Audio - Chelmsford 123

It's the talking of Chelmsford 123, as Spiteful Puppet Entertainment Ltd partners with Hat Trick International for a revival of one of Hat Trick’s earliest properties, in an all new full cast audio production...

Press Release

Barnaby Eaton-Jones (The Goodies, Up Pompeii, I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again) commissioned this new update, as well as producing and directing, and it sees the much-loved comedy series being given a new lease of life.

Chelmsford 123 was the first official Hat Trick International production, for Channel 4, and starred Jimmy Mulville and Rory McGrath (who both also wrote the series), as well as being ably supported by the likes of Philip Pope, Neil Pearson, Geoffrey McGivern, Andy Hamilton, Geoffrey Whitehead, the late Howard Lew Lewis, and many others. The show ran from 1988 to 1990, for two acclaimed television series, and was set in the 1st century - in Chelmsford in 123 AD.

This new audio adaptation, again written by Rory McGrath and Jimmy Mulville, will give fans of the original something new to laugh at, and first-time listeners a well-crafted historical comedy that comments on today’s society (as all good comedy does).

 All four of the main surviving cast have returned – in the form of Jimmy Mulville as Aulus Paulinus, Rory McGrath as Badvoc, Neil Pearson as Mungo, and Philip Pope as Grasientus. The late Howard Lew Lewis is brought to life by the vocal wizardry of Philip Pope, who perfectly captures his voice and his character in the ensemble.

This full-cast audio series has already been recorded and is now in post-production. We'll bring you release information as soon as we get it.

Images - Cast Photo © Kim Jones 2021 (From left to right, Philip Pope, Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville, and Neil Pearson)
Chelmsford 123 cover design by Robert Hammond © Spiteful Puppet/Hat Trick 2021