New Radio Drama from Bethan Roberts

Congratulations to our brilliant creative writing tutor Bethan Roberts whose BBC Radio 4 drama is out today.

In the summer of 1966, The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, travelled to the eccentric holiday village of Portmeirion in North Wales. Months of relentless pressure had left him completely exhausted. The violent end to The Fab Four's recent tour of the Philippines, and threats to their upcoming tour of the United States, were weighing heavily on his mind. Portmeirion, created by his friend Clough Williams Ellis, was one of his favourite places to unwind.

Bethan's gentle drama imagines Brian finding an unexpected connection with a thoughtful young gardener recently employed on the estate. Alun shows Brian Portmeirion’s beautiful gardens, and encourages him to ‘Breathe in the air, swim in the sea, smell the flowers.’ Safe from the dangers of exposure that threatened them in the outside world, the two soon begin to fall for each other.

The pressures Brian faced as a result of his sexuality have been well documented but this gentle love story brings to life the emotions absent from the record. It explores the joy and hope but also the secrecy, shame, and fear experienced by many gay men, at a time when same-sex relationships were illegal in Britain and the consequences of being outed devastating.

Brian Epstein was a brilliant, complex man whose personal life was constrained by the laws and prejudices of his time. This story imagines what a moment of freedom and happiness might have looked like for Brian, as one of many who were denied the chance to love openly.

Listen to it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002zrwn