Crack-Up - BBC Saturday Night Theater - Alan Prior

Allan Prior was an English television scriptwriter and novelist, who wrote over 300 television episodes from the 1950s onwards.
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He was founder-writer of influential police drama Z-Cars with Troy Kennedy Martin and wrote five of the first ten episodes and a total of 136 episodes for Z-Cars and spin-off series Softly, Softly. He also wrote several episodes of the 1970s science-fiction series Blake's 7.
He wrote more than thirty original plays for television, from episodes of Armchair Theatre to later works including The Charmer (1987) and A Perfect Hero (1991). In 1995 his radio play Führer was BBC Radio 4's flagship drama for its End of the War in Europe anniversary programmes.
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. (Wikipedia)
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[@RedcoatsReturn]

A part of BBC demise was the scrapping of these plays, in television and radio. A cornerstone of British drama and culture died with it 😔 My thanks to you for rescuing and publishing them again on KZbin where they can be appreciated again 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍

[@CricketCinema]

Is BBC demised? I’m American and have come to trust it. It seems a shame for it to go, or be changed to something else.

[@RedcoatsReturn]

@@CricketCinema The BBC tv channels World News, Channel 1 uk news and light entertainment, Channel 2 documentaries and deeper topics, and 4 (movies) all continue. Its just that the plays which were regular (Saturday Night Theater, Play of the Month, Etc) in the 1960/70‘s are very irregular and often old repeats. A play takes time, effort and money to make in quality and the BBC made cut backs and heavily down-dumbed their program portfolio. The one thing that made them good was quality but as all other tv stations, they realized only a minority with education and brains wanted it. The majority wanted game shows, jungle camp, celebrity trivia and everything that does not need a brain or education…so the BBC went down the public….toilet 😔

[@buildingcollege]

@@RedcoatsReturn and the they shut the public toilets too.

[@sheilahay3370]

Quite an unusual play did enjoy it, wondered where it was all going in some parts, but then it starts to make sense towards the end

[@julietbain8344]

I’m

[@scottgeorge4268]

It's easy to see why millions miss the 'old' BBC. Fortune has brought the internet where these gems can be found... Thank you ❤👍

[@madelinesolk5734]

I live in Los Angeles and am so impressed with these great plays. We used to have some good plays on the radio but drama lost out to cops and robbers and comedy. Then even those went away. The BBC did so many more of interesting dramas. I wish they hadn’t stopped. Such wonderful entertainment and for me way more satisfying than TV. I’m so glad to have found these!

[@nonayoung8177]

i love these radio plays too. Fellow American 🦋

[@graceperry2623]

For those who didn't enjoy this. You have to remember that the radio and ways of thinking were different in the 50s. I was there, a child. The equipment for recording also affected the quality, at that time it was limited so it affected the flow causing things to sound a bit more stilted.

[@paulgardner5168]

It’s great to have these radio posts on KZbin. The BBC must have a ton of material which never gets to see the light of day. So much talent as well.

[@martinej5142]

It was a great shame when they scrapped all the plays. I grew up listening to them with my Mum. Only to see them slowly disappearing. And what do we get in their place?? Rubbish normally. I guess we have seen a bit of a resurgence in 4extra. Thank you for keeping these alive.

[@claudette4113]

Brilliant play. Thanks for posting it

[@donwardell4605]

I have working in Radio since I was eleven. This play is superb, the plot, the interior collapse of the mentally ill, it's flawless. Thank you this it makes up for any time I may have wasted with routine dramas.. Settle down and really listen to the plot, the pacing, acting and delivery. Thank you and well done!

[@dominicankandie5957]

I knew it! I knew it! Half way through the program I summised who it was. This was indeed, another excellent listen. Thank you ❤

[@jillylloyd3527]

I am always to listen to an upload from Mr Chesterton. Thank you kindly sir on behalf of all your faithful subscribers

[@lyndaa7560]

An absolutely brilliant drama from first to last. Many thanks 🙏

[@ericfry5759]

Thanks very much for this play. Such a grand cast of actors..

