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A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

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G.K. Chesterton

Victor Whitechurch

Edgar Wallace

Marie Belloc Lowndes

Anna Katharine Green

Josephine Tey

A collection of thrilling tales from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, including six full-cast dramas and a short story read by Benedict Cumberbatch 
 
In the first half of the 20th century, the detective story exploded in popularity. Innovative authors penned whodunits, whydunits and clue-puzzle stories, and introduced iconic sleuths, creating works that would later become classics. This Golden Age, which reached its height during the 1920s and ’30s, saw the crowning of the ‘Queens of Crime’, the formation of the Detection Club and the laying down of new rules of crime writing – and the fiction produced during this period has had lasting appeal and influence, fundamentally shaping the ‘cosy crime’ novels of today. 
 
This collection gathers together seven sensational stories from Golden Age authors – some well-known, others unjustly overlooked – beginning with three by founding members of the Detection Club. The Blue Cross by G.K. Chesterton features the first appearance of one of the best-loved detectives in fiction: Father Brown, as he pursues arch-villain and master of disguise Flambeau. Andrew Sachs stars as the insightful cleric, with Olivier Pierre as his wily nemesis. 
 
In The House of the Arrow by A.E.W. Mason, starring Richard Pasco and Moir Leslie, a young woman living in Dijon is accused of murder, leading her lawyer to call in the Sûreté’s best officer, Inspector Hanaud. 
 
Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box by Victor Whitechurch sees daring Edwardian sleuth Thorpe Hazell using his locomotive expertise to solve an ingenious and audacious railway crime. 
 
A legendary assassin and vigilante returns from the dead in The Ringer by Edgar Wallace, and Scotland Yard must find him before he exacts his revenge. David Davis stars as the ‘Gaunt Stranger’, and Alexander John as the tenacious Inspector Wembury. 
 
In An Unrecorded Instance by Marie Belloc Lowndes, Hetty Mingle ignores her dying mother's advice about fortune hunters – but will she end up regretting it? Starring Mary O’Farrell and Brenda Bruce. 
 
The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green finds New York debutante (and reluctant detective) Violet Strange tasked with investigating four rich young women suspected of multiple thefts. Teresa Gallagher stars as the socialite sleuth, with Crawford Logan as her client, Driscoll. 
 
Concluding this collection is Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey, which finds psychologist Lucy Pym investigating a death at a women’s physical education college. Starring Julia Foster as Miss Pym and Joan Sims as her friend, headmistress Henrietta Hodge, this dark, engrossing psychological thriller is a late Golden Age gem. 
 
First published 1910 (The Blue Cross), 1912 (The Affair of the German Dispatch-Box), 1915 (The Golden Slipper), 1924 (The House of the Arrow, An Unrecorded Instance), 1929 (The Ringer), 1946 (Miss Pym Disposes) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Golden Age: Mystery and Murder

Seven BBC Radio Adaptations of Classic Crime Mysteries

Leo Tolstoy

Charlotte Brönte

Gustave Flaubert

William Shakespeare

Colette

Jane Austen

Alessandro Manzoni

Radclyffe Hall

Emily Brontë

Elizabeth Gaskell

Edith Wharton

Thomas Hardy

Twelve dramatisations of the best love stories ever written, performed by star casts 
 
Treat yourself to this stunning collection of classic stories of love, loss, obstacles overcome and desperate attraction. This is a beautiful, moving and at times thrilling listen which takes you on a journey through the greatest tales of romance ever told. These unmissable, dramatised novels feature stellar performances from fantastic casts including Vanessa Kirby, Hiftu Quasem, Kate Philips, Rory Kinnear, Toby Jones, John Hurt and David Tennant. 
 
Anna Karenina is Leo Tolstoy's powerful drama of desire, transgression and heartache. Starring Kate Philips (Wolf Hall), Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter) and Rory Kinnear (James Bond films). 
 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is a fantastic mix of injustice, romance, passion and danger wrapped up in a glorious love story. Starring Amanda Hale (Catastrophe) and Tom Burke (Strike). 
 
Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary is a masterpiece of betrayal and wantonness - the first great novel of adultery. Starring Sarah Smart (Wallander), Jude Akuwudike (Gangs of London) and James D’Arcy (Broadchurch) with John Hurt (Harry Potter) as the Narrator. 
 
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In a town full of hatred, where the streets ring with the Capulet-Montague feud and swords are too easily drawn, Romeo and Juliet find each other, fall in love, and never let go. Starring Trystan Gravelle (Mr Selfridge), Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible), David Tennant (Broadchurch) and Paul Ready (Motherland). 
 
Chéri by Colette is the story of a love affair between a courtesan and a man half her age, set in Paris before the First World War. Starring Frances Barber (Silk) and Joseph Millson (The Last Kingdom) with Lindsay Duncan (Birdman) as the Narrator. 
 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen remains one of the world’s favourite novels, dealing with the timeless issues of love, social class and money with a witty, clever - though flawed - heroine at its heart. Starring Pippa Nixon (Unforgotten), Jamie Parker (The Crown) and Toby Jones (The Detectorists). 
 
The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni is an icon of Italian literature: the story of two lovers who want nothing more than to marry but are beset by the hazards of war, bread riots and the machinations of a nameless crime lord. Starring Hiftu Quasem (Killing Eve) and Ian Dunnett Jnr (Masters of the Air). 
 
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, written in 1928, is a pioneering novel about love and attraction between women. Starring Valerie Edmond as the enigmatic Stephen. 
 
Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's iconic love story. Heathcliff and Cathy's love is the beating heart of the story, set against the backdrop of the bleak Yorkshire moors. Starring Chloe Pirrie (Temple) and Ben Batt (Shameless). 
 
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell explores social conscience, ideological difference and love in a mill town in the 1800s. Starring Emily Mortimer (The Pursuit of Love) and David Threlfall (Shameless). 
 
The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a passionate life-long love affair which breaks all the rules of the restrictive high society of 1870's New York. Starring Susan Lynch (Happy Valley) and Kellie Bright (Eastenders). 
 
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is a story of the belief in true romance and the power of money and love. Starring Alex Tregear (Silk: The Clerk’s Room), Toby Jones (The Detectorists) and Patrick Kennedy (Boardwalk Empire). 
 
This stunning collection is packed with the best romance stories written in the last 500 years – a fully dramatised, unmissable listen featuring some of the biggest names of stage and screen. 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Classic Love Stories: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

12 Full-Cast Dramatisations

Niccoli Machiavelli

The renowned masterpiece from one of the most influential writers in history, Machiavelli The Prince, written during the Italian Renaissance by author Niccolò Machiavelli, is an internationally renowned masterpiece about power, greed and strategy in government. Regarded by some as a manual for would-be tyrants on how they should seize and maintain power and by others as a simple reflection of political reality, listen now to this full-cast dramatisation and make up your own mind. In addition to this stunning, modern dramatisation of the classic novel, this download includes The Mandrake, Machiavelli’s comedy packed with intrigue, infidelity and fools and the documentary Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat from Jonathan Freedland, which re-assesses Machiavelli and explores whether his maligned reputation has overshadowed his other achievements…The Prince is the classic 16th-century treatise on the nature of power and statecraft. In this modern rendition, the author Machiavelli (Ciaran Hinds), often identified as Satan, uses his brilliance and cunning to explain how power can be created and sustained. This brilliant adaptation is performed for the first time as a monologue with dramatised illustrations from a full-cast, including Philip Voss, Stephen Critchlow and Christopher Godwin.The Mandrake is Machiavelli’s best-known comedy, taking place in a square in Florence in 1504.Callimaco, desires to sleep with Lucrezia, the young and beautiful wife of an elderly fool, Nicia. Nicia above all else desires a son and heir. Conspiring with a rascally marriage broker, and a corrupt priest, Callimaco masquerades as a doctor and tricks Nicia into letting his wife become his lover using the power of the mandrake plant. 
This double edition download comes with the added exclusive content, Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat. A fascinating documentary that explores the life and work of one of the most maligned authors in history. The impact of this writer has been felt across the centuries from the execution of King Charles I to the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the United States and journalist and writer Jonathan Freedland re-assesses the legacy of this incredible thinker and writer. This is a download not to missed, perfect for any fans of classical literature with a twist, packed with compelling intrigue, wit and fascinating revelations.Cast and creditsWritten by Niccolò MachiavelliThe PrinceNiccolo - Ciaran HindsThe Prince - Christopher GodwinLouis - Philip VossSeverus - Stephen CritchlowOliverotti - Scott HandyGiovanni - John RoweOther parts played by Chris Kelham, Tom George and Gavin MuirDramatised by Peter WolfDirected by Cherry CooksonFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21st January 2000The MandrakeCallimaco - John RyeSiro - Anthony JacksonMesser Nicia - Douglas WilmerLigurio - David MarchSostrata - Beity HardyFra Timoteo - Willoughby GoddardA young widow - Hilda SchroderLucrezia - Hilary HardimanSingers Robert Tear, Douglas Wilmer, Willoughby Goddard, John Rye and David MarchTranslated from the Italian by J. R. HaleProduced by Charles LefeauxSongs by Elizabeth PostonFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27th October 1967Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat Presented by Jonathan FreedlandProduced by Rob ShepherdFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18th November 2013©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Prince and The Mandrake

Two Full Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

R.D Wingfield

A collection of vintage thrillers from popular crime writer RD Wingfield 
 
Well known as the creator of Inspector Jack Frost, RD Wingfield scripted numerous twisty, suspenseful dramas for BBC Radio between 1968 and 1995. Many of the thirteen tales in this collection were originally thought to be lost, but thanks to the diligent efforts of Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle, who tracked down the missing audio, they are once again available to enjoy. 
 
