Carlo Rovelli is an internationally acclaimed writer whose books, including Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, Helgoland and White Holes, have been number one bestsellers around the world and translated into over forty languages. As a theoretical physicist, he has made significant contributions to the physics of space and time and he is currently directing the quantum gravity research group of the Centre de physique théorique in Marseille, France.

Carlo Rovelli

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Robin Ince

Robin Ince explores how authors, artists and astronomers have told the story of the cosmosFrom Shakespeare and Milton to Alan Moore and Douglas Adams, writers have striven to convey the enormity and wonder of our universe. In this enlightening three-part series, Robin Ince, aided by special guests including his fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox, appraises the great communicators past and present, who have captured our imagination and advanced our knowledge.Beginning with the birth of the universe, he reveals that Fred Hoyle’s famous phrase ‘the big bang’ was actually a derogatory expression, coined to satirise a theory he didn’t believe in. Now, it is part of our everyday language – but how helpful is it in explaining how the cosmos came about? Physicist Carlo Rovelli uses metaphor to clarify this mind-bending concept, while for cosmologist Carlos Frenk, the time before time existed is best illustrated by Dalí’s melting clocks.Investigating the mysteries of black holes, Robin looks at how they have inspired science fiction authors and filmmakers. First conceived of by Einstein in 1915, these vast tears in the fabric of spacetime exist at the centre of every galaxy: and thanks to Nobel Prize-winning author Kip Thorne (who consulted on the movie Interstellar), we have an idea of what they might actually look like.But what of the ultimate destiny of the universe? Will it end in a ‘big crunch’, a ‘big rip’, heat death or vacuum decay? And as they speculate around the fate of the cosmos, how careful do scientists and writers have to be to avoid arousing anxiety and bringing on ‘cosmological vertigo’? Contemplating the final chapter of the universe’s story, Robin wonders whether their predictions will be accurate – or whether there will be a twist in the tale...Production creditsPresented by Robin InceProduced by Marijke Peters and Adrian WashbourneExecutive Producer: Alexandra FeachemSoundscape Designer: Jane WatkinsWith contributions from: Brian Cox, Sean Carroll, Katie Mack, Carlos Frenk, Carlo Rovelli, Janna Levin, Paul Murdin, Kip Thorne, Paul Franklyn, Fay Dowker, Paul Sutter, Louisa Buck, John Lloyd, Adam Riess and Mike TurnerFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10-24 June 2024© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Writing the Universe

A BBC Radio 4 Science Series

Brian Cox

Four more series of the multi-award-winning science/comedy show 
 
Celebrating the wonders of the universe since 2009, The Infinite Monkey Cage combines wit and wisdom to explore scientific concepts in an entertaining, accessible way. In these four series, physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are back to 'put a smile on the face of science' (The Independent). They're joined by a wealth of boffins, brainiacs and celebrity science enthusiasts, all keen to share their hard facts, soft theories and bold comic deviations. 
 
Beginning with the end of the universe, they tackle topics including black holes, the human brain, Neanderthals and the science of cooking - and attempt to answer profound philosophical questions such as 'What is life, and how did it start?', 'Is time an illusion?' and ''What is reality?' There's also an astronaut's guide to isolation, featuring Helen Sharman, Chris Hadfield, Nicole Stott and Apollo 9's Rusty Schweickart; a look back at 60 years of chimpanzee research with Jane Goodall; and a history of rock (not in the Rolling Stones sense, but actual rolling stones). 
 
Plus, the duo play Animal Top Trumps to find out whether we should prefer beautiful bats to much-maligned flies; travel deep below the ocean waves to see what lies beneath; discover how trees communicate using the Wood Wide Web; and learn why two brains are definitely better than one... 
 
Among their special guests are Eric Idle, Steve Martin, Matt Lucas, Tim Minchin, Bill Bailey, Mark Gatiss, Steve Jones, Ross Noble, Sara Pascoe, Prof Alice Roberts, Carlo Rovelli, Harold McGee, Dr Janna Levin, Dave Gorman, Brendan Hunt and Katy Brand. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Brian Cox and Robin Ince 
Producer: Alexandra Feachem 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Infinite Monkey Cage: Series 22-25

Bettany Hughes

Bettany Hughes reveals the surprising and invigorating history of civilisation's most influential ideas 
 
'Eloquent and engaging... don't miss' Radio Times 
 
In this compelling 'archaeology of philosophy', award-winning historian Bettany Hughes takes 25 single-word ideas from Ancient Greek culture and traces their development. Travelling backwards and forwards through time, she investigates how they first emerged and have evolved throughout history - and how those changes have shaped us. 
 
In each programme, she discusses her chosenconcept with special guests from the humanities and sciences, discovers where these big philosophical ideas were born, and visits the street markets, churches, offices and homes where they continue to morph and influence our daily lives. We consider changing ideas of comedy by listening to a rat laughing and by giggling at schoolboy jokes from Ancient Mesopotamia; explores peace through images of war-torn Syria; investigates agony from conflict on the sports field to the battles of the heart; contemplate fame and how our attitude to celebrity has changed from Achilles to YouTube; and visits a Buddhist temple, the Palace of Westminster and the UK's largest food bank to find out why humans are hard-wired to hope. 
 
