Abigail Owen is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveller, and chocoholic. Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby. abigailowen.com

Abigail Owen

Abigail Ulman was born and raised in Melbourne. She has a BA in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne/VCA and was a recent Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. This is her first book.

Abigail Ulman

Abilio Estévez

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham &amp; Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. 
 
 
He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons. 
 
 
Website: abirmukherjee.com Twitter, Threads &amp; Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir

Abir Mukherjee

Abolqasem Ferdowsi

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham L. Newman is a professor at the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University. He is a 2022-2023 Berlin Prize winner and his work has been published in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Science, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Harvard Business Review, and Politico.

Abraham Newman

Abraham Verghese

Absolut Vodka

Ad Putter

Ada Moncrieff is the author of Murder Most Festive, Murder at the Theatre Royale and Murder at Maybridge Castle. She lives and works in London.

Ada Moncrieff

Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of over three million. As a linguistics student at Harvard College, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society. He’s discussed online language on NPR, repeatedly contributed to The Washington Post, and his work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He’s lectured on language and social media at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and other top universities, including a TEDx talk at the University of Pennsylvania. Adam is based in New York City, where he spends a lot of time scrolling TikTok for “research.”

Adam Aleksic

Adam Alter is an Associate Professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and holds an affiliated appointment within the Psychology Department. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave and has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Atlantic, Wired, Popular Science and numerous other publications.

Adam Alter

Professor Adam Balen is lead clinician at one of the UK's largest and most successful IVF units at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. In recognition of his research on fertility and related conditions, he holds a DSc (the highest academic degree in medicine) from the University of Leeds. Adam is internationally renowned, holding roles with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Federation of Gyneacology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists (RCOG). He runs both NHS and private fertility clinics so he understands the issues that arise from both sides and he works closely with fertility patient support organisations across the UK. Adam regularly features in the media on all aspects of reproductive health and lectures widely throughout the world.

Adam Balen

Adam Baron

Adam Bornstein

Adam Brookes grew up in the UK and was a journalist with BBC News for many years. As a foreign correspondent he was based in Indonesia, China and the United States. Along the way he reported from many other countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. He lives in Washington DC.

Adam Brookes

Adam Buxton

Adam Byatt

Adam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise. Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic. Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.

Adam Christopher

Adam Foulds's most recent books are In the Wolf’s Mouth, The Quickening Maze, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Encore Award and the European Union Prize for Literature, and The Broken Word, which won the Costa Poetry Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has recently been awarded the E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’.

Adam Foulds

Dr Adam Fox is a highly qualified and respected allergy specialist and consultant paediatric allergist and clinical lead for Allergy at Guy's &amp; St Thomas' Hospitals. The Times recently named him as one of Britain's top 100 children’s doctors. 
 
www.allergyfreebabyandtoddler.com

Adam Fox

Adam Frost

Adam Galinsky is currently the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He received his PhD from Princeton University in Social Psychology and his B.A. from Harvard University.

Adam Galinsky

Adam Glasser

Adam Goodfellow

Adam Goodwin

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, his TED talks have been viewed more than thirty-five million times, and he hosts the hit podcast Re:Thinking. His pioneering research has challenged widespread assumptions about motivation, success, character, and change, and his viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across platforms. He has been recognized as the world’s number-two most influential management thinker and one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and he has received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. Grant received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former Junior Olympic springboard diver and magician. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Allison Sweet Grant, a novelist and poet; their two cats (who don’t get along); and their three children (who mostly do).

Adam Grant

Adam and Charlotte met in Zanzibar while working with Voluntary Services Overseas. Upon their return to the UK, Charlotte completed an MA at Oxford Brookes and started her career in publishing. Adam in the meantime became writer-in-residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre before co-founding Storytelling Schools, an international organisation dedicated to training teachers in oracy, literacy and creativity. Adam and Charlotte's first book together was the best-selling and award-winning Spaghetti with the Yeti. Since then, Adam and Charlotte have continued to follow their passion for creating engaging books that inspire interaction and creativity in young readers.

Adam Guillain

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Sheila Hodgson

A series of full-cast ghost stories based on plots by M. R. James 
 
In 1929, M. R. James penned an essay called 'Stories I Have Tried to Write', in which he detailed plots that had failed to blossom and fragments of tales that never materialised, recalling them 'for the benefit of someone else'. In this BBC Radio series, Sheila Hodgson takes advantage of his generosity, fleshing out these sketchy ideas into full-blown dramas. Some are narrated by M. R. James himself, while others feature the author as a character, caught up in strange, inexplicable events. 
 
The Whisper in the Ear - M. R. James recounts the curious affair of young undergraduate Robert Stafford and his mysterious train companion. 
 
Turn Turn Turn - The Cambridge provost tells a chilling cautionary tale of witchcraft in Cambridge, in an attempt to heal a rift between a vicar and his son. 
 
The Backward Glance - The unsettling story of a mysterious 18th-century mask made of black silk - and skin... 
 
Here Am I, Where Are You? - The tale of a cursed professor with a curious red book, a wayward nephew and a Georgian tankard. 
 
Echoes from the Abbey - An invitation to spend Christmas at Medborough Abbey leads to a ghostly encounter for distinguished academic Dr James. 
 
The Lodestone - A young illustrator becomes obsessed with drawing the gravestone of a 17th-century witch. 
 
The Boat Hook - Visiting Trondheim Cathedral, Dr James is unsettled by the appearance of a small model boat... 
 
David March and Michael Williams star in these haunting supernatural dramas, which will thrill all fans of M. R. James' original ghost stories. 
 
NB: Due to the age of some of the recordings, the sound quality may vary 
 
Written by Sheila Hodgson 
Based on ideas by M.R. James 
Directed by David Johnston 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

M. R. James: Stories I Have Tried to Write

Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Howard Brenton

A collection of Howard Brenton's finest plays, produced for BBC radio 
 
One of Britain's leading contemporary playwrights, Howard Brenton is well known for his controversial state-of-the-nation plays, dark comedies and powerful political satires. He has written over 50 works for the theatre and numerous screenplays, including 13 episodes of the hit TV series Spooks. Included here are some of his most acclaimed dramas, including the award-winning Pravda, co-written with David Hare. 
 
Epsom Downs - Set on Derby Day in the Silver Jubilee year 1977, this provocative drama presents a teeming, Brueghel-like array of characters: from the gamblers, bookmakers and trainers to the jockeys, the horses and the Derby course itself... Among the ensemble cast are Peter Woodthorpe and Nigel Anthony. 
 
Pravda - Lambert Le Roux is an enormously powerful South African media tycoon. He's also a monster manipulating all, including Fleet Street. Anthony Hopkins and Bill Nighy star in this caustic black comedy. 
 
Thirteenth Night - Jack Beaty is an activist in a 'piddling little Labour Party ward.' What would he do if he came to power tomorrow? Tom Wilkinson, Frances Tomelty and Bill Nighy star in Brenton's surreal parody of Macbeth, with its horror-comic vision of a totalitarian state run mad. 
 
Nasser's Eden- 1956. Sir Anthony Eden and Gamal Abdel Nasser battle over Egypt nationalising the Suez Canal - Britain's last symbol of her empire. Written specially for radio and starring Alec McCowen and Nadim Sawalha, this fast-paced drama looks behind the politics to reveal the personalities who changed the face of history. 
 
Bloody Poetry - Switzerland, 1816. The poet Shelley, his future wife Mary and her step-sister Claire meet the infamous Lord Byron. But their dreams of a utopian future result in tragedy... Oliver Ryan, Clare Corbett, Patrick Kennedy and Sarah Ovens star in Brenton's compelling play celebrating these four young artistic radicals. 
 
Text copyright © Howard Brenton 1977 (Epsom Downs), 1981 (Thirteenth Night), 1984 (Bloody Poetry), 1998 (Nassar's Eden) Pravda text copyright © David Hare and Howard Brenton 1985 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Howard Brenton 
Pravda written by Howard Brenton and David Hare 
 
Epsom Downs 
Cast: Peter Woodthorpe, Nigel Anthony, Heather Bell, Peter Baldwin, Michael Spice, Graham Chinn, Jean Rogers, Chas Byer, Cliff Burnett, Mary Clare Nash, John Bull, Petra Davies, 
Eva Stuart, John Levitt, Susan Sheridan, Wilfrid Carter, Martin Muncaster, Tammy Ustinov, Heather Bell, Olivier Pierre, Michael McStay, Peter Gordon, Fred Bryant, David Tate, Andrew Branch 
Adapted for radio by Howard Brenton 
Directed by Richard Wortley 
 
Pravda 
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Bill Nighy, Robert Glenister, Suzanne Burden, Frederick Treves, 
Garard Green, Stephen Tompkinson, David King, Christopher Good, Vincent Brimble, 
James Greene, Simon Treves, Danny Schiller, Nicholas Gilbrook 
Adapted and directed by Richard Wortley. 
 
Thirteenth Night 
Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Frances Tomelty, Bill Nighy, Peter Woodthorpe, Sean Barrett, 
Timothy Bateson, Maggie McCarthy, Eileen Tully, Pauline Siddle 
With Alex Jennings, Richard Huw and Michael Jenner 
Directed by Michael Heffernan. 
 
Nasser's Eden 
Cast: Alec McCowen, Nadim Sawalha With Bob Peck, Nigel Davenport, Saeed Jaffrey, Raad Rawi, Trevor Peacock, James Laurenson, Alix Refaie, Antony Zaki, Clifford Rose, John Rowe, Peter Birrel, Vic Tablian and Ajay Chabra 
Produced by Carolyn Horn. 
 
Bloody Poetry 
Cast: Oliver Ryan, Clare Corbett, Patrick Kennedy, Sarah Ovens, Gareth Pierce 
Adapted for radio and directed by Alison Hindell 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Five BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Productions: Pravda, Epsom Downs and more

Arthur Conan Doyle

Bert Coules

Fully-dramatised adaptations of all 60 Sherlock Holmes stories, brought to life with a full cast of actors, sound effects and music 
 
'A remarkable undertaking... applauding them, and particularly Clive Merrison's Holmes, made my hands sore' The Times 
 
Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his dear friend Dr Watson are among the most enduringly popular fictional characters ever created. Their adventures have been dramatised countless times on radio, TV and film, but until BBC Radio 4 took on the challenge in 1989, no-one had ever attempted to adapt all sixty stories. 
 
Beginning with A Study in Scarlet and concluding with The Hound of the Baskervilles, their epic project took over 8 years to complete - and this landmark collection contains the extraordinary result of their labours. Here is the world's first ever fully-dramatised Sherlock Holmes canon: 56 short stories and 4 novels, all made by the same team of directors, producers, dramatists and leading actors, and packed with the high production qualities of a film or TV drama that set it apart. 
 
