Louis MacNeice: The Dark Tower, Christopher Columbus & more

A rare collection of vintage radio dramas from the renowned Ulster poet, plus bonus documentary

Born in Belfast in 1907, Louis MacNeice wrote some of the most beautiful and best-loved poetry of the 20^th century. But he was also one of the BBC’s most innovative writers and producers, scripting numerous dramas for radio, including the landmark production The Dark Tower and the epic verse play Christopher Columbus. Those two seminal productions are included here, alongside tales drawn from Irish mythology and Graeco-Roman history, a psychological drama about a distracted painter and a fascinating profile of MacNeice himself.

They Met on Good Friday – AD 1014, just north of Dublin, and as Good Friday dawns, Brian Boru and his army of Irishmen face a formidable force of Viking warriors on the battlefield at Clontarf. Who will prevail, and gain control of Ireland? Patrick Magee and Patrick Wymark star in MacNeice’s ‘sceptical historical romance’ dramatising a key event in Irish history.

Christopher Columbus – First broadcast on 12 October 1942 to mark the 450th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the New World, this ambitious, theatrical play blends MacNeice’s verse with music by William Walton to tell the story of the famed explorer. Starring Laurence Olivier as Columbus, with Marius Goring, Stephen Murray and Margaret Rawlings.

Cupid and Psyche – Jealous of the beautiful Psyche, the goddess Venus orders her son to make the girl fall in love with a hideous creature. But Cupid scratches himself with his own arrow, and becomes enamored with her himself… Alan McClelland and Betty Linton star in this dramatisation of the famous story from Apuleius’ ancient Roman novel The Golden Ass.

Trimalchio’s Feast – Dramatised from a section in The Satyricon, a first century AD work by the Roman author Petronius, this satirical story revolves around a lavish, ostentatious banquet hosted by a nouveau riche shipping merchant and former slave. Starring Wilfred Pickles as Trimalchio, with Dylan Thomas as Agamemnon.

Persons from Porlock – Louis MacNeice 's last work for radio was broadcast just a few days after his death in 1963. Spanning over 20 years, it tells the story of an artist whose creative process is continually derailed by unforeseen – and unwelcome – interruptions. Jon Rollason stars as the frustrated painter, Hank.

The Dark Tower – Initially transmitted in 1946, this iconic parable play in verse was inspired by Robert Browning's poem ‘Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came’. It centres on Roland, the last of a family whose menfolk are all doomed to set out on a quest from which there is no return… Starring Cyril Cusack, with music specially composed by Benjamin Britten.

In the Dark Tower: Louis MacNeice at the BBC – Poet Paul Muldoon recalls a fellow Belfast wordsmith, exploring Louis MacNeice’s life and work through broadcasts from the BBC’s archive.

Production credits

Written by Louis MacNeice

Contents:

They Met on Good Friday

Christopher Columbus

Cupid and Psyche

Trimalchio’s Feast

Persons from Porlock

The Dark Tower

In the Dark Tower: Louis MacNeice at the BBC

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