Six Full-Cast Original BBC Radio Dramas

Market

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

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

Hatch, Match and Dispatch

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

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

Any Bloke: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Classic radio comedy from the BBC starring Caroline Quentin and Jim Sweeney Life for supply teacher, Phil (Jim Sweeney), is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah (Caroline Quentin) is offered a new job. Phil agrees to give up work and become a stay-at-home dad to daughter Sophie - after all, how hard can it be?Phil quickly realises parenthood isn&rsquo;t all coffee mornings and cake. He has to grapple with playgroups (when he can find them), new friends (some a little more &lsquo;out there&rsquo; than others), a &lsquo;helpful&rsquo; mother-in-law (she isn&rsquo;t) and when Sarah goes to Paris with work, can Phil contain his jealousy? Listen and laugh as Phil and Sarah try to navigate their middle-class angst and new family dynamics with hilarious results. Just when Phil thinks he&rsquo;s getting the hang of things, Sarah has big news&hellip; And events really end with a bang!Caroline Quentin rose to fame playing Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly, went to star in Jonathan Creek, Bridgerton and Midsomer Murders, and competed in Strictly Come Dancing. She is a keen gardener and was featured in the Chelsea Flower Show. Jim Sweeney is a comedian and member of the Comedy Store Players best known for his improvisation on TV and radio with fellow comedians Josie Lawrence and Paul Merton. A film, TV and stage actress, Sara Kestelman was recently in the BBC One seriesThis is Going to Hurt. Listen to both series of this comedy about family life in the nineties now, available as a download for the first time.Cast and creditsSeries 1Written by Gary BrownProduced by Ann JobsonSarah - Caroline Quentin Phil - Jim Sweeney Fay - Shirley Stelfox Liam - Steve SteenGerald/Querol - Lloyd PetersGavin - Paul ClarksonSophie - Nadine BallantyneTai Ch'i Instructor/Tracey&rsquo;s Dad - Jim BarclayMrs Grainger - Jilly MeersKath - Rachel AtkinsEdna - Yvonne EdgellBrenda - Toni PalmerCarol - Melanie HudsonStacey - Kim BarryMartha - Rebecca FrontSam - Ben BrownRay - Gary BrownCarol - Melanie HudsonDoctor - Tony HawksLisa Forman - Geraldine FitzgeraldOther parts played by Jillie Meers and David ThorpeFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 October - 10 November 1993Series 2Written by Gary BrownProduced by Ann JobsonSarah - Caroline Quentin Phil - Jim Sweeney Fay - Sara Kestelman Liam - Steve SteenGerald - Lloyd PetersSophie - Nadine BallantyneMartha - Melanie HudsonAleric - John WheatleyHenri - Philippe SmolikowskiFrancoise - Deborah BerlinSimone - Becky HindleySam - Ben BrownMidwife - Marie McAteerHarry - Harry LandisIzzyWizzy - Steve DixonRodney - Gary BrownCandida - Natasha Pyne Gavin - Paul ClarksonMrs Lee - Becky HindleySaskia - Jessica BrownOther parts played by Anna Van Heeswjk, Eva Stuart, Andrew Branch, Jilly Bond, John Bennett, Tessa Worsley and Joshua Towb. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 12 July - 16 August 1995&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Market: Loco Parentis

'Market' is an umbrella series of six plays, originally broadcast in BBC Radio 4's 'Afternoon Play' slot, about people who work in and around its stalls. Each story is a self-contained quirky tale.  'Loco Parentis' is a bitter-sweet comedy about Jim, who 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. He needs to escape - but where to?  The play was originally broadcast on 24 January 2011 and stars Reece Dinsdale as Jim. Also featured in the cast are Gerard Fletcher, Bobby Knutt, Sue Kelly, Kathryn Hunt, Ellie Meigan-Rose, Joncie Elmore, Szilvi Naray Davey and Sam Hevicon. With original music by Steven D. Reid, this is a modern morality play with a whiff of the fantastical about it. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild.

