| South African Old-Time Radio New Productions: "Samson And Delilah" Writers |
| The Pumamouse Website Presents... |
Welcome to the NEW PRODUCTIONS: "SAMSON AND DELILAH" WRITERS webpage of The Pumamouse Website! The following biographies and essay are included with many thanks from The Pumamouse to Dorothy Carter and Leslie Smith. |
| WHO ARE DOROTHY CARTER AND LESLIE SMITH? As you may have already read elsewhere on The Pumamouse Website, "Samson And Delilah" is the second new play to be commissioned for the Vintage Radio program which is currently airing on Radio Today 1485AM. The original story was written by Dorothy Carter, and it was adapted for radio by Leslie Smith. But, who are they? Well, in my humble Pumamouse opinion, the story behind the play "Samson And Delilah" is every bit as interesting as the play itself! Please read the following press release biographies, and I believe you might agree... DOROTHY CARTER - born in England in 1939. Emigrated to South Africa with husband, Harry and children Leslie, Jill and Cheryl in 1971. A keen writer from a very early age, but never got around to sending anything for publication. Tragedy struck in 1971 when, after just a few months of living in South Africa, Harry was hit by a truck whilst walking to work. The family, however, decided against returning to the UK. Dorothy remarried in 1973 and daughter Francine was born a year later. Today, Dorothy lives with third husband, Herbert, in Withernsea on the East Yorkshire coast. "Samson And Delilah" was originally written as a ten minute play for a BBC regional radio competition (in which it was highly commended). It was some years later that son, Les, got hold of the script and decided that it could very easily be turned into a 30 minute Springbok Radio style play. LES SMITH - the writer's son - eldest of four. Born in England in 1961- 9 years old when the family arrived in South Africa. Les became an avid Springbok Radio listener very early on and decided around the age of 12 that radio would be his own career. Whilst still a (lazy and unbrilliant) pupil at Willowmoore High School in Benoni, Les wrote his first successful radio play which was broadcast on "Tuesday Theatre", much to the amazement of his teachers! After leaving school, after a spell selling PVC irrigation valves and piping, Les found his first full time radio job with Radio Bophuthatswana in Mmabatho. He also worked for 702 Music Radio in Johannesburg for a short time before leaving SA in 1984. Today, Les works as a freelance scriptwriter, radio presenter and voice-over artist in the North East of England. Personal Pumamouse Note: I can attest to the fact that Les' voice work is very impressive. (Vintage Radio listeners in South Africa have surely heard his voice, as it is featured in some of the Toshiba ads which are currently airing on Radio Today 1485AM!) I recently asked Les to share his thoughts regarding the new production of "Samson And Delilah" for Vintage Radio, and he kindly provided the following essay. Thank you, Les...and congratulations and thanks to you and your Mum for the excellent result of your collaboration! The Pumamouse March 2003 |
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| The Story Behind The Story as written and provided by Les Smith: My Mum (Dorothy Carter) has been writing stories on and off for many years - and they're good. Success almost came in the early 80's when a children's story was accepted by a South African company which was, at the time, producing audio cassettes for young people. Unfortunately, the company ceased to exist before the story was produced. Her first attempt at writing a play for radio came about five or six years ago when she entered "Samson And Delilah" into a BBC regional radio scriptwriting competition. It was highly commended and the judges suggested that it might be turned into a half hour play and sent to Radio 4. (In its original form the play was just 15 minutes in length - as specified by the rules of the competition). Not knowing quite how the story might be "padded out", she put it to one side. This is, I suppose, where I came in. I'd had a copy of the script lying around in the bottom of my briefcase, unread, along with lots of my own half-written and semi-abandoned "ideas". I came accross it one day, whilst having a tidy out and read it through one lunch time. It actually gave me a bit of a "lump in the throat", which I took to be a good sign. A year or so later, after corresponding for some time with Vintage Radio's Frans Erasmus and contributing CDs of two "Tuesday Theatres" I once wrote, I was asked if I could come up with a script or two for possible new productions. It was a great honour to be asked, and "Samson And Delilah" immediately sprang to mind. I was given complete freedom (by my Mum) to do whatever I felt right to increase the play to 30 minutes, which I did. I added a bit of extra mystery and a bit of a conflict situation between the two male lead characters, but the basic idea is intact. It starts and ends just the same as it did in the original version. As a great Springbok Radio fan of bygone times, it's fantastic to feel this play has helped in a small way to forward this revival of radio drama in South Africa. To hear "Samson And Delilah" produced by someone of the calibre of Henry Diffenthal gives me a great sense of pride (his "High Adventure" series was one of the highlights of my listening week and, probably, one of the many series that gave me the burning urge, at the age of about 14, to start writing radio plays myself). It's also great to hear so many of those familar, versatile Durban voices again! Long live Vintage Radio! |
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| Please Note: The Pumamouse Website has always been and will always remain 100% free of any advertisements for products or services. This is not a business website. However, it is possible that the information contained on this webpage might generate interest of a commercial or business nature. Therefore, although it is not included here, contact information will be provided upon request to those who are interested in using Les Smith's voice work services. |
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