A Touch of the Sun - BBC Saturday Night Theater - N. C. Hunter

A Touch of the Sun is a 1958 play by the British writer N.C. Hunter.
It premiered at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool before moving to the West End, initially at the Saville Theatre before transferring to the Princes Theatre. Its original run lasted for 202 performances between 31 January and 26 July 1958. The cast included Michael Redgrave, Diana Wynyard, Vanessa Redgrave and Ronald Squire. Michael Redgrave won the Best Actor award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Norman Charles Hunter was a British playwright whose plays attracted such notable actors to perform them as John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Sybil Thorndike, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman. His play A Picture of Autumn was revived off-Broadway by the Mint Theater Company in 2013. Hunter's play A Day by the Sea was revived off-Broadway by the Mint Theater Company in 2016. It subsequently had its first major UK revival at London's Southwark Playhouse with John Sackville in the title role of Julian Anson.
Saturday Night Theatre was a long-running radio drama strand on BBC Radio 4. The strand showcased feature-length, middle-brow single plays on Saturday evenings for more than 50 years, having been launched in April 1943. The plays featured in the strand included stage plays, book adaptations and original dramatisations. For most of its history, programmes ran for 90 minutes and were largely entertainment-centred, such as thrillers, comedies and mysteries.
Saturday Night Theatre was noted as the major drama of the week on BBC Radio 4, until it was scrapped as a programme strand in 1996. Shorter plays continued to be broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday evenings from 1996 until the relaunch of the channel's schedule in April 1998 by James Boyle, when single dramas were removed from the Saturday evening schedule. Since 1998, the main weekly play on the station has been The Saturday Play, a daytime programme that runs for 60-90 minutes.
There have since been campaigns to bring back Saturday Night Theatre, but in the context of BBC budget cuts, that have included the 2010 axing of Radio 4's Friday Play (established in 1998, when Saturday Night Theatre was abolished), any return looks unlikely.
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[@armondlevinia9221]

Fantastic story line. Wonderful acting. True to life.

[@davelawday6609]

Lovely drama.. perfect Sunday morning easy listening.. thank you ❤

[@Tinyflypie]

I admired Philip and Mary. And I think, ' there is only one free nation, the nation of the rich' is a marvellous quote. The old fashioned idea that fulfilment can be had not from things but from dedication to principles is a painful loss to an old idealist like me.

[@Tinyflypie]

It's a painful loss to humanity. Thanks for your wise comment

[@johndean958]

I couldnt agree more. Perfectly stated by you.

[@Tinyflypie]

@@johndean958 thanks 😊

[@johndean958]

Thankyou. I enjoyed this very much. I liked the School Master. He had standards and was absolutely right to show his displeasure and outrage, to the slimey creep "Jo', that was challenging his daughter to "skull champagne' and also back chatted the Father .Any decent Father would have done that. He let himself down though, when he apologised . He showed dedication to his children, in wanting the best for them. The Son could have decided to do his scholarship at University and choose a Career in anything after that. It would have been incorrect for the Father not to a least state his care to his Son. He had a serious mind, but he had a good heart and spoke and encouraged good, sound advice to his Family. They all knew they could in the end, do what they liked. Clearly , money is not everything and the monied tried to lead the Family into their ways, without respecting the standards and did not have any idea in showing respect . John (Australia)

[@jimrichardson5849]

Superb play and acting . ❤

[@SusanMolloy]

Loved it. Thank you!🎉❤😂😢😮😅😊🎉

[@kewalkrishan8523]

Well done.. Got all ingredients.. Love, comedy. Emotions, thoroughly melodrama.... Had very essance of phenomenal story

[@jlb9368]

Very well thought out - the conflicts are so real. The inferiority complexes and the rest do not change, they just manifest differently in different generations.

[@Lyfs-Awsumm]

Very,Very NICE!!!! I definitely need to listen to this Again! Well, Done!!!