Along the way, Bettany is joined by a star-studded cast including John Lloyd, Kate Mosse, John Prescott, Nick Clegg, Eniola Aluko, Carlo Rovelli, Angie Hobbs, Stanley Johnson, John Humphrys and Bob Geldof. 
 
Series 1 finds her looking at Ideas, Fame and Love, asking who came up with the idea of an idea? How has our attitude to celebrity changed over time? And what does love look like on a brain scan? She also delves into the perception of Agony, from sporting conflict to broken hearts, and investigates Justice, from Babylon to the Old Bailey. 
 
In Series 2, she examines changing ideas of Liberty and analyses Comedy with the help of a laughing rat and some Ancient Mesopotamian jokes. Plus, she shows poet Ben Okri some Hospitality, goes to a women's football game and a synagogue in a quest to understand Wisdom and explores Peace through images of war-torn Syria and a talk with a dying man. 
 
Series 3 sees Bettany probing her Psyche on Sigmund Freud's couch, finding Charisma at the Acropolis and in a bestselling novel, and inquiring into Irony in a club where it's banned. Pursuing Nemesis, she talks to experts on counter-terrorism and climate change, and she's aided on her hunt for Virtue by a former Greek Finance Minister and an aid worker back from Sierra Leone. 
 
In Series 4, she takes her street philosophy to an ancient palace, a political think-tank and a prison kitchen as she considers Character. She ponders the changing idea of Harmony in mythology and on the battlefield, researches Narcissism in Victorian society - and at a hairdresser's, gets to grips with Technology at an electrical shop and in the future, and studies Hubris on a building site and aboard an Elizabethan sailing ship. 
 
Finally, in Series 5, Bettany asks some big questions about Hope, Memory, Gaia, Chaos and Time. Are we hard-wired to believe things can get better - and why does our past hold the key to our future? Do we still believe in Mother Earth, and what role does disruption play in our lives? And who owns time, what does it mean, and how can we best make use of it? 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Ideas That Make Us

Niccoli Machiavelli

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

The Prince and The Mandrake

Two Full Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Harold Pinter

Karen Blixen

Harold Pinter's unproduced screenplay of Karen Blixen's intriguing short story of love and loss 
 
'An important addition to the Pinter canon' The Stage 
 
The annals of movie history are full of lost treasures - spectacular scripts from world-renowned writers that could have been classics, had they only been made. Now, for the first time, some of these forgotten gems have been brought to life, fully realised as vivid, cinematic radio productions. Scripted by major 20th Century writers, including Harold Pinter, Arthur Miller, Alfred Hitchcock and Dennis Potter, they star a host of A-list actors and feature richly evocative, atmospheric soundtracks. 
 
The Dreaming Child, one of seven 'unmade movies' available on audio, is an eerie, enigmatic drama set in Bristol in 1868. Emily Carter, married to a wealthy man, is haunted by her first love, who died at sea. Unable to have children, she and her husband Tom adopt a young slum child - but Jack is no ordinary boy, and seems to have an uncanny knowledge of his new home and family... 
 
Renowned for his critically-acclaimed plays, Harold Pinter also wrote many outstanding film scripts, including Accident, Betrayal and The Pumpkin Eater. The Dreaming Child was commissioned in 1997 by actress Julia Ormond, who wanted to produce and direct, but the project never got the green light - until now. Lydia Leonard (Last Christmas) stars as Emily, with Bertie Carvel (The Sister) as Tom, Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) as Peggy and Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax) as the narrator, who provides the 'establishing shots' - the stage directions and descriptions from the screenplay. Moving, mesmerising and mysterious, this remarkable production is a triumphant fulfilment of Pinter's great artistic vision. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Harold Pinter 
Based on 'The Dreaming Child' by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) 
Adapted by Joanna Hogg and Laurence Bowen 
Directed by Joanna Hogg 
Produced by Laurence Bowen 
Sound design: Wilfredo Acosta 
A Feelgood Fiction production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Narrator - Anne Reid 
Emily - Lydia Leonard 
Tom - Bertie Carvel 
Charlie - Joshua Silver 
Mrs Jones - Joanna Scanlan 
Miss Scott - Susan Woolridge 
Jack - Jack Hollington 
Peggy - Rose Leslie 
Bess - Bryony Hannah 
Mr Rudd - Karl Johnson 
Mr Carter - Malcolm Sinclair 
Children - Flynn Allen, Esme Allen-Quarmby, Isabella Blake-Thomas &amp; Joey Price 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 March 2015 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Unmade Movies: Harold Pinter's The Dreaming Child

A BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the unproduced screenplay

Chris Thorpe

Set in one of Rio de Janeiro's most crowded favelas, this ambitious drama is part love-story and part thriller revolving around a single day in the lives of a couple of thieves, a crooked policeman, a charity worker, a priest, a blind revolutionary and a pregnant street-kid. Recorded in Brazil, it was made with the help of the Nos do Morro theatre in Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro. Starring Charles Paraventi as Marcelo, Julia Bernat as Liza and Matheus Oliveira as Rafael, with Julio Adriao, Danilo Moraes, Andre Cursino, Tatsu Carvalho, Renan Monteiro, Olivia Emes, Fernando Arze and Tecca Ferreira. Written by Chris Thorpe. Casting: Ana Dias Carter and Estela Albani. Production coordinator: Jazmin Castillo. Sound design: Steve Bond. Producer in Brazil: Jan Roldanus. Producer/Director: John Dryden. A Goldhawk Essential Production for BBC Radio 4.

