5ive Guys FC

82ASK

A A Gill

Andrew Swanston read law at Cambridge, but was inspired to write by his lifelong interest in early modern history. His Thomas Hill novels – The King’s Spy, The King’s Exile and The King’s Return – are set against the backdrops of the English Civil War, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the early Restoration respectively. He is also the author of Waterloo: The Bravest Man and Beautiful Star and Other Stories. His first historical thriller set during the reign of Elizabeth I – Incendium (published in paperback as The Incendium Plot) – introduced readers to the academic, lawyer and intelligencer Dr Christopher Radcliff, whose adventures continue in Chaos. Andrew Swanston lives in Surrey.

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

A. J. BAIME is the New York Times best-selling author of The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War and Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Both books are in development for major motion pictures. Baime is a longtime regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Popular Science, and Men’s Journal. He lives in Granite Bay, California. Visit him at facebook.com/ajbaime and trumanbook.com.

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

Anthony James Pollard is a British medieval historian, specialising in the fifteenth century and in particular the Wars of the Roses. A leading authority in the field, he is profesor emeritus of Teesside University. His books include North-Eastern England during the Wars of the Roses, Richard III and the Princes in theTower, Imagining Robin Hood: the Late Medieval Stories in Historical Context and Warwick the kingmaker: Politics, Power and Fame.

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

A K Benjamin is a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of Let Me Not Be Mad: A Story of Unravelling Minds.

A K Benjamin

A. L. Berridge read English at Oxford, and taught for ten years before moving into television, where her production credits range from period drama and thrillers to long-running soaps. She has written two previous novels, Top Ten besteller Honour and the Sword and In the Name of the King. Into the Valley of Death is her third novel.

A L Berridge

Alison Gaylin's first job was as a reporter for a celebrity tabloid, which sparked a lifelong interest in writing about people committing despicable acts. More than a decade later, she wrote and published her Edgar-nominated first novel, HIDE YOUR EYES. 
 
She's since published nine more books, including the USA Today and international bestselling Brenna Spector suspense series, which has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Thriller awards and won the Shamus award. 
 
She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter, cat and dog.

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

A.S. Webb is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of Chaos, the first instalment of The Dark Pantheon Trilogy. She is inspired by stories rooted in history and mythology, that push the boundaries of imagination and urge us to reflect on what it means to be human.

A S Webb

A. A. Dhand is the author of six previous novels, and has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His DI Harry Virdee novels are currently being adapted for TV by the BBC. He was raised in Bradford and spent his youth observing the city from behind the counter of a small convenience store. After qualifying as a pharmacist, he worked in London and travelled extensively before returning to Bradford to start his own business and begin writing. The history, diversity and darkness of the city have inspired all his novels. For more information about A. A. Dhand and his books, follow him on X @aadhand, and on Instagram @aa_dhand.

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

Professor A. C. Grayling is Principal of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He has written and edited over thirty books on philosophy, history, science and current affairs. For several years he wrote columns for the Guardian newspaper and The Times and was the chairman of the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

A. C. Grayling

A.D. Miller is the author of Snowdrops, The Earl of Petticoat Lane and The Faithful Couple. Snowdrops was a bestseller and was shortlisted for many prizes including the Man Booker and the CWA Gold Dagger. It was translated into 25 languages. As Moscow Correspondent of The Economist A.D. Miller has travelled across the former Soviet Union and covered the Orange Revolution in Ukraine; he is now the magazine’s Culture Editor based in London. 
 
admillerbooks.com

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

A. Igoni Barrett was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 1979 and lives in Lagos. He is a winner of the 2005 BBC World Service short story competition, the recipient of a Chinua Achebe Center Fellowship, a Norman Mailer Center Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Residency. His short story collection, Love is Power, or Something Like That, was published in 2013. In 2014 he was named on the Africa39 list of sub-Saharan African writers under 40. Blackass is his first novel.

A. Igoni Barrett

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Euripides

A selection of Euripides’ renowned Greek tragedies, adapted for BBC Radio 
 
Acclaimed by Aristotle as ‘the most tragic of the poets’, Euripides was one of the pre-eminent playwrights of 5th century Athens. Included here are seven of his masterpieces: powerful, shocking tales of passion, suffering and revenge that still resonate with us today. Among the star casts are Maxine Peake, Richard Dormer, Roger Allam, Olympia Dukakis, Christine Bottomley, Timothy West, Siân Phillips, Emma Fielding and Anton Lesser. 
 
The Women of Troy – Troy has fallen. The great city is destroyed, its men slaughtered and its women held captive: among them, Hecuba and her daughters... In Linda Marshall Griffith’s contemporary reimagining of Euripides’ compelling anti-war play, journalist Sappho leads a chorus of women as they record and broadcast their testimonies on social media for the world to witness. 
 
Iph... – Colin Teevan’s forceful, vigorous version of Iphigeneia at Aulis sees the Greek leader Agamemnon facing a horrifying choice. With the Greek fleet becalmed at Aulis, should he sacrifice Iphigeneia to the gods for a fair wind to Troy, or save his beloved daughter at the cost of his honour? 
 
Alcestis – When the gods insist that King Admetos must die, his devoted wife Alcestis offers herself in his place and goes to the grave in his stead. Can the hero Heracles rescue her from Death’s clutches? 
 
Hecuba – Having watched the rape and pillage of Troy, the widowed, enslaved Trojan queen learns that her daughter is to be sacrificed to the spirit of Achilles, and her youngest son has been murdered by the man who was meant to protect him. Grief-stricken, she vows to take vengeance… An elegant, fierce rendering by Timberlake Wertenbaker of Euripides’ controversial classic. 
 
Hippolytus – Angered that Theseus’ illegitimate son refuses to worship her, the goddess Aphrodite swears revenge. Using her divine power, she causes Theseus’ wife Phaedra to fall desperately in love with Hippolytus – and condemns them both to death… 
 
The ‘Ion’ of Euripides – Young temple slave Ion has grown up believing himself an orphan. When he meets Queen Kreousa, who was raped by Apollo and forced to give up the resulting child, he discovers his true parentage – but is he destined to die at the hands of his mother? 
 
The Medea of Euripides – Abandoned by her faithless husband, Jason, the vengeful sorceress Medea determines to punish him. Driven by ruthless, cold-blooded rage, she plots to kill his new bride – and murder her own children... 
 
NB: Contains strong language 
 
The Women of Troy 
 
Iph... 
 
Alcestis 
 
Hecuba 
 
Hippolytus 
 
The ‘Ion’ of Euripides 
 
The Medea of Euripides 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Euripides’ Greek Tragedies: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

The Women of Troy, Medea, Alcestis and more

Marty Cullen

Marty Cullen’s song and story-filled odyssey around UlsterIreland’s northernmost province has a rich history of music and storytelling. From the towering mountains of the borderlands, to the barren hills of Donegal; tales of things human and mythical are told through poetry, recitation and song, leaping from the landscape into the listener’s imagination. In these two series, presenter Marty Cullen takes a literary and musical journey around his homeland, introducing us to the traditional songs and stories that have been passed down through the ages and talking to the next generation to carry this torch.Songs of Ulster sees him travelling across six counties to meet talented emerging artists who step outside the studio to perform unaccompanied, singing folk songs rooted in their locality. He listens to the traditional come all ye’s, laments and ditties of Armagh; the local favourites from the land of ghosts and giants, Tyrone; the songs of pain and promise that reflect the beauty of Fermanagh; and the familiar chants from West of the Bann. In Down, he hikes from coast to summit to hear ballads of highwaymen and unrequited love, and in Antrim, he discovers a region of emerald glens and lyrical weavers, where the songs of the county fuel the passion of its people.In Stories of Ulster, Marty mingles with traditional storytellers from around the province to hear legends of fairy folk, gods, fighters, bandits and ghosts – alongside more down-to-earth border tales of sly characters, sausage smuggling and homemade veterinary surgeries. Here are stories of a selkie’s return to the sea; Cú Chulainn’s playboy antics; rapparees, resurrections and restless souls; and rural yarns featuring a swinging plough, a wily butcher and a quick-witted, risk-taking Monaghan man...Production creditsPresented by Marty CullenSongs of Ulster featuring: Eileen McKee, Sinead Murphy, Pearse McMahon, Oonagh Mc Ardle, Cathal O'Neill, Niall Hanna, Julie-Ann McCaffery, Damian McKenna, Maria Maguire, Dermot Mulholland, Emma Lusby, Jack Warnock, Sinead Rooney, Ciara McCrickard, Jennifer Orr, Mairead and Ethlinn Walls, and Meabh MeirStories of Ulster featuring: Steve Lally, Bernadette Layden, Joe Brennan, Frances Quinn, Madeline McCully, Niamh Daly, Doreen McBride, Tony McMinn, Terry Conlon and Frank McCarronFirst broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on the following dates:Songs of UlsterArmagh 14 May 2017Tyrone 21 May 2017Fermanagh 28 May 2017West of the Bann 4 June 2017Down 11 June 2017Antrim 18 June 2017Stories of UlsterOf Fairy Folk and Magical Beings 31 March 2019Of Gods and Fighting Men 7 April 2019Of Rapparees and Resurrections 14 April 2019Of Yarns and Tall Tales 21 April 2019© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Songs and Stories of Ulster

