An Evening of (Very) Old Radio: The First Firsts of British Broadcasting
A new 'stand-up history' show on British broadcasting's origin story, written and performed by Paul Kerensa
Where and When in 2025:
Thu 22nd May - PETERSFIELD Museum
Mon 9th June - closing the Religion Media Festival, Central Hall, WESTMINSTER - with a whizz-through religious broadcasting history landmarks.
Tue 1st July, morning - Early Recording Conference, University of Surrey, GUILDFORD
Thu 24th July - An Evening of (Very) Old Radio, NEWBURY, West Berks Festival
Tue 5th Aug - An Evening of (Very) Old Radio, The Water Rats, Kings Cross, CAMDEN FRINGE
Wed 6th Aug - An Evening of (Very) Old Radio, The Water Rats, Kings Cross, CAMDEN FRINGE
Sat 16th Aug - Workshop TBC, MANCHESTER
Sun 24th Aug - Somewhere TBC
SEPT 2025 onwards - coming soon...
PREVIOUSLY in 2023-25... These shows are now in the past:
Surbiton, Leicester, Banbury, Barnes, London, Bristol, Chandlers Ford, Blandford Forum, Bath, St Albans, Worthing, Ludlow, Isle of Wight, Bradford, Salford, Guildford, Romsey, Turnham Green, Watchet, Tunbridge Wells, Chelmsford, Kettering, Peckham, Raynes Park, Dorset, Totnes, Bedford, Watford, Frinton, Calverton, Danbury, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Gloucester, Slinfold, Faversham, Bath Abbey, Chippenham, Chedworth, Stoke St Milborough, Much Wenlock, Alveley, Guildford, Newnham-on-Severn, Canterbury, Mayfield, Gloucester, Fishbourne...
...Don't know why I listed them really. For the memories. They were fun. Let's do it again some time!
These follow the success of my 2022 tour 'The First Broadcast: The Battle for the Beeb in 1922', for the centenary of British broadcasting. This new show is a sequel of sorts - looking at the first firsts of broadcasting, retelling those tales of what went on air, how and why - lots of great anecdotes about it all... or in the case of a couple of the shows, I'll be recreating the first religious broadcast for an evening. Be informed, educated and above all entertained!
Fancy booking the show for your place?
If you'd like a show/talk/presentation for your venue, there are currently a few possibles:
1) An Evening of (Very) Old Radio: The First Firsts of British Broadcasting
A show of two halves. Part 1 is a truncated version of The First Broadcast show - ie. the build-up to the Beeb, the feud between Marconi employees Peter Eckersley and Arthur Burrows, culminating in the first BBC broadcast. After a break, part 2 is the first year of the BBC, inc. all the landmark moments: the first music, the first comedian, the first drama, the first children's programme, the first political debate (we'll have fun recreating that one). It's a talk, it's stand-up, it's a show. Inform, educate, entertain.
2) The BBC & Me: Then & Now
It's half like 'An Evening of (Very) Old Radio' - but a little less on the early days, and a little more on my experiences working in comedy and entertainment at today's BBC. Tales of Miranda, Not Going Out, Radio 2, Top Gear, CBBC, local radio presenting, schmoozing with Buble and Le Blanc, and more/less, as I remember it.
3) A Century and a Bit of God on the Air: The First Religious Broadcasts
For churches, you may prefer this show/talk/presentation that retells the tales of the first religious broadcasts - that's Calvary Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh in 1921, and in Britain a short church service transmitted from a factory into a Peckham church in July 1922. Much of this has been unresearched... till now!
...or I can easily do a mix of any and all of the above. It's all very flexible.
Book in a tour date?
If you have a venue or ready-made audience (even a small one), get in touch to book in any of the above shows. I can't wait to bring it to where you are.
These shows are based on the The British Broadcasting Century Podcast. Do subscribe and listen (scroll down for podcast player on this page) and/or find our Facebook group or Twitter page.
And try the podcast right here: