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A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Radio Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 14m
Tom Stoppard
Albert has a philosophy degree and a new perspective on life as a bridge painter. Witness what lasts – and what collapses – in this thought-provoking radio play by Tom Stoppard.
Winner! 1968 Czechoslovak International Radio Play FestivalWinner! 1968 Prix Italia Award
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 becomes 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.
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.
BOB CHARLIE DAD ALBERT THE CHAIRMAN DAVE GEORGE FITCH ALBERT’S MOTHER KATE ALBERT’S FATHER FRASER VOICES IN THE DARKNESS
A bridge, offices, a boardroom, the Eiffel tower, a bedroom and two living rooms. Any time.
“A little gem of a play… with a Stoppard twist of wit and comedy amongst the kitchen-sinkery, of course.” – 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
Tom Stoppard CBS Sunday Morning Profile
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 ...