A BBC Radio Series

Nikos Kazanthzakis

Nikos Kazantzakis’ two most popular novels, adapted for BBC RadioNikos Kazantzakis is widely regarded as the greatest Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 14 times, and his works have been translated into over 50 languages. Included here are dramatisations of his two most famous and influential novels, both of which were adapted as hit films and became cultural phenomena.Zorba the Greek – When writer Nikos meets the irrepressible Zorba, his life is transformed. A grizzled, gregarious Greek hero, Zorba embraces every experience and adventure that life has to offer. As he befriends the young, intellectual Nikos, he introduces him to the real meaning of a life well lived… A moving coming-of-age tale and a classic story of heart vs head, this atmospheric adaptation stars Robert Stephens, Michael Maloney and Mary Wimbush.The Last Temptation – Starring John Hurt and Dame Judi Dench, this 1973 archive drama is based on Kazantzakis' controversial 1955 novel, banned by the Vatican but hailed by critics as a masterpiece. A powerful, passionate account of the days preceding Christ’s death, it explores his humanity, his divinity and the roles of Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot in fulfilling his destiny.Zorba the Greek © Nikos Kazantzakis 1952, © Helen Kazantzakis 1958The Last Temptation © 1961 Helen N KazantzakisProduction creditsWritten by Nikos KazantzakisZorba the GreekZorba – Robert StephensNikos – Michael MaloneyHortense – Mary WimbushMavrondoni – Terry MolloyMimiko – Dominic TaylorAnagnosti/Zacharias – Roger HumeAndonis – Peter MeakinMad Woman/Mourner – Hedli NiklausVilla Girl/Girl – Judy BennettZacharias – Roger HumeFather Demetrios – Paul WebsterWidow – Marian KemmerDramatised by Nick McCartyProduced by Phillip MartinFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 December 1993The Last TemptationNarrator – Gabriel WoolfRabbi Simeon – John RuddockJesus – John HurtMary – Diana BishopCenturion – Vernon JoynerJudas – David BuckPeter – Walter HallMary Magdalene – Judi DenchBarabbas – John RoweGuestmaster – Timothy BatesonSaul – Peter WilliamsMelchizadek – Rolf LefebvreSimon of Cyrene/Monk – William SleighAbbot – Clive SwiftAndrew – Peter CrazeZebedee/Man in the crowd – Brian HainesThe Baptist/Man in the crowd – Haydn JonesThe Tempter – Heron CarvicWomen in the crowd – Julie Hallam & Betty Huntley-WrightMan in the crowd – David TimsonTranslated and adapted by Andreas Stavrou and Hallam TennysonMusic specially composed by Elizabeth Poston and conducted by Peter MarchbankAdditional singers: Veronica Lucas, Colin Appleton, Richard Bourne, Sandra Clark, Hilda Schroder, William Eedle, Fraser Kerr, David SinclairProduced by Richard WortleyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16-23 September 1973© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Zorba the Greek & The Last Temptation

Two BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

Gareth Jones

Full-cast dramatisation of the hot-blooded historical romance set in 18th century Wales 
 
&lsquo;Jones has a talent for writing natural witty dialogue&hellip;&rsquo; Best Sellers 
Sworn allegiances, cruel punishments, broken hearts, shattered dreams and ancient magic make for an utterly spellbinding listen in this full-cast adaptation of Gareth Jones&rsquo;s masterful novel.1745. 18th century Wales is a land that time forgot. The burden of squalid poverty and the power of medieval superstition is writ large on the landscape as the adventurer, womaniser and dreamer Gruffydd comes to reclaim his birthright after the Jacobite Rebellion drives out George II. Hoping to deliver his people from the brutal control of a dissolute overlord, the local Squire Sir John Ffowlke, Gruffydd settles in the village of Cwmystwyth. Unrecognised, he becomes the local conjurer on whose magical powers the desperate villagers soon come to depend. Boldly, he fights for a vision of the future where they are free from the feudal chains that bind them.But Gruffydd is surrounded by enemies. Charisma may not be enough to keep him alive and if his people see through him, he may be faced with a bloody reckoning. The conflicting forces within the village of Cwmystwyth must be overcome if Gruffydd is to be able to unite the downtrodden community and guide its inhabitants towards freedom and a new life. Can any good come of a lie, however inspired?This powerful dramatisation of the novel by Gareth Jones is brought to life by Philip Madoc and Peter Halliday. Immerse yourself in the mystery, superstition, power and lust of a world long gone.Cast and creditsWritten by Gareth JonesDirected by Adrian MourbyProduced by BBC WalesGruffydd - Philip MadocIolo - Loan MeredithSir John Ffowlke - Peter HallidayMadlen - Meg Wynn OwenMari - Beth Morris Rhiannon Bevan - Lisabeth MilesHywel Bevan - Robert BlytheMihangel - Gareth SnookRachel - Donna EdwardsHannah - Adrian T FurseTalbot - Graham BlockeyCol Johnes - James BensonGwilym Brewer/Horseman - Dorien ThomasOld Thomas/Barnabas - Dillwyn OwenThomas Jenkins - Gareth ArmstrongJailer/Tollgate Keeper - David CharlesThomas Powell - Gerald JamesMorgan Brewer - Maurice ElliottLandlords daughter/Lissi Gillian - Gillian Elisa ThomasAmaranth - Helen RobertsRingmaster - Dorian Thomas Buddug - Di Botcher Sian - Rhian Morgan First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 Feb &ndash; 6 Apr 1986&copy;2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lord of Misrule

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

Sophocles

A collection of full-cast dramatisations of Sophocles&rsquo; finest Greek tragedies 
 
One of the three great tragic playwrights of ancient Greece, Sophocles wrote over 120 plays during his 60-year career, though only seven survive today. The most famous of these are the Theban Plays, all three of which are included in this collection alongside adaptations of Electra and Philoctetes, brought to life by celebrated writers, poets, and playwrights. 
 
The Thebans &ndash; Translated and dramatised by acclaimed playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, this epic cycle follows the fortunes of Oedipus and his daughter Antigone, in three thrilling dramas of bloody acts, family feuds, justice, power and fate. Oedipus Tyrannos sees the King of Thebes setting out to discover the murderer of the former King, Laius &ndash; but his investigations lead him to a devastating conclusion. In Oedipus at Kolonus, the blind, elderly Oedipus, exiled from Thebes, arrives at his journey&rsquo;s end in Kolonus to face his fate. Will he finally be absolved by the gods and find redemption? And in Antigone, King Kreon, the new ruler of Thebes, threatens death to anyone who buries the body of Antigone&rsquo;s traitorous brother. But for Antigone, her family&rsquo;s honour means more than life itself... 
 
The Cure at Troy &ndash; Adapted by Nobel Prize&ndash;winning poet Seamus Heaney, this powerful version of Sophocles&rsquo; Philoctetes tells the story of the wounded hero, abandoned for ten years on an uninhabited island. Embittered and conflicted, Philoctetes is forced to choose between his need for vengeance and acceptance of his destiny. 
 
