大象传媒

In 1958, the Queen made the first direct trunk telephone call.

It was the beginning of the end for the female operators known as the 'Hello Girls'.

Telephone operators had connected callers since the earliest days of the telephone, 80 years before. Despite the intimacy of 'phone conversations, subscribers willingly accepted the presence of a third voice on the line.

In this three-hour showcase, Shaun Ley uses drama and comedy from the 大象传媒 archives to demonstrate how the telephone operator became a valuable dramatic device.

With the aid of the recordings from the GPO (General Post Office) and the BT archive, Shaun explores the role of the operator, the strict rules governing their work and some official secrets.

Featuring:

* Extracts from 'Liz and Sally' - a 1960s Post Office recruitment film

* Burn Your Phone - a radio drama by Andrew Wallace

Alan Cumming plays a telephone operator beset by voices, requests and problems. With Jonathan Keeble
First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in 1995
.
* If You鈥檙e Glad, I鈥檒l be Frank - a radio drama by Tom Stoppard

What happens when Frank recognises the voice of the GPO speaking clock as that of his long-lost wife?
Starring Timothy West and Patsy Rowlands
First broadcast on the 大象传媒 Third Programme in 1966.

* Ballylenon - an extract of the Irish village comedy set in County Donegal

Producer: Adam Bowen

Made for 大象传媒 for Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in October 2017.

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