Starring one of radio's great double acts, Clive Merrison and Michael Williams, as Holmes and Watson, and with guest stars including Brian Blessed, Judi Dench, Maurice Denham, Andrew Sachs, Peter Davison, Robert Glenister and Harriet Walter, this definitive collection contains over 48 hours of enthralling listening. 
 
Also included is a bonus interview with Adrian Conan Doyle about his father, Sir Arthur, and some fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations from the series' head writer, Bert Coules, about the making of the radio adaptations. 
 
Cast 
Sherlock Holmes - Clive Merrison 
Dr John Watson - Michael Williams 
Mrs Hudson - Anna Cropper/Mary Allen/Joan Matheson/Judi Dench/ 
Inspector Gregson - John Moffatt 
Inspector Lestrade - Donald Gee/Stephen Thorne 
Mary Morstan/Mary Watson - Moir Leslie/Elizabeth Mansfield/Hannah Gordon 
Irene Adler - Sarah Badel 
Inspector Jones - Nigel Carrington 
Colonel Moran - Fraser Kerr/Frederick Treves 
Mycroft Holmes - John Hartley 
Professor Moriarty - Michael Pennington 
 
Production credits 
Written by Arthur Conan Doyle 
Dramatised by Bert Coules with David Ashton, Michael Bakewell, Roger Danes, Robert Forrest, Denys Hawthorne, Gerry Jones, Peter Ling, Vincent McInerney and Peter Mackie 
Produced and directed by Ian Cotterell, David Johnston, Patrick Rayner and Enyd Williams 
Musicians: Alexander Balanescu, Leonard Friedman, Richard Friedman, Michael Haslam, Ian Humphries and Abigail Young 
 
Contents 
A Study in Scarlet 
The Sign of the Four 
The Hound of the Baskervilles 
The Valley of Fear 
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 
A Scandal in Bohemia 
The Red-Headed League 
A Case of Identity 
The Boscombe Valley Mystery 
The Five Orange Pips 
The Man with the Twisted Lip 
The Blue Carbuncle 
The Speckled Band 
The Engineer's Thumb 
The Noble Bachelor 
The Beryl Coronet 
The Copper Beeches 
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 
Silver Blaze 
The Yellow Face 
The Stockbroker's Clerk 
The Gloria Scott 
The Musgrave Ritual 
The Reigate Squires 
The Crooked Man 
The Resident Patient 
The Greek Interpreter 
The Naval Treaty 
The Final Problem 
The Return of Sherlock Holmes 
The Empty House 
The Norwood Builder 
The Dancing Men 
The Solitary Cyclist 
The Priory School 
Black Peter 
Charles Augustus Milverton 
The Six Napoleons 
The Three Students 
The Golden Pince-Nez 
The Missing Three-Quarter 
The Abbey Grange 
The Second Stain 
His Last Bow 
Wisteria Lodge 
The Cardboard Box 
The Red Circle 
The Bruce-Partington Plans 
The Dying Detective 
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax 
The Devil's Foot 
His Last Bow 
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes 
The Illustrious Client 
The Blanched Soldier 
The Mazarin Stone 
The Three Gables 
The Sussex Vampire 
The Three Garridebs 
The Problem of Thor Bridge 
The Creeping Man 
The Lion's Mane 
The Veiled Lodger 
Shoscombe Old Place 
The Retired Colourman 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between November 1989 and March 1995 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection

60 Full-Cast Dramatisations

Jeremy Front

Simon Brett

Five full-cast BBC radio dramatisations, starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris 
 
Thespian sleuth Charles Paris is his own worst enemy, a louche lush who can resist anything except temptation - especially in the form of women and alcohol. Estranged from his long-suffering wife, Frances, his personal life is shambolic, and as an actor, he's C-list at best. But he does have a talent for solving murders - which is just as well, because wherever he goes, someone seems to drop dead... 
 
A Series of Murders - Charles has landed a juicy part playing Sergeant Collins in the TV detective series, 'The Stanislaus Braid Mysteries'. But will all the deadly doings be restricted to on-screen? 
 
Sicken and So Die - A suspected poisoner is on the loose in a production of Twelfth Night - can Charles track down the culprit before this comedy turns into a tragedy? 
 
Murder Unprompted - There's drama backstage when a murder is discovered in a West End theatre production. Has Charles time to find the killer before the curtain goes up? 
 
The Dead Side of the Mic - A job with the BBC radio rep coincides with the mysterious death of a studio manager in Broadcasting House. Once again, Charles steps in to investigate... 
 
Cast in Order of Disappearance - Playing a middle-management vampire in 'The Wreathing', Charles finds himself dealing with a blackmailer, a maiden in distress - and a murderer. Has he bitten off more than he can chew? 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1975 (Cast in Order of Disappearance), 1980 (The Dead Side of the Mic), 1982 (Murder Unprompted), 1989 (A Series of Murders), 1995 (Sicken and So Die) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A BBC Radio Collection

A Series of Murders, Sicken and So Die, Murder Unprompted, The Dead Side of the Mic & Cast in Order of Disappearance

Bill Nighy stars as the lovably louche Charles Paris in these five BBC Radio dramatisations 
 
Charles Paris - unsuccessful actor, bad husband, and dipsomaniac - is back, and getting into trouble once more. As he tries to woo back his semi-detached wife, Frances, and land a few half-decent roles, he finds himself embroiled in murder and mayhem and forced to turn detective. Luckily, his sleuthing is much better than his acting... 
 
Murder in the Title - The thespian sleuth gets a part in a terrible play - but someone wants to kill off the cast. First a series of nasty accidents occur, then Charles is the victim of an attempted stabbing. Can he find the killer, or will he be fired first? 
 
A Reconstructed Corpse - Charles is playing a missing businessman in a crime reconstruction programme. But when severed body parts begin to appear, he must piece together a macabre jigsaw puzzle of murder. 
 
An Amateur Corpse - What starts as a simple voiceover job leads Charles to the discovery of a dead body. Could his old friend Hugo really be a murderer? All the signs are pointing that way... 
 
Corporate Bodies - A corporate video turns into a horror movie when a secretary is killed. As he investigates, Charles uncovers blackmail, sexual intrigue and multiple motives for murder amongst the workforce. 
 
A Decent Interval - Cast as The Ghost and First Gravedigger in Hamlet, Charles is finding rehearsals tense as both the lead roles are being played by reality TV stars. But soon it's not just Shakespeare's lines being murdered... 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1978 (An Amateur Corpse), 1983 (Murder in the Title), 1991 (Corporate Bodies), 1993 (A Reconstructed Corpse), 2013 (A Decent Interval) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Second BBC Radio Collection

Murder in the Title, A Reconstructed Corpse, An Amateur Corpse, Corporate Bodies & A Decent Interval

Bill Nighy stars as the irrepressible Charles Paris in these five BBC Radio dramatisations 
 
Actor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth Charles Paris returns in another quintet of humorous theatrical thrillers. All Charles asks for is a nice juicy part in a successful play - but wherever he appears on the bill, murder and mystery always play a starring role... 
 
The Cinderella Killer - Panto seems the perfect way to spend the Christmas season for Charles, but when the show's star is found dead, the slapstick must make way for a murder investigation. 
 
Dead Room Farce - Charles is appearing in a revival of a 1970s farce. But when two cast members die in suspicious circumstances, he suspects foul play is afoot. 
 
Star Trap - When a series of accidents befalls the cast of a West End musical, Charles steps in to investigate. Who is trying to sabotage the show - and why? 
 
A Doubtful Death - Charles has landed a role in an immersive theatre production of Hamlet. But when an actress goes missing, he must decide if it is to be or not to be a murder case... Also included with this story is an exclusive afterword with scriptwriter Jeremy Front, who adapted it from an unproduced screenplay by Simon Brett. He reveals what it's like behind the scenes of Charles Paris, and explains the mechanics of recording for radio. 
 
A Deadly Habit - Offered a job in a verbatim theatre piece set in a monastery, Charles has reservations. Then disaster strikes the production - and he smells criminality... 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels and screenplay by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1977 (Star Trap), 1998 (Dead Room Farce), 2014 (The Cinderella Killer), 2018 (A Deadly Habit), 2020 (A Doubtful Death) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Third BBC Radio Collection

The Cinderella Killer, Dead Room Farce, Star Trap, A Doubtful Death & A Deadly Habit

Victor Pemberton

A suspenseful archaeological thriller full of secrets, lies and mysteries from acclaimed writer and producer Victor Pemberton 
 
Best known as a TV producer, writer and script editor for Doctor Who, Victor Pemberton created the Doctor's most iconic gadget, the sonic screwdriver. A prolific dramatist, he also penned a wide variety of plays for BBC Radio including this gripping 8-part adventure, first broadcast in 1968. 
 
Elizabeth Warwick, the daughter of a famous archaeologist, travels to Egypt's Valley of the Kings to explore the mysterious tomb her father discovered before his death. Following in his footsteps, she hopes to find out what secrets lurk within. Is it an empty shell, or the final resting place of a Pharaoh? 
 
But her investigations lead her further and further into danger. Sir Richard Warwick had enemies, and now they are pursuing her. Embroiled in intrigue and unsure who to trust, she embarks on a quest that will take her from the Temple of Luxor to Cairo's City of the Dead... 
 
Among the cast of this thrilling serial are Sheila Grant, John Humphry, David Spenser, Rolf Lefebvre, Nigel Anthony and Marion Mathie. 
 
 
NB: Contains some dated references. Due to the age and nature of the recording, the sound quality may vary 
 
Cast 
Elizabeth Warwick - Sheila Grant 
Mahmoud - James Thomason 
Mr Wilder - John Humphry 
Fuad - David Spenser 
Charles Villiers - Rolf Lefebvre 
Margaret Villiers - Marion Mathie 
Achmed Araby - Haydn Jones 
Abdullah - Antony Viccars 
Bertie Pringle - Barry Lowe 
O'Hara - Denis McCarthy 
Captain Aziz - John Justin 
Achmed Araby - Haydn Jones 
The stranger/Michael Warwick - Christopher Bidmead 
Dr Fawzad - Nigel Anthony 
 
Other parts played by Anthony Jackson, Ian Thompson, Barbara Mitchell, Margaret Robertson, Rosalind Shanks, Douglas Hankin, LeRoy Lingwood, Alexander John and members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company 
 
Written by Victor Pemberton 
Produced by John Tydeman 
First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 30 May-24 June 1968 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Kill the Pharaoh!

