5ive Guys FC

82ASK

A A Gill

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

A D Swanston

A E Langsford

A G Hopkins

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

A J Baime

A J Jacobs

A J P Taylor

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

A J Pollard

A J Rochester

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

A K Benjamin

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

A L Berridge

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

A L Gaylin

A Maxwell-Hyslop

A McArthur

A P Wavell

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

A S Webb

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

A. A. Dhand

A. A. Gill

A. A. Milne

A. Anatoli

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

A. B. Poranek

A. Bradley

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

A. C. Grayling

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

A. D. Miller

A. E. Ellis

A. E. W. Mason

A. Humphreys

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

A. Igoni Barrett

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Eoin McNamee

A collection of suspenseful dramas from award-winning Northern Irish writer Eoin McNameeEoin McNamee is the author of 19 novels, two trilogies for young adults and three thrillers written under the pseudonym John Creed, one of which won him the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award. He has also written several screenplays and TV scripts, as well as numerous plays for Radio 4. Included here are eight of his acclaimed thrillers, exploring hard-hitting issues such as human trafficking, racism and nationalism through compelling stories of murder, revenge and intrigue. Among the star casts are Adrian Dunbar, Niamh McGrady, Denise Gough, Frances Tomelty, Bronagh Gallagher, Amybeth McNulty, David Caves and Claire Dunne.The Haunted Road sees police camera operator Leslie Burden assisting in the hunt for a young Polish woman – but his interest in this missing persons case soon spirals into obsession. In the Imison Award-winning The Road Wife, a truck driver gives a lift to a female Asian hitchhiker, but gets more than he bargained for when his truck is stopped by immigration officers. Intends to Take Action, co-written by Jimmie Potter and Eoin McNamee, revolves around a Belfast man who is forced to uproot his family for their protection, following a police warning that he has been targeted by a paramilitary organisation. Belfast is also the setting for No Trampy Immigrants, a shocking tale of rioting and racist violence inspired by events which took place in the city in the summer of 2009.North of Riga is a contemporary fairytale of magic and myth set in a Northern Irish fishing port, where a lonely 13-year-old girl befriends a mysterious hairdresser whom the locals believe to be a Latvian witch. In The Comets, 11-year-old Kirstie goes missing shortly after her mother’s death – but what does a story about an old and fragile pair of wings have to do with her disappearance? The Lights centres on a retired policewoman diagnosed with MS, who finds herself in the midst of a migrant trafficking ring – and the gangmaster is someone a little too close to home. And in Swans, it’s a race against time to locate a young child being smuggled through Dublin airport. But is it an inside job?Cast and creditsWritten by Eoin McNameeContentsThe Haunted RoadThe Road WifeIntends to Take ActionNo Trampy ImmigrantsNorth of RigaThe CometsThe LightsSwans© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Haunted Road & more

Eight Full-Cast BBC Crime & Mystery Dramas

William Trevor

A collection of original radio dramas by the much-loved Irish literary legend 
 
One of Ireland’s greatest contemporary authors, William Trevor won the Whitbread Prize three times, and was shortlisted four times for the Man Booker Prize. He received an honorary CBE in 1977 for his services to literature, was made a Companion of Literature in 1994 and in 2002, and received an honorary knighthood. These eight radio plays display all his hallmarks: his keen observation of human life, his mastery of dialogue and his distinctive voice. 
 
In Mr McNamara, which won the 1993 Writers’ Guild Award for Best Original Play, there’s a shock in store for 16-year-old Michael when he visits his dead father’s friend in Dublin… 
 
Travellers finds widowed Mrs Daveridge on holiday in Venice with her son – but she is troubled by memories and doubts. 
 
The residents of a remote Irish village are obliged to re-examine a tragedy in Events at Drimaghleen. 
 
In Running Away, a wife has a conversation with her husband that changes her world. 
 
The Blue Dress focuses on a middle-aged journalist obsessed with the truth who cannot stop asking questions – even when he falls in love. 
 
Scenes from an Album explores the sweep of Irish history through a seventeenth-century landowner and his 20th-century descendants. 
 
In Going Home, a boy and a lonely woman return from boarding school for the final time. 
 
In A Perfect Relationship, Mr Hambro and ‘business girl’ Sylvia have had a regular arrangement for 11 years: but how much longer can it last? 
 
Featuring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in one of his earliest roles (in Travellers), the ensemble casts of these stunning dramas include Maurice Denham, Sylvia Coleridge, Malcolm Hayes, Elizabeth Proud, Nigel Anthony, TP McKenna, Sarah Badel and Kate Binchy. 
 
Text copyright © 1970 (Going Home), 1973 (A Perfect Relationship), 1975 (Scenes from an Album), 1982 (Travellers), 1985 (The Blue Dress), 1988 (Running Away, Events at Drimaghleen), 1994 (Mr McNamara) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Going Home & other plays

Eight Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

A collection of some of William Trevor’s most acclaimed works, as heard on BBC Radio 
 
William Trevor was an Irish literary legend. In a 40-year career, he published a multiplicity of novels, plays, and short stories, and received numerous awards and honours. He was often compared to Chekhov for his extraordinary insight into the human condition, and in these eleven tales, he delves into the inner lives of ordinary people, with all their passions, secrets, fears and disappointments. 
 
We open this collection with two dramatisations taken from the BBC tribute programme I Am a Storyteller: William Trevor at 80, interspersed with excerpts from John Tusa’s 2005 interview with Trevor. 
 
Beyond the Pale, which garnered the author his first Giles Cooper Award, centres around four English tourists in Ireland whose complacency is shattered by an encounter with a troubled stranger. 
 
The Penthouse Apartment sees a shy spinster’s quiet life violently disrupted when she visits her neighbours’ opulent home. 
 
The Hill Bachelors tells the poignant tale of a young man caught between desire and circumstance. 
 
Sacred Statues sees a sculptor’s wife hatching a shocking plan to save the family from penury... 
 
My House in Umbria focuses on a romantic novelist who finds new purpose caring for three survivors of a train bomb. 
 
Autumn Sunshine, the winner of Trevor’s second Giles Cooper Award, concerns a recently bereaved canon, his estranged daughter and her objectionable boyfriend. 
 
Set in 1847, The News From Ireland revolves around an unhappy young governess, newly arrived at the Pulvertafts’ Irish estate. 
 
Adapted from Trevor’s Hawthornden Prize-winning 1964 comic novel, The Old Boys finds schoolboy rivalries resurfacing when the septuagenarian members of an alumni association convene to elect a new chair. 
 
A woman is haunted by visions of her potential replacement in The Mark 2 Wife. 
 
In dark comedy The Boarding House, a group of misfits mourn the loss of their landlord. 
 
An old Irish schoolteacher re-assesses her life in Attracta. 
 
Blending comedy, tragedy and pathos, these absorbing dramas feature a host of seasoned performers including Prunella Scales, Frances Jeater, Maurice Denham, Mary Wimbush, Cecil Parker, Cyril Cusack, Derek Waring and Eileen Walsh. 
 
Text copyright © 1964 (The Old Boys), 1965 (The Boarding House), 1967 (The Penthouse Apartment), 1968 (The Mark 2 Wife), 1977 (Attracta), 1980 (Beyond the Pale), 1982 (Autumn Sunshine), 1986 (The News from Ireland), 1991 (My House in Umbria), 2000 (The Hill Bachelors), 2002 (Sacred Statues) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Old Boys & other stories

Eleven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Guy de Maupassant

Francis King

Alexander Pushkin

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

H. G. Wells

Julian Symonds

Wilkie Collins

Honoré De Balzac

W. Somerset Maugham

Stacy Aumonier

Ten vintage dramas on the theme of murder, written by internationally recognised authors and set across the globe 
 
‘Murder is murder, anywhere in the world. The taking of life, the most terrible crime a human being can commit, is the same in any language, whether it springs from vengeance, greed, hate, love or whatever...’ 
 