Rio Story

Agatha Christie

A blizzard has hit England. In the tiny village of Sittaford, on the fringes of Dartmoor, a party of six is gathered in Sittaford House, home of Captain Trevelyan. He has rented the house out for the winter and is staying in a nearby village.   As evening draws in, a seance is proposed. The lights are lowered and the table turning begins: various questions are asked, and the guests are delighted when the table jerks and rocks, revealing the answers.   But the game turns sour when the board spells out a terrible message - TREVELYAN DEAD. As the horrified participants look on, the table begins to rock again, and fear grips the party as the sinister word appears - MURDER.   Is it a macabre joke, black magic or the truth? And who would kill a man who doesn't have an enemy in the world?

The Sittaford Mystery

Hercule Poirot is a guest at a weekend house party, given at the Cornish cliff top home of the celebrated actor Sir Charles Cartwright. The other visitors include keen amateur detective Mr Satterthwaite and distinguished Harley Street nerve specialist Sir Bartholomew Strange.   Death visits the house soon after Poirot's arrival, the victim an elderly clergyman who's only had a sip of dry martini. What else was in the glass? Are natural causes to blame... or murder?   In Monte Carlo a short time later, Poirot and his acquaintances hear of another, similar death. Is this a mere coincidence - and can Poirot resist further investigation? Everyone concerned will be much relieved if he does. Meanwhile, a third tragedy is waiting in the wings...   George Cole, Michael Cochrane and Clive Merrison are amongst the cast in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's intriguing mystery.

Three Act Tragedy

Sarah Kilgarriff

From the Russian Revolution to America’s declaration of war and the lasting horror of Passchendaele, this unique collection of historic recordings contains the voices of those who were there. 
 
Among the memorable voices in this compilation are Commander William Ibbett, who experienced the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution at close quarters, Sir Edward Spears on the mutiny in the French Army and Royal Flying Corps pilots &shy; whose life expectancy could be a low as a single day. 
 
1917 was a year of decisive events. Germany raised the stakes at sea, America eventually declared war; the Nivelle offensive almost destroyed the French army; and, following two revolutions in February and October, Russian forces collapsed. For the Allies, despite their successes at Messines and Cambrai, the year was overshadowed by the losses at Passchendaele. Survivors recall their despair as men and horses drowned in mud: ‘a viscous, tenacious mud which smelt of death’. 
 
In the Middle East, British fortunes changed with the capture of Aqaba and Jerusalem. General Allenby, Commander of the Palestine Campaign, recalls the vital, if unorthodox, feats of one officer in particular: Colonel TE Lawrence. 
 
By December, troops on the Western Front were digging in for yet another winter. Victory now depended on the arrival of the Americans. Duration: 2 hours approx.

First World War: 1917

Voices from the BBC Archive

Virginia Woolf

The collected BBC radio adaptations of Virginia Woolf’s pioneering modernist novels, with star casts including Kristin Scott-Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Juliet Stevenson, Laura Fraser, Robert Glenister and Fenella Woolgar. 
 
The Voyage Out 
A sea voyage to South America turns into a journey of self-discovery for naïve Rachel Vinrace. Starring Laura Fraser, Rebecca Johnson and Bertie Carvel. 
 
Night and Day 
In pre-First World War London, aristocrat Katharine Hilbery and suffragette Mary Datchet have their assumptions about love challenged. Starring Kristin Scott-Thomas. 
 
Mrs Dalloway 
Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece charts one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, as she prepares to host an important party. Starring Fenella Woolgar. 
 
To the Lighthouse 
Centring around a summer home on Skye, Virginia Woolf’s landmark tale follows the Ramsay family and their guests before and after World War I. Starring Vanessa Redgrave, Juliet Stevenson and Robert Glenister. 
 
Orlando 
The adventures of time-travelling, gender-swapping poet Orlando, who is born male in Elizabethan England and dies female over 300 years later. Starring Jennie Stoller and David McAlister. 
 
The Waves 
In this radical ‘play-poem’, six characters look back on their childhood and first forays into adulthood, and reflect on the loss of their friend Percival. Starring Geraldine James and Anna Massey. 
 
Between the Acts 
An eccentric artist devises a pageant celebrating English history – but it is 1939, and the shadow of war hangs over England’s present. Starring Sarah Badel.

The Virginia Woolf BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven full-cast dramatisations

Alfred Hitchcock

Ernest Lehmann

Mark Gatiss

Anthony Hinds

D.M. Thomas

Dennis Potter

Joseph Conrad

Alexander Mackendrick

Jay Presson Allen

Arthur Miller

Seven legendary unproduced screenplays, resurrected and reinvented for BBC Radio 4 
 
The annals of movie history are full of lost treasures – spectacular scripts from world-renowned writers that could have been classics, had they only been made. Now, for the first time, some of these forgotten gems have been brought to life, fully realised as vivid, cinematic radio productions. Scripted by major 20th Century writers, they star a host of A-list actors and feature richly evocative, atmospheric soundtracks. 
 
Collected here are seven sensational ‘unmade movies’: 
 
Harold Pinter’s Victory, adapted from the novel by Joseph Conrad 
Harold Pinter’s The Dreaming Child, adapted from the novel by Karen Blixen 
Arthur Miller’s The Hook 
Alfred Hitchcock’s unfinished screenplay The Blind Man, completed by Mark Gatiss 
Hammer Horror’s The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula 
Dennis Potter’s The White Hotel 
Alexander MacKendrick’s Mary Queen of Scots 
 
These could-have-been classics are brought to life with stellar casts featuring Hugh Laurie, Bertie Carvel, Rose Leslie, Bill Paterson, Ellie Bamber, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rebecca Front, Anne-Marie Duff, Meera Syal, Vanessa Kirby and Mark Strong. Setting the scene and providing the ‘establishing shots’ – the original stage directions and descriptions from the screenplays – are narrators Simon Russell Beale, Anne Reid, David Suchet, Peter Serafinowicz, Michael Sheen, Simon McBurney and Glenda Jackson. 
 
Moving, mysterious, suspenseful, thrilling and terrifying, these dazzling productions will keep you enraptured from beginning to end. So sit back, grab some popcorn and let them play out on the biggest screen of all – that of your imagination. 
 
NB: Contains strong language and sexual scenes 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Unmade Movies: The Collection

Seven BBC Radio 4 Adaptations of Unproduced Screenplays

Roald Dahl

In interviews ranging from 1972 to 1989, Roald Dahl talks about writing for children; his medical inventions to aid his ailing son and wife (the actress Patricia Neal) when they were seriously ill, and writing his short stories. He also covers his school days; military service; writing for films (including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and the link between cruelty and laughter. 
 
These archive recordings, many of which have not been heard since they were first transmitted, open a window into the past and shine a light on the one of the icons of our time. 
 
 Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Roald Dahl In His Own Words

Martyn Wade

A witty and wonderful comedy of love and jealousy in high society Edwardian London, based on Ada Leverson's sparkling trilogy of novels 
 
London, 1908. Pretty, delightful Edith Ottley is married to pompous, patronising Bruce. She adores her son, Archie, and thinks herself content with life in her very new, very concise, very white flat in Knightsbridge. 
 
But when she meets the clever, charming and very handsome Aylmer Ross, the physical attraction between the two is electric and they fall madly in love. They could be the perfect couple, but Edith can't dismiss the fact she is Mrs Ottley... 
 
Over the course of 25 episodes, Bruce, Edith and Aylmer become locked in a curious, yet delightful, triangle. As Bruce embarks on his own amorous adventures, and Aylmer chafes at having to share Edith, can the trio resolve their romantic entanglements to everyone’s satisfaction? 
 
Adapted by acclaimed radio writer and dramatist Martyn Wade, this enchanting comedy drama stars Haydn Gwynne as Ada Leverson, Juliet Aubrey as Edith, Bertie Carvel and Ifan Meredith as Bruce and Jonathan Firth as Aylmer.

The Little Ottleys: A BBC Radio full-cast drama: The Complete Series 1-5

E. M. Forster

Dramatisations and readings of EM Forster’s finest works, plus Stephen Wakelam’s radio play A Dose of Fame and the documentary feature Forster in India: Sex, Books and Empire 
 
One of the greatest English novelists of the 20th century, EM Forster was also an accomplished short story writer. This collection includes stunning adaptations of his classic novels A Passage to India, Where Angels Fear to Tread, A Room with a View and Howards End. Among the star casts are Penelope Wilton, Ellie Kendrick, Sian Thomas, Emilia Fox, Sheila Hancock and John Hurt. 
 
Also featured are four of his short tales – ‘The Story of the Siren’ (read by Dan Stevens), ‘The Road from Colonus’ (read by Andrew Sachs), ‘The Obelisk’ (read by Ruth Wilson) and ‘Ansell’ (read by Peter Kenny). 
 
Forster’s posthumous novel, Maurice, is dramatised with a full cast and stars Alex Wyndham and Bertie Carvel, while Stephen Wakelam’s drama A Dose of Fame, starring Stephen Campbell Moore as Forster, sees the author grappling with a mysterious death, his own sexuality and an idea for his next novel. 
 
In addition, Zareer Masani presents a revealing Radio 3 profile exploring Forster’s literature, love life and personal passage to India.

E. M. Forster: A BBC Radio Collection

Twelve dramatisations and readings including A Passage to India, A Room with a View and Howards End

Francis Durbridge

For thirty years the fictional crime novelist and detective Paul Temple, together with his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve, solved case after case in one of BBC Radio's most popular series. They inhabited a sophisticated world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, a world where Sir Graham Forbes, of Scotland Yard, usually needed Paul's help with his latest tricky case.   This adventure begins with a body on a train, the word 'Alex' scrawled on the compartment window, and the discovery of a visiting card bearing the name 'Mrs Trevelyan'. More bodies follow, and the two names recur on each occasion.   Paul's attempts to unravel the mystery take him to a psychiatrist's consulting room, a rendezvous in London's dockland, a hotel in Canterbury, and many other places before the denouement in a deserted mill and the Temples' elegant flat in London.

