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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

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

The short life of A.J.A. Symons (1900-41) was described by his biographer as an intricate and largely harmless confidence trick. His many interests included the collection of musical boxes and rare books as well as the study and practice of forgery; they left him time to edit an anthology of Edwardian verse and compose studies of H.M. Stanley and other notable figures. He is remembered for The Quest for Corvo, one of the most remarkable biographies ever written, and for co-founding the Wine and Food Society.

A. J. A. Symons

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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. 
 
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

Jane Austen

A female-centred collection of four dramatisations celebrating Jane Austen’s classic novels - plus bonus series When I Met Jane Austen 
 
On 16 December 1775, a literary icon was born. Jane Austen’s groundbreaking novels pioneered the romantic comedy genre and put women front and centre, depicting their innermost thoughts and feelings. To celebrate her 250th anniversary, here are four new dramas, focusing on the fabulous, flawed, funny and fascinating women who blaze out from her books. Full of her characteristic wit and biting comedy, they feature star-studded casts including Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Adjoa Andoh, and Ben Hardy. 
 
Pride and Prejudice – Featuring one of the best-loved heroines in literature – lively, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet – this radical reimagining tells the story of the five Bennet sisters’ romantic escapades, as they endeavour to fulfil their mother’s dreams and marry well. 
 
Sense and Sensibility – When their father’s death turns their world upside down, rational, reserved Elinor Dashwood and her impulsive, emotional sister Marianne leave their old lives behind and embark on a voyage of romantic discovery. 
 
Northanger Abbey – Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is a kind, honest and unworldly young woman with a head full of Gothic novels and little experience of the real world. So when wealthy, handsome Henry Tilney invites her to Northanger Abbey, she is determined to discover its dark secrets... 
 
Mansfield Park – Aged just nine, Fanny Price is sent away from her impoverished parents to live with her rich relatives at Mansfield Park. Shaped by family and adversity, this displaced child becomes a fiercely moral young woman with an unshakable conscience – and as she navigates the complexities of love and jealousy, her true strength of character is revealed. 
 
When I Met Jane Austen – Ten of the world’s most prominent authors and thinkers talk to Jane Austen biographer Paula Byrne about when they first encountered the great writer. Featuring contributions from David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate Atkinson. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Jane Austen 
 
Pride and Prejudice 
Starring Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Rosie Cavaliero, Lucy Doyle, Kitty O’Sullivan, Gaia Wise, Imogen Front, Louis Landau, Toby Regbo, Adjoa Andoh, Catherine Bailey, Josh Bryant-Jones, Sasha McCabe, Jasmine Hyde, Clive Haywood, and Sarah Thom 
 
Produced by Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13-14 Dec 2025 
 
Sense and Sensibility 
Starring Tamsin Greig, Madeleine Mantock, Rose Basista, Ben Hardy, Enyi Okoronkwo, Richard Goulding, Ava Talbot, Jasmine Hyde, Carolyn Pickles, Clive Hayward, Django Bevan, Sasha McCabe, and Bethan Rose Young 
 
Produced by Anne Isger 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20-21 Dec 2025 
 
Northanger Abbey 
Starring Madeleine Gray, Will Howard, Cecilia Appiah, Ella Smith, John Heffernan, Scarlett Courtney, Jasmine Hyde, Josh Bryant-Jones, and Django Bevan 
 
Dramatised by Clara Glynn 
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2-9 Nov 2025 
 
Mansfield Park 
Starring Lydia Wilson, Bryan Dick, Tala Gouveia, Tom Mothersdale, Janice Acquah, Madeleine Worrall, Joshua Riley, John Hollingworth, Samuel Valentine, Faith Alabi, and Hollie Burgess 
 
Dramatised by Clara Glynn 
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-17 Jul 2022When I Met Jane Austen 
Presented by Paula Byrne 
With David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate AtkinsonProduced by Maggie Ayre 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8-19 Dec 2025 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jane Austen: The 250th Anniversary Collection

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

William Harrison Ainsworth

An epic 13-part dramatisation of William Harrison Ainsworth’s historical romance, centring around the rise and fall of Lady Jane GreyWilliam Harrison Ainsworth was lauded by his contemporaries as a successor to Sir Walter Scott, and was named in 1847 as one of the three most popular writers in England (alongside Edward Bulwer-Lytton and Charles Dickens). His first three historical novels were inspired by the lives of Dick Turpin, ‘Honest Jack’ Sheppard and ‘the Admirable Crichton’, but with The Tower of London, he decided to base his book around a place rather than a person. Depicting the ancient citadel ‘in its triple light of a palace, a prison and a fortress’, he went on to weave a thrilling tale of power struggles, romance and political intrigue – featuring two coronations, a wedding, several executions and a siege...It begins in July 1553, as the newly-crowned Queen Jane makes her way by barge to the Tower, where she will spend the first days of her reign. Following the death of Edward VI, she has been installed on the throne by her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, who has married her to his son Lord Guildford Dudley with hopes of making him King.But danger lurks within the Tower’s high walls, for there are many who plot against Jane: not least Simon Renard, the Spanish Ambassador, who is determined to make Catherine of Aragon’s Catholic daughter, Mary, Queen in Jane’s place. Surrounded by enemies and betrayed by those she trusted most, Jane is led step by step to her tragic fate... Meanwhile, the beautiful Cicely, the ‘Rose of the Tower’, has fallen in love with Dudley’s squire, Cuthbert Cholmondeley, only for their budding romance to be thwarted by the villainous, jealous head jailer Nightgall. As history plays out around her, is she destined for happiness or heartbreak?Dramatised by actor and writer Tony Van den Bergh, this riveting 1968 drama dates from the glory days of the BBC Repertory Company, and features an ensemble cast including Gudrun Ure, Peter Baldwin, Francis de Wolff, Rosalind Shanks, Garard Green and Marjorie Westbury.With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio CircleNB: This recording contains dated language and attitudesProduction creditsWritten by William Harrison AinsworthFirst published 1840Dramatised by Tony Van den BerghProduced and directed by R D SmithCastJane, the Queen – Gudrun UreNightgall, head jailer – Peter BaldwinMagog, a giant warder – Francis de WolffRibald, his crony – Leigh CrutchleyArchbishop Cranmer/Arundel – John WyseBishop Ridley – Ralph Trumande Noailles, French Ambassador – David MarchSimon Renard, Spanish Ambassador – Malcolm HayesSuffolk – Peter WilliamsLord Guilford Dudley – Michael HarbourCuthbert, his squire – Christopher BidmeadCicely – Beth BoydGunnora, an old nurse – Phyllis MontefioreDame Potentia, a cook’s wife – Lynn CarsonXit, a dwarf – Nigel AnthonyNorthumberland, Lord Protector – Denis McCarthyPrincess Elizabeth – Rosalind ShanksQueen Mary – Alexa RomanesLord Gardiner – Duncan McIntyreLord Courtenay – Douglas HankinAlexia, a crazed prisoner – Margaret FordWinchester – Rolf LefebvreDean Feckenham – Geoffrey WincottSir Thomas Wyatt – Garard GreenMistress Ellen – Marjorie WestburyUnderhill – Haydn JonesMauger – John Holus Other parts played by Diana Robson, Jan Edwards, Norma Griffin, Joyce Latham, Henry Webb, Norman Wynne and members of the BBC Drama Repertory CompanyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 March-5 June 1968© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tower of London

A Vintage BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation

Matthew Lewis

Ann Radcliffe

Horace Walpole

Four full-cast dramatisations of classic Gothic novels, plus documentaries exploring the genre’s rise and enduring appeal 
 
Dark deeds, dastardly villains, innocent victims and supernatural happenings – these are the terrifying tropes that make up Gothic fiction, a genre that has captured our imagination for over 250 years. Blending both classic and modern dramatisations, this specially curated anthology couples thrilling masterpieces with insightful documentaries… 
 
We begin with A Gothic Quest, in which Louise Welsh examines what ‘gothic’ really means, and takes a look at its many appearances in poetry, fiction, art, architecture and film. In A Guided Tour of the Castle of Otranto, Rory McGrath explores the origins of gothic horror, first manifested in Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel. It is followed by a dramatisation of The Castle of Otranto itself, a dark supernatural tale of duplicity and dynastic rivalry. Treading warily into the book’s strange world in Kaleidoscope Feature: A Little Gothic Castle, Peggy Reynolds draws parallels between Walpole’s vision for his London villa, Strawberry Hill, and the haunted mansion in the novel. 
 
Next, we unveil the male gothic in a gripping drama featuring disguise, abduction, incest and murder. The Monk, based on the 1796 classic by Matthew Lewis, tells the story of Ambrosio (Michael Pennington), who is tempted into breaking his vows of chastity by a beautiful young nun. The dawn of the female gothic is revealed in The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, centred on a powerless young heroine trapped in an isolated castle and pitted against an evil Italian Count. Showcasing the Gothic satire is Jane Austen’s 1817 novel Northanger Abbey, poking fun at the popular sensation fiction of her day. In this witty drama, Catherine Morland is taken to Bath for the season, and finds that in her fertile imagination, danger and hair-raising horrors lurk around every corner. Georgia Groome, Miriam Margolyes and Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson star in this full-cast dramatisation. 
 
Wrapping up our collection is In Our Time: Gothic, which sees Melvyn Bragg and guest experts considering the origins and significance of the 18th century Gothic movement. 
 