Conceived by BBC World Service producer Derek Hoddinott, the 1976 anthology series Murder International comprised half-hour adaptations of famous murder mysteries by world-renowned writers past and present, set in locations ranging from Corsica to St Petersburg, Malaysia, France and Spain. Collected here are ten of those thrilling dramas, each with a different theme, ranging from ‘murder by the supernatural’ to ‘murder by duel’. Bringing them to life are a host of leading actors including Denis Quilley, Maureen O'Brien, George Cole, Christopher Cazenove, Joss Ackland, Michael Denison and George Baker. 
 
In The Hand by Guy Maupassant, an English aristocrat awaits his nemesis – alongside a gruesome trophy from his days in Africa. 
 
Mess, by Francis King, sees an adolescent boy taking extreme measures to escape his chaotic home life. 
 
The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin finds a high-stakes gambler risking his life and his sanity when he discovers the secret of how to win at cards. 
 
Face to face with the state assassin, a dissident writer defends his right to free speech in Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s Conversation at Night. 
 
Three men, maddened by greed for gold, turn on each other in The Treasure in the Forest by H.G. Wells. 
 
Serial wife-killer Clayton Allenby meets his match with bride number four in Julian Symons’ The Accident. 
 
The youngest son of the Monkton family seems afflicted with hereditary madness in Wilkie Collins’ Mad Monkton – but is he insane, or cursed? 
 
The Executioner, by Honoré de Balzac, centres on a young Captain in the Napoleonic wars, who is ordered to carry out a terrible crime. 
 
Somerset Maugham’s Footprints in the Jungle concerns a charming married couple with a shocking skeleton in their closet. 
 
In Stacy Aumonier’s The Fall, when a petty crook turns murderer, Inspector Tolozan uses the man’s greatest fear to extract a confession... 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio, 4 21 July - 29 September 1976 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
NB: Some of the language on these vintage recordings reflects the era in which it was first broadcast, and due to the age of the source material, the sound quality may vary 
 
Conversation at Night © 1986 by Diogenes Verlag AG, Zurich 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Murder International

Ten Classic Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

R.D Wingfield

A collection of vintage thrillers from popular crime writer RD Wingfield 
 
Well known as the creator of Inspector Jack Frost, RD Wingfield scripted numerous twisty, suspenseful dramas for BBC Radio between 1968 and 1995. Many of the thirteen tales in this collection were originally thought to be lost, but thanks to the diligent efforts of Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle, who tracked down the missing audio, they are once again available to enjoy. 
 
In Cat and Mouse Game, a wealthy woman goes missing, and her husband is suspected of murder. Ambitious security officer Hastler has a lot to lose when a surveillance operation goes wrong in Saturday Roster, and in Nightmare, a killer has escaped from a psychiatric ward and may be returning to the scene of his crime. Blood Money finds a branch manager forced to deal with a ransom demand, while Better Never than Late features a policeman on the brink of retirement determined to crack an unsolved kidnapping case. 
 
Warring colleagues Davenport and Desmond discover the advantages of working together in Compensating Error, and in Slow Fuze, an unexploded bomb proves to be a golden opportunity for Major Derry. The Tenth Anniversary concerns the strange disappearance of a detective inspector exactly a decade after the famous Monkstead murders, Death of the Insured sees a terminally ill private eye hired to find an errant husband, and Balance Brought Forward and The Night They Deliver The Money both focus on bank directors faced with potential disaster. Smiling and Beautiful Death, meanwhile, centres around a concussed motorist, a mysterious midnight funeral and a village full of sinister locals… 
 
Capping off our collection is the six-part serial The Killing Season, written under the pseudonym Arthur Jefferson and set in a sleepy town experiencing an unprecedented Christmas crime wave. Among the casts of these intriguing dramas are Nigel Havers, Frances Jeater, Leslie Sands, Garard Green, Deryck Guyler and Andrew Sachs. 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by RD Wingfield 
 
Contents 
 
Cat and Mouse Game 
Saturday Roster 
Nightmare 
Blood Money 
Better Never Than Late 
Compensating Error 
Slow Fuze 
The Tenth Anniversary 
Death of the Insured 
Balance Brought Forward 
The Night They Deliver the Money 
Smiling and Beautiful Death 
The Killing Season 
Written by Arthur Jefferson (pseudonym of R.D Wingfield) 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

R.D Wingfield: Nightmare and Other Thrillers

13 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

A BBC radio anthology of the very best short stories by Stacy Aumonier 
 
Stacy Aumonier was an author, stage performer, 'society entertainer', World War One private and draughtsman, who gained an unrivalled reputation for his short fiction in the 1920s. John Galsworthy described him as ‘one of the best short-story writers of all time’, and several of his tales were adapted for television by Alfred Hitchcock. 
 
Full of wit, warmth and empathy, the eleven stories in this collection offer beautifully constructed insights into the various absurdities of human behaviour. 
 
In ‘The Baby Grand’, starring Trevor Peacock and Oona Beeson, a young girl struggles to study the piano amidst her family’s hostility. 
 
Aumonier’s World, first broadcast in 1993, comprises the four dramas: ‘Where Was Wych Street?’, ‘A Source of Irritation’, ‘Freddie Finds Himself’ and ‘Funeral March’. Starring John Baddeley as Aumonier, with Oona Beeson, Colin Pinney, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Fiona Fullerton, they centre around a pub argument that brings the world to a crisis, life in the First World War trenches, a young man’s discovery of his true vocation and the mysterious allure of the rich Mme Vieninoff. 
 
Initially aired on Radio 4 in 2011, Extremely Entertaining Short Stories contains two stories read by Mark Heap and Mathew Horne respectively. ‘The Brown Wallet’ features a man facing financial ruin who discovers a wallet containing £2000 in the back of a taxi, while in ‘The Room’, a bedsit dweller dreams of escape – then his landlady knocks on his door… 
 
Also included are four stories read by John Baddeley – ‘Dark Red Roses’, in which the titular flowers spell doom rather than romance, ‘Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty’, about a middle-aged spinster on her first trip abroad, ‘One Sunday Morning’, which sees a peaceful Sunday spoiled, and ‘An Adventure in Bed’, in which George’s lazy life is transformed by the beautiful Maisie... 
 
First published 1918 (‘A Source of Irritation’), 1921 (‘Where Was Wych Street?’, ‘An Adventure in Bed’), 1923 (‘The Brown Wallet’, ‘Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty’), 1924 (‘Freddie Finds Himself’), 1926 (‘The Baby Grand’, ‘Funeral March’, ‘The Room’), 1929 (‘Dark Red Roses’, ‘One Sunday Morning’) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stacy Aumonier: A BBC Radio Collection

Eleven Dramatisations and Readings

Jerome K Jerome

BBC adaptations of the 19th-century humourist’s best-loved tales, plus Judith French’s sly comedy based on Jerome’s experiences as a would-be actor 
 
Jerome K Jerome is best known for his comedy classic Three Men in a Boat and its sequel Three Men on the Bummel. Both hilarious tales are included here, alongside two spooky short stories, extracts from Jerome’s humorous essays and theatrical memoir, and a comic drama about his acting career. 
 
Three Men in a Boat – This 1962 musical adaptation of Jerome’s comic masterpiece about three friends who journey down the River Thames stars Leslie Phillips as George, Kenneth Horne as Harris and Hubert Gregg as ‘J’. 
 
Three Men on the Bummel – After their adventures afloat, the intrepid trio take to two wheels, deciding to embark on a cycling tour of Germany. Adapted and performed by Jeremy Nicholas. 
 
