Chris Thompson's touching radio play 'Skeggy' is repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra
A radio play I recorded over fifteen years ago is receiving a very welcome repeat on BBC Radio 4 Extra ... 'SKEGGY' written by CHRIS THOMPSON and directed by PETER LESLIE WILD, tells the story of three couples having very different reasons for heading to the Lincolnshire seaside resort of Skegness. To listen to the 45 minute play on the BBC's Radio iPlayer CLICK HERE until July 22nd ...
The cast list for 'SKEGGY' is as follows:
Norman Bird is Charlie
Joyce Gibbs is Sheila
Sean Connolly is Dave
Susan Brooke is Marie
Laura Chambers is Lauren
Alison Carney is Jane
Tom Knight is Martin
Veda Warwick is Mrs Adams
Peter Leslie Wild assembled a really lovely cast for 'SKEGGY'. The extra special treat for me (apart from working with good friends) was the chance to work with the late British TV and Film legend NORMAN BIRD ...
You'd be hard pressed to name a popular television programme that he didn't appear in ... An extraordinary amount of film credits too over a career spanning over FOUR DECADES. The pictures above represent a small number of his screen appearances (from left to right) Bird in Cash on Demand (1961) with Peter Cushing, Eddie the Farmhand in the British classic 'Whistle Down the Wind' (1961), voicing Bilbo Baggins in the animated version of 'The Lord Of The Rings' (1978) and perhaps most famously he played farmer Mr Braithwaite in the classic television series 'Worzel Gummidge' (1979-81). But many will also remember his appearance as Mr. Arrad in the classic 'Waldorf Salad' episode of 'Fawlty Towers' ...
Norman Bird was born on October 30th 1924 and sadly died on April 22th 2005 ... A quote from The Guardian obituary described him as "The man in the cardigan." and provided, as the Encyclopaedia of British Film put it, "a wonderful gallery of under-achievers".
It was privilege and an honour to spend a few days in his company!!
