Vivienne Chatterton's illustrious radio career spanned an impressive five decades, with her first appearance as a soprano in a concert broadcast for the Marconi company in 1922. This marked the beginning of a long and distinguished career that would see her work with various esteemed organizations, including 2LO London, precursor to the BBC, where she performed in concerts and light opera.
In the late 1920s, Chatterton's talents were showcased in a series of broadcasts, including her portrayal of Sarah Gamp in "A Pickwick Party" in 1926 and 1927, as well as her title role in the musical "Irene" in 1927. By the mid-1930s, she had transitioned to primarily performing in drama, often taking on character roles.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Chatterton appeared in numerous episodes of the popular radio program "Children's Hour", cementing her status as a beloved and respected radio personality. She also made a rare television appearance in 1937, starring in "Thomas or Sally or The Sailor's Return".
In the 1940s and 1950s, Chatterton continued to thrive in radio, taking on a wide range of roles. She was often cast as the fussy spinster Miss Bourne in Arnold Ridley's "The Ghost Train" in 1940, and also appeared in comedies such as "Much Binding in the Marsh" in 1947 and "Dear Me" in 1951, alongside Michael Howard.
One of Chatterton's most enduring and iconic roles was that of Mrs. Mountford in the daily soap opera "Mrs. Dale's Diary", which she played from 1950 to 1963. She reprised her role in the re-vamped version, "The Dales", from 1963 to 1966. In 1963, she was honored with an appearance on "Desert Island Discs", where she chose insect repellent as her luxury item.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Chatterton continued to appear in a variety of radio productions, including notable roles in "Middlemarch" in 1965, "The Crucible" in 1970, and "The Lady with a Lamp" in 1970, as well as Rudyard Kipling's "Kim" in 1970. Although her appearances became less frequent in the 1970s, she remained a respected and beloved figure in the radio world, with notable performances in "L'Arlesienne" in 1972, Noel Coward's "Waiting in the Wings" in 1973, and "The Man Born to Be King" in 1975.
Tragically, Chatterton's final radio appearance was in "Serjeant Musgrave's Dance" in 1976, which was broadcast after her passing. Despite her untimely death, Vivienne Chatterton's remarkable legacy as a radio pioneer and beloved performer continues to be celebrated and cherished by audiences around the world.
