Forty Years On

English · Drama, Humor, Historical Fiction

Forty Years On is a darkly comic requiem for a lost England, set in a public school on the South Downs. The Headmaster of Albion House, who has been at the school for 50 years, is retiring and participates in the end-of-year entertainment for the last time. The play, entitled 'Speak For England, Arthur', weaves together a multi-generational story of England and the yearning for times that are now long gone.

As the Headmaster reluctantly engages in this 'progressive' end-of-term play devised by his imminent successor, Mr. Franklin, he realizes he has yet to read the script. What unfolds is not quite the celebration of school tradition he might have expected. This brilliant kaleidoscopic comedy, part parody and part nostalgia, features a West End cast and explores themes of Englishness, nostalgia, and identity.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.