In Cat and Mouse Game, a wealthy woman goes missing, and her husband is suspected of murder. Ambitious security officer Hastler has a lot to lose when a surveillance operation goes wrong in Saturday Roster, and in Nightmare, a killer has escaped from a psychiatric ward and may be returning to the scene of his crime. Blood Money finds a branch manager forced to deal with a ransom demand, while Better Never than Late features a policeman on the brink of retirement determined to crack an unsolved kidnapping case. 
 
Warring colleagues Davenport and Desmond discover the advantages of working together in Compensating Error, and in Slow Fuze, an unexploded bomb proves to be a golden opportunity for Major Derry. The Tenth Anniversary concerns the strange disappearance of a detective inspector exactly a decade after the famous Monkstead murders, Death of the Insured sees a terminally ill private eye hired to find an errant husband, and Balance Brought Forward and The Night They Deliver The Money both focus on bank directors faced with potential disaster. Smiling and Beautiful Death, meanwhile, centres around a concussed motorist, a mysterious midnight funeral and a village full of sinister locals… 
 
Capping off our collection is the six-part serial The Killing Season, written under the pseudonym Arthur Jefferson and set in a sleepy town experiencing an unprecedented Christmas crime wave. Among the casts of these intriguing dramas are Nigel Havers, Frances Jeater, Leslie Sands, Garard Green, Deryck Guyler and Andrew Sachs. 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by RD Wingfield 
 
Contents 
 
Cat and Mouse Game 
Saturday Roster 
Nightmare 
Blood Money 
Better Never Than Late 
Compensating Error 
Slow Fuze 
The Tenth Anniversary 
Death of the Insured 
Balance Brought Forward 
The Night They Deliver the Money 
Smiling and Beautiful Death 
The Killing Season 
Written by Arthur Jefferson (pseudonym of R.D Wingfield) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

R.D Wingfield: Nightmare and Other Thrillers

13 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

A female-centred collection of four dramatisations celebrating Jane Austen’s classic novels - plus bonus series When I Met Jane Austen 
 
On 16 December 1775, a literary icon was born. Jane Austen’s groundbreaking novels pioneered the romantic comedy genre and put women front and centre, depicting their innermost thoughts and feelings. To celebrate her 250th anniversary, here are four new dramas, focusing on the fabulous, flawed, funny and fascinating women who blaze out from her books. Full of her characteristic wit and biting comedy, they feature star-studded casts including Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Adjoa Andoh, and Ben Hardy. 
 
Pride and Prejudice – Featuring one of the best-loved heroines in literature – lively, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet – this dramatisation tells the story of the five Bennet sisters’ romantic escapades, as they endeavour to fulfil their mother’s dreams and marry well. 
 
Sense and Sensibility – When their father’s death turns their world upside down, rational, reserved Elinor Dashwood and her impulsive, emotional sister Marianne leave their old lives behind and embark on a voyage of romantic discovery. 
 
Northanger Abbey – Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is a kind, honest and unworldly young woman with a head full of Gothic novels and little experience of the real world. So when wealthy, handsome Henry Tilney invites her to Northanger Abbey, she is determined to discover its dark secrets... 
 
Mansfield Park – Aged just nine, Fanny Price is sent away from her impoverished parents to live with her rich relatives at Mansfield Park. Shaped by family and adversity, this displaced child becomes a fiercely moral young woman with an unshakable conscience – and as she navigates the complexities of love and jealousy, her true strength of character is revealed. 
 
When I Met Jane Austen – Ten of the world’s most prominent authors and thinkers talk to Jane Austen biographer Paula Byrne about when they first encountered the great writer. Featuring contributions from David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate Atkinson. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Jane Austen 
 
Pride and Prejudice 
Starring Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Rosie Cavaliero, Lucy Doyle, Kitty O’Sullivan, Gaia Wise, Imogen Front, Louis Landau, Toby Regbo, Adjoa Andoh, Catherine Bailey, Josh Bryant-Jones, Sasha McCabe, Jasmine Hyde, Clive Haywood, and Sarah Thom 
 
Dramatised by award winning writer Rachel Joyce 
Produced by Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Dec 2025 
 
Sense and Sensibility 
Starring Tamsin Greig, Madeleine Mantock, Rose Basista, Ben Hardy, Enyi Okoronkwo, Richard Goulding, Ava Talbot, Jasmine Hyde, Carolyn Pickles, Clive Hayward, Django Bevan, Sasha McCabe, and Bethan Rose Young 
 
Dramatised by Claudine Toutoungi 
Produced by Anne Isger 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Dec 2025 
 
Northanger Abbey 
Starring Madeleine Gray, Will Howard, Cecilia Appiah, Ella Smith, John Heffernan, Scarlett Courtney, Jasmine Hyde, Josh Bryant-Jones, and Django Bevan 
 
Dramatised by Clara Glynn 
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2-9 Nov 2025 
 
Mansfield Park 
Starring Lydia Wilson, Bryan Dick, Tala Gouveia, Tom Mothersdale, Janice Acquah, Madeleine Worrall, Joshua Riley, John Hollingworth, Samuel Valentine, Faith Alabi, and Hollie Burgess 
 
Dramatised by Clara Glynn 
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-17 Jul 2022When I Met Jane Austen 
Presented by Paula Byrne 
With David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate AtkinsonProduced by Maggie Ayre 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8-19 Dec 2025 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jane Austen: The 250th Anniversary Collection

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Gary Brown

Steve Sunderland

Jim Poyser

Michael Stewart

Sharon Oakes

Shakeel Ahmed

Six quirky dramas from in and around a northern market stall 
 
“If you want owt - go down the market... They sell everything from pins to pearl earrings, from peaches to pig's trotters, from tripe to tiramisu. See the hanging, marbled haunches of beef down Butchers' Row. Smell the flowers, a fragrant dream. Taste the fresh silvery fish motorwayed down from the North Sea.” 
 
Some would say the Market is the last authentic part of the city centre. This northern city has reinvented itself as a business and financial centre, bristling with designer shops and bars. A cosmopolitan, twenty-four hour city. Yet slap bang in the centre the Victorian City Market remains what it has always been; a place where you can get anything and see anything - a place teeming with life. The market is the real face of the city - mucky, multicultural and magnificent. Listen to this immersive collection of full-cast BBC radio dramas exploring the high and lows of this unique place which bursts with stories and life.In Loco Parentis by Garry Brown, a bittersweet empty nester comedy starring Reece Dinsdale, Jim can't sleep because his daughter's left for uni, his business is going belly up, and his father is going gaga. Oh, and to top it all he suspects his wife is having an affair with her boss…Phonebreaker by Steve Sunderland is the story of Matt. He’s going off the rails. School was a washout and working on his dad's market stall is a dead-end job. But when he hears a call for help on a stolen mobile phone, it's a call to action. An arresting morality tale starring Stephen Hoyle, Joseph Kloska and Jessica Blake.Sean's family own a fish stall down the market. Except Sean doesn't want to join them. He's become a 'Joey' for his best friend Darren who's a highly paid footballer. A Joey is a 'Go to Guy'. No way is he a dogsbody… The Joey by Jim Poysner is a quirky comedy starring John Catterall and Greg Wood.In Castaway by Michael Stewart, Kevin Eldon stars as Andrew, a man proud of his beard and his liberal attitudes. When Akram Khan, a successful businessman, buys some computers off his stall, things start looking up for Andrew. That is, until he fits a wi-fi router in Mr Khan’s impressive house…Eclipse by Sharon Oakes is a tender romantic comedy that tells the story of Carrie, who runs a flower stall. She also has a birthmark on her face. Maybe that's the reason she has never married? But Mrs Kaminsky knows she has a secret admirer. Starring Michelle Holmes, Andrew Westfield and Melissa Jane Sinden.Finally, An Imam and a Rabbi by Shakeel Ahmed is a wickedly funny supernatural comedy starring Muzz Khan and David Fleeshman. Imam Jawad and Rabbi Greenberg can't stand the sight of each other. But then something strange and spooky occurs that needs cross-cultural co-operation. Can they do it?Available as a complete collection for the first time, Market is a series of six plays with a whiff of the fantastical about them. Each story is self-contained, quirky and best described as a ‘modern morality’ play. Compelling, compulsive and utterly delightful, this wonderful collection is not to be missed by fans of comedy and drama alike.Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Gary BrownOriginal Music by Steven D Reid©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Market

