Alex Danchev

Alex Dekker served as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces 'Green Berets' for nearly 20 years, first with 5th Special Forces Group and then as a special operations team member assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command. He has deployed multiple times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations worldwide, and has attended multiple advanced tactical and technical schools within the U.S. Special Operations community and interagency. Alex has traveled to dozens of countries for work and personal adventures and has spent years living abroad. He is an avid student of history who has participated as a volunteer in numerous archaeological digs, is an Arabic speaker, and holds a Masters in Applied Intelligence from Georgetown University. When not traveling, Alex lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Savannah, a former CIA Operations Officer, their children, and their German Shepherd Donovan.

Alex Dekker

Alex Dimitrov is the recipient of the Stanley Kunitz Prize from the American Poetry Review and a Pushcart Prize and is the author of Begging For It (2013), Together And By Yourselves (2017), and Love and Other Poems (2021). His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Atlantic, Poetry, and more. Formerly, he was the Senior Content Editor at the Academy of American Poets where he edited the popular online series Poem-a-Day and American Poets magazine. From 2009-2013, he founded and ran Wilde Boys, a queer poetry salon in New York. Currently, he teaches creative writing at NYU where he is Writer in Residence.

Alex Dimitrov

Alex Dingwall-Main

Alex Duval

Alex Edelman

Alex Edmans

Alex Evans is Campaigns Director at Avaaz.org, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC), and has nearly twenty years’ experience in climate and development policy. Alex has worked as Special Adviser to two UK Secretaries of State for International Development (Hilary Benn and Valerie Amos), as an expert on climate change in the UN Secretary-General’s office, and with think tanks including Chatham House and the Brookings Institution. He has also worked as a consultant on futures and foreign policy for organizations from Oxfam to the US National Intelligence Council. 
Alex lives in North Yorkshire and is married with two children.

Alex Evans

Alex Ferguson was born and brought up in Govan, Glasgow. He has always been a controversial figure, never far from the limelight, from the time he led an apprentices’ strike before entering full-time football. As a player with a reputation as uncompromising centre-forward his clubs included Glasgow Rangers, Dunfermline and Falkirk, and he became a spokesman for the player’s union. His first appointment as manager was with East Stirling, from where he moved to Love Street, where St Mirren’s crowds under his dynamic leadership rose from 3,000 to 12,000. He joined the Pittodrie set-up as manager in 1978.

Alex Ferguson

Alex Fryer

Alex Games

Alex Garland was born in London in 1970. He is the author of two novels, The Beach, The Tesseract and an illustrated novella, The Coma, in collaboration with his father. He has also written screenplays for films including 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go and Dredd. In 2015, Garland made his directorial debut with Ex Machina.

Alex Garland

Dr Alex George was the UK’s Mental Health Ambassador for children and young people from 2021 until early 2025, and he currently hosts the Stompcast podcast. Dr Alex’s first children’s book A BETTER DAY was a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller, won a British Book Award and sold 42,000 copies through TCM. Dr Alex previously worked for the NHS as an A&amp;E doctor and is now passionate about helping to equip everyone – especially children and young people – with the tools needed to live a full, productive and meaningful life.

Alex George

Alex Gordon

Alex Grecian worked for an ad agency before returning to writing fiction full-time and raising his son. Alex is the author of the long-running and critically acclaimed comic-book series Proof, and the bestselling Scotland Yard Murder Squad series. He lives in Topeka, Kansas, with his wife and son.

Alex Grecian

Alex Gutteridge

Alex Halberstadt is the author of the award-winning Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life and Times of Doc Pomus. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, GQ and The Paris Review. He is a two-time James Beard Award nominee and a recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. He works and lives in New York.

Alex Halberstadt

Alex Haley

Dr Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a former senior research scientist on Google's Ethical AI team. She is an outspoken critic of the tech industry and a proponent of community-based uses of technology.

Alex Hanna

Alex Hannaford

Alex Hely-Hutchinson

Professor Alex Hill is the co-founder and Director of The Centre for High Performance – a collaboration between the University of Kingston, Duke Corporate Education, London Business School and Green Templeton College, Oxford – which is dedicated to helping high-performing organizations develop a stronger and more robust economy, society and environment. The Centre has worked with organizations in sectors ranging from the arts and education to sport, technology and the military. 
 
He is also a Professor at Kingston University (UK), Educator at Duke Corporate Education (US), and Visiting Professor at Cass Business School (UK), Gordon Institute of Business Science (South Africa), The Academy of National Economy (Russia) and KEDGE Management School (France). 
 
He has written a number of books, published articles in leading academic journals such as the Harvard Business Review, advised the UK Government on educational policy, appeared on BBC Newsnight, presented at the Global Economics and Skills Forum and has written for The Times and Schools Week.

Alex Hill

Alex Hoffler and Stacey O’Gorman’s motto is ‘Follow your dream’. Just a couple of year ago Alex and Stacey quit their 9 to 5 jobs and began their Meringue Girls journey. Now they have a bakery HQ in Broadway Market with a staff of eight, which sells to Selfridges, Fortnum &amp; Mason, Recipease and Harvey Nicholls, as well as fashion events, weddings and their weekly market stall. They run masterclasses rated by the Evening Standard as one of the best in London. They have had a huge media and social media response including numerous TV appearance and over 80,000 Instagram followers. They are in talks to open a franchise in Dubai. 
 
They also do weekly food styling for various publications including the Guardian. They live in east London. Alex has a new baby, and Stacey recently got married.

Alex Hoffler

Alex Holt is the Global Head of the multi-billion-dollar Technology, Media and Telecoms practice at KPMG. He leads a large team who work with all the major organisations across the sector on everything from multi-billion M&amp;A deals through to tax, audit and management consulting. As well as leading the TMT sector globally, Alex is also the Global Lead Partner for some of the largest tech companies in the world. 
 
 Alex also serves on the Board of the anti-poverty charity JobTrain.

Alex Holt

Alex Horne 
noun 
1. comedian, writer, gambler, taskmaster, podcaster, birdwatcher, potential neologist and father.

Alex Horne

Alex Hughes is an online recipe creator who is committed to making reaching your weight goals not only delicious but fun. All her recipes are comforting, low-calorie and will help you feel full. She can be found doing a little dance in her kitchen (the recipes taste that good) at @alexskitchenbangers on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Alex Hughes

Alex James is a writer, farmer, and the bass player with Blur. He lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and five children.

Alex James

Alex Kadis is half-British, half-Greek, and grew up in Leyton and Walthamstow, East London. She studied English Literature at Goldsmiths University before embarking on a music journalism career. She was Features Editor at Smash Hits in its heyday (RIP) and has also written for various newspapers and magazines, including Sunday Times Style and Q Magazine. She then went into artist management and now works as a consultant in the music industry. Alex suffers from delusions of grandeur and still believes she will, one day, headline Wembley Stadium.

Alex Kadis

Alex Kantrowitz is a senior technology reporter at BuzzFeed News and one of the ten most cited technology reporters in the world. His work has been referenced by dozens of major publications, from the New Yorker to the Wall Street Journal to Sports Illustrated. He is the founder of the tech publication and podcast Big Technology, which focuses on analysing tech giants. Kantrowitz is a graduate of Cornell University's College of Industrial and Labor Relations. This is his first book.

Alex Kantrowitz

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

Charles Dickens

Ayeesha Menon's reworking of Charles Dickens' iconic story of love, revolution and redemption, updated to modern-day London and war-torn Syria 
 
2011, Syria. The Arab Spring is underway, and after a wave of peaceful protests, President Assad agrees to a release of political prisoners. Freed after 30 years, Dr Mahmoud is taken in by Taghreed and Emad Daffar, and brought to England by his old friend Jarvis Lorry and the daughter he has never met, foreign correspondent Lina. But his years of suffering have left him a broken man. 
 
Back in London, Jarvis convinces his nephew Sid Carton, a feckless but brilliant barrister, to defend a young Syrian émigré doctor, Shwan Dahkurdi, against charges of supporting terrorism. Lina and Shwan fall in love, only for his dark family secret to tear them apart... Meanwhile, convinced that only Lina gives his life meaning, Sid confesses his unrequited love, promising to do anything for her and those she loves. 
 
As the city of Aleppo turns into a battleground, Taghreed becomes increasingly involved with the rebels of the Free Syrian Army. Her desire for justice - and her obsessive thirst for vengeance - will have devastating repercussions... 
 
A powerful portrayal of personal sacrifice set against the turbulent backdrop of political change, Dickens' classic novel is as resonant today as when it was written. The redemption of flawed humanity is at the heart of award-winning writer Ayeesha Menon's riveting reimagining, spanning five years and with a seamlessly shifting perspective between Aleppo and London. Provocative, powerful and moving, this drama won a BBC Drama Audio Award for Best Adaptation, and stars Fatima Adoum, Lara Sawalha, Phil Davis, Khalid Abdalla, Shaun Parkes and Nadim Sawalha. 
 
 
Production credits 
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, adapted for radio by Ayeesha Menon 
Development concept written by Silas Parry 
Produced by Gill Parry 
Directed by Polly Thomas 
Producer for Goldhawk Productions: Emma Hearn 
Executive Producer: John Dryden 
Broadcast Assistant: Jan Shepherd 
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Taghreed - Fatima Adoum 
Lina - Lara Sawalha 
Jarvis - Phil Davis 
Shwan Dahkurdi - Khalid Abdalla 
Sid - Shaun Parkes 
Dr Mahmoud - Nadim Sawalha 
Cameraman/Jerry/Driver - Shiv Grewal 
Emad - Raad Rawi 
Yakub/General- George Georgiou 
Samia - Nathalie Armin 
Syrian Protestor - Ahmed Aziz 
Fadi/Guard/Local Doctor - Ammar Haj Ahmad 
Secretary - Jan Shepard 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 May-3 June 2018 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A Tale of Two Cities

A BBC Radio full-cast drama

Andrew Palmer

All 13 episodes of the classic role-reversal comedy starring Leslie Phillips and Jill Bennett 
 
It's not easy, being chauffeur to your ex-wife. Especially when she's wealthy and you're broke...' 
 
Leslie Duggan was once a high-flying property tycoon - but then came the 1980s property crash, which wiped out his business and left him broke. Down on his luck and desperate to earn a living, he takes a job chauffeuring his wealthy ex-wife, Caroline, who owns a successful mail order company and is very much on the up. 
 