The Dancing Partner – When a group of young women bemoan a lack of dance partners, toymaker Papa Geibel gets creative… James Hayter, Rolf Lefebvre and Sheila Grant star in this dramatisation of Jerome’s spine-chilling story. 
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After Supper Ghost Stories – Christmas Eve 1891, and in Laburnum Grove, Tooting, Uncle John’s whisky-punch and Aunt Maria’s lobsters aren’t the only frights on the menu. Starring Dinsdale Lansden, Geoffrey Matthews and Linda Polan. 
 
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow – In these five sparkling essays, read by Hugh Laurie and abridged by Neville Teller, our hapless narrator offers us his entertaining observations on the topics of being idle, cats and dogs, love and romance, eating and drinking, and babies. 
 
On Stage – Adapted and read by Stephen Surrey, these witty, whimsical extracts find the author looking back on his time treading the boards, recalling his performances and his fellow thespians. 
 
One Man on a Stage – Judith French’s scintillating play imagines Jerome’s life as a jobbing actor, working alongside the enthusiastic no-hopers of the provincial Victorian stage. Starring Joseph Millson. 
 
First published 1885 (On the Stage – and Off), 1886 (Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow), 1889 (Three Men in a Boat), 1891 (‘After Supper Ghost Stories’), 1893 (‘The Dancing Partner’), 1900 (Three Men on the Bummel), (One Man on a Stage) text copyright © Judith French 2007 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Jerome K Jerome 
 
Three Men in a Boat 
 
Three Men on the Bummel 
 
The Dancing Partner 
 
After Supper Ghost Stories 
 
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow 
 
On Stage 
 
One Man on a Stage 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jerome K Jerome: A BBC Radio Collection

Three Men in a Boat & more

Adrian Mourby

Twelve make-believe spoof comedy documentaries charting the lives of celebrated fictional characters 
 
‘Gorgeously silly’ The Independent 
 
Have you ever wondered what became of the protagonists from your favourite childhood stories? Well, wonder no more: in these hilarious mockumentaries, the astonishing afterlives of some of the most famous figures in fiction are revealed... 
 
The scourge of smugglers and the stalwart of the Famous Five, George, reflects on her life – and divulges the fate of the rest of the adventurous gang; Cinderella’s siblings The Ugly Sisters speak out, giving their versions of what happened after the ball; Doctor Who’s granddaughter Susan discloses the real story of her travels in time and space; and The Big Bad Wolf gives a perfectly plausible explanation for his behaviour towards the Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood’s granny. 
 
We also follow the fortunes of Billy Bunter’s beastly form master Horace Henry Samuel Quelch, angelic aristocrat Little Lord Fauntleroy, Popeye, Pinocchio, Mowgli, Postman Pat, The Seven Dwarves and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Their fates may surprise and even shock you – but they’re sure to make you laugh. 
 
Written by Adrian Mourby, who won the Sony Silver Award for Creative Writing on Radio for the first series, these witty tongue-in-cheek pastiches feature star casts including Warren Mitchell, Prunella Scales, Michael Williams, Eleanor Bron, Rosemary Leach, Jane Asher, Sir Michael Hordern, Leslie Phillips and Andrew Sachs. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Adrian Mourby 
Produced by Brian King 
 
George 
Popeye 
The Ugly Sisters 
Horace Henry Samuel Quelch 
Doctor Who’s Granddaughter Susan 
Little Lord Fauntleroy 
The Big Bad Wolf 
Pinocchio 
The Seven Dwarves 
Mowgli 
Postman Pat 
Dorothy 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Whatever Happened to….? Popeye, Dorothy, The Ugly Sisters and more

A BBC Radio Comedy of Ultimate Sequels

Exotic tales from the vintage pages of Doctor Who Annual, brought to life by a host of Doctor Who voices. 
 
In the title adventure, The Cloud Exiles ensnare the First Doctor and hope to steal his body for their own purposes, unless he can persuade them otherwise. In Death to Mufl, the Second Doctor is sent on a mission so secret that even he doesn’t know about it! In Revenge of the Phantoms, Jo and the Third Doctor must fight for their lives against terrifying forces they can’t see, beyond which lies an even greater menace. Adric is banished to a jungle world when he and the Fourth Doctor encounter an Intergalactic Cat. In Danger Down Below, Tegan and the Fifth Doctor come under hostile surveillance when they answer a call for help from Aronassus Forty-Nine. The Sixth Doctor and Peri find a house apparently frozen in time as a result of the terrifying Davarrk’s Experiment. Finally, a short feature from the 1983 Annual promises a peek Behind the Scenes at Doctor Who… 
 
Maureen O'Brien, Geoffrey Beevers, Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding, Toby Longworth and Tim Treloar read these energetic stories first published in book form between 1966 and 1985. 
 
Readings produced by Morrison Ellis 
Sound design by David Darlington 
Executive Producer: Michael Stevens 
 
(P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Doctor Who: The Cloud Exiles & Other Stories

Doctor Who Audio Annual

Susan Hill

An extensive collection of full-cast dramatisations and long-lost original radio plays by Dame Susan Hill 
 
Award-winning author Dame Susan Hill is best known for her hit ghost story The Woman in Black and her popular ‘Simon Serailler’ detective series, but she has also written extensively for radio. This audio anthology includes full-cast adaptations of two of her early novels, plus an additional 12 BBC Radio plays, many of them available for the very first time since their original broadcasts. 
 
Gentlemen and Ladies tells of the friendship and loneliness of a family living in a small Midland village, while Strange Meeting explores the relationship between two young subalterns in the First World War. These moving dramatisations star Patricia Hayes, Stephanie Cole, Martin Jarvis and David Timson. 
 
Themes of interdependence and isolation run through all Hill’s radio plays, which she describes as dealing with ‘human beings in confrontation’. In Taking Leave, a nephew visits the family he barely knows; in Lizard in the Grass, an orphan living in a clifftop convent is persecuted by one of the nuns, in The Cold Country, tempers fray when four explorers become snowbound in Antarctica and in Consider the Lilies, an ageing bachelor who sees angels finds himself drawn to a dying girl. Richard Hurndall, Helen Worth, Terry Scully, John Rollason and Tony Britton are among the star casts. 
 
A Window on the World focuses on students Nell (Patricia Gallimore) and Jess (Julie Hallam), who are mere observers of life – until one of them acts to alter the situation. Strip Jack Naked finds sick recluse James (Ian Richardson) shaken out of his austere existence by a visit from his estranged wife, but in The Sound that Time Makes, wife and mother Fay (Patricia Gallimore) is obsessively haunted by her schooldays. And with her wedding approaching, Helena (Carole Hayman) struggles to let go of her childhood in Here Comes the Bride. 
 
Chances features two interlinked monologues, read by Dames Judi Dench and Peggy Ashcroft, in which an Irish maid at a seaside hotel ponders her life, and a guest remembers better days and higher standards. A dying Frenchwoman summons her estranged daughter in Out in the Cold, starring Pauline Letts and Fiona Walker. Finally, Winter and Autumn focus on two couples, one elderly and resident in an old folks’ home, the other middle-aged and attempting to escape the past by moving house. Doreen Mantle, Cyril Luckham, June Brown and Bernard Hepton star as the spouses searching for meaning and connection. 
 
