The Kinks: Arthur, Radio Drama

Listen to Arthur

BBC Radio 4 brings The Kinks’ Arthur to life in new drama

"In the year of its 50th anniversary, The Kinks’ album Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) has been transformed into an audio drama for BBC Radio 4.

Arthur has been adapted by The Kinks frontman and modern music icon Ray Davies himself, alongside Olivier-nominated playwright, dramaturg and musician Paul Sirett.

The story - of both the drama and the original album - sees a close-knit, working-class family torn apart when Ray's brother-in-law, Arthur, decides to move his family half way around the world to Australia.

Ray Davies says: “The album Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) is inspired by real life events. Arthur’s generation returned from war to find Britain’s future in the midst of cultural and social change and political uncertainty, much like today. A play set yesterday about all our tomorrows.”

Arthur features songs written at a pivotal time in British culture that have been re-versioned especially for Radio 4, fifty years later. The cast includes Lee Ross as Arthur and Rosie Cavaliero as Rose.

Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Drama and Fiction, Alison Hindell, says: “It's not often that a radio drama makes you want to dance as you listen but this reinvention of Ray Davies and The Kinks' seminal album really does. It's a heartfelt true story of a particular moment in recent history that has resonances today about the ways in which we connect as humans at times of great social change - through story, music, home and family.”

The Songs:
Victoria… performed by The Kinks
The Future… performed by Arthur and the Emigrants
The Village Green… performed by Rosie Cavaliero
Arthur - version 1… performed by Arthur and the Emigrants
Arthur - version 2… performed by The Kinks
Some Mother’s Son… performed by The Kinks
The Future... performed by Mark Newnham
Yes Sir, No Sir - version 1… performed by The Kinks
Yes Sir, No Sir - version 2… performed by Lee Ross
Drivin’… performed by The Kinks, Lee Ross and Rosie Cavaliero
Mr Churchill Says… performed by The Kinks
Brainwashed… performed by Ben Norris, Mark Newnham, Stephen Lloyd and Arthur Hughes
Waterloo Sunset… performed by Mark Newnham
Australia… performed by Lee Ross and The Kinks
Pictures In The Sand… performed by Lee Ross
Young And Innocent Days… performed by Rosie Cavaliero
Nothing To Say… performed by Ben Norris
Postcard From London… performed by Rosie Cavaliero and Ray Davies
You Really Got Me… performed by the Kinks
Shangri-La... performed by The Kinks

Guitar by Bill Shanley
All Songs Written By Ray Davies

Cast and crew:
Arthur… Lee Ross
Rose… Rosie Cavaliero
Ray… Stephen Lloyd
Bobby… Arthur Hughes
Dave… Mark Newnham
Terry… Ben Norris
Julie/Sally… Emerald O’Hanrahan
Mr Henderson… David Holt
Mum… Karen Spicer
Dad/Jones… Wayne Norman

Sound Engineers: David Thomas and Matt Jaggar
Production Coordinator: Sarah Tombling
Musical Director: Harvey Brough
Director: Karen Rose
Producers: Karen Rose and Ray Davies

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4


"Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall Of The British Empire) is an album by The Kinks, originally released in October 1969. The songs feature autobiographical stories and characters from Ray Davies' early life and offer a fascinating snapshot of this period in British history - a period of upheaval that resonates strongly with the present. The story is simple - a close-knit, working-class family is torn apart when Ray's brother-in-law, Arthur, decides to move his family half way around the world to Australia. The whole family is trying to come to terms with what it means to live in post-war Britain - the lost empire, the lack of respect, the broken institutions, a country in flux, a country split over whether or not to join the European Economic Community and a country struggling to come to terms with its own identity. The drama has plenty of music - with songs written at that pivotal time in British culture re-versioned especially for BBC Radio 4, 50 years later. The songs have special resonance for Ray Davies, who was devastated when his older sister Rose emigrated to Australia in 1964 with her husband Arthur Anning. It inspired him to write the song Rosy Won't You Please Come Home, included on the 1966 album Face to Face. Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is a study in song of what it means to be British - then and now. THE KINKS are recognised as one of the most important and influential British rock groups of all time. From their explosive beginnings as part of the British Beat movement to forays into concept albums, The Kinks have a legacy of classic songs, many of which form the building blocks of popular music as we know it today. SIR RAY DAVIES is the iconic founder member and presiding genius of The Kinks. As his songwriting developed, he emerged as a witty, compassionate social commentator chronicling the aspirations and absurdities of English life. He is the Olivier award-winning writer of the musical plays Sunny Afternoon (4 Oliviers, Pinter Theatre, West End), Come Dancing (Stratford East) and 80 Days (La Jolla Playhouse). This is his first radio play".

PAUL SIRETT (co-writer) is a multi-award-winning writer of The Big Life (Apollo Theatre, West End and BBC World Service), Come Dancing (with Ray Davies, Theatre Stratford East) and Reasons to be Cheerful (Graeae Theatre Company).



The Kinks - Australia (2019 Mix) (Official Audio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FKOzZwODO8