Paul Temple And The Alex Affair

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

Neal Anthony

Roger Danes

Sue Limb

Comedy about the ruling family of Renaissance Italy's most inconsequential city-state 
 
In Monte Guano, a ridiculously small and penniless principality in Renaissance Italy, Prince Ludovico II finds his rule constantly undermined by those around him: his shrewd wife, his official mistress, and his three disappointing - if not outright humiliating - sons. 
 
As well as having to manage the ever-increasing tributes demanded by the Pope, Prince Ludovico must also contend with feeble conscripts in search of war booty, getting on the pilgrim map, fake currency, religious battles, and worst of all, English tourists. Can they keep their family together despite the chaos of their lives? 
 
Perfect for fans of Blackadder and The Castle, the brilliant comedy cast includes David Swift as Ludovico, Sian Phillips as Plethora, Graham Crowden as Francesco and Paul Bigley as Alessandro, as well as Saskia Wickham, Nick Romero, Christopher Kelham and Kim Wall. 
 
Production credits 
Devised by Neal Anthony 
Written by Neal Anthony, Roger Danes and Sue Limb 
Produced by Helen Williams and Dawn Ellis 
 
Cast 
 
Ludovico - David Swift 
Plethora - Sian Phillips 
Francesco - Graham Crowden 
Alessandro - Paul Bigley 
Rosalie - Saskia Wickham 
Salvatore - Nick Romero 
Guido - Christopher Kelham 
Brother Michael/Father Ignazio - Kim Wall 
Lord Luton - Nicholas Grace 
 
Series 1 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2001 
Series 2 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2002 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Leopard in Autumn

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Jeffrey Archer

Two full-cast dramatisations of Jeffrey Archer's thrillers with narration by Jeffrey Archer himself 
 
Jeffery Archer is a New York Times bestselling author, published in over 37 languages across 97 countries. Jeffrey Archer's debut novel Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less from 1976 is dramatised here in seven parts by Betty Davis; as well as his later work A Matter of Honour, which was recently rediscovered in the collection of an amateur archivist after the recording was lost on delivery to the BBC archives. The sound quality of A Matter of Honour may be affected as a result. 
 
Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less 
 
The conned: an Oxford don, a revered society physician, a chic French art dealer, and a charming English lord. They have one thing in common. Overnight, each novice investor lost his life's fortune to one man. 
 
The con: Harvey Metcalfe. A brilliant, self-made guru of deceit. A very dangerous individual. And now, a hunted man. With nothing left to lose, four strangers are about to come together - each experts in their own field. 
 
Their plan: find Harvey, shadow him, trap him, and destroy him - penny-for-penny. From the luxurious casinos of Monte Carlo to the high-stakes windows at Ascot; from the bustle of Wall Street to fashionable London galleries, their own ingenious game has begun. 
 
It's called revenge - and they were taught by a master. 
 
Narrated by Jeffrey Archer 
 
Harvey Metcalfe - Stratford Johns 
Stephen Bradley - Paul Darrow 
Adrian Tryner - Francis Matthews 
Jean Pierre Lamanns - Edward de Souza 
Lord James Brigsley - Jeremy Clyde 
Anne Summerton - Lesley-Anne Down 
David Stein - Leonard Fenton 
Jorg Birrer - Sion Probert 
Miss Melkie - Sonia Fraser 
Giovanni - Sean Arnold 
 
Adapted by Betty Davies 
Directed by Glyn Dearman 
First Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 October and November 1980 
 
 
A Matter of Honour 
 
10th May 1966: The Tsar's Icon is a fake. It is imperative that the original be found - and by 20th June. Finding it will change the course of human history. 
 
It seems innocent enough. A disgraced British colonel bequeaths a mysterious letter to his only son. But the moment Adam Scott opens the yellowing envelope, he sets into motion a deadly chain of events that threatens to shake the very foundations of the free world. 
 
When at last he comes to understand what he is in possession of, he's even more determined to protect it, for it's more than a matter of life and death - it's a matter of honour. 
 
Narrated by Jeffrey Archer 
 
Adam Scott - Michael York 
Alexander Romanov - Simon Ward 
Lawrence Pemberton - Tom Chadbon 
Brezhnev - Czeslaw Grocholski 
Zaborski - John Church 
Petrova - Jill Lidstone 
Heidi - Helena Breck 
Konstantinov - George Roubicek 
Goering - Garard Green 
Gerard Scott - Manning Wilson 
Mrs Scott - Pauline Letts 
Wainwright - Eric Stovell 
Other parts played by Sheila Grant, Ronald Herdman, Gordon Reid and Jill Simcox 
 
Dramatised by Brian Sibley 
Directed by Glyn Dearman 
 
First Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 November and December 1986 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jeffrey Archer: Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less & A Matter of Honour

2 BBC Radio 4 full-cast thrillers

Marcus Brigstocke

All five series of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 comedy - plus World Cup, Glastonbury and Brexit Specials 
 
'Not since I first heard Alan [Partridge] have I felt so sure that I was in the presence of an immortal' Sunday Telegraph 
 
Meet Budleigh Salterton's most famous son, Giles Wemmbley Hogg: bumbling backpacker, fearless investigator of cultural diversity, connoisseur of Eastern philosophies and upper middle-class student ponce. In these five series, armed with his trusty portable DAT and his Charterhouse rugby shirt, Giles bravely ventures forth to far-off foreign lands and records his adventures. 
 