A Vintage BBC Radio Thriller

A brand new full-cast BBC radio dramatisation, starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris 
 
'Charles Paris is Bill Nighy... It's the role he was born to play.' The Telegraph 
 
August in Edinburgh, and thousands of performers of all stripes have flocked to the Fringe Festival. Among them is Charles Paris filling in at the last minute after a student actress breaks a leg and has to drop out. Showcasing an earnest one-man show in a sea of stand-up comics is a bit of a gamble, but at least he's acting, and with a Charles Paris production, what could possibly go wrong? 
 
Charles is sharing a venue with a group of student actors, but when one of the performers dies in a freak stabbing, the actor-cum-amateur sleuth smells a murderous rat and decides to investigate. When the killer sets his sights on him, Charles realises that he must be getting close to the truth - despite not having a clue what's going on... 
 
Help arrives in the form of his agent, Maurice, in town scouting for talent, and Charles' 'semi-detached' wife, Frances, who inadvertently finds herself directing Charles' show. The three become drawn into the mystery, and find themselves playing detectives. This unlikely trio are way out of their depth, but when has that ever stopped Charles Paris? 
 
Jeremy Front's witty drama stars Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice. 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novel by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Cast 
Charles Paris - Bill Nighy 
Frances - Suzanne Burden 
Maurice - Jon Glover 
James - Roger Ringrose 
Anna - Natasha K Stone 
Martin - Connor Curren 
Laura - Chloe Sommer 
Angus/Sam - Tom Kiteley 
Tessa - Joanna Monro 
Eilish - Catriona Stirling 
Sophie - Fiona Skinner 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9th-30th June 2023 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: So Much Blood

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Peter Ling

Juliet Ace

A very royal saga about The Crown and a very historic house 
 
 
In this story of Crown House, the grand home of the Ministers, the bond is built between the Minister family and the House of Windsor in this tale of changing times and unvarying traditions. This is a tale of two families and a fresh era for the Minsters of Crown House, and the Royal Family of Windsor. 
 
 
The series follow the birth of a royal baby and the growing closeness of William Minster and his wife Alice to the King and Queen. The life of Crown House's staff, as Jenny Webster, the housekeeper's daughter, watches the developments of the beloved Minsters and the saga unfolds between rich and poor, upper-class and lower-, old and young. Both above and below stairs find their lives changed by the passing years, as they are hit by scandal and heartbreak, accidents and loss, love and secrets. 
 
 
Crown House is a moving story of change and upheaval, with an all-star cast including Jane Asher (Brideshead Revisited, Holby City), Martin Jarvis (Just William, Ring for Jeeves), Dinah Sheridan (The Railway Children, Genevieve), Gayle Hunnicutt (A Woman of Substance, Dallas), Richard Pasco (Mrs Brown, A Dance to the Music of Time), Geoffrey Matthews (Coronation Street, The Day of the Triffids) and many more. Written by Juliet Ace (The Archers, Young Victoria) and Peter Ling (The Avengers, Doctor Who) 
 
From Peter Ling's Crown House novels, this drama series shines a light on a very different side of the Windsors, and is just the thing for listeners of Cromwell Vs The Crown, Flying the Flag, and Encounters with Victoria. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Jenny - Jane Asher 
Old Bea - Margaret Rawlings 
Gina - Gayle Hunnicutt 
Alice - Dinah Sheridan 
Richard - Martin Jarvis 
William - Richard Pasco 
Nicholas - Dominic Rickhards 
Lady Flora Kelso - Margaret Ward 
Sir Charles - Geoffrey Matthews 
Caroline - Cara Kelly 
Edith - Barbara Atkinson 
Polly Harvey - Polly James 
Paul Weyman - John Pullen 
Mrs Webster - Eva Stuart 
Nursemaid - Diana Olsson 
Hawkins - John Samson 
Grace Duncan - Barbara Hunt 
Scott Hanson - Ian Michie 
Grace Duncan - Barbara Leigh-Hunt 
Miranda - Andrea Kealy 
Martin - Henry Power 
Rollo Paton - Norman Bird 
Thelma, Lady Furness - Shelley Thompson 
Louie - Simon Cuff 
Instructor - Philip Sully 
Cockney Girl - Alice Arnold 
Tram conductor - Richard Tate 
Charles Lindbergh - Ed Bishop 
Telephone operator - Caroline Gruber 
Landlady - Zelah Clarke 
Barman - Peter Craze 
W T Carpenter - David Goudge 
Seaman - William Simons 
Radio announcer / Stoker - Michael Tudor Barnes 
 
Written by Peter Ling and Juliet Ace 
Produced by Graham Gauld 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
30 October - 18 December 1988 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Crown House

A BBC Radio 4 Regal Drama

Twin sisters are the investigating police in this unusual three-part detective series 
 
Alice and Belinda are identical twins, and have grown up sharing everything: toys, rooms, and friends. But as they begin their careers as detectives - a job they have each wanted for as long as they can remember - a computer error sees them accidentally starting at the same North London police station. 
 
Work gives them enough mysteries to be investigating as they attempt to make themselves known and respected in their new roles, but when Belinda is sexually harassed by a colleague, her twin Alice realizes she can use her identical appearance to fight back when her sister no longer can... 
 
Created by Juliet Ace, award-winning writer and playwright (The Archers, Young Victoria, A Slight Hitch), Twin Reaction is a fascinating and fresh look at the bond of sisters, the demands of work, and the pleasures and pains of being a woman in the modern world. 
 
Starring Jenny Funnel (As Time Goes By, Doctors) and Carolyn Backhouse (Rosemary and Thyme, Jupiter Moon), this compelling series is perfect for listeners of Colvil and Soames, The Lady Detectives, and The Unforgiven. 
 
Content Warning: This drama deals with adult themes such as sexual violence 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Alice - Jenny Funnel 
Belinda - Carolyn Backhouse 
Newsome - Eric Allen 
Glover - Cornelius Garrett 
Cox - Lindsay Mack 
Dobson - Ian Sanders 
Bella - Sue Broomfield 
Other cast: 
Rachel Oldfield 
Paul Nicholson 
Janet Dale 
Marilla Robson 
Brian Gear 
Jilly Bond 
William Eedle 
Sunny Ormonde 
Linda Regan 
Joanne Mitchell 
 
 
Written by Juliet Ace 
Directed by Shaun MacLoughlin 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
7 August - 21 August 1995 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Twin Reaction

A BBC Radio 4 Detective Drama

David Morrissey stars as Billy Rucker in these two gritty urban noir thrillers 
 
Ex-copper turned private investigator Billy Rucker scours the seamy underbelly of London, hunting for runaways - and murderers. Tough, worldly-wise and street-savvy, he can go where the police can't: and once he's on the trail, he won't stop until he finds the truth... 
 
Shut Eye - When an airline pilot is found brutally murdered with a champagne bottle, his brother, Tory MP Sir Peter Morant, asks Billy Rucker to investigate. Although he's already working one assignment - tracking down teenager Dominic Lewis - Rucker agrees to take the case. Delving into Teddy's private life in search of a serial killer, he identifies a high-profile suspect. But when another body is discovered, Billy finds the finger of suspicion pointing at him... 
 
Hold Back the Night - High summer, and the city is sweltering. Despite the heat, PI Billy Rucker is out pounding the streets, looking for a missing girl named Lucy Bonham. He suspects that Lucy and her friend Donna were mixed up in something nasty - but he has no idea of the full horrors he is about to uncover. 
 
Adapted from Adam Baron's highly acclaimed crime novels, these dark, suspenseful detective dramas star David Morrissey, Danny Webb, Adjoa Andoh, Li Leng Au and Ioan Meredith. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Adam Baron 
Dramatised by Doug Lucie 
Produced and directed by Janet Whitaker 
 
Starring David Morrissey as Billy Rucker, Danny Webb as DI Gold, Adjoa Andoh/Li Leng Au as Sharon and Ioan Meredith as Inspector Clay 
 
Shut Eye 
Sir Peter - Edward de Souza 
Alex - Matt Day 
Rollo - Declan Wilson 
Mrs Lewes - Rachel Atkins 
Secretary/Waitress - Gbemisola Ikumelo 
Charlotte - Caroline Langrishe 
Graham - Nicholas Woodeson 
Sal - Frances Jeater 
Dominic/Boy - Chris Moran 
Archie/PC - Damian Lynch 
Man - Harry Myers 
WPC/Kristen - Cherie Taylor-Battlste 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-30 March 2004 
 
Hold Back the Night 
Mrs Bonham - Cheryl Campbell 
Emma - Rachael Stirling 
Olly - Harry Myers 
Sal - Elizabeth Bell 
Nicky - Nicholas Boulton 
Sharon - Adjoa Andoh 
Juliet - Alison Pettitt 
George - Vincenzo Nicoli 
Albanian prostitute - Alex Tregear 
Steve - Martin Hyder 
Janet/Iris - Susan Jameson 
Mr Bonham - Hugh Dickson 
Dr Fursten - Stephen Hogan 
Lee - Peter Darney 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 November-13 December 2005 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Private Eye Billy Rucker: Shut Eye & Hold Back the Night

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio 4 Crime Dramas

Nick McCarty

Six cosy detective dramas about secretary turned super-sleuth Liz Parker 
 
Liz Parker dreams of being a gumshoe, like her hardboiled heroes Philip Marlowe and Mike Hammer. But instead, she's stuck as secretary at the Ace Agency, a small-time investigation bureau above a curry house in the backstreets of Birmingham. Her lecherous boss, Mr Antrobus, is too tied up with typist Gloria to pay much attention to the cases that come in - so Liz decides to solve them herself... 
 
In A Confidential Agent, Liz gets embroiled in the affairs of an old friend and an old flame. But as she digs into the past, she unearths secrets, lies and shady dealings... All that Glisters sees her consulted by a young man whose girlfriend, Tracy, has gone missing. Looking into her disappearance, she uncovers a seedy photographic business with a sideline in blackmail. 
 
Poison in the Air finds Liz promoted to fully-fledged investigator. But her boss still isn't taking her seriously - so when she hears of poison-pen letters being sent to an old people's home, she's determined to unmask the culprit... In A Husband Scorned, she finds herself attracted to a teacher whose wife has gone astray: but is he a victim, or a villain? In Sharks Have Pearly Teeth, with the agency suffering a cash-flow crisis, Liz learns the bitter truth behind a case of moneylending and espionage. Finally, Fire sees her investigating threats against a Greek dressmaker - and when his clothing factory goes up in flames, she must decide if sabotage or fraud are involved. 
 
