Pirate Radio

Pirate Radio is well-cast. From what I’ve seen some of these other actors in, they all seem to play characters very similar to their body of work or their personality. The story takes place in the 1960s when illicit radio stations based on boats off the coast of Britain broadcast rock and roll music to the masses. Cards tell us that half the British population were fans, and from what we see in the film, 95% of them seem to be female (of which 1% seem to be lesbian, 1% seem to be frigid, and 98% seem to be starved for sex).


The DJs all have a niche, and the actors all dress and portray the part of their DJ appropriately. Government officials also are acted true to form, as sticks-in-the-mud or brown-nosers. The government consider these radio stations a degenerative influence on the population, but since they are moored past British domain, it is hard to shut them down. Within the mix of DJs is Carl, a young man whose godfather is Quentin, the owner of the station. He’s come to stay with them and grows up a little, has a little sex, and finds out who his father really is.

There are lots outlandish situations and character behavior, but the radio employees certainly seem to be enjoying themselves. Even when there are arguments and betrayals, they don’t last long and you can see what a unique family atmosphere there is. Despite their differences, their true love of the music binds them. Overall there is nothing too surprising in the characters, this is just a very comical and somewhat nostalgic look at this scene and falls into the “underdog” theme of movies.

Actors include Bill Nighy as Quentin, Tom Sturridge as Carl, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the American DJ The Count, Rhys Ifans as his rival DJ Gavin, Nick Frost as Dave the DJ who is a chick magnet, Kenneth Branagh as Sir Dormandy who wants to shut them down, Jack Davenport as his lackey, and Emma Thomson as Carl’s mother. Most likely you will recognize many other actors on both sides of the argument, and many of the DJs have interesting character quirks.