Lucy is the founder of The Hope-Filled Family, a ministry encouraging Christian parents, carers and all those investing in the younger generation. She is the author of several books for adults and children, including Busy Family Devotional and the Mighty Girl, Mighty God series. She is mum to four children ages 11 to 16, who arrived by birth and adoption, and is married to Al, a church leader in York, England.

	 Lucy Rycroft

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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

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Rudyard Kipling

Dramatisations of some of Kipling’s finest fiction for adults, including ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and The Light That Failed 
 
Well-known for his poems and stories set in India during British Imperial rule, Rudyard Kipling was the first English author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was also offered a knighthood and the Poet Laureateship, but turned down both. His books remain immensely popular today, and this collection showcases a selection of his best adult works. 
 
Set deep in the Hindu Kush mountains, the chilling cautionary tale ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ tells the story of two conmen with an insane and dangerous plan to conquer a remote region of Afghanistan. Blake Ritson, Richard Ridings and Samuel James star in this thrilling drama about friendship and the folly and glory of imperial ambition. 
 
First broadcast in 1994 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rudyard Kipling, Kipling in Love comprises eight half-hour dramas based on his short stories – ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Love O’Women’, ‘Beyond the Pale’ and ‘On Greenhow Hill’. Among the star casts are Jack Klaff, Mamta Kaash, Alex Jennings, Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater, Terry John, Samuel West, Meera Syal, Michael Troughton and Nina Wadia. 
 
Adapted from Kipling’s debut novel, The Light That Failed revolves around war illustrator Dick Heldar, his struggles to become a successful artist and his unrequited love for his childhood sweetheart, Maisie. It stars Steve Hodson, Stuart Organ and Natasha Pyne. Wrapping up this collection is ‘They’, a haunting supernatural tale of a motorist’s mysterious encounters with a group of elusive children. Narrated by Tony Britton, this 1982 World Service production stars Annette Crosbie and Douglas Blackwell. 
 
First published 1888 (‘The Man Who Would Be King’, ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Beyond the Pale’), 1891 (‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘On Greenhow Hill’, The Light That Failed), 1893 (‘Love-o’-Women’), 1904 (‘They’) 
 
NB: Some of these dramas contain language and attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rudyard Kipling 
<ul><li>The Man Who Would Be King</li><li>Kipling in Love</li><li>His Wedded Wife</li><li>Lispeth</li><li>Venus Annodomini</li><li>The Courting of Dinah Shadd</li><li>In the Pride of His Youth</li><li>Love O’Women</li><li>Beyond the Pale</li><li>On Greenhow Hill</li><li>The Light That Failed</li><li>They</li></ul> 
 
Copyright © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Selected works of Rudyard Kipling

11 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Edward St Aubyn

Shakespeare’s King Lear is reimagined in Edward St Aubyn's gripping story of a media mogul who has lost control. 
 
Henry Dunbar, the once all-powerful head of a global media corporation, is not having a good day. In his dotage he handed over care of the corporation to his two eldest daughters, Abby and Megan. But relations quickly soured, leaving him to doubt the wisdom of past decisions. 
 
Now imprisoned in a care home in the Lake District with only a demented alcoholic comedian as company, Dunbar starts planning his escape. As he flees into the hills, his family is hot on his heels. Who will find him first, his beloved youngest daughter, Florence, or the tigresses Abby and Megan, so keen to divest him of his estate? 
 
‘Malevolently enjoyable… A fable of fatherly neglect and daughterly cruelty’ Financial Times 
 
‘Deeply affecting…and funny’ Observer 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before: nine iconic plays transformed by the best novelists of our time, with covers by Michael Craig-Martin.

Dunbar

King Lear, Retold

Margaret Atwood

Shakespeare’s The Tempest gets the Margaret Atwood treatment in this ingenious, funny, tear-jerking story about a theatre director intent on revenge. 
 
Felix is at the top of his game as Artistic Director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. His productions have amazed and confounded. Now he’s staging a Tempest like no other. It will boost his reputation. It will heal emotional wounds. Or that was the plan. Instead, after an act of unforeseen treachery, Felix is living in exile in a backwoods hovel, haunted by memories of his beloved lost daughter, Miranda. Also brewing revenge. 
 
After twelve years, revenge finally arrives in the shape of a theatre course at a nearby prison. Here, Felix and his inmate actors will put on his Tempest and snare the traitors who destroyed him. It’s magic! But will it remake Felix as his enemies fall? 
 
'Surpassingly brilliant' The Times 
 
‘Riotous, insanely readable and just the best fun...' Observer 
 
**LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2017** 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before. Nine iconic stories transformed by the best novelists of our time, celebrating the Bard’s lasting legacy.

Hag-Seed

The Tempest, Retold

Tracy Chevalier

Shakespeare's Othello is ingeniously transplanted into a high school setting in this taut story about teenage friendship and racial tension. 
 
Arriving at his fourth school in six years, diplomat’s son Osei knows he needs an ally. Luckily he hits it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players – teachers and pupils alike – will never be the same again. 
 
The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard in this powerful drama of alienation, adolescence and friends torn apart. 
 
‘A compact and intense read full of twists, turns and intrigue’ Daily Express 
 
'New Boy, with its angsty teenagers, racial frictions and a magnificently fleshed out antagonist, is a tense and tight read... A heady rollercoaster of emotions' Observer 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before: nine iconic plays transformed by the best novelists of our time, with covers by Michael Craig-Martin.

New Boy

Othello, Retold

Jeanette Winterson

Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale is revolutionised by the iconic Jeanette Winterson in her page-turning, heart-breaking story of a baby girl banished from home. 
 
A baby girl is abandoned, banished from London to the storm-ravaged American city of New Bohemia. Her father has been driven mad by jealousy, her mother to exile by grief. Seventeen years later, Perdita doesn't know a lot about who she is or where she's come from – but she's about to find out. 
 
Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale vibrates with echoes of Shakespeare's original and tells a story of hearts broken and hearts healed, a story of revenge and forgiveness, a story that shows that whatever is lost shall be found. 
 
‘A shining delight of a novel’ 
New York Times 
 
'Clever and beautiful...it soars' 
Financial Times 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before: nine iconic plays transformed by the best novelists of our time, with covers by Michael Craig-Martin.

The Gap of Time

The Winter's Tale, Retold

The Winter’s Tale Retold (Hogarth Shakespeare)

Mark Haddon

Shakespeare’s Pericles is transformed by Mark Haddon into a vivid, breathtaking adventure that zooms between antiquity and the present day. 
 
A motherless girl grows up in isolated luxury, hidden from the world by her wealthy father. She believes their life together is normal – but as time passes, she has a growing sense that something between them is very wrong. 
 
She cannot escape, so she seeks solace in her books. Her favourite tales are those that conjure ancient worlds – of angry gods and heroic mortals, one of whom will some day come to her rescue. 
 
Soon, she will forget where the page ends and her mind begins. 
 
‘Just downright brilliant... a transcendent, transporting experience’ Observer 
 
‘A full-throttle blast of storytelling mastery’ Max Porter 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before: nine iconic plays transformed by the best novelists of our time, with covers by Michael Craig-Martin.

The Porpoise

Anne Tyler

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is hilariously reimagined by one of our greatest living novelists, in this very funny, heartbreaking story of one woman, two men and unconventional happy endings. 
 
Kate Battista is stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and infuriating younger sister Bunny? Dr Battista has other problems. His brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, his new scientific breakthrough will fall through... 
 
When Dr Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he's relying - as usual - on Kate to help him. Will Kate be able to resist the two men's touchingly ludicrous campaign to win her round? 
 
Anne Tyler's brilliant retelling of The Taming of the Shrew asks whether a thoroughly modern woman like Kate would ever sacrifice herself for a man. The answer is as surprising as Kate herself. 
 
'A thoroughly modern love story' Guardian, Book of the Year 
 
‘The worst wedding in history...vintage Anne Tyler’ The Times 
 
SHAKESPEARE RETOLD: Time travel. Zombies. Power-hungry media moguls. This is Shakespeare as you’ve never seen him before: nine iconic plays transformed by the best novelists of our time, with covers by Michael Craig-Martin.

Vinegar Girl

The Taming of the Shrew, Retold

Robert Barr

A double serving of thrilling vintage spy drama featuring the tenacious Captain Jim Nicholson 
 
"These productions are pure ‘Boys Own'-style entertainment...I found them to be thoroughly engrossing, with the actors conveying earnestness throughout." - Entertainment Focus 
 
A treat from the archive: two classic dramas from the writer of Z-Cars, Robert Barr, set during the height of the Cold War. 
 
