A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

Shardlake: Lamentation

A breathtaking BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the sixth novel in C. J. Sansom's best-selling Tudor crime series, featuring lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake 
 
1546, and the great heretic hunt is underway across England. The radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew has been arrested and condemned to death, and Shardlake is ordered to attend the burning. It's a grisly, cruel spectacle that leaves him feeling disturbed. Rumours are circulating that Anne had connections to his protector, Queen Catherine Parr - and if she falls, he could be next... 
 
His unease deepens when a messenger arrives from Whitehall Palace: the Queen is in trouble, and asking for his help. Unwilling to put himself in danger again, he almost declines - but his loyalty to her permits no refusal. 
 
The palace is in turmoil - King Henry VIII is dying, and his Protestant and Catholic councillors are engaged in a desperate power struggle to control his eight-year-old heir, Prince Edward. In this climate of fear and uncertainty, the Queen has committed a dangerous indiscretion. She has written a compromising confessional tract, so incendiary it could see her accused of treason - and someone has stolen it from her private chamber. Only one page has resurfaced, clenched in the fist of a murdered printer. 
 
Shardlake's search for the missing manuscript takes him from London's seedy backstreets to the heart of the Tudor court, where he becomes enmeshed in a web of intrigue, deception and dark political machinations - and finds himself facing a fateful audience with King Henry himself... 
 
Justin Salinger stars as Shardlake in this stunning sixth instalment of the 'Shardlake' series. 
 
'From the exquisite embroidery on a sliver of silk to the metallic stench of fresh blood, this portrait of Tudor England is full-on sensory immersion... CJ Sansom's novel is brought to life by dramatist Colin MacDonald, director Bruce Young and an outstanding cast.' - Jane Anderson, Radio Times 
 
Written by C. J. Sansom 
Dramatised by Colin MacDonald 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
 
Cast 
Shardlake - Justin Salinger 
Barak - Bryan Dick 
Queen Catherine - Jessica Hardwick 
Lord Parr - Robbie Jack 
Henry VIII - Michael Mackenzie 
Richard Rich - Simon Donaldson 
William Paget - Gavin Mitchell 
Charles Stice - Matthew Barker 
William Cecil - James Rottger 
Myldmore - Kenny Blyth 
Okedene - Mark McDonnell 
Cranmer - Crawford Logan 
Mary Odell - Francesca Dymond 
Barwic - Mark Jeary 
Elias - Caleb Hughes 
Garet - Harri Pitches 
Other parts played by the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-29 January 2021

From the exquisite embroidery on a sliver of silk to the metallic stench of fresh blood, this portrait of Tudor England is full-on sensory immersion... CJ Sansom's novel is brought to life by dramatist Colin MacDonald, director Bruce Young and an outstanding cast.

A breathtaking BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the sixth novel in C. J. Sansom's best-selling Tudor crime series, featuring lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake 
 
1546, and the great heretic hunt is underway across England. The radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew has been arrested and condemned to death, and Shardlake is ordered to attend the burning. It's a grisly, cruel spectacle that leaves him feeling disturbed. Rumours are circulating that Anne had connections to his protector, Queen Catherine Parr - and if she falls, he could be next... 
 
His unease deepens when a messenger arrives from Whitehall Palace: the Queen is in trouble, and asking for his help. Unwilling to put himself in danger again, he almost declines - but his loyalty to her permits no refusal. 
 
The palace is in turmoil - King Henry VIII is dying, and his Protestant and Catholic councillors are engaged in a desperate power struggle to control his eight-year-old heir, Prince Edward. In this climate of fear and uncertainty, the Queen has committed a dangerous indiscretion. She has written a compromising confessional tract, so incendiary it could see her accused of treason - and someone has stolen it from her private chamber. Only one page has resurfaced, clenched in the fist of a murdered printer. 
 
Shardlake's search for the missing manuscript takes him from London's seedy backstreets to the heart of the Tudor court, where he becomes enmeshed in a web of intrigue, deception and dark political machinations - and finds himself facing a fateful audience with King Henry himself... 
 
Justin Salinger stars as Shardlake in this stunning sixth instalment of the 'Shardlake' series. 
 
'From the exquisite embroidery on a sliver of silk to the metallic stench of fresh blood, this portrait of Tudor England is full-on sensory immersion... CJ Sansom's novel is brought to life by dramatist Colin MacDonald, director Bruce Young and an outstanding cast.' - Jane Anderson, Radio Times 
 
Written by C. J. Sansom 
Dramatised by Colin MacDonald 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
 
Cast 
Shardlake - Justin Salinger 
Barak - Bryan Dick 
Queen Catherine - Jessica Hardwick 
Lord Parr - Robbie Jack 
Henry VIII - Michael Mackenzie 
Richard Rich - Simon Donaldson 
William Paget - Gavin Mitchell 
Charles Stice - Matthew Barker 
William Cecil - James Rottger 
Myldmore - Kenny Blyth 
Okedene - Mark McDonnell 
Cranmer - Crawford Logan 
Mary Odell - Francesca Dymond 
Barwic - Mark Jeary 
Elias - Caleb Hughes 
Garet - Harri Pitches 
Other parts played by the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-29 January 2021

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Shardlake: Heartstone

C J Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel forms the basis of this thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization.

