CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE by John Osborne

[Riklaa]

The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!" he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "Forward, the Light Brigade!" Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Some one had blundered: Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred. Buy at Art.com Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered: Plunged in the battery-smoke Right through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the sabre-stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not, Not the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE by John Osborne in a version by Bill Bryden with Michael Hastings Broadcast in 2002 on BBC Radio 4. John Osborne's unperformed screenplay of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade at the battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War encapsulates all the grandeur and folly of war. Nothing in British military history has ever equalled the tragic farce that was the charge of the Light Brigade. John Osborne's screenplay captures the spirit of this military disaster in which the fatal mismanagement of the events rested with the Earls of Cardigan (Charles Dance) and Lucan (Sir Donald Sinden), brothers-in-law and sworn enemies for more than thirty years. The fatal message for the troop to charge was carried by Captain Nolan (Joseph Fiennes) and the whole scene was witnesses by the Commander in Chief, Lord Raglan (Alec McCowen) and General Airey (Geoffrey Palmer) from the heights above the battlefield. The radio version opens in London with Osborne (Michael Feast) himself writing the screenplay and setting the scene (taken from Osborne's own directions) in which the characters and situation emerge whereby this giant folly occurred. An all-star cast, directed by Bill Bryden, bring John Osborne's screenplay to life in this special ninety-minute drama for BBC Radio 4. A gala charity performance was performed at the Honorable Artillery Company, London on behalf of The Royal Theatrical Fund on Sunday 16th June 2002 CAST John Osborne MICHAEL FEAST Lord Cardigan CHARLES DANCE Morris JASPER BRITTON Nolan JOSEPH FIENNES Captain Lockwood TREVOR RAY Mrs Duberly LYNNE MILLER Captain Duberly GUY LANKESTER Lady Errol ANGELA DOUGLAS Clarissa CHARLOTTE EMMERSON General Airey GEOFFREY PALMER Lord Raglan ALEC McCOWEN Sergeant O'Hara JAMES ELLIS Ist Soldier/Braithwaite JOHN TAMS 2nd Soldier/James WILLIAM MacBAIN Lord Lucan SIR DONALD SINDEN 3rd Soldier/Charteris ROBERT OATES Sir George Cathcart SEBASTIAN GRAHAM JONES Ballad singer MICHAEL WATERSON COMPANY Studio Manager Mark Smith Post production Sebastian Graham Jones Supervision & Editing John Tams & Ray Smith Director Bill Bryden Producer Nicholas Newton

20020613-AP-The Charge of the Light Brigade (John Osborne).mp3