 
First published 1764 (The Castle of Otranto), 1794 (The Mysteries of Udolpho), 1796 (The Monk), 1817 (Northanger Abbey) 
 
 
Content List 
 
Part 1. Gothic Imagination 
 
A Gothic Quest 
Presented by Louise Welsh 
 
Part 2. The First Gothic Novel: The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole 
 
A Guided Tour of the Castle of Otranto 
Presented by Rory McGrath 
 
The Castle of Otranto 
cast and credits to be announced 
 
Kaleidoscope Feature: A Little Gothic Castle 
Presented by Peggy Reynolds 
 
Part 3. Unveiling A Male Gothic: The Monk by Matthew Lewis 
 
The Monk 
Starring Michael Pennington, Sorcha Cusack, Emily Morgan, Christopher Douglas, Brian Smith, Jenny Funnell, Tessa Worsley, Mary Wimbush, Simon Hewitt, Anne Jameson, Alan Thompson, Melinda Walker, Mia Soteriou, Allan McClelland, Garard Green, Graham Blockey, Peter Acre, David Learner and Bernard Brown 
 
 
Part 4. The Dawn of a Female Gothic: The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe 
 
The Mysteries of Udolpho 
Starring Georgia Groome, Tracy Wiles, John Dougall, Finlay Robertson, Luke Thompson, Natasha Cowley, Stephen Wight, John Bowler, Karen Bartke and Alison Belbin 
 
Part 5. Gothic Satire: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 
 
Northanger Abbey 
Starring Georgia Groome, Luke Thompson, Tracy Wiles, Kim Wall, Ainsley Howard, Alison Belbin, John Bowler, Karen Bartke, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Wight, Finlay Robertson, Natasha Cowley, John Dougall, Nick Murchie, Keziah Joseph and Luke MacGregor 
 
 
Part 6. Gothic Legacies 
 
In Our Time: Gothic 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
With Chris Baldick, A N Wilson and Emma Clery 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tales of Terror: A BBC Radio Gothic Drama Collection

The Castle of Otranto, The Monk, The Mysteries of Udolpho & Northanger Abbey

Rosamond Lehmann

BBC adaptations of four of Rosamond Lehmann’s best-known novels, plus short stories and a bonus documentary 
 
Rosamond Lehmann’s first novel, Dusty Answer, was published in 1927 when she was just 26. It was a scandalous success, and was followed by six more acclaimed novels exploring human relationships and the emotional lives of girls and women. Four of the finest are dramatised here, alongside readings of two of her short stories and a fascinating profile of Lehmann herself. 
 
Dusty Answer – Growing up, Judith Earle’s only friends are the Fyfe family cousins, who live next door. As Judith moves from childhood to adulthood, Charlie, Roddy, Julian and Martin drift in and out of her life, bringing with them romance, heartbreak and disillusionment. Starring Julia Hills, Rosina Carbone, Jack Farthing, Brodie Ross, Oliver Gomm and Tom Ferguson. 
 
Invitation to the Waltz – Waking on her 17th birthday, Olivia senses her rite of passage has begun. Anticipating her very first dance, she is both anxious and excited – will it live up to her hopeful expectations? Mary Nighy stars in this adaptation of Lehmann’s 1932 classic. 
 
The Weather in the Streets – Now living a bohemian life in London, Olivia embarks on a passionate affair with the handsome and unhappily married Rollo. Eve Best and Jonathan Firth star in this sequel to Invitation to the Waltz. 
 
The Echoing Grove – After 15 years apart, two sisters meet to seek reconciliation. Between them lay various ghosts – not least that of Rickie, husband of Madeleine and lover of Dinah… Starring Janet Suzman, Susan Engel and Christopher Cazenove. 
 
‘When the Waters Came’ – Ensconced in an English village during wartime, a mother and her two children experience a sudden sharp freeze and a violent, torrential thaw. Read by Lin Sagovsky. 
 
‘A Dream of Winter’ – In the midst of a great frost, a woman in bed with flu is visited by the bee man, who has come to remove the swarm living in the walls of her country house. Read by Maureen O’Brien. 
 
Kaleidoscope: An Inner Life – Presented by Richard Mayne, this absorbing profile from 1985 features interviews with Rosamond Lehmann, in which she discusses her debut novel, the impact of World War Two on her work, the death of her beloved daughter and her subsequent spiritual visions. With contributions from Sybille Bedford, Anita Brookner, Valentine Cunningham, Marghanita Laski, John Lehmann and Gillian Tindall. 
 
First published 1927 (Dusty Answer), 1932 (Invitation to the Waltz), 1936 (The Weather in the Streets), 1946 (‘When the Waters Came’, ‘A Dream of Winter’) 1953 (The Echoing Grove) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Rosamond Lehmann: A BBC Radio Collection

Four Full-Cast Dramatisations including The Weather in the Streets

Jonathan Myerson

A scandalous full-cast dramatized romp through Hogarth’s famous paintings, bringing to life the story in – and behind – each canvas 
 
 
Listen to this double helping of laugh-out-loud comedy featuring an all-star cast including Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey (The Split), Sheila Reid (Benidorm) and Will Keen (His Dark Materials and The Crown) as they bring alive the life and times of William Hogarth and the stories revealed - and concealed - in his famous sequence of engravings.This enchanting and hilarious collection is comprised of two audio treats. In the first, A Harlot’s Progress, it’s 1732 and a young, undistinguished painter abandons his classical training and sets out to tell the tale of a country girl's downfall on the streets of London in a series of paintings. Innocent Moll Hackabout, the story’s heroine, arrives in London and is swiftly taken in by procuress Mrs Needham. She becomes a city trader’s courtesan but falls for a famous highway man. As she descends into a life of prostitution, penury and misery, painter William’s life in 18th century London is just beginning…In Marriage a la Mode the story continues and Mr and Mrs Hogarth return with another romp through a series of classic engravings as a marriage made in the Bank of England unites the aristocratic Squanders with the bourgeois Grubpumps, to the disgust of both bride and groom. Hogarth engraves the disastrous consequences of marrying for money rather than love as the wealthy newlyweds indulge every desire - if only they desired each other. Affairs, transgressions, debts, deceit and murder are only a part of this pacy and hilarious adventure that culminates in very different endings for the Squanders, Grubpumps and Hogarths.Writer Jonathan Myerson is a renowned TV and radio dramatist. His animated film The Canterbury Tales won a BAFTA Award and four primetime Emmys and he has also written scripts for several British television drama series including The Bill, Holby City, EastEnders, Jupiter Moon and The Legend of William Tell.A Harlot’s Progress Cast and creditsWritten by Jonathan MyersonDirected and produced by Jonquil PantingWilliam Hogarth - Will KeenJean - Shella ReidMoll - Liz WhiteLondon girl - Amelia LowdellLondon girl - Annabel ScholeyMrs Needham - Rosemary LeachCharteris - Crawford LoganGourlay - Gerard McDermottWagondriver - Stephen CritchlowGiuseppe - Paul ReynoldsSolomon - Nickolas GraceBess - Amelda BrownJames/Dr Rock - Ben CroweClient/Joshua - Geoffrey BeeversFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6th - 10th February 2006Marriage a la Mode Cast and creditsWritten by Jonathan MyersonDirected and produced by Jonquil PantingWilliam Hogarth - Will KeenJane Hogarth - Rebecca JohnsonCharles - Stephen ManganEmily Grubpump (Later Countess Squander) - Anna MadeleyGrubpump - Robin SoansSylvester Silvertongue/Sir Andrew - John DougallOld Squander/Misaubin - Sam DaleMrs Wisebourne - Nichola McAulffleTyers - Anthony GlennonClarissa - Poppy FriarMissus - Rachel BavidgeSteward - Mark StrakerSimmy - Jasmine CallanLittle William - Jordan ClarkeFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26th - 2nd March 2007©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

William Hogarth’s A Harlot’s Progress & Marriage a la Mode

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Alessandro Manzoni

A full-cast dramatisation of Italy’s iconic novelThe Betrothed is a sweeping epic, packed with the passion of Les Misérables, the power of War and Peace and the action of Ivanhoe. Set in 17th century Italy, this is the ultimate story of love, faith, justice and power.Engaged couple, Renzo and Lucia must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to be together. Lombardy, their region of northern Italy, is under Spanish occupation, and when the Spaniard Don Rodrigo blocks their union, in an attempt to have Lucia for himself, the couple are forced to resist his plots. Their love is thwarted at every turn by the hazards of war, bread riots and the machinations of a nameless crime lord. This gripping listen chronicles their unforgettable romance through tyranny, war, famine and plague. Renzo and Lucia are tested again and again, but can their union endure? Performed by a full cast, this stunning saga is masterfully brought to life and available to download for the first time as a complete listen.First published in 1827 as I Promessi Sposi, this icon of Italian literature as well as the country’s most popular novel, has never been out of print. Groundbreaking in its day, and hugely influential to succeeding generations, Alessandro Manzoni’s masterpiece has long been considered one of Italy’s national treasures. It is so integral to contemporary Italian culture every schoolchild reads it to this day. If you liked Les Misérables, War and Peace or Ivanhoe, then you will love The Betrothed. This is a must listen for any fan of classical literature. The Betrothed is a story that has, thought the centuries, been celebrated by writers, artists and composers such as Verdi, Primo Levi, Natalia Ginzburg, Umberto Eco and Pope Francis.A bona fide canonical classic hiding in plain sight - The Wall Street Journal 
 Cast and creditsWritten by Alessandro ManzoniAdapted by Eileen HorneDirected by Gaynor MacfarlaneLucia - Hiftu Quasem 
Renzo - Ian Dunnett Jnr 
Father Abbondio - Paul Higgins 
Gabriel/Servant Boy - Joel Maccormack 
Griso/Officer - Owen Whitelaw 
Nibbio/Ambrogio - Tunji Kasim 
Agnese - Maureen Beattie 
Brother Cristoforo - Ewan Bailey 
Nameless /Old Friar - Jonathan Forbes 
Rodrigo/Boss/Boatman/Traveller - Sandy Grierson 
Gertrude/Gilda - Chloe PirrieFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5th - 12th November 2023©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Betrothed

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

Daphne du Maurier

A comprehensive collection of dramatisations of Daphne du Maurier’s works 
 
'Containing performances from well-known actors from past and present, Daphne du Maurier: The BBC Radio Collection is a rich feast for all fans of the writer's work.' - Entertainment Focus 
 
Daphne du Maurier was one of the 20th century’s most popular writers. Extraordinarily prolific, she produced a string of bestsellers, many of which were adapted as award-winning films. From romance and adventure yarns to psychological thrillers and supernatural tales, the breadth and imaginative variety of her storytelling continues to thrill us today. 
 