Electra &ndash; Grief-stricken after the murder of her father Agamemnon, Electra is consumed by a desire for revenge. When her brother, Orestes, returns, Electra's fury explodes without mercy, leading to a bloody and terrifying conclusion. This classic tale of power and revenge was adapted by award-winning playwright Frank McGuinness, and features music by PJ Harvey. 
 
With star casts including Fiona Shaw, Kenneth Cranham, Brendan Gleeson, Jude Akuwudike, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Rea and Diana Quick, these gripping dramas share Sophocles&rsquo; complex tales of love, honour and betrayal for a modern-day audience, enabling us to see these ancient Greek tragedies through fresh eyes. 
 
Cast and Credits 
 
The Thebans 
John Lynch, Fiona Shaw, Michael Feast, Kenneth Cranham, Nadine Marshall, Vinette Robinson, Jude Akuwudike, William Ash, Adrian Bower, Russell Dixon, Brigit Forsyth, Deborah McAndrew, James Nickerson, Sarah Parks, Stuart Richman, and Declan Wilson 
 
Translated and adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker 
Produced and directed by Nadia Molinari 
Singer/Oboist: Belinda Sykes 
Percussionist: Martin Allen 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Dec 2006 
 
The Cure at Troy 
Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson, Ian McElhinney, Anna Healy, Lalor Roddy, John Hewitt 
 
Adapted by Seamus Heaney 
Directed by Pam Brighton 
Music: Donal Lunny 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 1 Sep 1991 
 
Electra 
Peter Wight, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Julia Dearden, Golda Rosheuvel, Thalissa Teixeia, Liz White, Diana Quick, Tyrone Huggins 
 
Adapted by Frank McGuinness 
Directed by Ian Rickson 
Produced by Nadia Molinari 
Co-produced by The Old Vic and Sonia Friedman Productions 
Music composed by PJ Harvey 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 8 Mar 2015 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sophocles’ Greek Tragedies: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Oedipus, Antigone, Electra and more

Colin Haydn Evans

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

Tales from the Arabian Nights

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Kate Clanchy

Five dazzling plays showcasing characters from the reign of biblical King David 
 
In these fascinating, moving and insightful plays, a different light is shone on the famous biblical King. From the original mission of King Saul to find the shepherd boy after Samuel's prophecy, to David's final days of sickness and neglect, and taking in his days of war raids and spying as well as his loves and losses as his wives battle for status and attention, the tales bring to life a man who all too often is a figure of myth rather than a flawed and passionate human. 
 
Featuring a rich cast including Sheridan Smith (The Royale Family, Cilla, Gavin & Stacey), Linda Bassett (Call the Midwife, Lark Rise to Candleford), David Calder (The Lovecraft Investigations, Conclave), Claire Rushbrook (Whitechapel, Secrets & Lies), Adam Levy (Industry, The Witcher) and Christopher Godwin (The Dig, The Miniaturist). 
 
True Anointed 
Eleazar - David Calder 
David - Adam Levy 
Goliath - Ewan Bailey 
Saul - Gerard Murphy 
Samuel - John Bennett 
Jesse - David Timson 
Agag - Christopher Godwin 
Michal - Claire Rushbrook 
Other parts were played by Sarah Paul and Carl Prekopp 
Music by Sylvia Hallett 
Musicians - Dirk Campbell, Paul Clarvis, Sylvia Hallett 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
 
Hazar's Chicken 
Bone - Tony Marshall 
David - Adam Levy 
Abner - David Timson 
Hazar - Ewan Bailey 
Abigail - Helen Longworth 
Saul - Gerard Murphy 
Jonathan - Carl Prekopp 
Head Man - Christopher Godwin 
Music by Sylvia Hallett 
Musicians - Dirk Campbell, Paul Clarvis, Sylvia Hallett 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
 
The Loved One 
Anat - Ann Mitchell 
Young Anat - Gemma Saunders 
Saul - Gerard Murphy 
Abaiathar - Ewan Bailey 
Sweet - David Timson 
Samuel - John Bennett 
Eleazar - David Calder 
Music by Sylvia Hallett 
Musicians - Dirk Campbell, Paul Clarvis, Sylvia Hallett 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed by David Hunter 
 
Michal, Saul's Daughter 
Eglah - Sheridan Smith 
Michal - Claire Rushbrook 
Abigail - Caroline Langrishe 
Servant - Ewan Bailey 
Music by Sylvia Hallett 
Musicians - Dirk Campbell, Paul Clarvis, Sylvia Hallett 
Written by Kate Clanchy 
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
 
 
Abishag the Virgin 
Bathsheba - Linda Bassett 
Abishag - Alison Pettitt 
Nathan - Christopher Godwin 
David - David Timson 
Music by Sylvia Hallett 
Musicians - Dirk Campbell, Paul Clarvis, Sylvia Hallett 
Written by Kate Clanchy 
Directed by David Hunter 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
15 January - 12 February 2002 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Kings

Five BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramas

Sebastien Baczkiewicz

Rachel Joyce

Peter Jukes

A trilogy of contemporary plays inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights 
 
The Casper Logue Affair by Sebastian Baczkiewicz: An absurd black comedy thriller, set in Baghdad. Junior diplomat Bob Goldacre is in trouble: the American businessman he was looking after has vanished from a Baghdad street. As the suspects pile up, Goldacre is going to have his work cut out if he wants to save his career and make sure that justice is done. 
 
The Porter and the Three Ladies by Rachel Joyce: It is time for Shahrazad to tell another tale to save her life. In this story within a story, we find out that if Joe doesn't find the exclusive to satisfy his ruthless editor, he will lose his job. He finds three beautiful women in Damascus but what is the truth behind their secret life? 
 
A Dish of Pomegranates by Peter Jukes: Shared roots and scattered families in the melting pot of modern Jerusalem. Tired after a stressful trip, Ajib is stopped by security officers as he tries to fly out of Ben Gurion airport on his way home to the U.S. They don't think his story adds up. Can he make them believe him? And does he actually know the whole story himself? 
 
 
The Casper Logue Trilogy 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz 
Directed and produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar: Kevork Malikyan 
Aseera: Betsabeh Emran 
Rahim: Sargon Yelda 
Goldacre: Trevor White 
Hammond: Bruce Alexander 
Casper: Nathan Osgood 
Kindermann: Rufus Wright 
Carlton: John Biggins 
Charlene: Alison Pettit 
 
The Porter and the Three Ladies 
Written by Rachel Joyce 
Directed by Tracey Neale 
Produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar: Kevork Malikyan 
Joe: Stephen Tompkinson 
Margot: Joanna Monro 
Mira: Indira Varma 
Affyah: Jasmine Jones 
Juliba: Melissa Advani 
 
A Dish of Pomegranates 
Written by Peter Jukes 
Directed by Mary Peate 
Produced by Abigail le Fleming 
 
Cast 
Shahrazad: Sirine Saba 
Shahrayar / Vardan: Kevork Malikyan 
Ajib: William El-Gardi 
Orit: Betsabeh Emran 
Rafi: Zubin Varla 
Howard: Allan Corduner 
Julia: Keely Beresford 
Café Owner: Stefan Kalipha 
Tawfik / Trader 2: Mozaffar Shafeie 
Trader 1 / Flight Attendant: David Seddon 
Protestor: Rufus Wright 
 
Originally broadcast in March 2010. 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Arabian Afternoons

Three full-cast dramas inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights

Jatinder Verma

Claudia Mayer

Amber Lone

Full-cast dramatised retellings of the two most important epic Sanskrit poems of ancient India 
 
The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are literary classics, the longest epic poems in world literature, as significant as the Bible, the Qu'ran and the works of Shakespeare. Estimated to have been composed over a period of time around the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, they encompass some of the greatest stories ever told - tales of the deeds of gods and men, and the eternal battle between good and evil. Included here are full-cast BBC Radio adaptations of both, directed by award-winning producer Claire Grove and with original music by acclaimed composer Niraj Chag. 
 