Prospero, Ariel, Reith and Gill

Gary Brown's BBC Radio 4 full-cast comedy dramatisation about artist Eric Gill's clash with the BBC over his famous sculpture of Prospero and Ariel, starring Anton Lesser as Eric Gill and Tim McInnerny as Sir John Reith, the first Director General of the Corporation. Originally broadcast in the ‘Afternoon Play’ slot on Wednesday 9 June 2010.  Inspired by real events, the play charts a clash between the BBC's Governors and the artist over the propriety of the sculpture's appearance.  Gill became quite a celebrity as he carved the statue in situ on scaffolding in front of Broadcasting House. In his trademark smock and beret, he drew the attention of the tabloid papers and became known as the ‘Married Monk’. The play imagines conversations between Sir John and the artist as he passes him on his way into Broadcasting House each morning.  Framed with a period newsreel-style commentary, the comedy playfully deals with the perennial tension between the Establishment and the Artist. The strange and mysterious Gill contrasts with the authoritarian but often troubled figure of Reith, but in the end the sculpture focuses their thoughts about the role of Art in the life of mankind. While this is a comedy, the play touches a little on the well-documented darker side of both men's nature, and offers an insight into one of the more celebrated events of early BBC history.  Brown's play speculates on how Reith struggled with the Governors and with his own psyche in dealing with one of the trickier events in the early days of the BBC. It also looks at how Gill, the artist, struggled with reconciling his unusual beliefs and lifestyle with a major commission from the heart of the Establishment.  The cast is completed by Jon Glover as the Newsreel Reporter, David Seddon as Charlie, Stephen Darcy as Father Sean, Tina Gray as Lady Snowden and Alison Pettitt as the Nanny. Written by Gary Brown and directed by Peter Leslie Wild.

Avie Luthra

Gary Brown

Jon Sen

Mike Harris

Nitin Chandra Ganatra

Sacha Dhawan

Archie Panjabi

Gillian Kearney

Zubin Varla

Vincent Ebrahim

Christopher Bisson

Barbara Marten

Full Cast

A BBC Radio Political Drama

Newly-elected MP Bobby Khan navigating the corruption and tricky world of politics, power and community life.Bobby Khan has a bright future ahead of him. Young, charismatic and ambitious, he’s recently got married to his long-term girlfriend Lucy, and has just won an important by-election in the Northern constituency of Floxton West.As an Asian MP, he hopes to improve race relations in his community and bring people together – but when a white DJ is found beaten to death, and a Muslim constituent is arrested for his murder, Bobby faces pressure from the accused’s family to get involved. Then his cousin Wasim is imprisoned on terrorism charges, and Bobby’s idealism is shattered as he becomes embroiled in a series of personal and political dilemmas.Two years later, the dust has settled, and Bobby is a rising star in Westminster, with his sights set on a ministerial position. But a family bombshell and a blackmailer turn his life upside down once more – and when he backs an animal-testing laboratory in his constituency, he finds himself facing a violent backlash...Nitin Ganatra and Zubin Varla play Bobby in this thrilling tale of politics, power, corruption and betrayal. Among the stellar cast are Vincent Ebrahim, Bhasker Patel, Barbara Marten, Christopher Bisson, Gillian Kearney, Nicola Stephenson and Sacha Dhawan. 
Content Warning: Contains strong language and deals with themes of racism 
 
 
 Production creditsSeries 1 written by Avie Luthra and Gary BrownSeries 2 written by Mike Harris, Jon Sen and Avie LuthraProduced and directed by Pauline HarrisCastBobby Khan – Nitin Ganatra/Zubin VarlaElizabeth – Barbara MartenImran – Vincent Ebrahim/Bhasker PatelWasim – Christopher BissonTerry – John McArdleAyesha – Archie PanjablLucy – Gillian Kearney/Nicola StephensonPaul Deacon – David FleeshmanRashid Choudry – Amer NazlrRhobina Choudry – Rani MoorthyCraig Williams – Sam CurtisJerome – Aaron CobhamNewsreader – Mark EdwardsonMartha Kearney – HerselfHarry/Hanif – Sacha DhawanDI Brown/Pathologist – Seamus O’NeillMike Winters – Michael FeastBarry – Lee BoardmanIsabella – Fiona ClarkeDavid/Geraint – James QuinnSara – Millie Rose KinseyShazia/Woman – Balvinder SopalAli – Darren KuppanGraham – Jonathan KeebleKarl – Graeme HawleyMinister – Malcolm RaeburnHelen – Christine BrennanNews reporter – Shari VahlSchool children from St Mary's Church of England Infant and Junior School, ManchesterFraud adviser: Shari VahlPolitical adviser: Andrew RussellMusic consultant: Philip TagneyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 May-8 June 2007 (Series 1), 31 July-14 August 2009 (Series 2)© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Gary Brown

Books by Gary Brown

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter