A BBC Radio 4 drama collection

Joseph Conrad: The Secret Agent, Heart of Darkness & More

Dramatisations of six of Conrad's finest novels, plus bonus material 
 
Polish-born author and mariner Joseph Conrad is widely regarded as one of the greatest English novelists. His 16 years in the merchant navy profoundly shaped his fiction, giving him transformative experiences of adventure and exotic places, and a unique insight into the human psyche. Included here are adaptations of six of his best works, brought together for the first time and collected in chronological order, plus one fascinating bonus programmes exploring his life and art. 
 
Heart of Darkness - Ordered to sail up the Congo River in search of enigmatic ivory trader Mr Kurtz, Marlowe's journey takes him deep into an unknown continent... David Calder, Bill Wallis and Kris Marshall star in this radio production of Conrad's controversial masterpiece. 
 
Lord Jim - Faced with disaster, young first mate Jim abandons the sinking SS Patna. Wracked with guilt, he tries to start a new life - but can he ever escape his past? Starring Simon Treves and David March. 
 
The Secret Agent - A terrorist bomb explodes in London, killing the bomber and threatening the authorities and anarchists alike... Ron Cook and Robert Glenister star in a 2-part dramatisation of Conrad's prescient black comedy. 
 
Il Conde - An elderly aristocrat is traumatised by a terrifying encounter in Naples in this adaptation of Conrad's haunting short story, starring John Moffatt and John Woodvine. 
 
The Secret Sharer - An inexperienced skipper gives sanctuary to a fugitive murderer who seems like his doppelganger: and faces his own subconscious fears. Michael Feast, Christopher Scott and Stephen Tompkinson, star in this dramatisation of one of Joseph Conrad's most popular short tales. 
 
Victory - Set in the Far East, this 1915 novel tells of one man's struggle towards self-realisation and redemption in a hostile world. Starring David March and Patrick Barr. 
 
Meridian: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness - Onyekachi Wambu explores Conrad's most famous novel, inspired by the brutal imperialist exploitation of the Congo during the 1880s. 
 
First published 1899 (Heart of Darkness), 1900 (Lord Jim), 1907 (The Secret Agent), 1908 ('Il Conde'), 1910 ('The Secret Sharer'), 1915 (Victory) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Joseph Conrad 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and the British Library 
 
Heart of Darkness 
Adapted by Jeremy Howe. Produced by Jeremy Howe and Iain Hunter. Music by David Lord 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 13 July 2003 
 
Lord Jim 
Dramatised by Keith Darvill. Directed by Martin Jenkins and Graham Gauld 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 July-1 September 1985 
 
The Secret Agent 
Dramatised by David Napthine. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1-8 October 2006 
 
Il Conde 
Dramatised by Alun Owen. Directed by Enyd Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 March 1994 
 
The Secret Sharer 
Dramatised by Robert Forrest. Directed by Patrick Rayner 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 June 1989 
 
Victory 
Other parts played by members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company 
Adapted by Helena Wood. Produced by Joe Burroughs 
First broadcast BBC Home Service Basic, 22 November 1965 
 
Meridian: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness 
Presented by Onyekachi Wambu 
With Adam Hochschild, Professor Allan H. Simmons, Michela Wrong 
First broadcast BBC World Service, 20 February 2002 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Dramatisations of six of Conrad's finest novels, plus bonus material 
 
 Polish-born author and mariner Joseph Conrad is widely regarded as one of the greatest English novelists. His 16 years in the merchant navy profoundly shaped his fiction, giving him transformative experiences of adventure and exotic places, and a unique insight into the human psyche. Included here are adaptations of six of his best works, brought together for the first time and collected in chronological order, plus one fascinating bonus programmes exploring his life and art. 
 
 Heart of Darkness - Ordered to sail up the Congo River in search of enigmatic ivory trader Mr Kurtz, Marlowe's journey takes him deep into an unknown continent... David Calder, Bill Wallis and Kris Marshall star in this radio production of Conrad's controversial masterpiece. 
 
Lord Jim - Faced with disaster, young first mate Jim abandons the sinking SS Patna. Wracked with guilt, he tries to start a new life - but can he ever escape his past? Starring Simon Treves and David March. 
 
 The Secret Agent - A terrorist bomb explodes in London, killing the bomber and threatening the authorities and anarchists alike... Ron Cook and Robert Glenister star in a 2-part dramatisation of Conrad's prescient black comedy. 
 
