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Ben-Hur
1st Broadcast 2000
Contents
Producer
Adaptation
Director
Produced for
Focus On The Family Radio Theater USA
Synopsis
Judah Ben-Hur is a young Jewish prince, son of Ithamar Ben-Hur, who refused to obey Herod's wicked decree, was killed by him. One of his boyhood friends, Messala, a Roman nobleman's son, had gone away to Rome to become a soldier. He comes back different: sarcastic, caustic, and opposed to anything that stands in the way of Rome's might.
Their meeting ends with hatred on both sides for what the other has become.
After almost killing the Roman governor, Valerius Gratus, accidentally, Judah is betrayed by Messala and sent to the Roman galleys as a slave.
He stays alive on his hatred of Messala, and his desire to have revenge upon his friend, turned bitterest foe.
Cast
Russell Boulter Judah Ben-Hur
Timothy Bateson Balthasar
Colin McFarlane Messala
Peter Goodwright Simonides
Sally-Ann Burnett Esther
Martin Jarvis Quintus Arrius
Eleanor Tremain Iras
Wendy Craig Miriam of Hur
Bernard Cribbins Seneca
Robert Benfield Malluch
Sarah Bradley Mary
Nick Burnell Tiberius
Justin Butcher Lyssipus
Karen Clegg Tirzah
Max Digby Centurion
Tenniel Evans Simeon
Michael Haughey Joseph
Matthew Lawrence Shimon
Polly March Amrah
Robin Meredith Pilate
Peter Moreton Ithamar Ben-Hur
David Oakley The Captain
Michael Roberts Ilderim
Philip Sherlock Decurion
David Simeon Gratus
Victor Spinetti Herod The Great
Mervyn Stutter Hortator
Philip Sully Gaspar
Richard Syms Maxentius
Simon Treves Drusus
Other roles were played by members of the company
Production Crew
Paul Deeley Voice Recording Engineer
Casting & Creative Director
Recorded at
The Soundhouse Ltd Shepherds Bush London, England
Music composed & Arranged
Comments
on working with Dirk Maggs
Comment by Dirk Maggs
Sometimes a real challenge coms along, and when I was offered the chance to adapt and direct Ben-Hur for Focus On The Family Radio Theatre I couldn’t turn it down. The big scene - of course - was the Chariot Race. I decided to use my Peter Pan multi-camera idea to tell the story of the race from various perspectives.
The chariot jump was not in the book but was so cool in the 1959 movie I had to have a go at doing it in sound only!
Running Time
Episode 1 No detail known.
Episode 2 No detail known.
Episode 3 No detail known.
Episode 4 No detail known.
Episode 5 No detail known.
30 Minutes per Episode 5 in series 150 Minutes in total.