This bumper collection features her most famous works and some lesser-known gems, beginning with full-cast adaptations of seven of her much-loved novels – Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, The King’s General, My Cousin Rachel, The Scapegoat and The House on the Strand. With settings ranging from the 19th century to the English Civil War and the Black Death of 1349, these thrilling tales take us from the wilds of Cornwall to Monte Carlo, Italy and northwestern France. Among the star casts are Susannah Corbett, Christopher Cazenove, Lorna Heilbron, Cathryn Harrison, Adam Godley, Hugh Burden and Ian Richardson. 
 
Next up are two of her acclaimed plays, The Years Between, set in the 1940s and telling the story of a woman whose MP husband is reported killed in action, and September Tide, a bittersweet love story centred around a mother, her newly-married daughter and her artist son-in-law. Diana Quick, Roger Allam, Paula Wilcox, Jonathan Firth and Alice Hart star in these twisty, subversive dramas. 
 
We conclude with a selection of Daphne du Maurier’s short fiction. Dramatised by Melissa Murray, ‘The Birds’ stars Neil Dudgeon and Nicola Walker. It is followed by ‘The Blue Lenses’ and ‘The Little Photographer’, starring Bethany Muir and Lucy Boynton respectively; and ‘The Apple Tree’, starring Charles Gray. Also included are full-cast adaptations of ‘Panic’ (starring Dinsdale Landen and Maureen O’Brien), ‘The Chamois’ (starring Christopher Cazenove and Anna Cropper), ‘The Alibi’ (starring Tony Britton and Sarah Badel), ‘Ganymede’ (starring John Le Mesurier and Anthony Daniels) and ‘Don’t Look Now’ (starring Jamie Parker and Aisling Loftus). 
 
Please note that the pieces in this collection range from vintage 1970s productions to modern adaptations, and the sound quality reflects the age of the recordings. 
 
Contents 
Jamaica Inn 
Rebecca 
Frenchman’s Creek 
The King’s General 
My Cousin Rachel 
The Scapegoat 
The House on the Strand 
The Years Between 
September Tide 
‘The Birds’ 
‘The Blue Lenses’ 
‘The Little Photographer’ 
‘The Apple Tree’ 
‘Panic’ 
‘The Chamois’ 
‘The Alibi’ 
‘Ganymede’ 
‘Don’t Look Now’ 
 
Text copyright © 1936 (Jamaica Inn), 1938 (Rebecca), 1941 (Frenchman’s Creek), 1943 (The Years Between), 1946 (The King’s General), 1949 (September Tide), 1951 (My Cousin Rachel), 1952 (‘The Birds’, ‘The Little Photographer’, ‘Blue Lenses’, ‘The Apple Tree’), 1954 (‘Panic’), 1957 (The Scapegoat), 1959 (‘The Chamois’, ‘The Alibi’, ‘Ganymede’), 1969 (The House on the Strand), 1971 (‘Don’t Look Now’). 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Daphne du Maurier: The BBC Radio Collection

Including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Frenchman’s Creek & more

Ouida

Chrys Salt

A BBC adaptation of Ouida&rsquo;s landmark novel, along with an original drama and a fascinating documentary exploring her colourful life 
 
&lsquo;A little scandal is an excellent thing; nobody is ever brighter or happier of tongue than when he is making mischief of his neighbours.&rsquo; - Ouida 
 
Ouida &ndash; the pseudonym of English novelist Maria Louise Ramé &ndash; wrote over 40 novels as well as children&rsquo;s books, short stories and essays. One of the most popular authors of her day, she achieved fame and fortune with her &lsquo;sensation novels&rsquo; which scandalised and intrigued Victorian readers, but her extravagant lifestyle resulted in her dying in poverty in 1908. This collection brings together her pioneering novel Moths with two engrossing biographical portraits of Ouida herself. 
 
A Little Scandal Is an Excellent Thing &ndash; Romantic novelist Ouida&rsquo;s life was as flamboyant as her fiction. Born in England with a French father, she lived in luxury at the Langham Hotel, throwing lavish literary soirées with guests including Oscar Wilde, but died alone and penniless in Italy. Cheryl Campbell stars in this moving drama by award-winning poet Chrys Salt. 
 
Moths &ndash; First published in 1880, this riveting tale of romance and society in 19th-century Europe is widely held as the first novel to portray a divorced woman finding happiness and fulfilment. It tells the story of teenage Vere Herbert, forced by her superficial mother Lady Dolly to wed the brutish Prince Zoroff. Meanwhile, she has fallen in love with an Italian opera singer, Raphael de Correze. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, dare she leave her husband to be with him? Dramatised by Chrys Salt and starring Teresa Gallagher as Vere, with Nicola Pagett, Paul Rhys and Geoffrey Whitehead. 
 
Sensational Women: Ouida &ndash; Maeve Binchy examines the life and books of Ouida, who never had a lover but caught the public&rsquo;s imagination with the passionate stories she wrote. 
 
Moths first published in 1880 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd ? 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ouida: A Little Scandal Is An Excellent Thing

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation of Moths, plus a biographical drama

Eugene O'Neill

Nine classic plays from the award-winning American dramatist, plus a selection of his poetry 
 
Eugene O'Neill’s revolutionary 20th century dramas changed the direction of American theatre, introducing European realism and experimental techniques to the US stage. He wrote more than 50 plays, portraying characters on the margins of society and tackling controversial issues, winning a Nobel Prize, and four Pulitzer Prizes. 
 
We open our collection with his magnificent autobiographical magnum opus, Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Described by the playwright as having been ‘written in tears and blood’, it recounts one tragic day in the lives of the Tyrone family, as they struggle with addiction, disease and despair. Next is The Hairy Ape, based on O’Neill’s experiences as a labourer on a transatlantic liner. A Moon for the Misbegotten, the sequel to Long Day’s Journey Into Night, follows grief-stricken alcoholic Jamie Tyrone as he grasps at love under the Connecticut moonlight. Meanwhile, Desire Under the Elms plays out the themes of Greek tragedy in 1850s New England. 
 
Widely considered as O’Neill’s finest work, The Iceman Cometh is an epic tale chronicling the pipe dreams and shattered illusions of a group of no-hopers in a seedy New York bar. It is followed by another Manhattan-based drama, Hughie. Divided into three parts Mourning Becomes Electra retells the story of The Oresteia, Aeschylus’ tragedy of passion, murder, suicide, revenge and a family destroyed by Fate. In contrast, the comedy Ah, Wilderness! is a sentimental portrait of young love and small-town domesticity. And in Anna Christie, a prostitute finds a chance for redemption when she is reunited with her estranged sea-captain father and falls in love with a sailor. 
 
Also included is a bonus programme, The Quest for the Golden Girl, featuring some of O’Neill’s comic and romantic poems, read by John Fellows and Denis Lawson. 
 
NB: Some of these pieces contain language and attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set. 
 
First published 1920 (Anna Christie), 1922 (The Hairy Ape), 1925 (Desire Under the Elms), 1931 (Mourning Becomes Electra), 1933 (Ah, Wilderness!), 1940 (The Iceman Cometh), 1941 (Hughie), 1941-43 (A Moon for the Misbegotten), 1956 (Long Day’s Journey Into Night) 
 
Content List 
<ul><li>Long Day’s Journey Into Night</li><li>The Hairy Ape</li><li>A Moon for the Misbegotten</li><li>Desire Under the Elms</li><li>The Iceman Cometh</li><li>Hughie</li><li>Mourning Becomes Electra</li><li>Ah, Wilderness!</li><li>Anna Christie</li><li>The Quest of the Golden Girl</li></ul>'If you like the plays of Eugene O'Neill, then there's a lot to enjoy in this comprehensive collection, which provides listeners with almost nineteen hours' worth of material ... His ear for dialogue, brought to life by different generations of excellent actors, ensures that his words are a pleasure to listen to' - Greg Jameson. 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Eugene O’Neill: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

9 Full-Cast Productions including Long Day’s Journey into the Night, The Hairy Ape, The Iceman Cometh & more

Alison Plowden

Abigail Docherty

John Mortimer

Madame de Lafayette

Peter Wolf

Michael Butt

Amanda Whittington

Paul B. Davies

Friedrich Schiller

Nine gripping dramas that delve into the turbulent, thrilling history of the Tudor eraAffairs and assassinations. Conflict and chaos. Power and plots. The tumultuous Tudor period is one of the most iconic and fascinating chapters in British history. In these ten atmospheric dramas, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of Tudor England – and rediscover the key characters we have grown to love and hate. Featuring world-renowned actors, these gripping, historically accurate tales are packed with excitement.A Pattern of Tudors - the story of Cardinal Wolsey who built Hampton Court, and Henry VIII who took it from him.True and Lawful Queen - Katherine of Aragon’s refusal to divorce Henry VIII sparks a chain of events that leads to the Reformation.Black Queen to King’s Castle - the ghost of Anne Boleyn tells her own story of the events that led to her execution.The Babington Plot - Told from the perspective of the conspirators, this is an enthralling account of the 1586 plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and return England to Catholic rule under Mary, Queen of Scots.La Princesse de Clèves - a playful adaptation of Madame de Lafayette's classic novel of intrigue and love set in the 16th Century and following the dangerous liaisons of a beautiful young lady newly presented to Court.Gold’s Fool - the true story of how Queen Elizabeth I was misled by alchemists into believing that the Arctic black rocks of Baffin Island were rich in precious ore.Mary Stuart - we learn of the extraordinary relationship between Elizabeth I and her rival cousin, the imprisoned Scottish queen.Edward, Edward - seen entirely through the eyes of children, this shows how Edward VI, crowned king at the age of nine, finds himself powerless in a world ruled by adults.The Nine Days Queen - the tragic story of the trial of Lady Jane Grey. Crowned Queen of England in 1553 aged 16, she was imprisoned in the Tower nine days later, and was dead within a year.Among the stellar cast of these remarkable dramas are Phyllida Nash, Michael Hordern, David Troughton, Izzy Meikle-Small, Stephen Greif, Burn Gorman, Roger Lloyd Pack, Kathleen Helme and Melody Grove.© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Tudor Crown

A BBC Radio 4 Drama Collection

Anthony Trollope

Anthony Trollope was one of Victorian England&rsquo;s most popular and prolific authors. He worked for the Post Office while establishing himself as a writer, and is credited with introducing the pillar box to Britain. Best known for his &lsquo;Barsetshire&rsquo; and &lsquo;Palliser&rsquo; novels, he wrote over 50 works in total, including short stories, travel books, biographies and a posthumously published autobiography. Collected here are a selection of superb adaptations of his much-loved novels, as well as an original radio play by Patricia Cumper. 
 
