The Flight of the Heron by D. K. Broster has been adapted various times for radio,
TV and the stage. Most of these adaptations are now lost to the sad obscurity of old
media, but I’ve recorded all the detail I can find about them on this page.
Radio
Searching through the archives of the Radio Times makes plain
that The Flight of the Heron has made many appearances on the radio. The
usually sparse amount of detail in these records means it’s sometimes difficult to
tell which are adaptations, properly so called, and which are simply
readings of parts of the book, or programmes discussing it. There have definitely
been three radio adaptations:
One broadcast on the BBC Home Service in 1944; this series has six episodes, was
dramatised by Catherine Barr and starred Gordon Jackson as
Ewen and Philip Cunningham as Keith[1].
One broadcast as part of the BBC’s ‘Children’s Hour’ in 1959, again dramatised by
Catherine Barr and starring Bryden Murdoch as Ewen[2].
And one broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968, in eight parts, produced by Ian Wishart
and starring Bryden Murdoch as Ewen and Ian Dewar as Keith[3].
Other appearances on the radio include:
Three different ‘Book Talks’ as part of ‘For the Schools’, broadcast on the
BBC Home Service in 1939, 1942 and 1946[4].
A four-part reading/dramatisation on the BBC Home Service in 1957, under ‘Schools—Scottish
Heritage’. No details of writer, producer or cast[5].
A dramatisation of ‘selected scenes’ from the book on the BBC’s ‘Children’s Hour’
in 1956; dramatised by Marion MacWilliam and Ian G. Ball, and featuring Bryden
Murdoch amongst others (the cast list does not specify roles)[6].
Yet another appearance on ‘Children’s Hour’ in 1960; no details of writer, producer
or cast[7].
Altogether, Bryden Murdoch appears to have played Ewen on the radio three times;
I admire his taste!
Television
There have been two TV adaptations of The Flight of the Heron.
The first was an eight-episode series made by Scottish Television in 1968, directed
by Brian Mahoney and starring Ian McCulloch as Ewen and Jon Laurimore as
Keith[8]. An unofficial DVD of this series is
available to purchase here. More information about the programme can be found here (p. 40), and there’s an interview with Ian McCulloch about his role here.
Finally, here is a rather adorable picture of this adaptation’s Ewen and Keith—screencap by Hyarrowen:
The book was adapted for television again in 1976 by BBC Scotland, with a six-episode
series directed by Alastair Reid and starring David Rintoul as Ewen and Tom Chadbon
as Keith[9]. This adaptation is available on Youtube by episode: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6].
Stage
A stage adaptation was produced by Turtle Key Arts in 1997; the show featured
traditional Gaelic songs and new music composed by Stephen Nash, with Gaelic singer
Margaret Stewart Harding participating[10]. I’m
not aware that anything more from or about this production is available now, which
is a great shame as it sounds very cool!
Miscellaneous
A thoroughbred racehorse born in 1941 (to parents Cameronian and First Flight)
was named Flight of the Heron[11]. Although the
record is no longer available, I’m reliably informed that Flight of the Heron
had a foal named Gleam in the North after the book’s sequel.