Viewed from the perspective of one of the central characters, Yudhishtra, The Mahabharata recounts the struggles of a divided family as they fight over their inheritance and destroy the very thing they seek most - a peaceful and harmonious land. Exiled for 13 years, Yudhishtra knows his cousin will never give up the throne. War is inevitable - but which side will Krishna be on? Paul Battacharjee, Nitin Ganatra and Raad Rawi star in this intimate, accessible reimagining by Jatinder Verma and Claudia Mayer. 
 
One of the world's most popular love stories, The Ramayana centres around the separation and reunion of Rama and Sita. When Sita first glimpses the beautiful Prince Rama, she determines to marry him or die. She wins his heart - but his stepmother's plot sees him banished from his position as heir to the throne. Exiled, he retreats to the forest, where Sita is abducted by a ruthless warlord. Rama enlists the help of an army of monkeys to get her back - but has she betrayed him with the evil ruler of Lanka? Manjinder Virk stars as Sita, with Lloyd Thomas as Rama in Amber Lone's distinctive modern version of the ancient legend. 
 
Also included is the 5-part series Let's Talk About Rama and Sita, in which award-winning poet and broadcaster Daljit Nagra takes stories from The Ramayana into his community and finds the ancient tales alive with contemporary Asian dilemmas. Are Rama and Sita useful role models for men and women nowadays? How is the duo's relationship relevant to marriage today? And what lessons can the Indian epic teach us about loyalty and betrayal? 
 
Produced and directed by Claire Grove 
Music composed by Niraj Chag 
 
The Mahabharata 
Yudhishtra - Paul Bhattacharjee 
Krishna - Nitln Ganatra 
Bhishma - Raad Rawi 
Dhirtrashtra - Sam Dale 
Duryodhana - Zubln Varla 
Arjuna - Paul Bazely 
Bhima - Danny Sapani 
Draupadi - Sasha Behar 
Gandhari - Sudha Buchar 
Kunti - Indira Joshi 
Shakuni - Jude Akuwudike 
Uttara - Saikat Ahamed 
Dramatised by Jatinder Verma and Claudia Mayer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4-18 February 2007 
 
The Ramayana 
Sita - Manjinder Virk 
Rama - Lloyd Thomas 
Lakshman - Adeel Aktar 
Ravan - Paul Bhattacharjee 
Surparnaka - Sasha Behar 
Dasarath/Sugreeva - Jude Akuwudike 
Sister/Mandodari - Deeivya Meir 
Bharat - Saikat Ahamed 
Hanuman - Kulvinder Ghir 
Kush - Omar Kent 
Lava - Neil Reynolds 
Dramatised by Amber Lone 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 October-7 November 2010 
 
Let's Talk About Rama and Sita 
Presented by Daljit Nagra 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24-28 February 2014 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Mahabharata and The Ramayana

Two full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations based on the classic Indian epics

David Wade

An epic BBC historical drama based on Iceland's famous saga of tragedy, heroism and fate 
 
Written by an anonymous storyteller in the 13th Century, and describing events between 960 and 1020, Njáls saga is one of the great works of medieval literature. The longest and most celebrated of the Icelandic sagas, it deals with family honour, vengeance, and a vicious blood feud spanning almost 50 years. 
 
Based on the classic translation by Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Pálsson, this gripping dramatisation centres around two friends - the wise, learned Njal, and the brave warrior Gunnar. Gifted with the ability to see into the future, Njal can foretell his own death - but he is powerless to stunt the growth of the tree of strife that flourishes after Gunnar's betrothal to Hallgerd with the thief's eyes. 
 
Embroiled in his wife's intrigues, Gunnar is caught in a cycle of killings and revenge - and as Njal's sons are drawn into this web of violence, tragedy ensues. Bound by ties of blood, and unable to escape their destiny, Gunnar, Njal, and their descendants seem doomed to an endless vendetta. Even the coming of a new faith, Christianity, fails to halt the conflict- and as brother turns upon brother, will peace ever be restored? 
 
Adapted by veteran dramatist David Wade, this gripping tale vividly evokes Iceland's heroic age. Thronged with action, passion, power struggles and prophetic dreams, it features a host of vividly-drawn characters, and stars Bernard Hepton as Njal, Struan Rodger as Gunnar and Maureen O'Brien as Hallgerd. 
 
Production credits 
Dramatised by David Wade from a translation by Magnus Magnusson and Herman Palsson 
Music by David Chilton and Nick Russell-Pavier 
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
 
Cast 
Narrators - Norman Rodway &amp; Barbara Jefford 
Njal Thorgeirsson - Bernard Hepton 
Gunnar Hámundarson- Struan Rodger 
Hallgerd Long-Legs- Maureen O'Brien 
Ahdli/Thorgeir Otkelsson - Ian Targett 
Bergthóra, Njal's wife - Maggie McCarthy 
Unn - Anna Cropper 
Skarphedin Njalsson - Robert Glenister 
Helgi Njalsson/Otkel Skarfsson - Vincent Brimble 
Greem Njalsson - Andrew Branch 
Brynjolv/Hoskuld Dala-Kollsson/Gayrmund - John Bull 
Hrut Herjolfsson/Ketill/Thorgeir - David King 
Kolskegg Gunnarsson - David Goudge 
Thord Freemansson/Hocni Gunnarsson - Paul Downing 
Thrain Sigfusson - John Church 
Mord Valgardsson - Shaun Prendegast 
Valgard the Grey - John Moffatt 
Hoskuld Thrainsson - Jonathan Tafler 
Hildigunn - Victoria Carling 
Sigmundt/Skammkel/Gudmund - Brian Millar 
Skjold/Law Speaker - Donald Gee 
Asgnmr Ellioa-Grimsson/Thorgeir - Alan Barker 
Flosi Thordarson - Crawford Logan 
Kari Solumndarson - Jimmy Yuill 
Kawl/Bjorn the White/Melkov - Ken Cumberlidge 
Thorgardh/Bjorn's wife - Alice Arnold 
Halvard/Thorgeir Skorargeir- Joe Dunlop 
Greeman - Drew Branch 
With Sam Bennett, Simon Linnell, Joan Matheson, Danny Schiller and Joan Walker 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 17-18 February 1990 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Tree of Strife

A BBC Radio 4 Icelandic Saga full-cast dramatisation

Graeme Fife

The lavish seven-part saga of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table 
 
'Wonderful... pure pleasure' The Listener 
 
The Arthurian legends have long held a powerful grip on our collective imagination, inspiring numerous poets, novelists and playwrights to interpret them in countless different ways. In this epic play cycle, based on Malory's classic Le Morte D'Arthur, Graeme Fife gives us his dramatic, in-depth retelling of these perennially popuar myths. Focusing on seven key characters: Merlin, Tristram, Gareth, Lancelot, Galahad, Guenever and Arthur himself, he builds a vivid, multi-layered picture of the fabled king and his heroic knights. 
 
We hear the tales of Merlin, the great magician, brought down by the beautiful Nimue; Tristram and his illicit passion for Isolde; and the mysterious 'Beaumains', who sets out to rescue an unknown, besieged lady from Castle Perilous. Here, too, are the stories of Sir Lancelot du Lac, the Queen's champion and jewel of the Round Table; his saintly son, Galahad; Guenever, whose love for him will tear Camelot apart - and Arthur, the King, who chose the sword Excalibur over its scabbard, and sealed his fate. And behind them all lurks the shadow of Morgan le Fay, Arthur's nemesis, and Mordred, the son destined to destroy him... 
 
