire engine is heard on approach.

William ends the frantic scene with: "But, Dad - I was only tryin' to help. That was my New Year's resolution."

Cast
William
Mr John Brown
Mrs Brown
Ethel
Robert
Ginger
Hubert Lane
Violet Elizabeth
Joan
Telephone Operator

Thanks for reading and keep checking back as I explore this fascinating series of plays written by Richmal Crompton.

Book Review: William - The Terrible (BBC Radio Plays Volume 1)

Volume one includes the first nine BBC Plays of series one. These plays are written (at least in part) by Richmal Crompton, published by David Schutte, and originally aired between October and December 1945 as 30 minute plays as a BBC Light programme.

The first edition, published in 2008, was limited to 300 copies and are of quality paper in a hardback cover, with attractive dustcover.

Illustrations are all selected by the publisher from various editions of Happy Mag and more or less represent the story that they are associated with. I think David Schutte made a good choice, with so many new stories appearing in the BBC play series, it must have been difficult to select appropriate illustrations. 

The book has a foreword by Martin Jarvis, which itself begins with some fan fiction that Martin has written, before delving in to some basic history about Crompton and the Just William series.

This is followed by an introduction by David Schutte regarding how the volumes came about and changes that he has made. These include, editing the plays so that William doesn't drop his aitches - purely because he doesn't in the book series. Examples include adding a 'h' to "w'at" and "w'en". While these changes do make for easier reading, children do drop their aitches. It is only some adults that like to prescribe 'proper' language use that would point this out. Schutte has also recreated the lisp of Violet Elizabeth in written form, which the voice actor knew she had to include, but wasn't included in the scripts. This makes for more difficult reading.

The plays follow a specific format. After bring introduced by the announcer (listed once as Margaret Hubble), Mrs Brown yells 'William!', who responds with a version of, 'All right - I'm here'. This happens even when the play begins with William and Ginger at the cinema.

Another part of the format is the idea of William turning over a new leaf, which turns into an in joke within the plays. I think it is only episode 9, William's Christmas Day, which does not include this reference. It is not only funny to the audience, but often diffuses tensions between the characters within the play.

The stories are fantastic and longer than in the books. Without the need for description in prose, there is much more emphasis on dialogue. This not only changes the dynamic between the characters, because so much more must be described for the audience, but also reveals deeper versions of the characters that we have come to know and love.

William has much better relationships with his family in the plays. They talk more to him and are much more understanding of his actions. It becomes obvious that William is a younger version of Mr Brown and it feels less like William was an (unhappy) accident. The happy family dynamics remind me much more of the other Crompton creation, Jimmy, and his family. This makes the plays a joy to read.

The addition of the original draft of Fireworks Strictly Forbidden reveals that there must have been many changes to Crompton's original content, but mostly for the better. It also reveals that Crompton, at least in the beginning, didn't include the necessary instructions for scene and music.

The quality of the publishing is fantastic. With great choices of illustrations and font face and size. Cast lists and programme information is a wonderful inclusion and really makes these books important for the history of Crompton's literature.

An absolute joy to read and worth every penny.

To get a copy, contact David Schutte, or check out places such as eBay.

Play Title	Series and Episode Number
Fireworks Strictly Forbidden (Plus original draft at back)	S01 E01
William, Prime Minister	S01 E02
William - Pond Dweller	S01 E03
William, Ethel, and Mr. Right	S01 E04
William Finds a Home for Albert	S01 E05
William Gets Robert a Job	S01 E06
William's Good Deed	S01 E07
William Buys a Present	S01 E08
William's Christmas Day	S01 E09

BBC Radio Play S01E09 - William's Christmas Day

Initial broadcast information: Tuesday, 25 December 1945, 18:30-19:00.

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

This is the final play of volume one, but not of series one, which is continued in volume two up to episode 18, the last that Richmal wrote for the 35 episode first series.

In this play we have William having to put up with the unexpected addition of Violet Elizabeth to his Christmas day, but as is typical we meet the family at the breakfast table.

William has received a model aeroplane and is attempting to put it together. This leads to a sweet moment where Mr Brown and Robert get caught up in helping William construct the plane, during which William ironically questions who the plane actually belongs to. It is scenes like this that really deepen the characters from the angry and fed up with William characters we often see in the books.

Robert has received a scarf, but it required coupons to purchase. Rationing in Britain didn't end officially until 1954, and included food and petrol. Books would either has coupons, or lists of products with a space for a stamp to show when that product has been used. I have included a couple of examples from the Calne Heritage Centre, a place where I volunteer as a Trustee.

Ethel is ecstatic with her presents, including a bed jacket (which look similar to cardigans to my mind). 

The hilarity comes when the family are discussing the presents William has gifted them. With each one, including the water pistol he's given his dad, meant to eventually be returned to him, or borrowed when the family member isn't using the item. I'll not go through the list, as it's so well written in the play and better read first-hand!

