The genesis of Esprit de Corpse

Giles Booth
A dilpadilated half-timbered hut in the woods

A quick look at the genesis and inspiration of series 6 of Listen with Other, 'Esprit de Corpse.'

First up, unusually, I did an intro explaining who I originally wanted to play each role. This story has been hanging around a long, long time. In 2010 I expanded it as a radio play, adding an overnight stay. In 2011 I submitted it to the BBC Writers' Room. This is what they had to say:

British Broadcasting Corporation Grafton House 379/81 Euston Road London NWI 3AU Telephone 020 7765 2703 Fax 020 7765 5570 Email writersroom@bbc.co.uk Vision Writersroom bbc.co.uk/writersoom Giles Booth 09-March-2011 Dear Giles Thank you for sending us your script Esprit de Corpse to BBC writersroom, which we have now read. I'm afraid we have decided not to take things further with you on the basis of this script, and so we are returning it to you. It is worth noting that only a relatively small proportion of the scripts we receive are given feedback and I include below our script reader's comments, which I hope you will find useful: Esprit de Corpse is an enjoyable and diverting read, which hurtles along nicely, and makes the most of its team-building story. The audio directions are crisp and evocative, the story builds momentum and the humour is increasingly dark. But sometimes the play sits uncomfortably between comedy and drama, and for the conclusion to really hit home we need to know more about the characters and their relationship to each other. The ending, with the apparent death of Ken, reads a bit glibly. All four members of the group appear complicit in his apparent death - although it's never made clear - and discuss it as a tragic accident. Their unconcern is alarming considering none of them has been portrayed as a potential murderer, and even though they are now bonded as a team, their complicity is rather jarring. Jessica and Peter are having an affair, Malcolm's product is going down the pan, and Delyth seems particularly blameless, but none of these seems to be a strong reason for homicide, particularly as the foursome all come across as polite or muddled. Furthermore, not all of their lies have been revealed to each other, so it reads a bit oddly that they should all conspire together. The ending, although enjoyable and startling, could be all the more powerful with a trou

Hell, listener, if an uneasy mix between comedy and drama is a crime, I don't want to be innocent.

But what of the story's inspiration? It was based (ending aside) on a very real and very disastrous BBC residential team-building event in an 'outward bound' type centre in rural Kent.

In the space of a couple of days we went from being a mildly dysfunctional team, to being a team of two factions who hated each other. The bicycle theft incident was core to this. The moderator announcing his resignation also really happened.

The hut in the woods is also real. It's not in Kent, though. It is (or was) in the grounds of BBC Wood Norton, the training centre near Evesham which definitely does not have an emergency broadcast facility in a nuclear bunker.

A dilapidated half-timbered hut in a forest

rusted enamel signs 'valve for emptying reservoir' 'to manor'

Maybe one day I'll get to make the full radio play version. Some people liked it:

1. JESSICA: DELYTH: PETER: MALCOLM: Rotten luck. Slipping and hitting his head on that spade... And falling all that way down the shaf... Tragic. And on his last day, as well... THE CAR ZOOMS OFF. Giles. This is brillant, Funny, Interesting charades. Different ustenes wu denhhy with one g the four. And au dusthe the 'monvahor! I line Delyth and I really wanted to hnd art a bit more abat her, And then malcolm - he's the CEo but why Is he so wet? Is it worth beehna him hp a bit so he understand that inel petent a dinger as tenanet as himselfaut ho be? Please do not take this as antiasm. I thinh t needs a bit more hot In tems a length, Duration is quite short. But athenvise excellent work. 1% • both te 20s,

Giles, I really like this see the notes. The novel I like too. Can I give it the sound Recordist? He reads incessantly

You can listen to Esprit de Corpse as series 6 of Listen with Other on your usual podcast providers and also here.