Starring Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
Music by Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet
The Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
Script: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Recorded: Sunday 8 January 1956
First Broadcast: Tuesday 10 January 1956 on the BBC Home Service
India, 1862. The destructive raids of the Red Bladder are endangering the Great International Christmas Pudding. Every battle that the British have fought in India, all 400 of them, have been recorded. The record of the only victory of the Red Bladder over the English has been stolen, and the Red Bladder plays it daily on the wireless to incite his tribesmen to renewed savagery. The British are countering by playing all the records of their victories over him, but the Red Bladder has surrounded the radio station at Chattagand – the records are in danger. Major Bloodnok is put in command of the Fourth Battalion Light Schlappers and sent to relieve Chattagand. On arrival, Bloodnok is confronted by the Red Bladder. He pays a bribe each day of one of the records of a British victory. Meanwhile, back at Indian Army HQ, it is discovered that the Red Bladder is playing records of British victories on Wog Wives’ Choice, but playing them backwards so that they sound as if the British were losing. Seagoon, Eccles, and Bluebottle set off to investigate. Operation Needle Nardle Noo is planned – they will drill a hole in the Red Bladder’s gramophone needle and fill it with nitroglycerine. The resulting explosion will blunt the needle. On arriving at the Red Bladder’s fort they try various ruses to obtain entry – they disguise themselves as plumbers and as strolling brain surgeons, but to no avail. Finally, disguised as Christmas carollers, the Red Bladder lets them in on the one condition that they leave immediately. They accept on the one condition that he let them stay. They sneak into the record-playing room and insert the nitroglycerine into the needle. Just then, the Red Bladder arrives and they are forced to disguise themselves as gramophone records. The Bladder sees the three new records and puts Bluebottle on the turntable. He attempts to keep up the disguise by singing but the needle explodes. An heroic British victory, with the loss of only three idiots.
The Goon Show Preservation Society 