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On Saturday I went to see the play "Haywire", in the Barn Theatre in >Cirencester. It is described as "A not-so-everyday story of how The
Archers was born", as you will see on their website: >https://barntheatre.org.uk/haywire
When I mentioned, some months ago, that I was intending to go to see it, >somebody requested that I report back afterwards. That person may regret >asking, but here goes:
The play is written by Tim Stimpson who is, of course, one of the
writers of The Archers. The premise of the stage play is that a radio
play, called "Inventing Ambridge", about the beginnings of The Archers,
is being recorded.
The characters in the stage play are therefore mostly modern radio
actors, who are playing 1950s radio actors in Birmingham, who are
playing the inhabitants of Ambridge. As they are making a radio play,
they can play several characters in the play within the play. For
example, the character Fiona (played by Rosanna Miles), is an actress
who is mainly playing Gwen Berryman/Doris Archer. She also occasionally >plays June Spencer/Peggy Archer and a secretary to Godfrey Baseley (the >creator and first editor of TA).
In this many layered set up, there is a certain amount of bouncing about >between the layers. It is all very cleverly done, it is delightful and >amusing, though occasionally a tad difficult to keep track of who people
are at a given moment. This is all the more so as events and characters
now and in the 1950s have certain similarities. For example:
The stage play character Abbie (played by Olivia Bernstein), is a famous >soap actor, brought in to boost the radio play's popularity. She is
being paid considerably more than the others, causing resentment as
their wages are lower to subside hers. She is also constantly worrying
about her "socials" and so disrupting things. Abbie is playing Ysanne >Churchman (who plays Grace Fairbrother / Archer). In the play within the >play, Ysanne discovers that everyone is being paid below Equity minimum >rates (partly to subsidise the wages of Robert Mawdesley (who plays
Walter Gabriel) - he is a lesser role for one of the other actors - he
only says his famous catch phrase a couple of times). Ysanne therefore
keeps trying to persuade the others to join Equity, which disrupts the
1950s acting.
Having recently been dumped, Abbie is keen for her "socials" to support
the mistaken idea that she is now with Sam (played by Liam Horrigan) who >plays Norman Painting/Phil Archer. To this end she wants a photo of them >kissing. Meanwhile, in the play within the play, a photo of the main TA >characters - Grace, Phil, Doris and Dan (played by Harry Oakes, who is >played by Martin, who is played by Anthony Glennon) is required for the >cover of Radio Times. Their best friends are therefore sent off to a
muddy field to be photographed beside a squeaky gate. These two
photographs seem to merge together.
One of the characters in the stage play is Jessica (played by Geebs
Marie Williams). Jessica is in charge of sound effects. At one point she >demonstrates the sound of a lamb being born (squelching yoghurt,
rustling recording tape as hay, with the dropping a damp cushion as the
lamb is born).
When radio scenes are being recorded, this is done in several ways. We
might have the actors standing round a mike, reading their lines and all >ostentatiously turning away from the mike to turn the page when
necessary. Meanwhile, Jessica is wielding an ironing board (a stand in
for the squeaky gate) or coconut shells (as horses hooves, of course),
or whatever.
Alternatively, we might see them acting out the scene with proper props,
and sometimes it merges from one to the other. In one scene Godfrey
Basely (played by Adrian, who is played by Kieran Brown) is talking on
the phone to a BBC bigwig (one of Martin's lesser roles). Initially
Adrian and Martin are in separate recording cubicles reading their
lines. A few lines in, the cubicles are removed from behind them
revealing their desks and phones, where they sit down and become Godfrey
and the bigwig. Towards the end of the scene, the cubicles and mikes >reappear and they continue reading as Adrian and Martin.
For a TA scene, the lights are sometimes dimmed and I believe that the >actors mouth to the original recording. This includes the start of
episode one, where they sing a carol and talk about the coming year,
also, after the fire, when Phil returns and says that Grace didn't make it.
The death of Grace is just about the end of the play. The beginning is a >couple of years before TA starts, with Godfrey Basely addressing an
audience about the need to teach farmers about modern farming methods,
and getting the famous heckle "What we need is a farming Dick Barton".
