It was very sad to hear of Alan Plater’s passing last week. A writer with a brilliant ear for dialogue whose theatre and TV career spanned over 40 years, and a lovely man by all accounts. I first discovered him as a kid because my dad was obsessed with The Beiderbecke Affair, and A Very British Coup is also well worth digging up on DVD. If you’ve got an hour to spare there’s an extensive interview with him at the British Library’s Theatre Archive project.
Alan Plater had a long association with BBC Birmingham, and you can see two of the films he wrote for them at mac this weekend. The first, Land Of Green Ginger, is a 1973 Play For Today which used an evocative Hull street name for its title. It was the first time Plater had been given free rein to to write a film set in his hometown, and includes choice lines like “Bugger shopping. I was only going for a bag of sugar and a bit of scandal.” The second was made over thirty years later and has another distinctive title: The Last Will and Testament of Billy Two Sheds. It stars Likely Lad and Beiderbecke collaborator James Bolam, and was filmed on Birmingham allotments. The producers of both films, David Rose and Will Trotter, will be present at the screenings.
Alan Plater (15 April 1935 – 25 June 2010)
I’m so sad to hear of the passing of Alan Plater, the world needs more people like him not less. I came across this site on a search for the work of art that is his ‘Last Will And Testament Of Billy Two Sheds’, one of my family’s all time favourite pieces of television. Such a wonderfully poignant and gently perceptive production (much like Plater himself) and obviously a labour of love for all concerned. I’ve been desperately searching for a copy of this to no avail, but I am so thrilled to see that you recently screened it, and with the producers present! I would have loved to have been there, but I live miles away in Brighton. At the time of its second airing as ‘The Afternoon Play’ I wrote to the BBC about Billy Two Sheds and they said they’d pass on my letter to the producers. I hope they did. I also would’ve liked to have written to Mr Plater one day to let him know just what Billy Two Sheds meant to myself and my family.
I would be MORE than thrilled if you could help me locate a copy of it. Do please let me know, it would mean a lot.
Also, would there be any way my comments could be passed on to the producers?
Your organisation looks great by the way. Keep up the good work.
Cheers.
Chris
Comment by Chris Natural — August 18, 2010 @ 11:56 pm
We’ll definitely pass on your thoughts Chris, and thanks for the kind words. Judging from past experience, getting hold of a viewing copy of the film will be difficult.
Comment by Ian — August 19, 2010 @ 12:15 pm