The Dark Island is a thrilling story of espionage set among the remote, mist-veiled islands of the Outer Hebrides. Two Intelligence Officers discover an escape route for defectors from Britain. The route, ending behind the Iron Curtain, involves the use of Russian trawlers plying outside territorial waters. Edward de Souza (Coronation Street, Doctor Who) stars as Jim Nicholson in this full-cast drama packed with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you gripped until the very end. 
 
In Return to the Islands, the indefatigable Captain Jim Nicholson heads back to the atmospheric islands of the north when a body is discovered near a secret training base. Things take a sinister turn when an elite trainee is taken hostage. An enemy agent is captured and interrogated but can Nicholson and his team solve the mystery in time? When tragedy strikes, the team are pushed to their limit and embark on a deadly endgame… 
 
Former BBC war correspondent Robert Barr is best remembered writing for BBC TV’s police dramas Z-Cars and Softly Softly. He also wrote the long-running radio series Detective. The Dark Island was originally made for TV in 1962 as well as being published as a novel in 1972. This is a gem from the archive, perfect for fans of espionage thrillers and vintage drama performed by a great cast. 
 
Please note: due to the age of these vintage recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
The Dark Island 
Written by Robert Barr 
Produced by Peter Titheridge 
Jim Nicholson - Edward De Souza 
Bill Grant - Geoffrey Frederick 
Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch 
Lieutenant Ritchie - Roy Spencer 
Major Williams - Peter Hawkins 
Brigadier - Michael Kilgarriff 
Mary Somers - Rosemary Miller 
Colonel Jamieson/Hotel Manager - Alaric Cotter 
Alec Thompson - John Graham 
Major Williams - Peter Hawkins 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19th September - 24th October 1969 
 
Return to the Islands 
Written by Robert Barr 
Produced by Peter Titheridge 
Jim Nicholson - Edward de Souza 
Ian McLeod - Bryden Murdoch 
Major Miller - John Graham 
Paul O'Donnell - Geoffrey Frederick 
Sergeant Finney - Clive Merrison 
Alan Shaw/Landlord - Andrew Neil 
Katy Evans - Gretta Gouriet 
Alec Rogers - Ian Dewar 
Doctor - Gerald Cross 
Prisoner - David Gooderson 
Miss Dalgliesh - Eva Stuart 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10th October - 14th November 1971 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Captain Jim Nicholson: The Dark Island & Return to the Islands

Two Full-Cast Classic BBC Radio Spy Dramas

Patrick Barlow

Four satirical spoof shows from the multi-award-winning Patrick Barlow 
 
The National Theatre of Brent is a two-man company founded in 1980 and led by Patrick Barlow as his comic alter ego, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Desmond Olivier Dingle. Helping him to realise his enormously ambitious artistic visions is his helpful but hapless assistant, a role that has been performed by a succession of actors including Jim Broadbent (as Wallace) and John Ramm (as Raymond Box) who co-wrote with Martin Duncan (who also directed). Collected together for the first time, here are two of the comic troupe’s epic productions, plus a bonus series from Desmond’s ‘Royal Dingle Company’ and a special bonus historical parody starring Dawn French. 
 
All the World’s a Globe – The chaotic and comedic story of life on Earth is presented with a bang by Desmond and his helpful sidekick Wallace (Jim Broadbent), aided by announcer Peter Barker and guest stars Juliet Stevenson and Sir Ben Kingsley. Winner of the Sony Award for Best Comedy, this majestic eight-part series leads us through the definitive history of mankind – from lemur to cosmonaut. 
 
The Greatest Story Ever Told – Celebrated thespian Desmond Olivier Dingle presents his hilarious and surprisingly moving interpretation of Christ's Passion. With Desmond as Jesus, and Wallace as the Devil, disciples and everybody else. 
 
Desmond Olivier Dingle’s Compleat Life and Works of William Shakespeare – 'The Royal Dingle Company' embarks on a voyage around the Bard, with the help of special guests Richard E Grant, Juliet Stevenson, Dame Harriet Walter, Brian Cox CBE, Louise Lombard, John Barrowman and Lionel Blair. Over six sparkling episodes, Desmond and his troupe tackle Shakespeare’s comedies, verse and tragedies; wreak havoc in Stratford-upon-Avon; search for Shakespeare’s true identity and re-enact great Shakespearean moments from cinematic history. 
 
Joan of Arc, and How She Finally Became a Saint – Joan is a country girl more inclined to stay with her herd of cows than venture forth and rescue France. But she has no choice but to follow her destiny, and when guided by her guardian angels, St Catherine and St Margaret, she stands up to fight for what she knows is right. Dawn French stars as the Maid of Orléans, with a full cast including Jim Broadbent, Anne Reid, Maggie Steed, John Ramm, Mark Wooton, Nell Barlow, Cheryl Campbell, Samuel Barnet, Kevin Eldon and Andrew Dunn. It ends in a literal blaze of glory. 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Desmond Olivier Dingle and The National Theatre of Brent

Four BBC Radio Productions

Martin Boyd

The classic tale of an Australian girl who marries into the English aristocracy at a time of great change to the traditional orderNovember 1910, and seventeen-year-old Lucinda is looking forward to being making her debut in Melbourne society. Beautiful and wealthy, she is set to make a brilliant match – and when she meets dashing army officer Hugo Brayford, the younger brother of an English viscount, it seems she has succeeded in landing her prize. Bowled over by his charm and aristocratic lineage, impressionable Lucinda quickly forgets her first love, Tony Duff, and accepts Hugo’s proposal of marriage.Leaving Australia, she prepares to start a new life in England – but all is not as she had anticipated. Hugo is frequently away, runs up debts that Lucinda must settle, and even the birth of his son, Stephen, cannot keep him by his wife’s side. And when he is injured fighting in the Great War, Lucinda finds herself faced with a terrible dilemma. Torn between society’s expectations and her heart’s desires, can she find the happiness she craves?Inspired by his own upper-class ancestors and his experiences during World War I, Martin Boyd’s seminal tale of family, class, marriage and money spans 30 years, from the last days of the Edwardian era to the Second World War. At once a romance and a chronicle of a world in flux, it charts one woman’s life and loves against the backdrop of societal transformation. Juliet Aubrey stars in this captivating adaptation, with a stellar cast including Eleanor Bron, James Laurenson, Penelope Wilton and Paul Rhys.Production creditsWritten by Martin BoydDramatised by Elspeth SandsDirected by Janet WhitakerCastLucinda – Juliet AubreyHugo – Jonathan FirthJulie – Angela PleasenceFred – James LaurensenLydia – Abigail McKernLady Wendale – Eleanor BronMarian – Penelope WiltonTony Duff – Matt DayPaul Brayford – Paul RhysSusannah Brayford – Pamela WiseArthur – Michael CochranePat Lanfranc – Mark StrakerWatteau – Miranda BarberCanon Chapman – David TimsonBill Vane – Nicholas BoultonMrs Greene-James – Joanna McCallumMrs. Galway – Ndidi Del FattiDriver – Jason ChanLord Fitzauncell – Stephen HoganStephen – Robert HastieMuriel – Helen LongworthHeather – Alex TregearBill as a child/Stephen as a child – Pax BaldwinCommanding Officer – Hugh DicksonFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2-16 January 2005© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lucinda Brayford

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Drama

Robert Browning

BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of Browning’s most famous poems, performed by stars including Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and David Tennant, plus two bonus plays 
 
Victorian poet Robert Browning was renowned for his evocative dramatic monologues peopled with vivid, morally ambiguous characters. In 1846, he eloped with fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett, and they rapidly became Britain’s most famous literary power couple. This collection brings together four of Browning’s poetic masterpieces, juxtaposed with a play inspired by his work and a drama about Robert and Elizabeth’s romance. 
 
The Ring and the Book – In the aftermath of a triple stabbing, Rome is rife with speculation. Accused of murdering his young wife and her parents, Count Guido Franceschini is put on trial, and finds himself desperately fighting for his life. Anton Lesser, Roger Allam and Andrew Sachs star in this thrilling tale of of sex, lies, murder and justice. 
 
The Pied Piper of Hamlin – When a town fails to pay the rat-catcher who has lured all the rats away with his magic pipe, the piper takes a terrible revenge. Playing his music once more, he leads all the children from the town. Only one boy remains behind… David Tennant stars as the Narrator, with Bertie Gilbert as the boy. 
 