Orley Farm &ndash; Starring Tim Pigott-Smith, Samantha Bond and Ronald Pickup, this adaptation of Trollope&rsquo;s 1861 novel is a compelling, emotional tale of disreputable lawyers, young lovers, the beautiful Lady Mason and the honourable Sir Peregrine Orme. 
 
Miss Mackenzie &ndash; Hattie Morahan stars as Margaret Mackenzie, a single woman past the bloom of youth, who inherits a fortune and is then beset by suitors who may, or may not, simply be after her money. Can she pick her way through this romantic minefield and find true happiness? 
 
The American Senator &ndash; Ruthless Arabella Trefoil wants to keep her engagement to John Morton a secret while she pursues the wealthy Lord Rufford. But fortune-hunting is a dangerous game, as she is soon to discover. Starring Robert Glenister, Anna Maxwell Martin and Barbara Flynn. 
 
John Caldigate &ndash; Disinherited by his father, a young man leaves home to seek his fortune in Australia&rsquo;s gold mines. But an unwise shipboard romance leads to trouble down the line&hellip; Jeremy Clyde stars as John Caldigate, with Margaret Wolfit as Euphemia Smith. 
 
The Pallisers &ndash; A pacy, radical reboot of Anthony Trollope&rsquo;s celebrated novels about high life and low politics in Victorian England. Jessica Raines stars as our omniscient narrator, Lady Glencora, who takes us through two decades of scandal, scheming, ambition and powerbroking. 
 
The Way We Live Right Now &ndash; When shady financier Ghassan Mehmoud recruits gullible investors for his get-rich-quick scheme, the stage is set for scandal&hellip; Henry Goodman stars in this present-day reworking of Trollope&rsquo;s satirical masterpiece about money, greed and dishonesty. 
 
Mr Trollope and the Labours of Hercules &ndash; Paterson Joseph stars in this engrossing drama based on Anthony Trollope&rsquo;s experiences in Jamaica in 1858. 
 
Credits 
Written by Anthony Trollope 
 
Orley Farm (1861) 
Dramatised by Martyn Wade 
Directed by Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2008-11 January 2009 
 
Miss Mackenzie (1865) 
Dramatised by Martyn Wade 
Directed by Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-16 January 2011 
 
The American Senator (1876) 
Dramatised by Martyn Wade 
Directed by Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 August-4 September 2011 
 
John Caldigate (1879) 
Dramatised by D. G. Bridson 
Directed by David H. Godfrey 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 August-10 October 1976 
 
The Pallisers (1861-1879) 
Dramatised by Mike Harris and Sharon Oakes 
Directed by Gary Brown and Emma Harding 
Produced by Gary Brown 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 November 2019-8 March 2020 
 
The Way We Live Right Now (1875) 
Adapted by Jonathan Myerson 
Directed by Jonquil Panting 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 June-4 July 2008 
 
Mr Trollope and the Labours of Hercules 
Written by Patricia Cumper 
Produced and directed by Marion Nancarrow 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 August 2016 
 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Anthony Trollope: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven Full-Cast Dramatisations Including The Pallisers

Thornton Wilder

Four of Thornton Wilder's most acclaimed works, adapted for BBC Radio - plus bonus material exploring his life and career 
 
Thornton Wilder is one of America's most important literary figures. He won the Pulitzer Prize three times - for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and the plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth - and is the only person to be awarded the Pulitzer for both fiction and drama. Included here are four of his key works, set in different times and places, but sharing the same fundamental motifs - the universality of human experience and our search for life's meaning. 
 
Our Town, his timeless tale of love, marriage, birth and death in a small American community, stars Ed Bishop, William Roberts and Liza Ross. It is preceded by a 10-minute introductory extract from Free Thinking, in which presenter Anne McElvoy and actor/director David Cromer discuss the play's themes and techniques. 
 
Wilder's masterpiece, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, tells the story of the five victims of a bridge collapse, and the eyewitness who sets out to understand why they were fated to die. A poignant philosophical fable, it features a stellar cast including Annette Badland, Robert Glenister, Tom Goodman-Hill and Helen McCrory. 
 
Adapted from the play by Jerome Kilty, The Ides of March is based on Wilder's epistolary novel centred around the last days of the Roman republic, and stars Robert Hardy as Julius Caesar. Next, Ed Bishop reads from Heaven's My Destination, the comic tale of an amateur philosopher who leaves a trail of chaos wherever he goes. 
 
Finally, in a fascinating episode of Front Row, Mark Lawson, theatre director David Lan and New York Times theatre critic Mel Gussow discuss how Wilder became a literary icon, and launched a quiet revolution in American theatre. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Thornton Wilder 
Copyright © by The Wilder Family LLC 1927 (The Bridge of San Luis Rey), 1935 (Heaven's My Destination), 1938 (Our Town), 1948 (The Ides of March) 
 
Free Thinking 
Presented by Anne McElvoy 
With David Cromer 
Produced by Zahid Warley 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 16 October 2014 
 
Our Town 
Stage Manager - Ed Bishop 
Dr Gibbs - William Roberts 
Mrs Gibbs - Liza Ross 
George Gibbs - Ben Fairman 
Rebecca Gibbs - Teresa Gallagher 
Mr Webb - Garrick Hagon 
Mrs Webb/Dead Woman - Shelley Thompson 
Emily Webb - Barbara Barnes 
Joe Crowell/Si Crowell - Tom Bevan 
With Vincent Marzello, Peter Whitman, John Evitts and Frances Jeater 
Directed by David Hitchinson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 July 1995 
 
The Bridge of San Luis Rey 
Madre Maria del Pilar - Annette Badland 
Uncle Pio - Michael Feast 
Jaime/Boy - Frederick Forge 
Brother Juniper/Captain Alvarado - Robert Glenister 
Esteban/Manuel - Tom Goodman-Hill 
Pepita/Dona Clara - Jasmine Hyde 
Camila, la Perichole - Helen McCrory 
Marquesa de Montemayor - Sian Phillips 
 
Dramatised by Judith Adams 
Directed by Gaynor MacFarlane 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 May 2002 
 
The Ides of March 
Narrator - Patrick Tull 
Caesar - Robert Hardy 
Brutus - Sean Barrett 
Clodia - Margaret Robertson 
Cleopatra - Elizabeth Proud 
Pompeia, Caesar's wife - Patricia Gallimore 
Julia, Caesar's aunt - Betty Hardy 
Clodius - Nigel Lambert 
Catullus - David Spenser 
 
Adapted for radio by Nesta Pain from the play by Jerome Kilty 
Produced by Nesta Pain 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 August 1970 
 
Heaven's My Destination 
Read by Ed Bishop 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 17 April 1997 
 
Front Row 
Presented by Mark Lawson 
With David Lan and Mel Gussow 
Produced by Nicki Paxman 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 March 2004 
 
Copyright © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Thornton Wilder: Our Town, The Bridge of San Luis Rey & More

A BBC Radio full-cast drama collection

Six gripping dramatised documentaries detailing the history of the turbulent Tudor period. 
 
Passion, power, sex and suspicious deaths &ndash; the Tudor story is one of drama and dysfunction, and it has kept us enthralled for over 400 years. In these six dramatised documentaries, we take a behind-the-scenes look at Tudor England and get to know the key characters we have grown to love and hate, such as Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Compiled from contemporary sources by Alison Plowman and featuring first-hand accounts and letters, these thrilling, historically accurate retellings bring this tumultuous era to vivid life. 
 
The Most Unhappy Lady spans three critical years in the life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and later Queen of England. It begins in 1533, when her father divorces her mother and marries Anne Boleyn. Refusing to accept the validity of Henry&rsquo;s actions, Mary finds herself facing danger and disgrace&hellip; 
 
In Elizabeth's Admiral, we follow the events which took place in the immediate aftermath of Henry VIII&rsquo;s death in 1547 &ndash; events which led to the execution of the Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour and came near to seriously compromising the future of the 15-year-old Princess Elizabeth. 
 
The Killing at Kirk O&rsquo;Field, set between March 1566 and June 1567, tells the tragic tale of the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary Queen of Scots: a crime that remains one of the most controversial 'whodunnits' of all time. 
 
Chance or Villainy? explores the mysterious death of Amy Robsart in 1560. Her husband, Lord Robert Dudley, was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and was rumoured to be having an affair with her &ndash; so when Amy was found dead at the foot of a staircase, it seemed that a serious crisis might ensue&hellip; 
 
In A Knot of Secret Might, we hear the ill-fated love story of Lady Katherine Grey, sister of the doomed &lsquo;Nine-Day Queen&rsquo; Lady Jane Grey. And in The Great Enterprise, 1588, we are transported back to sixteenth-century Spain, as Philip II prepares to launch his &lsquo;Invincible Armada&rsquo;... 
 
Among the ensemble casts of these superb docu-dramas are Beryl Calder, Haydn Jones, Marjorie Westbury, Kathleen Helme, Patricia Leventon, Nerys Hughes and Roger Delgado. 
 
