A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Pouring Poison

A BBC Radio 4 bittersweet romantic drama by award-winning writer Lou Ramsden, starring Kathryn Hunt and Nicholas Boulton, originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 15 April 2011.

Lou Ramsden is a playwright whose works for the stage include Breed and Hundreds and Thousands. Among her radio plays are Dos and Don'ts for the Mentally Interesting (which won the Mind 'Mental Health In the Media' Award for Best Radio Drama in 2009), Pouring Poison and Tinsel Girl.

Hazel (Kathryn Hunt) spends her life describing plays for visually impaired people. But when she starts to describe the real world to her new friend Davy (Nicholas Boulton), is she giving an accurate picture of the world around her? She's looking for an escape from the pressures of looking after her disabled mother, but is she looking in the right place?   'Pouring Poison' was written by Lou Ramsden after spending time with audio describers in London theatres, and also stars Jonathan Keeble, Alison Pettitt, Marian Kemmer and Dan Hagley amongst the cast.

Cherylee Houston

Lou Ramsden

Full Cast

Sarah McDonald Hughes

Kathryn Pemberton

James Quinn

Rosina Carbone

The BBC Radio comedy drama

All seventeen episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom about the life, loves and misadventures of wheelchair user Maz 
 
Nicknamed 'Tinsel Girl' by her best friend Lisa because of her sparkly view of life, Maz is an eternal optimist. But having just turned 30, she's all too aware that not only is she single, but also disabled. Her degenerative disease means she now has to use a motorised wheelchair, which isn't exactly the sexiest accessory a girl can have... 
 
In Tinsel Girl, the prospect of finding a partner through the minefield of online dating makes Maz reassess her situation and other people's perceptions of her. Can a man really find a woman in a wheelchair attractive? 
 
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip finds Maz preparing for her first holiday abroad as a wheelchair user, as she heads to the Seychelles to be maid of honour at Lisa's wedding. But she is broke, unemployed and apprehensive - can she raise the money for her trip, and is she up to the challenge? 
 
In Tinsel Girl and the Big Reunion, Maz makes a startling discovery about flatmate Rachel, leading her to move out and plan a fresh start with new friend Verity. But is ditching Rachel really the best move? 
 
Tinsel Girl and the Support Worker sees Maz struggling to come to terms with needing a carer: can she find a way to make it work with Hayley? 
 
And in Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic, Maz hits rock bottom and reluctantly checks into a pain clinic. As she embarks on an adventure and finds friendship, she discovers that if she wants to change other people's outlooks, she must first change her own... 
 
Starring Cherylee Houston (Coronation Street), Tinsel Girl is inspired by her own experiences, and adapted from her diaries by Lou Ramsden. 
 
*Cherylee Houston was the Bronze Winner in the Audio Performer of the Year category at the 2020 Audio Production Awards for her performance in Tinsel Girl * 
 
Cast 
Maz - Cherylee Houston 
Donny - Mikey North 
Rachel/Student - Kathryn Pemberton 
Wes/Doctor - Ged Mulherin 
Kev/Pete/Seamus/Guard/Barry/Compere/Clive/Bernie/Ed/DS Warren/Specialist - Toby Hadoke 
Jason/Robert - Benjamin Sadler 
Angus/Photographer - Hamilton Berstock 
Jim - James Quinn 
Lisa - Rosina Carbone 
Didier - Quentin Surtel 
Ollie - Sonny Flood 
Ruth - Wendy Patterson 
Callum - John Catterall 
Didier - Quentin Surtel 
Verity/Juliet/Mrs Coates - Krissi Bohn 
Felipe - Phil Perez 
Sid - Ged Mulherin 
Hayley - Sarah McDonald Hughes 
Andy - Chris Jack 
Liz - Enid Dunn 
Keira - Beatrice Baxter 
Dawn - Julie Hesmondhalgh 
Richard - Kevin Davids 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lou Ramsden 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Riches (Tinsel Girl, Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip, Tinsel Girl and the Big Reunion, Tinsel Girl and the Support Worker) and Nadia Molinari (Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic) 
With the BBC North Staff Choir 
Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic is dedicated to Ian from Bath Pain Clinic

Lou Ramsden

Books by Lou Ramsden

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