The Duggans may be divorced, but they're still close friends. Although they no longer live together, they're still involved in each other's affairs - and keep a beady eye on each other's love lives. But when they're out and about, while it's Leslie behind the wheel of the Roller, it's Caroline who's in the driving seat - and what Madam says, goes... 
 
 
Drop Me Here, Darling was first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 between December 1982 and February 1983. Recorded in front of a live audience, this light-hearted vintage comedy stars legendary comic actor Leslie Phillips of Doctor in the House and The Navy Lark fame as Leslie, with Jill Bennett (The Nanny, The Sheltering Sky) as Caroline. The stellar cast also features Norma Ronald (The Men from the Ministry), Kenneth Connor (Carry On...) and Joan Sanderson (Please Sir!, After Henry). 
 
 
 
NB: Contains dated language and attitudes 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Andrew Palmer 
Produced by Edward Taylor 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 2 December 1982-24 February 1983 
 
Cast 
Leslie - Leslie Phillips 
Caroline - Jill Bennett 
Claire/Lisa/Alaria/Moira/Mrs Elliott/Flora/Minicab controller/Kay - Norma Ronald 
Walter/Policeman - James Taylor 
Coats/Mr Crabbe/Herr Kobourg/Kelly - Kenneth Connor 
Betty - Joan Sanderson 
Simon/Alan Archer - John Kane 
Derek/Michael - Edward Judd 
Kramer Hodgkiss - Gordon Clyde 
Dave - Michael Robbins 
Heather - April Walker 
Dr Rogers/Bill Welling - Richard Davies 
Innkeeper/AA Man/Ben - Joe Dunlop 
Emma - Eve Karpf 
With John Graham, Garard Green, Jennifer Croxton and Sandra Clark 
 
Please note: due to the age of this recording the sound quality may vary 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Drop Me Here, Darling

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Andy Mulligan

Tom Hollander stars as a washed-up TV actor brought in to turn around a failing academy by staging a school play 
 
Newly rebranded Deer Park Academy is struggling to turn itself around after being placed in special measures. Hoping to inspire the students (and tick the 'creative learning' box for the next Ofsted inspection), the headmaster decides to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet. 
 
But inspiration can be dangerous, and when has-been ex-TV star Geoff Cathcart is brought in to direct, he opens a Pandora's box of problems. Geoff is a maverick with little time for rules and regulations, a laissez-faire attitude to health and safety and his own, somewhat unorthodox, ideas about education and creativity. The management doesn't realise what a fire it's lighting and the flames are soon out of control. Then, with opening night looming, a background check reveals that he isn't quite who he appears to be. However, the show must go on, and as the curtain finally rises, the students take to the stage... 
 
Written by Andy Mulligan, whose novel Trash has been translated into 35 languages, this funny, moving 4-part drama stars Tom Hollander (Rev, The Night Manager) and Sian Gibson (Peter Kay's Car Share), performing alongside the staff and students of Portsmouth Grammar School. The final episode comprises an actual, hour-long production of Shakespeare's tragedy of star-crossed lovers, as performed by the pupils of Deer Park Academy with a little help from Tom Hollander as the Friar, Rob Jarvis (Hustle) as Capulet and Suzie Baxter (Suffragette) as the Nurse. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Andy Mulligan 
Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare and adapted by Andy Mulligan 
Produced by Emma Hearn 
Directed by John Dryden 
Music by Jon Ouin 
Sound by Steve Bond 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Geoff/Friar Lawrence - Tom Hollander 
Michelle - Sian Gibson 
Headmaster - Tony Gardner 
Gail - Heather Craney 
Festival Administrator - Vincent Ebrahim 
Tom/Capulet - Rob Jarvis 
Charlie/Romeo - Divian Ladwa 
Naia/Juliet - Rebecca Emerton 
Louie/Mercutio - Rory Greenwood 
Ben/Paris - Rob Merriam 
Ryan/Benvolio - Finn Elliot 
School Secretary/Nurse - Susie Baxter 
Zoe - Floss Willcocks 
Vehicle Manager - Angus Kennedy 
Radio Presenter - Jason King 
Tybalt - Stevie Basaula 
Lady Capulet - Lily-Fleur Bradbury 
Friar John - Caolan McCarthy 
Lady Montague - Abby Moss 
Chorus - Poppy Goad 
Prince - Joe McCue 
 
All other parts played by students and teachers at Portsmouth Grammar School: Abby Moss, Poppy Goad, Thomas Locke, Joe McAuley, Freddie Fenton, Douglas James, Joe Haylock, Jay Pasricha, JM Hopkinson, Caleb Barron, Joe McCue, Floss Willcocks, JM Hopkinson 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-21 May 2016 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

School Drama

A BBC Radio full-cast comedy drama

Ayeesha Menon

Matthew Solon

A fast-paced, globe-trotting family saga of wealth, power, revenge and karma - with helicopters, private jets and a tiger reserve 
 
Meet the Majumdars, a family at war - with itself... 
 
Self-made tech mogul Ravi Majumdar fought his way up from nothing to make a billion-dollar fortune. Now he risks losing everything in his single-minded quest to defeat his enemy, Jai Singh: the man he once considered his best friend. Concerned for their inheritance, his children - Ash, the eldest son and would-be heir; Maya the brilliant business student; socialite and ex-Bollywood actress Zara; and sensitive Shaan, who yearns for his father's approval - fight for control of the company. But there are others bidding for the succession: Seraphina, Ravi's 'spiritual advisor', and Amit, their Indian cousin, whose humility belies his ambition... 
 
As Ravi plays 'divide and rule' with his offspring, the multinational corporation he has spent a lifetime building is brought to the brink of collapse. The warring siblings must join forces and work together if they are to see off the competition and save their father's business empire... 
 
Written by Ayeesha Menon and Matthew Solon, this exhilarating drama of high-stake deals and sibling rivalry, set in the world of the super-wealthy, plays out on the grand scale of a Shakespearean tragedy. Recorded in the UK and India, it stars Rajit Kapur as Ravi, with Abhin Galeya as Ash, Amrita Acharia as Maya, Munirih Grace as Zara and Danny Ashok as Shaan. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Ayeesha Menon and Matthew Solon 
Executive produced and directed by John Scott Dryden 
Produced by Emma Hearn and Nadir Khan 
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Mein 
Production Assistant: Anna Calandra 
Original music by Sacha Puttnam 
India Sound Supervisor Ayush Ahuja 
Editing and Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore 
Sound recording by Paul Clark, Ashyar Bulsara and Ayush Ahuja 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Ravi Majumdar - Rajit Kapur 
Anya - Dolya Gavanski 
Ash - Abhin Galeya 
Maya - Amrita Acharia 
Zara - Munirih Grace 
Shaan - Danny Ashok 
Ian - Finbar Lynch 
Seraphina - Jennifer Armour 
Dr Lincoln - Emma Carter 
Jeet - Ronny Jhutti 
Amit - Tavish Bhattacharyya 
Jai - Vincent Ebrahim 
Karan - Zafar Karachiwala 
Sharma - Neil D'Souza 
Venitia - Laurel Lefkow 
John Myson - Ash Hunter 
Ben - Philip Desmeules 
Beth Mitchell - Natalie Simpson 
All other parts played by Lola Ogunyemi, Matthew Solon, Nadir Khan, Aseem Hattangady and Ayeesha Menon 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 June-1 July 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

TakeOver

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Joyce Porter

Paul Mendelson

Six entertaining thrillers featuring slovenly sleuth Chief Inspector Dover, Scotland Yard's most unwanted man 
 
Cantankerous and dishevelled, Chief Inspector Dover is no-one's idea of a model detective - but he does have an uncanny knack for solving crimes. In these radio dramas, set in the 1960s and '70s, he and his long-suffering Sergeant, Charlie McGregor, investigate sinister cases of kidnap and murder. The first four are adapted from Joyce Porter's novels, while the latter two are original stories based on her characters. 
 
Dover Goes to Pott - The irascible Chief Inspector travels to the Yorkshire town of Pott Winckle to look into the murder of leading businessman Daniel Wibbley's daughter. 
 
Dover and the Claret Tappers - When Dover is kidnapped, only to be released 36 hours later, he finds himself leading the hunt for a criminal gang. Can he catch them before they strike again? 
 
Dover Beats the Band - A body is found at Didcaster dump, naked, burned and strangled. Dover follows the trail to Rankin's Holiday Ranch and an eccentric group of stamp collectors - but was the dead man really an innocent philatelist? 
 
Dover and the Unkindest Cut of All - Dover's annual seaside break becomes a busman's holiday after his wife witnesses a policeman throwing himself off a cliff. Was it suicide, and is it linked to the recent murder of a local gangster? 
 
Dover and the Sleeping Beauty - Isabel Slatcher has been in an irreversible coma for eight months after being shot outside her local church. Now she has been smothered to death. Are the shooter and the killer the same person, and if so, why did they wait till now to complete their evil deed? 
 
Dover and the Smoking Gun - McGregor takes compassionate leave to return to Glasgow for an old flame's funeral. But was Fiona Gordon's death accidental, or foul play? Dover heads north to find out... 
 
Kenneth Cranham stars as Chief Inspector Dover and Stuart McQuarrie as Sergeant McGregor, with casts including Carolyn Pickles, Crawford Logan, Shaun Prendergast and Frances Grey. 
 
 
Produced and directed by David Ian Neville 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Chief Inspector Dover Mysteries

Six BBC Radio 4 full-cast crime dramas

Brett Neichin

Janina Matthewson

The hit hopepunk sci-fi thriller starring Anya Chalotra and Chance Perdomo 
 
'Pulse-pounding, breathtaking... like an HBO mini-series for the ear' LA Weekly 
 
When the cryptic Parallax puzzle appears online, it quickly becomes the world's most talked-about conundrum. A complex, multi-level cipher, it has the brightest minds on the planet baffled: but who created it, and why? 
 
Sixteen-year-old Sabrina is obsessed with cracking it - but when she does, she discovers it isn't a game. Caught up in a sinister global conspiracy, she becomes involved with a mysterious international task force, and is recruited to hunt down a serial killer who may not be from this world. 
 
Joined by geeky New Yorker Benny, the second solver of the Parallax, Sabrina embarks on a dangerous journey that turns her world upside down and sees her questioning her past, her parentage, and everything she's ever known... 
 