Credits 
Compiled from contemporary sources by Alison Plowden 
Special thanks to Keith Wickham for Archive material. 
 
The Most Unhappy Lady 
Produced by Joe Burroughs 
First broadcast BBC Home Service, 22 Dec 1964 
 
Elizabeth&rsquo;s Admiral (A Pattern of Tudors) 
Produced by Joe Burroughs 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 Apr 1968 
 
The Killing at Kirk O&rsquo;Field 
Produced by Alison Plowden 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 Sep 1969 
 
Chance or Villainy? (A Pattern of Tudors) 
Produced by Joe Burroughs 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 Feb 1966 
 
A Knot of Secret Might 
Produced by Richard Wortley 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 Oct 1970 
 
The Great Enterprise, 1588 (A Pattern of Tudors) 
Produced by Joe Burroughs 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 Aug 1968 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Life and Intrigue in Tudor Britain

A Collection of BBC Radio Historical Docu Dramas

Guy de Maupassant

BBC Radio adaptations of selected novels and short stories by the great 19th century French writer - plus bonus programmes 
 
Guy de Maupassant is renowned as one of the fathers of the modern short story. A protégé of Flaubert, he was celebrated for his naturalistic fiction, and wrote over 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books and one volume of verse in his short but highly productive lifetime. He died in an asylum aged just 43. 
 
This collection brings together dramatisations of some of his finest works. Adapted by Sony Award-winning dramatist Frances Byrnes, Bel Ami chronicles the corrupt rise of charming, ruthless journalist Georges Duroy (Jonathan Slinger). It is followed by Maupassant's most famous short story, 'The Dumpling', a satirical tale of a group of coach travellers fleeing occupied Rouen during the Franco-Prussian war. Dramatised for the first time on radio, it stars Miriam Margolyes. 
 
Set in Le Havre, Pierre et Jean centres around the jealousy that springs up between two brothers when a family secret is uncovered. Benedict Sandiford stars as Pierre, with Tim Treloar as Jean. Maupassant's tragicomic debut novel, Une Vie, starring Aimee Ffion Edwards, tells the story of Jeanne, a naive convent-educated aristocrat who dreams of romance, but finds marriage and adulthood treacherous and rotten. The haunting wintry tale 'The Inn' is next, in which young mountain guide Ulrich (Robin Laing) finds himself in sole charge of a remote Alpine hotel. 
 
A hidden past is also at the heart of 'Mademoiselle Pearl', a poignant love story starring Claire Neilson and Frank Middlemass. Alongside it is 'The Hand', the macabre supernatural tale of an English aristocrat, his gruesome trophy and his vengeful nemesis. Denis Quilley stars as Sir John Rowell. 
 
Also featured are two bonus dramas and a documentary about the great author. Confessions of a Hedonist is a phantasmagorical journey through five of Maupassant's most personal stories: 'A Strange Night Out', 'Mouche', 'Laid To Rest', 'Cockcrow' and 'Le Horla'. Adapted and translated by Simon Scardifield, it stars Elliot Cowan and Holli Dempsey. How an Umbrella Changed Everything, written by Shirley Cooklin and based on an idea by Maupassant, tells of a childless couple whose obsessive frugality has fateful repercussions. Nigel Lambert and Sheila Grant star as Charles and Clothilde Oreille. Finally, Meridian: Guy de Maupassant - Master of the Short Story explores Maupassant's life, work and lasting legacy. 
 
First published 1880 ('The Dumpling'), 1883 (Une Vie, 'The Hand'), 1885 (Bel-Ami), 1886 ('The Inn', 'Mademoiselle Pearl'), 1887 (Pierre et Jean, 'Le Horla'), c1890 ('Mouche', 'A Queer Night in Paris', 'Laid to Rest', 'Cockcrow') 
 
Production credits 
Written by Guy de Maupassant 
 
Contents: 
 
Bel Ami 
 
The Dumpling 
 
Pierre and Jean 
 
Une Vie 
 
The Inn 
 
Mademoiselle Pearl 
 
The Hand 
 
Maupassant's Confessions of a Hedonist 
 
How an Umbrella Changed Everything 
 
Meridian: Guy de Maupassant - Master of the Short Story 
 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Guy de Maupassant BBC Radio Drama Collection

Full-cast dramatisations of Un Vie, Bel Ami & more

Johann Wolfgang von Goethes

A collection of seminal dramatised pieces by the great German polymath 
 
Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a colossus of German literature and a true Renaissance man. A novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher, he wrote the first international bestseller, The Sorrows of Young Werther, and his epic masterpiece Faust is one of the most famous and celebrated dramas of all time. 
 
We open this anthology with a dramatisation of Faust, which tells of a magus with an insatiable thirst for knowledge who makes a pact with the Devil. Featuring atmospheric music performed by the King's College Choir and the BBC Singers, it stars Simon Callow as Faust, with Ronald Pickup as Mephistopheles. 
 
It is followed by The Sorrows of Young Werther, Goethe's tale of a passionate young artist at odds with society, who falls hopelessly in love with his friend's fiancée. Dramatised by award-winning playwright Hattie Naylor and introduced by Cambridge University lecturer Dr Charlotte Lee, it stars Joel MacCormack, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jack Farthing. 
 
Originally published in 1795 under the title 'The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily', A Fairy Tale is a magical, mysterious and strikingly modern story whose images foreshadow the poetry of surrealism. David Davis is the Teller of the Tale, with Rosalind Shanks as The Beautiful Lily and Mary Morris as The Serpent. 
 
Next up are a trio of historical tragedies: Egmont, set in 16th century Brussels and with a score specially composed by Ludwig van Beethoven; Iphigenia in Tauris, a reworking of the ancient Greek play by Euripides; and Torquato Tasso, a verse drama about the eponymous 16th century Italian poet and courtier and his descent into madness. All three feature superb ensemble casts including Paul Daneman, John Rye, Maureen O'Brien, Anton Lesser, Michael Pennington and David Suchet. 
 
To conclude, four bonus documentaries examine Goethe's life, work and influence. In Search of Faust sees poet and singer Twm Morys exploring why artists have been fascinated by this unlikely hero for the last 500 years; while Spotlight: The Sorrows of Young Werther looks at the tragic protagonist of Goethe's 1774 epistolary novel. In Our Time: Goethe and the Science of Enlightenment finds Melvyn Bragg and guests assessing Goethe's scientific legacy, and in The Forum - Goethe: The story of colour, Bridget Kendal discusses his monumental book The Theory of Colours with art historian Alexandra Loske, writer Victoria Finlay and designer Odette Steele. 
 
First published 1774 (The Sorrows of Young Werther), 1779 (Iphigenia in Tauris), 1788 (Egmont), 1790 (Torquato Tasso), 1795 ('The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily), 1808 (Faust, Part One), 1832 (Faust, Part Two) 
 
Faust: Dramatisation for radio (c) Anthony Vivis 1982. All rights reserved. 
Torquato Tasso: Translation (c) Alan and Sandy Brownjohn 1982, all rights reserved. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 
 
Faust 
The Sorrows of Young Werther 
A Fairy Tale 
Egmont 
Iphigenia in Tauris 
Torquato Tasso 
 
In Search of Faust 
Presented by Twm Morys 
 
Spotlight: The Sorrows of Young Werther 
 
In Our Time: Goethe and the Science of the Enlightenment 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
With Nicholas Boyle and Simon Schaffer 
 
The Forum - Goethe: The story of colour 
Presented by Bridget Kendall 
With Alexandra Loske, Victoria Finlay and Odette Steele 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Goethe: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Six Full-Cast Dramatisations including Faust, The Sorrows of Young Werther and more

Molière

A collection of Molière's finest comedies, farces and tragicomedies 
 
Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin, better known by his pen-name Molière, was France's greatest satirical dramatist. Such was his influence on the French language that it is often referred to as 'the language of Molière', and he has been dubbed 'the French Shakespeare'. A leading 17th Century comic actor and director, his genius encompassed all aspects of stage comedy, and his plays continue to appeal to audiences today. Included here are six of his masterpieces, as heard on BBC Radio. 
 
The Miser - The tale of selfish miser Harpagon, his scheming children and their desperate pursuit of love, marriage and money. Toby Jones, Holli Dempsey and Mathew Baynton star in this rumbustious adaptation of Molière's classic comedy of secrets, lies and obsessive greed. 
 
Don Juan - Discarding his new bride, legendary womaniser Don Juan sets out in search of more romantic conquests. But eternal damnation awaits him if he does not repent his sins... Kenneth Haigh stars in this famous tragicomedy. 
 
The Misanthrope - Disgusted with the hypocrisy of French society, poet Alceste embarks on a crusade against fakery, frippery and forked tongues. But could the woman he adores be the worst culprit of them all? Colin Tierney stars in Molière's comedy of manners and morals. 
 
The School for Wives - Middle-aged Arnolphe plans to wed his innocent young ward, Agnes - but handsome Horace is also smitten with her, and proceeds to teach her the art of love... Starring Geoffrey Bayldon, Rosalind Shanks and Nicholas Pennell. 
 
The Sisterhood - Henriette's engagement is threatened as her bluestocking mother Philaminte tries to marry her off to the foppish poet Trissotin. Can true love triumph over pretentiousness? Benjamin Whitrow, Brenda Blethyn and Simon Russell Beale star in this sparkling assault on pseudo-intellectualism. 
 
The Imaginary Invalid - Elderly hypochondriac Argan plans to marry his daughter to a doctor to save on medical bills. There's just one problem - she is in love with someone else... Starring Maurice Denham and Jane Lapotaire. 
 
