NEWS

Posted on 6 January, 2016

We talk to Martin Jarvis OBE, actor, director and producer about 007 on the radio. Martin has co-produced a number of drama adaptations of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels for BBC Radio 4, narrated the You Only Live Twice audiobook, and is the voice of Ian Fleming in the Radio 4 production of Thunderball.

When did your interest in producing for radio begin? What was it about the medium that inspired you to produce your own dramas?

A life-long interest in radio drama. At first as a child, enjoying adventure serials on radio – Journey Into Space and Dick Barton Special Agent. Great stories and exciting spring-boards to the listening imagination. Then as an actor, recording all kinds of plays and comedies in BBC radio studios (and writing some of them) taught me the basic techniques of creating drama for radio. It seemed only natural that my company, Jarvis & Ayres Productions should start to offer the BBC specially produced plays and comedies for the medium. I’m delighted to say that BBC saw the force of this too. Rosalind Ayres and I have now produced hundreds of programmes ranging from plays, series, serials and readings, as well as big dramas for BBC Radio 3 and 4. And, we’re pleased to say, six James Bond feature-length radio-screenplays. We have also directed and/or performed numerous productions for National Public Radio in America.

How did you decide which of Fleming’s books to adapt?  

At the suggestion of Ian niece, Lucy Fleming, EON Productions, the rights holders at that time, gave permission for a production. They suggested we produce Dr. No as a one-off to celebrate Ian Fleming’s centenary. There was no question of doing more than just that single dramatisation. However it went so well with the BBC Radio 4 audience – Toby Stephens a perfect 007 and David Suchet a brilliantly authentic Dr. No – that EON asked if we might like to produce another of the titles. Of course! It was suggested that Goldfinger might be fun – and so it turned out, with Sir Ian McKellen inhabiting the role with great wit and brilliance – and a fine Latvian accent!

What do you think it is about Fleming’s work which makes it so well suited for the radio?

As well as his understanding of the complex world of espionage, Fleming has great and graceful narrative skills. In his travel writing he is always able to evoke the colours, scents and atmosphere of exotic locations, and this he does equally compellingly in his novels. The scenarios are perfect, too, for radio, where you can literally go anywhere – under the sea, above the Bahamian waters in a sea-plane, visit a Saratoga race track, ride on the Orient Express, join the mafia in New York and win or lose at cards in Le Touquet or Las Vegas. Wonderful, enticing locations, and characters – all transposed from Fleming’s entertaining writing directly into the actors’ (and therefore the listeners’) imagination.

Was 007 a part of your literary upbringing?

Yes, along with P.G. Wodehouse, John Buchan, Richmal Crompton, Agatha Christie, and Shakespeare! I read most of the novels and always particularly enjoyed the card game sequences. When I came to adapt /direct On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever and most recently Thunderball for radio, I initially wondered how it would be possible to ‘show’ the minutiae of baccarat, chemin de fer or blackjack. But it seems to work well, partly due to the fact that, in radio, we can enter James Bond’s head and almost take part in the game ourselves via his inner thoughts and responses. No lack of focus there!

How do you set about casting the stories? 

It seems that many actors have enjoyed the Bond novels. And it has been gratifying that so many stars have relished the chance to take part in our productions including Toby Stephens, Dame Eileen Atkins, Stacy Keach, Sir Ian McKellen, Joanna Lumley, Tom Hollander, David Suchet, Alfred Molina, Jared Harris, Tom Conti, Nigel Havers, Lisa Dillon, Peter Capaldi, Alistair McGowan, John Sessions, Tim Pigott-Smith, Janie Dee, John Standing, Mark Gatiss and many more. When Mark joined us to play Colonel Kronsteen in From Russia With Love he told me ‘this is the best acting day of my life!’

Ros Ayres and I have of course worked with many of this extended company on screen or in the theatre – it’s very often an excuse to get together and have fun (again) courtesy of 007, the BBC, EON and the genius of Ian Fleming.

Is there any significance in the order in which you’ve chosen to produce the Bond radio dramas? Or is it a case of which one seems the most interesting project to follow the previous?

Sometimes there’s a neat progression. After Diamonds, in which Bond is in quite a bad way at the end, it seemed appropriate to bring him back after ‘some time away’ and have him sent (in Thunderball) to the Shrublands health farm. But then in his adventurous life he often needs a period of recuperation before the next extravaganza. Don’t we all!

Find out more about Martin here.

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