A fast-moving, heart-stopping story about finding yourself while finding a killer, this blockbuster drama combines edge-of-your-seat storytelling and powerful sound design to create a totally immersive experience. And for those who want to dig deeper, there are also several 'Easter eggs' scattered within the story, in the form of puzzles and pop culture references planted by writer Brett Neichin. A must-listen for fans of Doctor Who, Stranger Things and The OA, The Cipher stars Anya Cholatra (The Witcher) as Sabrina and Chance Perdomo (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Benny, with a stellar cast including Enzo Cilenti (Jonathan Strange &amp; Mr Norrell), Hera Hilmar (Mortal Engines), Olivia Popica (Tyrant), Samuel Adewunmi (The Last Tree) and George Takei (Star Trek). 
 
NB: Contains very strong language and violent scenes 
 
Production credits 
Produced by Emma Hearn 
Director and Executive Producer: John Scott Dryden 
Commissioning Editor: Jason Phipps 
Commissioning Producers: Rachel Simpson, Ella Woods and Eli Sessions 
Written and created by Brett Neichin with additional writing by Janina Matthewson 
Script editing by Mike Walker 
Music by Benbrick and Mark Henry Phillips 
Editing &amp; Sound Design by Steve Bond 
Sound Assistant: Makashe Ogbon 
Assistant Producer: Eleanor Mein 
Trails by Jack Soper 
Recorded at Sonica Studios, London 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Sounds 
 
Cast 
Sabrina - Anya Chalotra 
Benny - Chance Perdomo 
Harry - Enzo Cilenti 
Isabella - Hera Hilmar 
Mr Ahmed - Nabil Elouahabi 
Dr Usman - Cyril Nri 
Efrat - Olivia Popica 
Lucy - Molly Harris 
Janitor/Ken - Akie Kotabe 
Fergus - Samuel Adewunmi 
Ian - Kerry Shale 
Sara - Nina Yndis 
Katrin/Diane Trumbo - Clare Corbett 
Lucy Rabbit - Molly Harris 
Quentin - Carl Prekopp 
Vincent - Dave McRae 
Lynn - Leanne Best 
Dr Aoki - George Takei 
Japanese Girl - Chloe Okada-Howells 
 
Other parts played by Stephen Mitchell, Philip Desmeules, George Georgiou, Ayeesha Menon, John Scott Dryden, Hugo Dryden 
 
First broadcast BBC Sounds, 26-29 December 2020 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Cipher

Vikas Swarup

A ten-part dramatisation of the bestselling thriller by Slumdog Millionaire author Vikas Swarup 
 
Sapna Sinha is a sales assistant in a TV showroom in New Delhi. As the sole breadwinner in the family, she works hard to support her widowed mother and younger sister Neha. Then billionaire Vinay Mohan Acharya walks into her life and offers to make her the CEO of his global empire. All she has to do is pass seven tests - rites of passage, designed to gauge her mettle as a leader. 
 
It seems too good to be true, and Sapna is sceptical. But, in desperate need of money, she signs the contract that will subject her to the series of 'life tests'. She has no idea what they will be, or when they will come, but if she gets through them, her life will change forever. 
 
And change it does - though not in a way she could ever have predicted. As the consequences of her Faustian pact become clear, it seems there is no escape. Only by revisiting her past can she make sense of her present: but nothing can prepare her for what she finds there... 
 
Dramatised by award-winning authors Ayeesha Menon and John Dryden, this gripping, suspenseful drama with a twist in the tale stars Rasika Dugal as Sapna and Vijay Chrishna as Acharya. 
 
 
Production credits 
Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon and John Dryden from the novel The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup 
Produced by Nadir Khan 
Directed by John Dryden 
Sound Design: Steve Bond 
Editing Assistant: Varun Bangera 
Script Editor: Mike Walker 
Assistant Producer: Toral Shah 
Music: Sacha Puttnam 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Sapna - Rasika Dugal 
Acharya - Vijay Chrishna 
Karan - Neil Bhoopalam 
Nirmila Ben/Rosie - Radhika Mital 
Sapna's Mother - Shernaz Patel 
Raja - Sumeet Vyas 
Kuldeep Singh/Roaji - Rajit Kapur 
Neha - Amrita Puri 
Priya Capoor/Pushpa/Female Judge - Ayesha Raza 
Badan Singh/Politician/Constable - Kenny Desai 
Madan - Vivek Madan 
Neelam - Prerna Chawla 
Babli/Janet - Preetika Chawla 
Rent Collector - Satchit Puranik 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19-30 May 2014 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Seventh Test

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation of The Accidental Apprentice

All eleven episodes of the detective serial set &amp; recorded in Mumbai 
 
Inspector Alia Khan is a tough, determined female cop struggling to make her mark in a male-dominated world. As she fights to uncover crime and corruption, she must also battle the endemic sexism of the police force, and the patronising, chauvinist attitudes of her boss and colleagues - as well as dealing with her own personal demons. 
 
In Series 1, landed with a new partner, she investigates a rescued baby, a missing husband, a child prostitution ring and strange goings-on at a psychiatric hospital. When a glamour model is found dead in a five-star hotel, she sets out on the trail of Bollywood's leading heart-throb, and uncovers murder, political scandal - and the truth about her policeman father's death. 
 
In Series 2, the disgraced police inspector has just been released from jail. Seeking a life of obscurity, she gets a job as a receptionist in a run-down Mumbai hotel. But when a serial killer starts operating on the rooftop, Alia is called in. Paired up with incompetent Inspector Ratna Shinde, she soon realises that the murderer is trying to communicate with her through the victims themselves... 
 
Series 3 finds Alia going undercover after suspicions are raised about a young woman's death. When Nyla Ansari is found in a bathtub in her parents' home, a bottle of pills beside her, it looks like suicide. Then a video is discovered, made by Nyla a year before. In it, she claims her father, a wealthy Indian businessman, was going to kill her. Posing as a newly married couple, Alia and her male colleague Junaid Qureshi move into the flat next door. Their mission: befriend Nyla's family, friends and servants, and find out the truth... 
 
Written by Ayeesha Menon, these fast-paced crime thrillers, recorded on location in India, star Prerna Chawal as Alia, with Anand Tiwari, Rajit Kapur, Shivani Tanksale, Tavish Bhattacharya, Rohit Malkani and Radhika Mital. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Ayeesha Menon 
Script Editors: Mike Walker and Phillip Shelley 
Produced by Nadir Khan 
Directed, recorded and edited by John Dryden 
Assistant Producer/Production Manager: Toral Shah 
Production Assistant: Vivek Madan 
Editing Assistants: Andrew Lewis, Aditya Khanna and Varrunn Bangera 
Music: Sacha Putnam 
Sound Recordists: Hitesh Chaurasia and Ayush Ahuja 
Sound Design: Steve Bond 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Alia - Prerna Chawla 
Nakul - Anand Tiwari 
Inspector Desai/Parvez - Rajit Kapur 
Mrs Gomes - Radhika Mittal 
Popo - Rohit Malkani 
Alia's father - Zafar Karachiwala 
Vikram Naresh - Darius Shroff 
Commissioner Kripalani - Jayant Kripalani 
Ratna - Shivani Tanksale 
Jamal - Kenny Desai 
Yamraj - Abhay Mahajan 
Meenakshi - Ratnabali Bhattacharjee 
Faisal - Prashant Prakash 
Bala - Prabal Panjabi 
Hotel Manager - Joy Sengupta 
Principal Pandey - Sohrab Ardeshir 
Inspector Siddiqui - Adhir Bhat 
Home Minister - Satchit Puranik 
Dhruv - Neil Bhoopalam 
Shaina Patel - Preetika Chawla 
Junaid - Tavish Bhattacharya 
Shahnaz - Shernaz Patel 
Jaz - Sukant Goel 
Roopkala - Lovleen Mishra 
Bhupinder - Aseem Hattangady 
Patel - Jaimini Pathak 
Roopkala's son - Ajitesh Gupta 
Dr. Rao - Sohrab Ardeshir 
Dr. Rameshwari - Anahita Uberoi 
Sam/Inspector Kaur/Ensemble - Vivek Madan 
Pander/Bartender/Ensemble - Nadir Khan 
Nyla/Adele/Ensemble - Abir Abrar 
Poona/Ensemble - Kamakshi Rai 
Boy - Dhruv Hemdev 
With Karan Pandit, Faezeh Jalali, Devika Shahani-Punjabi, Ayeesha Menon, Ankur Vikal 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9-14 September 2013 (Series 1), 18-19 August 2015 (Series 2), 11-13 September 2019 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Undercover Mumbai

Lynne Truss

26 short stories about the eccentric inhabitants of Meridian Cliffs, a small, wind-battered town on England's South Coast 
 
'Very few writers read their own work well on the radio, but Truss is an exception. Her voice and timing suit the material perfectly' The Lady 
 
Welcome to Meridian Cliffs. Located at exactly 0 degrees 0 minutes west, and 0 degrees 0 minutes east, it's where the Greenwich Meridian meets the Channel, and time stands poised at absolute zero. But due to ever-increasing coastal erosion, it's getting smaller every day... 
 
The residents of this curious town are easy to identify from their habit of shouting to be heard against the wind even when they're indoors. There's Sarah Birkett, granddaughter of the town's founder, who longs for a small improvement to her life; retired driving instructor Terry and his rescue dog Thelonius (the team mascot of Meridian Cliffs FC); carpet supremo Hugh Velvey, whose business and life are destroyed by arson and murder; and Ravi, whose curry house is the scene of a dramatic confession - and some unsettling news. 
 
All are harbouring secrets, desires and dreams, and over the course of four series, we hear about their thwarted ambitions, hidden passions and forlorn hopes - and eavesdrop on a few typically sticky British moments. Beautifully observed, gently comic and often moving, these sublime short stories are written and read by Lynne Truss. 
 