All in all, the play very entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it very
much, as did my non-listening companion who I dragged along. I can't say >that I learnt anything about the birth of The Archers, but then I am a
bit of a nerd on the subject. The play has been running since the 1st >September, and the last performance will be on the 11th October. In the >unlikely event that my ramblings have made you think that you would like
to see it, you therefore have one week left to do so. As the play was >commissioned by the Barn Theatre, I doubt whether it will be put on >elsewhere, but I don't know how these things work.
When I mentioned, some months ago, that I was intending to go to see it, somebody requested that I report back afterwards. That person may regret asking, but here goes:[]
All in all, the play very entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it very > much, as did my non-listening companion who I dragged along. I can't say
that I learnt anything about the birth of The Archers, but then I am a > bit of a nerd on the subject. The play has been running since the 1st
September, and the last performance will be on the 11th October. In the unlikely event that my ramblings have made you think that you would like
to see it, you therefore have one week left to do so. As the play was commissioned by the Barn Theatre, I doubt whether it will be put on elsewhere, but I don't know how these things work.
On Mon, 6 Oct 2025 03:06:01 +0100, carolet <carolet.umrat@gmail.com>
wrote:
<snip excellent review>
I think that person was me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your
review of what was obviously a thoroughly entertaining evening out -
thank you!
There's no chance of my making it to the Barn Theatre before the end
of the run but I've written to Tim Stimpson to ask if there is any possibility of a provincial tour. If I hear back, I'll let umra know.
It would be a shame if something with such good reviews (yours and I
stumbled upon Mark Lawson's while searching for Tim Stimpson's email
address) and of interest to people all around the country didn't get
the chance to reach a wider audience.
On Saturday I went to see the play "Haywire", in the Barn Theatre in Cirencester. It is described as "A not-so-everyday story of how The
Archers was born", as you will see on their website: https://barntheatre.org.uk/haywire
When I mentioned, some months ago, that I was intending to go to see it, somebody requested that I report back afterwards. That person may regret asking, but here goes:
The play is written by Tim Stimpson who is, of course, one of the
writers of The Archers. The premise of the stage play is that a radio
play, called "Inventing Ambridge", about the beginnings of The Archers,
is being recorded.
The characters in the stage play are therefore mostly modern radio
actors, who are playing 1950s radio actors in Birmingham, who are
playing the inhabitants of Ambridge. As they are making a radio play,
they can play several characters in the play within the play. For
example, the character Fiona (played by Rosanna Miles), is an actress
who is mainly playing Gwen Berryman/Doris Archer. She also occasionally plays June Spencer/Peggy Archer and a secretary to Godfrey Baseley (the creator and first editor of TA).
In this many layered set up, there is a certain amount of bouncing about between the layers. It is all very cleverly done, it is delightful and amusing, though occasionally a tad difficult to keep track of who people
are at a given moment. This is all the more so as events and characters
now and in the 1950s have certain similarities. For example:
The stage play character Abbie (played by Olivia Bernstein), is a famous soap actor, brought in to boost the radio play's popularity. She is
being paid considerably more than the others, causing resentment as
their wages are lower to subside hers. She is also constantly worrying
about her "socials" and so disrupting things. Abbie is playing Ysanne Churchman (who plays Grace Fairbrother / Archer). In the play within the play, Ysanne discovers that everyone is being paid below Equity minimum rates (partly to subsidise the wages of Robert Mawdesley (who plays
Walter Gabriel) - he is a lesser role for one of the other actors - he
only says his famous catch phrase a couple of times). Ysanne therefore
keeps trying to persuade the others to join Equity, which disrupts the
1950s acting.
Having recently been dumped, Abbie is keen for her "socials" to support
the mistaken idea that she is now with Sam (played by Liam Horrigan) who plays Norman Painting/Phil Archer. To this end she wants a photo of them kissing. Meanwhile, in the play within the play, a photo of the main TA characters - Grace, Phil, Doris and Dan (played by Harry Oakes, who is played by Martin, who is played by Anthony Glennon) is required for the cover of Radio Times. Their best friends are therefore sent off to a
muddy field to be photographed beside a squeaky gate. These two
photographs seem to merge together.