First published 1662 (The School for Wives), 1665 (Don Juan), 1666 (The Misanthrope), 1668 (The Miser, Amphitryon), 1672 (The Sisterhood), 1673 (The Imaginary Invalid) 
 
NB: Due to the age of the source material, the sound quality of The School for Wives may vary 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Molière 
 
The Miser 
Cast: Toby Jones, Holli Dempsey, François Pandolfo, Mathew Baynton, Keiron Self, Cecilia Noble, Grace Cooper Milton, Don Gilet, Jasmine Hyde, Michael Begley, Neil McCaul 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 16th Jan 2022 
 
Don Juan 
Cast: Kenneth Haigh, Bill Fraser, Sheila Grant, Patrick Tull, David Bailie, John Rye, Rolf Lefebvre, Kate Binchy, Penelope Lee, Brian Hewlett, Geoffrey Wincott, David Timson, James Thomason, Patrick Tull, Leslie Heritage, Penelope Lee 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 2nd Jan 1972 
 
The Misanthrope 
Cast: Neil Caple, Simon Coates, Leander Deeny, Daniel Goode, Alison Pargeter, George Potts 
Zara Tempest-Walters, Colin Tierney, Harvey Virdi 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10th Mar 2013 
 
The School for Wives 
Cast: Geoffrey Bayldon, Haydn Jones, Terry Scully, Jane Knowles, Rosalind Shanks, Nicholas Pennell, Peter France, Alba, Rolf Lefebvre 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 21st Jan 1973 
 
The Sisterhood 
Cast: Benjamin Whitrow, Jean Both, Haydn Gwynne, Judy Parfitt, Brenda Blethyn, Simon Russell Beale, Christopher Scott, James Greene, Jane Whittenshaw, Nicholas Boulton 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 26th May 1996 
 
The Imaginary Invalid 
Cast: Maurice Denham, Jane Lapotaire, Tina Marian, Charlotte Attenborough, Norman Rodway 
Stratford Johns, John Moffatt, Philip Sully, Peter Craze, Cara Kelly, John Warner, Michael Graham Cox 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 29th Dec 1988 
 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Molière: Don Juan, The Miser and more

Six BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions

Peter Ling

Juliet Ace

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

Crown House

A BBC Radio 4 Regal Drama

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

Thomas Middleton

A superlative collection of Jacobean comedies and tragedies from 'our other Shakespeare', Thomas Middleton 
 
One of the most prolific playwrights of the Jacobean era, Thomas Middleton achieved great success with his cynically satirical comedies and bloodthirsty tragedies. Considered the only true rival to Shakespeare, Middleton is widely believed to have collaborated with the Bard on several plays, including Timon of Athens. This dazzling collection comprises dramatisations of his most famous works, including his two masterpieces, The Changeling and Women Beware Women. 
 
The Changeling - Betrothed to the nobleman Alonzo de Piracquo, Beatrice-Joanna falls in love with Alsemero and seeks the help of her father's man, De Flores. Anna Madeley and Zubin Varla star in this updated retelling of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley's dark tale of lust, obsession and murder, set in Alicante in the 1920s. 
 
Women Beware Women - When Leantio's beautiful wife Bianca catches the eye of the duke, the worldly Livia arranges an assignation, plunging Bianca into the vice and corruption of the court. Penny Downie and Beth Chalmers star in Thomas Middleton's poetic tragedy where women are the worst betrayers. 
 
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside - Moll Yellowhammer's parents are determined to marry her to the arrogant Sir Walter Whorehound, but her love for the impoverished Touchwood Junior upends their plans... Set in 17th Century London, Middleton's bawdy black comedy depicts a world of sexual hypocrisy and deceit. Starring Sarah Badel, Dilys Laye, Hugh Paddick and Norman Rodway. 
 
A Trick to Catch the Old One - In debt to his greedy uncle Lucre, the spendthrift Witgood devises a cunning scheme to get back his estates and marry his love. Alan Rickman, Maurice Denham and Dilys Laye star in this city comedy about avarice and the power of money. 
 
A Mad World, My Masters - Follywit, kept penniless by his rich grandfather, Sir Bounteous Progress, devises an ingenious plot to get his hands on his inheritance - but will he get a taste of his own medicine? Starring Roy Marsden and James Villiers. 
 
The Honest Whore - In this two-part comedy by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker, the prostitute Bellafront falls in love with the courtier Hippolito, but his heart belongs to another. Joss Ackland and Madi Hedd star in this irreverent satire of Jacobean society. 
 
First published 1604 (The Honest Whore Part 1), 1605 (A Trick to Catch the Old One; A Mad World, My Masters), 1613 (A Chaste Maid in Cheapside), 1621 (Women Beware Women), 1622 (The Changeling), 1630 (The Honest Whore Part 2) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Thomas Middleton 
The Changeling co-written with William Rowley 
The Honest Whore co-written with Thomas Dekker 
 
Contents List 
The Changeling 
Women Beware Women 
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside 
A Trick to Catch the Old One 
A Mad World, My Masters 
The Honest Whore 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Thomas Middleton: The Changeling, Women Beware Women & More

6 BBC Radio 4 full-cast productions

Mark Lawson

Mark Lawson takes an international look at celebrated literary detectives, talking to their creators to explore how mystery fiction reflects society's trends and tensions 
 
'Masterly'' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Throughout its long history, crime fiction has broadened our horizons, introducing us to unfamiliar places, people and cultures and showing us new ways of looking at the world. In this fascinating series, Mark Lawson takes a global tour of the genre, putting detective novels under the magnifying glass to examine how they have depicted - and predicted - social and political change. Focussing on famous fictional investigators - from Hercule Poirot, Jules Maigret, Van der Valk and Martin Beck; through Dalgliesh, Rebus, Jane Tennison and Harry Hole; to Benny Griessel, Tess Monaghan and Easy Rawlins - he explores what these iconic protagonists can tell us about the historic character of their nations. 
 
Through the framework of their cases, he pursues the shadows of the Second World War and the Cold War; conflicts between the politics of the left and right; the rise of nationalism; and the pressures caused by migration. He also finds out how crime novels have portrayed transitional societies in South Africa and Northern Ireland; examined the legacies of military rule in Argentina and the Castro revolution in Cuba; and tackled post-colonialism in Australia and Nigeria. 
 
Helping Lawson with his inquiries are authors including Andrea Camilleri, who discusses the effects of both the Mafia and Berlusconi on Italian society; Brian McGilloway, who talks about the Troubles and the wave of Irish crime fiction that the peace process has provoked; and Petros Markaris, whose detective series prophesied the Greek financial crisis. Plus, Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley reveal how they introduced the experience of women and black Americans into their work; Russian writer Boris Akunin and Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov meditate on Dostoevsky, Putin, censorship and their different approaches to crime writing; and in a special episode on TV detectives, Lawson talks to creative talent from the ITV hit Broadchurch, the Danish show The Killing and the French success Spiral about the medium's suitability as a crime scene and the rise of female investigators. 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by Mark Lawson 
Produced by Robyn Read and Martin Williams 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Series 1 
Belgium - Hercule Poirot and Jules Maigret 22 October 2012 
With Val McDermid, Lord Grey Gowrie, Andrea Camilleri and David Suchet 
Germany - Inspector Barlach 23 October 2012 
With Josie Rourke, Simon McBurney, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, Katharina Hall and Ferdinand von Schirach 
Czechoslovakia - Lieutenant Boruvka 24 October 2012 
With Paul Wilson 
Netherlands - Commissaris Van Der Valk 25 October 2012 
With Lord Grey Gowrie and Saskia Noort 
Sweden - Inspector Martin Beck 26 October 2012 
With Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, Åsa Larsson, Camilla Lackberg, Jens Lapidus, Val McDermid and Gunnar Staalesen 
UK - Commander Dalgliesh and Chief Inspector Wexford 29 October 2012 
With PD James and Ruth Rendell 
Sicily - Inspector Rogas 30 October 2012 
With Paul Bailey, Gianrico Carofiglio, Andrea Camilleri and Petra Reski 
Spain - PI Pepe Carvalho 31 October 2012 
With Antonio Hill and Jason Webster 
Britain - DCI Jane Tennison 1 November 2012 
With Lynda La Plante, Saskia Noort, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid 
Italy - Inspector Montalbano 2 November 2012 
With Andrea Camilleri 
Germany - PI Kemal Kayankaya 5 November 2012 
With Jakob Arjouni 
Scotland - DI John Rebus 6 November 2012 
With Ian Rankin 
Sweden - Kurt Wallander and Lisbeth Salander 7 November 2012 
With Henning Mankell, Kenneth Branagh, Liza Marklund, Camilla Läckberg and Eva Gabrielsson 
Norway - Harry Hole 8 November 2012 
With Jo Nesbø, Liza Marklund and Gunnar Staalesen 
Russia and Ukraine - Erast Fandorin 9 November 2012 
With Boris Akunin, Ian Rankin and Andrey Kurkov 
 
Series 2 
Greece - Inspector Costas Haritos 8 July 2013 
With Petros Markaris 
Argentina - Superintendent Perro Lascano 9 July 2013 
With Ernesto Mallo and Claudia Pineiro 
Ireland - Inspector Benedict Devlin 10 July 2013 
With Brian McGilloway 
South Africa - Detective Captain Bennie Griessel 11 July 2013 
With Deon Meyer and Sifiso Mzobe 
Screenland - DS Ellie Miller, DI Sarah Lund, Captain Laure Berthaud 12 July 2013 
 
Series 3 
Cuba 17 November 2014 
With Leonardo Padura and Caroline Garcia-Aquilera 
USA 18 November 2014 
With Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley 
Poland 19 November 2014 
With Zygmunt Miloszewski and Joanna Jodelka 
Australia 20 November 2014 
With Peter Temple and Gabrielle Lord 
Nigeria 21 November 2014 
With Helon Habila and CM Okonkwo 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Foreign Bodies

Crime Fiction Around the World

Sylvia Townsend Warner

BBC radio productions of the works of Sylvia Townsend Warner - plus bonus programmes about the author herself 
 
Sylvia Townsend Warner was a prolific author of novels, short stories and poetry, who also wrote a biography of T. H. White, translated Proust and was an authority on Tudor church music. A sharp, insightful storyteller, she was one of the 20th Century's most acute observers of English mores, and her work is infused with subversive themes reflecting her feminist and Marxist views. 
 