Production credits 
Written and read by Lynne Truss 
Directed by Kate McAll 
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, May 2016-April 2019 
 
Series 1 
There's No Need to Shout 
Free Parking 
Gimme Shelter 
 
Series 2 
In Your Dreams 
Pavlovian 
The Shortest Way Home 
Houseroom 
The Limit 
Accept No Substitute 
Mrs Manville Disposes 
In Cold(ish) Blood 
Darren Springs Forward 
In the Dark 
 
Series 3 
Consequences 
You Never Said 
The West Wing 
Tristan da Cunha 
Waiting for JB 
Weemails 
Protective Colouring 
Speed Kills 
A Weight off His Mind 
The Day the Earth Moved Slightly 
 
Series 4 
Taking It In 
Celebration 
Braking Distance 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Life at Absolute Zero

The complete BBC Radio series 1-4

Mark Burton

John O’Farrell

Mike Coleman

All five series of the political satirical soap opera set in the strangely familiar village of Little Blighty- plus Christmas Specials 
 
'A comic microcosm of a country not a million miles away' Radio Times 
 
Little Blighty is an idyllic part of the world, with a church, a market, a small school and a pub, The Cock and Bull. Village life is pretty uneventful, though the humdrum happenings include social turmoil, economic upheaval and vicious political squabbles - all presided over by the redoubtable head of the Parish Council and Secretary of the Rotarians, Mrs Roberts. 
 
This formidable lady has been running things for nine years: despite the best efforts of the leader of the opposition, Working Men's Club chairman Mr Blandish. He's desperate for his members to present a united front against Mrs Roberts, but unfortunately they're too busy fighting amongst themselves. 
 
The doctor's surgery is overcrowded, the river's polluted, the school is fiddling the exam results and the local market's under threat from cheap imports, but nothing seems to dent Mrs Roberts' popularity - until she introduces a conveyance charge across the village bridge. Could the 'Toll Tax' finally be her downfall? 
 
Also included are three festive Specials, The Blighty Chronicles, It's A Wonderful Blight and Dead of Blight, in which the village's rich history is staged; a guardian angel visits Little Blighty; and we attend Lord and Lady Spenney's Christmas party, where we hear some bloodcurdling supernatural tales... 
 
Scripted by Spitting Image writers John O'Farrell, Mark Burton and Mike Coleman, and first broadcast in 1988, this 'everyday story of a country folk' is a pitch-perfect parody of the British political landscape in the late '80s and early '90s - and remains surprisingly topical today. It is performed by a star cast including Jo Kendall, Andrew Sachs, Nick Hancock, Michael Troughton and Alistair McGowan. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Mike Coleman 
Produced by David Tyler and Lissa Evans 
Performed by Jo Kendall, John Bluthal, Andrew Sachs, Nick Hancock, Bernadine Corrigan, Daniel Strauss, Michael Troughton, John Baddeley, Jonathan Kydd and Alistair McGowan 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 2-16 September 1988 (Series 1), 21 July-18 August 1989 (Series 2), 29 December 1989 (The Blighty Chronicles), 6 July-3 August 1990 (Series 3), 5 July-2 August 1991 (Series 4), 26 December 1991 (It's A Wonderful Blight), 10 July-7 August 1992 (Series 5), 31 December 1992 (Dead of Blight) 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Little Blighty on the Down: Series 1-5

A BBC Radio 4 political comedy satire

Ronald Hayman

The complete Series 1 and 2 of the BBC Radio sitcom about the ups and downs of a second-class writer 
 
Once upon a time, there was a struggling writer named Woodhouse Carton, who tried to make his name as an author while simultaneously running his own creative writing class... 
 
Over 12 episodes, we follow the frustrated scribe's fruitless search for fame and fortune as, supported by his long-suffering wife Gila and feckless sidekick Seamus, he tries to write the definitive biography of philosophical novelist Wolf Heinrich Graubart - or compose the hit song that will set him up for life. 
 
Travelling to Berlin in an attempt to get under the skin of his subject, Woodhouse is confused with contradictory accounts - and confounded by extra expenses. Desperate to make big money, he tries his hand at children's fiction, pens an oratorio, gets a new agent and searches for a patron. With a baby on the way, willl he manage to turn his fortunes around and find success at last? 
 
Scripted by award-winning biographer and dramatist Ronald Hayman, this superbly written literary sitcom stars Tim Pigott-Smith as Woodhouse, Zoë Wanamaker as Gila and Stephen Rea as Seamus, with a distinguished cast including Miriam Karlin, Sheila Hancock and Celia Imrie. 
 
Written by Ronald Hayman 
Directed by Piers Plowright and Paul Schlesinger 
Music by Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
Guitar: Patrice Chevalier 
 
 
Cast 
Woodhouse - Tim Pigott-Smith 
Gila/Monie - Zoë Wanamaker 
Seamus - Stephen Rea 
Wilhelmina/Jutta/Heidi - Susie Brann 
Harietta Masterson/Samantha/Hildegarde/Hedwig/Muriel - Miriam Karlin 
Hamish McVomitory/Professor Trinklekopf/Blind man/Graubart/Dr Vongalis/Harris - Bill Wallis 
Gila's Dad/Colonel/Cedric - Benjamin Whitrow 
Gila's Mum - Joan Matheson/Maxine Audley 
Pachmann - John Moffatt 
Cissie Soskins - Eva Stuart 
Frau Graubart - Eva Stuart/Maxine Audley 
Girl in the street/Sasha/Charlotte aged 17 - Susan Sheridan 
Mark Grimshaw - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Mrs Mellon - Sheila Hancock 
Penelope Pomeroy - Celia Imrie 
Mary Jane/Fenella - Maxine Audley 
Ulrike - Tara Dominick 
Marli Lillene/Jayston - Nickolas Grace 
Griselda - Victoria Carling 
MacGillycuddy - James Green 
Bongo/Bunty/Tommy/Groom/Dollamore/Benjy - Ronald Herdman 
 
Alun - Timothy Bateson 
Craggs/Breuster/Hotchkiss - James Simmons 
Dorothy - Petra Markham 
Jasper - Timothy Carlton 
With Eva Stuart, Susan Sheridan and Shaun Prendergast as Creative Writing Class members 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 16-21 September 1989 (Series 1), 21-27 December 1991 (Series 2) 
 
Credits 
Published by Penguin Random House Ltd 
Licensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. ? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Such Rotten Luck: Series 1 & 2

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

Simon Brett

Jeremy Front

Actor and sleuth Charles Paris is back in this full-cast BBC radio dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel, starring Bill Nighy 
 
Locked down with his semi-detached wife Frances, Charles has thrown himself into a new career as a handyman, becoming quite the DIY expert. He's developed muscles, stopped smoking and even cut back on the booze. 
 
Then his agent, Maurice, offers him the chance to get back on stage - and in a West End play, no less. The star, Justin Grover, asked for him specifically: but Charles has reservations. Grover was cocky enough when they were both young hopefuls; now he's the star of a massive TV fantasy series, and the play - a verbatim piece set in a monastery - is dire. 
 
So why has Justin signed up for it? He certainly doesn't need the money, unlike Charles. The cast is drearily male, and before long Charles is hitting the Scotch again. When he drunkenly stumbles over the corpse of a fellow actor, Charles panics, leaving the body to be discovered by someone else. But he soon regrets lying to the police, and driven by guilt and self-preservation, he resolves to find the murderer... 
 
This sparkling adaptation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Emma, Love Actually) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice. 
 
Credits 
Written by Simon Brett 
Adapted by Jeremy Front 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
Cast 
Charles Paris........................Bill Nighy 
Frances........................Suzanne Burden 
Maurice........................Jon Glover 
Justin ........................Tony Turner 
Lydia ........................Ria Marshall 
Kit ........................Joseph Ayre 
Brendan ........................Jonathan Kydd 
Nina ........................Marilyn Nnadebe 
D.S. Dalby ........................Stewart Campbell 
Alice/Peaches ........................Elinor Coleman 
Kelly/Dervla ........................Jane Slavin 
Bethan ........................Christine Kavanagh 
Neil ........................Simon Ludders 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 September 2021 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Shaun Prendergast

A tense six-part techno-thriller, set during the era of George Bush and Boris Yeltsin 
 
Mike Fisher has everything to live for: a stunning model girlfriend, who has just accepted his proposal, and a successful career as a computer programmer. So why would he suddenly resign, dress up in women's underwear and crash his car into a tree? And if he wanted to kill himself, why do it on his wedding day? 
 
His death is ruled as suicide, but his fiancée Kim Drake is sure there's more to it than meets the eye. Determined to find out what really happened, she retraces Mike's footsteps across Europe, where she learns he'd been keeping crucial secrets relating to his highly sensitive job at Peregrine Communications Systems and his involvement with certain disaffected members of the European intelligence community. 
 
Aided by ex-Stasi agent Otto, rock producer Charles Causley and Mike's brother, disabled cyperpunk genius Todd Fisher, she travels across Germany, Denmark and France in search of answers. But Kim's every move is being watched by the sinister Mr Stone, and her dogged investigations are putting her in terrible danger... 
 
First broadcast in 1992, this hard-hitting, electrifying drama was created by award-winning writer and actor Shaun Prendergast, who plays Otto. It stars Siriol Jenkins as Kim, Kenneth Cranham as Stone, Neil Roberts as Mike, Okon Jones as Charles and Jack Klaff as Todd. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Shaun Prendergast 
Produced and directed by Adrian Bean 
Technical presentation by Wilfredo Acosta, Michael Atherton and Ian Pratt 
 
Cast 
Kim Drake - Siriol Jenkins 
Mike Fisher - Neil Roberts 
Anne/Optician's receptionist/Jean/Clearwater - Kate Binchy 
Frank/Otto/Burns - Shaun Prendergast 
Miss Gee - Ann Davies 
Stone - Kenneth Cranham 
Todd - Jack Klaff 
DI Dear - Eric Alan 
DS Love - Jonathan Tafler 
John Maschler - Terence Edmond 
Emma/Nurse Lewis - Caroline Strong 
Mary/WPC - Nicola Boyce 
Charles - Okon Jones 
Wilson - Peter Gunn 
Doris Meyer/Computer/Hotel receptionist - Joanna Wake 
Helga/Prostitute - Melanie Hudson 
DI Dear - Eric Allen 
DS Love/Victor - Jonathan Tafler 
Seeta Kumar - Mamta Kaash 
Welkin/Journalist - William Roberts 
Jill Noone - Alice Arnold 
Nelson - Kenneth McClellan 
Doctor - Teresa Streatfield 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 April-28 May 1992 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Only The Good Die Young

A BBC Radio 4 Thriller

Laurence Howarth

'Wonderfully funny... the wit flashes as brightly as the scalpels' Sunday Times 
'The sharpest, blackest and most original sitcom I've heard in years' Observer 
 
 All 18 episodes of the sitcom set in the fascinating but misunderstood world of the pathology lab 
 
Meet Dr Anthony Webster and Dr Ruth Anderson, two pathologists attempting to live normal lives in an atmosphere of death, decay and seriously unpleasant smells. Anthony loves his chosen profession, finding every cadaver exciting and surprising: 'they're like Kinder eggs that have died'. Ruth, however, longs for a juicy murder mystery, instead of one routine autopsy after another. 
 