Told in allusive, poetic language, and with majestic, evocative music by Steven Faux, this sumptuous drama is full of enchantment, adventure, chivalry and courtly love. It stars Keith Baxter as Arthur, with Paul Scofield as Merlin, Anna Massey as Morgan le Fay, Nicholas Farrell as Lancelot and Jill Balcon as Guenever. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Graeme Fife 
Music by Stephen Faux 
Produced and directed by John Powell 
 
Main Cast 
Arthur (man and boy) - Keith Baxter 
Morgan le Fay - Anna Massey 
Merlin - Paul Scofield 
Lancelot du Lac - Nicholas Farrell 
Gareth - Crawford Logan 
Tristram - Rupert Frazer 
Lady Guenever - Jill Balcon 
Sir Galahad - Benny Young 
 
Other Cast 
Nimue - Tara Dominick, King Vortigern - Michael Graham Cox, Uther Pendragon/ Sir Dinadan - James Greene, Merlin (child) - Jill Lidstone, Sir Kay - Michael Kilgarriff, Archbishop - John Moffatt, Isolde - Sarah Badel, King Mark - John Franklyn-Robbins, Sir Pellinore - Jonathan Scott, Sir Dinadan - James Greene, Lynet - Rosalind Shanks, Sir Gawain - Ioan Meredith, King Pelles - Maurice Denham, His daughter, Lady Elaine - Eva Haddon, Sir Perceval - Ian Saynor, Prince Morded - Tom Hunsinger, Elaine of Astolat - Moir Leslie, The Hermit Naciens - Peter Penry-Jones, Sir Bors - Douglas Blackwell, Abbot - John Bull, Sir Agravain - Angus Pope, Sir Bedivere - Edward de Souza and Brian Miller, Simon Treves, Vincent Brimble, Jo Kendall, Marcia King and Donald Gee. 
 
Episode List 
 
Merlin 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 November 1990 
 
Tristram 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 November 1990 
 
Gareth 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 November 1990 
 
Lancelot 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 December 1990 
 
Galahad 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 December 1990 
 
Guenever 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 December 1990 
 
Arthur 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 December 1990 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Arthur The King

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Lucy Catherine

Beyond the forests, beyond the valleys, beyond the mountains... there's another world. 
 
From the Red Book of Hergest, these are the tales of the Mabinogi. Tales of of romance, tragedy, comedy and fantasy, of a mythical pre-Saxon era of Medieval Wales: a land of magic, of dragons, fairies and giants. 
 
Pryderi, Prince of Dyfed, heads to Harlech in North Wales to impress King Bran the Blessed of Gwynedd and win the hand of Princess Branwen. But what starts out as a straightforward journey with his companion, Brigid, quickly becomes upturned by strange magic and the threat of war with the Irish. Can they survive? And what mysteries yearn to be unravelled in the Otherworld? 
 
The world we see, the world of the mountains and the valleys, the villages and the farms, is nothing more than a veneer. Our world is no more than a painted shroud, masking what lies beneath. For most of the living, the barrier between the worlds is impossible to breach. For very few, it is as easy to pierce as the still black waters of a mountain lake. Step into the Otherworld. 
 
Starring Darragh Mortell (The Bill) and Aimee Ffion Edwards (Peaky Blinders, The Detectorists). 
 
 Award-winning writer Lucy Catherine (The Master and Margherita, Being Human, Vanity Fair) gives these stories a modern flavour while remaining true to the vivid magic of Celtic mythology. 
 
Cast and credits: 
 
Brigid - Aimee Ffion Edwards 
 Pryderi - Darragh Mortell 
 Arawn - John Cording 
 Roisin - Fiona O'Shaughnessy 
 Bran the Blessed/Pwyll - Robert Pugh 
 Manawydan/Dewi - Matthew Gravelle 
 Branwen - Rhian Blythe 
 Matholwch - Stephen Hogan 
 Efnysien - Richard Elfyn 
 Nysien - Rhodri Meilir 
 Pwca/Wyn - Sion Pritchard 
 Deryn - Saran Morgan 
 Mam/Rhiannon - Eiry Thomas 
 
Adapted by Lucy Catherine. 
 Sound design by Nigel Lewis. 
 Directed by James Robinson and John Norton. 
 A BBC Wales and BBC Radio 3 Commission. 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mabinogi: Lost Legends and Dark Magic

A BBC Radio full-cast fantasy adventure

Simon Armitage

Linda Marshall Griffiths

Award winning classic stories from Greek mythology, reimagined by Simon Armitage and Linda Marshall Griffiths - plus bonus material 
 
With their epic tales of gods, heroes, magic and monsters, the Greek myths have thrilled us for over 2000 years, and inspired countless adaptations. Now, in this captivating collection, two award-winning playwrights bring their own fresh, contemporary takes to the famous legends of Odysseus, Orpheus and Eurydice. 
 
Simon Armitage's Missing Presumed Dead: The Odyssey weaves together Homeric myth and modern-day politics, as a senior politician with a colourful past is sent on a diplomatic mission to Istanbul, only to find himself at the centre of an international incident. On the run from the authorities, he is plunged into the ancient past where his Odyssey begins, as he contends with supernatural beings and unnatural phenomena from the Cyclops and Circe to Sirens, storms and shipwreck. Will he survive, and get back home? Meanwhile, in the present day, his wife and son are besieged by the press, desperate to hear the full story... This gripping dramatisation stars Colin Tierney as Smith/Odysseus. 
 
In two linked plays, with a 4-minute introduction by Simon Armitage, he and Linda Marshall Griffiths each give their versions of the tragedy of Orpheus and his doomed bride. Armitage's Eurydice and Orpheus: Her Story tells the tale of two lovers - lab technician Sanna and busking musician Zak - and a harp that will have a profound, irreversible effect on both their lives. Claire Price stars as Sanna, with Bryan Dick as Zak. And in Orpheus and Eurydice: His Story, by Linda Marshall Griffiths, grief-stricken singer Orfeo journeys into the Underworld to bring back his dead wife, Eurydice. But is love stronger than death, if a backward glance can destroy everything? Starring Nico Mirallegro as Orfeo and Emily Taaffe as Eurydice, and with music by PJ Harvey, this moving drama won the Grand Prix Marulic in 2016. 
 
Also included is a bonus extract from Radio 4's Start the Week, in which Simon Armitage talks to Anne McElvoy about his dramatisation of Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid, The Last Days of Troy. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Missing Presumed Dead: The Odyssey 
Cast: Colin Tierney, Simon Dutton, Polly Frame, Susie Trayling, Lee Armstrong, Roger Evans, David Hartley, Ranjit Krishnamma, Chris Reilly,Sule Rimi, Danusia Samal 
Written by Homer. Adapted by Simon Armitage 
Originally directed for the stage by Nick Bagnall and co-produced by The Liverpool Everyman and the English Touring Theatre. Directed by Susan Roberts. Music composed by James Fortune 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 April-1 May 2016 
 
Eurydice and Orpheus: Her Story 
Cast: Claire Price, Bryan Dick, Jonathan Keeble, Alexandra Mathie, Stephen Fletcher 
Written by Simon Armitage. Produced by Susan Roberts 
With music composed by PJ Harvey. Harpist: Jon Banks. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 September 2015 
 
Orpheus and Eurydice: His Story 
Cast: Nico Mirallegro, Emily Taaffe, Jonathan Keeble, Alexandra Mathie, Stephen Fletcher 
Written by Linda Marshall Griffiths. Directed by Nadia Molinari 
With music composed by PJ Harvey 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 September 2015 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Greek Myths: Modern re-tellings

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama collection

Andrew Rissik

A collection of acclaimed radio retellings of Greek and Roman myths 
 
 
Andrew Rissik's powerful, uncompromising reimaginings of classic tales from Roman and Greek history were hailed as masterpieces when they first aired on BBC radio. Told in contemporary speech, they revitalised the ancient myths, making them fresh, relevant and accessible to a modern-day audience. This collection brings them together on audio for the first time, with stellar casts including Michael Sheen, Paul Scofield, Lindsay Duncan, David Harewood, Eleanor Bron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Diana Rigg, Roger Allam, Toby Stephens, Anton Lesser and Robert Hardy. 
 
The Troy Trilogy - Praised by one critic as 'the greatest radio drama [anyone] could ever hear', this three-play sequence tells the tragic, timeless tale of the events leading up to and following the fall of Troy. In King Priam and His Sons, a child is born to Priam and his wife Hekabe, but the gods foretell disaster if he is allowed to live... The Death of Achilles resumes the story in the final year of the war, as Achilles quarrels with his supreme commander, Agamemnon. And in Helen at Ephesus, Troy has fallen, and as Agamemnon returns to face the judgement of his wronged wife Klytemnestra, Menelaos and Helen must begin the long spiritual journey towards forgiveness and self-knowledge. 
 
