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Albert's Bridge

Radio Play, Drama  /  2w, 14m

Tom Stoppard

Albert has a degree in philosophy and with a job as bridge painter has a new perspective on life up high. He also has to get married – but that’s another story. Witness what lasts – and what collapses – in this play originally broadcast on BBC.

Albert's Bridge

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 14m
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades

  • Winner! 1968 Czechoslovak International Radio Play Festival
    Winner! 1968 Prix Italia Award

Details

Summary

In Tom Stoppard’s award-winning first full-length radio play, a philosophy graduate named Albert is employed to help paint the cantilevered railway bridge spanning Clifton Bay. However, Albert spends as much time and energy on philosophizing as he does on painting, until his wife feels ignored and the council become concerned about the cost of the project. Witness what happens to the bridge – and to Albert’s dreams – amidst a suicide, a miscalculation that leads to rusting, and a quick-fix of more than 1,000 additional painters at once in this play originally broadcast on BBC.

History

Albert’s Bridge premiered as a broadcast on BBC Radio on 13 July 1967. Directed by Charles Lefeaux, the audio production featured John Hurt as the titular Albert as well as Nigel Anthony, Alan Dudley, Betty Hardy, Ronald Herdman, Anthony Jackson, Alexander John, Haydn Jones, Victor Lucas, Barbara Mitchell, Ian Thompson and Geoffrey Wincott.

Performing Groups

BOB
CHARLIE
DAD
ALBERT
THE CHAIRMAN
DAVE
GEORGE
FITCH
ALBERT’S MOTHER
KATE
ALBERT’S FATHER
FRASER
VOICES IN THE DARKNESS

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    A bridge, offices, a boardroom, the Eiffel tower, a bedroom and two living rooms. Any time.

  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • Suicide

Media

“A little gem of a play… with a Stoppard twist of wit and comedy amongst the kitchen-sinkery, of course.” – Author Tom O’Brien

“Stoppard’s absurd theatre mixes with philosophy, as Albert, from on high, treads the girders, paints solo and reflects on life on the ground.” – BBC

“Several years elapsed between the London premiere of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1967) and Stoppard’s next full-length play, Jumpers (1972). During that hiatus, however, Stoppard was active writing shorter pieces for radio, television, and the stage. Albert’s Bridge was perhaps Stoppard’s most notable achievement during this interim period.” – Cambridge University Press

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £40 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
    This title may have restrictions in place for London based productions. Please submit a licence request to confirm specific availability.

Scripts

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Authors

Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard (1937-2025) – Stoppard’s most recent play, Leopoldstadt, opened at Wyndham's Theatre in 2020 and transferred to Broadway in 2022. It won multiple Awards, including an Olivier Award and Tony Award for Best Play. He wrote his first play, Enter a Free Man, whilst wo ...

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