Six Full-Cast Original BBC Radio Dramas

Hatch, Match and Dispatch

A series of inter-linked plays exploring birth, marriage and death through the prism of a Welsh Register OfficeIsn't it strange that the registering of life's most important moments happens in a sterile municipal office? Everyone's got a story to tell about how they got there. Listen for the first time to this spectacular collection of six funny, quirky and moving plays that start in a Register Office and end in a birth, marriage or death.In Uncle Harry, Mark’s life is nicely well-ordered until a passing comment from Uncle Harry sends him on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a comedy about grief and the true meaning of family.Losing my Penny is a story of love, secrets and family. Leo is in love with Penny and plans to marry her but Penny's possessive father has other ideas. Leo has secrets of his own which threatens to ruin everything.Teddy is on his stag night in the comedy Time and Tide. He wakes up naked and handcuffed to a lamp post. So far, so normal. But then he realises that something very weird has occurred which makes him question everything…A Certain Date is a surreal and darkly comic exploration of the meaning of death. Geoff Levine, aka the Slim Reaper, is a pest control technician. All day long he kills rats and other vermin but when he meets Mystic June, she tells him something that will alter the rest of his life – what's left of it anyway.An unexpected family secret is unearthed in Nine Lives, when Beth's elderly father Patrick claims never to have been born because he's lived forever. As Beth tries to untangle the truth of her father's birth, she uncovers more than she bargained for.Lastly, Elephants all the Way tells the story of Harper, who works in a zoo. He is a simple soul but his life is complicated. His wife is desperate for a baby, and his angry dad is a bare knuckle boxer. Then the ground starts to shift - literally…Engaging, funny and thought provoking, these six plays were recorded by BBC Wales. This brilliant series of modern dramas showcase some of Wales’s best acting talent. Download all six plays now for a mesmerising listen.Episode 1 - Uncle HarryWritten by Gary Brown 
Directed by Helen PerryMark - Dylan Edwards 
Uncle Harry - Ewan Bailey 
Elaine - Denise Black 
Helen - Katherine Jakeways 
Lionel - Christian Patterson 
Charlotte - Rachel Redford 
Dad - David CannEpisode 2 - Losing my PennyWritten by Leah Chillery 
Directed by Gary BrownLeo - Don Gilet 
Penny - Verity May Henry 
Rita - Kathryn Hunt 
Henry - Conrad Nelson 
Duchess - Tupele Dorgu 
Bartholomew - Fiona ClarkeEpisode 3 - Time and Tide Written by David Hodgson 
Directed by Gary BrownOld Man - Will Tacey 
Teddy - Alan Morrissey 
Lawrence - Will Ash 
Megan - Hannah Wood 
Brankin - Sean Mason 
Jess - Harriet Chandler Judd 
Shaffy - Hamilton BerstockEpisode 4 - A Certain DateWritten by Alan Harris 
Directed by Helen PerryGeoff - Julian Lewis Jones 
Valmai - Sara McGaughey 
Sandy - Katy Owen 
Mystic June - Lisa Palfrey 
Doctor Ramis - Richard Mitchley 
Pigeon - Sion Pritchard 
King Rat - Michael BertenshawEpisode 5 – Nine Lives Written by Anna Maria Murphy 
Directed by James RobinsonBeth - Eiry Thomas 
Patrick - Peter Marinker 
Bill - Christian Patterson 
Mrs Knowles - Sharon Morgan 
Miriam/Janet - Eirlys Bellin 
Reg/Harold - Matthew GravelleEpisode 6 – Elephants All the Way Up Written by Lavinia MurrayDirected by Gary BrownHarper - Graeme Hawley 
Yolanda - Kate Coogan 
Dad - Seamus O'Neill 
Carlos - Chris Jack 
Arlo/Turtle - Lloyd Peters 
Grayson/Turtle -Malcolm Raeburn 
Woman/Turtle - Lisa Allen©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy

The In Crowd

The comedy sketch show from Manchester's Comedy Store starring Robin Ince, Helen Moon, Smug Roberts and Kate Ward 
 
Meet Dot and her friend Millie, who only communicates in catchphrases; Wendy Clapper, who thinks TV, credit cards and swimming pools are nothing but trouble; and Jonathan Tudge, who just can't help putting his foot in it. You’ll also encounter the worst therapist in the world, the travel agent who won't let anyone go further than Lowestoft, a registered platitudopath and a bag lady turned sacred icon. 
 