My Last Duchess – Based on Browning’s chilling poem about an aristocrat whose wife died young in suspicious circumstances, this intriguing dramatisation attempts to solve the mystery of what happened to the duchess, and who did the deed. Starring Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer and Tim McInnerny. Content Warning: The themes present in this drama could be distressing for some listeners . 
 
Andrea del Sarto – Richard Pasco reads Robert Browning's monologue about the 16th-century Florentine artist known as ‘the faultless painter’, whose marriage was the source of deep unhappiness. 
 
The Contemplative Life – Brother James's loathing of oafish Brother Lawrence has led him to petty acts of destruction. As a punishment, he is forced to share a cell with him… Alan Rickman and Michael Aldridge star in this comedy inspired by Browning’s poem ‘Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister’. 
 
The Barretts of Wimpole Street – Starring Dorothy Tutin and Jeremy Brett, this radio version of Rudolf Besier’s celebrated stage play explores the secret courtship of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, which took place at No 50 Wimpole Street, her father’s forbidding household. 
 
First published 1842 (‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’, ‘My Last Duchess’), 1855 (‘Andrea del Sarto’), 1868 (‘The Ring and the Book’) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Robert Browning 
 
The Ring and the Book 
Cast: Anton Lesser, Roger Allam, Lou Brealey, Dominic Rowan, Andrew Sachs, Frances Jeater, Dan Starkey, Stephen Critchlow, Ben Crowe, Chris Pavlo, Joan Walker, John Rowe, Michael Maloney, Stephen Moore 
 
The Pied Piper of Hamelin 
Cast: David Tennant, Bertie Gilbert 
With music and songs written and performed by John Harle, lyrics by Joyce Harle, sung by Thomas Platts, head chorister at Canterbury Cathedral with the choir of Wingham School, Kent 
 
My Last Duchess 
Cast: Roger Allam, Emily Mortimer, Tim McInnerny, Robert Hands, John Hartley, Jacob Heringman 
 
Andrea del Sarto 
Read by Richard Pasco 
 
The Contemplative Life 
Cast: Alan Rickman, Michael Aldridge, David Garth, Brian Smith, Colin Starkey, David Sinclair, 
Trevor Nichols, John Webb 
 
The Barretts of Wimpole Street 
Cast: Dorothy Tutin, Jeremy Brett, Paul Rogers, William Eedle, John Rowe, John Samson, 
Robin Browne, David Valla, Christopher Good, Kate Binchy, Jane Knowles, Kenneth Fortescue, 
Helen Worth, Michael Kilgarriff, Rolf Lefebvre, John Ruddock, Sheila Grant 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Robert Browning: The Ring and the Book, The Pied Piper of Hamelin & more

BBC Radio dramatic reimaginings of five iconic poems

William Shakespeare

A beautiful deluxe gift edition of Shakespeare's immortal poems with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful paper and finished with a silk ribbon. 
 
Love sonnets are for romantics, starry-eyed lovers and ardent hearts. And Shakespeare's sonnets are the best ever written. But this is why they are also for cynics, for star-crossed lovers and for those who know the anguish of unrequited love. Some appear to be written to a young man, some to a woman. And although the poems are full of mystery – why did Shakespeare write them, and to whom? – each one speaks to us from across the centuries of love, hate and the intensity of being alive. 
 
This hardback is part of VINTAGE COLLECTOR’S CLASSICS, a series of luxurious books especially crafted for collectors and fans of beautiful special editions. Sumptuous design meets the highest quality production. Discover timeless classics beautifully bound for every bookshelf.

Sonnets

Niccoli Machiavelli

The renowned masterpiece from one of the most influential writers in history, Machiavelli 
 
"It's very, very good...an engaging exploration of one of the most influential political works ever written." - Entertainment Focus 
 
The Prince, written during the Italian Renaissance by author Niccolò Machiavelli, is an internationally renowned masterpiece about power, greed and strategy in government. Regarded by some as a manual for would-be tyrants on how they should seize and maintain power and by others as a simple reflection of political reality, listen now to this full-cast dramatisation and make up your own mind. In addition to this stunning, modern dramatisation of the classic novel, this download includes The Mandrake, Machiavelli’s comedy packed with intrigue, infidelity and fools and the documentary Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat from Jonathan Freedland, which re-assesses Machiavelli and explores whether his maligned reputation has overshadowed his other achievements…The Prince is the classic 16th-century treatise on the nature of power and statecraft. In this modern rendition, the author Machiavelli (Ciaran Hinds), often identified as Satan, uses his brilliance and cunning to explain how power can be created and sustained. This brilliant adaptation is performed for the first time as a monologue with dramatised illustrations from a full-cast, including Philip Voss, Stephen Critchlow and Christopher Godwin.The Mandrake is Machiavelli’s best-known comedy, taking place in a square in Florence in 1504.Callimaco, desires to sleep with Lucrezia, the young and beautiful wife of an elderly fool, Nicia. Nicia above all else desires a son and heir. Conspiring with a rascally marriage broker, and a corrupt priest, Callimaco masquerades as a doctor and tricks Nicia into letting his wife become his lover using the power of the mandrake plant. 
This double edition download comes with the added exclusive content, Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat. A fascinating documentary that explores the life and work of one of the most maligned authors in history. The impact of this writer has been felt across the centuries from the execution of King Charles I to the ‘Founding Fathers’ of the United States and journalist and writer Jonathan Freedland re-assesses the legacy of this incredible thinker and writer. This is a download not to missed, perfect for any fans of classical literature with a twist, packed with compelling intrigue, wit and fascinating revelations.Cast and creditsWritten by Niccolò MachiavelliThe PrinceNiccolo - Ciaran HindsThe Prince - Christopher GodwinLouis - Philip VossSeverus - Stephen CritchlowOliverotti - Scott HandyGiovanni - John RoweOther parts played by Chris Kelham, Tom George and Gavin MuirDramatised by Peter WolfDirected by Cherry CooksonFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21st January 2000The MandrakeCallimaco - John RyeSiro - Anthony JacksonMesser Nicia - Douglas WilmerLigurio - David MarchSostrata - Beity HardyFra Timoteo - Willoughby GoddardA young widow - Hilda SchroderLucrezia - Hilary HardimanSingers Robert Tear, Douglas Wilmer, Willoughby Goddard, John Rye and David MarchTranslated from the Italian by J. R. HaleProduced by Charles LefeauxSongs by Elizabeth PostonFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27th October 1967Machiavelli – Devil or Democrat Presented by Jonathan FreedlandProduced by Rob ShepherdFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18th November 2013©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Prince and The Mandrake

Two Full Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Three of the ever-popular Sheridan’s finest plays 
 
Born in Dublin in 1751, Richard Brinsley Sheridan was a theatre impresario, statesman and the most celebrated playwright of his time. His brilliantly witty comedies of manners have become part of the literary canon, and are frequently performed around the world. This collection comprises three classic radio productions of his best works, performed by star casts including Barbara Mitchell, Rolf Lefebvre, Dorothy Tutin, Flora Robson, Dennis Quilley and Patricia Routledge. 
 
The School For Scandal – Collated from two manuscripts corrected by Sheridan himself, this 1967 radio version of his most famous play introduces us to gossip-monger Lady Sneerwell, who loves nothing more than spreading slander and ruining reputations. When she sets her sights on the young, rakish Charles Surface, the stage is set for scandal... 
 
The Rivals – Set in 18th century Bath, where the wealthy and fashionable come to take the waters, Sheridan’s sparkling debut centres around young lovers Jack Absolute and Lydia Languish. Knowing his beloved is resolved never to marry a rich man, the aristocratic Jack pretends to be the poor soldier Ensign Beverley. Lydia is overjoyed at the thought of eloping with Beverley under the nose of her guardian, Mrs Malaprop – but how will she react when her romantic dreams are shattered? 
 
The Duenna – Spanish nobleman Don Jerome wishes his daughter to marry the wealthy merchant Isaac Mendoza. Louisa, however, has given her heart to the impoverished Don Antonio. With the help of her duenna, can she secure her true love? This comic operetta features an early performance from Dame Patricia Routledge, who talks at the end of the production about her time playing Donna Clara. 
 