Scripted by award-winning dramatist Nick McCarty, these engaging dramas star Rosemary Martin as Liz Parker, Terry Molloy as Mr Antrobus and Clare Faulconbridge as Gloria. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Nick McCarty 
Directed by Philip Martin 
Pianist: Harold Rich 
 
Starring Rosemary Martin as Liz Parker, Terry Molloy as Mr Antrobus and Clare Faulconbridge as Gloria 
 
A Confidential Agent 
Cast: Barbara Atkinson, Edwin Richfield, Roger Hume, Terry Molloy, Joyce Gibbs, Dave Mitty, 
Gordon Coulson, Jackie Abbey Taylor, Pauline Wattis 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 5 June 1986 
 
All That Glisters 
Cast: Roger Hume, Vikki Chambers, Kim Durham, Andy Hockley, Judith Pearson, Tex Flint 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 July 1987 
 
Poison in the Air 
Cast: Roger Hume, Barbara Atkinson, Joyce Gibbs, Simon Carter, Alton Douglas, Ralph Lawton, Veda Warwick, Judy Bennett 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3 July 1991 
 
A Husband Scorned 
Cast: Roger Hume, Barbara Atkinson, Joyce Gibbs, Simon Carter, Leon Tanner, Martin Matthews, Janet Whiteside 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10 July 1991 
 
Sharks Have Pearly Teeth 
Cast: Roger Hume, Kimberley Hope, Kim Durham, Dave Mitty, Alan Devereux, Joyce Gibbs, 
Marian Kemmer 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 July 1991 
 
Fire 
Cast: Roger Hume, Ian Lindsay, Kim Durham, Patricia Gallimore, Renu Setna, Philip Molloy 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 July 1991 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
 
Episode sequence updated July 2023

Liz Parker - A Confidential Agent

A BBC Radio Crime Drama Collection

Hannah Silva

Fraser Ayres

Marcy Kahan

Neil McKay

Lavinia Murray

Alex Bulmer

Simon Wu

Amy Ng

Tara Hegarty

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

On The Edge and other stories

11 BBC Radio Thrillers

Patrick Hamilton

A collection of thrilling radio dramas from the celebrated novelist and playwright 
 
 
Patrick Hamilton is renowned for his gritty, slice-of-life tales chronicling the hopes, dreams and obsessions of London's working class in the inter-war years. This collection brings together his key pieces, together with some lesser-known classics and a bonus 2004 documentary exploring his achievements and legacy. 
 
Hangover Square - Earl's Court, 1939. With war looming, everyone is frantically pursuing a good time. But when composer George Bone becomes obsessed with beautiful, fast-living actress Netta, murder and madness ensue... This brooding adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's masterpiece stars Nicholas Farrell and Amanda Redman. 
 
Rope - Believing they have committed the perfect murder, two students throw a macabre dinner party, where the guests include the victim's father. Will anyone see through their terrible vanity? Alan Rickman and Adam Baring star in this electrifying drama, famously adapted as an Alfred Hitchcock film. 
 
Gaslight - A husband commits to driving his wealthy young wife insane in order to steal from her in this psychological drama which originated the term 'gaslighting'. Starring Barbara Jefford and Michael Kilgarriff. 
 
Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky - Patrick Hamilton's semi-autobiographical trilogy tells a story of unrequited love amid the hardship of 1920s London, and comprises The Midnight Bell, The Siege of Pleasure and The Plains of Cement. Steven Pacey, Annette Badland, John Moffatt and Emily Morgan star. 
 
The Governess - Ethel Fry takes a position as a governess in the Drew household, but when the family discovers their baby son has been abducted, the entire house is thrown under suspicion. Starring Margaret Wolfit and Helen Worth 
 
To The Public Danger - A young couple fall into the company of two reckless motorists, whose drunk-driving has fatal consequences. Ivan Samson and Arthur Young star. 
 
The Duke in Darkness - Set in the Chateau Lamorre during the 16th-century French Civil Wars, this stirring tale of imprisonment and escape stars Alec Clunes and John Moffatt. 
 
A Portrait in Black - Biographer Nigel Jones celebrates the centenary of Hamilton's birth and his skill at conjuring up a lost world of seedy boarding-houses, third-class railway compartments, dance halls and fleapit cinemas. 
 
Text copyright © Patrick Hamilton 1929 (Rope), 1935 (Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky), 1938 (Gas Light), 1939 (To the Public Danger), 1941 (Hangover Square), 1943 (The Duke in Darkness), 1946 (The Governess) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Patrick Hamilton 
 
Hangover Square 
Rope 
Gaslight 
Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky 
The Governess 
To The Public Danger 
The Duke in Darkness 
 
Extra Content: 
A Portrait in Black 
 
 
'If you were looking to fly from Dickens to Martin Amis with just one overnight stop, then Hamilton is your man' Nick Hornby 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Patrick Hamilton: Rope, Gaslight, Hangover Square and more

Seven BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions

Peter Flannery

Olivia Poulet

Laurence Dobiesz

Karen Laws

Melanie Harris

Dan Rebellato

Tim Dawson

Gemma Bedeau

Ishy Din

Derron Sandy

Kyle Hernandez

Elisha Efua Bartels

Lucy Montague Moffatt

Thirteen plays about human connection, from some of BBC Radio's best writers exploring love, family, romances and life's ups and downs 
 
This diverse collection of stories centres around family dynamics, relationships both romantic and platonic, and the diverse ways ordinary people navigate the vicissitudes of everyday life. 
 
Ranging from modern fairy tales to coming-of-age dramas, they feature a wide variety of styles, and are scripted by an array of writers from award-winning dramatists to first-time authors. Here are stories of meeting and parting; hope and heartbreak; grief and forgiveness; and the endless possibility of change. 
 
We meet the couple racing to secure their IVF treatment; the wide-eyed young Conservative whose awakening is more than just political; the teenager who discovers a secret that threatens his entire extended family; the ex-offender transformed through his friendship with a photographer, and many more captivating characters. These engrossing dramas let us venture into their worlds; giving us an intimate insight into their lives and loves. 
 
Among the casts are Jaime Winstone, Sean Gallagher, Rhea Bailey, Mina Anwar, Ciarán Griffiths and Harry McEntire. 
 
Cast and credits 
All plays are Sparklab productions for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. 
Produced by Melanie Harris and Executive Produced by Polly Thomas, Jeremy Mortimer & Jo Meek. 
 
#blessed 
Cast: Olivia Poulet, Laurence Dobiesz, Ayesha Dharker, Valmike Rampersad, Fenella Woolgar 
Written by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz. Directed by Susannah Tresilian. 
 
Indigo Children 
Cast: Lizzy Clark, Jaime Winstone, Luke Jerdy, Sylvestra Le Touzel 
Written by Hannah Silva. Directed by Jude Kelly 
 
My Life Is a Series of People Saying Goodbye 
Cast: Sean Gallagher, David Annen, Will Payne, Fenella Woolgar, Frances Grey, Jenny Jules 
Written by Dan Rebellato. Produced and Directed by Polly Thomas 
 
Not for Turning 
Cast Nicola Holt, Henry Devas, Andrew Bentley, Ashley Gerlach, Toby Hadoke 
Written by Tim Dawson. Directed by Lawrence Till 
 
The Ladies Room 
Cast: Rhea Bailey, Lisa Livingstone, Lois Chimimba 
Written by Gemma Bedeau. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Whose Baby? 
Cast: Gurjeet Singh, Mina Anwar, Perveen Hussain, George Bukhari, Sid Akbar Ali 
Written by Ishy Din. Directed by Julia Ford. 
 
1963 
Cast: Andy Clark, Curtis Appleby, Ross Waiton, Jill Dellow, Micheal Ajao 
Written by Peter Flannery. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Mr Singh 
Cast: Keegan Maharaj, Rhesa Samuel, Idrees Saleem, Tafar Lewis, Khadijah Kirton, Israel Nunes Children from the Quays Foundation, Maloney, Trinidad & Tobago. 
Written by Derron Sandy. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Aron 
Cast: Levee Rodriguez, Errol Fabien, Anand Lawkaran, Jayron Remy, Tishanna Williams, Nickolai Salcedo. Written by Kyle Hernandez. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Water More Than Flour 
Cast: Mandisa Granderson, Conrad Parris, Kimmy Stoute-Robinson, Arnold Goindham 
Written by Elisha Efua Bartels. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Karin and Andrew 
Cast: Eve Shotton, Ciarán Griffiths, Darren Kuppan, Melissa Jane Sinden 
Scripted and directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
In His Kiss 
Cast: Niamh McGowan, Harry McEntire, Kimberly Hart-Simpson 
Written by Lucy Montague Moffatt. Directed by Julia Ford 
 
The Reality Tunnel 
Cast: Sarah Miele, Sam Newton 
Written by Karen Law. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

#Blessed and other stories of love and friendship

13 BBC Radio Dramas

Edward J. Mason

A vintage BBC suspense thriller from the creator of The Archers and Dick Barton 
 
When David Conway attends a birthday party for his beautiful fiancée Pat, he expects a few drinks and a good time, but what he discovers is that his beloved is in fact in terrible danger. Following the clues, and a tip off about her missing bracelet, David and Pat are led first to a steel works, then a circus, but instead of finding the bracelet, they uncover both a body and a realisation that they have enemies - enemies who will stop at nothing to get what they want... 
 
Edward J. Mason wrote for the BBC for decades, creating the radio serials The Lady Craved Excitement, What the Butler Saw, and the world's longest running series The Archers. He later wrote for television on series including The Days of Vengeance, Flower of Evil, and Outbreak of Murder, and this thrilling production is just the adventure for listeners of Dick Barton: Special Agent, Down Payment on Death and Hand in Glove: The Casebook of Dr Wallace. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Anne Cullen 
 
Arnold Peters 
 
Bernard Rebel 
 
Chris Gittins 
 
Dudley Rolph 
 
Eddie Robinson 
 
Gerik Schelderup 
 
Harry Stubbs 
 
June Spencer 
 
Michael Ford 
 
Peter Wilde 
 
William Avenall 
 
Ysanne Churchman 
 
Written by Edward J. Mason 
Produced by Philip Garston-Jones 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio Midland Home Service: 
26 October - 30 November 1954 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Red for Danger

A BBC Radio 4 Vintage Thriller from the writer of Dick Barton

William Boyd

A collection of BBC dramatisations and readings of William Boyd's award-winning novels and short stories 
 
One of Britain's foremost contemporary writers, William Boyd is renowned worldwide for his bestselling novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. He has won numerous awards, including the Somerset Maugham Award (for A Good Man in Africa), the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (for An Ice-Cream War) and the Costa Book Award (for Restless). 
 
Collected here are the BBC radio productions of all three acclaimed books. Starring Alan Rickman Alison Steadman and Bill Paterson, A Good Man in Africa tells the satirical story of a buffoonish diplomat's struggles in a fictional West African country. In the espionage thriller Restless, it is 1976, and Ruth discovers that her very English mother, Sally, is in fact a Russian emigré and former British spy. Eileen Atkins stars as Sally, with Fenella Woolgar as Ruth. And in An Ice-Cream War, as millions face slaughter on the Western Front, British and German colonists in East Africa try to emulate their European counterparts. Nickolas Grace and William Hootkins star in this darkly comic drama. 
 
