Radio Diary ...

Press, 18 December 1986, Page 15

Radio Diary ...

This evening’s play, “The Grotto” (National, 9.05) centres on an encounter between a rebellious teenager and Santa, who is played by Stratford Johns.

The Grotto is a temporary construction in a department store’s toy department where Santa listens to children who come to tell him what they want to Christmas. One evening as the store empties and a weary Santa takes another swig from the bottle of booze hidden under the Christmas tree, a young thug with a flick-knife pays him a visit. In “Carols at King’s” Brian Clark surveys the history of the construction of the chapel at King’s College, Cambridge, from its founding in 1441, with

a selection of carols sung by the famous Chapel Choir. (Concert, this evening, 9.32.) A six-part 8.8. C. comedy, “Nineteen Ninetyfour,” begins on National Radio at 8.05 this evening. The series is set in a futuristic world of automation and government by opinion poll.

Edward Wilson lives in a flat where everything is voice controlled. But the electronic alarm clock answers back, the television set wants to discuss programmes with him in a Japanese accent, the fridge grumbles about stale food, and his robot servant keeps falling over.

National Radio tomorrow presents a special Christmas edition of “Time for Music,” light-

heartedly examining some of the legends that have grown up around the festive season and featuring a selection of appropriate carols. (8.05 p.m.) A Christmas item with a diference: the Rev. Ray Oppenheim talks, about Christmas among the Eskimos and presents some recordings of their music in “Christmas in the Land of Santa Claus” on Concert tomorrow at 9.05 p.m.

Tomorrow’s edition of “Jazz Scene” (National, 9.05 p.m.) is the first of two retrospectives, reminding listeners of some of the 100 or so albums that have been featured on the programme during the year.

—John Hickey