 Il Conde - An elderly aristocrat is traumatised by a terrifying encounter in Naples in this adaptation of Conrad's haunting short story, starring John Moffatt and John Woodvine. 
 
 The Secret Sharer - An inexperienced skipper gives sanctuary to a fugitive murderer who seems like his doppelganger: and faces his own subconscious fears. Michael Feast, Christopher Scott and Stephen Tompkinson, star in this dramatisation of one of Joseph Conrad's most popular short tales. 
 
 Victory - Set in the Far East, this 1915 novel tells of one man's struggle towards self-realisation and redemption in a hostile world. Starring David March and Patrick Barr. 
 
 Meridian: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness - Onyekachi Wambu explores Conrad's most famous novel, inspired by the brutal imperialist exploitation of the Congo during the 1880s. 
 
 First published 1899 (Heart of Darkness), 1900 (Lord Jim), 1907 (The Secret Agent), 1908 ('Il Conde'), 1910 ('The Secret Sharer'), 1915 (Victory) 
 
 Cast and credits 
 Written by Joseph Conrad 
 With thanks to Keith Wickham and the British Library 
 
 Heart of Darkness 
 Adapted by Jeremy Howe. Produced by Jeremy Howe and Iain Hunter. Music by David Lord 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 13 July 2003 
 
Lord Jim 
Dramatised by Keith Darvill. Directed by Martin Jenkins and Graham Gauld 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 July-1 September 1985 
 
 The Secret Agent 
 Dramatised by David Napthine. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1-8 October 2006 
 
 Il Conde 
 Dramatised by Alun Owen. Directed by Enyd Williams 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 March 1994 
 
 The Secret Sharer 
 Dramatised by Robert Forrest. Directed by Patrick Rayner 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 June 1989 
 
 Victory 
 Other parts played by members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company 
 Adapted by Helena Wood. Produced by Joe Burroughs 
 First broadcast BBC Home Service Basic, 22 November 1965 
 
 Meridian: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness 
 Presented by Onyekachi Wambu 
 With Adam Hochschild, Professor Allan H. Simmons, Michela Wrong 
 First broadcast BBC World Service, 20 February 2002 
 
 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alfred Hitchcock

Ernest Lehmann

Mark Gatiss

Anthony Hinds

D.M. Thomas

Dennis Potter

Harold Pinter

Karen Blixen

Joseph Conrad

Alexander Mackendrick

Jay Presson Allen

Arthur Miller

Michael Sheen

Peter Serafinowicz

Mark Strong

Hugh Laurie

David Suchet

Vanessa Kirby

Meera Syal

Full cast

Seven BBC Radio 4 Adaptations of Unproduced Screenplays

Seven legendary unproduced screenplays, resurrected and reinvented for BBC Radio 4 
 
The annals of movie history are full of lost treasures – spectacular scripts from world-renowned writers that could have been classics, had they only been made. Now, for the first time, some of these forgotten gems have been brought to life, fully realised as vivid, cinematic radio productions. Scripted by major 20th Century writers, they star a host of A-list actors and feature richly evocative, atmospheric soundtracks. 
 
Collected here are seven sensational ‘unmade movies’: 
 
Harold Pinter’s Victory, adapted from the novel by Joseph Conrad 
Harold Pinter’s The Dreaming Child, adapted from the novel by Karen Blixen 
Arthur Miller’s The Hook 
Alfred Hitchcock’s unfinished screenplay The Blind Man, completed by Mark Gatiss 
Hammer Horror’s The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula 
Dennis Potter’s The White Hotel 
Alexander MacKendrick’s Mary Queen of Scots 
 
These could-have-been classics are brought to life with stellar casts featuring Hugh Laurie, Bertie Carvel, Rose Leslie, Bill Paterson, Ellie Bamber, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rebecca Front, Anne-Marie Duff, Meera Syal, Vanessa Kirby and Mark Strong. Setting the scene and providing the ‘establishing shots’ – the original stage directions and descriptions from the screenplays – are narrators Simon Russell Beale, Anne Reid, David Suchet, Peter Serafinowicz, Michael Sheen, Simon McBurney and Glenda Jackson. 
 
Moving, mysterious, suspenseful, thrilling and terrifying, these dazzling productions will keep you enraptured from beginning to end. So sit back, grab some popcorn and let them play out on the biggest screen of all – that of your imagination. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and sexual scenes 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Books by Joseph Conrad

Series by Joseph Conrad

Unmade Movies

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