Dionysos -Based on Euripides' The Bacchae, this dark, provocative drama is the first of three plays examining the conflict between religion and state. Charismatic cult leader Dionysos arrives in Thebes preaching a gospel of wine and ecstasy. Threatened by his popularity, King Pentheus orders his arrest... 
 
The Art of Love -The second of the three-play cycle sees Roman poet Ovid sent into exile when his subversive ideas about love and freedom challenge the authority of the ageing Emperor Augustus. 
 
Resurrection - In the final play of the trilogy, the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, clashes with troublesome, itinerant preacher Yeshua Ben Youssef. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Andrew Rissik 
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
 
The Troy Trilogy 
Toby Stephens,James Hayes, Oliver Cotton, Ian Hogg, Emma Fielding, Cassandra Sperry, Deborah Findlay, Michael Maloney, Geraldine Somerville, Paul Scofield, Lindsay Duncan, James Laurenson, Geoffrey Whitehead, Abigail Docherty, Jean-Marc Perret, Michael Sheen, Saeed Jaffrey, David Harewood, Julian Glover, Eleanor Bron 
Music by Nick Russell Pavier and David Chilton. 
Singer: Mia Soteriou. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3: 28 November 1998 (King Priam and His Sons), 29 November 1998 (The Death of Achilles, Helen at Ephesus) 
 
Dionysos 
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Toby Stephens, Paul Scofield, Diana Rigg, Roger Allam, Pip Donaghy, Bruce Purchase, Jeffery Kissoon, Trevor Martin, Anna Carteret, Mali Harries, Yolanda Vazquez &amp; Mia Soteriou 
Music by Mia Soteriou. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 20 April 2003 
 
The Art of Love/Resurrection 
Stephen Dillane, Juliet Aubrey, Penny Downie, Robert Hardy, Peter Eyre, Ian McNeice, James Laurenson, Ioan Meredith, Damian Lynch, Anton Lesser, David Calder, Julia Ford, Sam Dastor, Raad Rawi, John Rowe, Mia Soteriou, Chris Moran, James Hayes, Jon Glover and Danny Sapani 
Music by Mia Soteriou. 
Musicians: Mia Soteriou, Steve Bentley Kline, Merlin Shepherd, William Lyons 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11 April 2004 
 
&copy;2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Myths Reimagined: Troy Trilogy, Dionysos & more

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation collection

Angela Carter

Angela Carter was one of the most important writers of the 20th Century. A pioneer of British magical realism, her work was described by Salman Rushdie as 'without rival and without equal'. Her radical, inventive novels influenced countless writers, while her dark, sensual short fiction turned traditional fables inside out, giving women the power over their desires and fates. 
 
Susannah Clapp, Angela Carter's literary executor and friend, introduces the productions and offers fascinating insights into Angela Carter's life and work. 
 
This landmark collection includes five new dramatisation of stories from her iconic collection of fairytales retold, The Bloody Chamber. Alongside the title story are 'The Erl-King', 'Wolf-Alice', 'The Tiger's Bride' and 'The Company of Wolves', with casts including Sophie Cookson, Ariyon Bakare, Lily Lesser, Hannah Genesius and Adjoa Andoh. A sixth tale from The Bloody Chamber, 'Puss in Boots', is adapted by Carter herself and stars Andrew Sachs as Puss. 
 
Also included is an adaptation of Carter's award-winning Nights at the Circus, starring Roisin Conaty as Cockney trapeze artist Sophie Fevvers, and the world premiere of her unproduced screenplay The Christchurch Murder. Based on the real-life story of two New Zealand schoolgirls who killed for love, it was an inspiration for the Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures, and stars Fiona Shaw, Nancy Carroll and James Wilby. 
 
Accompanying these are three thrilling radio plays: the Gothic Vampirella (starring Jessica Raine and Anton Lesser); the hallucinatory drama-documentary Come Unto These Yellow Sands (featuring James Anthony Rose as patricidal painter Richard Dadd); and an exploration of the life of Ronald Firbank, A Self-Made Man (with Lewis Fiander as Firbank). 
 
Finally, Liza Ross reads the short story 'Lizzie's Tiger', originally commissioned for radio, in which the four-year-old Lizzie Borden has an extraordinary encounter at the circus. 
 
A bonus documentary, Third Ear: Angela Carter, comprises Paul Bailey's lively interview with the author, recorded shortly before her death in 1992. In it, she discusses her novel Wise Children, and examines the impact of Britishness, politics, and the oral tradition on her subversive writing. 
 
Contents 
1 Introduction 
2 The Bloody Chamber 
3 The Erl-King 
4 Wolf-Alice 
5 The Tiger's Bride 
6 The Company of Wolves 
7 The Christchurch Murder 
8-9 Nights at the Circus (in two parts) 
10 Vampirella 
11 Come Unto These Yellow Sands 
12 Puss in Boots 
13 A Self-Made Man 
14 Lizzie's Tiger 
15 Third Ear: An Interview with Angela Carter 
 
Credits 
Linking material by Susannah Clapp was produced by Caroline Raphael at Dora Productions. 
 
The Bloody Chamber stories, The Christchurch Murder, Vampirella and Come Unto These Yellow Sands were produced by Fiona McAlpine at Allegra Productions. 
 
All other programmes produced by the BBC. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Angela Carter BBC Radio Drama Collection

Oscar Wilde

Arthur Conan Doyle

Virginia Woolf

A treasure chest of timeless short stories by some of the world's greatest authors 
 
Suspense and horror 
1 The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire - Arthur Conan Doyle 
2 The Signalman - Charles Dickens 
3 Lost Hearts - MR James 
4 The Sealed Room - Arthur Conan Doyle. 
5 Mrs Badgery - Wilkie Collins 
6 Wailing Well - MR James 
7 The Open Window - Saki 
8 How it happened - Arthur Conan Doyle 
9 The Tell-Tale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe 
10 The Cone - HG Wells 
11 A Haunted House - Virginia Woolf 
12 Rats - MR James 
13 The Oval Portrait - Edgar Allan Poe 
14 Tarquin of Cheapside - F. Scott Fitzgerald 
15 One Crowded Hour - Arthur Conan Doyle 
16 The Mezzotint - MR James 
17 The Masque of the Red Death - Edgar Allan Poe 
 
Love 
18 The Kiss - Kate Chopin 
19 Eleonora - Edgar Allan Poe 
20 About Love - Anton Chekhov 
21 The Lovers - Hans Christian Anderson 
22 Love - Guy De Maupassant 
23 The Sphinx Without a Secret - Oscar Wilde 
24 A Wedding Gift - Guy De Maupassant 
25 Kew Gardens - Virginia Woolf 
26 The District Doctor - Ivan Turgenev 
27 Happiness - Guy De Maupassant 
28 A Blunder - Anton Chekhov 
29 The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky - Stephen Crane 
30 In a Far-Off World - Olive Schreiner 
31 The Cook's Wedding - Anton Chekhov 
32 The Recruit - Honore de Balzac 
33 The Nightingale and the Rose - Oscar Wilde 
34 Pyramus and Thisbe - Ovid 
35 Aunt Hetty on Matrimony - Fanny Fern 
36 A Country Cottage - Anton Chekhov 
37 Marriage a la Mode - Katherine Mansfield 
38 The Statue of Limitations - Ernest Dowson 
39 The Dilettante - Edith Wharton 
 
Humorous 
40 Tobermory - Saki 
41The Mesmeric Mountain - Stephen Crane 
42 The Children's Joke - Louisa May Alcott 
43 At The Siren - Anton Chekhov 
44 The Garden Party - Katherine Mansfield 
45 The Cask of Amontillado - Edgar Allan Poe 
46 The New Dress - Virginia Woolf 
47 How I Built Myself A House - Thomas Hardy 
48 The Model Millionaire - Oscar Wilde 
49 A Pair of Silk Stockings - Kate Chopin 
50 At The Barbers - Anton Chekhov 
51 A Respectable Woman - Kate Chopin 
 
