Ronnie Barker was undoubtedly one of Great Britain’s finest comedy actors. One of his most memorable roles was that of lovable wag Norman Stanley Fletcher in Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais television sitcom Porridge.
Although Porridge was never adapted for radio, two soundtracks from the 1974 and 1975 series were transferred to audio for a record release by BBC Records in 1977. This album is now available for the first time on compact disc and audio download from AudioGO’s Vintage Beeb series, the CD release coming complete with original album artwork and vinyl stylised compact disc.
Ronnie Barker Serves Time In Two Classic Stirs Of Porridge
The first stir of Porridge featured on this release is An Evening In (AKA A Night In) finds Fletcher’s privacy rudely interrupted when young offender Lennie Godber ‘temporarily’ moves into his cell. Godber confides in Fletcher that he’s not finding prison life particularly easy, especially each night as the cell door bangs shut. Fletcher tries to cheer Godber up discussing a wide variety of things they could be doing, but instead advises that they “just have a quiet night in”. Godber gloomily replies “trouble is I’ve got six hundred and ninety eight quiet nights in to go”.
There's a further helping of classic comedy in Heartbreak Hotel as Godber has an uncharacteristically violent incident in the kitchen when he hits a fellow prisoner with a ladle following the receipt of a ‘Dear John’ letter from his beloved Denise.
Fletcher again tries to help him but he is also concerned about his daughter Ingrid who is also having problems with her relationship and finding being a parent stuck behind bars is not the best of scenarios.
Porridge Release Focuses Dick Clement And Ian La Frenais' Excellent Dialogue
Although both these episodes of Porridge are now widely available on DVD, these soundtracks do still make entertaining listening. Thanks to excellent scripting from Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais both episodes are largely strong on dialogue.
A Night In particularly works well as it is a superbly strong two hand performance from Ronnie Barker as Fletcher and Richard Beckinsale as Godber. One can only marvel at the complexity of the script and the pair’s easy going delivery as two new cell-mates.
Heartbreak Hotel does shift the scene slightly from the confines of the prison cell to the visitor’s room but pretty much still follows the same pattern of getting to know Fletcher and Godber’s lives outside of Slade Prison. There are also fabulous performances from Patricia Brake as Fletcher’s daughter Ingrid, Fulton Mackay as Prison Officer Mr. Mackay and Brian Wilde as Mr Barrowclough.
- Porridge has a running time of 57 minutes and is available on compact disc and as an MP3 download from AudioGO or iTunes.
