Based on the landmark BBC TV drama

Our Friends in the North

Peter Flannery's adaptation of his own iconic BAFTA award winning TV series - with a brand new final episode by award-winning writer Adam Usden 
 
'A stunning state-of-the-nation social commentary' The Telegraph 
 
First broadcast in 1996, Our Friends in the North was one of the most highly acclaimed TV shows of the 1990s. It launched the careers of Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong, won numerous awards including three BAFTAs, and is widely regarded as a modern classic. 
 
Now, 26 years later, Peter Flannery has recreated his epic saga for radio. Ambitious in scale and scope, the drama follows the fortunes of four friends over three decades, beginning in 1964. Drawing on real-life controversies from the Sixties and Seventies, it tackles corporate, political and police corruption in the 1960s, the Soho porn empires of the 1970s, the nouveau riche and the Miners' Strike of the 1980s and the rise of New Labour in the 1990s. A final episode by Adam Usden brings the story up to the present day, picking up on several characters from 26 years before and showing them dealing with familiar challenges including housing conditions, young people's engagement with politics and father/son relationships. 
 
Starring four talented young actors - Norah Lopez Holden, James Baxter, Luke MacGregor and Philip Correia - this powerful, poignant audio retelling immerses us in the world of Tyneside pals Mary, Nicky, Geordie and Tosker, as they face personal, political and social upheaval, experience triumph and tragedy, and make decisions that will change their lives forever. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Peter Flannery 
Episode 10 written by Adam Usden and dedicated to the memory of Warren Usden 
Produced by Melanie Harris 
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer 
Trainee Production Co-ordinator: Emma O'Mahoney 
Studio Engineer: Paul Clark 
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore, Jon Nicholls, Paul Cargill and Steve Brooke 
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Mary/Julia/Francine - Norah Lopez Holden 
Nicky/Young Anthony/Christopher Collins - James Baxter 
Geordie/Ray/Anthony - Luke MacGregor 
Tosker/DI Salway/Toby Roddy - Philip Correia 
Felix - Trevor Fox 
Florrie/Sandra/Claudia Seabrook/Psychiatrist/Mrs Wilkinson - Tracey Wilkinson 
Austin Donohue/Charlie/Claud Seabrook/DI Cockburn/Colin Butler/Christopher - Tom Goodman-Hill 
Eddie Wells/Arthur Watson/Commander Harold Chapple - James Gaddas 
Bede Connor/Benny Barratt/Chief Constable Roy Johnson/Alan Roe/The Close Encounterer - Tony Hirst 
John Edwards - Maanuv Thiara 
DS Conrad/Priest - Andrew Byron 
Ernie/Sir Colin Blamire/Asst Commander Fieldson - Des Yankson 
Helen/Paula/Lucille/Alison/Elaine/Alice - Eve Shotton 
Commissioner Jellicoe/Superintendent - Darren Kuppan 
Sean Collins - Alfie Williams 
Amy - Bryony Corrigan 
Roy - David Leon 
Kira - Lucy Aiston 
Wazza - Noel Walton 
Mike - Tom Machell 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 March-9 June 2022 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance®

James Purefoy stars in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Robert M. Pirsig's multi-million best-selling philosophical novel.

An odyssey into life’s challenging questions during an unforgettable summer motorcycle trip 
 
Acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance became an instant bestseller upon its publication in 1974. A powerful examination of how we live, as well as a breath-taking meditation on how to live better, it tells the epic story of a father and son’s motorcycle trip across America’s Northwest in the 1960s. 
 
Pirsig’s modern classic transformed a generation and continues to inspire millions of readers today. Dramatised for radio for the first time by Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North, George Gently, The Devil’s Whore), this fantastic full-cast production stars James Purefoy (Rome, Injustice, Ironclad) and adds a new and original dimension to an iconic work. Following a father and his young son on their cross-country summer adventure from Minnesota to California, it is a story of love, fear, growth, discovery and acceptance. Both personal and philosophical, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is also a compelling study of relationships, values, enlightenment and meaning. 
 
The maintenance of the motorcycle throughout the journey illustrates how to unify the cold, rational realm of technology with the warm, imaginative realm of artistry. Resonating with the confusions and the wonders of existence, the narrator wrestles with some of the most important philosophical questions of the 20th century. His need to also reconcile his past and present selves drives him and his son forward, to a point where all is either lost or won on the Chautauqua spiritual journey. 
 