One of the characters in the stage play is Jessica (played by Geebs
Marie Williams). Jessica is in charge of sound effects. At one point she demonstrates the sound of a lamb being born (squelching yoghurt,
rustling recording tape as hay, with the dropping a damp cushion as the
lamb is born).
When radio scenes are being recorded, this is done in several ways. We
might have the actors standing round a mike, reading their lines and all ostentatiously turning away from the mike to turn the page when
necessary. Meanwhile, Jessica is wielding an ironing board (a stand in
for the squeaky gate) or coconut shells (as horses hooves, of course),
or whatever.
Alternatively, we might see them acting out the scene with proper props,
and sometimes it merges from one to the other. In one scene Godfrey
Basely (played by Adrian, who is played by Kieran Brown) is talking on
the phone to a BBC bigwig (one of Martin's lesser roles). Initially
Adrian and Martin are in separate recording cubicles reading their
lines. A few lines in, the cubicles are removed from behind them
revealing their desks and phones, where they sit down and become Godfrey
and the bigwig. Towards the end of the scene, the cubicles and mikes reappear and they continue reading as Adrian and Martin.
For a TA scene, the lights are sometimes dimmed and I believe that the actors mouth to the original recording. This includes the start of
episode one, where they sing a carol and talk about the coming year,
also, after the fire, when Phil returns and says that Grace didn't make it.
The death of Grace is just about the end of the play. The beginning is a couple of years before TA starts, with Godfrey Basely addressing an
audience about the need to teach farmers about modern farming methods,
and getting the famous heckle "What we need is a farming Dick Barton".
All in all, the play very entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it very
much, as did my non-listening companion who I dragged along. I can't say that I learnt anything about the birth of The Archers, but then I am a
bit of a nerd on the subject. The play has been running since the 1st September, and the last performance will be on the 11th October. In the unlikely event that my ramblings have made you think that you would like
to see it, you therefore have one week left to do so. As the play was commissioned by the Barn Theatre, I doubt whether it will be put on elsewhere, but I don't know how these things work.
On Mon, 6 Oct 2025 03:06:01 +0100, carolet <carolet.umrat@gmail.com>
wrote:
On Saturday I went to see the play "Haywire", in the Barn Theatre in >Cirencester. It is described as "A not-so-everyday story of how The
Archers was born", as you will see on their website: >https://barntheatre.org.uk/haywire
When I mentioned, some months ago, that I was intending to go to see it, >somebody requested that I report back afterwards. That person may regret >asking, but here goes:
The play is written by Tim Stimpson who is, of course, one of the
writers of The Archers. The premise of the stage play is that a radio
play, called "Inventing Ambridge", about the beginnings of The Archers,
is being recorded.
The characters in the stage play are therefore mostly modern radio
actors, who are playing 1950s radio actors in Birmingham, who are
playing the inhabitants of Ambridge. As they are making a radio play,
they can play several characters in the play within the play. For
example, the character Fiona (played by Rosanna Miles), is an actress
who is mainly playing Gwen Berryman/Doris Archer. She also occasionally >plays June Spencer/Peggy Archer and a secretary to Godfrey Baseley (the >creator and first editor of TA).
In this many layered set up, there is a certain amount of bouncing about >between the layers. It is all very cleverly done, it is delightful and >amusing, though occasionally a tad difficult to keep track of who people >are at a given moment. This is all the more so as events and characters
now and in the 1950s have certain similarities. For example:
The stage play character Abbie (played by Olivia Bernstein), is a famous >soap actor, brought in to boost the radio play's popularity. She is
being paid considerably more than the others, causing resentment as
their wages are lower to subside hers. She is also constantly worrying >about her "socials" and so disrupting things. Abbie is playing Ysanne >Churchman (who plays Grace Fairbrother / Archer). In the play within the >play, Ysanne discovers that everyone is being paid below Equity minimum >rates (partly to subsidise the wages of Robert Mawdesley (who plays
Walter Gabriel) - he is a lesser role for one of the other actors - he
only says his famous catch phrase a couple of times). Ysanne therefore >keeps trying to persuade the others to join Equity, which disrupts the >1950s acting.
