by John Osborne in a version by Bill Bryden and Michael Hastings
audio drama BBC Radio 4. The unperformed screenplay of the tragic defeat of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.
Drama | 13 June 2002 | 88 minutes
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.
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
Studio Manager & Editor – MARK SMITH
Post production – SEBASTIAN GRAHAM JONES
Supervision & Editing – JOHN TAMS & RAY SMITH
Director – BILL BRYDEN
Executive Producer – EDWARD CROZIER
Producer – NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade production for BBC Radio 4