His meanderings take him from the Sudan to Las Vegas - but wherever he goes, he always manages to make a thumping great prat of himself. His escapades include toppling the Terracotta Army in China; unleashing a deadly Pharaoh's curse in Egypt, bankrupting a Japanese financial institution; organising an Agatha Christie-style septuagenarian hen night on the Orient Express and serving up a full-scale biohazard lockdown in Yumsk. Grounded by the Home Office and his father, he sets up a travel advice/events management website from his bedroom, proudly named GWH Travvel ('two m's, two g's, two v's: bit of a mix up at the printers'). And when an American mogul tries to buy up his beloved town, Giles decides to run for Mayor... 
 
Also included are five special episodes featuring the intrepid traveller and worldly guru. In the 3-part, World-Cup-themed Giles Wemmbley Hogg Geht Zum FussballWeltmeisterschaft Weg!, he heads to Germany to report on the famous football competition - and finds himself embroiled in a series of baffling adventures and mishaps. In ...to Glastonbury, he blunders muddily around the Festival, accompanied by his ever-unhelpful fiancée Bella and a ragtag assortment of hippies; and in ...Article 50, he vows to heal the rift between Brexiteers and Remoaners once and for all by ruddy well sorting out Brexit. 
 
Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby and Toby Davies, and starring Marcus Brigstocke as Giles and Doon Mackichan and Catherine Tate as Arabella, this hilarious spoof travelogue features a wealth of guest stars including Tom Goodman-Hill, Dave Lamb, Rebecca Front, Neil Dudgeon, Olivia Colman, David Mitchell, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Morwenna Banks, Mitch Benn, Laura Solon, Miranda Hart, Raad Rawi, Alexander Armstrong, Richard Dillane, and Sandi Toksvig 
 
Production credits 
Conceived by Marcus Brigstocke and Jeremy Salsby 
Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby and Toby Davies 
Additional material by Graeme Garden 
Produced by David Tyler 
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 July-20 August 2002 (Series 1), 15 October-19 November 2003 (Series 2), 25 January-1 March 2005 (Series 3), 18 June-2 July 2006 (Giles Wemmbley Hogg Geht Zum Fussballweltmeisterschaft Weg!), 26 June 2007 (...to Glastonbury), 14 December 2009-4 January 2010 (Series 4), 28 November-19 December 2011 (Series 5), 28 March 2019 (Article 50) 
 
List of Content 
· Series 1 
· Series 2 
· Series 3 
· Giles Wemmbley Hogg Geht Zum Fussballweltmeisterschaft Weg! 
· To Glastonbury - special episode 
· Series 4 
· Series 5 
· Article 50 - special Brexit episode 
 
Cast 
Giles - Marcus Brigstocke 
Arabella - Doon Mackichan/Catherine Tate 
Puffy Lympstone-Gough - Tom Goodman-Hill 
Charlotte Wemmbley Hogg - Catherine Shepherd 
Mr Timmis - Adrian Scarborough/Vincent Franklin 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off

The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy series

L. Frank Baum

Maureen Lipman and Patrick Barlow star in a full-cast dramatisation of the classic children's tale. When Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away from Kansas by a cyclone, they arrive in the strange land of the Munchkins. Setting off on a magical journey, they are befriended by the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, all of whom join Dorothy's quest to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Barbara Barnes, Philip Franks, Patrick Barlow, Bradley Lavelle and Kerry Shale also star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation. The wonder and excitement of L Frank Baum's unforgettable story live on in this full-cast dramatisation, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

The Wizard Of Oz

Anthony Trollope

A sweeping radio saga of political intrigue, love affairs, financial wrangles and murder, based on the books by Anthony Trollope, creator of The Barchester Chronicles 
 
This epic drama follows several generations of the Palliser dynasty, as they navigate the twists and turns of political and high society in Victorian England. 
 
Wealthy aristocrat and politician Plantagenet Palliser and beautiful, spirited Lady Glencora.embark on an arranged marriage, despite her passion for the dashing but debt-ridden Burgo Fitzgerald. As her husband rises through the ranks of government, she becomes a faithful wife and mother – but her children face the same fateful choice between love and duty. 
 
Meanwhile, young Irish barrister Phineas Finn is introduced to the temptations of London life when he wins a seat in Parliament. He catches the eye of several society ladies, but fails to win their hearts. Rumours about his love life threaten his political career – and worse trouble is in store for him… 
 
Based on the six Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope, this captivating adaptation stars Ben Miles as Plantagenet, Sophie Thompson as Glencora, Conleth Hill as Phineas and David Troughton as the Narrator, with a star cast including Bertie Carvel, Juliet Stevenson, Greg Wise and Rachael Stirling.

The Pallisers

12 BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisations

Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais

A trilogy of classic plays by Pierre Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais, including The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother 
 
Forerunner to the renowned operas, The Figaro Plays by Pierre Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais are a celebration of how intelligence and wit can bring any servant level with their aristocratic masters. Considered scandalous in their time, the plays went on to be adapted by Rossini (The Barber of Seville) and Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro) to become some of the most popular and acclaimed operas of all time. These original plays show us the stories behind these popular operas. 
 
