Kenneth Williams: Said the Actor to the Bishop

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Kenneth Williams’s Christian faith was a significant part of his life and impacted him deeply. He was a complex but deeply thoughtful character and he grappled with how Christianity fitted with his career and sexuality. At the height of his fame in the 1970s he was asked to record excerpts from the Bible. Those recordings haven’t been broadcast until now. Williams was a master storyteller, on Jackanory he had the audience beguiled, and he brings that artistry to the telling of Bible stories such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The recordings were the creation of James Jones, who went on to become the Bishop of Liverpool, and to mark the start of Easter he presents a special Archive on 4 showcasing Williams’s Bible readings and exploring the faith of the man who would be approaching his 100th birthday. Bishop James discovers how much Williams contemplated his faith personally and with others. He meets Williams’s friend Mark Oakley, a student at the time of their friendship and now Dean of Southwark, to learn more about the role of God in the last couple of years of the Carry On star’s life. And, by talking to those who knew Williams well, Gyles Brandreth, and who have written about him, Wes Butters, Bishop James explores the longing for affirmation at the root of his many friendships and his faith. To explore the gift Kenneth Williams had for storytelling, author and Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce dissects the techniques used to narrate these Biblical chronicles. And Bishop James meets Anna Home and Jeremy Swan, who recognised Williams’s storytelling credentials and invited him to be on Jackanory. They reflect on the compelling way he could enthral an audience with any narrative. The Bible stories, read by Kenneth Williams, weave throughout the programme to highlight the message and teachings of Jesus - and how his own human story illustrates them so poignantly. With thanks to Scripture Union and Jennifer Robertson. Presenter: Bishop James Jones Production Co-ordinator: Mica Nepomuceno Editor: Richard McIlroy Producer: Alexa Good