News Update: New live event in Birmingham, new music release announced and radio drama broadcast

It has been another busy few weeks for announcements connected to Quatermass and the work of Nigel Kneale so here is a round up.

Almost seventy one years to the day since it was first heard on the radio a new version of Kneale's long-lost play You Must Listen aired on BBC Radio 4 on 20th September. Produced by Simon Barnard for Bafflegab Productions the play starred Toby Jones, Caroline Catz and Reece Shearsmith and was recorded to mark the centenary of BBC Radio Drama.

Originally broadcast in September 1952 You Must Listen is set in a solicitor's office that has a new phone line connected, but the staff keep hearing a woman's voice on the phone. Engineer Frank Wilson is called to fix the problem, and gradually the disturbing story of the woman starts to emerge.

Follow the link below to listen to this production
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qmdp

The Stone Tape - Analysing A Ghost By Electronic Means is a new compilation of electronic music inspired by Kneale's 1972 play The Stone Tape. The sixteen track tape compilation which blends reimagined theme tunes and Radiophonic incidental motifs with dark ambience and hauntological synth explorations. The artists involved in this release come from some of the finest electronic and experimental labels currently operating in the UK, such as Wayside & Woodland, Clay Pipe, Castles in Space & Spun Out Of Control.

The release comes in a limited edition tape format along alongside downloadable digital format. For more details and to stream some tracks go to
https://hiddenbritain.bandcamp.com/album/the-stone-tape-analysing-a-ghost-by-electronic-means

Jon Dear, who recently co-produced the 70th anniversary reading of The Quatermass Experiment at Alexandra Palace in London, has announced a new Quatermass event at the MAC in Birmingham. Both existing episodes of the TV version of The Quatermass Experiment and will be introduced by Quatermass experts Jon Dear and Toby Hadoke (the latter currently penning a book on Quatermass) and hosting a panel afterwards to discuss the show’s fascinating production and the huge legacy of Nigel Kneale’s work. For more details and to book a ticket the click the link below.

https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/the-quatermass-experiment-70th-anniversary

Quatermass Returns to Alexander Palace

To mark the 70th anniversary of Nigel Kneale's The Quatermass Experiment being broadcast live from studios at Alexander Palace, London the series will be bought back to life with a unique live reading of Kneale's original scripts. 

The performance, starring Mark Gatiss as Professor Quatermass, will take place on 5th September. Other cast members include Scott Arthur, Toby Hadoke and Carrie Thompson. The event is produced by Jon Dear in association with Hermetic Arts. 

For more details and tickets visit https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/the-quatermass-experiment/

The Kneale Archives Collection - Isle of Man stamp set

 

Isle of Man Stamps and Coins issued a set of Nigel Kneale stamps on 18th April, 2023 consisting of six designs based on his life and work. The issue comes in two limited editions. A set of franked (with Kneale's autograph) stamps in a branded envelope has a run of 2,000. Inside the envelope is an information card with a summary of Kneale's life and work. 

Sadly I did spot a mistake in the text which talks about "the chilling series of eight stories for ITV" which made up Beasts. I'm pretty sure there are only six episodes.

The presentation pack comes in a folder designed to clipped into a stamp album and is limited to just 1,500 copies. Inside the folder are a set of unfranked, mounted stamps. Each order comes with a glossy folder which has Jane Asher recalling the making of both The Quatermass Xperiment and The Stone Tape to together with a  set of stamps, though these are unfranked with all the stamps presented as a single sheet. 

The designs are delightful and all carry a portrait of Kneale at the time of the events or productions featured. The 80p stamp looks at Kneale's brief time as an actor whilst the £1:28 stamp covers the publication of his award short story anthology Tomato Cain. The £1:51 stamp celebrates his most famous creation, the Quatermass productions. The Year of the Sex Olympics comes under the spotlight for a second stamp with the value of £1:51. The penultimate stamp, costing £2:31, carries imagery from The Stone Tape. The most expensive stamp, at a cost of £2:72, commemorates Beasts with the iconic image of Jane Wymark and the husk from the episode 'Baby'.

As well as being beautifully designed and presented there is one final little touch. I was puzzled by the presence of a small UV light torch in the pack, but quickly realised that if you shone it on the stamps a secret message could be picked out. For example the Stone Tape stamp quotes the line "It's in the computer!". As for Beasts stamp the secret message quotes dialogue from 'Baby' - "Wait til he's hungry."

For more information or to order visit https://www.iompost.com/stamps-coins/collection/the-kneale-archives/

Final cover design for The Book of Beasts announced.

 The cover design for The Book of Beasts has undergone a few tweaks to add the publisher's branding and a credit for Johnny Mains who supplies the foreword to the book. 

Johnny was essential in getting this book to see print. He was their from the early drafts offering advice, encouragement and propping me back when I'd fallen. I can't thank him enough so I was really happy when he agreed to write the foreword.