Copyright © Susan Hill 1968 (Gentlemen and Ladies), 1971 (Strange Meeting, Taking Leave, Lizard in the Grass), 1972 (The Cold Country), 1973 (Consider the Lilies), 1975 (A Window on the World, Strip Jack Naked), 1980 (The Sound that Time Makes, Here Comes the Bride), 1981 (Chances), 1982 (Out in the Cold), 1985 (Winter), 1986 (Autumn) 
 
Contents: 
Gentlemen and Ladies 
Strange Meeting 
Taking Leave 
Lizard in the Grass 
The Cold Country 
Consider the Lilies 
A Window on the World 
Strip Jack Naked 
The Sound that Time Makes 
Here Comes the Bride 
Chances 
Out in the Cold 
Winter 
Autumn 
 
Copyright © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Susan Hill BBC Radio Drama Collection

14 Full-Cast Dramas

Bruce Chatwin

A collection of full-cast dramas and readings from the giant of travel writing – plus a bonus documentary 
 
Author and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was one of the 20th Century’s most charismatic writers. His first book, In Patagonia, changed the face of travel writing and made him a literary sensation. Collected here are dramatisations and readings of some of his best-known work, as well as a bonus programme shedding light on his relationships and writing. 
 
In Patagonia – Chatwin’s picaresque masterpiece has been described as ‘probably the most influential travel book written since the war’. This transportive dramatisation stars Russell Tovey as a writer on a quest to the very end of the world in search of mythical beasts. 
 
On the Black Hill – Recorded on location in the Black Mountains, this is the moving tale of the lifelong bond between two identical twins, and their unbreakable tie to the land they farm. Ioan Meredith stars as Lewis and Benjamin Jones. 
 
What Am I Doing Here? – Patrick Malahide reads five essential pieces taken from Chatwin’s posthumous collection of essays. In 'The Volga', ‘Your Father’s Eyes Are Blue Again’, ‘The Bey’, ‘The Albatross’ and 'Konstantin Melnikov', we are taken on a cruise down Russia's great brown waterway on the Maxim Gorky, hear of hope regained, and share a toast to fantastic projects realised and unrealised. 
 
The Songlines – Michael Siberry reads this 10-part abridged account of Chatwin’s travels across Australia in search of the Aboriginal ‘songlines’: invisible pathways that are both intricate sources of personal identity and territorial markers. 
 
The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin – Chatwin’s editor and biographer Susannah Clapp looks through the postcards she received from him over the years, reflecting on what these missives reveal about the iconic writer. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Bruce Chatwin 
 
Text copyright © Bruce Chatwin 1977 (In Patagonia), 1982 (On the Black Hill), 1987 (The Songlines) 
What Am I Doing Here? copyright © The Estate of Bruce Chatwin 1989 
 
In Patagonia 
Cast: Russell Tovey, David Sterne, Noni Lewis, Hasan Dixon, Melissa Vaughan, Ewan Bailey, Florencia Cordeu, Helen Schlesinger, Julio Galán 
Directed by Ciaran Bermingham 
Adapted by Sebastian Bazckiewicz 
Production Co-ordinator: Jenny Mendez 
Piano: Satoshi Kubo 
Sound: Keith Graham and Jenni Burnett 
With thanks to Susannah Clapp 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Aug 2023 
 
On the Black Hill 
Cast: Ioan Meredith, Gwen Watford, Ian Hogg, Robin Davies, Gerald James, June Barrie, Dorien Thomas, Sue Broomfield, Sue Soames, Peter Howell, Huw Tudor, Matthew Routley, Simon Price, Claire Watkins, Sian Watkins 
Directed on location in the Black Mountains by Adrian Mourby, BBC Wales 
Dramatised by Charles Way with Robert Blythe 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Mar 1987 
 
The Volga 
Read by Patrick Malahide 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11-12 May 1989 
 
What Am I Doing Here? 
Read by Patrick Malahide 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 Sep 1990 
 
Konstantin Melnikov 
Read by Patrick Malahide 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Sep 1990 
 
The Songlines 
Abridged in ten episodes by David Buck 
Read by Michael Siberry 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Jun-3 Jul 1987 
 
The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin 
Presented by Susannah Clapp 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 1 Jul 2009 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bruce Chatwin: A BBC Radio Collection

In Patagonia & more

Algernon Blackwood

A collection of strange and fantastical tales from Algernon Blackwood, plus bonus documentaries 
 
Described by H P Lovecraft as 'the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere', Algernon Blackwood (CBE) was the acclaimed and prolific author of numerous ghost stories and horror tales. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories. 
 
This anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence. The inspiration for the famous horror movie Cat People, 'Ancient Sorceries' (read by Philip Madoc), sees a timid tourist becoming enchanted by a sleepy French town whose residents have an oddly feline manner. It is followed by four chilling dramatisations starring Malcolm Hayes as Silence. In The Nemesis of Fire, the psychic doctor investigates eldritch events at an English manor house; while Secret Worship is a chilling tale of haunting and evil in a Bavarian forest. A wilderness trip turns terrifying in The Camp of the Dog, and in The Empty Sleeve, a virtuoso violinist's desire for a rare instrument has dire consequences. 
 
Next up are three gripping standalone dramas: The Decoy (starring George Baker and Susan Jameson); Keeping His Promise (starring Eric Deacon and Christopher Neame) and The Human Chord (starring Philip Skale). 
 
Also included is Violet Pearn's captivating fantasy play The Starlight Express, adapted from Blackwood's imaginative children's novel A Prisoner in Fairyland and starring Denis Dowling, Patrick Barr and Cecile Chavreau. This is followed by The Willows, read by Roger Allam: a claustrophobic tale of suspense and terror, as two companions camp on a remote island and become convinced they see a body in the water. 
 
Three eerie supernatural stories are narrated by Blackwood himself in long-lost gems from the BBC Archive. They centre around mysterious encounters with a depressed Englishwoman ('The Occupant of the Room'), a man who was frightened to death ('The Woman's Ghost Story'), and the spectral presence of a town ('The Destruction of Smith'), and are followed by a quartet of strange stories ('Algernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story'). 
 
To conclude, two bonus documentary programmes, presented by Blackwood, delve into his life and career. The Genesis of Ideas sees him revealing the sources of his material, while the reflective On Being Eighty finds him looking back on his many years of experience and experiment. 
 
Written by Algernon Blackwood. 
 
First published 1906 ('Keeping His Promise'), 1907 ('The Willows', 'The Woman's Ghost Story'), 1908 ('Ancient Sorceries', 'The Nemesis of Fire', 'Secret Worship', 'The Camp of the Dog'), 1910 ('The Human Chord'), 1911 ('The Empty Sleeve'), 1912 ('The Destruction of Smith'), 1916 ('The Starlight Express'), 1917 ('The Occupant of the Room'), 1921 ('The Decoy'), 1948 ('A Japanese Literary Cocktail') 
 
Special thanks to Keith Wickham for sourcing audio files. 
 
Contents List 
 
Ancient Sorceries 
The Nemesis of Fire 
Secret Worship 
The Camp of the Dog 
The Empty Sleeve 
The Decoy 
Keeping His Promise 
The Human Chord 
The Starlight Express 
The Willows 
The Occupant of the Room 
The Woman's Ghost Story 
The Destruction of Smith 
Algernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story 
The Genesis of Ideas 
On Being EightyContent Note: Contains some dated references that reflect the language and attitudes of the time. 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection

17 Supernatural Dramas and Ghost Stories

Arthur Conan Doyle

BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of some of Arthur Conan Doyle's other works - plus extracts from his letters and a bonus drama by Bert Coules 
 
Arthur Conan Doyle is well known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, but he also wrote numerous works in which the great detective played no part. Included here is a selection of the best, ranging from science fiction to tales of supernatural terror and rip-roaring adventures set in Jacobean and Regency England. 
 
Our collection opens with the first of three dramas featuring the hot-tempered, larger-than-life scientist and explorer Professor Challenger. 'The Lost World' stars David Robb as Challenger, he heads on an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon Basin. Following this drama we have two further dramatisations starring Bill Paterson as Challenger this time. In 'When the World Screamed', he sets out on a bold mission to be recognised by Mother Earth, while 'The Disintegration Machine' sees him investigating dastardly Latvian inventor Theodore Nemor. 
 
