The Vicar, the Automaton and the Talking Dog by Lavinia Murray

Available for 29 days

Using a mixture of fact and fantasy, this is an extraordinary day in the life of Alexander Graham Bell as a child. We discover the roots of his genius, and how his mother's impending deafness helped lead him to his invention of the telephone. Aleck, with the help of his friend and brother, made an automaton that could say 'Mama' and further, he manipulated his dog's throat and mouth so he indeed had a talking dog. Starring John Bell. Written by Lavinia Murray. Aleck ..... John Bell Ben .... Keir Beckwith Reverend McReady ..... Stuart McQuarrie Father, Voice of the Automaton, and Trouve ..... Seamus O'Neill Mother .... Morag Siller Melville .... Stephen Fletcher Director: Pauline Harris First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2014. **** FURTHER INFO: We begin with a symphony of various telephone rings through the ages brought to us on a light Scottish breeze, and then we cut to answer machine. We see the stark difference between Bell's world of sound and his mother's world into silence. This is a drama not without humour, fascinating, illuminating and enchanting; providing a real, dramatic insight into the roots of a scientific genius, told with imagination and originality, and created especially for radio.