The Fitzrovia Radio Hour

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour are a group of British comedy writer/performers, formed in 2008 and consisting of Jon Edgley Bond, Alix Dunmore, Alex Ratcliffe, Phil Mulryne, Tom Mallaburn and Martin Pengelly.

History

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour conceive, write and perform theatrical radio plays in the 1940s style. The plays are performed in evening dress, behind period microphones and with sound effects produced live. An hour-long show usually contains three stories – typically in genres such as horror, adventure, science fiction and romance – interspersed with advertisements for products such as whisky, cigarettes and stout. Popular characters include Leinigen, a fearless explorer; Squadron Leader Edward Templar, an intrepid RAF pilot; Professor Quested, an investigator of the unusual; and Frank Maskill, a Leeds lathe worker who should have known his place.

Writers, Directors and Guests

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour is predominantly written by Jon Edgley Bond, Phil Mulryne and Tom Mallaburn, who share directorial duties, and Martin Pengelly, the only non-actor in the group. The Fitzrovia Radio Hour has featured a number of guest actors, including Fiona Sheehan, Laura Carmichael, Esther Biddle, Nick Atkinson, Asa Joel, Chris Gilling and Dan Starkey.

Shows

Series 1

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour formed in January 2008. The founding members were Jon Edgley Bond, Alix Dunmore, Alex Ratcliffe and Callum Coates, with subsequent members Phil Mulryne and Tom Mallaburn also appearing in their first series of shows. The first six performances took place at Bourne & Hollingsworth, a speakeasy cellar bar located in the Fitzrovia area of London. For these shows original broadcast scripts from the 1940s were sourced and occasionally edited for performance by Jon Edgley Bond. There was a slow genesis of the show's format during these performances. Guest directors such as Phoebe Barran and Miles Gregory contributed to the show, Gregory's re-structuring work setting a template that has been closely followed since. A dedicated sound man was often employed for the production of sound effects. After the first six shows, audience numbers necessitated a move to a bigger venue.

Series 2

In October 2008 the Fitzrovia Radio Hour performed their first show at the Swan, the bar and brasserie at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. For the first time, the show was written by the group themselves. It featured ‘Rex Boothroyd: For King & Country’, a spy story by Tom Mallaburn and Martin Pengelly, who subsequently joined the group, and Phil Mulryne’s adaptation of ‘The Suicide Club’, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Top Shelf Jazz provided post-show music. The show remained at the Swan for six free monthly performances until audience demand necessitated a move to a larger venue.

Series 3

In May 2009 the Fitzrovia Radio Hour performed their first show at the UnderGlobe, the 400-capacity space under Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The show, entitled ‘Tales of Speed & Time’ featured three new stories – ‘The Man Who Was Ten Minutes Late’, by Tom Mallaburn and Martin Pengelly, ‘The Queen of Nimruth’ by Phil Mulryne and a four-minute adaptation of ‘Sherlock Holmes & the Adventure of the Norwood Builder’, written by Alex Ratcliffe. Post-show music was supplied by Marmaduke Dando.

In 2009 the Fitzrovia Radio Hour performed seven monthly shows at the UnderGlobe, including a Halloween Special in October and finishing with a Christmas Special in December 2009. Top Shelf Jazz, The Correspondents, Trio Manouche and The Jive Aces provided live music.

London Run

From Saturday 30 January to Saturday 6 March 2010, the Fitzrovia Radio Hour performed a five-week run of performances at the Last Days of Decadence in Shoreditch and the Swan at Shakespeare’s Globe on Bankside. The run was comprised of three shows, performed in rotation. The shows featured some of the best of the previous year’s shows at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Show One

Whisky in the Jar (Edgley Bond)
It Came From The Black Abyss! (Mulryne)
The Man Who Was Ten Minutes Late (Mallaburn/Pengelly)
Sponsored by Soho Cigarettes (Edgley Bond)

Show Two

Survival of the Fittest (Mallaburn/Pengelly)
Leinigen & the North Star (Edgley Bond)
The Queen of Nimruth (Mulryne)
Sponsored by Roses Carbolic Soap (Edgley Bond)

Show Three

He Should Have Known His Place (Mallaburn/Pengelly)
Leinigen & the North Pole (Edgley Bond)
Mudmen from the Thames (Mulryne)
Sponsored by Poland Street Stout (Pengelly)

Press

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour made two appearances on BBC Radio London’s Saturday Breakfast and recorded a topical sketch for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday 30 January 2010. The shows have been reviewed favourably by the Guardian and Time Out and the group have been named as one of the magazine’s ‘Tribes of London’.

The Future

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour will perform at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at the Underbelly at 3.45pm each day.

Links

Official Site