In The Barber of Seville, Count Almaviva falls in love with a young noblewoman, but every attempt to seduce her is countered by her watchful guardian. Only his resourceful servant Figaro may get him what he wants... The Marriage of Figaro sees the Count grown tired of his marriage to Rosina, and instead his thoughts turn to Suzannah, Figaro's own fiancée. Will Figaro's wiles prove sufficient to save two marriages? And in The Guilty Mother, the Countess Almaviva finds troubles of her own with an illegitimate child on the way, and a scheming Major on hand to make every slip-up into a catastrophe. Once again, all depend on Figaro... 
 
Translated by John Wells, the English actor, satirist, screenwriter, and co-founder of the magazine Private Eye, this trilogy of comic dramas are masterpieces of power, humour, and marital misadventure. 
 
The Barber of Seville 
Cast 
Gary Bond - Count Almaviva 
Nickolas Grace - Figaro 
Dorothy Tutin - Rosina 
Michael Aldridge - Bartholo 
Peter Pratt - Master Basil 
Michael Bilton - The Youth 
John Wells - Wide-awake 
Peter Acre - Notary 
Arnold Diamond - An Alcade 
 
The Marriage of Figaro 
Cast 
Dorothy Tutin - The Countess 
Gary Bond - Count Almaviva 
Nickolas Grace - Figaro 
Alison Steadman - Suzannah 
Michael Aldridge - Bartholo 
Jean Boht - Marcellina 
John McAndrew - The Cherub 
Peter Pratt - Basil 
Moir Leslie - Little Fanny 
Michael Bilton - Antonio 
John Wells - Don Guzman Bridlegoose 
Peter Acre - Grab 
Michael Jenner - Ebenezer Sunshine 
Helena Breck & Narissa Knights - Bridesmaids 
 
The Guilty Mother 
Cast 
Alison Steadman - Suzannah 
Nickolas Grace - Figaro 
Norman Rodway - Major Bejorass 
Gary Bond - Count Almaviva 
John McAndrew - Leon 
Moir Leslie - Floresta 
Dorothy Tutin - The Countess 
John Wells - Wilhelm 
Arnold Diamond - Mr Dim 
 
 
Production credits 
Music Composed & Conducted by Carl Davis 
Written by Pierre Augustin Caron De Beaumarchais 
Translated by John Wells 
Produced and Directed by Ian Cotterell 
 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 3: 
29 May 1985 (The Barber of Seville) 
12 June 1985 (The Guilty Mother) 
1 January 1986 (The Marriage of Figaro) 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Figaro Plays: The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother

Three BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

Kerry Shale

Thermonuclear war erupts in Kerry Shale's award-winning 1993 dramatisation of the classic apocalyptic black comedy. 
 
 'Dr. Strangelove' came to prominence in the 1964 film, directed by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel 'Red Alert' by Peter George, it famously starred Peter Sellers in multiple roles. As well as scripting the dramatisation, Kerry Shale also takes multiple roles: Dr Strangelove, Lieutenant "Sweets" Kivel, Lieutenant Barney Goldberg, Lieutenant Lothar Zogg, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, General Jack D. Ripper and President Merkin Muffley. 
 
 With William Hootkins as Major "King" Kong, Sean Barratt as General "Buck" Turgidson, Stuart Milligan as Colonel "Bat" Guano, Lorelei King as Captain "Ace" Owens, Nigel Anthony as Soviet Ambassador De Sadesky and Peter Whitman as Staines. Nigel Anthony and Teresa Gallagher are the Presenters. 
 
 
Adapted by and starring Kerry Shale. 
With thanks to Keith Wickham. 
Directed by Gordon House.

Dr Strangelove

Henrik Ibsen

Often described as 'the father of realism', Henrik Ibsen was a pioneer of modernist drama. He influenced playwrights as diverse as George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde, and is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare. 
 
 Included in this collection are adaptations of his tragicomic masterpiece The Wild Duck, his complex and compelling play Rosmersholm, the epic drama Brand and the tragedy John Gabriel Borkman. Ibsen's A Doll's House is relocated to 1879 India in Tanika Gupta's Audio Drama Award-winning dramatisation, while the provocative and scandalous Ghosts is adapted by Richard Eyre, with the cast of his Olivier Award-winning Almeida Theatre production. 
 
Also featured are vibrant dramatisations of Hedda Gabler, whose desperate heroine is trapped in a suffocating marriage; The Lady from the Sea, about a woman torn between security and passion; and An Enemy of the People, in which a whistleblower reveals an inconvenient truth and is vilified for it. 
 
The casts of these stunning dramas include David Threlfall, Nicholas Farrell, Helen Baxendale, Indira Varma, Lesley Manville and Harriet Walter. 
 
