From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gloomsbury
was a
BBC Radio 4
comedy sitcom which gently parodied the lives, loves and works of the
Bloomsbury Group
. It was written by
Sue Limb
and five series were produced, in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
[1]
Cast
[
edit
]
The character names were punning parodies of prominent members of the
Bloomsbury Group
and other characters of the day:
- Miriam Margolyes
as
Vera Sackcloth-Vest
(
Vita Sackville-West
), creator of the garden at Sizzlinghurst Castle (
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
).
- Jonathan Coy
as her husband,
Henry Mickleton
(
Harold Nicolson
).
- Alison Steadman
as
Ginny Fox
(
Virginia Woolf
) and as
Mrs Gosling
, Vera's housekeeper, also
Lady Utterline Immoral
of Arsington (
Lady Ottoline Morrell
of
Garsington Manor
).
- Nigel Planer
as
Lionel Fox
(
Leonard Woolf
) and
Gosling
, Vera's gardener (in series 1, 3, 4 and 5 ? both played by
Roger Lloyd-Pack
in series 2), also
Lytton Scratchy
(
Lytton Strachey
) and (series 5)
Winston Churchill
(name unaltered). In series 3, episode 5, Planer portrayed
The Prince of Wales
(the future King
Edward VIII
) using an impression of
Prince Charles
.
- John Sessions
as
D. H. Lollipop
(
D. H. Lawrence
), author of
Lady Hattersley's Plover
; also
T. S. Jellitot
(
T. S. Eliot
) and (in series 4)
Llewd George
(
David Lloyd George
) and
WB Yikes
(
W. B. Yeats
), and in (series 5)
Robert Bletchley
(
Robert Benchley
),
George Gurnard Shaw
(
George Bernard Shaw
),
Ernest Hammingway
(
Ernest Hemingway
),
Gertrude Klein
(
Gertrude Stein
) and
James Voyce
(
James Joyce
).
- Morwenna Banks
as the "muse"
Venus Traduces
(
Violet Trefusis
). In series 3, episode 5, Banks portrayed
Mrs Freda Cuddly-Broad
(
Freda Dudley Ward
, mistress of the (then) Prince of Wales, later
Edward VIII
). In series 4 and 5 she is
Hilda Matthewson
(
Hilda Matheson
) and in series 5 also
Frieda Lollipop
(
Frieda Lawrence
),
Dorothy Barker
(
Dorothy Parker
),
Barrington
(
Dora Carrington
),
Charlotte
(
Charlotte Payne-Townshend
, Shaw's wife),
Gwen Staubyn
(Henry's/Harold's sister, married name Gwendolen St Aubyn) and
Nancy Astor
(name unaltered).
Each episode covered the various personal shenanigans and literary endeavours of the group, influenced by contemporary mores and events.
Theme music
[
edit
]
The theme for all episodes was "
You're Driving Me Crazy
", written in 1930, which could be considered rather late in the history of the Bloomsbury Group, and performed by
The Temperance Seven
.
Production
[
edit
]
The series was written by
Sue Limb
and produced by Little Brother Productions for the BBC.
[1]
References
[
edit
]
Little Brother Productions
|
|---|
| Children's media
| |
|---|
| Adult media
| |
|---|
| People
| |
|---|
|
