True Born Englishman: did the BBC ban this Buckingham Palace play?

Peter Barnes’ monologue about a royal footman was commissioned for radio but never broadcast until now. Director Philip Franks and others unravel its mysteryThe most celebrated set of dramatic monologues for broadcasting and theatre are Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, first performed in the 1980s. But, at around the same time, a lesser-known dramatist created another trove of solos. Peter Barnes had 14 soliloquies on BBC Radio 3 under the umbrella titles Barnes’ People and More Barnes’ People. They attracted remarkable actors, including Laurence Olivier (in his final role), Judi Dench, Alec Guinness, Alan Rickman, Janet Suzman and Jeremy Irons.Barnes wrote, though, a 15th monologue, which the BBC, in mysterious circumstances, withdrew from production in 1990. A True Born Englishman, in which a Buckingham Palace lackey recalls his career, will now have its world premiere online, performed by Adrian Scarborough, on 18 February, alongside new versions of three monologues that did go out on radio. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-12 13:00:44 UTC ]
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BBC radio presenter Bland in ‘race against time’ to publish memoir

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Rachael Bland, who has incurable cancer, is in a "race against time" to publish a memoir for her two-year-old son, Freddie. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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True tale of sisters' wartime heroism to John Murray

John Murray Press is publishing a true-life spy thriller telling the story of two sisters who used their interest in German opera as a cover for helping dozens of Jewish refugees flee the Nazis. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defends failure to ban Alex Jones

Jack Dorsey refuses to follow Apple, Facebook and YouTube in banning Jones, saying he will be guided by principles rather than pressureTwitter founder Jack Dorsey has defended his company’s decision to continue publishing the controversial tweets of the American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion to publish Italian tale of love and war inspired by true events

Orion is publishing a story of love, war, family and betrayal, based on the true story of a little-known massacre in Civitella, Italy during the Second World War.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Proms and English PEN to showcase refugee talent

English PEN is collaborating with BBC Proms on a new outreach project, Brave New Voices. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: Raymond Chandler rebooted, a true view of Appalachia and more

Hi, I’m Carolyn Kellogg, books editor of the L.A. Times, with the news in books this week. THE BIG STORY Raymond Chandler’s iconic private detective Philip Marlowe has been rebooted before, not particularly successfully, which made Lawrence Osborne reluctant, at first, to take the case. But as... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Public asked to vote on favourite banned book

A public vote is set to launch this week to find the nation's favourite banned book. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Books to publish Springwatch Almanac

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This is Going to Hurt adapted by Kay for BBC

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Script of Rankin's Rebus play set for publication

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brazil and the Russian city it will play in are both seeking a comeback

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Local Radio to commission poems on 'change'

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: True crime, Terrance Hayes and more book news

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Review: Vintage Roger Hall play runs well with 'soup up'; Some features outdated

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[ Stuff | 2018-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Arts Groups Speak Out Against Travel Ban

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook finally explains why it bans some content, in 27 pages

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[ Baltimore Sun | 2018-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jacqueline Wilson calls for books industry plastics ban

Dame Jacqueline Wilson joins author Lauren St John's campaign calling for the book industry to ditch plastic. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2018-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beard, Olusoga and Keyes feature in BBC's Hay line up

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An Anti-Trumper Evangelical Weighs in on Trump's True Believers

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tessa Dunlop | 'Turns out it can be pretty tough being a woman whatever decade you are born in'

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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