Together, they perform post-mortems under the watchful eye of their enthusiastic head of department, Professor Donaldson, a man who's never short of a new initiative or NHS directive to implement. Also keeping the mortuary alive are hard-drinking lab assistant Gordon, no-nonsense secretary Chloe, and ineffectual police sergeant Simon, who unfortunately gets queasy around corpses. 
 
Throughout these three series, the team tackle a 'live' radio autopsy, a dearth of dead bodies, and a health scare in the lab; find themselves forced to work on Christmas Day due to a department store drama, and witness a retirement, a leaving party, an overdue baby - and a death... 
 
Scripted by Laurence Howarth, one of the lead writers on Dead Ringers and co-star of Radio 4's Laurence &amp; Gus, this delightfully dark comedy is like Silent Witness, only slightly less ridiculous. It stars Peter Davison as Anthony, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Matilda Ziegler as Ruth and Geoffrey Whitehead as Professor Donaldson, with Tom Price as Gordon, Marianne Levy as Chloe and Gus Brown as Simon. 
 
 
Dr Anthony Webster - Peter Davison 
Dr Ruth Anderson - Tracy-Ann Oberman/Matilda Ziegler 
Professor Donaldson - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Gordon - Tom Price 
Chloe - Marianne Levy 
Simon - Gus Brown 
David/Patient - Stephen Critchlow 
Elaine/Mrs Fitzherbert/Alison/Mrs Wealands/Mrs Dance - Beth Chalmers 
Mrs Renfield - Rachel Atkins 
Daniel Kasper - Laurence Howarth 
Margaret - Lauren Bird 
Prof Van den Hoogenband - Chris Pavlo 
Mr Reeve - Nicholas Boulton 
Mrs Anderson - Paula Wilcox 
Norman - Lewis Aaltonen 
Dr Betzatzoglu - Alex Lowe 
Matthew - Steven Kynman 
Mrs Wantage - Felicity Montagu 
Mr Wantage - Kim Wall 
Dorothy - Joanna Brookes 
Interviewer/Mr Dance - Gerard McDermott 
 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Rigor Mortis: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio 4 Black Comedy

Dick Francis

Fast-paced radio dramatisations of six of Dick Francis' classic racing thrillers, plus bonus documentary 
 
Enquiry 
After riding the favourite into second place, jockey Kelly Hughes loses his licence. But he didn't throw the race, and is determined to find out who framed him... 
 
Rat Race 
A cushy job transporting passengers between racecourses turns dangerous for pilot Matt Shore when his plane explodes and he's embroiled in a deadly plot. 
 
Bonecrack 
Abducted by masked men, Neil Griffon is faced with a deadly ultimatum - obey the instructions of a ruthless crime czar, or risk the destruction of his father's racing stables. 
 
Whip Hand 
Disabled ex-jockey turned investigator Sid Halley is faced with a triple threat when he is asked to guard a horse, probe a suspicious syndicate and find a swindler. 
 
Proof 
When a party to celebrate the success of the racing season ends in tragedy, wine dealer and amateur sleuth Tony Beach investigates. 
 
Bolt 
Asked by a princess to fend off a dangerous cousin who is making threats, Kit Fielding agrees to help. But he also has problems of his own to deal with... 
 
Among the casts of these six action-packed adaptations are Bill Nighy, Nigel Havers and Siân Phillips. 
 
Also included is a bonus episode of the Radio 4 series Great Lives, presented by Matthew Parris, in which Francis' biographer Graham Lord, chairman of the British Horseracing Board Martin Broughton and racing correspondent Jonathan Powell explore the life and work of the champion thriller writer. 
 
Please note that due to the age of some of these recordings, sound quality may vary. 
 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Dick Francis BBC Radio Drama Collection

Six full-cast dramatisations

Alexei Sayle

Eight dark comic dramas narrated by Alexei Sayle and adapted from his original short stories 
 
Dramatised from Alexei Sayle's hilarious, highly-acclaimed fiction, these satirical, surreal and surprising tales feature some of the UK's foremost comic actors, and are introduced by the award-winning comedian himself. 
 
The Only Man Stalin Was Afraid Of- Summoned to treat his old friend, Stalin's psychiatrist is faced with an ethical dilemma. Starring Peter Capaldi, Freya Parker and Peter Serafinowicz. 
 
Banner Bright - 1968. Five students meet during an art school occupation, and create an inspirational protest banner they believe will change the world. Starring Ben Crompton, George Fouracres, Kath Hughes, Tim Key and Nimisha Odedra. 
 
The Minister for Death - A Liverpudlian pensioner foils a would-be mugger - and rekindles his lust for murder... Starring Paul Barber, Lewis MacLeod, Shaun Mason, Freya Parker and Frances Tomelty. 
 
The Last Woman Killed In The War - Returning to Liverpool after 40 years of exile, Mary finds that much has changed during her absence. Starring Adi Alfa, Katy Carmichael, Shaun Mason, Jan Ravens and Paislie Reid. 
 
Clive Hole - An indecisive TV commissioner comes under pressure from two dogged producers determined to get their screenplay made. Starring Katheryn Drysdale, Graham Duff, George Fouracres, Georgie Glenn, Tim McInnerny, Alice McMillan and Duncan Wisbey. 
 
Barcelona Chairs- Frustrated architect 'rupert' embeds himself in Tony Blair's Labour government while trying to design the perfect, ultra-minimalist home for his family. Starring Ambika Mod, Hugh Quarshie and Siobhan Redmond. 
 
The Nameless Park- Jade loves the neglected park near her house, and often takes her wheelchair-user brother for trips around its paths. But when Jason becomes critically ill, she makes a devastating discovery. Starring Louis Emerick, George Fouracres, Shaun Mason, Alice McMillan and Claire Sweeney. 
 
Locked Out - Unexpectedly stuck outside her Central London home, Katherine realises how little she knows about her neighbours' lives, and the strange and apparently sinister things they get up to... Starring Maxine Peake. 
 
Credits 
Written and narrated by Alexei Sayle 
Adapted for radio by Alexei Sayle and Graham Duff 
Produced by Joe Nunnery 
Photo: Matt Stronge 
A BBC Studios Production 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 February-25 March 2019 (Series 1) and 10-31 March 2021 (Series 2) 
 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alexei Sayle’s The Absence of Normal: Series 1 and 2

BBC Radio 4 dark comic plays

Nicola Baldwin

Amanda Whittington

A delicious culinary drama about a cake-making club and their very special creations 
 
Every year, Tess and Maggie meet up to try a different activity, something they've never done together before. This year, it's baking, and for a few hours each Friday afternoon, they put the rest of their lives on hold to make cakes. And not just ordinary cakes, but spectacular, unique and glorious gateaux, to celebrate special occasions and commemorate landmark events. 
 
When they help a neighbour in distress, they create their first showstopper - a dark, sultry Bitter Chocolate Cake. Soon, the Cake Club is cooking up a host of teatime treats, from sticky, gingery parkin, to feather-light fairy cakes, to the challenging Scripture Cake, with a recipe that consists entirely of Bible verses. 
 
As they measure out sugar, butter, eggs and flour, they share their secrets, problems and personal dilemmas - and forge friendships that will last long after the final cake crumbs have been consumed... 
 
Written by award-winning dramatists Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington, this gentle, heartwarming series features an outstanding cast including Lesley Sharp, Tamsin Greig, Nisha Nayar, Neil Dudgeon, Louise Brealey and Sheila Hancock. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Nicola Baldwin and Amanda Whittington 
Produced by Steven Canny, Abigail le Fleming, Gemma Jenkins and Luke Fresle 
 
Cast 
Maggie - Lesley Sharp 
Tess - Tamsin Greig 
Ray - Neil Dudgeon 
Sabina - Nisha Nayar 
Neil - Stephen Hogan 
Leanne - Louise Brealey 
Nicky - Matthew Dunster 
Momo - Leena Dhingra 
Chrissie - Stephanie Leonidas 
Janice - Sheila Hancock 
Matty - Joe Prospero 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 January-29 February 2008 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Have Your Cake

A delicious BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Anne Jones

Mollie Sugden and Deryck Guyler star in this vintage 1970s sitcom about life in retirement 
 
William and Olive Wheeler are an old-fashioned couple, who call each other 'Mother' and 'Father', and are happy in their traditional roles as breadwinner and housewife respectively. But now William has retired after 40 years in the office, and is finding it hard to adjust to a life of leisure - while Olive is trying to get used to having him under her feet all day for the first time in their marriage. 
 
Over the course of the series, the couple struggle to settle into a new, post-retirement routine that will suit them both. William ponders the possibility of getting a little job, reluctantly signs up for his pension, and embarks on a spot of DIY; while Olive badgers William to buy a car, suggests a move to the seaside, and spends a day in bed, leaving her husband to attempt the housework. Can they find a way to co-exist at home together, without driving each other completely mad? 
 
Home to Roost was first broadcast in 1974 on Radio 4. Scripted by Woman's Hour veteran Anne Jones, it was the first radio comedy written by a woman since the Second World War, and was based on her own father-in-law's retirement. It stars Mollie Sugden (Are You Being Served?) as Olive and Deryck Guyler (The Men from the Ministry) as William, with a full cast including Norman Rossington, Ysanne Churchman and John Baddeley. 
 
NB: Contains dated language and attitudes 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Anne Jones 
Produced by Richard Maddock, Peter Titheradge and Trafford Whitelock 
Home to Roost theme by Alex Welsh, played by Alex Welsh and his Band 
 
Cast 
Mr Wheeler - Deryck Guyler 
Mrs Wheeler - Mollie Sugden 
Jack Bailey/TV repairman - Norman Rossington 
Angela - Ysanne Churchman 
Neville/Harold/TV repairman - John Baddeley 
Pat/Kath - Patricia Greene 
Mrs Cox/Mrs Shipley/Agnes Carmichael/Posh lady - Linda Polan 
Mr. Carmichael - Ronald Herdman 
Bob - Graham Weston 
Mrs Shipley - Joyce Latham 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Home to Roost

Amanda Murphy

All 14 episodes of Amanda Murphy's sitcom about the will-they-won't-they romance between best friends Cassie and Pete 
 
Cassie's 30, single, and miserable. All her friends are getting married - even Ugly Paula (albeit to someone on a life sentence in a Kentucky prison) but nobody loves her. Except for Pete. And he's her best mate, so he doesn't count... or does he? Over the course of three series, we follow Cassie and Pete as they attempt to answer that critical question, and sort out their complicated feelings for each other. 
 
