THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER: PARIS
Radio 4, 11.30am
Fans of Geoffrey Wheeler’s The Palace of Laughter programmes, about the nation’s variety halls, will be delighted to know that it has gone international. Someone has obviously thought: “Why not put old Geoffers on the Eurostar over to Paris and get him to do a number on the Folies-Bergère? If he takes his own sandwiches and makes his own hotel arrangements the cost will be minimal!” And so he has. Probably the most famous music hall of them all — now a legitimate theatre — the ornate grand dame of popular entertainment opens herself like a lovely flower to Wheeler. Rarely will you have heard a man so chuffed.
OPERATION DESERT SONG
Radio 4, 1.30pm
Sweet. That is all you can say about Bill Lloyd’s programme. OK, and charming, too. And maybe a touch inspirational? Why not? For this is the story of the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, probably the last court orchestra in all the world. Yes, you may call it a rich man’s indulgence — the Sultan of Oman wanted a private orchestra, and he got one. But he is employing local musicians (who had to learn Western music from scratch — no easy task when you have grown up playing only Arabic music) and runs his plaything along democratic lines that frequently turn autocratic. It is nice to see they still make sultans like they used to.