The Book of Beasts trailer

My publishers, Headpress, have released a rather lovely promo video for The Book of Beasts. The video was created by Chris Lince of Hermetic Arts who specialise in producing genre material across the mediums of theatre, film and audio. One of the things I love about the video is that Chris has added tiny audio embellishments to link to Kneale's series. Can you spot the cries of a baby and a dolphin on the soundtrack?

Chris commented on making the video "As a massive Beasts fan, it was a pleasure to put together this trailer for Andrew's book. I wanted to capture the ominous dread that Kneale was so superb at, but also include more playful details in the sound design. Ending with a nod to 'Buddy Boy' was pretty much the first decision I made, and then I worked backwards from there!"

More of Chris' work including his trailers for theatre can be viewed at https://www.stagefrightfilms.co.uk/

 

The Stone Tape screening in Lancaster

 

On Sunday 30th October I will be introducing a screening of Nigel Kneale's 1972 play The Stone Tape at the Duke's Cinema in Lancaster. The screening not only helps mark the centenary of Kneale's birth but is also part of a new horror themed season, Dark Dukes, celebrating the Halloween. 

Details of the screening are here: https://dukeslancaster.org/whats-on/cinema/stonetape
Details of the full Dark Dukes season are here: https://info.dukeslancaster.org/p/777E-649/dark-dukes-film-festival

Kneale radio documentary

 Toby Hadoke has made a short documentary celebrating the work of Nigel Kneale for Radio 4 Extra which will be transmitted over the weekend of 16th / 17th April. The programme can be heard following airings of the radio adaptations of Kneale's plays The Stone Tape and The Road.

Limited edition Kneale T-Shirt

 
To help celebrate the centenary of Kneale's birth Sean Coleman is currently taking orders for a specially designed limited edition T-shirt to mark the occasion. The T-shirt, available in various colours, will only be for sale for a limited period from Sean's online store
https://www.mercht.com/c/knealebeforegod

Charity Auction for Red Cross Ukraine

 

My friend Johnny Mains has organised a charity auction in aid of Red Cross Ukraine. There are loads of rare items from authors, actors and artists including a signed script for an episode of Inside No9, Peter Wyngarde's rings and props from the recent version of The Mezzotint among many others. I've donated my rare edition of Nigel Kneale's Tomato Cain book. To bid on this and other items please follow the link below.

https://willyousendadinghyplease.blogspot.com/2022/02/ukraine-genre-auction.html?fbclid=IwAR0S2VHiklKbJMI_BITzze6daHsljmNWXVdtO624uVCN1BWwcnDiZLQ2K08

BFI Nigel Kneale Season

The BFI have announced details of their celebration of Nigel Kneale, entitled Nightmares and Daydreams, to mark his centenary year. 

Screenings will take place throughout April with showings of such work as The Year of the Sex Olympics, First Men in the Moon and The Abominable Snowman. There will also be a reading of his missing Out of the Unknown episode The Chopper as well as a presentation of his chilling BBC version of 1984 complete with a discussion on the legacy of his work. Full details are here 

Tomato Cain To Be Reprinted

 
Kneale's long out of print collection of short stories, Tomato Cain, will be reprinted in July 2022 by Comma Press.

The book, which won the 1950 Somerset Maugham Award, is Kneale's only collection of short stories and has been highly sort after by collector and fans for many decades. Now, thanks to Andy Murray working in conjunction with Comma Press, the book will see a new imprint that collects together stories from both the UK and US editions for the first time ever. 

For further details and to pre-order a copy go to https://commapress.co.uk/books/tomato-cain-and-other-stories

Nigel Kneale Centenary Celebration

 

Nigel Kneale was born on 28th April 1922 and this year marks one hundred years since his birth. To celebrate this landmark a day long event is being staged at the Picturehouse in Crouch End, London on Saturday  23rd April.

The event will feature expert panelists and members of the cast and crew of various Kneale productions looking at his film and TV work and his influence and legacy. A packed day of events includes a live reading of his now missing from the archives 1952 radio play You Must Listen and screenings of several of Kneale's classic works. These include an episode of The Quatermass Experiment (1953) TV series, The Stone Tape (1972) introduced by star Jane Asher, Against the Crowd: Murrain (1975) introduced by David Simeon, Late Night Story: The Photograph (1978) and a rare showing of Hammer's Quatermass and the Pit (1967).

I will be there, as one of the guests on the panel From Taskerland to Ring Stone Round: Nigel Kneale in the 70s, and I feel very excited to appear alongside William Fowler and Una McCormack to discuss Kneale's output for the decade. Other panels will look at Kneale's time at the BBC, Kneale's film work and his legacy and influences on modern TV. It promises to be an exceptional day!

Further information and booking details can be found at https://www.nigelknealecentenary.com/