African Incident

"African Incident"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 8 Episode: 14
Written by	Spike Milligan Larry Stephens
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Roy Speer
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: Don't Get Around Much Anymore Ellington: Jack the Bear
Recording Number	TLO 45270
First broadcast	30 December 1957 (1957-12-30)
Running time	28:29
Guest appearance
Cécile Chevreau

African Incident is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the fourteenth show in the eighth series.

A pre-recording (TLO 45270B) session took place Sunday 29 December 1957, 6.30pm. at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London. The recording (TLO 45270) for transmission was created later that same Sunday, also at The Camden, at 9pm.

The first Home Service broadcast was the broadcast was the next day, Monday, at 8.30pm 30 December 1957, its ratings were 1.9 million. The show was repeated on the following Thursday at 9pm, 2 January 1958, on the Light Programme to 2.6 million listeners.

Transcription Service Synopsis

An escape story of uncertain merit. Captain Neddie Seagoon is Commanding Officer of a British Unit in Africa which is captured by the Germans during the first day of hostilities. In the prison camp they receive orders to build a bridge over the River Kerparteh. Captain Seagoon escapes several times and eventually manages to enlist the assistance of Bloodnok and Moriarty. Complications are caused by Bloodnok's brief but concentrated infatuation for a native girl. Eventually however, Goon standards emerge triumphant, and with an awful bang the bridge is finally destroyed…

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Arthur Johnston (music) / Johnny Burke (lyrics))
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Jack the Bear (Duke Ellington)

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 45270 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House).

This tape survived intact in TS and was used for the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 6. Again, there is much material omitted from the domestic transmission which was used in the TGS issue. The master tape of this has also survived, and was used for the Compendium version of the show.

Show Notes

• Actress Cécile Chevreau appeared at short notice in the new episode, taking on the scripted role of ‘Native Girl’ intended for Peter.
• Spike's script was in fact the spoof of The Bridge on the River Kwai which had been previously rejected for production as a ‘non-audience’ show.
• The closing theme music changed again for one week to the march Alte Kameraden (Old Comrades) written in 1889 by Carl Teike. *However, over Christmas Roy Speer had been taken very ill and taping had in fact been supervised by Tom Ronald, a senior BBC variety and comedy producer but – alas – one with little empathy for the Goonish sense of humour. The plan was that Tom would now remain as producer on the series for the rest of its run, even although he was due to take over as the producer on Hancock's Half Hour. ‘Tom Ronald will be in charge as producer, but for reasons of expediency we are leaving the administration with Doreen [Davies], Roy's secretary, as a natural course,’ explained Jim Davidson (Assistant Head of Light Entertainment) to Spike on 3 January 1958 as he noted that the Corporation did not yet know the severity of Roy's illness, ‘I know I can depend upon your goodwill and co-operation.’