The Great British Revolution

"The Great British Revolution"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 8 Episode: 12
Written by	Spike Milligan Larry Stephens
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Roy Speer
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: Tune for Ann Ellington: Fascinatin' Thing
Recording Number	TLO 44167
First broadcast	16 December 1957 (1957-12-16)
Running time	29:18

The Great British Revolution is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the twelfth show in the seventh series.

A pre-recording (DLO 44167B) session took place Sunday 15 December 1957, 6.30pm. at the Paris Theatre, 12 Lower Regent Street, Central London. The recording (TLO 44167) for transmission was created later that same Sunday, also at the Paris, at 9pm.

The first Home Service broadcast was the next day, Monday, at 8.30pm 16 December 1957, its ratings were 1.5 million.

The show was repeated in its usual Light Programme spot on Thursday 9pm, 19 December 1957, to 2.6 million listeners.

Transcription Service Synopsis

Captain Seagoon is the proud leader of the October Rising of 1917 (lent by kind permission of the Russians). Packed into these thirty exciting minutes is the story of the march on No 10 Downing Street, the ultimatum delivered to the Prime Minister, and finally, the foiling by extraordinary means of a dastardly plot against the Government.

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays Tune for Ann (Harry A Edgington)
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Fascinatin' Thing (Harry A Edgington)

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 44167 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This tape no longer exists and the version of the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 7 was compiled from the TGS master tape, the POTG master tape and a domestic recording of the original transmission.

Show Notes

• The dual recording for The Goon Show on Sunday 15 had been relocated to the Paris Studios on Regent Street, with the remake of The Vanishing Room and then The Great British Revolution taped back to back from 8.30pm

• The tunes played by both Max Geldray and the Ray Ellington Quartet in The Great British Revolution were composed by Spike's old army pal, Harry Edgington, while for one week the end theme was once again Lucky Strike (with Spike's script indicating that the closing music should be the

‘Old one from last year if possible’).

• The studio move and schedule change was to accommodate a rather special audience. The Duchess of Kent was in attendance along with her daughter, Princess Alexandra. This made news in the press and was excellent publicity for the show since the Duchess loved the recording. However, Spike was less than happy with the way events turned out since the presence of royalty had been kept a secret from the cast. ‘As a result of mis-information, I was grossly ill-dressed for the occasion, and I had already made an important dinner engagement for immediately after the show. Consequently I had to walk out at a most inopportune moment,’ wrote a furious Spike to Pat Hillyard on Monday 30 December, ‘PS: Don't bother to reply.’ Just before Christmas, Pat did drop the writer a line, passing on a message from the Duchess’ private secretary indicating that she enjoyed the show, had received his letter and ‘entirely understood’.