50th Anniversary Goon Show

Tuesday the 29th of May is the 50th Anniversary of the first Goon Show and to celebrate the occasion BBC Radio 2 are have a Goon Night the following evening (Bank Holiday Monday).

The highlight of the evening is to be a re-creation of a Series 3 (from which no recordings survive) Goon Show. The part of Spike Milligan will be taken by Jon Glover (of Weekending), Harry Secombe will be played by his son Andrew Secombe, and Peter Sellers by Jeffrey Holland (of Hi De Hi!). The announcer Andrew Timothy's part is being played by his son Christopher Timothy (of All Creatures Great And Small). The Ray Ellington musical spot is by his son Lance Ellington. The recording took place back in March and by all accounts it's very good.

Other items during the evening include Dennis Norden tracing the history of radio comedy from 1945 - 1951 and an updated version of 'At Last The Go On Show'that was originally broadcast ten years ago.

The schedule is as follows:

-19.03-19.10 Goons Night Introduction
-19.10-19.40 Spike's Pick of The Goons
To start this 50th anniversary evening, SPIKE MILLIGAN is let loose in the archive to choose his all-time favourite 'Goon Show'.
-19.40-20.00 Comedians' Goons
Celebrity Goon fans from a younger generation of comedians pick their favourite 'Goon Show' bits and explain how the Goons affected them.
-20.03-21.00 At Last the Go-On Show
-21.03-21.30 The Golden Dawn of The Goons
Just how did 'The Goon Show' come into existence? The programme traces the history of radio comedy from the end of World War II, to the first broadcast of 'Crazy People' in May 1951, when four bright young comedians turned radio comedy on its head.
-21.30-22.30 Goon Again
The 50th Anniversary Cardboard Replica Goon Show, starring Andrew Secombe, Jon Glover, Jeffrey Holland and Christopher Timothy.
"Ten years in preparation, this recording from March 2001 rescue's some of Spike Milligan's best Goons scripts which would otherwise remain unperformed and unread. It also uses Angela Morley band arrangements and was recorded at an original Goon Show venue. Starring Andrew Secombe, Jon Glover, Jeffrey Holland, and Christopher Timothy with Lance Ellington."

bron: alt.fan.goons