Radio School Stories

[antfan.livejournal.com]

So the BBC this week are doing, in their own words, "a series of three 'jolly hockey stick' stories for Radio 4 - performed by stars. These classic tales represent some of the best of popular 20th Century 'girls school fiction'."

Good Show Clarissa, 3.30-3.45pm, Tues-Thurs
Three jolly hockey stick school stories:
Tues: A Midnight Revel by Angela Brazil, read by Helen Mirren
Wed: Jemima Gets Them Guessing by Hilda Richards, read by Lisa Dillon
Thur: The Cheat by Enid Blyton, read by Joanna Lumley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z5c8h

What a shame they didn't include Antonia Forest! I can't believe any R4 listeners, however nostalgic, are really keen to listen to Enid Blyton! Why don't we all post on the BBC boards suggesting they read/dramatise some Antonia Forest in the future?

Comments

[hooloovoo_42]

I think that the cricket final would fall into that category. Or even the swimming match against Wade Abbas.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

I think there are significant differences of tone and style between Forest and Blyton/Brazil/etc. Forest, after all, actually has characters making knowing conversation about the school-story convention of 'playing bravely on on the sprained ankle'.

The invocation of the term 'jolly hockey sticks' suggests to me a degree of condescension about the entire genre - the kind of thing Arthur Marshall (http://www.ju90.co.uk/fin.htm) used to be famous for.