Six Full-Cast Original BBC Radio Dramas

Leah Chillery

David Hodgson

Alan Harris

Anna Mary Murphy

Lavinia Murray

A series of inter-linked plays exploring birth, marriage and death through the prism of a Welsh Register OfficeIsn't it strange that the registering of life's most important moments happens in a sterile municipal office? Everyone's got a story to tell about how they got there. Listen for the first time to this spectacular collection of six funny, quirky and moving plays that start in a Register Office and end in a birth, marriage or death.In Uncle Harry, Mark’s life is nicely well-ordered until a passing comment from Uncle Harry sends him on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a comedy about grief and the true meaning of family.Losing my Penny is a story of love, secrets and family. Leo is in love with Penny and plans to marry her but Penny's possessive father has other ideas. Leo has secrets of his own which threatens to ruin everything.Teddy is on his stag night in the comedy Time and Tide. He wakes up naked and handcuffed to a lamp post. So far, so normal. But then he realises that something very weird has occurred which makes him question everything…A Certain Date is a surreal and darkly comic exploration of the meaning of death. Geoff Levine, aka the Slim Reaper, is a pest control technician. All day long he kills rats and other vermin but when he meets Mystic June, she tells him something that will alter the rest of his life – what's left of it anyway.An unexpected family secret is unearthed in Nine Lives, when Beth's elderly father Patrick claims never to have been born because he's lived forever. As Beth tries to untangle the truth of her father's birth, she uncovers more than she bargained for.Lastly, Elephants all the Way tells the story of Harper, who works in a zoo. He is a simple soul but his life is complicated. His wife is desperate for a baby, and his angry dad is a bare knuckle boxer. Then the ground starts to shift - literally…Engaging, funny and thought provoking, these six plays were recorded by BBC Wales. This brilliant series of modern dramas showcase some of Wales’s best acting talent. Download all six plays now for a mesmerising listen.Episode 1 - Uncle HarryWritten by Gary Brown 
Directed by Helen PerryMark - Dylan Edwards 
Uncle Harry - Ewan Bailey 
Elaine - Denise Black 
Helen - Katherine Jakeways 
Lionel - Christian Patterson 
Charlotte - Rachel Redford 
Dad - David CannEpisode 2 - Losing my PennyWritten by Leah Chillery 
Directed by Gary BrownLeo - Don Gilet 
Penny - Verity May Henry 
Rita - Kathryn Hunt 
Henry - Conrad Nelson 
Duchess - Tupele Dorgu 
Bartholomew - Fiona ClarkeEpisode 3 - Time and Tide Written by David Hodgson 
Directed by Gary BrownOld Man - Will Tacey 
Teddy - Alan Morrissey 
Lawrence - Will Ash 
Megan - Hannah Wood 
Brankin - Sean Mason 
Jess - Harriet Chandler Judd 
Shaffy - Hamilton BerstockEpisode 4 - A Certain DateWritten by Alan Harris 
Directed by Helen PerryGeoff - Julian Lewis Jones 
Valmai - Sara McGaughey 
Sandy - Katy Owen 
Mystic June - Lisa Palfrey 
Doctor Ramis - Richard Mitchley 
Pigeon - Sion Pritchard 
King Rat - Michael BertenshawEpisode 5 – Nine Lives Written by Anna Maria Murphy 
Directed by James RobinsonBeth - Eiry Thomas 
Patrick - Peter Marinker 
Bill - Christian Patterson 
Mrs Knowles - Sharon Morgan 
Miriam/Janet - Eirlys Bellin 
Reg/Harold - Matthew GravelleEpisode 6 – Elephants All the Way Up Written by Lavinia MurrayDirected by Gary BrownHarper - Graeme Hawley 
Yolanda - Kate Coogan 
Dad - Seamus O'Neill 
Carlos - Chris Jack 
Arlo/Turtle - Lloyd Peters 
Grayson/Turtle -Malcolm Raeburn 
Woman/Turtle - Lisa Allen©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Hatch, Match and Dispatch

Jules Verne

Full-cast contemporary dramatisations of Jules Verne’s best-known work, plus insight into his life and workOften referred to as the father of science fiction, Victorian author Jules Verne is renowned for his fantastical adventures imagining extraordinary voyages to strange new horizons. Prolific and prophetic, he wrote over 50 novels and numerous short stories, in which he foretold the skyscraper, the submarine, space missions and even the Internet. Featured here are contemporary adaptations of four of his most famous tales, as well as a special episode of The Forum examining the long-lasting appeal of his work. 
 These full-cast dramatisations feature a stellar line-up including Jim Broadbent, Leslie Phillips, Sagar Arya, Joel MacCormack, Stephen Critchlow, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Neil McCaul, Madeline Hatt, David Seddon, Yves Aubert, Nathan Osgood, Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong and Kerry Gooderson. 
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Renowned professor Otto Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel decipher a mysterious cryptogram telling of a pathway to the earth’s core. Determined to find out if such a journey is possible, the intrepid explorers and their guide, Hans, venture into the heart of a dormant Icelandic volcano, where shocks, perils and amazing discoveries await. 
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – On the hunt for a terrifying sea monster that has been attacking ships, marine scientist Professor Aronnax and his stowaway daughter Connie join whaler Ned Land aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. But what they find is no monster, it’s a submarine: the Nautilus, piloted by the mysterious Captain Nemo… 
Around the World in Eighty Days – Risking his fortune, eccentric gentleman Phileas Fogg makes a bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Accompanied by his new valet, Passepartout, he sets off on a headlong race – pursued by the energetic Sergeant Fix, who is convinced Fogg is the bank robber he’s seeking. With the clock ticking, can Phileas make it back to the Reform Club in time? 
The Mysterious Island – Escaping the American Civil War, military engineer Cyrus Smith, his freed slave Neb, and reporter Grace Spilett steal an observation balloon. Following a violent storm, it crashes near a seemingly deserted Pacific island: but the castaways soon realise that they are not alone… 
The Forum: 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas – Jules Verne’s classic novel is one of the most translated works in publishing history (and yes, the original French title does have the plural 'seas'). Talking to authors, academics and members of the Société Jules Verne, Rajan Datar finds out what makes this boys’ own adventure tale so popular. 
First published 1864 (Journey to the Centre of the Earth), 1870 (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea), 1872 (Around the World in Eighty Days), 1874 (The Mysterious Island) 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jules Verne: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Four Full-Cast Dramatisations

Exotic tales from the vintage pages of Doctor Who Annual, brought to life by a host of Doctor Who voices. 
 
In the title adventure, The Cloud Exiles ensnare the First Doctor and hope to steal his body for their own purposes, unless he can persuade them otherwise. In Death to Mufl, the Second Doctor is sent on a mission so secret that even he doesn’t know about it! In Revenge of the Phantoms, Jo and the Third Doctor must fight for their lives against terrifying forces they can’t see, beyond which lies an even greater menace. Adric is banished to a jungle world when he and the Fourth Doctor encounter an Intergalactic Cat. In Danger Down Below, Tegan and the Fifth Doctor come under hostile surveillance when they answer a call for help from Aronassus Forty-Nine. The Sixth Doctor and Peri find a house apparently frozen in time as a result of the terrifying Davarrk’s Experiment. Finally, a short feature from the 1983 Annual promises a peek Behind the Scenes at Doctor Who… 
 
Maureen O'Brien, Geoffrey Beevers, Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding, Toby Longworth and Tim Treloar read these energetic stories first published in book form between 1966 and 1985. 
 
Readings produced by Morrison Ellis 
Sound design by David Darlington 
Executive Producer: Michael Stevens 
 
(P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Doctor Who: The Cloud Exiles & Other Stories

Doctor Who Audio Annual

Ivan Turgenev

Nine classic works by the Russian literary giant, adapted for BBC Radio 
 
Ivan Turgenev stands alongside Tolstoy and Dostoevsky as one of the three great Russian novelists of the 19th century. He was also a consummate short story writer, poet and playwright, and the first Russian author to become popular in the West. This specially curated collection showcases his key works, from the most celebrated to the undeservedly underrated. 
 