Folk &amp; Fable 
52 The Happy Prince - Oscar Wilde. 
53 The Elves and the Shoemaker - The Brothers Grimm 
54 The Emperor's New Clothes -Hans Christian Andersen 
55 The Tongue Cut Sparrow - Yei Theodora Ozaki 
56 Finn and the Scottish Giant - Harold F. Read 
57 The Postmaster - Rabindranath Tagore 
58 The Toys of Peace - Saki 
59 The Selfish Giant - Oscar Wilde 
60 The Flower Gatherer - Edward Thomas 
61 Araby - James Joyce 
62 The Interlopers - Saki 
63 Tom Thumb - The Brothers Grimm 
64 The Kabuliwalah - Rabindranath Tagore 
65 The Monkey's Paws - WW Jacobs 
 
Christmas 
66 The Little Match Girl - Hans Christian Andersen 
67 Papa Panov's Special Christmas - Leo Tolstoy 
68 Christmas Storms and Sunshine - Elizabeth Gaskell. 
69 The Gift of the Magi - O'Henry 
70 At Christmas Time - Anton Chekhov 
71 A Dill Pickle - Katherine Mansfield 
 
Classic Tales 
72 The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman 
73 The Fall of Lord Barrymore - Arthur Conan Doyle 
74 The Necklace - Guy De Maupassant 
75 Holiday Group - EM Delafield 
76 Three Questions - Leo Tolstoy 
77 The Cop and the Anthem - O'Henry 
78 The Fly - Katherine Mansfield 
79 The Christening - DH Lawrence 
80 After the Race - James Joyce 
81 The String Quartet - Virginia Woolf 
82 Two Friends - Guy De Maupassant 
83 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - Ambrose Bierce. 
84 A Gentleman Friend - Anthon Chekhov 
85 Ma'ame Pelagie - Kate Chopin 
86 Second Best - DH Lawrence 
87 El Verdugo - Honore de Balzac 
88 The Story of an Hour - Kate Chopin 
89 The Man of No Account - Bret Hart 
90 The Piece of String - Guy De Maupassant 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

BBC Classics: Ultimate Story Collection

90 unmissable tales

Annamaria Murphy

Alan Harris

Meic Povey

All eleven series of the mystical drama set in the wild Welsh coastal village of Glan Don 
 
When Gareth finds his wife Diane in bed with another man, the couple attempt to save their marriage by uprooting from London to the West Wales village where Gareth grew up, and buying the local pub. It's a bit of a dive - the wallpaper's peeling, there are squirrels in the saloon bar and something's growing out of the pool table. But it's got potential, and they're determined to make a go of it. 
 
Soon, the locals are flocking to The Druid's Rest - and as Diane discovers, her husband's old friends are an eccentric bunch. There's ex-soldier Gwyn, who carries a machine gun everywhere; garrulous waitress Megan; cook Matty, whose dishes cast a spell over everyone who eats them; and enigmatic potman (and narrator) Emlyn, who seems built into the fabric of Glan Don. And then there's Bethan - beautiful, bewitching Bethan, Gareth's teenage sweetheart, who may still have a hold on his heart... 
 
If the villagers are strange, Glan Don itself is even stranger. Steeped in ancient folklore, it is both eerie and enchanting. The sea is an all-pervading presence, magical and menacing in turn, home to mermaids and submerged forests. On land are haunted caves, dark woods, ruined castles, old lead mines - and legendary beings including ghosts, dragons, witches and the King under the Hill. 
 
As Gareth and Diane struggle to cope with the dual challenges of running a pub and dealing with the supernatural, will Glan Don bring them closer together - or tear them apart? 
 
Starring Elis James (Tourist Trap), Louise Ford (Chickens), Amy Hoggart (Almost Royal), Emma Sidi (W1A), Ifan Huw Dafydd (Gavin &amp; Stacey) and Amy Ffion Edwards (Detectorists), Curious Under the Stars takes us deep into a Welsh landscape of myth, magic and mayhem. 
Gareth - Elis James/Sion Pritchard/Richard Elis 
Diane - Louise Ford/Amy Hoggart/Emma Sidi 
Emlyn - Ifan Huw Dafydd 
Bethan - Eiry Hughes/Hannah Daniel 
Gwyn - Matthew Gravelle 
Matty - Siw Hughes 
Megan - Aimee-Ffion Edwards/Gwyneth Keyworth 
Pierre - Lee Mengo 
Gwyneth/Customer - Kath Weare 
Charlie - Donal Gallery 
Magda - Wanda Opalinska 
Gregor - Marc Danbury 
Guto - John Weldon 
Referee/Doctor - Mike Bubbins 
Gertrude - Joanna Scanlan 
Fluffy - Sion Pritchard 
Hadrian - Paul Rhys 
Geraint - John Pierce-Jones 
Fleur - Catrin Stewart 
The Ghost - Owain Gwynn 
 
Anwen - Juno Robinson 
 
 
Created by Meic Povey 
Written by Meic Povey, Annamaria Murphy and Alan Harris 
Directed by James Robinson and Nigel Lewis 
A BBC Cymru Wales Production 
Music: Knee-Deep in the North Sea by Portico Quartet 
 
 
 
 
? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Curious Under the Stars

The complete BBC Radio 4 magical comedy drama

Series 5-7 of the Viking epic of love, revenge and faith set in 11th-century Iceland 
 
Born into a world of otherworldly beauty yet unforgiving harshness, Icelandic heroine Gudrun must fight to forge an independent path and live according to her own rules. A tenacious survivor, she has endured much pain in her young life, from widowhood to the death of her lover, the burning of her family home, separation from her beloved daughter, Sigrid, and being cut adrift from her homeland. 
 
Now, after many years away, Gudrun sails once more into Icelandic waters, with a plan to rescue her daughter who is being brought up in the new Christian faith. But her return to the Sacred Land is not the homecoming she had hoped for, and she soon finds herself exiled again and heading for the New World, with all its new possibilities and new dangers. 
 
Meanwhile, Sigrid arrives in England to marry a man she has never met. Struggling to understand this strange new land of Saxons and Danes, she must keep her darkest secret well-hidden if she is to survive... 
 
Written by Lucy Catherine and inspired by the famous Icelandic Laxdæla saga, this epic tale of love, revenge and faith stars Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders, War and Peace) as Gudrun, with Rosie Boore and Hollie Burgess as Sigrid. 
 
Written by Lucy Catherine 
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko and Jessica Dromgoole 
 
Cast 
Gudrun - Kate Phillips 
Freija - Samantha Dakin 
Dag - Cameron Percival/Joseph Ayres 
Sylvia - Carolyn Pickles/Susan Jameson 
Volva - Carolyn Pickles 
Aoife - Lucy Doyle 
Hakon/Guard 2/Priest/King Sweyn - Michael Bertenshaw 
Bolli/Guard 1 - Lewis Bray 
Aslak - Tony Turner 
Sigrid - Rosie Boore/Hollie Burgess 
Leif - Don Gilet/Chris Pavlo 
Warrior - Don Gilet 
Frederick - Simon Scardifield 
Heidr - Jeannette Percival/Helen Clapp 
Kjartan - Luke MacGregor/Ian Dunnett Jnr 
The Virgin - Marilyn Nnadebe 
Sailors - Chris Harper and Joseph Ayre 
Gorm - David Hounslow 
Canute - Aaron Gelkoff 
Gunnar - Chris Pavlo 
Panuk - Kenny Blyth 
Saxon - Joseph Ayre 
Vali/Dane - Chris Harper 
Tofa - Debbie Korley 
Jesus - Paul Hilton 
Truda - Charlotte East 
Monk/Servant - Ian Dunnett Jnr 
Tobias - Hasan Dixon 
Abbot Bettega/John Crescentius/Pope - Roger Ringrose 
Nun - Emma Handy 
Woman/Garvinicus - Jane Whittenshaw 
Soldiers - Ian Dunnett Jnr and Hasan Dixon 
Jesson at 7 - Harry Clarke 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 3-14 December 2018 (Series 5), 20-31 May 2019 (Series 6), 1-12 March 2021 (Series 7)

Gudrun: Series 5-7

A Viking Epic inspired by the Icelandic Sagas

Edson Burton

Don Warrington stars as the enigmatic Deacon in this gritty contemporary fantasy trilogy 
 
In the spaces between inner-city Bristol and the netherworld walks Deacon, a mysterious, centuries-old drifter who arrives when least expected to save lost souls. In these three dramas, he comes to the aid of a boxer turned petty criminal, a teenager in danger and a refugee in hiding. 
 
