August 31, 2012

Review of Cromwell's Talking Head (Siren FM podast)


I'll just pick a sentence at random from this thoughtful and perceptive review shall I?

'Calway's performance was a triumph of narration and vocal colour.'

The link is: http://www.radiodramareviews.com/id1161.html

'I look forward to listening to further monologues.'

Laurence, good to make your acquaintance and before we get on to any further ones, you can hear this one live at the Cromwell House Museum, Ely at 7 pm on Monday night Sep 3 if you're in the area. You will be particularly welcome!

4 comments:

Trevor Ashwin said...

That's a great review.

Interested in the statement that "despite his (Cromwell's) best intentions, Britain did not seem to become a better place". We could argue over this forever. One could suggest that the Civil War experience - although it ended in restoration in 1660 - made inevitable the Glorious Revolution of 1688 which gave us the constitutional monarchy that we now have. Whatever else is crap about our more recent constitutional arrangements, at least the Divine Right of Kings has been off the agenda for over 300 years!!

The more I think about it, the more I feel that OC deserves his statue outside the Palace of Westminster!

Gareth Calway said...

'Trust the tale not the teller' as the other Lawrence said and I claim no more validity for my own view as author than any other attentive one, but for myself I have never subscribed to the 'Good' King Charles view of history and I'm pretty sure that I would have stood with Cromwell at Naseby. But as has been well said 'for the events of 350 years ago and their significance - let the argument continue.'

Trevor Ashwin said...

Ha - but would you have stood with Cromwell at Corkbush Field, Gareth?

A rendezvous of the New Model Army took place near Ware in November 1647. Some officers and regiments wished the Army to adopt the Agreement of the People, put forward by the Levellers and advocating (among other things) a near-universal male suffrage. A furious Cromwell, along with other officers, walked amongst the mutinous units with drawn sword, demanding that they set aside this treason and swear allegiance to Fairfax and the Army Council. Eventually nine of the irreconcilables were arrested and one of them shot.

Corkbush Field now lies beneath a housing estate between Ware and Hertford. How the tides of history move on.

Gareth Calway said...

Yes indeed. I would have found it difficult to stand with Cromwell at Drogheda also. Something my grandfather also found difficult (and not just at Drogheda!)