[@Alan-ss3xp]

What wonderful voices the announcers have before the play starts. Another era.

[@mellisande638]

Fantastic play! Great story and beautifully executed piece of drama. Thank you🤗

[@yvonnerollinson9779]

Love it I grew up with this stuff

[@MrBazzabee]

Thanx Uncle Chesterton,fabulous stuff-really enjoyed this play...I might even direct it-at our villages 'Little Theatre' next year. You could even play 'Callum' with the stutter.

[@pattersonparkin7303]

Great stuff, keep them coming, hi from a hot day in newzealand

[@JoanKentBible]

This play had me gripped to the end. Chilling story, well told. Thank you for uploading.

[@jordsupp]

A good production to cover a 2 hour journey with a few red herrings along the way. Thankyou.

[@questioneverything2653]

Thank you so much Chesterton Radio. Your content is true entertainment. Sending you prayers and peace from Western Australia 🙏🏻🇦🇺

[@ChestertonRadio]

Thank you for listening and for your kind comments. This playlist includes all our shows. You might click shuffle play to explore: Player.ChestertonRadio.com

[@cousinsister69]

Hi from cold wet Adelaide. We're in 1 week's lockdown. I wish all good health, comfort + happiness. From another Ossie down under 👇💜🙃

[@susanhawkins5914]

… and one year on…from Melbourne Australia, too. 🦘🇦🇺. Still winter, chilly, wet and with cutting winds - perfect weather to snuggle up & enjoy yet another wonderful vintage bbc drama. 🙏😘

[@callycatus]

These are great stories Thankyou !

[@louisbrugnoni1291]

I LOVE these! Caren the butler reminds me of Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett show when he played the senile butler. Lol

[@davidarundel6187]

I trust that the BBC's vaults still contain most radio shows and didn't meet the same fate as early tapes of programs like the first series of Dr Who , and many others , all in the name of cost cutting : it should be noted that salary's were never cut for management - just everywhere and everyone else . It's lost history now , as some of those programs were inovative for the time in which they were made . Namaste 🙏🤔👍,❤️

[@Angela-cc1hd]

Well that was very interesting never thought it was going to end like that! Perfect example of mental health problems.

[@patriciallamas2050]

Cheers for the upload! ✨🥰

[@yvonnerollinson9779]

Always thankyou for the great drama so much part of my everyday life ❤️

[@sidicniy874]

When couples don’t share their thoughts, fears and feelings with each other they become strangers, instead of protecting they become unplanned voluntary instigator to each other destruction.

[@natashafernando3503]

Excellent show

[@clivefuller-hale5073]

Writer: Allan Prior Produced by: William Glen-Doepel Susannah Glossop: Joan Haythorne Bob Glossop: Frank Mills Carron: Frederick Treves Tom Bradford: Bruce Beeby Mary, the maid: Isabel Rennie Morris: McKinley William Fox Roberta Bradford: Jane Jordan Rogers

[@DreamingCatStudio]

Thanks for this! I spent most of the play obsessively trying to find the spelling of Carron, because in Greek mythology Charon is the name of the ferryman, who shepherds the dead across the river Styx. Which apparently has nothing to do with this play! 😎

[@SimonMcGrath-x2x]

​@@DreamingCatStudio Charon -(pro.Karon)-its the moon of Pluto, hope that of interest?

[@chrischannon2739]

Brilliant, thank you.

[@ForceFreeTrainergirl06]

This was a great drama. Such a twist in the tail. I thought it was the handyman actually!!😊 excellent😊

[@anaderol5408]

Enjoyed that - the unflappable maid was my favourite.... "Tea Madam" whilst everyone is hysterical around her.

[@cousinsister69]

Yr comment made me smile, which was lovely, as I was feeling quite frustrated with this overly analytical style of psychiatrist's making things worse of a play.