Also included are dramatisations of three of Boyd's superb short stories. 'On the Yankee Station' is a gripping tale of revenge on an American aircraft carrier; 'The Destiny of Nathalie X' features an African filmmaker's encounter with Hollywood and its grotesque inhabitants; and in the eerie 'A Haunting', a landscape architect finds himself taken over by an unseen presence. Peter Whitman, Keith Edwards, John Sessions and Maynard Eziashi are among the star casts. 
 
We conclude with five further stories, read by Ben Miles, Jonathan Firth, Bill Nighy, Niamh Cusack and Tom Goodman-Hill. 'Adult Video' features an Oxford post-graduate who 'rewinds', 'fast forwards' and 'plays' through his life; 'Varengeville' sees a young boy go exploring and meet a painter - as his mother entertains her 'friend'; 'Lunch' reveals a diner's eventful days through his restaurant receipts and pithy comments; 'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz' centres around a prostitute's encounter with a talented young pianist; and 'The Pigeon' takes us into the world of a sickly author facing romantic betrayal and family fissures. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by William Boyd 
 
Text copyright © William Boyd 1981 (A Good Man in Africa, 'On the Yankee Station'), 1982 (An Ice Cream War), 1995 ('The Destiny of Nathalie X'), 1998 ('Varengeville'), 2000 ('A Haunting'), 2004 ('Adult Video', 'Lunch', 'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz', 'The Pigeon'), 2006 (Restless) 
 
A Good Man in Africa 
Dramatised by Stephen Davis 
Directed by Richard Wortley 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 March 1985 
 
Restless 
Dramatised by Melissa Murray 
Directed by Marc Beeby 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-17 April 2009 
 
An Ice Cream War 
Dramatised by John Peacock 
Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 May-16 June 1994 
 
'On the Yankee Station' 
Adapted by William Boyd 
Directed by Richard Wortley 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 May 1985 
 
'The Destiny of Nathalie X' 
Directed by Dave Batchelor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 November 1998 
 
'A Haunting' 
Directed by Dave Batchelor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2001 
 
William Boyd - Fascination 
Abridged by Neville Teller 
Produced by Duncan Minshull 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-19 November 2004 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

William Boyd: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

A Good Man in Africa, An Ice Cream War, Restless and more

Michael McStay

The collected BBC Radio 4 crime dramas featuring Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor 
 
Like his actor namesake, Ronald Coleman is a suave, well-spoken English gentleman. But although he's a movie buff, Coleman is no film star - he's a copper, and a Detective Inspector to boot. Together with his down-to-earth Scottish partner, DS Fred Astor, he sets about solving cases on two very different patches - rural Kirkcaldy and inner-city Southampton. 
 
Death Beach sees Hollywood director Curt Zorack's film shoot interrupted by the death of one of the cast. But is it suicide or murder? In Death of a Mean Cornet, a jazz musician and old friend of Sergeant Astor is found dead of a heroin overdose. It looks like an accident, but Fred's not convinced. In Death Against the Odds, two murders in one night cause Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor to lose some sleep - and long for the days when sheep-rustling was the worst crime they had to deal with. 
 
Death of a Hooligan finds the two detectives working together at South Hants Central, and probing the suspicious death of a football fan; while in A Day at the Races, Sergeant Astor falls among thieves, and Inspector Coleman has one of his infamous hunches. In No Harm Done, the duo are faced with a wall of silence when a resident of the notorious Gantry Estate is found badly beaten. And in Fools Rush In, an IRA terrorist is released from Parkhurst prison - and promptly disappears. How is he connected to the mysterious Irishman causing parking problems on a suburban street? 
 
These enthralling crime dramas star Stephen Thorne as Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Astor, with a supporting cast including Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater and Nicholas Boulton. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Michael McStay 
Produced and directed by Jane Morgan and Ned Chaillet. Theme music by Stephen Warbeck 
Starring Stephen Thorne as Inspector Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Sergeant Astor 
 
Death Beach 
Cast: Peter Vaughan, Mary Miller, David King, Nigel Carrington, Vincent Brimble, Jonathan Oliver, James Greene, Michael McStay, Jane Whittenshaw, Sue Broomfield, Ben Onwukwe, Stephen Garlick, Nicholas Gilbrook 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 October 1990 
 
Death of a Mean Cornet 
Cast: Kate Binchy, Maria Miles, James Grant, Paul Barber, Tony Armatrading, Michael McStay, Sidney Cole, Peter Gunn, John Forgeham, Terence Edmond, David Learner, John Webb, Matthew Sim, Mark Straker, Nicholas Murchie, Jonathan Tafler 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 July 1992 
 
Death Against the Odds 
Cast: Peter Gunn, Phyllis Logan, James Warwick, Morag Hood, Elaine Collins, Diana Bishop, 
John Fleming, Pauline Yates, John Webb, David Holt, Dominic Letts 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 August 1993 
 
Death of a Hooligan 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, James Kerry, Dominic Curtis, Tom Bevan, Peter Kenny, Paul Panting, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Gareth Armstrong, James Taylor 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 16 May 1994 
 
A Day at the Races 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, John Hartley, Larry Dann, McCartney Brown, Breffni McKenna, Gareth Armstrong, David Jarvis, David Sinclair, James Taylor, 
Don McCorkindale. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 May 1994 
 
No Harm Done 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Tony Osoba, Elaine Claxton, Pauline Letts, Dexter Fletcher, Simon Schatzberger, Deborah Berlin, Toby Jones, Sidney Cole, Peter Acre, Matthew Morgan, Gavin Muir, David Jarvis, Danny Schiller, Susannah Corbett 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 May 1994 
 
Fools Rush In 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Anthony Jackson, Marianne Morley, Sally Kinghorn, Rachel Atkins, Michael Onslow, Tom Bevan, Paul Panting, Lyndham Gregory. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 June 1994 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor

Seven BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Mike Walker

A collection of dramas set in South and Central America by acclaimed dramatist Mike Walker 
 
An award-winning dramatist, author and feature writer, Mike Walker has written numerous original dramas for BBC Radio 4, including his epic chronicles Tsar, Caesar!, The Stuarts and Castle of the Hawk. Collected here are five of his gripping dramas from the 1980s and '90s, set around the Amazon rainforest and Nicaragua. 
 
Broken Wings and Bright Stars - Life in Tomas's small Brazilian fishing village hasn't changed for generations. But the old ways are dying, and few men now venture out to sea. For young Tomas, the future lies with the developers and their promise of jobs and money - so when his grandfather asks for his help building a boat, he is faced with a dilemma... Gary Cady stars as Tomas, with Michael Spice as Jose, in this first play in the Broken Wings and Bright Stars trilogy. 
 
Dull Sun, Polished Moon - American filmmaker Bill Krause leads a crew into the Amazon jungle to make a documentary about tribal life, accompanied by his friend Father Alvarro, Tomas and Javari, a Brazilian Indian. They want to record the truth - but the truth is complicated, and difficult to reconcile. This second drama in the Broken Wings and Bright Stars trilogy stars Gary Cady, Ronald Herdman, Crawford Logan and Steve Hodson. 
 
Fallen Leaves, Dead City - In this final part of the Broken Wings and Bright Stars trilogy, Tomas, desperate to make a difference, has embarked on a dangerous venture. Forced to confront the consequences of his actions, he must put aside idealism and face some harsh realities. Starring Gary Cady, Frances Jeater, Richard Pascoe and Crawford Logan. 
 
Staying Still - When Jack Lowell is not organising survival courses for unfit executives on a remote Scottish island, he is living with an indigenous tribe in the Brazilian rainforest. Then tragedy occurs and his two worlds collide. Unhinged by grief, he seeks to extract payment for his losses... Nigel Anthony and Hilary MacLean star in this haunting tale of ritual, remorse and revenge. 
 
Compañeros - Four strangers meet and decide to make a journey into the heart of Nicaragua, but when they happen upon a group of trigger-happy Contras, their nightmare begins... Starring Derek Newark, Angharad Rees, Trevor Nichols and Colin Stinton. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Mike Walker 
 
Broken Wings and Bright Stars 
Cast Gary Cady, Michael Spice, Steve Hodson, Eric Lander, Pauline Letts, Martyn Read, Anton Phillips, Crawford Logan, John Webb, Jill Lidstone, Ronald Herdman, Patience Tomlinson 
Directed by Christopher Venning. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 October 1981 
 
Dull Sun, Polished Moon 
Cast Gary Cady, Ronald Herdman, Steve Hodson, Frank Ellis, Crawford Logan, John Livesey, Stephen Thorne, Hugh Dickson 
Directed by Christopher Venning. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 April 1982 
 
Fallen Leaves, Dead City 
Cast, Richard Pascoe, Gary Cady, Frances Jeater, Beth Porter, Aaron Swartz, Ronald Herdman, Nick Reding, James Bryce, Crawford Logan, Alex Jennings, Stuart Organ, 
Henry Stamper, Michael Spice, John Livesey 
Directed by Christopher Venning. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 February 1983 
 
Staying Still 
Cast Nigel Anthony, Hilary MacLean, Bob Docherty, David Bannerman, Pavel Douglas, Patricia Gallimore, Deborah Berlin, Cornelius Garrett, Tina Gray, Richard Fleming, Aled Jones, Rachel Oldfield, Anna Rose 
Directed by Shaun MacLoughlin. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 October 1994 
 
Compañeros 
Cast Derek Newark, Angharad Rees, Trevor Nichols, Colin Stinton, Stuart Milligan, Arturo Venegas, Francisco Morales, Alan Dudley, Michael Deacon 
Directed by Peter King. First broadcast BBC Radio 4,11 January 1988 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Broken Wings and Bright Stars & other stories

Five BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramas

Malcolm Pryce

The spoof hardboiled thrillers with Wales's top private investigator dramatised by BBC Radio 
 
This marvelous collection of Malcolm Pryce's acclaimed Aberystwyth Noir radio productions are set in an alternative version of Aberystwyth, where the streets are filled with veterans of the Patagonian War (Wales's answer to Vietnam), the Druids are mob bosses, and the ice cream is... unusual, to say the least. 
 
The first play, Aberystwyth Mon Amour, sees Louie Knight, the town's top private investigator - maybe its only private investigator - in search of the schoolboys who have been vanishing with increasing frequency. To do it, he'll need all his wits about him - and the guts to stake out a Punch and Judy show, no matter the consequences... 
 
In Last Tango in Aberystwyth, Louise Knight and sidekick Calamity Jane are drawn into the seedy world of the town's 'What the Butler Saw' film industry, complete with dead ventriloquists and Druid assassins. But when Louie receives a call from his long lost love and gets news of an old enemy, what will he risk in the name of revenge? 
 
