The Talking Mongoose

Drama-documentary by Robin Brooks telling the strange but true story of Gef the Talking Mongoose, and the dreadful trouble he caused at the BBC.

In the 1930s, a BBC employee called Richard Lambert, who was interested in psychic phenomena, investigated the story of Gef the Talking Mongoose - a supernatural creature with a foul mouth and disturbing habits, said to haunt a remote farmhouse on the Isle of Man. Thinking to amuse the public in the silly season, Lambert published an account of his findings, little knowing that Gef would cause a national scandal, prompt questions in the House, drag in Lord Reith himself, and provoke a front-page court-case.

This drama-documentary tells the story of Gef and his unfortunate chronicler Richard Lambert, with rather more input from the Mongoose and rather less attention to documentary realism than is either customary or decorous.

Written by Robin Brooks.

Cast:

Adrian - Patrick Marlowe

Gef - Jasmine Naziha Jones

Auntie - Gilian Cally

Katherine - Helen Vine

Other parts played by the Mongoose.

Director / Producer : Fiona McAlpine

Sound: Bill Vine

An Allegra production for BBC Radio 4

The strange story of Gef the Talking Mongoose, and the trouble he caused at the BBC.