[@jimmaccormaic6890]

Wonderful thought-provoking stuff. Totally absorbing. Many thanks for posting.

[@stevecook3673]

More pertinent today than ever .

[@emilyhuckson2909]

Enjoyed the premise, the characters and the performance. Cheers from Saigon

[@christrinder1255]

Excellent play, many thanks for posting and the additional news at the end !👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍😊

[@roysimpson1344]

Excellent play

[@yvonnerollinson9779]

Just so enjoyed the quality of acting and story great stuff

[@susanhrubis1908]

Synopsis. Out of the blue the Lesters are offered the rare treat of a holiday in the South of France and, with it, the unlikely opportunity of escape to happiness. The dour Philip, of course, has no time for such flim-flammery and, with this attitude at the helm, the adventure is destined to end in tears.

[@wondershaw3356]

This was absolutely brilliant.Thank you

[@mrbazzabee4013]

That's our Chesterton for you ....!

[@Gillby47]

£40 for a holiday to Austria in 1958,we went to Austria for our honeymoon in 1965 at the cost of £14 each.

[@sandrapicton8961]

A sad but true story. Thank you.

[@cousinsister69]

A great thought provoking play. Certainly leaves much to contemplate. Some wonderful quotes. Excellent acting by some great stars. Hi from Oz 👇💜🙃

[@juliatranter6868]

It looks

[@ferberina]

True and real thank you .

[@lindacharles6581]

I do love these old plays. Very interesting thank you for sharing.

[@dl18336]

Good story. Good audio

[@ElegantPaws01]

Brilliant

[@simonmcgrath4112]

This was truly brilliant and this is how most of us lived in the 70's (even tho I was only a kiddy)

[@mrbazzabee4013]

A real trustworthy Bread and Butter Radio play with more than a Soupçon of humour .......A real 'Ilfracombe' of a play for sure--Thanx Chessie you old Stonker you.

[@katieclarke1352]

Lol. 🤩

[@paulajeffrey6706]

I do like a happy ending 😀

[@janethayes5941]

Boy! I learned a lot of life lessons from this.

[@thomaswells8237]

Very good entertainment

[@phonotical]

Broadcast February 1964

[@johnhannay16]

Impossible to listen to with an advert every 2 minutes.

[@celiacoyle7218]

I would agree, but no ads as I listen here in Nov '21.

[@stevecook3673]

It is still the case that you enter a profession like teaching or nursing as a vocation and not totally for monetary gain.

[@magsmaher]

Having worked for the NHS most of my life I can guarantee that there is no monetary gain and that it is a vocation.

[@patricka.crawley6572]

Knowing many people in the health industry, 'image', self-congratulatory smugness, and 'aren't I wonderful' is the biggest single motivation for recruits.

[@roelienpostma2367]

Thought provoking.....

[@johnevans6399]

A quarter of a minute feels like 5 minutes!

[@Brian.001]

old minutes

[@mrbazzabee4013]

I once went out with a woman that had that effect on me.

[@johndean958]

What is your meaning ?

[@SkyeID]

Funny. That actor isn't American. We wouldn't say "bathe", but we'd say "swim".

[@stellamariayates3776]

My mother in law always said bathe and bathing suit. She was of a certain age and class so I think it was the usual term from her earlier days.

[@kayrkoet]

Excellent play. Illustrated the conflict that some us feel between money and the lack of it. I think it is possible to be comfortably off and still care about the welfare of those less fortunate. However, the father needed a good dose of reality from Philip and told to behave more considerately or go to an aged care home. Mary puts up with too much and sometimes acts the martyr.

[@grimtt]

Q: is “hackneyed phrase” a hackneyed phrase?

[@hawthornetree646]

No because no one would understand the word hackneyed any other way.

[@johndean958]

@@hawthornetree646 I understand the meaning of Hackneyed Phrase.

[@CollegeMan69]

We are all prisoners in one way or another………prisoners of life itself perhaps. Some longing to escape - others just content to make do……

[@muirhouseterrace]

That was very depressing.