[@janebrown7231]

Saturday-Night Theatre: Crack-Up First broadcast: Sat 15th Feb 1964, 20:30 on BBC Home Service A psychological thriller. Contributors Writer: Allan Prior Produced by: William Glen-Doepel Susannah Glossop: Joan Haythorne Bob Glossop: Frank Mills Carron: Frederick Treves Tom Bradford: Bruce Beeby Mary, the maid: Isabel Rennie Morris: McKinley William Fox Roberta Bradford: Jane Jordan Rogers

[@petejames5562]

Gem from classic years of radio. Hundreds of radio dramas just sitting in BBC archive. Waste & a shame

[@kimberlykasimoff1447]

Tom's friend wants to go out into the garden and smoke a cigarette, because he can use a bit of fresh air. I heard this one before but could not remember it totally.

[@mrbazzabee4013]

'Eh-Up !! ..That were reight gradley were that un' Uncle Chesterton !.....Ah were reight flummoxed fer a while. But my Lottie got-it....almost straight way....an' made me feel like a reight twonk. Thanx Uncle Chessie.

[@greedyfirstalgorithmlast26]

This brings to mind the bit about killing the poor on Monty Python Flying Ciecus

[@dl18336]

Good play. Good audio

[@xmaseveeve5259]

But thank you VERY MUCH, for uploading. There are some gems, but this isn't one. I abstained from voting.

[@grimtt]

Crack Up: a play about a lot of people, all having kittens for an hour and a half. Haha, it was interesting as a mystery but as others have said some of the characters were taxing to listen to due to the volume of hysteria.

[@mckavitt13]

Begins at 00:28.

[@gabyshepherd8855]

Some elements/ characters ( housekeeper eg) were quite similar to the Hitchcock’s Rebecca film.

[@greggregg1969]

NEW Radio plays are still AVAILABLE on BBC. Talk of any demise of the BBC only rests within the so called Conservative Party, which is richly demised at present

[@maryrichardson9739]

Why do humans choose to behave in such self serving ways? Is it the way of the majority or just what " entertainment" creates the most revenue from? And why are we (am I) enjoying these wonderfully produced stories??

[@arabellacox]

Sadly it's what drives the world and is destroying our planet & everything in it 😢

[@richardw3470]

Forget the play. What on earth is the picture attached to it? Britain's version of kudzu (the plant that ate the South) or an SAS class in camouflage? It does rather remind me of the devil's spillway located--somewhere.

[@suehumphries9764]

Looks a bit like Wistmans Wood, Dartmoor

[@Paxtonparsnip]

SAS. In kudzu camo? I don’t quite see the connection to Tom going barmy but am sure all will become clear on a second listening! Which, I must add, will be a pleasure!

[@aingealniraghallaigh5488]

@@Paxtonparsnip the SAS in camo and Kudzu are two entirely separate things. They are references to the picture.

[@arabellacox]

I've seen this picture before, used for a radio drama about the murders of two little girls, but I can't tell you where it is.

[@FlyFreely8272]

Conclusion? So what exactly happened to Molly?🤔 Is there a part 2?

[@vickirees4965]

I wondered if the dr had something to do with Molly as he kept goading Tom at the beginning. I wanted to shout out ‘leave him (Tom) alone’‼️

[@chrissythornhill]

Just got put off as soon as I heard that character being an ignorant beast towards the lad with a disability

[@kimmccabe1422]

Like me hating great radio dramas that have women soo secondary. Chk out Paul Temple radio drama-where all is equal. Great series. Only i heard them all twice. I wish i was you that heard them now-once!

[@Paxtonparsnip]

A character in a play is just that - a character in a play.

[@katiedotson704]

It made me angry at the character, but it's just a part of the story. But there is a positive facet to this. This behavior was more acceptable in the time frame of this story. The positive part is that it no longer acceptable and I, as well as many others, would have put a stop to this sort of rhetoric under my roof. We have grown a little bit. Not enough, but a little bit.

[@TheSuperHarrygeorge]

This play could have been condensed into half the time . I did enjoy it but found it very long.

[@australiainfelix7307]

Those were the days. No non-British accents, no pandering to ethnic invaders, no nods to cultural vibrancy.

[@jenniferdouglas6636]

"Ausralia" and have the audacity to speak of invaders!!! Doubt your Aborigine with that mindset!!

[@georginacolwell7971]

Could anyone explain the ending to me please?