Plus, there’s lots of helpful hints and useful advice, how not to go about being a medium, an auctioneer or a tramp; and how to track down your old school bully. Find out what to do if you suspect your friends have been seeing other friends behind your back, how to be the worst babysitter, when it’s a good idea to have prosthetic hands and what to do with sequin waste. 
 
Production credits 
With Robin Ince, Helen Moon, Smug Roberts and Kate Ward 
Written by Colin Anderson, Alex Boardman, Marvin Cheeseman, Eliah Chlopicki, Steve Cochran, Carl Cooper, Martin Dempsey, Mick Davies, Ed Dyson, Robin & Neil Gibbons, Sandy Gort, Robin Ince, Tom Mitchelson, Martin Mor, Sue Morris, Susan Murray, Lavinia Murray, James Quinn, Howard Reed, Lara Silverstone, The Trap, Susan Vale and Stan Vernon 
Produced by Graham Frost 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 July-21 August 2002 (Series 3), 1 June-6 July 2004 (Series 4) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

11 BBC Radio Thrillers

On The Edge and other stories

11 gripping thrillers from some of BBC Radio's best contemporary writers, including BAFTA- winner Neil McKay 
 
Inventive, intriguing and atmospheric, this eclectic selection of crime, mystery and psychological dramas immerses us in a series of diverse worlds where nothing is what it appears to be, and nobody is quite what they seem. 
 
Wide in scope and disparate in style, the stories range from a police procedural and a dark, dystopian eco-thriller to a shocking tale of modern-day slavery, based on real-life events. Created by a host of writers, including BAFTA Award-winning playwright Neil McKay, they are by turn chilling, surreal, haunting and darkly comic. 
 
Meet Maynard, desperate to turn his life around and escape a life of crime; teenagers Saurabh and Yusuf, who make a sinister discovery on Alderly Edge; Kit, struggling to regain her identity after an accident; and Tiger Girl Michelle, addicted to gambling in London's casinos. All will experience the unexpected, and find their lives changed beyond recognition... 
 
Among the casts are Suranne Jones, Lemn Sissay, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Fiona Shaw, Erin Doherty, Maggie Steed, Pauline McLynn, Ralph Ineson and Gary Lewis. 
 
Cast and credits 
All productions are Sparklab Productions for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3 
Produced by Melanie Harris and Executive Produced by Polly Thomas, Jeremy Mortimer & Jo Meek 
 
On the Edge 
Cast: Darren Kuppan, Renny Krupinski, Conor Alexander, Matt Andrews, Fiona Clarke, Jeffrey Longmore, Rachel Caffrey 
Written by Neil McKay. Directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
Ballad of the Burning Boy 
Cast: Suranne Jones, Lemn Sissay, Chris Finnegan, Phil Korbel 
Written by Lavinia Murray. Directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
Maynard 
Cast: Fraser Ayres, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Ellen Thomas, Chizzy Akudolu, Kellie Shirley, Martina Laird 
Written by Fraser Ayres. Directed by Kathy Burke. 
 
Noise 
Cast: Effie Woods, Jonas Khan, Sarah Waddell, Richard Teverson 
Written by Alex Bulmer. Produced and Directed by Polly Thomas 
 
The Disappearance of Mr Chan 
Cast: Jennifer Leong, Jeremy Ang Jones, Jamie Zubairi, Liz Sutherland-Lim, Michelle Yim 
Written by Simon Wu. Directed by David Tse. 
 
The Music Lesson 
Cast: Fiona Shaw, Erin Doherty 
Written by Hannah Silva. Directed by Susannah Tresilian. 
 
Ninety Minutes with Stanislavski 
Cast: Colin Stinton, Norah Lopez Holden, Maggie Steed, Matthew Marsh, Nicholas Woodeson, Bruce Alexander 
Written by Marcy Kahan. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
The Crossing 
Cast: Pauline McLynn, Owen O'Neill, Laurence Dobiesz, Michael Colgan 
Written by Tara Hegarty. Directed by JP McKeown 
 
Tiger Girls 
Cast: Crystal Yu, Pik-Sen Lim, Adam J Bernard, Liz Sutherland-Lim, Lobo Chan 
Written by Amy Ng. Directed by Shan Ng 
 
The Saudi Prince and the Pauper 
Cast: Ralph Ineson, Yousef Kerkour, Lloyd Thomas, Mary Doherty 
Written by Neil McKay. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
The Last of England 
Cast: Anthony O'Donnell, Gary Lewis, Dan Gordon, George Bukhari, Faye McKeever 
Written by Neil McKay. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Books by Lavinia Murray

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