High Cockalorum - Drama on 4 - Thursday 18 September

[nauticant]

On now:

When Marty is tasked with looking after a Hollywood star their meeting has an unexpectedly emotional outcome. A comedy drama by Jeremy Dyson and starring Mark Gatiss.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002jfc7

I'm finding this very amusing. The high point so far was Marty the driver explaining to an increasingly irritated James Mason the concept of Fingerbobs.

I thought it was lovely! Funny and very well acted.

I loved it. Caught it halfway through by chance but recognised MG’s voice. Will listen the whole thing later.

I loved it so much. Really delightful play.

Absolutely lovely. What a bravura performance from Mark Gatiss! He plays both the central parts and I would say about 95% of the dialogue is therefore MG talking to MG. I wonder how they recorded it.

https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2025/09/18/59089/high_cockalorum
https://www.radiotimes.com/audio/jeremy-dyson-league-of-gentlemen-reunion-high-cockalorum-interview/

Based on Jeremy Dyson's uncle, who did meet James Mason in similar circumstances, apparently!

Commissioned as part of the BBC’s Contains Strong Language festival (there’s a live playout and Q&A at St George’s Hall, Bradford, on 20 September), Dyson describes the 1978-set story as “a mini road movie about an encounter between a humble lad from West Yorkshire and a Hollywood film star”. In real life, Dyson’s uncle worked for a record label, where he was occasionally called on to look after actors working on soundtrack albums – which is how he once came to spend time with James Mason, star of such films as A Star Is Born and Lolita. Dyson says: “When I told Mark this story, he joked, ‘You write it, I’ll play it.’ Eighteen months later, here we are.”

Oh that was really lovely..

What a performance from MG! They're a talented bunch

Yes, really lovely. Thanks for the recommendation.

Is anyone else old enough to read the title of this post and immediately have the song from The Water Babies film in their head?

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/lionel-jeffries-the-water-babies-1978-on-records/