[@TedaR]

The ending was predictable & obvious to a point, but a bit of let down. ( just seemed to fizzle out, imho) There were parts that brought me to aggravation so it did stir emotion on that level. Well acted. Good enough but could've ended better. Tysm as always CR!

[@rosebud3971]

😍😍

[@morganlowe3353]

How did Roberta get her own car there so fast. How did either of them get a car, that fast for that matter

[@lyndaa7560]

They drove there in her car which they probably bought in London, the other car was his & had been in the garage while he was away. It was a conspiracy to drive him into another breakdown after his first wife’s death as payback.

[@morganlowe3353]

@@lyndaa7560 thank you Linda. I try and keep house while I listen and sometimes my kids interrupt the flow.

[@wiilwaalarawelo5795]

👍

[@adzdahlman9724]

Slightly over half-way (as much as I hate to disagree with the majority ha ha) , I'm finding this exhausting - the words : rude , patronizing , irrational, hysterical and IRRITATING are foremost in my mind . I've not warmed to any of the characters and find their dialogue /interactions childish , stifling , and , thoroughly unrelaxing . I fail to understand why anyone would enjoy this drama ; ~ there's a challenge for the determined listener* PS - even the way the topic of mental health has been portrayed I found cliched and shallow ; other commenters obv. completely disagree, I notice words like "flawless" and "superb" - baffling*

[@josephinebailey9780]

The BBC always excelled at portraying the Class System. Too many sirs and madams and Uriah Heep servants.

[@adzdahlman9724]

@@josephinebailey9780 the BBC have , almost , mistakenly , upheld the class system since the beginning of time . I love it . The peculiar eccentricities , ahhhh I've lost my thread ha ha , something about Britishness I suspect... it's VERY hot here . Very.....

[@cousinsister69]

I agree completely with your evaluation of this irritating play. Altho a commenter points out that the maid Mary popping up with an offer to make a cuppa tea mid crisis, was the only saving grace.

[@Gillby47]

I have no idea what this play is about,just gave up half way through.

[@xmaseveeve5259]

This is so bad, that I'm wondering if it's satire...

[@jacquiadams863]

It was good, but to believe that increasingly hysterical man was a psychiatrist beggars belief. He has no insight into himself

[@katiedotson704]

Do you think that psychiatrist are immune to mental illness? Can any person with a mental illness diagnose themselves? Did you realize that the suicide rate among psychiatrist and psychologist is far above the national average?

[@shirleyreece4394]

Ì0

[@auntyJanette]

I did not enjoy this as much as other listeners. It did not flow and some of the characters were overwhelming, especially Mr Glossop. Why was the young man with the stutter part of the play? He added nothing except for Glossop to yell at. I listened to the entire play. Glad I did, but not inclined to listen again.

[@roderickfernandez8554]

You're right it was an hour and a half of hysterics and I usually enjoy these so much but this was a little too much late at night in bed alone

[@cousinsister69]

The condescending over analysis of every action & thought of Tom's driving him to the brink was just a little over baked. I found this one irritating .

[@katiedotson704]

Carron (sp?) was, for one thing, an insight of the true kindness that lay within Tom Bradford. Did you not notice that it was Carron that brought the reset tile to Bradford's attention? This was the clue that unraveled the entire mystery. He was a very important part of the story, but you, like Mr. Glossop, only saw a young man with a stutter.

[@auntyJanette]

@@katiedotson704 I hope you feel better now.

[@johnhodges8264]

Why was he called Karen and once called Clarence. and Claren?

[@cousinsister69]

Possibly Corran. A Scottish name. Similar to Callum, Callan or Corey.

[@janebrown7231]

Carron. (It's in the credits.) And the woman whose name often sounds like "Sanna" is credited as Susannah.

[@dodojack1045]

Poor excuse of a play. Perfect rubbish, with the worst in human nature being served to the punters.

[@iap-ug3oy]

What is wrong with you ? Or is it you just go through life moaning about everything.If you don’t like it you can always turn off….

[@kathynelson3294]

That mans voice was horrible