Described as ‘one of the most perfect things ever written’, the lyrical novella First Love tells the story of 16-year-old Vladimir, whose longing for the capricious Zinaida informs his whole life. Dramatised for Radio 4, it stars Simon Cadell, Rosalind Ayres and Bill Nighy. Succeeding it is Turgenev’s masterpiece, Fathers and Sons, an exploration of the eternal conflict between the reactionary older generation and the revolutionary younger one. John Castle stars as youthful nihilist Bazarov, with Maurice Denham as his father Nikolai. First published in 1855 as Two Women, Turgenev’s best-known play A Month in the Country centres around a landowner’s wife who finds herself attracted to her son’s tutor. Translated by Isaiah Berlin, our Radio 3 version stars Maureen O’Brien and Gerard Murphy. 
 
Written a few years before A Month in the Country, the little-known play The Poor Gentleman is an emotional comedy about an elderly man’s devotion to a daughter he can never recognise publicly. It stars Frank Finlay, Morag Hood and Colin Baker. Next up is Smoke, Turgenev’s only novel not to be set in Russia. Baden Baden is the setting for a tale that blends poignant love story and searing political satire, starring Garard Green, Rachel Gurney and Patricia Leventon. Meanwhile, in the short story ‘The Dog’, a mild Hussar (Timothy West) is the subject of a bizarre haunting… 
 
Turgenev’s debut novel, Rudin, features that archetypal character in Russian literature, the ‘superfluous man’. Ian Holm stars as the eponymous hero, an idealistic intellectual who is incapable of taking action: and suffers for it. Set just before the Crimean War, the romantic novella On the Eve has passion and patriotism as its themes. Amanda Root stars as the upper-class Elena, who embarks on a doomed affair with Bulgarian revolutionary Insarov (Philip Franks). We conclude as we began, with a tale of first love – Spring Torrents, one of Turgenev’s greatest and most autobiographical novellas. Adapted for Radio 4’s ‘Book at Bedtime’, it is read by David Horovitch. 
 
First published 1848 (The Poor Gentleman), 1855/1872 (A Month in the Country), 1857 (Rudin), 1860 (First Love, On the Eve), 1862 (Fathers and Sons), 1866 (‘The Dog’), 1867 (Smoke), 1872 (Spring Torrents) 
 
Production credits 
Written by Ivan Turgenev 
With thanks to Keith Wickham 
 
Contents List 
First Love 
Fathers and Sons 
A Month in the Country 
The Poor Gentleman 
Smoke 
The Dog 
Rudin 
On the Eve 
Spring Torrents 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ivan Turgenev: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Drama Collection

First Love, Father and Sons, A Month in the Country & more

Writer Colette’s classic works brought to life in a unique audio collection 
Listen for the first time to this stunning collection of five of Colette’s most celebrated works, compiled and created by BBC Radio. French author and woman of letters, Colette is best known for her 1944 novella Gigi, which became the stage musical launching the career of Audrey Hepburn. Known for her frank, direct and honest way of writing about women and female friendships, Colette’s stories champion the female perspective and all feature strong women protagonists. Considered immoral and shocking at the time, her works are now cherished as a fresh insight into the female experience of the era and she is celebrated for the sheer quality of her writing. This exclusive collection includes, Gigi, Cheri, Claudine at School, The Vagabond and Sido and features performances from Lindsay Duncan (Sherlock, Starter for 10, Doctor Who), Paul Ritter (Friday Night Dinner), Frances Barber, Brigit Forsyth and Dame Peggy Ashcroft. Also included is a bonus edition of In Our Time, hosted by Melvyn Bragg as he and guests discuss Colette, her life, her works and her significant cultural impact.In the classic Gigi, we follow the story of a young woman in Paris, who is being groomed by her grandmother for the life of a courtesan. Cheri is a semi-autobiographical story following an enduring love affair between a courtesan and a man half her age. Claudine at School Heavy with erotic over tones, this full cast dramatisation explores the life of the enchanting Claudine as she navigates her journey to womanhood. The Vagabond tells the story of a divorcée dancer in a Paris music hall, she is pursued by a wealthy admirer. Will she allow herself to fall in love a second time?Finally, Dame Peggy Ashcroft narrates Sido, based on Colette’s memories of her own mother.Text copyright © Colette 1900 (Claudine at School), 1910 (Vagabond), 1920 (Cheri), 1929 (Sido), 1944 (Gigi)Gigi Translated from the French and adapted by Barbara Bray 
Produced by Raymond RaikesCast: Margaret Robertson, Margaret Rawlings, Carol Marsh, Robert Hardy, Hilda Kriseman, Ian Thompson, Isabel JeansCheriDirected by Pauline HarrisCast: Lindsay Duncan, Joseph Millson, Frances Barber, Brigit Forsyth, Laura Harding, Conrad Nelson, Judith DavisClaudine at SchoolAdapted by Yvonne MitchellProduced and directed by Liane AukinCast: Fidelis Morgan, Rosalind Adams, Anne Rosenfeld, Jean Rogers, Nigel Lambert, Diana Bishop, Joan Matheson, Carole Hayman, Haydn Jones, Pamela Moiseiwitsch, Shane Briant,Michael Harbour, Peter Howell, Timothy Bateson, Edward KelseyThe VagabondDramatised by Charlotte CoryDirected by Mary PeateCast: Clare Higgins, Paul Ritter, Allan Corduner, David Thorpe, Jasmine HydeSido Abridged by B. J. SalmonRead by Dame Peggy AshcroftIn our Time – ColettePresented by Melvyn Bragg.Text copyright © Colette 1900 (Claudine at School), 1910 (Vagabond), 1920 (Cheri), 1929 (Sido), 1944 (Gigi)©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Colette: Gigi, Cheri and more

A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Mahesh Dattani

Three original murder mysteries featuring Bangalore detective Uma Rao 
 
Actor, writer and director Mahesh Dattani is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award by India’s National Academy of Letters. Included here are all three of his plays featuring Uma Rao – PhD student, daughter-in-law of Bangalore's deputy commissioner of police, and wife of the superintendent. Priyanga Burford (neé Elan), stars as the intrepid sleuth, with full casts including Shiv Grewal, Saeed Jaffrey, Ajay Chhabra, Amerjit Deu and Nitin Chandra Ganatra. 
 
Seven Circles Around the Fire – For her university thesis, Uma is conducting research into the Hijra community (third gender people who are invited to sing, dance and give blessings at weddings and births, but marginalized from mainstream society). But her inquiries uncover a case of corruption, murder and a terrible miscarriage of justice... 
 
The Swami and Winston – When an English aristocrat is found murdered outside a Hindu temple, the only clues are a mischievous dog and a Burberry raincoat. Why was Lady Montefiore visiting an ashram, and who could have wanted to kill her? As Uma delves into her death, she comes into contact with religious fanaticism at its most dangerous... 
 
Uma and the Fairy Queen – Attending a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Uma is embroiled in another murder investigation when the actor playing Oberon, Michael Forsyth, is kidnapped, reappears just in time to go on, and is then found shot dead after the show. Suspicion falls on his wife, but Uma is convinced that the solution to the mystery lies in the play itself... 
 
 
Seven Circles around the Fire 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Suresh Rao – Rehan Sheikh 
Constable Muniswami – Shiv Grewal 
Jumpa – Saeed Jaffrey 
Anarkili – Rikki Beadle-Blair 
Saleem – Amerjit Deu 
Mr Shirma – Nitin Chandra Ganatra 
Suba Shirma – Ajay Chhabra 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 January 1999 
 
The Swami and Winston 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Constable – Shiv Grewal 
Charles – Andrew Wincott 
Suresh – Ajay Chhabra 
Swami – Saeed Jaffrey 
Sitaram – Paul Bhattarcharjee 
Lady Montefiore – Richenda Carey 
Driver – Amerjit Deu 
Farmer – Nitin Chandra Ghanatra 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
Music by Eero Hameenniemi 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 June 2000 
 
Uma and the Fairy Queen 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Suresh – Ajay Chhabra 
Nila – Souad Faress 
Feroz – Akbar Kurtha 
Malik – Kaleem Janjua 
Liam – Gerard McDermott 
Michael – Stephen Critchlow 
Produced and directed by Marc Beeby 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 August 2003 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Uma Rao Mysteries