CJ Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a Ph.D. in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex.

An enthralling BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the fifth novel in C. J. Sansom’s bestselling Tudor crime series, featuring lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake 
 
Summer, 1545, and England is preparing for war. Facing imminent invasion by the French fleet, King Henry VIII has mustered a huge army at Portsmouth. 
 
Though no soldier, Matthew Shardlake also finds himself dispatched there. Queen Catherine Parr has asked him to take on a case involving the ‘monstrous wrongs’ allegedly committed by cloth merchant Sir Nicholas Hobbey against his young ward, Hugh Curteys. 
 
Shardlake also has another, more personal mission – to discover the truth about Ellen Fettiplace, a young woman he has befriended in Bedlam. She refuses to speak about the traumatic events that led to her incarceration almost twenty years ago, and Shardlake believes her family may hold the answers. 
 
As he and his assistant Jack Barak pursue their investigations, they uncover secrets, lies and sinister crimes, and are reunited with both an old friend and an old enemy. Events come to their dramatic climax on board the King’s most famous warship: the Mary Rose... 
 
Justin Salinger stars as Shardlake, with Bryan Dick as Barak, in this heart-stopping penultimate instalment of the ‘Shardlake’ series. 
 
Cast 
Shardlake……………………Justin Salinger 
Barak……………………Bryan Dick 
Queen Catherine……………………Emily Wachter 
Ellen Fettiplace……………………Kath Weare 
Dyrick/Officer/Sailor 2……………………Philip Bretherton 
Goodryke/Landlord/Avery/Priddis/Villager……………………Clive Hayward 
Sir Richard Rich……………………Nicholas Murchie 
George Leacon……………………Finn den Hertog 
Sir Nicholas Hobbey……………………David Seddon 
Hugh Curteys……………………Will Howard 
Abigail Hobbey/Sally……………………Isabella Inchbald 
David Hobbey/Keeper Shawms/Sailor 1……………………Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
Paulet/Reverend Seckford/Warner……………………Neil McCaul 
Phillip West……………………Chris Pavlo 
Feaveryear/Sailor/Pelham……………………Gary Duncan 
Bess Calfhill……………………Kath Weare 
Sir Richard Rich……………………Nicholas Murchie 
 
Dramatised by Colin MacDonald 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
Directed by David Jackson Young

Shardlake: Revelation

Shardlake returns in this atmospheric BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the fourth novel in C. J. Sansom’s bestselling Tudor crime series. 
 
Spring, 1543. London’s streets are filled with preachers; strange signs and portents are seen everywhere; and young men, maddened by differing interpretations of the Bible, are drawn into dangerous fundamentalism. 
 
The family of one such man, Adam Kite, has sought help from lawyer Matthew Shardlake. Adam is suffering from religious mania, and is being held in Bedlam for his own safety. But Shardlake is distracted from the case when his friend Roger Elliard is found brutally murdered – the victim of a serial killer inspired by the Book of Revelation. 
 
Archbishop Cranmer asks Shardlake to conduct a secret investigation: no word of the bloodshed must reach the King as one of the dead men was close to Catherine Parr, Henry’s latest romantic obsession and (like Cranmer) a supporter of religious reform. 
 
With the help of trusty sidekick Barack, Shardlake embarks on his most dangerous investigation yet, as he tries to protect Adam and prevent the killer from fulfilling his unholy mission... 
 
This thrilling fourth instalment of the 'Shardlake' series stars Justin Salinger as Shardlake, with Bryan Dick as Barak. Duration: 2 hours 10 mins approx.

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas

Shardlake: Sovereign

An atmospheric BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on C.J. Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel featuring hunchback lawyer detective Matthew Shardlake.

A thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on the third novel in C. J. Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime series featuring hunchback lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake. 
 
Autumn, 1541. Henry VIII, accompanied by his young bride Catherine Howard, has embarked on a Great Progress from London to York, to establish his power and authority with his rebellious subjects in the North and receive their oaths of loyalty. 
 
Shardlake, sent ahead of the 3000-strong procession, is in the city to help prepare legal petitions for the King – and to undertake a delicate clandestine mission for Archbishop Cranmer. Sir Edward Broderick, a dangerous conspirator imprisoned in York Castle, is being transferred to the Tower of London for interrogation, and it is up to Shardlake and his faithful assistant Barak to ensure he gets there safe and well. 
 
But the death of a glazier sees the duo drawn into a murder investigation, a treasonous plot and a secret that threatens to bring down the royal family… 
 
Starring Justin Salinger as Shardlake and Bryan Dick as Barak, this gripping third instalment of the 'Shardlake' series is a compelling murder mystery and a deeply evocative portrait of the turbulent Tudor world. 
 
Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx. 
Tensions are running high in the city, and soon Shardlake is called to investigate a suspicious death - and stumbles upon a daring plot that has the potential to shake England to its core. 
 
CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' series has sold over two million copies, and this atmospheric dramatisation starring BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries) brings his début novel to electrifying life. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it is both an engrossing murder mystery and a brilliantly realised portrayal of Tudor England. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.

Shardlake: Dark Fire

This thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation, based on C J Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel, is set during the last days of Thomas Cromwell.

A gripping BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on the second novel in C. J. Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime series. 
 
Summer, 1540. It has been three years since the terrible events at Scarnsea monastery, and lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake is living a quiet life in London – until a summons from Cromwell sees him embarking on another dangerous secret assignment. 
 
Someone has stolen the last barrel of 'Greek Fire': a legendary, highly potent incendiary weapon thought lost since the fall of Constantinople. Shardlake is tasked with tracking it down – and he must move quickly, for Cromwell is out of favour with the King and is relying on the precious substance to save his skin. 
 
But Shardlake has another, equally urgent case to deal with – defending an orphan girl, Elizabeth Wentworth, who is accused of murdering her young cousin. Aided by Cromwell's man, Barak, Shardlake must race against time to solve both cases, for the fates of both Cromwell and Elizabeth depend on him… 
 
Winner of the 2005 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award, Dark Fire is the second thrilling instalment in the 'Shardlake' series. This atmospheric crime drama, starring Justin Salinger as Shardlake, Bryan Dick as Barak and Robert Glenister as Thomas Cromwell, features deception, dark secrets, captivating characters and a vibrant historical setting. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.

Shardlake: Dissolution

C J Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel forms the basis of this thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

A thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on CJ Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel. 
 
Winter, 1537. Henry VIII has declared himself Supreme Head of the Church, and instructed his chief minister Thomas Cromwell to dissolve England's religious houses and seize their wealth. But Cromwell's plot to bring down the abbeys has hit a snag – one of the King's Commissioners has been found brutally murdered in Scarnsea monastery, on the south coast of Kent. If news of the killing were to get out, the consequences could be disastrous. 
 
Desiring a quick, discreet result, he sends his trusted lawyer-detective, Matthew Shardlake, to investigate. However, as Shardlake interviews the prime suspects and delves deeper into the mysteries of Scarnsea, it soon becomes clear that the case will not be as simple to solve as he had hoped. Which of the terrified monks is the murderer? And can Shardlake catch him before he strikes again? 
 
CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' series has sold over two million copies, and this atmospheric dramatisation starring BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries) brings his début novel to electrifying life. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it is both an engrossing murder mystery and a brilliantly realised portrayal of Tudor England. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.

CJ Sansom

Full Cast

Jason Watkins

Justin Salinger

Bryan Dick

Mark Bonnar

Robert Glenister

Sam Dale

Sean Baker

Emily Wachter

Jessica Hardwick

Six BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations

The complete collected dramatisations of C. J. Sansom's historical mystery series 
 
Set during the reign of Henry VIII, these six stunning dramas follow the adventures of hunchbacked lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake as he navigates the dangerous world of Tudor England, solving crimes and seeking out murderers. 
 
Dissolution - Winter, 1537. When a King's Commissioner is brutally murdered at Scarnsea monastery, Thomas Cromwell sends Shardlake to investigate. Can he catch the killer before he strikes again? 
 
Dark Fire - Summer, 1540, and Shardlake is embroiled in two urgent cases: tracking down a batch of Greek Fire, an ancient weapon of mass destruction, and defending an orphan girl accused of murder. Accompanied by Cromwell's man, Barak, he must race against time to save Elizabeth's life - and Cromwell's skin. 
 
Sovereign - Autumn, 1541. As the King embarks on a Royal Progress to York, Shardlake and Barak arrive in the city on a secret mission for Archbishop Cranmer. But soon they are caught up in a murder investigation - and a daring plot to bring down the royal family... 
 
Revelation - Spring, 1543. With London rocked by religious turmoil, Shardlake must complete two vital assignments: help a teenage boy imprisoned in Bedlam for his heretical ravings, and prevent a serial killer from completing his unholy mission. 
 
Heartstone - Summer, 1545, and Shardlake and Barak are drawn into two murky mysteries: one involving 'monstrous wrongs' committed against a ward of the court, the other involving the troubled past of Bedlam inmate Ellen Fettiplace. Meanwhile, across the Channel, the French fleet is preparing to attack... 
 
Lamentation - 1546. Henry VIII lies dying, and his Protestant and Catholic factions are vying for power. As heretics are burned at the stake, the Queen rashly decides to write a compromising confessional book - and when it is stolen, she turns to Shardlake. His investigations lead him from London's backstreet print shops to the heart of the royal court... 
 
Jason Watkins and Justin Salinger star as Shardlake, with Bryan Dick as Barak, Mark Bonnar and Robert Glenister as Cromwell, Sam Dale and Sean Baker as Cranmer, and Emily Wachter and Jessica Hardwick as Queen Catherine Parr. 
 
 
Written by C. J. Sansom 
Dramatised by Colin MacDonald 
Produced and directed by Kirsteen Cameron, David Jackson Young and Bruce Young 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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