First published 1775 (The Rivals, The Duenna), 1777 (The School for Scandal) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan 
 
The School for Scandal 
Lady Sneerwell – Barbara Mitchell 
Snake – Rolf Lefebvre 
Joseph Surface – Alan Badel 
Maria – Hilda Schroder 
Mrs Candour – Barbara Couper 
Crabtree – Max Adrian 
Sir Benjamin Backbite – David March 
Sir Peter Teazle – Maurice Denham 
Rowley – Ronald Herdman 
Lady Teazle – Dorothy Tutin 
Sir Oliver Surface – Hamlyn Benson 
Moses – Haydn Jones 
Trip – Leroy Lingwood 
Charles Surface – John Quentin 
Careless – Alexander John 
Sir Toby Bumper – Alan Dudley 
Maid – Rosalind Shanks 
Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan with the Epilogue by George Colman 
Produced by Charles Lefeaux 
BBC Midland Light Orchestra Leader: James Hutcheon 
Conductor: Gilbert Vinter 
 
The Rivals 
Mrs Malaprop – Flora Robson 
Sir Anthony Absolute – Peter Pratt 
Lydia Languish – Christine Finn 
Captain Absolute – Bernard Brown 
Bob Acres – William Ingram 
Julia – Rosalind Shanks 
Faulkland – Peter Tuddenham 
Sir Lucius O’Trigger – Denys Hawthorne 
Lucy – Barbara Mitchell 
Fag – Christopher Bidmead 
David – Ronald Herdman 
Thomas – Alan Dudley 
Boy/Maid – Carol Marsh 
Servant – LeRoy Lingwood 
Directed by Betty Davies 
 
The Duenna 
Don Antonio – Denis Quilley 
Donna Louisa – Jane Wenham 
Don Jerome – Alan Dudley 
Don Carlos – Gordon Faith 
Don Ferdinand – Barrie Ingham 
Donna Clara – Patricia Routledge 
The Duenna – Betty Huntley-Wright 
Isaac Mendoza – Peter Pratt 
Pepita – Valerie Kirkbright 
Father Paul – Aubrey Woods 
Lopez – Andrew Sachs 
Written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and adapted by Lionel Harris 
Adapted for radio and produced by Peter Bryant 
Music composed by Julian Slade, played by the Sinfonia of London conducted by Marcus Dods 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The School for Scandal, The Rivals & The Duenna

Three Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Productions

Bernard Kops

An anthology of plays and original radio dramas from the prolific playwright 
 
Born and brought up in the East End of London, Bernard Kops came to fame in the late 1950s as part of British drama’s ‘New Wave’. A lyrical chronicler of Jewish family life, he is often compared to Arnold Wesker and Harold Pinter, though his work is more sentimental and surreal. 
 
In a 50-year career, he wrote 10 novels, numerous poetry collections, two autobiographies and over 40 stage, TV and radio plays. Included here are some of his most popular pieces, beginning with two East End tales of love, loss, friendship and community, Whitechapel Dreams and Harry and the Angels, both featuring Kops himself as the narrator. 
 
An adaptation of his famous stage play, Ezra, about the treacherous, anti-Semitic poet Ezra Pound, is followed by a selection of original radio dramas including Falling in Love Again, the five-part serial Soho Nights and a two-parter featuring the trials and tribulations of a Yiddish theatrical troupe, The Jericho Players and The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds. 
 
Next up are more plays specially written for radio: The Lost Loves of Phoebe Myers (commissioned to mark Kops’ 80th birthday), Kafe Kropotkin, Trotsky Was My Father, Over the Rainbow, Bournemouth Nights, and The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast. Also featured are Congress in Manchester, centring around an ageing publisher’s attempts to seduce a young poetess; and Simon at Midnight, his 1982 radio drama about an East End factory owner facing bankruptcy which was later adapted for the theatre. 
 
Concluding this collection are a quartet of vintage plays from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s that have not been broadcast since they first aired: The Street Game; I Grow Old, I Grow Old; The Lemmings and The Dark Ages. 
 
Showcasing the range and prodigious output of an extraordinary talent, these 19 dramas star a wealth of leading actors, among them Miriam Margolyes, Ian Holm, Anne-Marie Duff, Maureen Lipman, Timothy West, Amanda Root, Stephanie Cole, Mark Bonnar, Louise Brealey, Alfred Molina, Warren Mitchell, Lesley Joseph, Leo McKern, Derek Fowlds,Tracy-Ann Oberman, Jane Asher, Lorelei King, Andrew Sachs and Denis Quilley 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Content Warning: The themes present in some of these dramas could be distressing for some listeners 
 
Production credits 
Written by Bernard Kops 
Text copyright © 1959 (The Street Game), 1963 (The Lemmings), 1964 (The Dark Ages), 1979 (Bournemouth Nights; I Grow Old, I Grow Old), 1980 (Over the Rainbow), 1981 (Ezra), 1982 (Simon at Midnight), 1984 (Trotsky Was My Father), 1988 (Kafe Kropotkin), 1990 (Congress in Manchester), 1993 (Soho Nights), 1996 (The Jericho Players), 1998 (The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds), 2000 (Falling in Love Again, The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast), 2006 (The Lost Love of Phoebe Miles), 2008 (Whitechapel Dreams), 2010 (Harry and the Angels) 
All rights reserved 
 
Content List 
<ul><li>Whitechapel Dreams</li><li>Harry and the Angels</li><li>Ezra</li><li>Falling in Love Again</li><li>Soho Nights</li><li>The Jericho Players</li><li>The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds</li><li>The Lost Love of Phoebe Miles</li><li>Kafe Kropotkin</li><li>Trotsky Was My Father</li><li>Over the Rainbow</li><li>Bournemouth Night</li><li>The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast</li><li>Congress in Manchester</li><li>Simon at Midnight</li><li>The Street Game</li><li>I Grow Old, I Grow Old</li><li>The Lemmings</li><li>The Dark Ages</li></ul> 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bernard Kops: A BBC Radio Collection

19 Full-Cast Productions including Ezra, Soho Nights & more

Liz Lochhead

Five full-cast dramas by the celebrated Scottish writer Liz Lochhead, plus a short story 
 
Liz Lochhead is a widely recognised poet, playwright and performer. She was the Makar, Scotland’s national poet, between 2011 and 2016, and was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2015. The six pieces in this anthology are characterised by their evocative language and focus on different facets of female identity: from schoolgirls, wives and mothers to convention-defying creators and ‘cunning women’. 
 
Blood and Ice – Summer, 1816. Following their scandalous elopement, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Shelley decamp to Lake Geneva. There, they are joined by Lord Byron and his mistress Claire Clairmont, and one night, in a villa by the shore, they challenge each other to write a ghost story. Mary’s tale will become the most famous Gothic novel of all time – and the creature at its centre will haunt her for the rest of her life. Starring Gerda Stevenson, Stephen Boxer, Jack Klaff and Stella Gonet. 
 
Quelques Fleurs – Liz Lochhead plays lonely, ‘born to shop’ housewife Verena, with Stuart Hepburn as her oil-rig worker husband in these tragicomic intercut monologues, which paint a portrait of a childless couple trapped in an unhappy marriage. 
 
Maleficium – Taking its title from a Latin word meaning ‘malevolent sorcery’, this chilling play draws on real accounts of witch trials to create voices for three women: Alice, Margery and Jinnet – a farm labourer, a farmer's wife and an elderly wisewoman. When two of them are accused of witchcraft by the other, they are brought to the point of tragedy… Starring Clare Corbett, Siobhan Redmond and Freda Dowie. 
 
Fancy You Minding That – Separated by three generations and by the 400 miles from London to Glasgow, a grandmother, mother and daughter recall their very different, very painful memories of the men in their lives. With Phyllis Logan as Valerie, Jennifer Piercey as Ina and Catherine Clarke as Kate. 
 
Cuba – Scotland, 1962. With the Cuban Missile Crisis at its height, best friends Barbara and Bernadette believe the world is about to end. They decide to spend their last days making a stand for women and peace – only to find themselves facing a very personal betrayal. Julie Wilson Nimmo, Pauline Lockhart and Liz Lochhead star. 
 
‘The Cure’ – Hoping to impress her handsome house captain, a schoolgirl takes to the athletics track – but the course of true love does not run smoothly. Read by Grace Glover. 
 
Text copyright © Liz Lochhead 1982 (Blood and Ice), 1986 (Fancy You Minding That), 1991 (Quelque Fleurs), 1994 (‘The Cure’), 1998 (Cuba), 2001 (Maleficium) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Blood and Ice & other plays

Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

Rob Grant

Doug Naylor

The TV soundtracks of the iconic cult sci-fi comedy series 
 
Re-live your favourite moments from one of the greatest TV comedies of all time, now available to listen to as an audio download. Join Lister (Craig Charles), Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Cat (Danny John Jules), Holly (Norman Lovett/Hattie Hayridge) and a gang of misfits they meet on their journey back to Earth. 
 
Three million years into deep space, Dave Lister is the last surviving member of the human race. Woken from suspended animation on the mining ship Red Dwarf, he discovers a radiation leak has killed the rest of the crew and his only companions are Arnold Rimmer, a hologram of his dead bunkmate, Holly, a senile computer, and a creature who evolved from the descendants of the ship's cat. Resigned to his fate, Lister begins the long journey home. Parallel universes, time travel, false memories, and virtual reality all conspire to confuse the crew and delight audiences over the first four series of this ground-breaking, classic TV show. 
 
This hilarious TV classic from Rob Grant and Doug Naylor is a must-listen for any fans of sci-fi, comedy, and everything in between. This audio-only collection of the original TV soundtracks provides the perfect opportunity for fans to relive the show's finest moments while on the go. 
 
First airing in 1988, Red Dwarf was the longest-running and highest-ranked comedy on BBC 2 ever, amassing an audience of over 8 million. It won an International Emmy Award in the 'Popular Arts' category and 'Best BBC Comedy Series' at the British Comedy Awards as well as numerous other awards. Since airing, there have been 12 series of the show and a 2020 TV film - The Promised Land. 
 
Series V-VIII are also available to download now. 
 
Please note: The audio on the last episode has been corrected. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor 
Directed and Produced by Ed Bye 
 
Arnold Rimmer - Chris Barrie 
Dave Lister - Craig Charles 
Cat - Danny John Jules 
Holly - Norman Lovett (Series 1-2), Hattie Hayridge (Series 3-4) 
Kryten - David Ross (Series 2), Robert Llewellyn (Series 3-4) 
 
First Broadcast BBC2, 15 February – 21 March 1988 (Series 1), 6 September – 11 October 1988 (Series 2), 14 November – 19 December 1989 (Series 3), 14 February – 21 March 1991 (Series 4) 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Red Dwarf: Series I to IV

The BBC TV Soundtracks

The TV soundtracks of the iconic cult sci-fi comedy series 
 
The crew of the deep space mining ship, Red Dwarf, return! 
 
A legion of hilarious new villains and heroes are here to hinder, help and generally create havoc for the beleaguered crew trying to get home. Re-live their iconic moments with the laugh-out-loud TV soundtracks of one of the greatest TV comedies of all time. Join Lister (Craig Charles), Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Cat (Danny John Jules), Holly (Norman Lovett/Hattie Hayridge) and a cast of space misfits on their long journey home. Parallel universes, time travel, false memories and virtual reality all conspire to confuse the crew and delight listeners time and again in this ground-breaking classic TV show soundtrack. 
 
The hilarious TV classic from Rob Grant and Doug Naylor is a must-listen for any fans of sci-fi, comedy and everything in-between. This audio-only collection of the original TV soundtracks provides the perfect opportunity for fans to relive the show's finest moments while on the go. 
 
First airing in 1988, Red Dwarf was the longest-running and highest-ranked comedy on BBC 2 ever, amassing an audience of over 8 million. It won an International Emmy Award in the 'Popular Arts' category and 'Best BBC Comedy Series' at the British Comedy Awards as well as numerous other awards. Since airing, there have been 12 series of the show and a 2020 TV film - The Promised Land. 
 
Series I-IV are also available to download now. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (Series 5-6); Doug Naylor, Kim Fuller, Paul Alexander, Robert Llewellyn and James Hendrie (Series 7); Doug Naylor and Paul Alexander (Series 8) 
Directed by Juliet May, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor (Series 5), Andy de Emmony (Series 6), Ed Bye (Series 7-8) 
 
Arnold Rimmer - Chris Barrie 
Dave Lister - Craig Charles 
Cat - Danny John Jules 
Kryten - Robert Llewellyn 
Holly - Norman Lovett (Series 5-8), Hattie Hayridge (Series 7-8) 
 
First Broadcast BBC2, 20 February – 26 March 1992 (Series 5), 7 October – 11 November 1993 (Series 6), 17 January – 7 March 1997 (Series 7), 18 February – 5 April 1999 (Series 8) 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Red Dwarf: Series V to VIII

Katie Sayer

Imogen is a classic left-wing student. War is bad, minorities are good, and I don’t care if I’m ruining Christmas, Mum, it’s important! 
 
But when she accidentally falls foul of campus orthodoxy, she finds herself alone, dejected, and friendless. Until a firebrand right-wing news station, Channel Albion, arrives to pick up the pieces... 
 
Suddenly, Imogen’s a “unicorn” –an attractive young woman who is happy to spout right-wing viewpoints on TV. She’s got her own Breakfast Show, she’s winning awards, and she’s the new face of the culture wars in Britain. But she doesn’t really mean any of it… does she? 
 
A satirical comedy about cancel culture, nominated for the 2025 Speakies. 
 
 “Biting satire” – The Times 
 
“Katie Sayer’s pacy forthright satire exposes the absurdities of our age” – The Radio Times 
 
“Bravo to Sayer and to Radio 4” – The Telegraph 
 
 
Starring Alyth Ross as Imogen (nominated for Best Performance at the 2025 Speakies), with Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Thursday Murder Club) as Mick and Rufus Jones (Rivals) as Theo. 
 
Also starring: 
 
Alex - Harry Trevaldwyn 
Pete - Steve Edge 
Michelle - Robin Weaver 
Cally - Karise Yansen 
Jake - Iain Ferrier 
Sam - Joe Barnes 
Lucy - Ada Player 
Tom - Freddie Walker 
Imam Ali - Naveed Khan 
Will - James Taylor-Thomas 
Zoe - Jade Groves 
Cara - Sapphire Joy 
 
Written by Katie Sayer (The Skewer, The Naked Week, Dead Ringers, The News Quiz, The Now Show, One Person Found This Helpful) 
 
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-King (Uncanny) 
 
Produced and directed by David Tyler (Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive, Cabin Pressure, Spitting Image) 
 
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13th May 2025. 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Four Gammons and a Unicorn

A Full-Cast BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

Sean O'Casey

An unparalleled collection of Full-Cast BBC Drama adaptations of Sean O’Casey’s powerful, poignant works 
 
 One of Ireland’s foremost playwrights, Sean O’Casey is renowned for his groundbreaking plays depicting the lives of poor, working-class Dubliners struggling with social and political upheaval and revolutionary change. This is the first comprehensive audio collection of O'Casey's works, and includes the three masterpieces collectively known as the ‘Dublin Trilogy’, as well as the dark comic satire Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, the one-act Bedtime Story and the anti-war drama The Silver Tassie.The Shadow of a Gunman – Dublin, 1920. With the Irish War of Independence raging, poet Donal Davoren finds himself caught up in danger and violence when he is mistaken for an IRA gunman on the run. Bryan Murray, Alan Devlin and Marcella O’Riordan star in this Radio 4 production of Sean O’Casey’s breakthrough play.Juno and the Paycock – The slum-dwelling Boyle family are blighted by poverty, war and the alcoholism of its feckless patriarch 'Captain' Jack Boyle. Will a surprise legacy transform their lives? Adapted for Radio 3, O’Casey’s classic tragicomedy stars Sorcha Cusack and Stanley Townsend.The Plough and the Stars – Painting a stark portrait of a city and a nation in turmoil, this classic play tells the story of ordinary Dubliners during the Easter Rising of 1916. Introduced by the playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah and starring Elaine Cassidy, Padraic Delaney, Gabrielle Reidy, Finbar Lynch & Matthew McNulty.Cock-a-Doodle Dandy – Rich farmer Michael Marthraun tries to stamp out permissiveness in rural Ireland, but the appearance of a beautifully plumed rooster calls the villagers to love and liberty. Believing the bird to be demonic, Marthraun calls in the priest, Father Domineer… Joseph O’Conor, Stephen Brennan and T. P. McKenna star in this adaptation of O’Casey’s own favourite play.Bedtime Story – Pious young clerk John Joe Mulligan is known to be a pillar of the Church. So why has he invited the seductive Angela back to his room? A concise exploration of morality and religious hypocrisy, this farcical comedy stars John Lynch, Sorcha Cusack and Angela Dearden.The Silver Tassie – A tale of love and the bitter heroics of war, O’Casey’s moving Expressionist play follows young athlete Harry Heegan (Jim Norton) as he leaves the football field for the Western Front.Text copyright © Sean O’Casey 1923 (The Shadow of a Gunman), 1924 (Juno and the Paycock), 1926 (The Plough and the Stars), 1927 (The Silver Tassie), 1949 (Cock-a-Doodle Dandy), 1951 (Bedtime Story)Production creditsWritten by Sean O’CaseyThe Shadow of a GunmanJuno and the PaycockThe Plough and the StarsCock-a-Doodle DandyBedtime StoryThe Silver Tassie© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Dublin Trilogy & more

Six BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions including Shadow of a Gunman & Juno and the Paycock

Stephen Sheridan

Lesley Joseph stars as romantic novelist Angela Temple in these three sparkling series 
 
Angela Temple is a best-selling ‘bonk-buster’ writer beloved by her readers for her raunchy, bodice-ripping historical romances. To her adoring public, she’s demure, chaste and respectable – but in reality, she’s a much-married, chain-smoking, heavy-drinking hedonist who treats her staff like dirt. 
 