Three Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Alison Plowden

Abigail Docherty

John Mortimer

Madame de Lafayette

Peter Wolf

Michael Butt

Amanda Whittington

Paul B. Davies

Friedrich Schiller

Nine gripping dramas that delve into the turbulent, thrilling history of the Tudor eraAffairs and assassinations. Conflict and chaos. Power and plots. The tumultuous Tudor period is one of the most iconic and fascinating chapters in British history. In these ten atmospheric dramas, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of Tudor England – and rediscover the key characters we have grown to love and hate. Featuring world-renowned actors, these gripping, historically accurate tales are packed with excitement.A Pattern of Tudors - the story of Cardinal Wolsey who built Hampton Court, and Henry VIII who took it from him.True and Lawful Queen - Katherine of Aragon’s refusal to divorce Henry VIII sparks a chain of events that leads to the Reformation.Black Queen to King’s Castle - the ghost of Anne Boleyn tells her own story of the events that led to her execution.The Babington Plot - Told from the perspective of the conspirators, this is an enthralling account of the 1586 plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and return England to Catholic rule under Mary, Queen of Scots.La Princesse de Clèves - a playful adaptation of Madame de Lafayette's classic novel of intrigue and love set in the 16th Century and following the dangerous liaisons of a beautiful young lady newly presented to Court.Gold’s Fool - the true story of how Queen Elizabeth I was misled by alchemists into believing that the Arctic black rocks of Baffin Island were rich in precious ore.Mary Stuart - we learn of the extraordinary relationship between Elizabeth I and her rival cousin, the imprisoned Scottish queen.Edward, Edward - seen entirely through the eyes of children, this shows how Edward VI, crowned king at the age of nine, finds himself powerless in a world ruled by adults.The Nine Days Queen - the tragic story of the trial of Lady Jane Grey. Crowned Queen of England in 1553 aged 16, she was imprisoned in the Tower nine days later, and was dead within a year.Among the stellar cast of these remarkable dramas are Phyllida Nash, Michael Hordern, David Troughton, Izzy Meikle-Small, Stephen Greif, Burn Gorman, Roger Lloyd Pack, Kathleen Helme and Melody Grove.© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Tudor Crown

A BBC Radio 4 Drama Collection

James Follett

A collection of full-cast sci-fi dramas from the late, great James Follett, introduced by Follett himself and featuring his bestselling series Earthsearch 
 
Novelist, playwright and screenwriter James Follett wrote over 25 novels, more than 50 radio dramas and numerous TV scripts, including several episodes of Blake’s 7. He was one of the most borrowed authors in UK libraries, and his works have been translated into over a dozen languages. 
 
This anthology includes his finest radio plays and series – including many that have never previously been available before. Framing the collection is the special BBC7 programme Men, Martians and Machines, in which Follett himself introduces us to several of his most popular pieces, providing fascinating behind-the-scenes back stories and tracing the origins of Earthsearch through the evolution of his radio work. 
 
Described by Follett as ‘probably the quirkiest thing I've ever written’, The Devil to Pay features a driver who crashes his car in the desert, and a camper who pulls him from the wreckage. Norman Rodway and Derek Seaton star in this short playlet with a wicked twist. 
 
In The Man Who Invented Yesterday, starring Alan Rowe, a scientist is delighted when his DNA experiments come to fruition. 
 
In The Destruction Factor, a corporation’s new plant strain mutation escapes the lab and causes havoc. Starring T P McKenna, Paul Copley, Rosalind Adams and Clifford Rose. 
 
Next up are Follett’s acclaimed space dramas Earthsearch and Earthsearch II, charting the adventures of the crew of the starship Challenger. Among the ensemble cast are Sean Arnold, Amanda Murray, Kathryn Hurlbutt and Haydn Wood. 
 
The Bionic Blob and its sequel The Bionic Blob and the Stolen Wavelengths tell the story of a ‘Thing’ from outer space who becomes the unlikely sidekick to a private eye on Earth. Sandra Dickinson and Ed Bishop star. 
 
The Doppelganger Machine, set in 1933 and starring Peter Pratt and Hector Ross, sees a plane flying Christmas mail from France to England landing at an unexpected airport – and decade. 
 
In The Twisted Image, a dead woman is found in the boot of a Rolls-Royce, but the clues don’t add up... Douglas Blackwell and Peter Wickham star in this futuristic whodunit. 
 
In the post-apocalyptic disaster thriller Ice, starring Sean Barrett, Carol Drinkwater and Anthony Hyde, a giant iceberg breaks away from the Antarctic and drifts inexorably towards New York. Can the US military avert disaster? 
 
NB: Due to the age of some of the recordings, the sound quality may vary 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Men, Martians and Machines: A BBC Radio Sci-Fi Collection

10 Full-Cast Dramas including Earthsearch

Charles Chilton

The first two series of the iconic 1950s science fiction trilogy, set in the unimaginably far-flung future of the late 20th century 
 
Written by veteran radio producer Charles Chilton, Journey into Space kept Light Programme listeners enraptured between 1953 and 1958. Almost eight million people tuned in to the interstellar adventures of Jet Morgan and his intrepid crew, making it the last UK radio drama serial to beat television in the ratings. This audio collection contains the complete Series 1 and 2 of the groundbreaking trilogy, complete with extra-terrestrial sound effects and atmospheric music. 
 
Operation Luna – It’s 1965, and with the world watching, the rocket ship Luna blasts off for the Moon. On board are Captain Andrew ‘Jet’ Morgan, ship’s doctor Daniel ‘Doc’ Matthews, engineer Stephen ‘Mitch’ Mitchell and radio operator Lemuel ‘Lemmy’ Barnet. As they prepare to set foot on the lunar surface, Lemmy hears strange music – and on landing, they soon realise that they are not alone. Something is out there – something alien… This futuristic 13-part serial stars Andrew Faulds, Guy Kingsley-Poynter, David Williams and Alfie Bass. 
 
The Red Planet – Set six years after the events of Operation Luna, this thrilling 20-part serial finds Jet and his crew aboard the flagship Discovery, leading a mission to explore Mars. But their journey is plagued by disturbing events, and what they find on the red planet’s dusky surface will challenge their sanity and threaten their survival – and that of Earth itself… Starring Andrew Faulds, Guy Kingsley-Poynter, Bruce Beeby and David Kossoff. 
 
Production credits 
Written and produced by Charles Chilton 
Music composed and orchestra conducted by Van Phillips 
 
Operation Luna 
Jet Morgan – Andrew Faulds 
Lemmy Barnett – Alfie Bass 
Doc – Guy Kingsley-Poynter 
Mitch – David Williams 
Other parts played by John Cazabon, Alan Keith, David Jacobs, Duncan McIntyre and Deryck Guyler 
 
The original 1953 recordings of this series were erased. It was re-recorded and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, 26 March-18 June 1958 
 
The Red Planet 
Jet Morgan – Andrew Faulds 
Lemmy – David Kossoff 
Doc – Guy Kingsley-Poynter 
Mitch – Bruce Beeby 
Other parts played by David Jacobs, Anthony Marriott, Miriam Karlin, John Cazabon, Madi Hedd and Don Sharp 
 
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, 6 September 1954-17 January 1955 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Journey into Space: Operation Luna & The Red Planet

The Classic BBC Radio Sci-Fi Drama

The final series of Charles Chilton’s classic 1950s sci-fi trilogy and the gripping 1981 sequel 
 
Written by veteran radio producer Charles Chilton, Journey into Space kept Light Programme listeners enraptured between 1953 and 1958. Almost eight million people tuned in to the interstellar adventures of Jet Morgan and his intrepid crew, making it the last UK radio drama serial to beat television in the ratings. This audio collection contains the complete Series 3 of the groundbreaking trilogy, as well as the special 90-minute sequel The Return from Mars. 
 
The World in Peril – Continuing the suspenseful story begun in The Red Planet, this 20-part serial, set in 1972, follows Jet and his comrades as they return to Mars with orders to discover all they can about the impending Martian invasion of Britain. Stretched to their limits, they take on the awesome Martian power – and when they discover the astounding secret of the invasion plan, they must race against time to warn a defenceless Earth… Starring Andrew Faulds, Guy Kingsley-Poynter, Don Sharp and Alfie Bass. 
 
The Return from Mars – It’s an ordinary afternoon at London Landing Control. Suddenly, a voice breaks across another aircraft’s frequency: ‘This is the spaceship Discovery’… To the controller’s astonishment, Jet Morgan and his crew are re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere – more than 30 years after they went missing, presumed dead. What happened to Jet and friends during those years? Consulting his diary, Jet begins to tell their astonishing story… Starring John Pullen, Ed Bishop, Nigel Graham and Anthony Hall. 
 
Production credits 
Written and produced by Charles Chilton 
Music composed and orchestra conducted by Van Phillips 
 
The World in Peril 
Jet Morgan – Andrew Faulds 
Lemmy Barnett – Alfie Bass 
Doc – Guy Kingsley-Poynter 
Mitch – Don Sharp 
Other parts played by David Jacobs, Alan Tilvern, John Cazabon, Fred Yule and Pat Campbell 
 
First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 26 September 1955-6 February 1956 
 
The Return from Mars 
Jet Morgan – John Pullen 
Lemmy – Anthony Hall 
Doc – Ed Bishop 
Mitch – Nigel Graham 
Cassia – Elizabeth Proud 
Nichols – Patrick Barr 
Wrist radio/Countdown voice – David Bradshawe 
Pilot/Talian – Graham Faulkner 
Controller/Radio voice – Stephen Garlick 
Videophone/Junior officer – John McAndrew 
Control/Sotteer 2 – Sion Probert 
Sotteer 1/Harry – Christopher Scott 
Supervisor/Radio – John Webb 
 
Script by Charles Chilton 
Directed by Glyn Dearman 
 
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, 7 March 1981 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Journey into Space: The World in Peril & The Return from Mars

Elizabeth Bowen

A collection of full-cast dramas from one of Ireland's foremost writers - plus Elizabeth Bowen's thoughts on the novelist's craft 
 
Elizabeth Bowen was one of the 20th century's most distinctive writers. An associate of the Bloomsbury Set, she was a keen observer of upper-middle-class life and relationships. Best known for her novels of the Anglo-Irish gentry and wartime London, her fiction displays recurring themes of loss, rootlessness and displacement. This collection contains five of Bowen's best-loved works, and hears from the author herself in three radio talks on the art of novel-writing. 
 