[@jacquiadams863]

Although this is about principles, money v duty etc the absolute boorishness and selfishness of both the teacher and his father caused me to scream at the radio.

[@johndean958]

I think you missed the point. Perhaps a shallow reply from you , and dont see dedication and care from the School Master.Way too hard to explain it to you.

[@RichardArchibald-jk7ms]

The bankrupt father going on about drinking and gambling 😂

[@Lemon_N555]

Depressing ending (although the writer tried to wrap it up in a pretty bow of naive idealistic words to justify the husband's philosophy of life). But you couldn't convince me that this way of life is fulfilling because of the fact the Wife is completely subjugated & merely exists to prop up her husband's idea of utopia! Her needs & feelings & comfort are secondary to his egocentric life's purpose. Who cares as long as HIS " spiritual growth" is nourished? What an insufferable husband - prefers his family to scrimp & suffer financial hardship just so he can pompously adhere to his "socialist' principles ? Very hypocritical when you live in a country with democratic capitalism. What a virtue signalling prig ! He voluntarily works for a pittance in a career ( being used by the Head Master ) but that's ok because he is in "service" for the greater good of society. Meanwhile his wife is mostly stressed & looking older than her years from all the strain. Happy marriage indeed!

[@guitarboogieboogie]

Posh home life. About poor schoolteacher.

[@johndean958]

I think you missed the Point.

[@guitarboogieboogie]

@@johndean958 It does not have any point unless you have a penchant for triviality. And of course you are from the UK.

[@mtsenskmtsensk5113]

A slice of life, with the elderly claiming wisdom from the standpoint of their vanished world. it is always difficult to communicate to one's parents and children. They were missing a local pub to find some objective opinions, to cope with their relatives.

[@TheSuperHarrygeorge]

😨

[@johndean958]

The 'Elderley" as you put it, have years and years of experience in Social History. Clearly you must be mad to consider going to a Local Pub to seek views from people under the influence of alcohol, gambling, dare I say popping a couple of drugs as well, with a TV blearing and a Screen showing Football along with another screen showing horse racing and how to punt on Sporting results. Great advice you have. Thats why the world is so overloaded with stupidity and me first attutudes. Is that the best you can come up with. I feel sorry for you.

[@dougchance8891]

Success with women? Flash the cash- she will flash her tash. And that is not a growth on the face. Below the navel- surrounding the Beef Curtains is more to the point.😅😅😅

[@magsmaher]

I found this play thoroughly depressing. The selfishness of the central character (the father) is simply deplorable and the language used to describe mentally challenged children just unacceptable. The way that the mother just gave in to her husband’s selfish demands is very upsetting and the churlish behaviour of the grandfather left me speechless! I do hope that as a society we have moved on.

[@pennycartoulis6603]

Terrible Fake American/Canadian accent🧐

[@ggray1180]

And pronunciation of Muskoka as "Muskota" interesting. Could never have foreseen the international broadcast of these plays in years to come. No great pressure to get the details correct.

[@mrbazzabee4013]

Yes-You yourself would have been far better-I feel sure.

[@ggray1180]

@@mrbazzabee4013 Not really; I'm English.

[@mrbazzabee4013]

@@ggray1180 ...actually-my comment was aimed at Penny Cartoulis

[@ggray1180]

@@mrbazzabee4013 my apologies.

[@incrediblesimilarity5858]

You fine folks are getting more out of this play than I did. I found it to be terribly tedious. It Was Written in 1958 and apparently very well received at the time, but I don't think it holds up too well today. Being as the playwright was British as well all the actors in this play, I have to let you know this is just not my *cup of tea.* ☕

[@jonathanveale119]

So agree. Some of the acting is atrocious.

