As if anticipating the BBC's current exodus from London to the north, the radio drama producer Tony Cliff, who has died aged 70, happily based himself in that region, first in Leeds, then in Manchester, where he became head of radio drama. He turned out a steady stream of memorable contributions to Saturday Night Theatre and other outlets, sometimes inviting direct comparison with the TV version of the same work. For example, The Forsyte Saga was aired to almost the same acclaim as that won by Donald Wilson's celebrated television serial of the late 1960s. Tony was producing between 20 and 25 titles a year.
Born and brought up in Hereford, Tony began as a television trainee in Bristol. He remained adept in this medium but was increasingly attracted to radio. He loved the craft of acting and the business of working out character with his actors, free from any ready-made visual likeness. These sessions were relaxed, jokey, talkative and friendly, according to Fiona Walker, who played in many of his productions. "Oh, and politically always a bit to the left."
(Source : The Guardian)
No comments:
Post a Comment