Christmas has always been a time for celebrating with the family, though the fun and laughter can sometimes lead to animosity and hurt.
Such emotions are touched upon in Wynarde Brown's The Holly and The Ivy, a seasonal story set in the 1950s that tells of a family homecoming in which many truths are uncovered from dark secrets to total injustices.
Originally dramatised as a film starring Ralph Richardson and Celia Johnson, AudioGO have recently released a full cast radio dramatisation from 1971 of the same story for their Classic Theatre Series collection.
A Brief Synopsis of Wynard Browne's The Holly And The Ivy
A wintry Christmas Eve at Reverend Martin Gregory's Norfolk Vicarage finds the family of the recently widowed vicar coming together. However as each family member arrives at the vicarage it becomes apparent there are many undercurrents of discontent.
This includes the Vicar's two daughters, both with life changing secrets, his soldier son with a simmering grievance, two elderly aunts that think they know what's best for everybody and a cousin with a military background that has questions about his own path in life.
As tensions mount, several secrets rise to the surface forcing even Reverend Gregory to question his own values.
Stephen Murray and Geoffrey Beevers Star In The Holly And The Ivy
A full cast drama, The Holly and The Ivy was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on December 11, 1971 and features a distinguished cast of actors.
Stephen Murray heads the cast as Reverend Martin Gregory who calls his own values into question when he discovers none of his children are as open or honest with him as he thought. Murray is perhaps best remembered for his role as the Lieutenant Commander in the long running radio comedy series The Navy Lark. His performance in The Holly and the Ivy is an interesting alternative to his usual comedic role as he delivers an all-out dramatic portrayal of the bumbling but caring Reverend Gregory.
Jane Knowles plays stay at home daughter Jenny who is torn between looking after her aging father and starting a new life with her love interest David (John Samson).
Geoffrey Beevers plays Nick, the Reverend's soldier son who is frustrated by his father's determination to send him to university once his career in the Army is over. A popular voice actor, Geoffrey Beevers other work has included a 1971 presentation of Noel Coward's Hay Fever and more recently reading Doctor Who audiobooks for the AudioGO series.
Isobel Black Shows Versatility As Margaret In The Holly And the Ivy
Isobel Black noted for her roles in Hammer Horror films such as The Kiss of the Vampire and Twins of Evil delivers a cold portrayal of homecoming daughter Margaret who hides a sad secret. Margaret's personality softens as the story progresses, allowing Black to show versatility in the radio dramatisation.
Shelagh Fraser and Nora Nicholson are also a delight to hear as the elderly aunts who involve themselves with the families' problems while William Fox gives a great performance as the Reverend's cousin who questions his own career in the military.
Download The Holly And The Ivy Direct To Your iPod
The Holly and The Ivy is a fascinating study of people judging each other on face value and how sometimes even misconceptions of those closest to you can result in a breakdown of relationships. Wynarde Brown's script projects a cold frosty environment brought on by the house guests but gradually warms as the characters become more honest with each other. All in all it's an unusual but warming Christmas tale and suitable to listen to for all ages.
The Holly and The Ivy is available on both compact disc or on audio download format and has a total running time of 90 minutes. With remastered sound the production sounds excellent on music sound systems and on an iPod.
