A BBC Radio 4 Horror Collection

Spine Chillers

Four hair-raising tales of terror, as heard on BBC Radio 4 
 
'Three hours worth of spooky entertainment ... there are some terrific performances to be enjoyed here' Entertainment Focus 
 
In these four supernatural dramas, first broadcast on radio in 1984, a house hides more than meets the eye; a B &amp; B landlady helps her guests forget their troubles; a Japanese man inadvertently awakens a vengeful spirit; and a mother and baby become unsettled in remote mill. 
 
 
Written by Colin Haydn Evans, David Campton, Jill Hyem and Don Webb, and starring Anna Massey, Rosemary Leach, Sean Barrett, and Pam Ferris, these eerie, atmospheric stories are guaranteed to give you goosebumps. Just don't listen with the lights off... 
 
Figures - Stuck in a marriage of convenience, unhappy Ann is searching for a refuge. So as soon as she sees the house, she knows it has to be hers. Its past is part of her future - all she has to do is sit in the upstairs room, kept locked for so long, and wait... 
 
Mrs M - Mrs Meadowsweet offers visitors to her country guesthouse a truly carefree holiday. Everybody is so happy. A little abstracted, perhaps, but certainly happy. New arrivals Madge and Arthur are suspicious, but can Mrs M win them over? 
 
Origami - When mild-mannered Mr Shimojo takes a room in Mrs Bestall's house, he becomes an instant hit with her young daughter, teaching her the Japanese art of paper folding. But no one is prepared for the sequence of horrifying events which his presence seems to generate... 
 
Witch Water Green - Barbara Tate and her baby girl are all alone in their new home - a converted mill deep in the countryside. The move has been stressful; Barbara is lonely and the baby is fretful. But there's another, deeper reason for her uneasiness... 
 
Cast and credits 
Figures 
Ann - Anna Massey 
Ralph Symons - Blain Fairman 
Rebecca Symons - Jill Lidstone 
Peter Fuller - Jon Strickland 
Alex Slade - Michael Bilton 
 
Written by Colin Haydn Evans 
Directed by Ian Cotterell 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 February 1984 
 
Mrs M 
Mrs Meadowsweet - Rosemary Leach 
Madge - Anne Jameson 
Arthur - Roger Hume 
Simon - Terry Molloy 
Miss Brazenose - Joyce Gibbs 
Inga - Patricia Gallimore 
 
Written by David Campton 
Directed by Peter Windows 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 February 1984 
 
Origami 
Mr Shimojo - Sean Barrett 
Helen Bestall - Carole Boyd 
Peter Trent - Christopher Scoular 
Lucy Bestall - Helen Worth 
 
Written by Jill Hyem 
Directed by Kay Patrick 
Pronunciation adviser: Masatoshi Tobia 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 February 1982 
 
Witch Water Green 
Barbara Tate - Pam Ferris 
Dr Jane Rayner - Jenny Lee 
The Rev Roy Brown - Nigel Anthony 
Johnny Goad - Brian Southwood 
Wendy Williams - Kate Lee 
 
Written by Don Webb 
Directed by Tony Cliff 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 March 1984 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Colin Haydn Evans

Derek Jacobi

Carolyn Backhouse

Mary Wimbush

Rachel Atkins

Simon Carter

Teresa Gallagher

John Baddeley

Geoffrey Banks

Philip Anthony

James Tefler

Full Cast

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Seven of Shahrazad's stories of love, magic and mystery - plus bonus documentary 
 
A collection of fabulous tales of genies, heroes, flying carpets and fantastic voyages, The Arabian Nights has enchanted generations of children and adults. Forged in the Islamic Golden Age, it was brought to Europe in the 18th Century, where it became an instant sensation. Included here are seven full-cast dramatisations, starring Carolyn Backhouse as Shahrazad and Derek Jacobi as the King, as well as a bonus edition of In Our Time exploring the story behind the tales. 
 
Ghanim, the Thrall of Love - To escape the executioner's sword, Shahrazad beguiles the King with a spellbinding tale of love, jealousy, betrayal - and a magic drum. 
 
The Ebony Horse - The magical story of a handsome prince, a beautiful princess, and a remarkable wooden horse. 
 
The Three Suitors - When Jamilla's lover is thrown in prison, she devises a cunning plan to free him, involving a carpenter, a magistrate, a bogus camel-cleaner, and a wardrobe... 
 
The Ninth Pedestal - Prince Zain inherits eight valuable statues - but the ninth is missing. He goes on a quest to find it - but what he discovers is beyond price... 
 
Homza's Dance - The hunt for a lost arrow leads Prince Ahmed into an amazing adventure of sorcery and transformation. 
 
The Hunchback - A series of bizarre accidents befall an eccentric cast of characters in a tale that's full of twists and turns. 
 
The Dream of Baba Abdullah - In a final attempt to save her life, Shahrazad invites the king to enter the final story with her - or return alone... 
 
In Our Time: The Arabian Nights - Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the myths, tales and legends of this ever-shifting sea of stories. 
 
Cast and credits 
Adapted by Colin Haydn Evans 
Directed by Nigel Bryant 
Music: Sue Harris and Steafan Hannigan 
 
Starring Carolyn Backhouse as Shahrazad and Derek Jacobi as the King. 
 
Ghanim, the Thrall of Love 
Wazir - Simon Carter 
Ghanim - Michael Lumsden 
Leila - Moir Leslie 
Caliph - Duncan Law 
Rahil - Mary Wimbush 
Slave - Richard O'Ryan 
Old Man - Geoffrey Banks 
 
The Ebony Horse 
Kamar - James Telfer 
The Sage - Roger Hume 
Shams - Teresa Gallagher 
Kamar's father - John Baddeley 
 
The Three Suitors 
Jamilla - Rachel Atkins 
Hassan - William Chubb 
Faris - Geoffrey Banks 
Gaoler - Michael Mears 
Magistrate - Philip Anthony 
Carpenter - John Baddeley 
Shahrazad's father - Simon Carter 
 
The Ninth Pedestal 
Prince Zain - James Telfer 
Moubarak - John Baddeley 
Genie - Steve Hodson 
Maysun -Teresa Gallagher 
 
Homza's Dance 
Ahmed - James Telfer 
Peri Banou - Rachel Atkins 
Sultan - Philip Anthony 
Sorceress - Mary Wimbush 
Hussein - Steve Hodson 
 
The Hunchback 
Tailor - Harry Landis 
Tailor's wife - Maria Charles 
Doctor's wife - Mary Wimbush 
Doctor - Philip Anthony 
Seamstress - Kate Binchy 
Christian - John Baddeley 
Watchman - Jonathan Owen 
Magistrate - Maurice Denham 
Hunchback - Tania Ison 
 
The Dream of Baba Abdullah 
Baba Abdullah - Daniel Strauss 
Dervish - Geoffrey Banks 
 
In Our Time 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
With Robert Irwin, Marina Warner and Gerard van Gelder 
Produced by James Cook 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Colin Haydn Evans

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