Radio Play – The Penny Dreadfuls Present: Revolution
BBC Radio 4 Saturday Drama – First broadcast: Saturday 9th July, 2011
The Penny Dreadfuls Present: Revolution
The French Revolution was one of the most far-reaching social and political upheavals in modern history spanning 10 years and involving the execution of the King, collapse of monarchy and slaughter of thousands at the guillotine. Starring Richard E Grant and Sally Hawkins, comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls will attempt to tell the epic story of the Revolution in one hour, with jokes.
The play’s two main characters are Maximilien Robespierre the dictatorial architect of the Reign of Terror, who sent thousands to their death and Marie-Therese, the 16 year old daughter of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.
Marie-Therese was incarcerated for three years by the revolutionaries. When she was locked up her father, mother, aunt and little brother were also with her. After the execution of her father the rest of the family were moved to another part of the tower and Marie-Therese was kept in solitary confinement. It is recorded that Robespierre visited Marie-Therese at one point in the tower but there is no historical record of that conversation. This play is that conversation.
Revolution is written by comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls, Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, all successful in their own rights as solo performers and all taking their own shows to Edinburgh this year. Last year they wrote an Afternoon Play for Radio about Guy Fawkes and they have previously had two series of The Brothers Faversham broadcast on Radio 7.
To listen to the play click the image below.
Credits
Robespierre: Richard E Grant
Therese: Sally Hawkins
Actor: David Reed
Actor: Humphrey Ker
Actor: Thom Tuck
Actor: Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Director: Julia McKenzie
Writer: Humphrey Ker
Writer: David Reed
Writer: Thom Tuck
The Cast of Revolution: Left to right – Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Thom Tuck, Richard E Grant, Sally Hawkins, David Reed and Humphrey Ker
Richard and Sally in rehearsal: Richard E Grant, playing Robespierre and Sally Hawkins playing Marie-Therese in Revolution
