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: Roy Speer
Recorded: Sunday 17 November 1957
First UK Broadcast Monday 6 October 1958 at 19:15 on the BBC Home Service
Based on 4/13 The Giant Bombardon.
1853. Britain’s only chance to win the Crimean War is to build a giant cannon – a bombardon – to blast a hole in the walls of Sebastopol. Seagoon is sent back to England and, after long debate over the thickness of the walls of Sebastopol, convinces Parliament to fund the project. He goes to visit his aunt and uncle, Min and Henry, to find Henry washing up in the kitchen with an elephant helping. Crun is building a giant leather bombardon and is able to complete it under Government contract. Ned sets out to buy gunpowder for the bombardon, but Grytpype persuades him to use a more deadly explosive – liquorice powder. Moriarty, a Russian-type spy, is hiding in one of the powder crates. They arrive in the Crimea, set up the bombardon, pour in a case of liquorice powder, but it’s the case the two villains were hiding in, and they are blasted to Sebastopol. They discover they’ve been fired! Cue thin chord and cymbal crash.
The Goon Show Preservation Society 