PATCHWUFF
By Andrew T. Smith
Starring Valerie Singleton
Original Soundtrack By Sandra Kerr
“The thing about adventures,” Patchwuff would say, “Is that they’re best enjoyed when shared with others...”​​​​
Mulgrave Audio presents Little Hauntings – a series of short-form audio dramas for vinyl
and download.
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VINYL ORDERS INCLUDE AN EXCLUSIVE FREE PATCHWUFF POSTCARD
A long time ago, when Peter was just a little boy, his favourite place to visit was his grandmother’s sewing room. Because this was the home of the most clever, the most adventurous, the most caring old dog in the world – Patchwuff.
But when a Very Important Man decides to put Patchwuff’s stories on the television, Peter finds his loyalties divided. Patchwuff becomes an incredibly famous dog indeed, and Peter doesn’t really want to talk about him any more. As he grows older, however, life gets increasingly complicated. Can Peter really face the greatest adventure of all without Patchwuff by his side?
An original audio drama from Mulgrave Audio, available on vinyl and to download
Drama Running Time: 14 minutes approx
WATCH THE TRAILER:
BEHIND THE SCENES
Patchwuff is the third release from Mulgrave Audio, and the second in our Little Hauntings series of bite-sized adventures. Written by Mulgrave co-founder Andrew T. Smith, it tells the story of Peter, a young boy whose best friend is a tatty cloth dog, hand-made by his doting grandmother.
When a high-flying TV executive visits the house and decides to bring Patchwuff’s stories to the small screen, Peter finds his loyalties divided.
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Patchwuff is narrated by a genuine TV legend. Before she presented iconic BBC children’s show Blue Peter from 1962 to 1975, Valerie Singleton had worked regularly as a TV, radio and theatre performer. Patchwuff is her first lead acting role for over six decades.
“Until I met the wonderful Valerie a few years ago, I had no idea about her pre-Blue Peter acting career,” says Andrew. “But armed with this knowledge, I knew she was the only choice for the narrator. The role called not only for someone whose voice evokes the gentle children’s television of yesteryear, but also somebody who could handle quite serious subject matter as the play progresses.”
After reading Andrew’s script, Valerie was delighted to accept the role. She recalls an emotional reaction at her first read-through:
To record Valerie’s narration, the three-man Mulgrave Audio team decamped to rural Dorset, where she now lives. Mill Farm Studio in Bradford Abbas provided an idyllic setting for the sessions.
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Patchwuff’s soundtrack, meanwhile, is provided by a legend of the folk music world. And, indeed, another performer with strong links to a golden age of children’s television. Sandra Kerr has enjoyed a sixty-year career as a writer and performer of traditional music, and in 1974 she joined her then-husband John Faulkner to create the soundtrack for Bagpuss. Fifty years on, Sandra has composed and recorded a completely original score for Patchwuff, including two brand new songs.
In true Oliver Postgate style, the sessions were recorded live and organically in Sandra’s Northumberland home. Sandra took time out from the recording sessions to tell us more about the music she has composed:
The sound design has been created by Bob Fischer, and is presented in old school mono for what Bob calls that “in front of the telly” feeling! Final mastering has been done by Ghost Box Records’ co-founder Jim Jupp, and the release’s artwork is by Andrew Orton.
Patchwuff will be released on 3rd June 2025 for digital download, with a limited edition 10” vinyl to follow shortly afterwards. Both are available to pre-order now. The vinyl comes with by an exclusive free postcard featuring the cover of the long-lost 1970 Patchwuff Annual. Digital download versions (provided free with vinyl purchases) also include Sandra Kerr’s isolated songs and a special analogue version of Patchwuff, created using a 1970s Revox reel-to-reel tape machine for that authentic vintage feel.
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