Main content

The Golden Key

Chris Dolan’s play explores the early days of the 91Èȱ¬ Rule movement in Scotland through the eyes of three of the 20th century’s most compelling political figures.

Chris Dolan’s play explores the early days of the 91Èȱ¬ Rule movement in Scotland through the eyes of three of the 20th century’s most compelling political figures – Keir Hardie, James Connolly and R.B. Cunninghame Graham. On May 12, 1916, Cunninghame Graham smokes a cigarette - as he’s done every year for a decade - at his wife’s grave. He has just heard the news of Connolly’s imminent execution by the British Government for his role in the Easter Rising in Dublin. Graham casts his mind back to a meeting with Hardie and Connolly almost 30 years earlier when the Scottish Labour Party was first stirring into life.

R.B. Cunninghame Graham………………………….…..David Robb
Keir Hardie……………………………………………………….Robert Jack
Gabriella Cunnninghame Graham……………………Melody Grove
James Connolly…………………………………………………Martin Quinn

Producer/director: Bruce Young

Available now

44 minutes

Last on

Wed 15 Feb 2023 14:15

Broadcast

  • Wed 15 Feb 2023 14:15

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

The Shakespeare Sessions

The Shakespeare Sessions

Immerse yourself in Shakespeare’s world