Having recently been dumped, Abbie is keen for her "socials" to support
the mistaken idea that she is now with Sam (played by Liam Horrigan) who >plays Norman Painting/Phil Archer. To this end she wants a photo of them >kissing. Meanwhile, in the play within the play, a photo of the main TA >characters - Grace, Phil, Doris and Dan (played by Harry Oakes, who is >played by Martin, who is played by Anthony Glennon) is required for the >cover of Radio Times. Their best friends are therefore sent off to a
muddy field to be photographed beside a squeaky gate. These two
photographs seem to merge together.
One of the characters in the stage play is Jessica (played by Geebs
Marie Williams). Jessica is in charge of sound effects. At one point she >demonstrates the sound of a lamb being born (squelching yoghurt,
rustling recording tape as hay, with the dropping a damp cushion as the >lamb is born).
When radio scenes are being recorded, this is done in several ways. We >might have the actors standing round a mike, reading their lines and all >ostentatiously turning away from the mike to turn the page when
necessary. Meanwhile, Jessica is wielding an ironing board (a stand in
for the squeaky gate) or coconut shells (as horses hooves, of course),
or whatever.
Alternatively, we might see them acting out the scene with proper props, >and sometimes it merges from one to the other. In one scene Godfrey
Basely (played by Adrian, who is played by Kieran Brown) is talking on
the phone to a BBC bigwig (one of Martin's lesser roles). Initially
Adrian and Martin are in separate recording cubicles reading their
lines. A few lines in, the cubicles are removed from behind them
revealing their desks and phones, where they sit down and become Godfrey >and the bigwig. Towards the end of the scene, the cubicles and mikes >reappear and they continue reading as Adrian and Martin.
For a TA scene, the lights are sometimes dimmed and I believe that the >actors mouth to the original recording. This includes the start of
episode one, where they sing a carol and talk about the coming year,
also, after the fire, when Phil returns and says that Grace didn't make it.
The death of Grace is just about the end of the play. The beginning is a >couple of years before TA starts, with Godfrey Basely addressing an >audience about the need to teach farmers about modern farming methods,
and getting the famous heckle "What we need is a farming Dick Barton".
All in all, the play very entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it very >much, as did my non-listening companion who I dragged along. I can't say >that I learnt anything about the birth of The Archers, but then I am a
bit of a nerd on the subject. The play has been running since the 1st >September, and the last performance will be on the 11th October. In the >unlikely event that my ramblings have made you think that you would like
to see it, you therefore have one week left to do so. As the play was >commissioned by the Barn Theatre, I doubt whether it will be put on >elsewhere, but I don't know how these things work.
I think that person was me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your
review of what was obviously a thoroughly entertaining evening out -
thank you!
There's no chance of my making it to the Barn Theatre before the end
of the run but I've written to Tim Stimpson to ask if there is any possibility of a provincial tour. If I hear back, I'll let umra know.
It would be a shame if something with such good reviews (yours and I
stumbled upon Mark Lawson's while searching for Tim Stimpson's email
address) and of interest to people all around the country didn't get
the chance to reach a wider audience.
On Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:51:31 +0100, Nick Odell wrote:
On Mon, 6 Oct 2025 03:06:01 +0100, carolet <carolet.umrat@gmail.com>
wrote:
On Saturday I went to see the play "Haywire", in the Barn Theatre in
Cirencester. It is described as "A not-so-everyday story of how The
Archers was born", as you will see on their website:
https://barntheatre.org.uk/haywire
When I mentioned, some months ago, that I was intending to go to see it, >>> somebody requested that I report back afterwards. That person may regret >>> asking, but here goes:
The play is written by Tim Stimpson who is, of course, one of the
writers of The Archers. The premise of the stage play is that a radio
play, called "Inventing Ambridge", about the beginnings of The Archers,
is being recorded.
The characters in the stage play are therefore mostly modern radio
actors, who are playing 1950s radio actors in Birmingham, who are
playing the inhabitants of Ambridge. As they are making a radio play,
they can play several characters in the play within the play. For
example, the character Fiona (played by Rosanna Miles), is an actress
who is mainly playing Gwen Berryman/Doris Archer. She also occasionally
plays June Spencer/Peggy Archer and a secretary to Godfrey Baseley (the
creator and first editor of TA).