Joining a dating agency, they begin to suspect that they could be each other's perfect match - but it's only when they both start seeing other people that they realise how much they really mean to each other. Should they risk their lifelong friendship to take a chance on love? Just as Cassie's finally listening to her heart, Pete's new relationship gets serious - and when he's free and single, she's coupled up. Are they fated to remain just good friends, or can they overcome the obstacles in their way and find their happy-ever-after? 
 
Debra Stephenson (Spitting Image, Dead Ringers) stars as Cassie in this funny and relatable comedy drama, with Dave Lamb (Come Dine with Me) as Pete, and a stellar supporting cast including Brendon Burns, Shaun Dooley, Anne Reid, Mike Grady and Paula Wilcox. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Amanda Murphy 
Produced by Graham Frost and Dawn Ellis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5-26 September 2001 (Series 1), 23 October-27 November 2002 (Series 2), 17 September-22 October 2003 (Series 3) 
 
Cast 
Cassie - Debra Stephenson 
Pete - Dave Lamb 
Rebecca/Jenny - Mika Simmons 
PJ - Brendon Burns 
Dad (Bill) - Mike Grady 
Mum (Janet) - Anne Reid/Brigit Forsyth/Paula Wilcox 
Simon - Shaun Dooley 
Checkout Girl - Victoria Ashley 
Maddie - Julia Morris 
Freddie Farmer/Mr Alison/News Anchor/Mr Priestley - Stephen Critchlow 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A Whole 'Nother Story: Complete series 1-3

Christopher Douglas

Andrew Nickolds

The complete Series 14 of the popular BBC Radio 4 comedy - plus Christmas special 
 
'Magnificent' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Author, curmudgeon and master of the complaining letter and the abusive email, Ed Reardon is back for a fourteenth fantastic series. 
 
In these globally unprecedented times, Ed is also experiencing new and unusual circumstances. For the first time in 20 years, he's financially independent thanks to the timely arrival of his state pension, and living in a stylish, newly affordable 'capsule urban living unit' (a former office space converted into a flat). He has the luxury of three (organic) meals a day, all the premier catfood Edgar can eat, and even a new car - as well as free time to devote himself to his own long-cherished projects. 
 
But old habits die hard, and Ed's soon distracted by an unexpected meeting with his ex, Maggie; a fight to save an ancient oak tree; a request to write Ping's granny's memoirs and an eye-wateringly expensive trip to the vet. On his uppers once more, Ed is unexpectedly offered two potentially lucrative projects: scripting a movie for Jaz Milvain and writing a series of biographies for Maggie. But he can only choose one job - which is it to be? 
 
And in the festive special episode 'Ed Reardon's Christmas Week', Ed needs a room at the inn - the Lock Keeper's Arms, that is. But first he's got to square up to Scrooge... 
 
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds, this superlative sitcom stars Christopher Douglas as Ed, with Barunka O'Shaughnessy as Ping, Philip Jackson as Jaz and Pippa Hayward as Maggie. Geoffrey Whitehead is Stan, Brigit Forsyth, Pearl and Stephanie Cole plays Olive. 
 
Credits 
Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Victoria Lloyd and Dawn Ellis 
Production co-ordinator: Cherlynn Andrew-Wilfred 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 December 2020 ('Ed Reardon's Christmas Week'), 8 June-13 July 2021 (Series 14) 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas 
Ping - Barunka O'Shaughnessy 
Jaz Milvain - Philip Jackson 
Jake - Sam Pamphilon 
Eli - Lisa Coleman 
Audiobook/Instructor/Bernice/Newsreader/TV host/Vet - Nicola Sanderson 
Landlord - Colin MacFarlane 
Stan - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Pearl - Brigit Forsyth 
Olive - Stephanie Cole 
Jenna - Mina Anwar 
Assistant - Tom Price 
Maggie - Pippa Hayward 
Bus driver/Frank/Piers - Simon Greenall 
Spike - Kathryn Drysdale 
Geoff/Cliff - Dan Tetsell 
Granny - Maggie Steed 
Salesman - Phaldut Sharma 
With Petroc Trelawny as himself 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon’s Week: Series 14

The BBC Radio 4 sitcom

Steve Chambers

Phil Nodding

All six series of the BBC radio comedy centred around a village hairdressing salon - plus pilot episode 
 
Based in the little town of Bridgeford, High-Lites salon boasts the most misanthropic hairdresser in Britain: sharp-tongued, mean-minded Bev. With the help of her soft-hearted (though slightly dim) assistant Shirley, she tends to the tresses of a motley crew of local characters. As she cuts their hair, she finds out everything that's going on in their lives - and wastes no time in spreading some gossip of her own... 
 
In the pilot episode, one of her little lies takes on a life of its own - and a dodgy dryer nearly spells disaster. Series 1 finds the salon on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing Bev to take desperate measures to keep it afloat. In HighLites: Retouched, the two stylists go mobile when their premises are shut down by Environmental Health, and in HighLites: Split Ends, Bev tries to undercut her rival, Anton, to secure a lucrative wedding hair gig. 
 
HighLites: Wash and Blow finds the hairdressing duo heading out on a cruise, hoping to drum up a little business below deck. But it's not all plain sailing... In HighLites: Dye Another Day, Bev and Shirl are faced with a huge tax bill, and connive to inherit from a wealthy old man's will. And in HighLites: Natural Bounce, the world's worst hairdressers discover that there's money to be made in fitness, and decide to open a gym above the salon - but is this an expansion too far? 
 
Co-written by Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding, this fast-paced, farcical comedy stars Lorraine Ashbourne as Bev and Rosie Cavaliero as Shirley, with a supporting cast including Marlene Sidaway, Sheila Reid, Angela Lonsdale, Adjoa Andoh, Adam Nagaitis and Joel MacCormack. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding 
Produced by Jessica Dromgoole 
Directed by Colin Guthrie and Liz Webb 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 December 2009 (Pilot), 13-17 February 2012 (HighLites), 8-12 October 2012 (HighLites: Retouched), 2-6 December 2013 (HighLites: Split Ends), 5-9 May 2014 (HighLites: Wash and Blow), 8-12 June 2015 (HighLites: Dye Another Day), 25-29 July 2016 (HighLites: Natural Bounce) 
 
Cast 
Beverley - Lorraine Ashbourne 
Shirley - Rosie Cavaliero 
Matthew - Rhys Jennings/Owen Pullar 
Alice - Emerald O'Hanrahan/Marlene Sidaway 
Enid - Kate Layden/Nicola Sloane/Sheila Reid/Susan Jameson 
Nigel - John Biggins/Simon Bubb/John Norton/Chris Pavlo 
Lois - Joannah Tincey/Stephanie Racine 
Butt - Ewan Hooper/James Lailey/Robert Blythe/Sean Murray 
Paramedic - Joseph Cohen-Cole 
John - Carl Prekopp 
Henry - Gerard McDermott 
Melvin - Adam Billington 
Diane - Alex Rivers/Angela Lonsdale 
Wendy - Victoria Inez Hardy/Eleanor Crooks/Rhiannon Neads/Nicola Ferguson 
Harriet - Adjoa Andoh/Carolyn Pickles 
Hilary - Nicola Sloane 
Belinda - Stephanie Racine 
Satnav/Nurse/Tannoy - Sarah Thom 
Antony - Adam Nagaitis 
Gordon - Ben Crowe 
Lucinda - Liza Sadovy 
Ronnie - Michael Bertenshaw 
Liz - Christine Absalom 
Tess - Priyanga Burford 
Captain Andersen - Joel MacCormack 
Julie - Carys Eleri 
Doug - Stephen Critchlow 
Annabeth - Jane Slavin 
Daz/Tony - Sam Rix 
Beryl - Melanie Kilburn 
With Adie Allen and Scarlett Brookes 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

HighLites: Series 1-6

A BBC Radio 4 comedy

Matt Berry

All ten episodes of the dark, surreal comedy featuring Matt Berry's twisted regression therapist 
 
 
Unorthodox, unpredictable, and verging on the unprofessional, Dr Berry is a deeply disturbing hypnotherapist. His experimental regressive technique is both strange and terrifying, and involves taking unsuspecting clients on unsettling journeys through their subconscious. 
 
Each episode sees him dealing with a patient who needs treatment for a particular problem. There's Karen House-Water, who's aquaphobic (and therefore afraid of half her own name); Ray Highknock, a smoking addict who wants to kick the habit; a pair of East End twins with unexpected past lives and a man who's scared of everything about cats (including the musical). 
 
As the doctor puts them into a trance, we take a trip into the deepest recesses of their minds, experiencing alongside them the dreamlike - or nightmare-like - situations that their brains (and Dr Berry) have created. But as they're faced with talking dolphins, an interplanetary voyage, the inside of a whale and the God of Thunder, they soon realise that the cure could be worse than the disease... 
 
Brilliantly bizarre and an ideal late-night listen, this dark, Lynch-meets Kaufman-style series won the 2012 Writers' Guild Award for Best Radio Comedy. It stars Matt Berry (Toast of London, The IT Crowd) as Dr Berry, with a stellar cast including Katherine Parkinson, Simon Greenall, Morgana Robinson, Bob Mortimer, Steve Pemberton and Daisy Haggard. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written and performed by Matt Berry 
With Katherine Parkinson, Tara Flynn, Alex Rivers, Paul Moriarty, Simon Greenall, Jack Klaff, Morgana Robinson, Derek Griffiths, Alex Lowe, Deeivya Meir, Nick Lucas, Simon Bubb, Alan Ford, Lewis MacLeod, Tracy-Ann Obeman, Bob Mortimer, Amaka Okafor, Steve Pemberton, Daisy Haggard, Steve Furst, Isabel Fay, Daisy Beaumont, Julia Deakin, Michael Shelford 
Produced by Sam Bryant 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3 January-7 February 2012 (Series 1), 3-24 April 2013 (Series 2) 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

I, Regress: The Complete Series 1-2

Frank Delaney

Frank Delaney's witty wordplay panel quiz game. 
 
