Six BBC Radio 4 dramas

Day Release: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Lenny Henry stars as Frank, a lifer getting ready to face life on the outside after 30 years in prison.

'A moment of reprieve. Nobody knows you. No one owns you. You're on day release.' 
 
Lenny Henry plays double murderer Frank Watt, who is getting ready to face life on the outside after 30 years in prison. He's looking forward to getting out, but things have changed a lot since the 80s and he's institutionalised. He quite likes his bookish, monk-like life inside and the anger he was boiling over with when he went to prison is down to a manageable simmer. 
 
Outside, life is full on. Plus, Frank's got some old business to sort. 
 
Playwright and journalist Peter Jukes is best known for his book about the hacking trial, Beyond Contempt (which he also dramatised for Radio 4), and more recently for his award-winning podcast and subsequent book Untold: The Daniel Morgan Murder Uncovered. 
 
Sir Lenny Henry is award-winning actor and playwright, and one of Britain’s best known comedians. 
 
Directed by Mary Peate.

A Series of Four Plays - Bad Faith, Vengeance Is Mine, The Fire this Time, Nothing Sacred

Bad Faith: The Complete Series

Four plays starring Lenny Henry as Jake Thorne, a Methodist minister and police chaplain.

A series of four plays by about Jake Thorne, a Methodist minister and police chaplain who is battling with his own demons at the same time as trying to resolve the problems of his parishioners. 
 
In the first of the plays, 'Bad Faith', we are introduced to Jake Thorne, a police chaplain. His job is to offer counselling and comfort to officers in trouble, victims and young offenders. But Jake has lost his faith and has decided, as a test for God, to behave appallingly towards those he's supposed to help. 
 
In the second play, 'Vengeance is Mine', Jake gets involved in a restorative justice programme which tries to reconcile a bereaved mother and the woman responsible for killing her daughter. 
 
'The Fire This Time' sees Jake takes on his arch-rival and nemesis Bishop Elias Wright in a battle over the soul of a mentally unstable parishioner, fighting the good fight against homophobia and Islamophobia along the way. 
 
In the final play, 'Nothing Sacred', Jake counsels a policeman who has lost his memory of a fatal blaze. Meanwhile Jake's father, Isaac, is slipping into dementia and seems intent on wreaking revenge on the whole world, particularly his own son. 
 
Starring Lenny Henry, Danny Sapani and Jenny Jules. Written by Peter Jukes. Producers: Steven Canny and Mary Peate. Executive Producer: Simon Elmes.

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Prenup

A BBC Radio 4 drama looking at the impact on a divorcing couple of recent changes to British prenuptial law. Originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 21 January 2011.  Two academics, British Paul (Sam Dale) and American Amy (Sally Orrock), have married in the US with a prenuptial agreement. They did so because Paul's previous marriage ended in a messy divorce, making him wary of future commitment.  Paul loves Amy and was relieved to hear that, like him, she doesn't want children. Access issues round his daughter, Iona, have greatly complicated his life in recent years; and because the loss of his house has been traumatic, Amy also generously suggested a 'prenup' to allay his fears of losing more of his property and pension.  But now things have gone wrong and Amy has filed for divorce. She has done so in Britain, believing that the agreement they signed before marriage will not take effect. However, the law is about to change...  Starring Sam Dale as Paul and Sally Orrock as Amy, Peter Jukes' 'Prenup' also features Christine Kavanagh, Claire Harry, Adeel Akhtar and Deeivya Meir.

Sebastien Baczkiewicz

Rachel Joyce

Peter Jukes

Sirine Saba

Kevork Malikyan

Betsabeh Emran

Indira Varma

Stephen Tompkinson

Joanna Monro

Trevor White

Bruce Alexander

Nathan Osgood

Zubin Varla

Allan Corduner

Keely Beresford

Melissa Advani

William El-Gardi

Full Cast

Three full-cast dramas inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights

A trilogy of contemporary plays inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights 
 
The Casper Logue Affair by Sebastian Baczkiewicz: An absurd black comedy thriller, set in Baghdad. Junior diplomat Bob Goldacre is in trouble: the American businessman he was looking after has vanished from a Baghdad street. As the suspects pile up, Goldacre is going to have his work cut out if he wants to save his career and make sure that justice is done. 
 
The Porter and the Three Ladies by Rachel Joyce: It is time for Shahrazad to tell another tale to save her life. In this story within a story, we find out that if Joe doesn't find the exclusive to satisfy his ruthless editor, he will lose his job. He finds three beautiful women in Damascus but what is the truth behind their secret life? 
 
A Dish of Pomegranates by Peter Jukes: Shared roots and scattered families in the melting pot of modern Jerusalem. Tired after a stressful trip, Ajib is stopped by security officers as he tries to fly out of Ben Gurion airport on his way home to the U.S. They don't think his story adds up. Can he make them believe him? And does he actually know the whole story himself? 
 
 
The Casper Logue Trilogy 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed and produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar: Kevork Malikyan 
Aseera: Betsabeh Emran 
Rahim: Sargon Yelda 
Goldacre: Trevor White 
Hammond: Bruce Alexander 
Casper: Nathan Osgood 
Kindermann: Rufus Wright 
Carlton: John Biggins 
Charlene: Alison Pettit 
 
The Porter and the Three Ladies 
Written by Rachel Joyce 
Directed by Tracey Neale 
Produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar: Kevork Malikyan 
Joe: Stephen Tompkinson 
Margot: Joanna Monro 
Mira: Indira Varma 
Affyah: Jasmine Jones 
Juliba: Melissa Advani 
 
A Dish of Pomegranates 
Written by Peter Jukes 
Directed by Mary Peate 
Produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar / Vardan: Kevork Malikyan 
Ajib: William El-Gardi 
Orit: Betsabeh Emran 
Rafi: Zubin Varla 
Howard: Allan Corduner 
Julia: Keely Beresford 
Café Owner: Stefan Kalipha 
Tawfik / Trader 2: Mozaffar Shafeie 
Trader 1 / Flight Attendant: David Seddon 
Protestor: Rufus Wright 
 
Originally broadcast in March 2010. 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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