'The Captain of the Polestar' drama tells the chilling story of a ship trapped in the Arctic, and stars Alec Heggie as Craigie, a man haunted by a strange apparition. 
 
Also included are the short stories 'Playing With Fire', 'How It Happened', 'One Crowded Hour', 'The Fall of Lord Barrymore', 'The Sealed Room' and 'The Lost Special' (read by Edward de Souza, Sam Dale, Christopher Harper and David Schofield), and the fascinating series Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, in which Forbes Masson and John Dougal read extracts from his correspondence to his mother about marriage, fatherhood, killing off Holmes and going into politics. Finally, how the author ran for Parliament in 1900 and lost is explored in Bert Coules' biographical drama Vote For Conan Doyle!, starring John Sessions. 
 
First published 1883 ('The Captain of the Polestar'), 1898 ('The Sealed Room', 'The Lost Special'), 1900 ('Playing With Fire'), 1911 ('One Crowded Hour'), 1912 ('The Lost World'), 1912 ('The Fall of Lord Barrymore'), 1913 ('How It Happened'), 1928 ('When The World Screamed'), 1929 ('The Disintegration Machine'), 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
 
Track list 
Dramatisations 
1. Professor Challenger: The Lost World Episode 1- A Bridge to the Unknown 
2. Professor Challenger: The Lost World Episode 2 - Our Eyes Have Seen Great Wonders 
3. Professor Challenger: When The World Screamed 
4. Professor Challenger: The Disintegration Machine 
5. The Captain of the Polestar 
Short Stories 
6. Playing With Fire 
7. How It Happened 
8. One Crowded Hour 
9. The Fall of Lord Barrymore 
10. The Sealed Room 
11. The Lost Special 
Bonus content 
12. Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters 
13. Vote for Conan Doyle! 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Arthur Conan Doyle: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Three classic stories from the 'Queen of Sensation Fiction' - plus bonus documentary 
Mary Elizabeth Braddon was one of the most important and influential female novelists of the 19th Century, and the founder (alongside Wilkie Collins) of the popular 'sensation fiction' genre. This collection features her best-known novel, Lady Audley's Secret, a thrilling tale of bigamy, murder and arson that outraged Victorian society on its first release - and was an instant bestseller. Also included are two atmospheric short stories and an edition of Sensational Women exploring her life and work. 
 
Lady Audley's Secret - Lucy Graham gains all the wealth she desires through her marriage to the devoted Sir Michael Audley. But her newfound security is threatened when young lawyer Robert Audley sets out to uncover the truth about her hidden past. Hattie Morahan, Charlotte Emmerson, Alex Wyndham and Sam Dale star in this electrifying dramatisation. 
 
 
The Cold Embrace - When Josef, a handsome young German artist, betrays his delicate fiancée, her vengeance is eerily appropriate... This chilling adaptation of Mary Elizabeth Braddon's ghostly story stars Stephanie Turner, Jonathan Firth and Alison Pettitt. 
 
Samuel Lowgood's Revenge - An impoverished clerk discovers that his rival in love has defrauded their employer. But what should he do with this knowledge? Barbara Flynn reads Braddon's 1861 tale of jealousy and retribution. 
 
Sensational Women: Mary Braddon - Sarah Dunant takes a look at the notorious sensation author, who was condemned for rotting the moral fibre of a whole generation of young women. 
 
First published 1860 ('The Cold Embrace'), 1861 ('Samuel Lowgood's Revenge'), 1862 (Lady Audley's Secret) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 
 
Lady Audley's Secret 
Mary Braddon - Hattie Morahan 
Lucy, Lady Audley - Charlotte Emmerson 
Sir Michael Audley - Sam Dale 
Phoebe Marks - Lizzy Watts 
Luke Marks - Benjamin Askew 
Robert Audley - Alex Wyndham 
George Talboys - Joseph Kloska 
Alicia Audley - Perdita Weeks 
Lieutenant Maldon - Jonathan Tafler 
Mr Dawson/Landlord - Paul Rider 
Mrs Vincent - Charlotte West-Oram 
Tonks - Deborah McAndrew 
Dramatised by Theresa Heskins 
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 April-1 May 2009 
 
The Cold Embrace 
Mary Braddon - Stephanie Turner 
Josef - Jonathan Firth 
Gertrude - Alison Pettitt 
Father - John Hartley 
Postmaster - Ioan Meredith 
Passenger - Hugh Dickson 
Woman - Carolyn Jones 
Fisherman - Chris Pavlo 
Parisienne - Tracy-Ann Oberman 
Dramatised by Christopher Hawes 
Produced by Marion Nancarrow 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 June 1997 
 
Samuel Lowgood's Revenge 
Read by Barbara Flynn 
Produced by Rebecca Nicholson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 November 1998 
 
Sensational Women: Mary Braddon 
Presented by Sarah Dunant 
Extracts read by Sally Beauman 
Produced by Lore Windemuth 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 October 1996 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Lady Audley’s Secret & more

A BBC Radio 4 Gothic Drama Collection

Alexander McCall-Smith

Rachel Joyce

Charles Dickens

Anton Chekhov

Leo Tolstoy

Elizabeth Gaskell

Jeremy Front

A sparkling seasonal anthology of BBC dramas and readings 
 
Christmas is the perfect time to curl up with a good story, and this cracking collection brings you 30 wonderfully diverse tales inspired by this most special of seasons. From Santa Claus, gift-giving and family gatherings, to an unexpected encounter in a snowstorm and an alternative take on the Nativity, they're sure to get you in the festive mood. 
 
Here are modern readings of classics such as Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Tree', Anton Chekhov's 'At Christmas Time', Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Fir Tree', O Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi', Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Christmas Storms and Sunshine' and Leo Tolstoy's 'Papa Panov's Special Christmas'. Alongside them is some superb short fiction by contemporary authors, including Stella Duffy ('South'), Paul McVeigh ('Daddy Christmas'), Laura Barnett ('Survivors'), and nine delightful stories by Alexander McCall Smith. Among the stellar narrators are Don Gilet, Nina Sosanya, Hannah Gordon, Stephanie Cole and Meera Syal. 
 
Interspersed with these are a range of spellbinding plays, including Rachel Joyce's poignant Christmas by the Lake; festive action comedy Lena Marsh, Live and Schticking! by Jeremy Front; a very unusual and very dangerous Santa in The Morpeth Carol by Timothy X Atack; and Robert Hudson and Marie Phillips' epistolary animal tale, Some Hay in a Manger, introduced by Stephen Fry. All feature star casts including Niamh Cusack, Robert Lindsay, Sam Troughton, Clare Corbett, Tamsin Greig and Joel Fry. 
 
Heartwarming and heartfelt, comic and bittersweet, moving and magical, these fantastic, evocative stories are a real Christmas treat. 
 
Note: Chapter metadata updated in January 2023. 
 