Her long-suffering housekeeper, Mrs Partridge, is used to the abuse, but when her agent’s son, Conrad Bone, becomes her new personal assistant, he soon finds that life with Angela isn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. An ex-journalist and aspiring author of serious literary fiction, Conrad considers it deeply unfair that he should have to work for a talentless hack. But despite his deep dislike of her, he saves her bacon on more than one occasion as Angela tangles with an old flame, a rival author, an untrustworthy reporter, her soap star sister and her erstwhile boyfriend, the dashing Dr Lockheart... 
 
Starring alongside Lesley Joseph in Stephen Sheridan’s lively sitcom are Matthew Byam Shaw, Anna Wing, Pat Coombs and Gordon Reid, with guest stars including Honor Blackman, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, James Grout and Sally Grace. 
 
Written by Stephen Sheridan 
Produced and directed by Caroline Leddy and Ann Jobson 
 
Cast 
Angela Temple – Lesley Joseph 
Conrad Bone – Matthew Byam Shaw 
Mrs Partridge – Anna Wing/Pat Coombs 
Donald Bone – Gordon Reid 
 
With Jon Glover, Elizabeth Spriggs, Robert Harley, Melinda Walker, Jonathan Adams, Saira Todd, Ken Bruce, Victoria Plum, Michael Melia, Francesca Ryan, Andrew Rashleigh, Chris Emmett, Frank Windsor, Jonathan Gould, Liz Smith, James Grout, Linda Polan, Philip Anthony, Honor Blackman, Ronald Herdman, Ainslie Foster, Christopher Rowe, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, John Baddeley, Michael Onslow, Rachel Atkins, James Taylor, David Thorpe, Barry J Gordon, Robert Lang, Mary Wimbush, Dominic Letts, Colin Pinney, David Swift, John Evitts, Margaret Courtenay, Jonathan Keeble, Hilda Braid, Joshua Towb, Deborah Berlin, Ian Masters, Peter Yapp, Norman Bird, Sally Grace, Dan Strauss, Andrew Branch and Eva Stuart 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 November-23 December 1992 (Series 1), 2 December 1993-13 January 1994 (Series 2), 17 February-23 March 1996 (Series 3) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Queen of Romance: The Complete Series 1-3

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Comedy Drama

Greg Haddrick

Jeremy Fox

From Vietnam to JFK - spies, lies and the story of the CIA told by its longest-serving agent 
 
The utterly gripping, award-winning drama Central Intelligence is back, revealing further inside stories of the CIA and featuring an all-star cast. Told from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the Agency’s first day in 1947 and, in her 40-year career, became one of its most powerful women. Eloise takes the listener on a journey through the highs and lows of US foreign policy, spanning the staggering world events that shaped not only her career, but also her personal relationships with CIA leaders Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn). 
 
In series two, the Cold War intensifies with US involvement in South Vietnam. It’s 1954. Colonel Ed Lansdale, former advertising executive and the CIA’s maverick agent in South-East Asia, is given the task of creating dissension in the North to stop the advance of the communists. The death of Stalin brings confusion and elsewhere, Nasser seizes the Suez Canal in Egypt and global powers scramble. The British want control back. The Soviets move in. And the CIA races to keep Egypt from slipping behind the Iron Curtain. 
 
In the shadow games of empire, Eloise Page watches the balance of power shift. The space race begins and high-altitude spy planes are deployed with great success. As CIA policy architect John Foster Dulles becomes gravely ill, Eisenhower’s presidency comes to an end, revolution erupts in Cuba and in the Congo chaos reigns. The charismatic democrat John F Kennedy takes the presidential reins, but tragedy awaits… 
 
Kim Cattrall is a multi-award-winning actress, perhaps best known for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex in the City. In a career spanning over four decades she has appeared in films, on TV and on stage in both the West End and Broadway. Ed Harris is an Academy Award-nominated actor known for his roles in The Truman Show, Pollock and The Hours. He recently starred in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Johnny Flynn is best known for his role in TV comedy drama Lovesick, and played David Bowie in the biopic Stardust. He recently performed on stage at the National Theatre as Richard Burton in The Motive and the Cue directed by Sam Mendes, and is also the composer and singer of the theme music for the TV series The Detectorists. 
 
Written by Greg Haddrick 
Directed by John Scott Dryden 
Produced by Emma Hearn 
Original music by Sacha Puttnam 
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th June - 22nd August 2025 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Central Intelligence: Series 2

The Inside Story of the CIA

Philip Levene

Robert Beatty stars as Quentin Barnaby: Fire Investigator in Philip Levene’s gripping 1960s crime series 
 
A prolific writer for radio and TV, Philip Levene scripted numerous crime dramas and serials for the BBC in the 1960s. One of the most popular was Destination – Fire!, inspired by his fascination with the varied motivations of those who commit arson. Intrigued by ‘the puzzle of the charred remains of a burnt out building’, he came up with the idea of an investigator who would work out how a fire was started, by whom, and why. 
 
Starring Robert Beatty, who was well known for playing Irish detective Philip Odell on BBC radio, Destination – Fire! ran for three series on the Light Programme between 1962 and 1966. Of the original 33 episodes, 19 have sadly been lost, but the remaining 14 are all included here. Among the cases tackled by the tenacious ‘Q’ Barnaby are a blaze in a cinema, a fire aboard ship, the destruction of a theatre, an incident in a recording studio involving a pop singer, and a double arson insurance fraud which sparks murder… 
 
These thrilling standalone dramas feature a full cast of established actors, including Gudrun Ure as Valerie Chrane, Duncan McIntyre as Inspector Hackett and Anthony Hall as Alec Groves. 
 
Produced by Martyn C. Webster 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Destination – Fire!

14 Full-Cast Vintage BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce’s series of plays about the punk generation 30 years on 
 
What if punk heroes The Adverts had played a gig in Camberley in 1977, to an audience of 27 people? And what if, three decades later, someone tried to bring that audience back together for a reunion? That’s the premise of these five linked plays by award-winning screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce, telling the stories of some of those audience members as they look back on that life-changing night. Among the star casts are Doon Mackichan, Pauline Quirke, Siân Reeves, Rosie Cavaliero, Richard Ridings, Danny Webb and Manjinder Virk. 
 
Parallel Lines – When Julie, a singer in a Blondie tribute band, is invited to the reunion (along with her husband Pete, aka Zorba the Freak), she’s unsure whether or not to go. As she tries to track down 'Thing' and Margaret, two of her contemporaries from those formative days, she finds herself facing a few uncomfortable truths. 
 
Blitzkrieg Bop – Back in 1977, Mo Motormouth was a fanzine writer, and co-promoter of the Adverts gig alongside fellow punk Benny Bondage. Now a struggling local radio presenter, her career receives an unexpected boost when she gives her on-air persona an opinionated, in-yer-face makeover. But her newfound success brings some unwelcome attention from the livelier elements among her listeners… 
 
Damned, Damned, Damned – Ex-punk and ex-personal security guard Mick ended up in prison after an altercation with an over-enthusiastic fan. But now he’s a different man: he’s found Jesus, and he’s working on managing his anger. Can he find salvation in remembering the one time when he was truly happy? 
 
This Is the Modern World – Onetime ‘anarcho-punk’ Muttley lives in an eco-collective in Wales with his teenage daughter, Lineel. Hoping to find out about her late mother’s past, Lineel sets off on a walking pilgrimage to Camberley, and Muttley has no choice but to accompany her. He’s about to be forcibly reunited with his former self – and Lineel’s about to find out what life is like in the ‘real world’ beyond the commune. 
 
