The complete BBC Radio full-cast drama

D for Dexter

The award-winning story of Skye and Dexter and their ordinary/extraordinary life

The award-winning story of Skye and Dexter and their ordinary/extraordinary life 
 
Skye lives in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, with her little brother Dexter and Spider the cat. Their mum, Jak, isn't around much - she's on and off the booze, so it's up to Skye to look out for Dexter, play with him, and make sure he's clothed and fed. He likes it best when she plays her guitar, an electric guitar she found under a heap of clothes in her mum's bedroom. The bailiffs didn't take it even when they came back for the telly. 
 
When we first meet them, Skye is eleven years old, and Dexter two-and-a-half. Through seven series, we follow their highs, lows and struggles to survive through Skye's eyes, as she battles to keep her dysfunctional family together. 
 
From coping with Jak's alcoholism and Dexter's special needs, to being taken into care by social services, getting excluded from school, trying to home educate Dexter during the Covid crisis, falling in love and coming to terms with her sexuality, she has far more on her plate than any young person should have to deal with. 
 
And as Skye turns 18 and prepares to face the challenges of adulthood, we bid farewell to her in a special one-off finale. 
 
Dark, delightful, funny, heartbreaking and heart-warming, this authentic, truthful drama won Best Drama Series/Serial at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2016. It was developed through close collaboration with BBC Children in Need and projects they fund (including Home-Start UK, Hull Children's University, Voice of Young People in Care, Can Cook, Footsteps 2000, Young Carers' Transition Project and SAYiT) and was inspired by long-term research and ongoing voluntary work with children and families in Gainsborough. 
 
 
Written by Amanda Whittington (series 1-7) and Sarah Daniels (Finale) 
Guitar: Pip Moore and Tom Constantine 
Music by Black Sabbath, the Smashing Pumpkins, Beyoncé, The Breeders and David Bowie performed by Tom Constantine 
Poem by Octavia Bettis 
Directed by Mary Ward-Lowery 
 
Cast 
Skye - Sydney Wade 
Dexter - Elsa Rodgers/Alfie Johnson-McCann 
Jak - Una McNulty 
Evan - Samuel Holland 
Alice - Jane Thornton 
Mags - Sarah Parks 
Lin - Martha Godber 
Joe - Bill Rodgers 
Uncle Dean - Peter Caulfield 
Amber - Liz Godber 
Ant - John Elkington 
Boy - Harry Steel 
Dog Man - John Elkington 
Shelagh - Sarah Parks 
Kim/Clare - Jane Godber 
Shanice - Zoe Johnson 
Leanne - Etta Fusi 
Mia - Julie Riley 
Mr Doshi - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
Nasty Girl - Octavia Bettis 
Pearce - Beau Anten 
Alex - Don Gilet 
Alisha - Megan Huntley 
Alice - Lauren Bowler 
Scarlett - Scarlett Courtney 
Ryan - Adam Courting 
Aiden Hardy - Will Kirk 
Ed - Mark Addy 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The award-winning story of Skye and Dexter and their ordinary/extraordinary life 
 
Skye lives in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, with her little brother Dexter and Spider the cat. Their mum, Jak, isn't around much - she's on and off the booze, so it's up to Skye to look out for Dexter, play with him, and make sure he's clothed and fed. He likes it best when she plays her guitar, an electric guitar she found under a heap of clothes in her mum's bedroom. The bailiffs didn't take it even when they came back for the telly. 
 
When we first meet them, Skye is eleven years old, and Dexter two-and-a-half. Through seven series, we follow their highs, lows and struggles to survive through Skye's eyes, as she battles to keep her dysfunctional family together. 
 
From coping with Jak's alcoholism and Dexter's special needs, to being taken into care by social services, getting excluded from school, trying to home educate Dexter during the Covid crisis, falling in love and coming to terms with her sexuality, she has far more on her plate than any young person should have to deal with. 
 
And as Skye turns 18 and prepares to face the challenges of adulthood, we bid farewell to her in a special one-off finale. 
 
Dark, delightful, funny, heartbreaking and heart-warming, this authentic, truthful drama won Best Drama Series/Serial at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2016. It was developed through close collaboration with BBC Children in Need and projects they fund (including Home-Start UK, Hull Children's University, Voice of Young People in Care, Can Cook, Footsteps 2000, Young Carers' Transition Project and SAYiT) and was inspired by long-term research and ongoing voluntary work with children and families in Gainsborough. 
 