Deacon 
Offered a 'job' by his former boxing trainer Jimmy, Mack is happy to oblige. All he has to do is deliver a car to a certain address by midnight - and not look in the boot. Then Mack hits an old man with the car. His name is Deacon, and although he looks like a tramp, he speaks words that are wise beyond this world. And he's about to change Mack's life, forever... 
 
Deacon: Moonlight on Water 
Sixteen-year-old Jas has a secret boyfriend, Ray, and she's planning to run away with him. But her ex, Zain, has found out, and pursues her into pitch-dark Eastville Park. Jas isn't scared: she knows how to handle Zain. But in this dangerous night-world, powerful spirits are abroad, and all is not what it seems... 
 
Deacon: Gabriel's Feast 
Grace has fled her war-torn homeland and sought sanctuary with a strange community on the fringes of Bristol. But what's driving their leader Gabriel? What are they preparing for? Despite Deacon's years and wisdom, he struggles to read the signs. Will he realise what is happening in time, or has he finally met his match? 
 
Created by writer and historian Edson Burton, these thrilling urban fantasy dramas are inspired by West African mythology and spirituality, and feature a predominantly black cast including musician and actor Ashley Thomas, aka Bashy, as Mack; Ashna Rabheru (Sex Education, Indian Summers) as Jas; Raj Bajaj (Killing Eve) as Zain; Don Gilet (EastEnders, Babyfather) as Ray; Diana Yekinni (Ije, Lunchtime Heroes) as Grace and Richard Pepple (Bridgerton, Beasts of No Nation) as Gabriel. 
 
 
 
 
Written by Edson Burton 
 
 
Starring Don Warrington as Deacon 
 
 
Deacon 
Mack - Ashley Thomas 
Mary - Leona Walker 
Jimmy - John Cording 
Price - Simon Ludders 
Waitress - Claire Cage 
Directed by James Robinson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 July 2017 
 
Deacon: Moonlight on Water 
Jas - Ashna Rabheru 
Ray - Don Gilet 
Legba - Marega Palser 
Zain - Raj Bajaj 
Directed by John Norton 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 July 2019 
 
Deacon: Gabriel's Feast 
Grace - Diana Yekinni 
Gabriel - Richard Pepple 
Khan - Ikky Elyas 
Max/Legba - Marc Danbury 
Directed by John Norton 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 October 2020 
 
 
? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Deacon

Three BBC Radio full-cast dramas

Pilgrim walks again between the worlds of magick and of men in this eerie supernatural adventure 
 
Fated to eternally walk the line between the worlds of faerie and men, reluctant hero Pilgrim finds himself facing an old adversary in this superbly uncanny two-parter. 
 
When he donates a priceless portrait to the struggling Timbermoor Museum to ensure it stays open, there's one particular shabby exhibit Pilgrim hopes to keep safe. So he's disconcerted to hear that the item in question, Cochrane's Boot, has got lost in transit. 
 
But someone has found it - and unleashed the spirit within it. Troubled teen Rabbit Owen has been shunned by the townsfolk since he unwittingly caused the death of his friend, but now, with the help of his 'auntie', it's payback time... 
 
Meanwhile, guilt-ridden museum curator John Wayne pays a visit to the exclusive, elusive Grey Lodge Chalets, situated in an ancient grove deep in the heart of the woods. He needs to speak to one of the residents, but first he must deliver a tithe to the sinister supervisor, Mr Buttoner. John is willing to pay - but he has no idea how high the price will be. 
 
With the Timbermoor Imp, Sally Mop, liberated from her prison, Rabbit is riding high - and as Hallowe'en arrives and the locals prepare to gather around the Sun Stone for their annual celebrations, the stage is set for a much darker ritual. Can Pilgrim save John from a dance with death, turn Rabbit away from revenge, and prevent a terrible sacrifice? 
 
Cast: 
William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton 
 John ..... Stefan Adegbola 
 Rabbit ..... Louis Jay Jordan 
 Amy ..... Charlotte East 
 Piper ..... Katie Redford 
 Vaughan ..... Luke Nunn 
 Eddie/Mr Buttoner ..... Roger Ringrose 
 Sally ..... Jane Whittenshaw 
 Janice ..... Ellie Piercy 
 Ginger ..... Emma Handy 
Produced by Marc Beeby and directed by Jessica Dromgoole 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23-30 October 2020

Pilgrim: The Timbermoor Imp

The BBC Radio 4 fantasy drama series

Neil Gaiman

A brand new BBC Radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's award-winning fairytale, merging Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to enchanting effect 
 
In a mountain kingdom far away, a young queen prepares for her wedding, believing her future is sealed. But when three dwarves bring news of a sleeping sickness sweeping across her realm, she knows she cannot stand by and do nothing. As a girl, she survived her own long, magical sleep, so she must try to turn back this new plague and save her people. 
 
Abandoning her bridal finery, she dons her armour instead, and rides out to a castle at the very heart of the sleeping lands. There, she finds a beautiful princess, sound asleep, and a very old woman, forever awake. With no handsome prince in sight, the queen wakes the princess in the traditional way - but things are not as they seem, and it will take more than a kiss to ensure everyone lives happily ever after... 
 
Penelope Wilton, Gwendoline Christie, Ralph Ineson and Neil Gaiman himself are among the star cast in this captivating fable of love, loss, hope and destiny. 
 
This release is an extended cut of the story broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and features an exclusive introduction from Neil Gaiman. 
 
 
Credits 
Written by Neil Gaiman 
Adapted by Katie Hims 
Directed and produced by Allegra McIlroy 
 
Recorded remotely by Sharon Hughes and John Benton 
Sound design by Sharon Hughes 
 
A BBC Audio North Production 
 
Cast 
The Narrator/The Old Woman - Dame Penelope Wilton 
The Queen - Gwendoline Christie 
The Home Secretary - Neil Gaiman 
The First Dwarf - Ralph Ineson 
The Second Dwarf - Stefan Adegbola 
The Third Dwarf/The Prince/The Tinker/The Woodcutter - Ian Dunnett Jnr 
The Pot Girl/The Young Girl/The Mother - Cecilia Appiah 
The Maid/The Other Woman/The Stepmother - Emma Handy 
The Father/The Inn Keeper/The Bandit - Roger Ringrose 
The Child - Milton Dighton 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2020

The Sleeper and the Spindle

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Neil Gaiman’s delightfully quirky story, in which Mrs Whitaker discovers the Holy Grail in a charity shop. 
 
Mrs Whitaker just wants to have a chat with her dear friend Mrs Greenberg over home-made macaroons. But her charity shop find soon makes her the focal point of a most important quest when a handsome young man - who says he’s called Galaad - comes asking for the Grail. 
 
This sound designed, multi-voiced reading is an extended cut, including material not heard in the radio broadcast, and is introduced by an exclusive interview with Neil Gaiman. 
 
Starring Glenda Jackson as the Narrator and Mrs Whitaker, and Kit Harington as Sir Galaad. 
 
Written by Neil Gaiman 
Produced and Directed by Allegra McIlroy 
 
Cast: 
Narrator/ Mrs Whitaker ….. Glenda Jackson 
Sir Galaad ….. Kit Harington 
Mrs Greenberg and the new lady on the till….. Jessica Turner 
Marie ….. Lucy Reynolds 
 
Sound design ….. David Chilton 
Neil Gaiman’s Chivalry is a BBC Northern Ireland Production

Chivalry

A BBC Radio full-cast reading

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. Discover the 1Q84 Trilogy by Haruki Murakami.

1Q84

365 Days of Art

A BBC Christmas

A Black Book Thriller

A Box Full of Murders

A Cal Leandros Novel

A Christmas Mystery

The intelligent and capable police commissioner Guido Brunetti confronts crime in and around his home town of Venice.

A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

A DC Smith / Kings Lake Investigation Series

A Daisy Story

Chronicling the lives of over three hundred characters, unrivalled for its scope and humour, this is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England.

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