Television is Over – In this final play, we flash back to where it all began: Camberley, March 1977. Punk has arrived in suburban Surrey, and the town’s respectable residents are outraged – but the local teens are ready for revolution. And at the centre of it all are Julie, Pete, Mo, Benny, Mick, Muttley – and Adam, a young man desperate for something to believe in… 
 
Production credits 
Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce 
Produced and directed by Toby Swift 
 
Parallel Lines 
Cast: Doon Mackichan, Siân Reeves, Rosie Cavaliero, Ivan Kaye, Paul Viragh, Joseph Tremain, 
Sarah Bedi, John Rowe, Ben Crowe, Helen Longworth 
 
Blitzkrieg Bop 
Cast: Pauline Quirke, Adam Kotz, Manjinder Virk, Ivan Kaye, Ben Crowe, Harry Myers, 
Sanjay Shelat, Stephen Critchlow, John Rowe, Amy Enticknap 
 
Damned, Damned, Damned 
Cast: Richard Ridings, Lloyd Thomas, Chris Pavlo, Richie Campbell, Paul Richard Biggin, John Rowe, Ben Crowe 
 
This Is the Modern World 
Cast: Danny Webb, Stephanie Leonidas, Ann Beach, Carl Prekopp, John Biggins, Alex Tregear, 
John Cummins, Sam Dale, Liz Sutherland 
 
Television’s Over 
Cast: Kristopher Milnes, Freddy White, Gerard Horan, Fenella Woolgar, Leanne Rowe, 
James Daley, Ben Crowe, John Hasler, Amy Enticknap, John Rowe, Dan Starkey, 
Nyasha Hatendi, Sarah Bedi, Joan Walker, Tim James 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

One Chord Wonders

Five Full Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Peter Shaffer

Peter Shaffer’s three most renowned plays, plus a radio monologue performed by Dame Judi Dench 
 
Sir Peter Shaffer was one of the most distinguished and successful British playwrights of his generation. He won the Tony Award for both Amadeus and Equus, and the film adaptation of Amadeus garnered eight Oscars. In 1997, he was awarded an OBE, and he was knighted in the 2001 New Year honours list. This collection contains his best-known plays and a monologue specially written for radio, first broadcast in 1989. 
 
Amadeus – Antonio Salieri is 18th-century Vienna’s favourite composer – until a brilliant young upstart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, appears on the scene and takes his crown. Consumed by jealousy, Salieri plots his rival’s downfall… Directed by Sir Peter Hall, this sensational drama is performed by the cast of the original National Theatre production, including Paul Scofield, Simon Callow and Felicity Kendal. 
 
Equus – When psychiatrist Martin Dysart is asked by the local magistrate to treat a disturbed 17-year-old boy who has blinded six horses, he soon finds himself in the midst of a nightmare. Starring Peter Barkworth and Ian Sharrock. 
 
The Royal Hunt of the Sun – In 1532, Francisco Pizarro and his 167 soldiers captured the last Inca Emperor, Atahuallpa. This gripping drama, starring Gerald Murphy and Norman Rodway, tells the story of the conquest of Peru, and the power struggle and fatal friendship between the Spanish conquistador and the Sun-God King. 
 
‘Whom Do I Have the Honour of Addressing?’ – Alone in her Clapham flat, Angela Parsons dictates a potentially explosive memoir onto her cassette recorder. It is an account of her life, death and a shocking scandal involving Hollywood’s most beloved film star… With Dame Judi Dench as Angela Parsons. 
 
Text copyright © Peter Shaffer 1964 (The Royal Hunt of the Sun), 1973 (Equus), 1979 (Amadeus), 1989 (‘Whom Do I Have the Honour of Addressing?’) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Peter Shaffer 
 
Amadeus 
Antonio Salieri – Paul Scofield 
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Simon Callow 
Constanze Mozart – Felicity Kendal 
Joseph II – John Normington 
Gottfried, Baron van Sweiten – Nicholas Selby 
Count Franz Orsini Rosenberg – Willoughby Goddard 
Johann Kilian von Strack – Basil Henson 
Venticelli – Donald Gee/Dermot Crowley 
Citizens of Vienna – Nigel Bellairs, Susan Gilmore, Peggy Marshall, Robin Meredith, Anne Sedgwick, William Sleigh, Glenn Williams 
 
Equus 
Martin Dysart – Peter Barkworth 
Alan Strang – Ian Sharrock 
Heather Salomon – Jennifer Piercey 
Frank Strang – Malcolm Hayes 
Dora Strang – Jane Wenham 
Jill Mason – Jenny Twigge 
Harry Dalton – Ronald Herdman 
Young Horseman – Philip Sully 
Nurse – Jan Carey 
Other voices – Richard Gibson, Nigel Greaves, David Parfitt, Jonathan Scott 
 
The Royal Hunt of the Sun 
King Atahualpa – Gerald Murphy 
Pizarro – Norman Rodway 
Old Martin – Bob Peck 
Hernando de Soto – Edward de Souza 
Diego de Trujillo – Gordon Reid 
Young Martin – Matthew Sim 
Pedro de Candia – Keith Drinkel 
Fray Vincente de Valverde – Nigel Anthony 
Felipillo – David Holt 
Domingo – Nicholas Mercie 
Challcuchima – John Fleming 
Miguel Estete – Martyn Reid 
Salinas – Peter Gunn 
Rodas – John Webb 
Other parts played by members of the cast 
 
‘Whom Do I Have the Honour of Addressing?’ 
Angela Parsons – Dame Judi Dench 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Amadeus, Equus & more

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

Christopher Douglas

The complete 16th series of the hit comedy – including the 100th episode 
 
‘Matchless’ Julie Burchill, The Spectator 
 
Ed Reardon, washed-up writer, master of the diatribe and a man with the unfaltering ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, hits the milestone of his 20th anniversary on Radio 4. Still mourning his beloved feline companion, he finds solace in a new life partner – the offspring of Elgar. But he’s sorely in need of a new source of income now his wealthy Third Age writing-class students have all decamped to Dubai. 
 
Never one to be defeated, he clears out his storage cupboard to illegally sub-let it as an ‘opportunity for boutique capsule living’, tries to find an outlet for his long-forgotten radio play A Pigeon in Sainsbury’s, takes on the role of theatre critic for The Countrywoman magazine, and agrees to write a bottle episode of Jaz Milvain’s new show about two chalk-and-cheese cops who do things their own way. With commissions thin on the ground, he’s forced to become the ‘Writer in Residence’ at a nuclear power station: but unfortunately, his on/off romantic partner Maggie is on the other side of the fence protesting. And in the final episode of the series – the landmark 100th show – the curmudgeonly author makes the fateful decision to stop writing for good. Can Zadie Smith persuade Ed not to throw in the towel? 
 
First broadcast in 2005, Ed Reardon’s Week has garnered two Broadcasting Press Guild awards for Best Radio Programme, and attracted some of the UK’s finest actors as guest stars. Joining the roll call in this series are Adrian Scarborough, Robert Powell, Stephen Mangan and Joe Thomas, while regulars include Christopher Douglas as Ed, Lisa Coleman as Eli, Barunka O’Shaughnessy as Ping and Pippa Haywood as Maggie. 
 
Written by Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Dawn Ellis 
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum 
Sound: Jon Calver & Alison McKenzie 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon – Christopher Douglas 
Eli – Lisa Coleman 
Christos/Uncle Beastly – Simon Greenall 
Ping – Barunka O’Shaughnessy 
Sheila/Francesca/Fifi/Kayleigh/Newsreader – Nicola Sanderson 
Ross – Dan Tetsell 
Simon – Joe Thomas 
Maggie – Pippa Haywood 
The Pigeon – Stephen Mangan 
Nick – Adrian Scarborough 
Michael Berkeley – Himself 
Willow – Eve Ponsonby 
Sir Peter – Robert Powell 
Jaz Milvain – Philip Jackson 
Jake – Sam Pamphilon 
Clare – Clare Perkins 
Devashree – Aasiya Shah 
Danny – Tom Stourton 
Kate – Robin Weaver 
Petroc Trelawney – Himself 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 June-4 August 2025 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon’s Week: Series 16

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

Joe Orton

Selected plays by the great playwright Joe Orton, plus bonus material 
 
Joe Orton was among the towering geniuses of 1960s theatre. His life was tragically cut short in 1967, but he left behind him a handful of shocking and scabrous black comedies that will live on in the public imagination for years to come. Orton’s career was kickstarted by the BBC. John Tydeman who is widely considered to have found him when working at the BBC as an trainee. He came across an early version of The Ruffian on the Stair called The Boy Hairdresser and persuaded his seniors to let him meet him and discuss the play, there began a friendship that shaped Orton’s life. Tydeman recommended a top literary agent and the rest is history. 
 