Contents 
Christmas by the Lake by Rachel Joyce 
Christmas Short Stories by Alexander McCall Smith: 
· 'Motordrome' 
· 'The Revenge, or Otherwise, of Herbie Bontemps' 
· 'How to Escape in Gaelic' 
· 'The Colourful Life of Cousin Grace' 
· 'Good President Wenceslas' 
The Christmas Present by Ben Crompton 
Christmas Compass: Series 1: 
· 'North' by Malachy Tallack 
· 'South' by Stella Duffy 
· 'East' by Ruth Thomas 
· 'West' by Mike McCormack 
A Time to Dance by Lucy Gannon 
Christmas Compass: Series 2 by Alexander McCall Smith 
· 'Winter Journey' 
· 'In the DRC' 
· 'Primatologist' 
· 'On The Island' 
Midnight at Christmas by Elliott Kerrigan 
'The Fir Tree' by Hans Christian Andersen 
'At Christmas Time'by Anton Chekhov 
'Papa Panov's Special Christmas' by Leo Tolstoy 
Some Hay in a Manger by Robert Hudson and Marie Phillips 
'Daddy Christmas' by Paul McVeigh 
'Christmas Storms and Sunshine'by Elizabeth Gaskell 
The Morpeth Carol by Timothy X Atack 
'Survivors' by Laura Barnett 
Lena Marsh, Live and Shticking!by Jeremy Front 
'A Christmas Tree' by Charles Dickens 
'The Gift of the Magi' by O Henry 
Get Santa by Peter Gibbs 
'Home' by Christine Dwyer Hickey 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A BBC Christmas Collection

30 Festive Dramas and Stories

Sarah Millican

Joe Lycett

Bridget Christie

Susan Calman

Jon Richardson

Russell Kane

James Acaster

Mark Watson

Jenny Eclair

Aisling Bea

Romesh Ranganathan

Dane Baptiste

Shazia Mirza

Sanjeev Kholi

Angela Barnes

A cracking collection of comic monologues, written and read by leading comedians 
 
Recorded in front of a live audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this fantastic anthology features a host of diverse short stories, composed and performed by a veritable Who's Who of stand-up comedians. By turns hilarious and irreverent, poignant and bittersweet, together they make up a superb selection box of tasty treats. 
 
Among the all-star line-up, Romesh Ranganathan tells a comic tale of unrequited love among the orangutans; Susan Calman takes a wry look at office politics; Jon Richardson explores the perils of internet dating; and Sarah Millican takes us into the worlds of a compassionate undertaker's assistant and an elderly woman who fears she's becoming invisible. 
 
Russell Kane recalls his tempestuous ex; Aisling Bea recounts the dark, funny tale of a pensioner with murder in mind; Robert Florence reveals the shady doings of the Scottish branch of the Illuminati; and satirist John O'Farrell asks, 'what if Judas had written the Gospels'? 
 
Also sharing their fantastic fiction are a wealth of other literary comics, including Sanjeev Kohli, Joe Lycett, Bridget Christie, James Acaster, Jenny Eclair, Shazia Mirza and Mark Watson. Short story fans, rejoice: here are five hours of some of the most charming, absurd, dark, thoughtful and funny tales you'll ever find in one place. 
 
Contents: 
1. May Contain Nuts by Janey Godley 
2. The Hair of the Dead by Sarah Millican 
3. Gone Phishing by Jon Richardson 
4. The Woman Who Sniffed by Susan Calman 
5. Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Be in the Green by Patrick Monahan 
6. On the Dot by Shazia Mirza 
7. Stairlift Us Up Where We Belong by Sarah Millican 
8. Spooky and the Van by Joe Lycett 
9. A Difference of Opinion by Bridget Christie 
10. The Three Times I Dumped Eleanor, and the Manner of Her Death by Russell Kane 
11. Sorry For Your Loss by James Acaster 
12. Club Sandwich by Mark Watson 
13. The Understudy by Jenny Eclair 
14. Kill Dilly by Aisling Bea 
15. I Bought a Monkey To Stand Out in the New York Art Scene by Sanjeev Kohli 
16. Love and Orangutans by Romesh Ranganathan 
17. Bad Fairytale by Grainne Maguire 
18. The Gospel According to Judas by John O'Farrell 
19. Pick Me Up by Angela Barnes 
20. Apocalypse Soon by Dane Baptiste 
21. Cats Who Walk Like Gentlemen by Robert Florence 
 
Production credits: 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 August 2009-6 September 2015 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Comic Fringes

21 short stories by top comedians

Mark Twain

BBC radio productions of Mark Twain's very best novels and short stories - plus bonus material 
 
Mark Twain (real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens), was one of the foremost writers and humorists to come out of the United States. Hailed by William Faulkner as 'the father of American literature', he is renowned worldwide for his classic novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This wide-ranging collection comprises dramatisations and readings of a host of his much-loved stories, from well-known works to less familiar gems. 
 
The adaptations include Tony Award-winning Bryony Lavery's rhythmic reworking of The Million Pound Bank Note; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, dramatised by award-winning playwright Marcy Kahan; and The Diary of Adam and Eve, Twain's affectionate satire about the battle of the sexes. They are performed by full casts including Trevor White, Mark Caven, Christopher Jacot, Inika Leigh Wright and Tom Goodman-Hill. 
 
Among the readings are an abridged version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in which Ed Bishop brings Tom's escapades to colourful life; the little-known yarn The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (read by Jon Glover) telling the tall tale of an inveterate gambler and a talented amphibian; and The Prince and the Pauper (read by Jason Isaacs), an abridgement of Twain's historical fantasy about two identical boys born on the same day - one rich, the other poor. And in Mark Twain Stories, Frasier star Kelsey Grammer reads five of the great author's finest short stories. 
Also included is Kaleidoscope Feature: The Further Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, charting the troubled 100-year history of Twain's controversial novel, which has gone from being banned to being beloved - and back again. 
 
NB: Contains language that listeners may find offensive 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Mark Twain. First published 1867 (The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County), 1868 (Cannibalism in the Cars), 1870 (The Facts in the Case of the Great Beef Contract, A Ghost Story), 1875 (The Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup, Niagara), 1876 (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), 1881 (The Prince and the Pauper), 1884 (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), 1893 (The Million Pound Bank Note), 1931 (The Private Life of Adam and Eve) 
 
The Million Pound Bank Note 
Dramatised by Bryony Lavery. Produced by Pauline Harris and Sharon Sephton 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2011 
 
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 
Abridged by Brian Miller. Read by Ed Bishop. First broadcast BBC Radio 5, 20-31 May 1991 
 
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 
Dramatised by Marcy Kahan. Directed by Ned Chaillet. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-29 December 2002 
 
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County 
Read by Jon Glover. Produced by Mitch Raper. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 September 1978 
 
The Diary of Adam and Eve 
Dramatised by Martin Glynn. Produced by Jenny Stephens. Directed by Peter Leslie Wild 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 March 2005 
 
The Prince and the Pauper 
Read by Jason Isaacs. First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 17 October 2009 
 
Mark Twain Stories: The Facts in the Great Beef Contract, A Day at Niagara, Cannibalism in the Cars, A Ghost Story and Experiences of the MacWilliamses 
Read by Kelsey Grammar. Abridged and produced by Duncan Minshull. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-19 September 1997 
 
Kaleidoscope Feature: The Further Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 
Produced by Paul Quinn. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 May 1996 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mark Twain: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Million Pound Bank Note & More

Lynne Truss

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

Life at Absolute Zero

The complete BBC Radio series 1-4

William Ingram

Richard Davies

Maurice Travers

Barry Campbell

Roald Dahl

Rene Basilico

Elizabeth Morgan

Charles Birkin

Twenty tales of terror and suspense, brought to you by sinister storyteller Vincent Price 
 
Horror legend Vincent Price presents an anthology of eerie, unsettling tales with a devilish twist - some purportedly based on his own adventures, others narrated by him in his own inimitable style. 
 
Listen to his horrifying accounts of an unnerving piscatorial experience Down Under, a violinist with very special hands, a Bonfire Night party when a bullying father disappeared and a secretary's murderous revenge. Here, too, are the spine-chilling stories of a beloved cat with an unusual inheritance, a scientist whose experiments on his own son lead to unforeseen danger and a phoney clairvoyant and her client, who seeks a preview of eternity... 
 