This comprehensive anthology includes dramatisations of her two best-known novels, beginning with her 1926 debut, Lolly Willowes, which was shortlisted for the Prix Femina and launched her literary career. Louise Brealey stars in this joyously comic tale of a respectable, middle-class spinster who finally finds fulfilment in life by taking up witchcraft. 
 
Next up is The True Heart, an imaginative retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth. Set in 1873, it tells the story of orphaned maidservant Sukey, who falls in love, but is cruelly parted from her beloved. Believing that only Queen Victoria can help, she sets off on a heroic journey to see her... Tilly Vosburgh stars, with Mick Ford and Theresa Streatfeild. 
 
These are followed by three short stories: 'The Proper Circumstances' (read by Joanna McCallum), 'One Thing Leading to Another' (read by Margaret Tyzack) and 'Oxenhope' (read by Edward Petherbridge). Also featured is the Radio 4 series Stories of Sylvia Townsend Warner, comprising five short tales - 'Flora', 'A Scent of Roses', 'English Mosaic', 'Furnivall's Hoopoe' and 'The Listening Woman' - all read by Penelope Wilton. 
 
Concluding our collection are two bonus programmes: Comrade Ackland and I, Frances Bingham's original drama based on the true story of Sylvia Townsend Warner and her partner, poet Valentine Ackland; and The Diaries of Sylvia Townsend Warner, in which Irene Sutcliffe reads five extracts from the journal kept by the novelist from 1927 to her death in 1978. 
 
Contents 
Lolly Willowes 
The True Heart 
'The Proper Circumstances' 
'One Thing Leading to Another' 
'Oxenhope' 
'Flora' 
'A Scent of Roses' 
'English Mosaic' 
'Furnivall's Hoopoe' 
'The Listening Woman' 
Comrade Ackland and I 
The Diaries of Sylvia Townsend Warner 
 
First published 1926 (Lolly Willowes), 1929 (The True Heart), 1944 ('The Proper Circumstances'), 1962 ('One Thing Leading to Another'), 1964 ('English Mosaic'), 1966 ('Oxenhope'), 1969 ('Furnivall's Hoopoe), 1972 ('A Scent of Roses', 'The Listening Woman'), 1977 ('Flora') 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sylvia Townsend Warner: A BBC Radio Collection

Including Lolly Willowes & The True Heart

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

William Makepeace Thackeray

Five BBC Radio adaptations of the works of William Makepeace Thackeray - plus bonus features 
 
Best known today for his comic masterpiece, Vanity Fair, W. M. Thackeray was regarded in his time as the only rival to his contemporary, Charles Dickens. This collection includes a selection of his finest satirical fiction, as well as two fascinating programmes exploring his life and writings. 
 
Vanity Fair - Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, Thackeray's deliciously ironic tale of passion and ambition follows the fortunes of penniless, social-climbing Becky Sharp and her wealthy, sweet-natured best friend, Amelia Sedley. Starring Stephen Fry as the Narrator, with Emma Fielding as Becky, Katy Cavanagh as Amelia and Toby Jones as Jos. 
 
Barry Lyndon - Forced to leave his native Ireland after an unfortunate duel, young Redmond Barry embarks on a series of adventures that take him from the battlefields of the Seven Years War to the highest courts of Europe and the drawing rooms of English society. Gerard McSorley and Andrew Scott star in Thackeray's picaresque classic alongside Shelia Hancock and Kenneth Cranham 
 
The Yellowplush Papers- Adam Buxton stars in these five comic tales about the rise and fall of canny Regency footman Charles Yellowplush. 
 
Pendennis - Thackeray's semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale charts the youthful exploits of handsome, impoverished Arthur Pendennis as he leaves his home in the country to make his way in London society. Dominic Guard stars as Arthur, with Hugh Dickson as The Writer. 
 
The Newcomes- Featuring characters from Vanity Fair and narrated by Arthur Pendennis, this epic saga tells the story of several generations of a respectable English family, centring around Colonel Thomas Newcombe and his artist son, Clive. Starring Simon Lack, Carleton Hobbs and Nigel Grahame. 
 
Al Murray on Thackeray - Comedian Al Murray talks about his great-great-great-grandfather, William Makepeace Thackeray, and why he thinks Vanity Fair is still relevant today. 
 
Andrew Davies/William Thackeray - James Naughtie and a group of readers chat to Andrew Davies about Thackeray's classic novel, Vanity Fair, which he adapted for BBC TV in 1998. 
 
NB: Due to the age and nature of some of the recordings, the sound quality may vary 
 
First published 1837 (The Yellowplush Papers), 1844 (The Luck of Barry Lyndon), 1848 (Vanity Fair), 1849-50 (Pendennis), (1855 The Newcomes) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by W. M. Thackeray 
With thanks to Keith Wickham 
 
Contents List 
Vanity Fair 
Barry Lyndon 
The Yellowplush Papers 
Pendennis 
The Newcomes 
Al Murray on Thackeray 
Andrew Davies on William Thackeray 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

W.M. Thackeray: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Vanity Fair, Barry Lyndon, The Newcomes, Pendennis & The Yellowplush Papers

Anton Chekhov

BBC radio productions of some of Anton Chekhov's finest plays 
 
A master of Russian realism, Anton Chekhov is renowned for his meticulously observed plays and short stories exploring the human condition, in all its joys and sorrows. Included here are six of his best-known dramas, as well as Michael Frayn's adaptation of Wild Honey, drawn from an early, untitled Chekhov play; and one documentary exploring Chekhov's life and work. 
 
Wild Honey - The acclaimed radio version of Michael Frayn's adaptation and Olivier Award-winning comedy, in which village teacher Platonov's youthful ambitions are rekindled when the seductive Sofya arrives. Ian McKellen stars as Platonov 
 
The Seagull- Recorded on location in Russia, this much-praised version of Chekhov's classic set on a lakeside dacha features a star cast including Diana Quick, Alex Jennings, Robert Glenister and Helena Bonham-Carter. 
 
Ivanov - 19th Century landowner Ivanov is in debt and depressed - can the love of a beautiful young woman rejuvenate him? Alec McCowan, Maurice Denham, Maxine Audley and Judi Dench star in this vintage production, adapted by John Gielgud. 
 
The Cherry Orchard- Returning home from Paris, Madame Ranyevskaya and her daughter Anya discover that the family estate must be sold to cover their debts. Can they save their beloved cherry orchard? Starring Sinéad Cusack, Anna Massey, Patricia Routledge and Andrew Sachs. 
 
Three Sisters - Stuck in provincial Russia, Olga, Masha and Irina dream of one day returning to Moscow. But life keeps getting in the way... Hattie Morahan, Scarlett Alice Johnson and Flora Spencer-Longhurst star in Chekhov's poignant meditation on love and longing. 
 
Uncle Vanya - Life on a rural Russian estate is thrown into turmoil by the visit of the ailing Professor Serebryakov and his beautiful young wife Yelena. Anton Lesser stars as Serebryakov, with Lyndsey Marshal as Yelena and Neil Dudgeon as Vanya. 
 
Great Lives - Matthew Parris, William Boyd and Chekhov biographer Donald Rayfield consider the Russian writer's claim to greatness. 
 
First published 1887 (Ivanov), 1895 (The Seagull), 1898 (Uncle Vanya), 1900 (Three Sisters), 1904 (The Cherry Orchard), 1984 (Wild Honey) 
Wild Honey © Michael Frayn 1984, 1985, 2016 
Michael Frayn has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as author of this work 
All rights reserved 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Anton Chekhov 
Wild Honey translated and adapted by Michael Frayn 
Cherry Orchard - Translated by Richard Cottrell 
Uncle Vanya - Adapted by Christopher Hampton 
 
Contents list 
Wild Honey 
The Seagull 
Ivanov 
The Cherry Orchard 
Three Sisters 
Uncle Vanya 
Great Lives: Anton Chekhov 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Anton Chekhov: 6 Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

The Seagull, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, Wild Honey & More

James Fenimore Cooper

BBC Radio drama adaptations of two action-packed adventures by James Fenimore Cooper 
 
A founding father of American literature, James Fenimore Cooper was one of America's first professional novelists, and a pioneer of both the Western and the historical romance. Included here are his 1826 masterpiece The Last of the Mohicans and his 1821 classic The Spy, widely considered the world's first espionage novel. 
 
The Last of the Mohicans - 1757, and Britain and France are struggling for control of the New World. Caught between them are the tribes of the First Nations... Hawkeye is an American scout who lives with the American Indians and fights for the British. When the daughters of a British army officer are captured by a vengeful Huron chief while travelling to join their father, Hawkeye and his Mohican friends set out on a rescue mission... This gripping dramatisation of James Fenimore Cooper's epic is narrated by Garrick Hagon, stars Michael Feast as Hawkeye and Helen McCrory as Cora. 
 
The Spy - New York State, 1778. Henry Wharton, a young soldier for the British in the American Revolutionary War, sneaks into no-man's land in disguise to spend an evening with his family. But their happy reunion is cut short when American troops surround the house. Can the mysterious peddler Harvey Birch provide Henry with a means of escape? Burn Gorman and Rose Leslie star in this thrilling tale of double agents and divided loyalties. 
 
