Three BBC Radio performances of works by the great G. K. Chesterton

Best known as the creator of clerical detective Father Brown, G. K. Chesterton was a prolific and talented writer in virtually every area of literature: from novels, poetry and short stories to plays, biographies and essays. A noted thinker, controversialist, raconteur and wit, he has influenced authors from Neil Gaiman to Jorge Luis Borges. This collection comprises his two most famous novels, The Man Who Was Thursday and The Napoleon of Notting Hill, as well as half a dozen tales from his short story collection, The Club of Queer Trades.

The Man Who Was Thursday - Poet turned Scotland Yard detective Gabriel Syme goes undercover in Edwardian London to investigate a secret society of anarchists - all of whom are named after days of the week... Read by Geoffrey Palmer.

The Club of Queer Trades - In these six full-cast comedy crime dramas, retired KC Basil Grant, his brother Rupert and friend Charlie Swinburne explore the extraordinary stories of people who earn their living by some novel and unusual means. Starring David Warner as Basil, Martin Freeman as Rupert and Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie.

The Napoleon of Notting Hill- Written in 1904, Chesterton's comic political satire is set in London 80 years on. The city is still full of horse-buses and hansom cabs, but democracy is dead, and the King is chosen by lottery. No one cares, because none of it matters - until the choice falls on Auberon Quin... This full-cast drama stars Roger Hammond as G. K. Chesterton and David Collings as Auberon Quin, with Kim Wall, Stuart Organ and Paul McGann.

First published 1904 (The Napoleon of Notting Hill), 1905 (The Club of Queer Trades), 1908 (The Man Who Was Thursday)

The Man Who Was Thursday
Read by Geoffrey Palmer
Directed by Lawrence Jackson
First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 10-28 March 2005

The Club of Queer Trades
Basil Grant - David Warner
Rupert Grant - Martin Freeman
Charlie Swinburne - Geoffrey McGivern
Major Brown/Lord Beaumont - Geoffrey Whitehead
Lady - Vicki Pepperdine
PG Northover/Gardener/Old Man/Constable/Dr Colman - Martin Hyder
Drummond - Nicholas Farrell
Wimpole/Burrows - Justin Edwards
Sir Walter Chumley/Rev Shorter - Richard Griffiths
Muriel - Alice Lowe
James - Alexei Sayle
Mowbray - Nell Edmond
Brett - Matthew Holness
Lieutenant Keith - Jeff Harding
Montmorency - Simon Jones
Christina - Amelia Bullmore
Bingham - Chris Douglas
Adeleide - Felicity Montagu
Prof Chadd - John Nettleton
Greenwood - James Rawlings
Old Lady - Angela Thorne
Dramatised by Simon Littlefield
Produced by Simon Nicholls
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 April-9 May 2005

The Napoleon of Notting Hill
G. K. Chesterton - Roger Hammond
Auberon Quin - David Collings
Wilfred Lambert - Kim Wall
James Barker - Stephen Hattersley
President del Fuego - Manning Wilson
Policeman/Mr Wilson - Stuart Organ
Boy Adam Wayne - Alexander Goodman
Adam Wayne - Paul McGann
Mr Buck - Aubrey Woods
Mr Mead - Paul Gregory
Mr Bowles - Brian Hewlett
Mr Turnbull - Gordon Reid
Dramatised by Peter Buckman
Produced by Eric Stovell
Directed by Richard Imison
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 December 1986

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