SIMON PERKINS' LURGY
By Bob Fischer
Starring Ethan Warren and Roger Limb
“And now, an extra programme for students of Module DD305: Simon Perkins’ Lurgy. In this lecture, Professor Ronald Beardyweirdy examines Simon’s subconscious mind, and asks whether the increasingly strange and surreal nature of his dreams is the sign of a deeper, more chronic psychological condition…”
"Spellbinding... will leave you contemplating your very existence"
"Excellent voice acting and sound design... fans of Inside No 9 and spooky period kids' shows like Children of the Stones will find plenty to cherish"
– SHINDIG!
It’s September 1974, and listless teenager Simon Perkins still hasn’t gone back to school. Suffering from a debilitating and unspecified “lurgy”, he drifts through daytime naps on his grandmother’s settee, his only company the babble of the Open University modules on TV. And when the sinister continuity announcer begins to initiate conversations with him, Simon also begins to question the state of his mental health.
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But could the television provide unlikely salvation from his torpor? All Simon has to do is reach out and touch the screen...
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An original audio drama from Mulgrave Audio, available on CD and to download
Running Time: 57 minutes approx
WATCH THE TRAILER:
BEHIND THE SCENES
The story behind Simon Perkins’ Lurgy began when members of the legendary Radiophonic Workshop took part in an onstage Q&A in Stockton-on-Tees. Hosting the event was local radio presenter, Bob Fischer. Bob was taken aback when Workshop veteran Roger Limb revealed that, prior to composing music for the likes of Doctor Who and The Box of Delights, he had worked at the BBC as a 1970s continuity announcer. And, amazingly, he could still remember some of his on-air links word for word...
Bob and his fellow North-eastern writers, Andrew Orton and Andrew T. Smith, were already discussing the idea of forming an audio drama production company. Suddenly, the idea for a play in which a troubled 1970s youngster begins having conversations with the television seemed like the perfect starting point. Bob's script for Simon Perkins’ Lurgy was completed between radio commitments, and the trio agreed they needed a bona fide Teesside teenager to bring the lead role to life.
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With the help of the Pauline Quirke Academy (PQA), auditions took place on a quiet Sunday morning in Darlington. And one candidate stood out, offering both a stunning emotional range and an unlikely appreciation of that grimy, mid-1970s period. Ethan Warren was only 14 when he was cast, but he boasted an extraordinary knowledge of vintage TV: the result of having grown up with a Doctor Who and horror-loving dad! Ethan was delighted to accept the part, and threw himself into preparations for the studio recording. Fuelled by tea and cake, intensive rehearsals took place in several accommodating local cafés...
During rehearsals, Ethan talked a little about his impressions of Simon and his love of acting:
But would Roger Limb be equally happy to take part, and embark on his first continuity job in over 40 years? Incredibly, the answer was yes. Roger was fascinated by the project, and delighted to accept the role of the sinister TV announcer. Ethan's parts were recorded in a Newcastle studio one chilly October morning...
... and, a month later, Roger's continuity links were recorded in his North London home studio.
Roger was also happy to chat during a break in recording. We began by asking about his reaction when he first read the script...
The day also provided another major breakthrough. On the way to visit Roger, at a service station on the M25, Bob and the two Andrews finally agreed on a name for their company: Mulgrave Audio. Dozens of alternatives had been discussed and rejected, but naming the company after an area of North Yorkshire woodland riddled with strange folklore seemed an appropriate nod to the trio's fascination with ancient weirdness... and, indeed, their North-eastern roots.
The process of post-production then began in earnest. Teesside multi-instrumentalist Ben Hopkinson provided a main theme and beautiful sequences of incidental music. His remit? “Think Pink Floyd meets Peanuts”! Jez Butler and Polly Hulse – aka The Twelve Hour Foundation – composed and recorded 1970s-style themes for the play's spoof educational shows, and the results are gloriously authentic, fully utilising the duo's collection of vintage analogue synthesizers. And, to everyone's delight, Roger Limb himself composed and recorded additional music – including the affecting accompaniment to Simon's touching poem!
Giving Simon's story an authentic 1970s feel presented the team with several challenges. But listen out for the sound of an original GPO746 rotary telephone, handily discovered in a Stockton charity shop, and the genuine clunks and white noise of an original early 1970s Philips TV set. Still in full working order, it’s usually hidden in the cupboard beneath Bob’s staircase – but has now been immortalised in Andrew Orton’s evocative cover artwork.
Finally, Simon Perkins’ Lurgy is complete, and Mulgrave Audio couldn't be more grateful to everyone who has helped along the way. Obviously Ethan and Roger, but also Laura Lonsdale from the Pauline Quirke Academy, Ethan's dad Mike Warren, mastering engineer Chris Sharp, and Ghost Box Records co-founder Jim Jupp, who has provided invaluable advice and support.
Now – what can anyone tell us about the metamorphosis of the frog?
"Incredible... will strike a deep chord for anyone who has been remotely drawn to the hauntological world, and nails how important TV itself was to the weirdness of the era. Ethan Warren is fantastic, he carries the whole piece effortlessly"
– JIM JUPP, GHOST BOX RECORDS
"Wonderful and evocative... what a gorgeous ending"
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– STEPHEN BROTHERSTONE, SCARRED FOR LIFE
Simon Perkins' Broadcast
Author Bob Fischer and actor Ethan Warren are interviewed on BBC Tees radio and discuss the genesis and production of Simon Perkins' Lurgy as well as hopes for more Mulgrave Audio to come.