In this many layered set up, there is a certain amount of bouncing about >>> between the layers. It is all very cleverly done, it is delightful and
amusing, though occasionally a tad difficult to keep track of who people >>> are at a given moment. This is all the more so as events and characters
now and in the 1950s have certain similarities. For example:
The stage play character Abbie (played by Olivia Bernstein), is a famous >>> soap actor, brought in to boost the radio play's popularity. She is
being paid considerably more than the others, causing resentment as
their wages are lower to subside hers. She is also constantly worrying
about her "socials" and so disrupting things. Abbie is playing Ysanne
Churchman (who plays Grace Fairbrother / Archer). In the play within the >>> play, Ysanne discovers that everyone is being paid below Equity minimum
rates (partly to subsidise the wages of Robert Mawdesley (who plays
Walter Gabriel) - he is a lesser role for one of the other actors - he
only says his famous catch phrase a couple of times). Ysanne therefore
keeps trying to persuade the others to join Equity, which disrupts the
1950s acting.
Having recently been dumped, Abbie is keen for her "socials" to support
the mistaken idea that she is now with Sam (played by Liam Horrigan) who >>> plays Norman Painting/Phil Archer. To this end she wants a photo of them >>> kissing. Meanwhile, in the play within the play, a photo of the main TA
characters - Grace, Phil, Doris and Dan (played by Harry Oakes, who is
played by Martin, who is played by Anthony Glennon) is required for the
cover of Radio Times. Their best friends are therefore sent off to a
muddy field to be photographed beside a squeaky gate. These two
photographs seem to merge together.
One of the characters in the stage play is Jessica (played by Geebs
Marie Williams). Jessica is in charge of sound effects. At one point she >>> demonstrates the sound of a lamb being born (squelching yoghurt,
rustling recording tape as hay, with the dropping a damp cushion as the
lamb is born).
When radio scenes are being recorded, this is done in several ways. We
might have the actors standing round a mike, reading their lines and all >>> ostentatiously turning away from the mike to turn the page when
necessary. Meanwhile, Jessica is wielding an ironing board (a stand in
for the squeaky gate) or coconut shells (as horses hooves, of course),
or whatever.
Alternatively, we might see them acting out the scene with proper props, >>> and sometimes it merges from one to the other. In one scene Godfrey
Basely (played by Adrian, who is played by Kieran Brown) is talking on
the phone to a BBC bigwig (one of Martin's lesser roles). Initially
Adrian and Martin are in separate recording cubicles reading their
lines. A few lines in, the cubicles are removed from behind them
revealing their desks and phones, where they sit down and become Godfrey >>> and the bigwig. Towards the end of the scene, the cubicles and mikes
reappear and they continue reading as Adrian and Martin.
For a TA scene, the lights are sometimes dimmed and I believe that the
actors mouth to the original recording. This includes the start of
episode one, where they sing a carol and talk about the coming year,
also, after the fire, when Phil returns and says that Grace didn't make it. >>>
The death of Grace is just about the end of the play. The beginning is a >>> couple of years before TA starts, with Godfrey Basely addressing an
audience about the need to teach farmers about modern farming methods,
and getting the famous heckle "What we need is a farming Dick Barton".
All in all, the play very entertaining and funny and I enjoyed it very
much, as did my non-listening companion who I dragged along. I can't say >>> that I learnt anything about the birth of The Archers, but then I am a
bit of a nerd on the subject. The play has been running since the 1st
September, and the last performance will be on the 11th October. In the
unlikely event that my ramblings have made you think that you would like >>> to see it, you therefore have one week left to do so. As the play was
commissioned by the Barn Theatre, I doubt whether it will be put on
elsewhere, but I don't know how these things work.
I think that person was me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your
review of what was obviously a thoroughly entertaining evening out -
thank you!
There's no chance of my making it to the Barn Theatre before the end
of the run but I've written to Tim Stimpson to ask if there is any
possibility of a provincial tour. If I hear back, I'll let umra know.
It would be a shame if something with such good reviews (yours and I
stumbled upon Mark Lawson's
while searching for Tim Stimpson's emailTim Stimpson says: "Glad you've been hearing positive things. Always encouraging! We're very much hoping the show will tour but these things are never guaranteed. Fingers crossed!"
address) and of interest to people all around the country didn't get
the chance to reach a wider audience.
Nick