The Heat of the Day - London, 1942. When Stella discovers that her lover, Robert, is suspected of selling secrets to the enemy, she finds herself caught between two men: one a potential spy, the other a blackmailer... A compelling tale of love, espionage and betrayal, in one of the quintessential depictions of London during World War II, starring Harriet Walter, Michael Maloney and Bill Nighy. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 Nov 1998 
 
The House in Paris - Even as she lays dying, scheming Madame Fisher manipulates the lives of young Henrietta and Leopold. But will her own secrets and lies ever be revealed? Sara Kestelman stars in this enthralling story of deception, scandal and death. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-17 Jul 1994 
 
The Last September - 1920, Danielstown, County Cork. Poised on the brink of womanhood, Lois flirts and dances with English officers at society parties- but the Troubles are closing in, and her world is about to change irrevocably. This evocative coming-of-age tale stars Anna Healy and Greg Wise. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-16 Sep 1996 
 
The Confidant - Starring Cathy Belton and Fionnuala Murphy, this penetrating short story, set in 1920s Cork, revolves around a couple in a clandestine relationship and the woman who keeps all their secrets. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Nov 1998 
 
The Demon Lover - Mrs Drover nervously returns to her deserted London house in the Blitz to find a letter on the hall table - a reminder of a special rendezvous she cannot fully recollect... Maggie Steed stars in Elizabeth Bowen's eerie ghost story. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 Jul 1997 
 
Truth and Fiction - In these three talks about the art of writing fiction, Elizabeth Bowen discusses the importance of story, people and time in establishing a novel's 'truth'. 
First broadcast BBC Home Service Basic, 26 Sep-10 Oct 1956 
 
NB: Due to the age of the source material, the sound quality of Truth and Fiction may vary 
 
The Last September copyright &copy; Elizabeth Bowen 1929, 1952 
Copyright renewed 
The House in Paris copyright &copy; Elizabeth Cameron 1935 
Copyright &copy; renewed by Elizabeth D. C. Cameron 1963 
The Heat of the Day copyright &copy; Elizabeth Bowen 1948 
Copyright &copy; renewed by Spencer Curtis and Graham August Watson 1976 
'The Confidant' and 'The Demon Lover' copyright &copy; 1923, 1945 
Copyright &copy; Curtis Brown Ltd, 1980 
 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Elizabeth Bowen: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Drama Collection

The Heat of the Day, The House in Paris and More

William Wycherley

Aphra Behn

John Dryden

George Etherege

Thomas Otway

Edward Ravenscroft

A sparkling collection of nine witty full-cast comedies from the early Restoration era 
 
Raunchy, risqué and rebellious, early Restoration comedies were a breath of fresh air for 17th century theatregoers. With Charles II restored to the throne in 1660, Oliver Cromwell's ban on stage performances was rescinded, and for the first time, women were invited to tread the boards as actresses. Playwrights developed a new style of social comedy, packed with amorous escapades, bawdy humour, wicked wit and sexual innuendo. 
 
This scintillating anthology showcases six leading lights of early Restoration drama, beginning with George Etherege, the creator of the 'comedy of manners': The Man of Mode, an irreverent portrait of the fops and libertines that populated London's beau monde; and She Wou'd If She Cou'd, a racy, fast-paced romp mocking society's double standards for men and women. Among the casts are Derek Jacobi, Anna Massey, Ian Richardson, Prunella Scales and Hattie Jacques. 
 
Also poking fun at hypocrisy and immorality was William Wycherley. However, his comedies were considered far more daring - especially The Country Wife, which was judged too obscene to be staged in its original form for over 200 years. Centred around a notorious rake who resorts to deception to pursue a naïve married woman, this effervescent BBC radio dramatisation stars Jonathan Pryce and Maggie Smith. 
 
Male playwrights were not the only ones penning scandalous dramas during this period. Aphra Behn, Britain's first professional female writer, was a poet, spy and the most prolific playwright of the 1670s and '80s. Her sex comedy The Rover, featured here, revolves around love, lust, intrigue and mistaken identity, and stars Julia Ford, Suzan Sylvester and Juliet Aubrey. 
 
England's first Poet Laureate, John Dryden, dominated Restoration literature to such an extent that it came to be known as the Age of Dryden. His 1677 play All For Love, a powerful reworking of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, is regarded as his finest work. John Turner and Barbara Jefford star in this heroic tragedy. 
 
A rival of Dryden, Edward Ravenscroft was the first British playwright to introduce characters from the 'commedia dell' arte' into his farces. His seminal comedy The London Cuckolds, featuring three ridiculous husbands, three beautiful wives, and one dissolute young cad, was hugely popular, and this BBC adaptation retains all the original's ribald wit. It stars Carleton Hobbs, Norman Shelley and Madi Hedd. 
 
Thomas Otway achieved his greatest success in the last five years of his life. Three of his acclaimed works appear here: his 1683 comedy The Soldier's Fortune and its sequel The Atheist, focussing on disbanded army officers looking for sex and money, and his masterpiece Venice Preserved, a dark political thriller about power, revolution, love and betrayal. The ensemble casts feature Dennis Quilley, John Rowe, Michael Turner and Donald Wolfit. 
 
Content list 
 
The Man of Mode 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27 Jun 1986 
 
She Wou'd If She Cou'd 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 6 Sep 1968 
 
The Country Wife 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 22 Dec 1985 
 
The Rover 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 22 Jan 1995 
 
All For Love 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 7 Jul 1983 
 
The London Cuckolds 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 30 Dec 1974 
 
The Soldier's Fortune 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 24 May 1981 
 
The Atheist 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 31 May 1981 
 
Venice Preserved 
First broadcast BBC Third Programme, 10 Aug 1960 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Humour and Madness: Early Restoration Comedies

Nine BBC Radio Full Cast Productions including The Rover, The Country Wife and more

Susanna Centivre

William Congreve

Delarivier Manley

John Vanburgh

George Farquhar

A dazzling collection of comedies from the later Restoration period 
 
England's 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 and the reign of new monarchs William and Mary signified a turning point for Restoration comedy with laws being passed to restrict playwrights' freedoms. The latter years are marked by a shift towards more moral storylines, mixing humour with social and political issues, alongside the lighthearted 'comedy of manners'. 
 
The works in this collection bring together these complementary styles, full of humour while also focusing on hard hitting themes. We open with a 1688 piece by Aphra Behn, England's first professional female writer. Oroonoko is a powerful critique of the slave trade centring around a betrayed African prince. Adapted for BBC Radio, it stars Leo Wringer. 
 
A pre-eminent Restoration dramatist, William Congreve was renowned for his witty dialogue and brilliant characterisation, exemplified in the plays The Old Bachelor, The Double-Dealer and Love for Love. As heard on BBC Radio, these sparkling satirical portraits of romance, deception and the battle of the sexes star James Dale, Nicholas Parsons, Michael Spice and Maxine Audley. 
 
In her 1696 tragedy The Royal Mischief playwright and pamphleteer Delarivier Manley tackled gender politics rather than party politics. This BBC Radio adaptation stars Sian Thomas as the transgressive princess Homais, whose unrestrained sexual desire represents a threat to both the monarchy and the patriarchy. 
 
A loveless marriage is under the spotlight in The Provok'd Wife, John Vanburgh's outspoken 1697 comedy of sex, debauchery and revenge that is Restoration comedy at its finest. Saskia Reeves stars as Lady Brute, with Julian Rhind-Tutt as confirmed bachelor Heartfree. 
 
Irish playwright George Farquhar stormed the London stage with his 1699 comedy The Constant Couple, featuring a wealthy heiress seeking revenge, and the three rivals vying for her hand. Its popularity was mainly due to its rakish hero, Sir Harry Wildair, played in this BBC dramatisation by Alec Clunes. It is followed by William Congreve's The Way of the World, a comic masterpiece that exposes the grasping falsity of fashionable London society. Sheila Hancock stars, with Alex Jennings, Robert Glenister, Frances Barber and Indira Varma. 
 
Susanna Centilivre's 1705 comedy The Basset Table explores several hot topics of the time: the rise of science, gambling and female education. Featuring two strong, independent heroines determined to dodge unwanted marriages, this delightfully exuberant comedy stars Eleanor Bron and Danielle Allan. 
 
