Editing Penda’s Fen from pebblemill on Vimeo.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Specially shot video with writer David Rudkin, talking about the editing of the 1974 Play for Today, ‘Penda’s Fen’. David Rudkin was lucky enough to spend some time with the editor, Henry Fowler, which was unusual for a writer even back in the 1970s.
Writer, David Rudkin
Relative success of Penda’s Fen from pebblemill on Vimeo.
Specially shot interview with writer David Rudkin, talking about the relative success of the 1974 Play for Today, ‘Penda’s Fen’, made by BBC Pebble Mill. Alan Clarke was the director, David Rose the producer, and Tara Prem the script editor.
Caroline Hawkins left the following message on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group: ‘I remember it. I was in it. I was the little girl who had her hands chopped off and my mother was the costume designer (who persuaded me to do it!)’.
Photos from John Waldron, no reproduction without permission.
The photos show shoots for the continuing drama, ‘Doctors’, taking place at the rear, and front entrances to Pebble Mill.
The Pebble Mill building proved ideal in providing multiple locations for ‘Doctors’. With a little dressing the corridors and exterior could be made to look like a hospital or police station.
The photos include: Kenny Ralston (swinging the boom in the second photo), Tabitha Wady, Natalie J. Robb, Tom Butcher, and Corrine Wickes.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:
Andy Walters: ‘The first picture is of the back of Pebble Mill below the WM production office. The other two are of the front.’
Marie Phillips: ‘My Successor at CIN left after a year or so and I was asked to spend time with the next Co-ordinator to show her the ropes so to speak so I was not up to date with current programmes. On my way to the Photocopy Room one morning a very nice, smart gentleman asked me the way to Doctors. I thought “Oh Dear, he must be feeling poorly” and promptly escorted him to the Surgery to Gina the Nurse. “Oh No” he said, “I’m directing it!” I did feel silly and took him up to the set and I could hear raucous laughter as I sped away !!’
Photos from Janice Rider, no reproduction without permission.
The wedding episode of the black soap opera, ‘Empire Road’ was transmitted on 25 October 1979, it seems to be the final episode. It was directed by Horace Ove, written by Michael Abbensetts, and produced at Pebble Mill by Peter Ansorge. Janice Rider was the costume designer.
Norman Beaton played Everton, Corinne Skinner-Carter played Hortense, Wayne Laryea played Marcus.
The photos include publicity stills, polaroids taken for continuity reasons and the original drawn design for the wedding dress.
David Rudkin on Alan Clarke from pebblemill on Vimeo.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Specially shot interview with writer, David Rudkin, talking about working with director, Alan Clarke, on the 1974 Play for Today, ‘Penda’s Fen’.
‘Penda’s Fen’ was produced at Pebble Mill by David Rose, and script edited by Tara Prem. The film tells the story of Stephen, a troubled 18 year old who rejects the traditional church he was brought up into, in search of an older pagan faith.