A telephone call announces that an aunt of Violet Elizabeth's is very ill and therefore VE needs to spend the day at the Brown household. I can quite imagine the joy on Violet Elizabeth's face as she begged to spend the day with William before that phone call was made!

Mr Brown vows to dress up at Father Christmas to give young Violet Elizabeth a lovely day, leading William to say that Father Christmas needs to be small, not big - and also leading to William getting stuck in a chimney proving his theory. Covered in soot, he ends up in the bath. 

William is such an 'in the moment' character, that despite Mrs Brown repeatedly telling him to hurry, he finds various things to do while in the bath. I suspect that William would unintentionally been a master of mindfulness as he became an adult.

Mr Brown and Robert discuss the options for attire as Mr Browns Father Christmas suit isn't available anymore. They decide on Father Christmas visiting by aeroplane and therefore need a flight suit, that Robert will procure.

William heads out to meet Ginger and, unhappily, collect Violet Elizabeth. While William has been given a mouth organ, Ginger has been given a trumpet. With Hubert (selling Christmas cards on Christmas day) in tow, they start carolling, Violet Elizabeth singing 'Noel'.

They raise threepence, which they deliver to a bemused vicar before William and Violet Elizabeth head back to the Brown household.

After lunch, Robert helps Mr Brown secretly put on the flight suit. William is in charge of the cable to plug in the Christmas tree lights. Mrs Brown tells Violet Elizabeth that she's just heard and aeroplane fly past, to give VE anticipation that Father Christmas is due any moment.

An already uncomfortable Mr Brown is almost roasted like the dinner meat when William loses the Christmas tree cable and accidentally plugs in the cable that keeps the flight suit warm at altitude! 

All in all, a wonderful Christmas.

Cast
William
Mr John Brown
Mrs Brown
Ethel
Robert
Ginger
Hubert Lane
Violet Elizabeth
Vicar

Thanks for reading and keep checking back as I explore this fascinating series of plays written by Richmal Crompton.

BBC Radio Play S01E08 - William Buys a Present

Initial broadcast information: Tuesday, 18 December 1945, 18:30-19:00.

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

Thanks for reading and keep checking back as I explore this fascinating series of plays written by Richmal Crompton.

BBC Radio Play S01E07 - William's Good Deed

Initial broadcast information: Tuesday, 11 December 1945, 18:30-19:00.

This is a new original story for the BBC Play series.

Adapted for radio by Richmal Crompton in collaboration with Alick Hayes.

Script published by David Schutte in William the Terrible. ISBN: 978 0 9546802 4 4

We are brought into the story at the Brown's house, as they are settled down to breakfast. The topic of discussion is that of Miss Gilpin and her worsening fortunes. From having many staff to care for her and her house, she is now needing to sell the unstaffed house to pay off debt, but cannot find the title deed. To this end, she has enlisted Mr Brown's help (and that of his solicitor). 

Mr Brown is in a rush and, quite sensibly, considers the yellow-coloured liquid in his new jar of honey, to be actual honey. Unfortunately, it turns out to be bicycle oil, which all makes quite logical sense in the play, but not so much sense for Mr Brown's unfortunate taste buds.

Miss Gilpin is a friend of William. To be fair, anyone that feeds William, is a friend of William. This is a bond that William will not break, it is sacred to him. If William's friends are in any trouble, he will be there to lend a hand in making things right. 

This is just so with Miss Gilpin. He enlists an unwilling Ginger to assist in searching Miss Gilpin's house for the 'doins' (title deed). Violet Elizabeth bribes her way into the search effort by way of offering William an ostrich's egg.

Fortunately, William knows a way into the house via the cellar. It isn't long until Hubert is discovered going through Miss Gilpin's things. The debt she owes is to Mr Lane. Hubert expects a commission for the repayment of this debt, if he is the one to discover the title deed.

William is about to 'slosh' Hubert for breaking the pedestal that held the bust of Miss Gilpin's father, made by her sister. However, Mr Brown steps in with Miss Gilpin before a single fist is thrown.

Mr Brown is in the process of replacing the bust onto the pedestal, despite protests from William, when the weight of the bust splits the pedestal apart. The result is unfortunately, a broken bust. The second result is fortunately, the title deeds - which Miss Gilpin's sister must have placed within the bust for safe-keeping.

Another happy ending for William. A joy to read the lengths that boy will go when endeavouring to help a friend.

Cast
William
Mr John Brown
Mrs Brown
Ginger
Hubert Lane
Violet Elizabeth
Miss Gilpin
Announcer (Margaret Hubble) Note: This is the first time that the announcer has been mentioned in the cast list.

Thanks for reading and keep checking back as I explore this fascinating series of plays written by Richmal Crompton.