Concluding this collection are George Farquhar's two most popular plays. The Recruiting Officer, starring Paul Higgins and Lisa Dillon, is set in Shrewsbury during the War of the Spanish Succession, where wives are recruited while soldiers are wooed. Meanwhile, in The Beaux' Stratagem, starring Simon Treves and Dale Rapley, two rakes arrive in Lichfield from London in search of fortune... 
 
 
Content list 
 
Oroonoko 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 24 August 1990 
 
The Old Bachelor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 Jun 1966 
 
The Double-Dealer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 17 Jan 1969 
 
Love for Love 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 18 Feb 1965 
 
The Royal Mischief 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 28 Oct 1990 
 
The Provok'd Wife 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 12 Dec 2004 
 
The Constant Couple 
First broadcast BBC Network Three, 9 Jun 1967 
 
The Way of the World 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27 Apr 2003 
 
The Basset Table 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Aug 1990 
 
The Recruiting Officer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 18 Dec 2011 
 
The Beaux' Stratagem 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 19 Feb 1990 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Intrigue and Satire: Later Restoration Comedies

11 BBC Radio Full Cast Productions including  The Recruiting Officer and The Way of the World and more

Denise Mina

Full-cast dramas and short stories from bestselling author Denise Mina, plus a bonus interview 
 
An acclaimed novelist, playwright and comic book writer, Denise Mina has won numerous awards, including the CWA John Creasy Dagger for Best First Crime Novel and the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award (twice). Her 'Paddy Meehan' series has been adapted for BBC TV, and she has presented numerous television and radio programmes. Included here are six of her stories, as heard on BBC Radio, plus a bonus biographical programme. 
 
The Dead Hour - Glasgow, 1984. Called out to a domestic dispute involving a female lawyer, cub reporter Paddy Meehan accepts a bribe to keep the story out of the papers. But when the woman is found dead the next day, Paddy feels compelled to investigate. Starring Amy Manson. 
 
Three Fires - Focussing on the rise and fall of fanatical Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola, Denise Mina turns her satirical eye on Renaissance Florence and the events leading up to the Bonfire of the Vanities. Kieran Hodgson reads this gripping historical tale. 
 
'Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away' - Alice is disturbed by the squirrels infesting her new home, but when she is accused of a crime it is the squirrels who come to her rescue. Read by Tracy Wiles. 
 
'In a State of Nature' - A murder under Tanzanian skies, and a beautiful young woman is left rootless after her rich, kindly lover disappears mysteriously at a roadside petrol station. Read by Emma Currie. 
 
Hurtle - Three financial dealers are trapped in a plummeting lift during a major trading scandal. But did someone deliberately cause the lift to malfunction? Starring John Kielty, Crawford Logan and Alexandra Mathie. 
 
The Meek - Baby Simone has Down's Syndrome, and her mother is convinced she has special powers. Is she traumatised, or is Simone really leading a parallel life in a world where superheroes exist and are being hunted down? Meg Fraser and Sarah Gordy star in this dark, surreal drama. 
 
Inspecting Detectives - Ex-detectives Tom Wood and Peter Ritchie give Denise Mina the 'good cop, bad cop' treatment to find out what makes her tick, grilling her on her life, her writing, and her portrayal of police work. 
 
Text copyright © Denise Mina 2002 ('Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away', 'In a State of Nature'), 2003 (Hurtle), 2006 (The Dead Hour), 2009 (The Meek), 2022 (Three Fires) 
All rights reserved 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Denise Mina: A BBC Radio Collection

The Dead Hour, Three Fires & more

Peter Flannery

Olivia Poulet

Laurence Dobiesz

Karen Laws

Melanie Harris

Hannah Silva

Dan Rebellato

Tim Dawson

Gemma Bedeau

Ishy Din

Derron Sandy

Kyle Hernandez

Elisha Efua Bartels

Lucy Montague Moffatt

Thirteen plays about human connection, from some of BBC Radio's best writers exploring love, family, romances and life's ups and downs 
 
This diverse collection of stories centres around family dynamics, relationships both romantic and platonic, and the diverse ways ordinary people navigate the vicissitudes of everyday life. 
 
Ranging from modern fairy tales to coming-of-age dramas, they feature a wide variety of styles, and are scripted by an array of writers from award-winning dramatists to first-time authors. Here are stories of meeting and parting; hope and heartbreak; grief and forgiveness; and the endless possibility of change. 
 
We meet the couple racing to secure their IVF treatment; the wide-eyed young Conservative whose awakening is more than just political; the teenager who discovers a secret that threatens his entire extended family; the ex-offender transformed through his friendship with a photographer, and many more captivating characters. These engrossing dramas let us venture into their worlds; giving us an intimate insight into their lives and loves. 
 
Among the casts are Jaime Winstone, Sean Gallagher, Rhea Bailey, Mina Anwar, Ciarán Griffiths and Harry McEntire. 
 
Cast and credits 
All plays are Sparklab productions for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. 
Produced by Melanie Harris and Executive Produced by Polly Thomas, Jeremy Mortimer & Jo Meek. 
 
#blessed 
Cast: Olivia Poulet, Laurence Dobiesz, Ayesha Dharker, Valmike Rampersad, Fenella Woolgar 
Written by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz. Directed by Susannah Tresilian. 
 
Indigo Children 
Cast: Lizzy Clark, Jaime Winstone, Luke Jerdy, Sylvestra Le Touzel 
Written by Hannah Silva. Directed by Jude Kelly 
 
My Life Is a Series of People Saying Goodbye 
Cast: Sean Gallagher, David Annen, Will Payne, Fenella Woolgar, Frances Grey, Jenny Jules 
Written by Dan Rebellato. Produced and Directed by Polly Thomas 
 
Not for Turning 
Cast Nicola Holt, Henry Devas, Andrew Bentley, Ashley Gerlach, Toby Hadoke 
Written by Tim Dawson. Directed by Lawrence Till 
 
The Ladies Room 
Cast: Rhea Bailey, Lisa Livingstone, Lois Chimimba 
Written by Gemma Bedeau. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Whose Baby? 
Cast: Gurjeet Singh, Mina Anwar, Perveen Hussain, George Bukhari, Sid Akbar Ali 
Written by Ishy Din. Directed by Julia Ford. 
 
1963 
Cast: Andy Clark, Curtis Appleby, Ross Waiton, Jill Dellow, Micheal Ajao 
Written by Peter Flannery. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Mr Singh 
Cast: Keegan Maharaj, Rhesa Samuel, Idrees Saleem, Tafar Lewis, Khadijah Kirton, Israel Nunes Children from the Quays Foundation, Maloney, Trinidad & Tobago. 
Written by Derron Sandy. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Aron 
Cast: Levee Rodriguez, Errol Fabien, Anand Lawkaran, Jayron Remy, Tishanna Williams, Nickolai Salcedo. Written by Kyle Hernandez. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Water More Than Flour 
Cast: Mandisa Granderson, Conrad Parris, Kimmy Stoute-Robinson, Arnold Goindham 
Written by Elisha Efua Bartels. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Karin and Andrew 
Cast: Eve Shotton, Ciarán Griffiths, Darren Kuppan, Melissa Jane Sinden 
Scripted and directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
In His Kiss 
Cast: Niamh McGowan, Harry McEntire, Kimberly Hart-Simpson 
Written by Lucy Montague Moffatt. Directed by Julia Ford 
 
The Reality Tunnel 
Cast: Sarah Miele, Sam Newton 
Written by Karen Law. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

#Blessed and other stories of love and friendship

13 BBC Radio Dramas

Michael McStay

The collected BBC Radio 4 crime dramas featuring Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor 
 
Like his actor namesake, Ronald Coleman is a suave, well-spoken English gentleman. But although he's a movie buff, Coleman is no film star - he's a copper, and a Detective Inspector to boot. Together with his down-to-earth Scottish partner, DS Fred Astor, he sets about solving cases on two very different patches - rural Kirkcaldy and inner-city Southampton. 
 
Death Beach sees Hollywood director Curt Zorack's film shoot interrupted by the death of one of the cast. But is it suicide or murder? In Death of a Mean Cornet, a jazz musician and old friend of Sergeant Astor is found dead of a heroin overdose. It looks like an accident, but Fred's not convinced. In Death Against the Odds, two murders in one night cause Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor to lose some sleep - and long for the days when sheep-rustling was the worst crime they had to deal with. 
 
Death of a Hooligan finds the two detectives working together at South Hants Central, and probing the suspicious death of a football fan; while in A Day at the Races, Sergeant Astor falls among thieves, and Inspector Coleman has one of his infamous hunches. In No Harm Done, the duo are faced with a wall of silence when a resident of the notorious Gantry Estate is found badly beaten. And in Fools Rush In, an IRA terrorist is released from Parkhurst prison - and promptly disappears. How is he connected to the mysterious Irishman causing parking problems on a suburban street? 
 