Featured here are two of his lesser-known works, The Erpingham Camp and The Ruffian on the Stair, collected together as a double bill. The former, loosely based on Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae, is an anarchic, subversive farce set in a holiday camp, where a group of campers decide to revolt against the dictatorial owner. It stars an ensemble cast, including Robert Daws and Jonjo O’Neill. In the latter, Orton’s breakthrough hit, an ex-boxer (Gerard Horan) and an ex-prostitute (Sophie Thompson) have their lives disrupted by a stranger (Jack Rowan). Recorded live at the BBC’s radio theatre in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of Orton's death, the plays are accompanied by an interview with Orton's friend, Kenneth Cranham, who discusses the Joe Orton he knew. 
 
Also featured are the darkly comic Funeral Games, starring Phil Daniels, Martin Jarvis, Tony Rohr and Liza Sadovy, which takes a sideswipe at religious hypocrisy and is considered the linking work between his two key plays, Loot and What the Butler Saw. Plus, John Sessions reads extracts from Joe Orton’s posthumously published journals in The Orton Diaries; Ned Sherrin hears from Kenneth Williams about his experiences directing Loot in Kenneth Williams on Joe Orton, and Samira Akhmed talks to guests including Orton’s sister Leonie and Sheila Hancock about the playwright’s life and legacy in Front Row: Joe Orton. 
 
Production credits 
Text copyright © Joe Orton 1964 (The Ruffian on the Stair), 1966 (The Erpingham Camp), 1968 (Funeral Games), 1986 (The Orton Diaries) 
All rights reserved 
 
The Erpingham Camp 
Erpingham – Robert Daws 
Riley – Jonjo O'Neill 
Lou – Kerry Gooderson 
Ted – Samuel James 
Kenny – Charlie Clements 
Eileen – Sarah Ridgeway 
W.E. Harrison – Tom Forrister 
Jessie Mason – Sanchia McCormack 
Padre – Simon Ludders 
Accordion Player – Colin Guthrie 
 
The Ruffian on the Stair 
Mike – Gerard Horan 
Joyce – Sophie Thompson 
Wilson – Jack Rowan 
Produced by Mary Peate 
Kenneth Cranham interview by Matthew Sweet 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 2 July 2017 
 
Funeral Games 
Caulfield – Phil Daniels 
Pringle – Martin Jarvis 
McCorquodale – Tony Rohr 
Tessa – Liza Sadovy 
Policeman – Ben Crowe 
Produced and directed by Peter Kavanagh 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 July 2008 
 
Joe Orton: The Orton Diaries 
Diary selections read by John Sessions 
Produced by Ned Chaillet 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 March 1994 
 
Kenneth Williams on Joe Orton 
With Kenneth Williams and Ned Sherrin 
Produced by Ian Gardhouse 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, September 1980 
 
Front Row: Joe Orton 
Presented by Samira Ahmed 
Produced by Ekene Akalawu 
With Leonie Orton, Emma Parker, Sally Norman, Jenna Forbes, John Lahr, Sheila Hancock, Nikolai Foster 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 August 2017 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Joe Orton: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Three Full-Cast Productions & Joe Orton’s Diaries

Frank Wedekind

A brand new production of Spring Awakening, alongside three classic plays from the BBC archive 
 
Frank Wedekind is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of modern drama, whose works influenced later writers such as Brecht and Dürrenmatt. His best-known plays were Spring Awakening and Lulu, both of which transgressed the social norms of his time and still have the power to shock and provoke us today. They are included here, alongside his lesser-known tragicomedy The Marquis of Keith. 
 
Spring Awakening – Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking 1891 play deals with teenagers Wendla, Melchoir and Moritz, who navigate the awakening of desire and their relationships with their parents in a sexually repressive society. This fast, punchy, two-part version is adapted by Theo Toksvig-Stewart 
 
Lulu – The inspiration for numerous reimaginings, including the acclaimed silent film Pandora’s Box, Wedekind’s classic 1890s epic scandalised nineteenth-century audiences. It tells the story of Lulu, an alluring siren who is both innocent victim and amoral seducer. As she uses men, and is used in turn by them, she finds herself set on a path that can only lead to destruction… Starring Anna Calder-Marshall as Lulu, with a full cast including Derek Godfrey, Joe Melia and John Rye. 
 
The Singer – This fin-de-siècle farce satirizes the world of the 19th-century cultural elite, where artistic integrity was often subsumed by the demands of crude materialism. Centring on a revered Wagnerian tenor, his insatiable fans, and the tyrannical composer who is set on bending him to his will, it is adapted here by Peter Barnes and stars Alec McCowen, Kathryn Hurlbutt, Peter Woodthorpe and Dilys Laye. 
 
The Marquis of Keith – Written in 1899, The Marquis of Keith is one of Wedekind’s most significant plays. A tragicomedy, it revolves around the eponymous hero, a deeply flawed Don Quixote-like figure who is determined to follow his dream of creating a palace for the arts, no matter what the cost. This BBC Radio adaptation stars Alan Howard, Robert Eddison, Rosalind Shanks and Margaret Wolfit. 
 
First published 1891 (Spring Awakening), 1895 & 1904 (Lulu), 1899 (The Singer), 1901 (The Marquis of Keith) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Frank Wedekind 
 
Spring Awakening 
 
Lulu 
 
The Singer 
 
The Marquis of Keith 
 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Frank Wedekind: Spring Awakening & more

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The theme of the great Shakespearean tragedies is a hero's fall from grace due to a fatal character flaw. Whether it is the ruthless ambition of Macbeth or the folly of Lear, the irresolution of Hamlet or the suspicion of Othello, the cause of the tragedy – even when it is the murder of a king – is trifling compared to the calamity that it unleashes. Despite their flawed natures, however, the tragic protagonists all have a nobility that emphasizes the greatness of humanity. From this paradox the audience is brought to a greater understanding of – and sympathy with – suffering. 
 
The four tragedies in this collection are accompanied by notes and an introduction to each text.

Four Tragedies

Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth

Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Steve May

Ben Whishaw and Philip Glenister star in these six plays telling the story of the fabled 5th Century king. 
 
Britain, 493 AD. When 17-year-old stable boy Arran is visited by Merlin, he is forced to confront his true origins and seize his destiny. Pulling the sword from the stone, he is proclaimed King Arthur – but the tribal leaders refuse to acknowledge him, and the country is plunged into civil war. With Merlin’s help, Arthur travels to the Sacred Grove, where the Lady of the Lake presents him with the magical sword Excalibur. 
 
Seven years later, Arthur holds court at Camelot, ruling as King with his Queen, Gwenfar, by his side. The kingdom is at peace – but this fragile stability cannot last, and Arthur’s attempts to usher in a new golden age are thwarted by rebellion, betrayal, treason and his own fatal human weakness… 
 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Steve May, these gripping plays take in all the famous Arthurian legends, from Lanslot’s tryst with Gwenfar to the quest for the Holy Grail. Ben Whishaw and Philip Glenister star as Arthur, with Ian McDiarmid as Merlin, Jane Lapotaire as Morgan, Eve Myles as Gwenfar and Andrew Scarborough as Lanslot. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Steve May 
Directed by Gordon House 
Produced by Gordon House and Jeremy Mortimer 
Music by Zbigniew Preisner, with additional music by Lucinda Mason Brown 
 
Cast 
Morgan – Jane Lapotaire 
Arthur – Ben Whishaw/Philip Glenister 
Merlin – Ian McDiarmid 
Young Morgan – Eve Best 
Gaura – Pam Ferris 
Ector – James Laurenson 
Keir – Nicholas Boulton 
Bryce – Christian Rodska 
Kerwyn/Vespan – Stephen Hogan 
Soldiers – Damian Lynch, Robert Hastie & Jason Chan 
Bedvere – Shaun Dooley 
Lot – Clive Russell 
Rhyannon – Emily Wachter 
Aidan – Phillip Fox 
Young Gwenfar – Alice Ford 
Gwenfar – Eve Myles 
Leodegrance – Phillip Joseph 
Bors/Servant – Robert Hastie 
Maura – Alex Tregear 
Lanslot – Andrew Scarborough 
Elaine – Kaye Wragg 
King Pellyn – Gerard McDermott 
Mordred – Stuart McLoughlin 
Galhot – Liam Garrlgan 
Ossa – Damian Lynch 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 October-26 November 2004 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Arthur

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Drama Series

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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