In the final play, Aberystwyth Noir - It Ain't Over Till The Bearded Lady Sings, Louie and Jane look into the death of Mr Big Top, another gunned-down victim of the Druids. It feels like trouble from the start, but that doesn't mean Louie will stop; in fact, he's half-way to the End of the Pier show before anyone knows he's even on the case. Between the balloon twister, the bearded lady, and the Amazing Mr Marmalade, will Louie discover what's really going on? Or will his nemesis, former games teacher turned lion tamer Herod Jenkins, mean Louie's end, once and for all? 
 
Featuring Richard Nicholls (News from Nowhere, Burning Both Ends), Sara Lloyd-Gregory (Tourist Trap, Doctors), and Matthew Gravelle (Broadchurch, Silent Witness), these surreal and hilarious noir thrillers will have you questioning everything you know about the beloved Welsh coastal town - and what you'd do to uncover the truth in a topsy-turvy world... 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Aberystwyth Mon Amour 
Louie Knight - Richard Nicholls 
Myfanwy Montez - Lynne Seymour 
Mrs. Llantrisant - Manon Edwards 
Calamity Jane - Stefanie Parker 
Herod Jenkins - Ysten Jones 
Meryin Jones - Matthew Gravelle 
Valentine - Lee Mengo 
DI - Kieran Self 
Love Spoon - Dorian Thomas 
Brainbox - Craig Roberts 
 
Written by Malcolm Pryce 
Adapted by Peter Morgan 
First broadcast BBC Radio Wales, 18 January - 7 February 2009 
 
Last Tango in Aberystwyth 
Louie Knight - Richard Nicholls 
Calamity Jane - Sara Lloyd-Gregory 
Gretel/Myfanwy Montez - Lynne Seymour 
Dubaul - Kieran Self 
Eeyore/Mr Marmalade - Matthew Gravelle 
Valentine/The Hotel Detective - Lee Mengo 
The Old Lady/Shop Keeper - Manon Edwards 
Other parts members of the cast 
Written by Malcolm Pryce 
Dramatised by Peter Morgan 
Directed by Nigel Lewis 
First broadcast BBC Radio Wales, 7 April - 9 April 2010 
 
 
Aberystwyth Noir - It Ain't Over Till The Bearded Lady Sings 
Louie Knight - Phylip Harries 
Calamity Jane - Catrin Stewart 
Sospan - Rhodri Meilir 
Eeyore/Harold Jenkins/Piccolino/Mr Marmalade - Matthew Gravelle 
Mrs Meirionydd - Eiry Thomas 
Mrs Tony/Pandy/Mrs Jones - Manon Edwards 
Written by Malcolm Pryce 
Produced by Kate McAll 
Directed by Kate McAll 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 May 2013 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Aberystwyth Noir: Private Detective Louie Knight

A BBC Radio 4 crime thriller series

Suk Pannu

Meera Syal stars as Slough's answer to Miss Marple: a curious Indian chef who finds herself mixed up with murder 
 
Meera Syal is Mrs Sidhu, an Indian caterer with a highly active imagination and her own brand of crime solving - enough of a brand, in fact, that the local police have a file on her 'observations'. 
 
The first series, Murder with Masala, sees Mrs Sidhu catering an upscale Berkshire wedding at Lapsley Hall, where a bridesmaid goes missing. Calling in her contact Inspector Burton, Mrs Sidhu finds herself investigating the family's playboy son, the mysterious butler, and even Lord and Lady Lucas themselves. While simultaneously dealing with her argumentative son and her wily supplier, Mrs Sidhu must uncover the truth about the whole wedding party before it's too late. 
 
In the second series, Mrs Sidhu's Dangerous Highland Game, the sleuthing chef travels up to Scotland, catering for a billionaire at a remote shooting estate. But soon the client is missing and the estate is cut off by bad weather. Will Mrs Sidhu's clues give Inspector Burton a helping hand, or a headache? And is she there to reveal the truth about Castle Tannoch - or are they all just there as quarry for an entirely different type of hunt? 
 
Starring Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me, Broadchurch), Justin Edwards (The Thick of It, In and Out of the Kitchen) and Amy Morgan (Call the Midwife, Ten Percent), Mrs Sidhu Investigates is currently being adapted for TV, and is perfect for fans of Agatha Raisin and Father Brown. 
 
Cast 
Mrs Sidhu - Meera Syal 
Josh / Inspector Burton - Justin Edwards 
Jemma / Briony - Amy Morgan 
Mr Varma / Lord Lucas - Vincent Ebrahim 
Mrs Broghan / Lady Lucas - Rachel Atkins 
Tez / Sergeant - Hamza Jeetooa 
Sir Alex / Zukhov - John Sessions 
Jane / Kirsty - Hilary Maclean 
Robert / PC Williamson - Okorie Chukwu 
Callum - Gordon Kennedy 
 
Production credits 
Written by Suk Pannu 
Edited by Leon Chambers 
Produced by Gordon Kennedy 
Directed by Marilyn Imrie 
An Absolutely Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on the following dates: 
4 October - 25 October 2017 (Murder with Masala) 
14 June - 5 July 2019 (Mrs Sidhu's Dangerous Highland Game) 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mrs Sidhu Investigates

Two BBC Radio 4 comedy crime dramas

Christopher Reason

A gripping psychological BBC drama series about a probation officer who uncovers an abuse scandal 
 
When the body of 17-year-old Jackie Shaw is found in a shallow grave, it sends shockwaves through her small West Yorkshire community. Rumours of murder and systematic sexual abuse are rife, and the town's MP, Samuel Stokes, is adding fuel to the fire with his campaign against a so-called 'Asian grooming gang'. 
 
Probation officer Rachel Collier deals with paedophiles on a daily basis: so when she hears that her teenage daughter, Chloe, has become friendly with 24-year-old Tariq, she's concerned where it might lead. But that's not her only worry: she's also struggling to deal with her husband's adultery, her feelings for her Catholic priest, Father Fitzgerald, and her new client, Peter, a sex offender whose victim was Jackie's best friend. 
 
Then three local men, the Jamali brothers, are arrested for murder. The police are confident that the gang's ringleaders are behind bars - but Peter insists that the trio are innocent, and the real perpetrators are being protected. As Rachel investigates what seems to be an establishment cover-up, she places herself and her family in danger - and discovers that nothing, and no-one, is what they seem... 
 
Written by award-winning dramatist Christopher Reason, this intriguing thriller stars Rosie Cavaliero as Rachel, with a star cast including Shaun Dooley, Shannon Flynn and Sacha Dhawan. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Christopher Reason 
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko 
 
Cast 
Rachel - Rosie Cavaliero 
Paul - Shaun Dooley 
Chloe - Shannon Flynn 
Peter - Nicholas Murchie 
Father Fitzgerald - Finlay Robertson 
Leo - Martin Savage 
Stokes - John Dougall 
Mrs Monroe/Samantha - Karen Bartke 
DJ - Catriona McFarlane 
Reporters - John Bowler &amp; Alison Belbin 
Tariq - Sacha Dhawan 
Lydia - Elizabeth Berrington 
Bishop - John Bowler 
Moz - Jayson Benovichi-Dicken 
Nikki - Katherine Rose Morley 
Newsreaders - Alison Belbin, Catriona McFarlane, John Bowler &amp; Karen Bartke 
Waiter - Gavi Singh Chera 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 February-23 March 2017 
 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inappropriate Relationships

A BBC Radio 4 Crime Drama

A comprehensive collection of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley - plus bonus documentary. 
 
Legendary actor Carleton Hobbs played the great Baker Street detective for over 17 years between 1952 and 1969, alongside Norman Shelley as Holmes's friend and companion Dr Watson. Their superb incarnations of the crime-fighting duo were exceptionally popular and are now wonderfully nostalgic. 
 
This unique collection contains the existing Sherlock Holmes dramas in chronological order of publication, each a faithful, standalone adaptation of the original tale. Of the 56 short stories in the canon, 51 are included here ('The Adventure of the Yellow Face', 'The Adventure of the Gloria Scott', 'The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger' and 'The Adventure of the Creeping Man' were never made, and 'The Adventure of the Three Students' is missing from the BBC archives). Also featured are dramatisations of the four novels: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear. Among the star casts are Grizelda Hervey, Humphrey Morton, Gudrun Ure, Sylvia Coleridge and Rolf Lefebvre. 
 
Concluding our collection is a fascinating 40-minute programme, Chosen Companions: Sherlock Holmes, in which Richard Usborne, one-time assistant editor of The Strand Magazine, selects his favourite extracts from the books (read by Carleton Hobbs) to weave together the story of Sherlock Holmes' development. 
 
NB: Due to the age and nature of some of the recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
 
Credits 
Written by Arthur Conan Doyle 
Dramatised by Michael Hardwick and Felix Felton 
Produced by Norman Wright, Val Gielgud, Martyn C Webster, Graham Gauld, Frederick Bradnum and Robin Midgley 
With thanks to Keith Wickham. 
 
First broadcast on BBC Light Programme/BBC Radio 2 12 May 1959 - 10 July 1969 
 
Contents 
A Study in Scarlet 
The Sign of the Four 
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 
- A Scandal in Bohemia 
- The Red-Headed League 
- A Case of Identity 
- The Boscombe Valley Mystery 
- The Five Orange Pips 
- The Man with the Twisted Lip 
- The Blue Carbuncle 
- The Speckled Band 
- The Engineer's Thumb 
- The Noble Bachelor 
- The Beryl Coronet 
- The Copper Beeches 
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 
- Silver Blaze 
- The Cardboard Box 
- The Stockbroker's Clerk 
- The Musgrave Ritual 
- The Reigate Squires 
- The Crooked Man 
- The Resident Patient 
- The Greek Interpreter 
- The Naval Treaty 
- The Final Problem 
The Hound of the Baskervilles 
The Return of Sherlock Holmes 
- The Empty House 
- The Norwood Builder 
- The Dancing Men 
- The Solitary Cyclist 
- The Priory School 
- Black Peter 
- Charles Augustus Milverton 
- The Six Napoleons 
- The Golden Pince-Nez 
- The Missing Three-Quarter 
- The Abbey Grange 
- The Second Stain 
His Last Bow 
- Wisteria Lodge 
- The Red Circle 
- The Bruce-Partington Plans 
- The Dying Detective 
- The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax 
- The Devil's Foot 
- His Last Bow 
The Valley of Fear 
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes 
- The Illustrious Client 
- The Blanched Soldier 
- The Mazarin Stone 
- The Three Gables 
- The Sussex Vampire 
- The Three Garridebs 
- The Problem of Thor Bridge 
- The Lion's Mane 
- Shoscombe Old Place 
- The Retired Colourman 
 
Chosen Companions: Sherlock Holmes 
Presented by Richard Usborne 
Reader: Carleton Hobbs 
Produced by Richard Keen 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 August 1970 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sherlock Holmes: The Carleton Hobbs Collection

55 Full-Cast BBC Dramatisations

Alexander McCall-Smith

The collected radio adaptations of Alexander McCall Smith's hugely popular novels, dramatised by the author himself 
 
'Must-listen... simply wonderful' The Telegraph 
 
When Precious Ramotswe receives an inheritance from her father, she decides to set up Botswana's very first private detective agency - 'for the problems of ladies, and others'. Aided by the loyal, resourceful Grace Makutsi, and multiple cups of red bush tea, she sets out to investigate cases including missing husbands, wayward wives, unscrupulous con artists and unexpected deaths. 
 