This audio edition includes a bonus 10 minutes of material that was not broadcast on the radio. 
 
NB: the recording contains strong language. 
 
Production credits 
Author: Robert M. Pirsig 
Dramatist: Peter Flannery 
Original music: Jon Nicholls 
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore 
Producer: Melanie Harris 
 
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4. 
 
© 2012 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2012 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Peter Flannery

Olivia Poulet

Laurence Dobiesz

Karen Laws

Melanie Harris

Hannah Silva

Dan Rebellato

Tim Dawson

Gemma Bedeau

Ishy Din

Derron Sandy

Kyle Hernandez

Elisha Efua Bartels

Lucy Montague Moffatt

Mina Anwar

Jamie Winstone

Fenella Woolgar

Full Cast

13 BBC Radio Dramas

Thirteen plays about human connection, from some of BBC Radio's best writers exploring love, family, romances and life's ups and downs 
 
This diverse collection of stories centres around family dynamics, relationships both romantic and platonic, and the diverse ways ordinary people navigate the vicissitudes of everyday life. 
 
Ranging from modern fairy tales to coming-of-age dramas, they feature a wide variety of styles, and are scripted by an array of writers from award-winning dramatists to first-time authors. Here are stories of meeting and parting; hope and heartbreak; grief and forgiveness; and the endless possibility of change. 
 
We meet the couple racing to secure their IVF treatment; the wide-eyed young Conservative whose awakening is more than just political; the teenager who discovers a secret that threatens his entire extended family; the ex-offender transformed through his friendship with a photographer, and many more captivating characters. These engrossing dramas let us venture into their worlds; giving us an intimate insight into their lives and loves. 
 
Among the casts are Jaime Winstone, Sean Gallagher, Rhea Bailey, Mina Anwar, Ciarán Griffiths and Harry McEntire. 
 
Cast and credits 
All plays are Sparklab productions for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. 
Produced by Melanie Harris and Executive Produced by Polly Thomas, Jeremy Mortimer & Jo Meek. 
 
#blessed 
Cast: Olivia Poulet, Laurence Dobiesz, Ayesha Dharker, Valmike Rampersad, Fenella Woolgar 
Written by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz. Directed by Susannah Tresilian. 
 
Indigo Children 
Cast: Lizzy Clark, Jaime Winstone, Luke Jerdy, Sylvestra Le Touzel 
Written by Hannah Silva. Directed by Jude Kelly 
 
My Life Is a Series of People Saying Goodbye 
Cast: Sean Gallagher, David Annen, Will Payne, Fenella Woolgar, Frances Grey, Jenny Jules 
Written by Dan Rebellato. Produced and Directed by Polly Thomas 
 
Not for Turning 
Cast Nicola Holt, Henry Devas, Andrew Bentley, Ashley Gerlach, Toby Hadoke 
Written by Tim Dawson. Directed by Lawrence Till 
 
The Ladies Room 
Cast: Rhea Bailey, Lisa Livingstone, Lois Chimimba 
Written by Gemma Bedeau. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Whose Baby? 
Cast: Gurjeet Singh, Mina Anwar, Perveen Hussain, George Bukhari, Sid Akbar Ali 
Written by Ishy Din. Directed by Julia Ford. 
 
1963 
Cast: Andy Clark, Curtis Appleby, Ross Waiton, Jill Dellow, Micheal Ajao 
Written by Peter Flannery. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Mr Singh 
Cast: Keegan Maharaj, Rhesa Samuel, Idrees Saleem, Tafar Lewis, Khadijah Kirton, Israel Nunes Children from the Quays Foundation, Maloney, Trinidad & Tobago. 
Written by Derron Sandy. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Aron 
Cast: Levee Rodriguez, Errol Fabien, Anand Lawkaran, Jayron Remy, Tishanna Williams, Nickolai Salcedo. Written by Kyle Hernandez. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Water More Than Flour 
Cast: Mandisa Granderson, Conrad Parris, Kimmy Stoute-Robinson, Arnold Goindham 
Written by Elisha Efua Bartels. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Karin and Andrew 
Cast: Eve Shotton, Ciarán Griffiths, Darren Kuppan, Melissa Jane Sinden 
Scripted and directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
In His Kiss 
Cast: Niamh McGowan, Harry McEntire, Kimberly Hart-Simpson 
Written by Lucy Montague Moffatt. Directed by Julia Ford 
 
The Reality Tunnel 
Cast: Sarah Miele, Sam Newton 
Written by Karen Law. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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