Broadcast on BBC Radio Gloucestershire
Monday 31 May 2010
As this year's cheese rolling event on Cooper's Hill has been cancelled on Bank Holiday Monday, BBC Radio Gloucestershire brings you a rare treat to compensate! A specially written, two-part comedy adventure to celebrate the ancient sport of cheese rolling.
Award-winning, and Gloucestershire-based, The Offstage Theatre Group have created 'Mantlepiece Theatre' specifically for BBC Radio Gloucestershire.
The show has been created in order to 'showcase' local professional talent, and parodies the classic Conan Doyle characters. The play features a mysterious trip to Gloucestershire and the unravelling of the riddle of the Red-Headed Cheese Rolling Team.
Writer and director John Lomas came up with the idea. "I'm a really big fan of Sherlock Holmes anyway," he said. "It's something that lends itself quite well to - not just to parody - but to being manipulated to our ends. They are very well known characters.
"Sherlock Holmes & The League Of Red-Headed Cheese Rollers is based around the original story The Red Headed League, so it's using very similar plot devices, and there's also a nod to The Six Napoleons and a couple of other references. "It's about Sherlock Holmes coming to Gloucestershire to solve an unusual case based around the noble sport of cheese rolling."
Also hear how the play was written and produced...
Extra Clip - Mini Cheese Rollings & Behind the Production Interviews
Jill Mission finds out more about the county's hills with stories from the people who live on them. They stage their very own mini cheese-rollings. Also interviews with those behind the production of Sherlock Holmes & The League of Red-Headed Cheese Rollers. (Clipped from Chris Baxter, BBC Gloucestershire, 31 May 2010)
Replies
Well the Xmas show was broadcast this morning. Here it is.
It was broadcast in 4 parts during this morning's show on BBC Gloucester. Each approx. 10 minutes.
As the parts start with speech (as opposed to a bit of music or sound effects) each part is bookended with an intro and outro by David Smith who hosts the show. I really didn't want to include him but when you listen I'm sure you'll appreciate why I did it. There's barely a second between the end of the intro and the start of the part in all cases.
By the way it's mono and I have no idea why. I always use the same application to download BBC stuff and it's always downloaded everything else in the past in stereo. The only difference I can think of is that this is the first regional BBC show I've downloaded.
When I noticed who this was by I thought I'd try a little googling.
It appears the theatre group who done this has done 4 Holmes shows in total.
Anybody have any more?
One of them was due to be broadcast on New Year's Eve.
http://www.iamgloucestershire365.com/blog/142065-sherlock-holmes-sp...
It says that the Xmas show will be broadcast in 4 10-minute episodes from 5pm.
Checking Radio Gloucester there is a 3 hour show starting at 4pm with David Smith. I've seen how other regional BBC sites work and this seems the same. You get a person anchoring with a bit of music, news. travel, weather etc.
With get_iplayer I downloaded the whole 3 hour show. Scanning through I reached the end to hear that the Holmes show will be on Monday (3rd) at 9-12 am. From what I can tell David Smith will host this show as well although the slot doesn't belong to him. He didn't give the name of the Holmes show either but I can only assume it must be this Xmas show Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of Puddings.
The other 2 are:
The Beast of the Barringtons
The Curious Incident of the Wag in the Night Time
more info:
http://www.offstagetheatregroup.com/latest.htm
I'll make another update post probably tomorrow (and hopefully with some attachments.)
I haven't checked here for a few days...you've been busy Bob.(this, Peeper, Gray Haven - I haven't even checked the Strobie Studios offering yet)
I've never heard of this although I'm aware of cheese-rolling. Thanks. Maybe I should keep my eye on what these regional BBC (Gloucester) studios do more.
I just added Peeper's rss so I'll have a listen to them that way and Youtube for Gray Haven (as I've said elsewhere I'm not a completist and going on what you said I'm not sure if I'd keep them.)
All the best in the New Year everybody.
Jake.