She may not be an old-school investigator like her idol, Clovis Andersen, but her warm heart, empathetic nature and common-sense approach enable her to solve the most curious of mysteries - and win the heart of gentle motor mechanic Mr JLB Matekoni... 
 
Included here are all 35 stories from the acclaimed BBC radio series, written and adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his own internationally bestselling books. These charming dramatisations are brought to life with vibrant, evocative African music and a first-rate cast, including Claire Benedict and Janice Acquah as Mma Ramotswe, Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi and Joseph Marcell and Ben Onwukwe as Mr JLB Matekoni. 
 
Written and dramatised by Alexander McCall Smith 
Produced and directed by Gaynor MacFarlane, Kirsty Williams and Eilidh McCreadie 
 
Cast 
Mma Ramotswe - Claire Benedict/Janice Acquah 
Mma Makutsi - Nadine Marshall 
Mr JLB Matekoni - Joseph Marcell/Ben Onwukwe 
Mr Polopetsi - Paterson Joseph/Steve Toussaint 
Mma Potokwani - Janice Acquah/Adjoa Andoh/Sarah Niles 
Phuti Radiphuti - Nyasha Hatendi/Jude Akuwidike 
Violet Sephotho - Anna Bengo/Sarah Niles 
Charlie - Jude Akuwudike/Tyronne Lewis/Maynard Eziashi 
Fanwell - Beru Tessema/Kedar Williams-Stirling 
With Gbemisola Ikumelo, Bhasker Patel, Ben Thomas, Peter Gevisser, Heather Imani, Tehmina Sacranie, Nancy Crane, Noma Dumezweni, Chuk Iwuji, Alibe Parsons, Emmanuel Ighodaro, Willie Jonah, William Gaminara, Aicha Kossoko, Don Warrington, Danny Sapani, Ndidi Ama, Ayesha Antoine, Sam Dale, Naomi Taylor, Mo Sesay, Babou Ceesay, Obi Abili, Eleanor Crooks, Kulvinder Ghir, Sudha Bhuchar, Amaka Okafor, Kai Francis-Lewis, Jason Barnett, Clare Perkins, Barbara Barnes, Saffron Coomber, Lorna Gayle, Debbie Korlay 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 September 2004-23 September 2019 
 
Episode list: 
The Daddy 
The Bone 
The Maid 
Tears of the Giraffe 
The Chief Justice of Beauty 
The Confession 
The Kalahari Typing School for Men 
The Admirer 
How to Handle Men through the Application of Psychology 
House of Hope 
The Return of Note 
The Ceremony 
There Is No Such Thing as Free Food 
The Best Profession for a Blackmailer 
A Very Rude Woman 
Talking Shoes 
The Miracle at Speedy Motors 
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built 
The Seller of Beds 
An Exceptionally Wicked Lady 
Canoeing for Ladies 
A Late Van Just Glimpsed 
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding 
A Man from a Far Place 
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection 
The Modern Husband Course 
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon 
The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe 
The Dish of Yesterday 
This Is Not A Rubbish Boy 
The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine 
The Fat Cattle Club 
Precious and Grace 
House of Unexpected Sisters 
The Colours of All the Cattle 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

The Complete BBC Radio Series

Ged Parsons

Christopher Marlowe turns government spy in these four comedy crime dramas 
 
Murder and intrigue are all in a day's work for Kit Marlowe, England's leading playwright and undercover agent in Her Majesty's Secret Service. Amid the squalor and splendour of Elizabethan London, he probes a series of baffling mysteries, aided by his trusty underworld accomplice Bartholomew Ratsbane. 
 
The Curious Case of the Curs'd Quayside - Two of the navy's finest warships have been mysteriously sunk while moored in harbour. Sent by spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham to investigate, can Marlowe find the saboteur before more ships are scuppered? 
 
The Turbulent Tale of the Troubl'd Tragedy - Spring, 1590, and the keen-witted spy is faced with two tricky cases. Who has stolen Mighty Meg from the Tower, and why has an unknown patron funded the worst play ever written? 
 
The Perplex'd Plot of the Perilous Plague - Fleeing the epidemic that is ravaging London, Christopher Marlowe takes refuge with Walsingham at the Palace of Whitehall. But it seems the plague has followed them to the very heart of government... 
 
The Murky Mystery of Murder at St Marks- When an eminent professor receives a death threat, Marlowe sets off to his Cambridge college to make enquiries. But no sooner has he arrived than the dons start dropping like flies. Can the murderer at large be outwitted? 
 
Dominic Jephcott stars as Marlowe in these light-hearted comic mysteries, with Bill Wallis as Ratsbane, Paul Brooke as Sir Francis Walsingham and guest appearances from Roy Hudd, Hugh Bonneville (credited as Richard Bonneville), Peter Serafinowicz and Hugh Dennis. 
 
Written by Ged Parsons 
Produced and directed by Richard Wilson 
 
Cast 
Marlowe - Dominic Jephcott 
Bartholomew Ratsbane - Bill Wallis 
Sir Francis Walsingham - Paul Brooke 
Admiral Downing/Beaumont - Garard Green 
Captain Curtis/Dr Heywood - Brian Bowles 
Captain Barnaby - Julian Dutton 
Ned Peake - Roy Hudd 
Fortescue - Simon Godley 
Trump - Lionel Jeffries 
Squires - Daniel Strauss 
Gloriana Nonsuch - Victoria Carling 
Faversham - Ronald Herdman 
Ripley - Richard Bonneville 
Dr Valentine - Hugh Dennis 
Dr Darras - Peter Serafinowitz 
Sir Hubert Sharpe - Gordon Reid 
Mistress Parker - Sarah Thomas 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-30 December 1993 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Christopher Marlowe Mysteries

Four BBC historical crime comedies

John Mortimer

An irresistible collection of sparkling stories featuring John Mortimer's beloved comic creation 
 
Horace Rumpole is the most erudite, astute, and seldom defeated of barristers in the annals of the Old Bailey. In these 32 dramas, arranged in order of broadcast, four distinguished actors don the wig and white band to portray our hero as he recalls his long, eventful career. 
 
Timothy West stars as the older Rumpole in eight cases in which he proves, despite scurrilous rumours to the contrary, that he is alive, well and as adept as ever at getting to the heart of crimes ranging from sexual assault to terrorism. He also has hopes of becoming a QC at last - but his marriage to She Who Must Be Obeyed is under pressure... 
 
Joining Timothy West for another seven legal adventures, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young, feisty, devastatingly acute Rumpole. We flash back to the 1950s, as he meets and marries Hilda, embarks on his first big murder case 'alone and without a leader', and defends clients including an aristocrat, a shoplifting clergyman and a gardener accused of blackmail. 
 
Returning as young Rumpole, Cumberbatch takes us through six more curious cases. It is 1964, and Horace takes on a new pupil - Phyllida Trant, the 'Portia of our Chambers' - only to find himself becoming smitten with her. Forced to consider the path his life has taken, he comes close to giving up the law... 
 
With the Sixties swinging, Julian Rhind-Tutt gives us a Rumpole in his prime, recounting ten tales which find the tireless defender swapping sides to appear for the prosecution; coming to the aid of a doctor accused of unprofessional conduct; and suffering the indignity of wrongful arrest. We leave him facing a life-changing decision: after many years of falling in and out of love with both women, will he finally leave Hilda to be with Phyllida? 
 
Also included is a special 90-minute Christmas episode starring Desmond Barrit, in which Rumpole indulges in a little seasonal, charitable blackmail and solves an audacious crime at the panto. 
 
Production credits 
Written by John Mortimer 
Adapted by Richard Stoneman 
Directed by Marilyn Imrie. 
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4 
Sax quartet version of Gershwin's 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' arranged by Julie Hodge and performed by 'Sax' (Luiza Beddoes, Kate Mylnar, Janine Ng and Julie Hodge) 
Pantomime music written by Neil Brand 
 
Cast 
Older Horace Rumpole - Timothy West/Desmond Barrit 
Young Horace Rumpole - Benedict Cumberbatch/Julian Rhind-Tutt 
Hilda - Prunella Scales/Joanna David 
Young Hilda - Jasmine Hyde/Cathy Sara 
Phyllida - Cathy Sara/Patience Tomlinson 
'Soapy Sam' Ballard - Michael Cochrane 
Claude Erskine-Brown - Nigel Anthony 
Fig Newton - David Shaw-Parker/Geoffrey Whitehead 
Bonny Bernard - Bruce Alexander/Nicholas Le Provost/Matthew Morgan 
Judge Bullingham - Christopher Benjamin/David Shaw-Parker/Stephen Critchlow 
Liz Probert - Elaine Claxton 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 between 25 December 2001 and 9 May 2018 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Rumpole: A BBC Radio Collection

32 BBC Radio full-cast dramas

David Ashton

Counterfeiters, spies, murderers... and Isaac Newton must use his brilliant mind to defeat them all in this pair of full-cast historical crime dramas 
 
In Master of the Mint, a new figure of justice is walking the streets of 17th-century London - Isaac Newton, scientific genius. After thirty years as a Cambridge academic, Newton takes up a new post at the Royal Mint in the Tower of London. But the work doesn't stay peaceful: soon he finds himself asking questions within drinking dens of ill-repute, in pursuit of a notorious counterfeiting gang. Can he stop their plans to set off a financial crash that will bring down the Government? 
 
In Nemesis, Isaac Newton must contend not only with opponents to his currency plans, but also with a French secret agent who is aiding the theft of England's entire supply of silver. When a wagon of silver is stolen, and his close colleague murdered, Newton must face facts: he's been betrayed. But is he able to protect his country from the same fate? 
 
From the writer of McLevy, these are fun, gripping and irresistible tales of thugs and villains, treasure and treachery, and the scientific logic which might just save an entire country... 
 