These enthralling crime dramas star Stephen Thorne as Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Astor, with a supporting cast including Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater and Nicholas Boulton. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Michael McStay 
Produced and directed by Jane Morgan and Ned Chaillet. Theme music by Stephen Warbeck 
Starring Stephen Thorne as Inspector Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Sergeant Astor 
 
Death Beach 
Cast: Peter Vaughan, Mary Miller, David King, Nigel Carrington, Vincent Brimble, Jonathan Oliver, James Greene, Michael McStay, Jane Whittenshaw, Sue Broomfield, Ben Onwukwe, Stephen Garlick, Nicholas Gilbrook 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 October 1990 
 
Death of a Mean Cornet 
Cast: Kate Binchy, Maria Miles, James Grant, Paul Barber, Tony Armatrading, Michael McStay, Sidney Cole, Peter Gunn, John Forgeham, Terence Edmond, David Learner, John Webb, Matthew Sim, Mark Straker, Nicholas Murchie, Jonathan Tafler 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 July 1992 
 
Death Against the Odds 
Cast: Peter Gunn, Phyllis Logan, James Warwick, Morag Hood, Elaine Collins, Diana Bishop, 
John Fleming, Pauline Yates, John Webb, David Holt, Dominic Letts 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 August 1993 
 
Death of a Hooligan 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, James Kerry, Dominic Curtis, Tom Bevan, Peter Kenny, Paul Panting, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Gareth Armstrong, James Taylor 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 16 May 1994 
 
A Day at the Races 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, John Hartley, Larry Dann, McCartney Brown, Breffni McKenna, Gareth Armstrong, David Jarvis, David Sinclair, James Taylor, 
Don McCorkindale. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 May 1994 
 
No Harm Done 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Tony Osoba, Elaine Claxton, Pauline Letts, Dexter Fletcher, Simon Schatzberger, Deborah Berlin, Toby Jones, Sidney Cole, Peter Acre, Matthew Morgan, Gavin Muir, David Jarvis, Danny Schiller, Susannah Corbett 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 May 1994 
 
Fools Rush In 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Anthony Jackson, Marianne Morley, Sally Kinghorn, Rachel Atkins, Michael Onslow, Tom Bevan, Paul Panting, Lyndham Gregory. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 June 1994 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor

Seven BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Bill Bryson

An anthology of BBC Radio documentaries featuring the bestselling author 
 
Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes. 
 
This sparkling collection features seven BBC Radio programmes that collectively illuminate his personal passions. In The Art of Travel, he talks to Annette Kobak about his memorable journeys around the USA; while in the 6-part series Divided by a Common Language, he scours American history in an attempt to find out why Americans talk and behave differently from British people. Journeys in English, based on his acclaimed book Mother Tongue, sees him romping through the history of Britain in six episodes, to reveal how English became the complex yet world-beating language it is today. 
 
Ramblings: Windsor Great Park finds Bill heading out across the royal park in the company of Clare Balding, as he discusses his love for walking and exploring. As a castaway on Desert Island Discs, he shares the soundtrack of his life with Sue Lawley; and in With Great Pleasure, he selects some of his favourite writing, including Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, a Hardy Boys classic and Three Men in a Boat. Finally, in Bookclub, he chats to James Naughtie and an audience of readers about A Short History of Nearly Everything. 
 
Contents 
 
The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson 
Divided by a Common Language 
Journeys in English 
Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson 
Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson 
With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson 
Bookclub: Bill Bryson 
 
Production credits 
 
The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson 
Presented by Annette Kobak 
Produced by Kate McAII 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 January 1991 
 
Divided by a Common Language 
Presented by Bill Bryson 
Produced by Brian King 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 July-2 September 1995 
 
Journeys in English 
Written and presented by Bill Bryson 
Produced by Brian King 
 
First broadcast as Mother Tongue on BBC Radio 4, 13 December 1997-17 January 1998 
 
Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson 
Presented by Clare Balding 
Produced by Lucy Lunt 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2015 
 
Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson 
Presented by Sue Lawley 
Produced by Angie Nehring 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 January 1999 
 
With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson 
Readers: Kerry Shale and Bill Wallis 
Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 September 1999 
 
Bookclub: Bill Bryson 
Presented by James Naughtie 
Produced by Dymphna Flynn 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 February 2005 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection

Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and more

H G Wells

Yevgeni Zamyatin

Franz Kafka

Aldous Huxley

George Orwell

John Wyndham

Full-cast dramatisations of six masterpieces from the founding fathers of dystopian fiction 
 
Dark and disturbing, provocative and prescient, dystopian literature has long captured our imagination with its nightmarish visions of forbidding future worlds. Included here are six classic novels of time-travel, totalitarianism and terror, written by some of the masters of speculative fiction and adapted for radio with all-star casts. 
 
The Time Machine by HG Wells - A Victorian inventor takes a fateful journey into the far future, where mankind has diverged into two species - the Eloi and the Morlocks. Robert Glenister and William Gaunt star in this pioneering science fiction adventure. 
 
We by Evgeny Zamyatin - In a post-revolutionary future, OneState is ruled according to the principles of rationality. The penalty for dissent is death. But when engineer D-503 meets the beautiful 1-330, he begins to question everything... Starring Anton Lesser, Don Warrington and Brigit Forsyth. 
 
The Trial by Franz Kafka - Josef K is an ordinary man who lives a quiet life. Then, one morning, he is awoken by two men and arrested - but what is his crime? Mike Gwylim stars in this gripping dramatisation by Hanif Kureishi. 
 
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - It's 2116 and Helmholtz Watson and Bernard Marx are token rebels in a society where eugenics, promiscuity and happiness are gently enforced. Into this world comes an outsider, John, who will show the duo what rebellion really means... Starring Justin Salinger, John Coy and Milton Lopes. 
 
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell - Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history to suit the Party. When he finds love with Julia, he awakens to new possibilities - but free thinking is forbidden, and Big Brother is always watching... Christopher Eccleston and Pippa Nixon star in Orwell's chilling tale. 
 
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham - In a post-apocalyptic world devastated by genetic mutation, the God-respecting people of Waknuk regard deviation as the work of the Devil. Young David and his friends can communicate by telepathy: but as Mutants, they must hide their powers or face the consequences of discovery... Starring Matthew Beard, Verity-May Henry and Emma Cunniffe. 
 
First published 1899 (The Time Machine), 1921 (We), 1925 (The Trial), 1932 (Brave New World), 1949 (Nineteen Eighty-Four), 1955 (The Chrysalids) 
 
(P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Classic Dystopias: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

The Time Machine, We, The Trial, Brave New World, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Chrysalids

Alan Bennett

Classic memoirs from the acclaimed English actor, author, playwright, and screenwriter 
 
Alan Bennett is one of the country's most celebrated and best-loved authors. This unmissable collection of diaries and memoirs brings together for the first time Telling Tales, Diaries: 1980-1990, the autobiographical section of Untold Stories, which covers the period 1997-2004, and Keeping On Keeping On: The Diaries 2005-2014. 
 
In his earliest collection of diaries, Alan Bennett offers a fascinating insight into his life in the eighties, working on location for his early films and enjoying life at home in Camden. In the diaries of Untold Stories, he enjoys the simple pleasures of nature and wonders about the state of religion and politics at the end of the twentieth century. In Keeping On Keeping On, he looks back at a busy decade that saw him write four highly acclaimed plays, reflects on his life with his partner, Rupert Thomas, and considers his lately found status as 'kindly, cosy and essentially harmless'. Telling Tales, meanwhile, provides ten childhood snapshots and reminiscences about his early years-charting his development from a schoolboy in Leeds to a doubtful agnostic teen, as well as his undergraduate life at the University of Oxford. 
 
With wit, wisdom, sharp social commentary and perceptive impressions, Alan Bennett's memoirs and diaries are a joy to discover, and a delight to hear again. For those who want to listen to Alan Bennett read Untold Stories in its complete form, Alan Bennett: Untold Stories is also available from BBC Audio. 
 
Originally broadcast on Radio 4: 
4 June - 15 June 2001 (Telling Tales) 
10 October - 14 October 1994 (Diaries 1980-1990) 
10 October - 14 October 2005 (Untold Stories) 
24 October - 4 November 2016 (Keeping On Keeping On: The Diaries, 2005-2014) 
 
Production credits 
Read by Alan Bennett 
 
Music by George Fenton 
Produced by Liz Allard (Telling Tales) 
 
Abridged by Pat McLoughlin 
Produced by Gillian Hush (Diaries 1980-1990) 
 
Abridged and produced by Gordon House (Untold Stories) 
 
Abridged and produced by Gordon House (Keeping On Keeping On: The Diaries, 2005-2014) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alan Bennett: Diaries

Read by Alan Bennett

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