First published 1821 (The Spy) and 1826 (The Last of the Mohicans) 
 
Production credits 
Written by James Fenimore Cooper 
 
The Last of the Mohicans 
Narrator - Garrick Hagon 
Hawkeye - Michael Feast 
Major Heyward - Philip Franks 
Cora - Helen McCrory 
Alice - Naomi Radcliffe 
General Munro - Russell Dixon 
Chingachgook - Okon Jones 
Uncas - Clarence Smith 
Magua - Alfredo Michelsen 
General Montcalm - John Jardine 
David - Robert Whelan 
Tamenund - Joe Speare 
 
Dramatised by David Calcutt 
Produced and directed by Michael Fox 
Music: Trevor Allan Davies 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5-12 November 1995 
 
 
The Spy 
Harvey Birch - Burn Gorman 
Frances - Rose Leslie 
Henry - Alex Waldmann 
Mr Wharton - James Lailey 
Sarah - Francine Chamberlain 
Mr Harper - Timothy Watson 
Caesar - Richard Pepple 
Peyton Dunwoodie - Simon Bubb 
Captain Lawton - Gerard McDermott 
Colonel Wellmere/Skinner - Adam Billington 
Isabella Singleton - Victoria Inez Hardy 
Colonel Martin - Paul Moriarty 
 
Dramatised by DJ Britton 
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22-29 January 2012 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Last of the Mohicans & The Spy

Two BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations

A captivating BBC radio dramatisation of Jane Austen's most overlooked novel 
 
Sent away from her poverty-stricken parents in Portsmouth to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, nine-year-old Fanny Price is abruptly transplanted to a new, luxurious home: Mansfield Park. Overwhelmed by the grandeur of her surroundings, she feels out of place - and as she grows up, her spoiled cousins, Tom, Maria and Julia, never let her forget her humble beginnings. Only her cousin Edmund treats her with kindness, and the two become close companions. 
 
But their lives are turned upside down when Sir Thomas goes away to visit his sugar plantation in the West Indies - and the charismatic Crawfords, Henry and Mary, arrive on the scene. Glamorous, attractive and flirtatious, they shake up the entire Bertram family - and leave Fanny grappling with emotions she's never felt before... 
 
In Mansfield Park, Jane Austen gives us her subtlest and most unusual heroine: a displaced child, shaped by family and adversity, who becomes a quietly resolute young woman with an unshakeable moral code. This enthralling dramatisation focusses on the precariousness of Fanny's life - as a poor relation, unmarried, and living on an estate funded by sugar and slavery - and follows her as she navigates this high-stakes world with courage and conviction. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Jane Austen 
Adapted by Clara Glynn 
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane 
Directed by Bruce Young 
 
Fanny Price - Lydia Wilson 
Edmund Bertram - Bryan Dick 
Mary Crawford - Tala Gouveia 
Henry Crawford - Tom Mothersdale 
Mrs Norris/Mrs Grant - Janice Acquah 
Lady Bertram - Madeleine Worrall 
Tom Bertram/William Price - Joshua Riley 
Sir Thomas - John Hollingworth 
Mr Rushworth- Samuel Valentine 
Maria Bertram - Faith Alabi 
Julia Bertram - Hollie Burgess 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-17 July 2022 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mansfield Park

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Stendhal

A BBC Radio drama of Stendhal's masterpiece - plus bonus documentary 
 
Both a sweeping chronicle of 19th Century France and a coming-of-age story of a young, idealistic social climber, The Red and the Black is one of the great works in world literature, and widely considered to be the first psychological novel. 
 
It charts the misadventures and romantic escapades of Julien Sorel, a timber miller's son who idolises Napoleon and dreams of military glory. But post-Waterloo, the path to power does not lie with the army (the 'red'), but the Church (the 'black'), so he decides to study for the priesthood. Then an opportunity arises to further increase his status as tutor to the Mayor's children - and when the Mayor's wife, Mme de Renal, falls in love with him, he seduces her. 
 
Their affair is discovered, and he is forced to leave Verrières and enter the seminary - only for his life to be transformed when his mentor, Abbé Pirard, finds him a job in Paris, as private secretary to the aristocratic Marquis de la Mole. Finally, Julien has an entrée into high society - and when he wins the heart of the Marquis' beautiful, haughty daughter Mathilde, he seems to have the world at his feet. But as his past returns to haunt him, Julien commits a terrible crime that will seal his fate... 
 
A gripping tale of love, ambition, morality and hypocrisy, The Red and the Black was adapted as an award-winning 1954 film by Claude Autant-Lara, and televised as a 1993 BBC mini-series starring Ewan McGregor. This lively, fast-paced radio adaptation stars William Squire as the Narrator and Andrew Hall as Julien, with a cast including Margo Gunn, Deborah Paige and Edward de Souza. 
 
Also included is the fascinating documentary feature Stendhal and Napoleon, in which Andy Martin tells how Stendahl followed Napoleon across Europe to Moscow in 1812 as catering manager to the troops - and changed fiction in the process. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Stendhal 
Translated by C.K. Scott Moncrieff 
Dramatised by D.G. Bridson 
Directed by Brian Miller 
 
Cast 
Narrator - William Squire 
Julien Sorel - Andrew Hall 
Mme de Renal - Deborah Paige 
Napoleon - Edward de Souza 
Mme Derville - Marilyn Le Conte 
M de Renal - John Franklyn-Robbins 
Fouqué - Norman Eshley 
Elise/Adolphe - Debby Comming 
Valenod/Guillaume - Esmond Rideout 
Mme Valenod/Marquise de la Mole - Margaret Robertson 
Abbé Chelan - Hedley Goodall 
Amanda - Rosalind Adams 
Abbé Pirard - Malcolm Hayes 
Student/Bishop/Antoine - Andrew Hilton 
Abbé Castenede - Roger Snowdon 
Abbé Chas Bernard - Haydn Andrews 
Examiner/Stewart - John Livesey 
Marquis de la Mole - Cyril Shaps 
Mlle Mathilde - Margo Gunn 
Norbert - Sion Probert 
Croisenois - Jon Glentoran 
Caylus/Coachman - Stephen Garlick 
Thayler/Lt Lievin - Anthony Hyde 
Chevalier de Beauvoisis - Alexander John 
Conde Altamira/Friar - Nicholas Courtney 
Academician - Christopher Scott 
Mathilde's cousin - Amanda Murray 
Queen Marguerite - Theresa Streatfeild 
Prince Korasoff - John Rye 
Mme la Margchal - Pauline Letts 
Gunsmith - John Webb 
Jailer - David Timson 
Magistrate - Alan Dudley 
Père Sorel - Jerold Wells 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 August-13 September 1981 
 
Stendhal and Napoleon 
Presented by Andy Martin 
Produced by Tim Dee 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 9 December 2012 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Red and The Black

Anthony Hope

BBC Radio adaptations of Anthony Hope's famous swashbuckling adventure novel and its sequel 
 
Anthony Hope's swashbuckling historical novel The Prisoner of Zenda was first published in 1894 and was an instant hit, spawning an 1898 sequel, Rupert of Hentzau, and launching the Ruritanian romance genre. Included here are the radio dramatisations of both thrilling novels, starring Julian Glover as Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf, Martin Jarvis as Rupert of Hentzau and Hannah Gordon as Flavia. 
 
The Prisoner of Zenda - On holiday in the East European province of Ruritania, English gentleman Rudolf Rassendyll is caught up in a web of subterfuge. When his distant cousin, King Rudolf, is drugged on the eve of his coronation, Rassendyll is persuaded to impersonate him at the ceremony, thereby thwarting Rudolf's half-brother's attempts to seize the throne. But as the doppelganger is crowned, the real King is kidnapped and imprisoned. To save him, Rassendyll is forced to continue the deception: and finds himself falling in love with the King's intended bride, Princess Flavia... 
 
Rupert of Hentzau - Three years on from his Ruritanian adventures, Rudolf Rassendyll is living in voluntary exile, separated from his beloved Flavia since her marriage to the King. His only consolation is the annual red rose she sends him, as a token of love and remembrance. But now, instead of a flower, she has sent a letter - and this incriminating missive has been intercepted by the dastardly Rupert of Hentzau. The repercussions will bring Rassendyll face-to-face with his old foe, as he is embroiled once more in danger and intrigue. 
 
First published 1894 (The Prisoner of Zenda) and 1898 (Rupert of Hentzau) 
 
The Prisoner of Zenda 
Rudolf Rassendyll/King Rudolf - Julian Glover 
Colonel Sapt - Nigel Stock 
Princess Flavia - Hannah Gordon 
Count Fritz von Tarlenheim - David Timson 
Rupert of Hentzau - Martin Jarvis 
Duke Michael - Michael Spice 
Antoinette de Mauban - Anne Kidd 
Lord Burlesdon - Clive Swift 
Lady Rose Burlesdon/ Innkeeper - Diana Bishop 
Countess Helga - Hilda Schroder 
Rosa - Cherry Gilliam 
Captain Detchard - Terry Scully 
Johann - Sam Dastor 
Josef - Haydn Jones 
Train guard - William Sleigh 
Bersonin - David Gooderson 
Customs officer - Brian Haines 
 
Adapted by Eric Maschwitz and Kay Patrick 
Produced by Martin Jenkins 
Original music (1939) by Robert Chignell and Leslie Woodgate 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 May 1973 
 
Rupert of Hentzau 
Rudolf Rassendyll/King Rudolf - Julian Glover 
Queen Flavia - Hannah Gordon 
Herbert/Bauer - Nigel Anthony 
Hermann/Anton von Strofzing - David Sinclair 
James - Timothy Alcock 
Station-Master/Butler - Wilfrid Carter 
Countess Helga - Hilda Schroder 
Count Fritz von Tarlenheim - David Timson 
Madame Helsing/Mother Holf - Diana Bishop 
Rischenheim - Kerry Francis 
Rupert of Hentzau - Martin Jarvis 
Chancellor Helsing/Farmer - Peter Williams 
Constable/Thug - Vernon Joyner 
Colonel Sapt - Nigel Stock 
Fraulein Helsing - Bonnie Hurren 
Bernenstein - Sean Barrett 
Simon/Thug - Fraser Kerr 
Rosa - Cherry Gilliam 
 
Adapted by Cynthia Pughe and Kay Patrick 
Produced by Martin Jenkins 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 May 1973 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Prisoner of Zenda & Rupert of Hentzau

Two BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations

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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