Frank Delaney's language based panel quiz game series revolves around the English language. This upbeat, fun word battle sees a host of well-known contributors battling to Say the Word first. The series is filmed in front of a live audience at a wide range of literary festivals in the UK and live in the BBC studios. 
 
In each episode the contestants move through five varied quiz rounds, from creating new words derived from a known writers work, guessing the origins of words, guessing the spelling of hard English words, too untangling the dramatic riddles to find the connecting syllables. 
 
In the round Loose Change the contestants look at words that have changed meaning. Can they guess the old definition and come up with the true new meaning? The finale is the definitive round Say The Word where famous passages from famous literature works are read out with words missing. Will the contestants succeed in guessing the words, the novel and the author? 
 
Expect jokes, silliness and laughs a plenty. On hand to offer a witty musical perspective on the world of words is the Nimmo Twins, opening each episode with skits and dramas based on well-known playwrights and novelists. 
 
Credits and Cast: 
 
Episode One 
 
Recorder live at The Way with Words literary festival in Totnes, Devon. With Sandi Toksvig, Tommy Pearson, Laura Wright and Christopher Matthew. 
 
Episode Two 
 
Recorded live at Cheltenham Festival of Literature in Glouchestershire. With Sheridan Morley, Jan Dalley, Humphrey Carpenter and Katie Fforde. 
 
Episode Three 
 
Recorded live at Cheltenham Festival of Literature, Gloucestershire. With Pam Ayres, Adam Hart-Davies, Sue Limb and John Julius Norwich. 
 
Episode Four 
 
Recorded live at Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House. With Christopher Cook, Miles Kington, Valerie Grove and Carol Boyd. 
 
Episode Five 
 
Recorded live at the Radio Theatre Broadcasting House. With Andrew Sachs, Felix Dexter, Helen Lederer and Kathy Lette 
 
Episode Six 
 
Recorded live at the Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House. With Hunter Davies, Sheila Steafel, Roger McGough and Helen Atkinson Wood. 
Producer: Simon Elmes 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2001 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Say the Word

A BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show

Basil Boothroyd

The convoluted chronicle of an optimistic crime writer 
 
'Basil Boothroyd's quietly comic classic' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Gerald C Potter is the proud author of Death in the Arboretum, described by the Bournemouth Echo as 'well-written'. He works hard on his books, and worries about every comma, adjective and unfortunate typo: but somehow, he never seems to get very much done. However, his wife and fellow novelist, Diana (aka Magnolia Badminton) is positively prolific - much to his chagrin. 
 
These four series recount his daily activities and struggles for inspiration, as he tries to solve the mystery of his missing briefcase; goes up against his wife as they compete to publicise their new books; takes a holiday abroad that's far from relaxing; and receives a double-edged surprise on United Potter Day. And in special festive episode 'The Cousin', an unexpected message in a Christmas card leaves Gerald and Diana scrambling to prepare for a last-minute visitor... 
 
Written by celebrated humorist Basil Boothroyd, this witty, quick, clever sitcom ran for five years on Radio 4 between 1976 and 1981. It stars Ian Carmichael (The World of Wooster, Lord Peter Wimsey) as Gerald C Potter, with Charlotte Mitchell (Waggoners' Walk, The Adventures of Black Beauty) as Diana. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Basil Boothroyd 
Produced by Bobby Jaye 
 
Cast 
Gerald C Potter - Ian Carmichael 
Diana, his wife - Charlotte Mitchell 
With Michael McClain, James Thomason, Trader Faulkner, Robin Browne, Michael Deacon, Jo Manning Wilson, Margaret Robertson, Peter Craze, Anthony Smee, Michael Goldie, Penelope Reynolds, Geoffrey Matthews, Edward Kelsey, Betty Huntley-Wright, Fiona Mathieson, Garard Green, Brian Carroll, Danny Schiller, Douglas Blackwell, Patricia Hughes, Margot Boyd, Pauline Letts, Brian Haines, Lolly Cockerell, Jane Knowles, Michael Spice, Preston Lockwood, Charles Colville, Paddy O'Byrne, John Church, Judy Franklin and John McAndrew 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 March-26 April 1976 (Series 1), 9 November-14 December 1977 (Series 2), 26 December 1977 (Christmas Special, 'The Cousin'), 24 September-29 October 1979 (Series 3), 27 April-1 June 1981 (Series 4) 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Small Intricate Life of Gerald C. Potter

Peter Kerry

The BBC radio sitcom about a metropolitan GP who quits the city for a life in Paradise 
 
When Marcia Hulme inherits her uncle's medical practice, she decamps from London to a remote island off the coast of Northumbria. There's not a lot to do in Paradise, other than fish or drink, and Marcia's soon missing her favourite restaurants, cinemas and theatres - and her boyfriend, Clem. But as she plans her escape back to the Big Smoke, she gets drawn into island life, and discovers that swapping West End wine bars for the Wind O'Change pub is really not so bad... 
 
In these six episodes, Marcia becomes involved in the Great Pig Race; joins the lifeboat crew on the Bobby Vee; and tries to start an arthouse film club. Meanwhile, the islanders are facing their own challenges, with offshore submarine manoeuvres; a man from the Ministry snooping about; and a mysterious illness that threatens the festivities at the St Marcus' Day parade. And as religious fever grips Paradise, Marcia finds herself praying for a miracle when Clem pays a visit... 
 
Full of warmth, wit and wonderful characters, Peter Kerry's gentle, whimsical comedy stars Rebecca Front as Marcia, with Joan Sims as Auntie Annie. 
 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Peter Kerry 
Produced by Kathy Smith 
 
 
Cast 
Doctor Marcia Hulme - Rebecca Front 
Auntie Annie - Joan Sims 
Hjorst/Translator - Niall Ashdown 
Joseph Gates - James Garbutt 
Mrs Peevis - Jean Southern 
William - Sammy Johnson 
Ralph Gates - Stephen Thirkeld 
Other parts played by Peter Kerry 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4,18 June-23 July 1997 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

North East of Eden

Philip Palmer

All ten episodes of the compelling BBC radio thriller about art forger Daniel Ballantyne and his biographer and nemesis, Jessica Brown 
 
Daniel Ballantyne: monster and angel, thief and conman, genius - and murderer? 
 
Newly released from Wormwood Scrubs, and dying of cancer, notorious art forger Daniel Ballantyne agrees to help art critic Jessica Brown write his biography. But as Jessica digs deeper into his life, she realises that nearly everything he's told her is a lie, and behind his charming persona is a man capable of almost anything. 
 
Trapped in a cat-and-mouse game with a master manipulator, Jessica finds herself putting her reputation - and her life - on the line... 
 
Written by Philip Palmer (Red and Blue, Keeping the Wolf Out), this wickedly enjoyable crime drama stars David Schofield as Daniel Ballantyne, with Indira Varma and Hattie Morahan as Jessica Brown. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and scenes which some listeners may find disturbing 
 
Production credits 
Written by Philip Palmer 
Produced and directed by Toby Swift 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22-26 June 2009 (Series 1), 20-24 December 2010 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Daniel Ballantyne - David Schofield 
Jessica Brown - Indira Varma/Hattie Morahan 
Ben - Matt Addis 
Andrew Jarrold - Jonathan Keeble/Harry Myers 
Claire de Vere - Belinda Lang 
DI Grimwood/Art dealer - John Biggins 
Stavros Persakis - Malcolm Tierney 
Museum curator - Philip Fox 
DS Ruckley/Taxi driver - Benjamin Askew 
Moisha Perez/Stefan Hunt - Stephen Greif 
Lisa - Pandora Colin 
DC Morgan - Sally Orrock 
Gondolier/Waiter - Iain Batchelor 
Other parts played by Kenneth Collard and Jude Akuwudike 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Art of Deception: The Complete Series 1 and 2

A BBC Radio 4 crime drama

Lynn Ferguson

All 18 episodes of the BBC radio sitcom about a thirtysomething barmaid living on a tiny Scottish island 
 
Irene Bruce spends her days pulling pints in Millport, the only town on the Isle of Cumbrae, a few miles off the west coast of Scotland. Frustrated and going nowhere fast, she yearns to escape to the mainland for a better life - or at least a bit of fun. Just over the water, there are clubs, cinemas and discos, so why is she stuck at home with tea, Scrabble and her boring sister Moira? 
 
In these three series, Irene tries her hand at matchmaking, celebrates her 33rd birthday, faces a dilemma over a talking dog, and finds romance where she least expects it. And as Cumbrae is beset by strange events and emergencies - from a missing pensioner, to a threat to the local pub, to a media makeover that risks ruining the island's integrity - she keeps trying to leave town, and keeps being pulled back. But when push finally comes to shove, she's forced to consider where her heart really lies: on the mainland, or in Millport... 
 
Written by and starring Lynn Ferguson (No Angels, Chicken Run) as Irene, this bittersweet comedy drama boasts an all-Scottish cast and a panoply of vibrant, eccentric characters. Comedian and impressionist Janet Brown plays Moira, with Lewis MacLeod (Dead Ringers, Spitting Image) as café owner Alberto and Robert the Dog. 
 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lynn Ferguson 
Produced by Lucy Bacon 
Music for series 2 &amp; 3 arranged by Olly Fox 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 March-26 April 2000 (Series 1), 27 April-1 June 2001 (Series 2), 1 November-6 December 2002 (Series 3) 
 
 
Cast 
Irene - Lynn Ferguson 
Moira/Agnes - Janet Brown 
Alberto/Robert the Dog/Derek/Dieter/Ferryman/Dr Hume/Inspector/Morris/Mr Shetland/Mr Skye - Lewis MacLeod 
Ena/Bunty/Betty/Diane/Fiona - Gabriel Quigley 
Dougie - Matt Costello/Kenneth Bryans 
DJ/Gordon/Minister/ Lucien Highburgh-Conner/Mr Dunoon/Mr Orkney- Robert Paterson 
Huberto/Mr Arran - Kenneth Bryans 
Bob - Lewis MacLeod/Robert Paterson 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Millport: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio comedy sitcom

Esther Wilson

All ten series of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 sitcom 
 
‘A warm, menacing, funny must-listen' - The Guardian 
 
This rom-com with a difference follows the challenges and aspirations of Darleen Fyles and her partner Jamie, a young couple with learning disabilities. Over the course of 50 episodes, they struggle with the problems and frustrations of everyday life, overcome prejudice and bullying, and forge a stable relationship. 
 
