The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy series

The Penny Dreadfuls Present...

All 10 of the Penny Dreadfuls' riotous revisionist plays, retelling famous fictional tales and historical events 
 
 'Terrific stuff' - Radio Times 
'Without exaggeration, they are heirs to the madcap humour that made Monty Python so captivating.' - The Skinny 
 
 Sketch trio The Penny Dreadfuls made a name for themselves with The Brothers Faversham, telling the stories of nine extraordinary siblings in the Victorian era. In these ten comedy dramas, they step away from the 19th Century to revisit famous stories from history and literature. Featuring unforgettable characters, from the face of British treason to the last of the Plantagenets, their fresh, funny reimaginings are full of suspense, rip-roaring entertainment and gags galore. 
 
 In Guy Fawkes, they take a new look at the Gunpowder Plot; Revolution recounts the entire story of the French Revolution in just one hour (with jokes) and Hereward the Wake asks why this heroic Englishman, responsible for leading the fight against William the Conqueror's occupation, has been forgotten. Macbeth Rebothered tells an alternative tale of this noble King; The Odyssey tackles Homer's epic journey home after the Trojan War and in The Voyage of the Beagle, we hear the story Darwin left out of his tales from his time aboard HMS Beagle. 
 
 Le Carré on Spying takes us on an espionage romp through 1960s Berlin; Don Quixote condenses Cervantes' dense classic into an hour of mind-boggling fun and Hadrian's Beard considers the Roman emperor's dilemma: if he builds a wall across England, won't people just go around it in little boats? Finally, Richard III Rebothered combines history and belly laughs as the Penny Dreadfuls explore the notorious 'hunchback King'. 
 
 With all ten plays collected together here for the very first time, this release features brand new introductions to each of the episodes, in which The Penny Dreadfuls chat about the making of these hilarious histories. 
 
 Written and performed by Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, these hilarious shows co-star Margaret Cabourn-Smith and feature stellar casts including Richard E Grant, Sally Hawkins, Robert Webb, Sylvester McCoy, Amanda Abbington, Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap, Miles Jupp, Lolly Adefope, Greg McHugh, Susan Calman, Justin Edwards, Vivienne Acheampong, Tony Gardner, Mina Anwar, Marek Larwood, Andrew Pugsley and Celeste Dring. 
 
 Production credits 
 Starring The Penny Dreadfuls: Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, plus Margaret Cabourn-Smith 
 Produced by Julia McKenzie 
 
 Guy Fawkes 
Written by Humphrey Ker, David Reed &amp; Thom Tuck 
Guest starring Kevin Eldon, Miles Jupp &amp; Andrew Pugsley 
 
 Revolution 
Written by Humphrey Ker &amp; David Reed 
Guest starring Richard E Grant &amp; Sally Hawkins 
 
 Hereward the Wake 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Justin Edwards &amp; Marek Larwood 
 
 Macbeth Rebothered 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Susan Calman &amp; Greg McHugh 
 
 The Odyssey 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Lolly Adefope &amp; Robert Webb 
 
 The Curse of the Beagle 
Written by David Reed 
 
 Le Carré on Spying 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Mark Heap &amp; Miles Jupp 
 
 Don Quixote 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Amanda Abbington, Vivienne Acheampong &amp; Sylvester McCoy 
 
 Hadrian's Beard 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Mina Anwar &amp; Tony Gardner 
 
 Richard III Rebothered 
Written by David Reed 
 Guest starring Celeste Dring 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

All 10 of the Penny Dreadfuls' riotous revisionist plays, retelling famous fictional tales and historical events 
 
'Terrific stuff' - Radio Times 
'Without exaggeration, they are heirs to the madcap humour that made Monty Python so captivating.' - The Skinny 
 
Sketch trio The Penny Dreadfuls made a name for themselves with The Brothers Faversham, telling the stories of nine extraordinary siblings in the Victorian era. In these ten comedy dramas, they step away from the 19th Century to revisit famous stories from history and literature. Featuring unforgettable characters, from the face of British treason to the last of the Plantagenets, their fresh, funny reimaginings are full of suspense, rip-roaring entertainment and gags galore. 
 
In Guy Fawkes, they take a new look at the Gunpowder Plot; Revolution recounts the entire story of the French Revolution in just one hour (with jokes) and Hereward the Wake asks why this heroic Englishman, responsible for leading the fight against William the Conqueror's occupation, has been forgotten. Macbeth Rebothered tells an alternative tale of this noble King; The Odyssey tackles Homer's epic journey home after the Trojan War and in The Voyage of the Beagle, we hear the story Darwin left out of his tales from his time aboard HMS Beagle. 
 
Le Carré on Spying takes us on an espionage romp through 1960s Berlin; Don Quixote condenses Cervantes' dense classic into an hour of mind-boggling fun and Hadrian's Beard considers the Roman emperor's dilemma: if he builds a wall across England, won't people just go around it in little boats? Finally, Richard III Rebothered combines history and belly laughs as the Penny Dreadfuls explore the notorious 'hunchback King'. 
 
With all ten plays collected together here for the very first time, this release features brand new introductions to each of the episodes, in which The Penny Dreadfuls chat about the making of these hilarious histories. 
 
Written and performed by Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, these hilarious shows co-star Margaret Cabourn-Smith and feature stellar casts including Richard E Grant, Sally Hawkins, Robert Webb, Sylvester McCoy, Amanda Abbington, Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap, Miles Jupp, Lolly Adefope, Greg McHugh, Susan Calman, Justin Edwards, Vivienne Acheampong, Tony Gardner, Mina Anwar, Marek Larwood, Andrew Pugsley and Celeste Dring. 
 
Production credits 
Starring The Penny Dreadfuls: Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, plus Margaret Cabourn-Smith 
Produced by Julia McKenzie 
 
Guy Fawkes 
Written by Humphrey Ker, David Reed &amp; Thom Tuck 
Guest starring Kevin Eldon, Miles Jupp &amp; Andrew Pugsley 
 
Revolution 
Written by Humphrey Ker &amp; David Reed 
Guest starring Richard E Grant &amp; Sally Hawkins 
 
Hereward the Wake 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Justin Edwards &amp; Marek Larwood 
 
Macbeth Rebothered 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Susan Calman &amp; Greg McHugh 
 
The Odyssey 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Lolly Adefope &amp; Robert Webb 
 
The Curse of the Beagle 
Written by David Reed 
 
Le Carré on Spying 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Mark Heap &amp; Miles Jupp 
 
Don Quixote 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Amanda Abbington, Vivienne Acheampong &amp; Sylvester McCoy 
 
Hadrian's Beard 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Mina Anwar &amp; Tony Gardner 
 
Richard III Rebothered 
Written by David Reed 
Guest starring Celeste Dring 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Humphrey Ker

David Reed

Thom Tuck

Miles Jupp

Ingrid Oliver

The BBC Radio 4 comedy series

Eight swashbuckling tales about the eccentric members of Victorian Britain's greatest aristocratic family 
 
Based on their critically-acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows Aeneas Faversham, Aeneas Faversham Returns and Aeneas Faversham Forever, these action-packed romps chronicle the lives of the Brothers Faversham, nine men who straddled the Victorian era 'like a mighty change-Titan'. In the annals of the British Empire, few names blaze more brightly than theirs - and now, at last, their extraordinary stories can be told. 
 
Beginning in 1834, as deadly adventuress and super-spy Lady Alexandra gives birth to her eldest son, we hear of the rise and fall of these prodigious siblings. Series 1 introduces us to the first four: decorated soldier Horatius; eminent detective Theseus; reckless explorer Leonidas and magician-turned-megalomaniac Augustus. In Series 2, we turn to the younger fraternal quintet: sporting hero Titus; renowned horror writer Maximilian; celebrated actor Marcus and successful twin industrialists Perceus and Lucius. Packed with staggering sketches, bizarre occurrences, curious happenstance and dastardly deeds, the sensational tale of the remarkable Favershams is one you will never forget... 
 
Featuring a brand new introduction, this splendidly melodramatic series is written and performed by debonair, waistcoated comedy trio The Penny Dreadfuls - Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck - and co-stars Ingrid Oliver and Miles Jupp. Brought to you by the Orphans for Cholera Awareness Foundation, this is... The Brothers Faversham! 
 
Credits 
Written by and starring The Penny Dreadfuls: Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck 
Script edited by Richard Turner 
Produced by Julia McKenzie 
 
Cast 
Alexandra Faversham - Ingrid Oliver 
Narrator - Miles Jupp 
First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 11 January-1 February 2008 (Series 1), 5-26 October 2008 (Series 2) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Humphrey Ker

Books by Humphrey Ker

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