Among the star casts are Garard Green, Peter Cushing, Bill Kerr, Coral Browne, Christopher Bidmead, Adrienne Corri, Betty Huntley-Wright, Freddie Jones, Edward Woodward, Annette Crosbie, Maurice Denham and Hywel Bennett. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by and starring Vincent Price 
Produced by John Dyas 
 
Remains to be Seen 
Dramatised by William Ingram from the story by Jack Ritchie. First broadcast BBC World Service, 1 September 1973 
 
William and Mary 
Dramatised by Barry Campbell from the story by Roald Dahl. First broadcast BBC World Service, 8 September 1973 
 
Cat's Cradle 
Dramatised by Richard Davis from the story 'The Squaw' by Bram Stoker. First broadcast BBC World Service, 15 September 1973 
 
Meeting in Athens 
Dramatised by Maurice Travers from the story 'So Pale, So Cold, So Fair' by Charles Birkin. 
First broadcast BBC World Service, 22 September 1973 
 
The Man Who Hated Scenes 
Dramatised by William Ingram from the story by Robert Arthur. First broadcast BBC World Service, 29 September 1973 
 
Lot 132 
Written and dramatised by Elizabeth Morgan. First broadcast BBC World Service, 6 October 1973 
 
The Waxwork 
Dramatised by Barry Campbell from the story by AM Burrage. First broadcast BBC World Service, 13 October 1973 
 
Fish 
Written and dramatised by Rene Basilico. First broadcast BBC World Service, 20 October 1973 
 
Soul Music 
Written and dramatised by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 27 October 1973 
 
Guy Fawkes' Night 
Written and dramatised by Richard Davis. First broadcast BBC World Service, 3 November 1973 
 
Come As You Are 
Written and dramatised by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 6 April 1974 
 
The Ninth Removal 
Dramatised by Barry Campbell from the story by R Chetwynd Hayes. First broadcast BBC World Service, 20 April 1974 
 
An Eye for an Eye 
Written by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 27 April 1974 
 
Blind Man's Bluff 
Written and dramatised by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 4 May 1974 
 
Goody Two Shoes 
Written and dramatised by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 30 May 1983 
 
To My Dear, Dear Saladin 
Written by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 6 June 1983 
 
The Family Album 
Written by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 13 June 1983 
 
Out of the Mouths 
Written by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 20 June 1983 
 
Not Wanted on the Voyage 
Written by William Ingram. First broadcast BBC World Service, 27 June 1983 
 
Is There Anybody There? 
Written by William Ingram. Music by Derek Price 
First broadcast BBC World Service, 4 July 1983 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distributio Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Price of Fear: 20 tales of suspense told by Vincent Price

A BBC Radio 4 vintage horror series

Alexei Sayle

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

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

BBC Radio 4 dark comic plays

Mary Cooper

Jonathan Tafler

Anna Linstrum

Alistair McGowan

Elizabeth Lewis

Robin Brooks

Lucy Caldwell

Sarah Wooley

Stephen Wakelam

Frances Bingham

David Pownall

Katie Hims

Ian Billings

Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre

Judith Adam

18 biographical dramas based on the lives and loves of celebrated writers 
 
These surprising, revealing dramas take a behind-the-scenes look at some of our best-loved authors, mingling fact and fantasy to explore their extraordinary hidden lives. From love affairs, friendships and family relationships to traumas, tragedies and journeys of self-discovery, we glimpse the unwritten worlds that shaped their unforgettable fiction. Among the star casts are Andrew Scott, Toby Jones, Richard Dormer, Glenda Jackson, Bella Ramsey, Julia Davis, Ian McDiarmid, Haydn Gwynne, David Threlfall, Alistair McGowan, Tom Goodman-Hill, Hattie Morahan, Rosie Cavaliero, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Paul Ritter and Lia Williams 
 
Jane and Tom - Writing to her sister, Jane Austen describes her love for Tom Lefroy - a love that would lead to Pride and Prejudice. 
 
When Fanny Met Germaine - A delightful romp through the passionate, scandalous friendship between two 18th Century writers: Fanny Burney and Mme de Stael. 
 
Comrade Ackland - Dorset, 1936. Newly returned from an illicit trip to Civil War Spain, Sylvia Townsend Warner and her lover Valentine Ackland have an unexpected visitor.... 
 
Tongues of Fire - 1913. When a Nobel laureate visits Dublin's Abbey Theatre, fireworks erupt between WB Yeats and Sean O'Casey. 
 
A Year at the Races - Approaching the end of his career, Groucho Marx meets a wisecracking fan determined to teach him new comedy tricks. 
 
Spike and the Elfin Oak- A comic fantasy inspired by Spike Milligan's madcap attempts in the mid-1960s to preserve a curious sculpture in Kensington Gardens. 
 
Everybody's Got Conditions - Casting Bette Davis in his play The Night of the Iguana proves the biggest mistake in Tennessee Williams' career... 
 
I Believe I Have Genius- Humble and obscure, young Charlotte Brontë travels to Brussels to study at a girls' school. 
 
Marian and George - Marian Evans (aka George Eliot) must choose between her adored brother and the love of her life... 
 
Lying Low - An intriguing drama imagining what happened to Samuel Beckett during his mysterious three weeks in Folkestone in 1961. 
 
A Terrible Beauty - WB Yeats travels to France to propose to beautiful Maud Gonne, soon after her husband's execution in the 1916 Easter Rising. 
 
The Watcher on the Wall - Dramatised from his letters, this is the story of Louis MacNeice's transatlantic love affair and the poetry it inspired. 
 
Edith Sitwell in Scarborough - Returning to her birthplace, Edith Sitwell sets out to wreak revenge. 
 
Mrs Tolstoy - A five-part drama charting the tempestuous marriage between Leo and Sofya Tolstoy. 
 
The 'B' Word - The opening night of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion causes a scandal and sparks a passionate love/hate triangle... 
 
The Rules of Palship - The young Noël Coward demanded fierce loyalty from his friends - but did he live up to his own high standards? 
 
The Lost Road - A playful tribute to the long friendship between CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien and how it influenced their respective masterpieces. 
 
Luxembourg Gardens - Re-imagined from Katherine Mansfield's stories, letters and journals, this Mansfieldesque play explores her last day in Paris, where she is dying of consumption aged 34. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Behind the Author's Desk: Dramas of Famous Writers' Real Lives

A BBC Radio 4 drama collection

Stephen Wyatt

William Schwenck Gilbert

Ten comic dramatisations based on the stories and plays of WS Gilbert 
 
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert is best known for his operatic collaborations with Sir Arthur Sullivan, which captivated 19th-century audiences and continue to delight today. But he also created numerous solo works, among them these ten pieces, dramatised for radio by Stephen Wyatt and featuring Jonathan Coy as WS Gilbert. 
 
The Finger of Fate - Confirmed bachelor Foggerty yearns for peace - but Fate has other plans, in the form of large, lively Dolly Fortescue. 
Starring Stephen Moore, Alison Steadman, Martin Hyder, Ian Masters. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2002 
 
An Elixir of Love - The inspiration for the Gilbert &amp; Sullivan opera The Sorcerer, this humorous tale finds the Rev Stanley Gay secretly administering a love potion to his parishioners - with unexpected results. 
Starring Paul Downing, Cathy Sara, Gillian Goodman, Christopher Scott, John Fleming. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 May 2003 
 
The Burglar's Story- Housebreaker's son Theodore Belvawney learns the hard way that there is no honour amongst thieves. 
Starring Michael Onslow, John Webb, Anny Tobin, Stephen Boswell, Kim Durham, Alexandra Lilley 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 May 2003 
 
Wide Awake - Rich, unworldly Harold Symperson learns that he must stay alert when looking for his soulmate. 
Starring Richard Derrington, Chris Emmett, Julia Hills, Joanna Wake, Jamie Chapman, Tom George. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 28 May 2003 
 
