Tara Prem – Page 4 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Shakespeare or Bust end credits

This grab is taken from the end credits of Shakespeare or Bust, by Peter Terson.

The 1973 Play for Today featured the three characters who’d appeared previously in The Fishing Party. The drama followed the miners, Art, Ern and Abe, on a canal narrowboat trip down to Stratford Upon Avon. Art was played by Brian Glover, Ern, Ray Mort and Abe by Douglas Livingstone.

The story is of how the three men travelled on a canal boat to see some Sharkespeare at the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon, but when they arrived they couldn’t get in to the theatre. However, at the end of the play they meet Richard Johnson and Janet Suzman, as themselves, outside the theatre, where they were playing the title roles of Anthony and Cleopatra. I think the grab is of Janet Suzman going for a swim in the river at the end of the film.

The producer was David Rose, Brian Parker the director, with Barry Hanson as script editor, assisted by Tara Prem. Oliver White, as you can see from the grab was the film editor, with sound by Peter Caselberg.

Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing the grab.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Susan Cawson: ‘Peter Terson lived on [the canal boat] Ben when it had a cabin. We had an interesting trip when he towed Christopher James for us, he is the only person I know who can steer a 70′ boat through a bridge sideways and get away with it. An interesting weekend!’

Jenny Brewer talks about her BBC career

Jenny Brewer talks about her career at BBC Pebble Mill from pebblemill on Vimeo.

Specially recorded interview with Jenny Brewer talking about her career at the BBC. Jenny began working as a secretary in the late 1960s, and ended up as a commissioning manager in the late 1990s. Much of Jenny’s production work was in the English Regions Drama Department, headed up by David Rose in the 1970s.

The following comments were left on the the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Jean Palmer: ‘I worked for Jenny when she was a commissioning manager up in the posh offices in the fifth floor.’

Gordon Astley: ‘..I think I remember Jenny in the BBC Club’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened……” I had just joined the BBC !!!’

Judith Markall: ‘I remember Jenny and she mentions Eric Holmes! I was his Secretary and I couldn’t have worked for a nice man!!!!!! Much remembered.’

Shakespeare or Bust

This grab is from the 1973 Play for Today, ‘Shakespeare or Bust’, by Peter Tersen. David Rose was the producer, Brian Parker the director, Barry Hanson the script editor, assisted by Tara Prem.

The film featured three characters who’d appeared in an earlier Play for Today, ‘The Fishing Party’ again by Peter Terson. The drama followed the miners, Art, Ern and Abe, on a canal narrowboat trip down to Stratford Upon Avon. Art was played by Brian Glover, Ern, Ray Mort and Abe by Douglas Livingstone.

Peter Terson wrote the script whilst doing the journey himself in a narrowboat, leaving chunks of the finished script at lock-keepers’ cottage along the route for Tara to pick up.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Caroline Hawkins: ‘Yep, I remember it. Mum was the costume designer and after the filming was over we hired the very same boat for a family holiday.’

Dawn Trotman: ‘I think Oliver White cut it and of course Barry Hanson went on to head up the department as well as produce the Long Good Friday.’

David Rudkin talking about the success of Penda’s Fen

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!)’.

Writer, David Rudkin

Writer, David Rudkin, talking about Alan Clarke

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.