 
Written by Amanda Whittington (series 1-7) and Sarah Daniels (Finale) 
Guitar: Pip Moore and Tom Constantine 
Music by Black Sabbath, the Smashing Pumpkins, Beyoncé, The Breeders and David Bowie performed by Tom Constantine 
Poem by Octavia Bettis 
Directed by Mary Ward-Lowery 
 
Cast 
Skye - Sydney Wade 
Dexter - Elsa Rodgers/Alfie Johnson-McCann 
Jak - Una McNulty 
Evan - Samuel Holland 
Alice - Jane Thornton 
Mags - Sarah Parks 
Lin - Martha Godber 
Joe - Bill Rodgers 
Uncle Dean - Peter Caulfield 
Amber - Liz Godber 
Ant - John Elkington 
Boy - Harry Steel 
Dog Man - John Elkington 
Shelagh - Sarah Parks 
Kim/Clare - Jane Godber 
Shanice - Zoe Johnson 
Leanne - Etta Fusi 
Mia - Julie Riley 
Mr Doshi - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
Nasty Girl - Octavia Bettis 
Pearce - Beau Anten 
Alex - Don Gilet 
Alisha - Megan Huntley 
Alice - Lauren Bowler 
Scarlett - Scarlett Courtney 
Ryan - Adam Courting 
Aiden Hardy - Will Kirk 
Ed - Mark Addy 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A delicious BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Have Your Cake

A delicious culinary drama about a cake-making club and their very special creations 
 
Every year, Tess and Maggie meet up to try a different activity, something they've never done together before. This year, it's baking, and for a few hours each Friday afternoon, they put the rest of their lives on hold to make cakes. And not just ordinary cakes, but spectacular, unique and glorious gateaux, to celebrate special occasions and commemorate landmark events. 
 
When they help a neighbour in distress, they create their first showstopper - a dark, sultry Bitter Chocolate Cake. Soon, the Cake Club is cooking up a host of teatime treats, from sticky, gingery parkin, to feather-light fairy cakes, to the challenging Scripture Cake, with a recipe that consists entirely of Bible verses. 
 
As they measure out sugar, butter, eggs and flour, they share their secrets, problems and personal dilemmas - and forge friendships that will last long after the final cake crumbs have been consumed... 
 
Written by award-winning dramatists Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington, this gentle, heartwarming series features an outstanding cast including Lesley Sharp, Tamsin Greig, Nisha Nayar, Neil Dudgeon, Louise Brealey and Sheila Hancock. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington 
Produced by Steven Canny, Abigail le Fleming, Gemma Jenkins and Luke Fresle 
 
Cast 
Maggie - Lesley Sharp 
Tess - Tamsin Greig 
Ray - Neil Dudgeon 
Sabina - Nisha Nayar 
Neil - Stephen Hogan 
Leanne - Louise Brealey 
Nicky - Matthew Dunster 
Momo - Leena Dhingra 
Chrissie - Stephanie Leonidas 
Janice - Sheila Hancock 
Matty - Joe Prospero 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 January-29 February 2008 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A delicious culinary drama about a cake-making club and their very special creations 
 
Every year, Tess and Maggie meet up to try a different activity, something they've never done together before. This year, it's baking, and for a few hours each Friday afternoon, they put the rest of their lives on hold to make cakes. And not just ordinary cakes, but spectacular, unique and glorious gateaux, to celebrate special occasions and commemorate landmark events. 
 
When they help a neighbour in distress, they create their first showstopper - a dark, sultry Bitter Chocolate Cake. Soon, the Cake Club is cooking up a host of teatime treats, from sticky, gingery parkin, to feather-light fairy cakes, to the challenging Scripture Cake, with a recipe that consists entirely of Bible verses. 
 
As they measure out sugar, butter, eggs and flour, they share their secrets, problems and personal dilemmas - and forge friendships that will last long after the final cake crumbs have been consumed... 
 
Written by award-winning dramatists Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington, this gentle, heartwarming series features an outstanding cast including Lesley Sharp, Tamsin Greig, Nisha Nayar, Neil Dudgeon, Louise Brealey and Sheila Hancock. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington 
Produced by Steven Canny, Abigail le Fleming, Gemma Jenkins and Luke Fresle 
 
Cast 
Maggie - Lesley Sharp 
Tess - Tamsin Greig 
Ray - Neil Dudgeon 
Sabina - Nisha Nayar 
Neil - Stephen Hogan 
Leanne - Louise Brealey 
Nicky - Matthew Dunster 
Momo - Leena Dhingra 
Chrissie - Stephanie Leonidas 
Janice - Sheila Hancock 
Matty - Joe Prospero 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 January-29 February 2008 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Nine Days Queen, The BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play)

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation written by Amanda Whittington, originally broadcast as the Afternoon Play on 23 February 2009.  The tumultuous tale of the trial of Lady Jane Grey, proclaimed Queen of England in 1553 at the age of 16, nine days later locked in the Tower and, within a year, dead.  ‘Loo Brealey puts in a superb performance’ (Observer) as Lady Jane Grey, with Emma Stansfield as Nurse Ellen, Helen Schlesinger as Frances and Agnes Bateman as the young Jane. Also stars Janice Acquah, Paul Rider, Robert Lonsdale, Stephen Critchlow, Malcolm Tierney and Zebedee Soanes.

Alison Plowden

Abigail Docherty

John Mortimer

Madame de Lafayette

Peter Wolf

Michael Butt

Amanda Whittington

Paul B. Davies

Friedrich Schiller

Michael Bryant

Kathleen Helme

Melody Grove

Roger Lloyd Pack

Meg Fraser

Alexandra Mathie

Louise Brealey

Michael Horden

Full Cast

A BBC Radio 4 Drama Collection

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

Amanda Whittington

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