[@54onions]

Loved this it gave me something to chew on about being a adult in the 70s now I must listen to 10cc and the like

[@johndean958]

And your opinion is not mine either. It doesnt matter what year this was written. It speaks volumes regarding consideration and values for your children. Something missing almost completely in some house holds of today. What a disgrace.

[@jessarain9917]

The pervasive sexism of the 1950's showed strongly in the unthinkingly prejudiced script. Poor, martyred mother... giving her all for the benefit of the dominant male. I laughed a great deal at first, then thought soberly of women who were never given any choice but this. Saddest of all is the expectation that Mother must be virtually a saint while being inhumanly self-sacrificing. What a clever trap -- for no woman could live up to this ideal. And if she failed it was a perfect excuse to further excoriate her.

[@mtsenskmtsensk5113]

Jessa Rain You notice also of the life expectation of the children being mapped out before them. I'm not sure if the school is in fact a borstal ( a Yob being derived from 'backward Boy' i.e. boy spelt backwards)with the talk of an attack with a bicycle chain by one of the pupils. Also in this period women were expected (society not the law) to surrender their job on marriage, to allow a man to bring up a family on that wage and Britain was quite a military society then. Rationing had only finished in 1955, and a school master was notoriously poorly paid, so it is not an average working class family, that is perhaps more literate and able to express themselves. What I'm trying to put into context is that both men and women had a poorer life but it was improving dramatically with the NHS and nearly full employment making the future look promising, and optimistic compared to pre-war.

[@neilfoddering921]

What an ignorant and biased comment, implying that there was some male conspiracy to keep women down. If you’re going to use the word “trap”, then you should also apply it to most men of the time, who were expected to provide for the family, often to the inevitable detriment to their health and risk of injury or death. Who was it working down coal mines and sewers, on building sites, in steel works, in farming, conscripted into the armed forces, and suffering from job-related diseases like asbestosis, miner’s lung and the like? No legal protection against unfair dismissal, discrimination and the like. There certainly was male domination, but most of it was domination of males by other males in positions of power. To suggest that there was some male conspiracy just waiting for another opportunity to “excoriate” women is ludicrous. Social expectations of the time were different from now, and yes there was gender-based prejudice and discrimination then, just as your comments reveal that it still exists now.

[@dshe8637]

And the daughter not allowed to get a job to let her afford travel, because she was going to be working at home, unpaid. And 'timber importing' would have been a dreadful task. Destroying tropical rainforests and abusing locals. So much of the wealth of this class came from unethical means

[@dshe8637]

​@neilfoddering921 you are regurgitating incel propaganda instead of thinking for yourself. Try considering the role of Class in society and wirk

[@mareeschollum2986]

@@neilfoddering921 don’t judge so harshly, particularly coming from a male perspective. You forget that women too worked in those roles you mentioned and made sacrifices during the war.

[@kikibalden7462]

"backward" children...thank goodness we have changed our attitudes...this play made me depressed

[@mrbazzabee4013]

I do feel that - that comment is intended to say something about the depravity of the Central character ...that said it !!! But-I could be wrong.

[@kikibalden7462]

@@mrbazzabee4013 yes I think you are right! But that was the way people spoke about mentally challenged people they were called backwards or retarded sadly

[@johndean958]

Thats because you dont get it. and sadly, probably never will.

[@brendabarrowable]

Fairy depressing play with the characters trapped in unpleasant circumstances of their own making. Enjoyed the craftsmanship in the writing but hope no one embraces martyrdom as the mother character did or would be as obnoxious as the father in law knew himself to be.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

If Strindberg had written this there would have been murder and a Krakatoa like explosion . Instead it's all terribly well mannered and upper lips remain stiff ! Coward would have made it a Comedy . Rattigan a styl!ish tragedy . But Hunter was a thoroughly competent playwright in his own style. It does rather fizzle out but then....so does Life.?

[@deegeraghty9426]

Father, grandfather awful. Complaining, bickering all the time. Gave up after 10 minutes.

[@johndean958]

sadly you found time to note your thoughts and missed the point.