High-spirited and determined, Darleen refuses to let obstacles stand in her way. She and Jamie have more than their fair share of setbacks, including financial crises, difficulties with sex, health worries and a serious row about living arrangements: but their love for each other endures. 
 
Donna Lavin and Edmund Davies, who have learning disabilities themselves, star as Darleen and Jamie, and the supporting cast includes Denise Welch, Rob Pickavance and Olwen May. We are also introduced to 17-year-old Alex Huntesmith, who plays himself, and whose parents both have learning disabilities. Through him and his real mum, Jill, a mother of four, we are given an insight into their extraordinary real-life family. 
 
The Pursuits of Darleen Fyles was shortlisted for a BBC Audio Drama Award, and transferred to BBC TV as part of Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On strand. Based on true stories and created in part through improvisation, this tough, feelgood series is at once humorous, heartfelt and poignant. 
 
Written by Esther Wilson 
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris 
 
Cast 
Darleen – Donna Lavin 
Jamie – Edmund Davies 
Treena – Siobhan Finneran/Lorraine Ashbourne/Lesley Nicol/Denise Welch/Sally Lindsay 
Tony – Rob Pickavance/Roger Morlidge 
Fran – Olwen May 
Colin – Lee Boardman 
Chelsea – Vicky Binns 
Becca – Victoria Connett 
Sarah – Deborah McAndrew 
Nick – Greg Wood 
Leonard – Steve Evets 
Ben – Wyllie Longmore 
Marie – Emma Hartley-Miller 
Bob – Stephen Chapman/Carl Cockram/Andrew Dunn 
Vicar/Kenny – Declan Wilson 
Marie – Emma Hartley Miller 
Bob/Jeweller – Stephen Chapman 
Stacey – Niamh Clarke/Olivia Cosgrove/Ashley Ogden/Millie Rose Kinsey 
Elsa –Judith Barker 
Pat – Janice McKenzie 
Jay – Andrew Schofield 
Mohammad – Sushil Chudasama/Peter Singh 
Woman in street/Girl on bus – Hollie-Jay Bowes 
Alex Huntesmith – Himself 
Jill Huntesmith – Herself 
Romana/Doctor/Jill/Josie/Ann/Midwife/Teacher – Ruth Worth 
Tony – Roger Morlidge 
Scott – Byron Konizi 
Jilly – Ruth Piggott 
Ged – Neil Bell 
Chemba – Dan Poyser 
Job centre advisor – Barnaby Gordon 
David/Doctor/Shop assistant – John Catterall 
Sal – Eileen O’Brien 
Karen – Kate Coogan 
Doctor Stevens – Ben Worth

The Pursuits of Darleen Fyles: Series 1-10

Stephen Mulrine

Series 1 &amp; 2 of the mystery drama featuring the crime-solving exploits of a Scottish pathologist and his daughter. 
 
1920s Stirling, and Chief Pathologist Dr Wallace is the town's acknowledged expert on all matters forensic. But he's not the only detective in the family - his daughter Barbara, a medical student, also has quite a talent for investigating. In these six one-off dramas, the two amateur sleuths join forces to tackle a string of tricky cases, each involving a suspicious death. 
 
A Good Shaking - When a woman is accused of killing her three-month-old daughter, Dr Wallace and Barbara are determined to discover the truth. 
 
Fast and Loose - Two mysterious deaths, in Glasgow and Stirling, intrigue the duo. Sleeping pills seem like the simplest solution for one, but could the other be linked to dry cleaning fluid? 
 
Rights and Wrongs - Dr Wallace finds himself in court as a witness in a malpractice case. Meanwhile, Barbara ponders some moral questions of her own... 
 
Testing Times - A grim discovery in Braeburn Quarry draws Dr Wallace into a double murder case. And at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, with exam season approaching, Barbara suddenly finds herself in demand. 
 
Win Some, Lose Some - A Lake District holiday beckons for Dr Wallace, but there's a crucial piece of evidence to be delivered afterwards. In her father's absence, Barbara looks into an alleged poisoning case - and receives a surprise proposal. 
 
Not Proven- A doubtful suicide presents Dr Wallace and DC Curran with a perplexing puzzle - and Barbara is faced with a difficult career decision... 
 
Scripted by acclaimed poet and playwright Stephen Mulrine, these six absorbing dramas star Martyn James as Dr Wallace and Meg Fraser as Barbara, with Liam Brennan as DC Curran. 
 
Please note: this audio contains language and attitudes that reflect the era in which it was written. 
 
A Good Shaking 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
DC Curran - Liam Brennan 
Mrs Dwyer - Alyxis Daly 
Mr Dwyer - Owen Kavanagh 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
Mrs Hamilton - Grace Glover 
Dr Ibbotson - Louise Beattie 
Crissie - Sybil Wintrope 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 October 1996 
 
Fast and Loose 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
Lady Archer - Eliza Langland 
Kennedy - Kern Falconer 
DC Curran - Liam Brennan 
Mrs Hamilton - Grace Glover 
Davidson - Billy Boyd 
Dr Ibbotson - Louise Beattie 
Celine - Maria Miller 
Beth - Elaine Ellis 
DC Norton - Barry Hunter 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 October 1996 
 
Rights and Wrongs 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
Lorrimer - Paul Young 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
Mrs Hamilton - Grace Glover 
Sheriff - Andrew Conlan 
Dr Randolph - Alec Heggie 
Considine - Michael Perceval Maxwell 
McDaid - Alex Harvey 
O'Donnell - Raymond Short 
Martin - Bob Docherty 
Dr Ibbotson - Louise Beattie 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 November 1996 
 
Testing Times 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
Mrs Hamilton - Grace Glover 
DC Curran/McPhee - Liam Brennan 
Dr Randolph - Alec Heggie 
Pritchard - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
O'Donnell - Billy Boyd 
McDaid - Frank Gallagher 
Miss Strachan - Fiona Danskin 
Mrs Ross - Andrea McKenna 
Examiner - Peter Lincoln 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 December 1997 
 
Win Some, Lose Some 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
DC Curran - Liam Brennan 
Pritchard - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
Mrs Hendry - Elizabeth Bechman-Murray 
Pritchard - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
Davey - Finlay Welsh 
Signalman - Martin Docherty 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 December 1997 
 
Not Proven 
Wallace - Martyn James 
Barbara - Meg Fraser 
Pritchard - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
O'Donnell/Startley - Billy Boyd 
Mrs Hamilton - Grace Glover 
DC Curran - Liam Brennan 
Mrs Wallace - Jan Moffatt 
Dr Ibbotson - Louise Beattie 
McDaid - Frank Gallagher 
Dr Randolph - Alec Heggie 
Atkinson - Robin Thomson 
Helen - Jane Hemsey 
 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 December 1997 
 
 
Written by Stephen Mulrine 
Directed by Hamish Wilson 
Technical presentation by Jim Ross, Gillian Charles and Paul Sumerling 
Production assistant: Wilma Gardiner 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Hand in Glove – The Casebook of Dr Wallace

Six BBC Radio 4 Crime Dramas

Pierce Egan

Pierce Egan's renowned 19th-century comic novel adapted by Dan Tetsell is a rollicking real tour of the sprawling post-Regency Metropolis in the years before the Victorians turned up and made everything boring. 
 
 
Comedy drama showing the 'fast life' of Regency London, starring Mark Gatiss, Greg Wise and James Bachman and Geoffrey McGivern as Pierce Egan. 
 
 
We travel through London town all in the company of garrulous author Pierce Egan, cocksure urbanite Corinthian Tom, his naive Somerset cousin Jerry Hawthorn and their drunken compatriot Bob. 
 
Tom and Jerry visit a cockfight, try to buy a horse, meet a sporting legend and lay a wager on which is better, London or the West Country. Meanwhile, garrulous narrator Pierce Egan takes literary critic William Hazlitt to his first boxing match. The lads of Regency London drink with the lower orders in the East End and generally get up to mischief around town. 
 
 
When Pierce Egan falls on hard times, will his adventures help him make his fortune or will this be the end of the trio's life together? 
 
 
When first published the popularity of Pierce Egan's book amounted to a craze, as society tried to guess the real life characters featuring in the tales. The celebrity obsession of the Regency period is depicted in this cleverly adapted comedy. 
 
 
Episodes 
 
In Training for a Swell 
 
The Fancy 
 
Mr Lushington 
 
High and Low Life 
 
The Show Folks 
 
An End to Life in London 
 
 
Cast 
 
 
Pierce Egan - Geoffrey McGivern 
 
 Corinthian Tom - Greg Wise 
 
 Jerry Hawthorn - Mark Gatiss 
 
 Bob Logic - James Bachman 
 
 Old Hawthorn - Christopher Douglas 
 
 Corinthian Kate - Amanda Abbington 
 
 Mrs Belcher / Fishwife - Laura Shavin 
 
 Mr Primefit / Sir Richard / Actor - Dave Lamb 
 
 Plausible Jack/ Jarvey / George Sala - Ben Graves 
 
 William Hazlitt/Tom Cribb/ Hustle - Alex MacQueen 
 
 Mrs Egan - Alys Torrence 
 
 Lady Wanton - Morwenna Banks 
 
 Fanny - Margaret Cabourn Smith 
 
 Theodore Holt / Dick Trifle- Giles Taylor 
 
 Mr Jonah / Pickpocket - Neil Edmond 
 
 
Production Credits 
 
 
Written by Pierce Egan 
 
Adapted by Dan Tetsell 
 
Music: Ben Walker 
 
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani 
 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1st May, 8th May, 15th May, 22nd May, 29th May, 5th June 2006 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Life in London

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy drama

Hetty Feather was left at a foundling hospital when she was a tiny baby. Having grown up in a loving foster family until she was five, and then finding herself returned to the hospital, she begins to question who her actual family are, and is determined to stop at nothing to find out where she came from. Jacqueline Wilson’s acclaimed series follows Hetty and her friend Diamond as they work their way up from their lowly backgrounds to become stars, overcoming loss, unkind bosses and flirtatious boys.

Filters

Category

Publication Date

Format

Series

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter