Rene Basilico Aliens in the Mind

SANWAL

Aliens in the Mind Script by Rene Basilico From an idea by Robert Holmes Vincent Price as Curtis Lark Peter Cushing as John Cornelius  The six-part drama centres around the discovery, on a remote Scottish island, of a community of ‘human mutants’ capable of telepathy.   A plan is in place to use them to control the British Government. 1: Island Genesis The curiosity of the inhabitants of the remote Scottish island of Lewigh is aroused when two strangers arrive for the funeral of the local doctor. The two men are no strangers to each other, nor were they to the late Dr Hugh Dexter. One is Professor Curtis Lark - a flamboyant American explorer, scientist and Nobel Prize winner whose research has been in the field of telepathy and telekinesis; the other is John Cornelius - the eminent British brain surgeon. What starts as a brief visit by two colleagues to honour an old friend quickly develops into a series of bizarre and frightening events which uncover the presence of forces unknown bent on world domination.  Donal Scoular, the minister: Henry Stamper Flora Keiry: Sandra Clark Molly Kyle: Shirley Dixon The voice of Hugh Dexter: Fraser Kerr Mary, the minister's housekeeper: Irene Sutcliffe 2: Hurried Exodus On the Isle of Lewigh, Lark and Cornelius are certain that the death of Dr Hugh Dexter was no accident. From his research notes, they diagnose the ' island sickness ' as the early symptoms of a strange genetic mutation undergone by many of the inhabitants, turning them into zombies blindly obeying some unknown force. The key to the mystery seems to be an apparently simple-minded 18-year-old - Flora Keiry - who saves Lark and Cornelius from being burnt to death in the fire at Dexter's house, which, instead, claims as its only victim the housekeeper, Molly Kyle.   Donal Scoular, the minister: Henry Stamper Flora Keiry: Sandra Clark Police Sergeant: Fraser Kerr Mary: Irene Sutcliffe Purser: Andrew Seear 3: Unexpected Visitations Believing that the apparently simple-minded Flora Keiry may be the key to the strange genetic mutation they have discovered on Lewigh, Professor Curtis Lark and John Cornelius persuade her to leave the island and come with them to London. They believe that only by exhaustive laboratory tests can they ever hope to solve the mystery of her extraordinary telepathic powers. Flora Keiry: Sandra Clark Kalmaan Barrowmeq: Steve Plytas Joanne: Joan Matheson Policeman: Andrew Seear 4: Official Intercessions Having brought the apparently simple-minded Flora Keiry to London, Professor Lark and John Cornelius establish that she is a second generation mutant able to control other mutants by her extraordinary telepathic powers. When this control is seen to include a Member of Parliament and cause him to abduct her from Cornelius's London flat, the two men decide it's high time the matter was turned over to the authorities. Flora Keiry: Sandra Clarx Ian Sanderson, MP: Fraser Kerr Colonel Gulliver: William Eedle Brigadier Sherman: Clifford Norgate Gwynt: Michael Harbour 5: Genetic Revelations Professor Curtis Lark and John Cornelius have established the existence of another colony of mutants in the heart of London. Flora Keiry unwittingly identifies two of them-the Brigadier in charge of Security at the Home Office, and Ian Sanderson, MP, who also admits to being Flora's real father. Lark and Cornelius hope that her strange telepathic powers will also uncover the new Controller, but instead Flora is murdered. Ian Sanderson, MP: Fraser Kerr Colonel Gulliver: William Eedle Home Office Official: James Thomason Major Manson: Andrew Seear 6: Final Tribulations When Flora Keiry is murdered, Professor Lark and John Cornelius reveal to her father, the MP Ian Sanderson, that he himself is a mutant being manipulated by some unidentified Controller. Shocked and horrified, Sanderson helps them trace the organisation back to a merchant bank in the City. As they await their interview with the Chairman, Sir Graham McLudden, who should they see leaving the bank but the Reverend Donal Scoular, minister on the Isle of Lewigh. Sir Graham McLudden: Richard Hurndall Lady McLudden: Joan Benham Ian Sanderson, MP: Fraser Kerr Donal Scoular: Henry Stamper Major Manson: Andrew Seear Producer: John Dyas Six Parts First broadcast:  From Sun 2nd Jan 1977 19:02 on BBC Radio 4 FM Aliens of the Mind started life as an outline for TV’s Doctor Who by the show’s script editor Robert Holmes. Although not commissioned for the show, Holmes was asked to develop the idea for Radio 4. However work commitments meant that the scripts were ultimately written by Rene Bascilico based on Holmes’ original idea.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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