Bodyline and the ‘Silent Killer’


Recommended Posts

Rob, stumps were pulled at around 10.10pm last night. There was a twenty-minute interval at around 8.55.

Yes, I certainly agreed with your friend regarding the accent, particularly Harold Larwood's who I think he may have been especially referring to. Curiously he sounded little like the character of Bill Voce either. There was quite a bit of 'haeing' this and that, he also 'tret' his wife to the cinema. That sounded reasonably accurate for Harold's area but at other times I felt there was the slightly predictable descent into a Yorkshire tones. In an otherwise excellent production it was the one thing that grated slightly Above that, I think your friend's description is a very apt one, particularly for Harold. Bil did sound like he was a Nottinghamshire lad. Bill sounded much more inner city Nottingham however with a quantity of 'tekkin' and mekkin'.

On a separate note, the portrayal of Lol's character did not coincide with everything I have read and been told about the man. I felt he was portrayed here as slightly swaggering and a little cocky at times. Every account I've been aware of has described him as an unassuming chap and one who hardly knew the value of his own great talent (see Duncan Hamilton's book 'Harold Larwood' for several references in that regard). I'll be interested to see your own take on all of that Rob.

Jamie De Courcey's Jardine was well done I felt. He managed to delve into the slightly perverse nature of the skipper. On a personal note I always felt that Douglas Jardine was a professional in a gentleman amateur's clothing.

EDIT: I should add that after the performance the audience were welcomed to go and find themselves a refreshment then return for an informal chat with the cast after the show in the auditorium.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Stu,

Managed to get to the Playhouse on Thursday evening...

Enjoyed the drama immensely.

Went there being pre-determined to be critical of the Bill Voce portrayal, but was pleasantly surprised in its relative accuracy.

Meant to congratulate the actor afterwards (in the auditorium), but my taxi awaited!

Rather take your point over the somewhat 'swaggering' Larwood, my impression also that he was a restrained character.

Strange that he seemed most aggresive in his dialogues with Lois...

Especially impressed by the slickness of the production...utilising the whole of the stage area, arranging the cast to casually move props around and the uninterrupted flow of the action.

Also ran in to several old cricketing mates amongst the audience...which was an added bonus.

Slightly uncertain if it will be a 'hit' on the London stage...the Notts backdrops won't mean so much there.

But the Surrey/Middlesex amateurs (excellent Jardine portrayal) are also prominent.

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting observations Rob, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I take your point about a possible transferral as many of the references were local. I do agree the portrayals of the southern individuals were just as integral though. I'd like to have seen 'Plum' Warner characterised even more strongly as the apparently vile and two-faced individual he was though!

Good to observe Jack Fingleton's character too as I always felt from accounts that he was the most decent and straight of men and perhaps this could be seen in the way he sought out his old friend and adversary in his Blackpool sweetie shop.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...

It certainly is a terrific book by a very talented writer. Very comprehensive, detailed and getting right inside the character of the man.

I had the privilege of a long telephone conversation with Duncan Hamilton regarding the little article I wrote linked on post number one on this thread. He had spotted it whilst researching this book and wanted to ask me about a couple of the stories quoted in there. We had planned a meet regarding this but sadly this didn't happen. I did finally have a chat with him at the Lowdham Book Festival where he was promoting and talking about his book. He kindly brought me a signed copy for the little bit of assistance I was able to offer.

He mentioned that he was considering writing a book about Sir Garry Sobers. Having read his superb account's of both Larwood and Brian Clough's lives, it's one I will be acquiring if it comes to fruition.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Stu, get yourself a copy of " A Last English Summer " also by Duncan, if you haven't already done so. His personal reflection on the game as a whole is very touching, again an excellent read. If he does write about Sir Garry, I'll be first in the queue.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip Gibbo. I'll look out for that one. Apart from Sir Garry, there as another project, I think about a local sporting hero, that he was considering also. Blowed if I can remember who he said it was!

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...
  • 5 months later...
  • 3 years later...

Just found this topic and thoroughly enjoyed the comments and conversations between Stu,Rob,Gibbo and Beefy  ,Cricket was my first great sporting love ,there are/were so many aspects to the game that you could wax all day with a like minded afficinado,and Nottingham as always been famous in world cricketing terms.......ive largely lost interest in the modern game due to too much one day stuff and I know longer look forward to the tests matches.........perhaps I loved the older stuff too much,......but anyway this topic ignited a twinkle for me.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Funnily enough, the ODI game has rekindled my interest in cricket. I'd love to be at one. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I can understand the rekindled interest Fly and its certainly brought the crowds back,and to a large extent Cricket as a whole has benifitted financialy.....its just that from the age of five I was indoctrinated into Test cricket,listening to a crackly radio in the early morning to the commentaries from down under with my Dad.......and often England up against it and playing out the last day for a draw,with defensive batting the runs at that stage didn't matter..........and one of my early hero's was Trevor Bailey (known as Stonewall) he could bat all afternoon and score about ten lol.

              One man surrounded by ten and defing the odds (high noon and all that)...........at the same age I was taken by my Grandads,Dad and Uncles to watch county cricket at Trent Bridge,where they'd sit with their newspapers and a Tie on lol. where the silence was only broken by polite applause,if say Reg Simpson or Bruce Dooland had scored a boundary...................ahh them were days...........

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I too was brought up with cricket and spent a lot of time at Trent Bridge with my Dad, with him pointing out famous old players and commentators in the crowd. I always had my autograph book with me!  His pal worked in the scoreboard, so I also had a visit into that too.  

I don't think that Counties could survive financially without one day matches. The public don't have time to sit through a 3 day County match.  I personally find it galling that Test Matches are now thinly spread around the country, with Trent Bridge, the most beautiful ground in the country, missing out too often.  If we didn't have a dog who suffers from separation anxiety we would have season tickets.  

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I had an Uncle and a cousin who worked in the scoreboard Lizzie........Eric and Clive,think Clive still does,.......I tried a one-dayer a few years ago,never heard such noise in the old ground............and I was sweating like a pig........nearly took me Tie off............

Link to post
Share on other sites

Uncle Eric was also a Steward at Trent Bridge right up to the 90s,......craggy bronzed face with thick grey wavy hair,lovely man........took my kids a lot in the early 80s when I was a single parent,and remember Derek Randall making a fuss of em when he was fielding on the boundary,had some lovely days also with the two youngest when me and Donna got together.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

Straight after the reported 16th January 1933 match, in a 4 day match on January 26 1933  my cousin H.C. Chilvers (1X removed) playing for NSW took eight wickets from the MCC. Although a number of the top England players were rested

they still won.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...