Mr Foster's Good Fairy - Confectioner Cyril Foster fears his chequered past will be exposed, until he's offered an unlikely escape. 
Starring Ian Brooker, Sara Coward, Lennox Greaves and David Bannerman 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 4 June 2003 
 
The Wedding March - Woodpecker Tapping's wedding day goes from bad to worse in this farcical drama. 
Starring Jason Chan, Paul Clarkson, Amy Shindler, John Rowe, Alex Tregear, Sion Probert, Charlotte West-Oram 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 December 2004 
 
A Sensation Novel - Author Ebenezer Fudge is most perturbed when his characters come to life and criticise his melodramatic plots. 
Starring John Rowe, Nicholas Boulton, Hugh Dickson, Julia Hills, Jason Chan and Wendy Baxter 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 December 2004 
 
A Colossal Idea - Holidaying with his wife in Margate, grocer Mr Yellowboy claims to be writing an encyclopaedia - but his real activities are less innocent. 
Starring Tim Hudson, Sarah Hadland, Tina Gray, Bella Merlin, James Howard. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2004 
 
Tom Cobb or Fortune's Toy - In need of money to marry his fiancee, Matilda O'Fipp, Tom Cobb decides to 'die'. 
Starring Bertie Carvel, Sarah Corbet, Stephen Hogan, James Howard, Bella Merlin, Jason Chan. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 January 2005 
 
The Realm of Joy - A West End play proves so scandalous that Victorian society can't stay away. Starring Alexander Delamere, Jeffrey Harmer, Tim Hudson, Jilly Bond, Stephen Hogan, Bella Merlin, Charlotte West-Oram. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 January 2005 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by WS Gilbert 
Dramatised by Stephen Wyatt 
Directed by Sally Avens, Sue Wilson and Jenny Stephen 
 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. ? 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Gilbert without Sullivan

Oscar Wilde

Virginia Woolf

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

BBC Classics: Ultimate Story Collection

90 unmissable tales

Daisy Johnson

Fifteen highly original and darkly unsettling supernatural stories, performed by some of Britain's finest actresses 
 
'This is what we know about The Hotel. It is bigger on the inside than on the outside. Do not go into Room 63. Doors and windows do not stay in the same places. The Hotel listens when you speak. The Hotel watches... We'll be at The Hotel soon.' 
 
A place of myths, rumours and secrets, The Hotel looms over the dark Fens, tall and grey in its Gothic splendour. Built on cursed land, a history of violent death suffuses its very foundations - yet it has a magnetism that is impossible to ignore. 
 
On entering The Hotel, different people react in different ways. To some it is familiar, to others a stranger. Many come out refreshed, longing to return. But a few are changed forever, haunted by their time there. And almost all those affected are women... 
 
Here are the stories of The Hotel: stories of children, mothers, monsters, cult film-makers, thrill-seekers and workers on the night shift, all with their own tales of its strange power, of the horrors of Room 63, and of desperate but failed attempts to escape its seductive pull. 
 
Included are: The Hotel (read by Sara Kestelman); The Witch (read by Nicola Walker), The Build (read by Maxine Peake); Infestation (read by Anne-Marie Duff); Clean (read by Ronke Adékoluejo); The Wedding (read by Alexandria Riley); Conference (read by Jessica Raine); The Monster (read by Bettrys Jones); Night Watch (read by Anne-Marie Duff); Briony (read by Adjoa Andoh); Haunted (read by Laurel Lefkow); Mother (read by Rebecca Root); The Story (read by Juliet Stevenson); The Priest (read by Barbara Flynn) and The Film (read by Sara Kestelman). 
 
Written by Daisy Johnson, one of Britain's best contemporary novelists and the youngest ever to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, these deliciously chilling ghost stories will linger in your mind long after hearing. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Daisy Johnson 
Produced by Justine Willett 
 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 20 September-27 December 2020 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Hotel: A Series of ghost stories with a feminist twist

Tom Crowley

Beth Crane

Janina Matthewson

Eno Mfon

Greer Ellison

Jesse Schwenk

Robert Valentine

Chris Sugden

Jen Sugden

Ten mind-altering tales from some of the best new drama writers 
 
There's a crack in reality. Our world has brushed up against another, and something is breaking through. Ordinary people are experiencing strange disruptions, as inexplicable events and bizarre elements from the other side start to interfere with their lives... 
 
A ghost soldier embarks on a time-travelling mission. A homeless woman discovers a portal to a parallel universe. A librarian becomes gradually invisible. A queue stretches across the North of England, as people wait years for an answer to one question. And a mother and daughter realise that someone - or something - is listening in on their conversations, and fixing their problems. These are just some of the intimate, immersive stories in this collection; all set in the same shared universe, and including seven standalones and one three-part drama. 
 
With echoes of The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, Murmurs mixes horror, sci-fi and fantasy to gripping effect. Told through phone calls, answerphone messages, radio broadcasts, voice notes and other 'found recordings', and enhanced by an eerie, otherworldly soundscape, it will intrigue, disturb, disorientate and burrow deep under your skin. But don't be alarmed - just listen to the murmurs... 
 
Among the casts are Peter Bankole (Peaky Blinders), Abra Thompson (This Country), Camille Coduri (King Gary), Valene Kane (The Fall) and Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World). 
 
 
Production credits 
Music by Mary Epworth 
A BBC Cymru Wales Production 
First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 9 January 2021 
 
Over and Out 
Lieutenant Beaumont - Peter Bankole 
Kim - Katrina Allen 
Amira - Helene Maksoud 
Jimmy - Adam Courting 
 
Written by Tom Crowley 
Directed by David Devereux 
 
When We Are Heard (Part 1) 
Millie - Abra Thompson 
Beth - Camille Coduri 
 
Written by Janina Matthewson 
Directed by James Robinson 
 
Night Jungle 
Eve - Aimee-Ffion Edwards 
Alison - Larissa Hope 
Mr Wensum - Ben Crowe 
June - Claire Cage 
 
Written by Beth Crane 
Directed by Helen Perry 
 
A Miracle 
Precious - Danielle Vitalis 
Temi - Doyin Ajiboye 
Crazy Lady - Janice Acquah 
The Reporter - Adam Courting 
 
Written by Eno Mfon 
Directed by John Norton 
 
When We Are Heard (Part 2) 
Millie - Abra Thompson 
Beth - Camille Coduri 
 
Written by Janina Matthewson 
Directed by James Robinson 
 
Last Night on Earth 
Germaine - Georgia Henshaw 
Detective Blake - Don Gilet 
Booker - Lloyd Everitt 
Ryan - Dom Francis 
 
Written by Greer Ellison 
Directed by John Norton 
 
Disappearances 
Mo - Valene Kane 
Midge - Dylan Llewellyn 
Midge's Mum - Eiry Thomas 
Library Technician - Saikat Ahamed 
 
Written by Jesse Schwenk 
Directed by Helen Perry 
 
Man's Best Friend 
Lloyd - Alex Lawther 
Nadia - Monica Sagar 
Jacquie - Heather Craney 
Marco - Lucio Veronesi 
Police Officers - Adam Courting &amp; Scarlett Courtney 
 
Written by Robert Valentine 
Directed by John Norton 
 
The Queue 
Elena - Adelle Leonce 
Bronwyn - Gwyneth Keyworth 
Neal - Ian Smith 
Wilkes - Jessica Turner 
Claire - Laura Christy 
Carlson - Ikky Elyas 
 
Written by Jen and Chris Sugden 
Directed by David Devereux 
 
When We Are Heard (Part 3) 
Millie - Abra Thompson 
Beth - Camille Coduri 
Nurse - Scarlett Courtney 
Train Announcer - Adam Courting 
 
Written by Janina Matthewson 
Directed by James Robinson 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Murmurs: Crack in Reality

A BBC Radio Immersive drama collection

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