A BBC radio production of Rolf Boldrewood's 1882 novel, Robbery Under Arms was the first work completed for the BBC by Australian radio writer Rex Rienits after his move to the UK in 1949.
List of episodes and broadcast dates
1. Terrible Hollow (2 January 1950)
2. Captain Starlight (9 January 1950)
3. The Great Cattle Theft (16 January 1950)
4. The Prison-Break (23 January 1950)
5. Bushrangers! (30 January 1950)
6. Gold (6 February 1950)
7. The Betrayal (13 February 1950)
8. The Big Hold-up (20 February 1950)
9. The End Approaches (27 February 1950)
10. The End of the Story (6 March 1950)
The cast, according to contemporary reports, 'will be almost entirely Australian' (Sunday Herald, 18 December 1949, p.3). Another report specifies that 'Those taking part include John Bushelle, Gwenda Wilson, Elaine Montgomery, Wendy Gibb, Edward and Madeleine Howell, Don Sharp, Bill Staughton, and Tom Lake, all well known in Australian radio' (Australian Women's Weekly, 18 February 1950, p.27). This report also quotes Rienits as saying
'"I thought I was going to have trouble finding sufficient Australian radio artists of the right calibre over here," said Rienits. "But when casting was started they bobbed up from everywhere. There are dozens of excellent ones to pick from."' (p.27)
Contemporary reports also note that
'contrary to Australian radio custom, incidental music was specifically composed for the play and played by the B.B.C. orchestra. This has been one of the strong factors in supplying convincing atmosphere.' (Australian Women's Weekly 18 February 1950, p.27)
It was broadcast between 2 January 1950 (episode one) and 6 March 1950, airing at 8:45pm on Mondays on the Light Programme (Home Service).