Cast 
William Gaminara - Isaac Newton 
Gunnar Cauthery - Hopton Haynes 
Kerry Gooderson - Catherine Barton (Master of the Mint) 
Laura Christy - Catherine Barton (Nemesis) 
Nicholas Tizzard - Charles Montague (Master of the Mint) 
Rick Warden - Charles Montague (Nemesis) 
Jonathan Forbes - Albert Chandler 
Michael Nardone - John Gibson 
Ryan Early - Jack Carter 
Clive Hayward - Thomas Carey 
Melody Grove - Belle Russell 
Lauren Cornelius - Mary Docherty 
Sean Murray - Elliot Miller 
Will Kirk - Jamie Wilde 
Greg Jones - Gilchrist 
Gerard McDermott - Richard Vernon/Bob Phillips (Master of the Mint) 
Neil McCaul - Richard Vernon (Nemesis) 
 
Production credits 
Written by David Ashton 
Produced and Directed by Bruce Young 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 July 2018 (Master of the Mint) and 14-15 November 2019 (Nemesis) 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Isaac Newton: Master of the Mint & Nemesis

Two BBC Radio full-cast crime dramas

The first six series of the Victorian detective drama starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond 
 
Based on the real-life memoirs of the 19th Century investigator who inspired Sherlock Holmes, Inspector James McLevy, this atmospheric mystery series features the fictional casebook of Edinburgh's finest thief-taker. Accompanied by his loyal partner, Constable Mulholland, McLevy prowls the murky streets of 1840s Leith bringing criminals to justice - assisted by the madam of Edinburgh's finest bawdy-house, the deliciously immoral Jean Brash. 
 
In this collection of thrilling episodes, he goes on the trail of an ingenious cat burglar; contemplates a game of golf with desperate stakes; and joins Her Majesty's protection squad to hunt down a deadly assassin. He also faces trouble in the shape of a runaway bridegroom and a blackmailer; probes a judge's murder as his allegedly cheating wife claims her innocence; and looks into the curious case of the Italian aristocrat found dead at Waverley station. Meanwhile, Jean Brash plans revenge on a sadistic client - but her deadly battle with the malign Caleb Grant has heartbreaking consequences... 
 
Also included is the original pilot show, introducing us to the dour detective; and a Christmas Special, in which McLevy forswears Yuletide revelry to hunt for a supernatural thief... 
 
Brian Cox stars as McLevy, with Siobhan Redmond as Jean Brash, Michael Perceval-Maxwell as Constable Mulholland, David Ashton as Lieutenant Roach and Colette O'Neill as Hannah. 
 
'Evokes Auld Reekie so vividly that you can feel the cold in your bones and the menace of the Old Town's dark corners' Financial Times 
 
Produced and directed by Patrick Rayner 
Image credit: © Pete Hambling/BBC 
 
Cast 
Inspector McLevy - Brian Cox 
Jean Brash - Siobhan Redmond 
Constable Mulholland - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
Lieutenant Roach - David Ashton 
Maguire - Stuart McQuarrie 
 
With Irene Allan, Steven Atholl, David Bannerman, Maureen Beattie, John Bett, Paul Blair, Kenny Blyth, Mark Bonnar, Carolyn Bonnyman, Ewen Bremner, Liam Brennan, Tam Dean Burn, James Bryce, Jimmy Chisholm, Andrew Clark, Sandra Clark, Tom Cotcher, Alan Cox, Susan Coyle, Carol Ann Crawford, Graham Crowden, Emma Currie, Ron Donachie, Sheila Donald, Simon Donaldson, Tom Fleming, Monica Gibb, Tom Goodman-Hill, Stella Gonet, Sandy Grierson, Shirley Henderson, Lewis Howden, Jenny Hulse, John-Paul Hurley, Molly Innes, John Kielty, Kananu Kirimi, Claire Knight, Robin Laing, Eliza Langland, Vicki Liddelle, Phyllis Logan, Bryan Lowe, Angus MacInnes, Patrick Malahide, Forbes Masson, Helen McAlpine, Clare McCarron, Mark McDonnell, John McGlynn, Robert McIntosh, David McKall, Jayne McKenna, Steven McNicoll, Anna McPhail, Andrew Neil, Jamie Newall, Colette O'Neil, James Anthony Pearson, Matthew Pidgeon, Gabriel Quigley, Malcolm Rennie, Ralph Riach, David Robb, Struan Rodger, Dominic Di Rollo, Wendy Seager, Sean Scanlan, Laura Smales, Tom Smith, John Stahl, Simon Tait, Robin Thomson, Frances Thorburn, Joanna Tope, Jim Webster-Stewart, Finlay Welsh, Tracy Wiles, Jordan Young, Paul Young, Jimmy Yuill 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 26 July 1999 (Pilot), 21 December 2000-11 January 2001 (Series 1), 19 June-10 July 2002 (Series 2), 1-22 December 2003 (Series 3), 3-24 April 2006 (Series 4), 25 December 2006 (Christmas Special), 27 January-17 February 2009 (Series 5), 21 December 2009-11 January 2010 (Series 6) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

McLevy: The Collected Series 1-6

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast crime drama

Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond star in series 7-12 of the Victorian crime drama 
 
Inspired by the real-life memoirs of Edinburgh's first detective, James McLevy, here are more fantastic fictional adventures featuring the tenacious Victorian crime-solver. Once again, McLevy and his faithful sidekick Constable Mulholland patrol the dark wynds and back alleys of 1840s Leith tracking down evildoers - aided by a surprising ally: the beautiful and resourceful brothel-keeper Jean Brash. 
 
In these collected episodes, McLevy investigates the kidnap of a women's rights campaigner, sets out to prove that a celebrated stage magician is a jewel thief; probes a series of street attacks on clients of The Just Land; and is kidnapped by a grieving father seeking vengeance for the death of his son. Plus, Jean's life hangs in the balance when she is poisoned by a mystery assailant; Mulholland is challenged to a duel; and the new docks in Leith threaten to change McLevy's life forever... 
 
Also included is Meet James McLevy, a 2016 remake of the original pilot episode, in which the idiosyncratic detective investigates the demise of a bank manager found dead and naked by the Water of Leith. 
 
Brian Cox stars as McLevy, with Siobhan Redmond as Jean Brash, Michael Perceval-Maxwell as Mulholland, David Ashton as Roach and Colette O'Neill as Hannah. 
 
'Everything afternoon radio was invented for' The Guardian 
 
Produced and directed by Bruce Young 
Image credit: © Pete Hambling/BBC 
 
Cast 
Inspector McLevy - Brian Cox 
Jean Brash - Siobhan Redmond 
Constable Mulholland - Michael Perceval-Maxwell 
Lieutenant Roach - David Ashton 
 
With Irene Allan, David Ashton, Kenny Blyth, Charlene Boyd, Simon Bubb, Tam Dean Burn, James Bryce, John Buick, Stewart Campbell, Jimmy Chisholm, Ben Clifford, Sarah Collier, Tony Cownie, Alan Cox, Ali Craig, Carol Ann Crawford, Nicola Jo Cully, Emma Currie, Simon Donaldson, Mark Edel-Hunt, Brian Ferguson, Keiran Gallacher, Teresa Gallagher, Kim Gerard, Stella Gonet, Richard Greenwood, Sandy Grierson, Melody Grove, Alasdair Hankinson, Colin Harris, Jessica Hardwick, Victoria Inez Hardy, Leslie Hart, David Hayman, Kathryn Howden, Lewis Howden, Robert Jack, Patricia Kavanagh, John Kazek, Samuel Keefe, Cara Kelly, John Kielty, Rikki Lawton, Vicki Liddelle, Crawford Logan, Cal MacAninch, Edith MacArthur, Helen Mackay, Forbes Masson, Martin McBride, Sarah McCardie, Matt McClure, Gemma McElhinney, Tony McGeever, Robert McIntosh, Jayne McKenna, Finlay McLean, Steven McNicoll, Gavin Mitchell, Alexander Morton, Colette O'Neil, Grant O'Rourke, Brian Pettifer, Matthew Pidgeon, Gayanne Potter, Stewart Porter, Daniel Portman, Carl Prekopp, Derek Riddell, David Rintoul, Alex Rivers, David Robb, Iain Robertson, Hugh Ross, Douglas Russell, Sean Scanlan, John Shedden, Ashley Smith, John Stahl, Simon Tait, Nicholas Tizzard, Anita Vettesse, Lizzy Watts, Owen Whitelaw, Tracy Wiles, James Young, Jordan Young, Paul Young 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 2 March-23 March 2011 (Series 7), 29 November-20 December 2011 (Series 8), 26 November-17 December 2012 (Series 9), 18 February-11 March 2014 (Series 10), 15 December 2015-5 January 2016 (Series 11), 8 October 2016 (Meet James McLevy), 10-13 October 2016 (Series 12) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

McLevy: The Collected Series 7-12

Laurence Mason

Laurence 'Lol' Mason's spin-off homage to Dick Barton, following the adventures of the unretirable special agent and his doctor son 
 
A thrilling saga of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure, Edward J. Mason's Dick Barton: Special Agent was a huge hit on the BBC Light Programme between 1946 and 1951. Together with his mates Jock Anderson and Snowy White, ex-Commando Dick faced dastardly villains and deadly peril - but always triumphed ('With one bound, Dick was free!') Half a century later, Edward J's son Lol paid affectionate tribute to the much-loved radio hero with this sparkling pastiche, featuring the joint escapades of father-and-son duo Dick and Richard Barton. 
 
Recuperating after an operation, the elderly crimefighter comes to stay with his GP son and daughter-in-law Sally in their sleepy rural village. Peace and quiet is what the doctor orders, so Dick settles down to get some rest and write his memoirs. But soon, mysterious parallels emerge between past and present, as Dick's old adventures start to echo events in Appledon... 
 
Robert Bathurst stars as Richard Barton, with Sally Phillips and Matilda Ziegler as Sally, Moray Watson as Dick Barton, Julian Dutton as his younger self and Iain Cuthbertson as Jock. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lol Mason 
Produced by Jo Clegg 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 October 1997 (Pilot), 17 April-15 May 1998 (Series 1) 
 
Cast 
Richard Barton - Robert Bathurst 
Old Dick/Old Leslie - Moray Watson 
Jock - Iain Cuthbertson 
Young Dick/Young Leslie - Julian Dutton 
Sally Barton - Sally Phillips/Matilda Ziegler 
Mrs Cadwalladder - Ann Beach/Doreen Mantle 
Fassbinder - Kim Wall 
Colin Meadows - Wayne Forester/Julian Dutton 
Kenwood-Gore/Gordini - David Daker 
Dr Willoughby - Joss Ackland 
Marge - Carolyn Jones 
Dr Adebile - Adjoa Andoh 
 
With Roger Blake, Tim Whitnall and Fiona Allen 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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