Track listing: 
The Wild Duck 
Rosmersholm 
Brand 
John Gabriel Borkman 
A Doll's House 
Ghosts 
Hedda Gabler 
The Lady from the Sea 
An Enemy of the People

Henrik Ibsen: Nine full-cast BBC radio dramatisations

Christopher Reason

Esther Wilson

Roy Williams

Eve Steele

Michael Simmons Roberts

Kathrine Smith

Tom Fry

Sharon Kelly

James O'Neill

Becky Prestwich

Fiona Evans

Glenda Jackson stars in this compelling drama series inspired by Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, highlighting different aspects of contemporary Britain 
 
In 2015, double Oscar winner Glenda Jackson made a triumphant return to acting in Radio 4's Blood, Sex and Money, a radical reimagining of Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle. Now, she reprises her role as matriarch/narrator in this eclectic mix of dramas inspired by Zola's novels, but set in modern Britain. 
 
Constance is confined to her sick bed and dying of motor neurone disease. Her body is paralysed, but her mind runs free, seeking out stories from the extended family she has long refused to acknowledge. As she delves into their lives, she uncovers dark secrets, lies and deceit. Has bad blood seeped down through the generations to corrupt them all, or is there a chink of light in the familial fault lines, where love and hope can flourish? 
 
In these three series, exploring British society through the lens of money, sex and blood, we meet the members of her flawed clan - from her son Miles, born into wealth and privilege, to her great-great-cousin Hannah and great-niece Natalie, struggling to survive in a world of zero-hours contracts, foodbanks and precarious social housing. Whether rich or poor, all have been shaped by the powerful driving forces of capitalism, desire and DNA... 
 
Written by a host of top dramatists including the award-winning Christopher Reason, Roy Williams, Eve Steele and Michael Symmons Roberts, these intimate, immersive dramas are performed by a stellar cast including Robert Glenister, Gillian Kearney, Don Gilet, Siobhan Finneran, Eleanor Bron and Rudolph Walker. 
 
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris and Gary Brown 
Sound design by Steve Brooke, Sharon Hughes and Simon Highfield 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16-21 February 2020 (Money), 10-17 October 2020 (Sex), 18-26 January 2022 (Blood) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood

A BBC Radio 4 drama series

Caryl Churchill

A collection of dramatisations and original radio plays by the award-winning playwright - plus bonus documentary 
 
Caryl Churchill is one of Britain's most innovative and influential dramatists. Versatile and prolific, she has written over 50 plays for stage and screen and is renowned for her revolutionary theatrical techniques and themes of feminism, social politics and the abuse of power. 
 
This box set brings together some of her best-known theatre plays, adapted for BBC radio with full casts. It opens with her landmark 1982 drama Top Girls, exploring the price women pay for success in a man's world. Serious Money satirises the corporate venality that followed the 1986 Big Bang; while The Skriker blends naturalism, horror and magical realism to tell a story of love, loss and revenge. Also included are A Number, a powerful look at human cloning and identity; Escaped Alone, a tale of four septuagenarian friends, afternoon tea and catastrophe; and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, focussing on the millennial movements that erupted during the English Civil War in the 1640s. 
 
Churchill also wrote a number of original plays specially for BBC radio in the 1960s and '70s, seven of which are included here: her first professional audio drama The Ants; Identical Twins; Abortive; Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen; Schreber's Nervous Illness; Perfect Happiness and Henry's Past. 
 
Among the stellar cast in these superb dramas are Daniel Craig, Maxine Peake, Lesley Manville, Hattie Morahan, Michael Gambon, Tobias Menzies, Bertie Carvel, Deborah Findlay, Kenneth Haigh, Prunella Scales, Monica Dolan, Dinsdale Landen and Clive Merrison. Concluding our collection is a bonus edition of Meridian, taking an in-depth look at Churchill's extraordinary oeuvre. 
 
NB: Contains strong language 
 
Production credits 
Written by Caryl Churchill 
Text copyright © Caryl Churchill 1962 (The Ants), 1968 (Identical Twins), 1971 (Abortive, Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen), 1972 (Schreber's Nervous Illness, Henry's Past), 1973 (Perfect Happiness), 1976 (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire), 1982 (Top Girls), 1987 (Serious Money), 1994 (The Skriker), 2002 (A Number), 2016 (Escaped Alone) 
All rights reserved 
 
Content List 
 
Top Girls 
Serious Money 
The Skriker 
A Number 
Escaped Alone 
Light Shining in Buckinghamshire 
The Ants 
Identical Twins 
Abortive 
Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen 
Schreber's Nervous Illness 
Perfect Happiness 
Henry's Past 
Meridian: Caryl Churchill 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Caryl Churchill: Top Girls, The Skriker, Serious Money, A Number and more

13 BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions

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

Various

Three 'witness' insights into history. In 'That Door' by Elizabeth Kuti (read by Eleanor Bron), it is Wittenberg, 1517 and Brother Martin meets the indomitable Frau Sprenger. In 'Nothing but Blue Skies' by Dominic Power (read by Elizabeth Mastrantonio), Katherine Rudd, now 97, recalls events on the night of the Roswell incident in New Mexico, 1947. In 'Permanent Wave' by Ian Sansom (read by Maggie Stead), what might Margaret Thatcher's hairdresser have witnessed in the lead up to her exit from Downing Street?

I Was There Too! The Complete Series

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Mike Walker

In the early hours of 5 June 1944, Captain Rob Collins, who is languishing in hospital, receives a call that will take him on a journey through England that will change his life. 
 
Mike Walker's play is an epic journey across England poised on the edge of a historical moment: D-Day. It is set on June 5th, the day before the invasion that will change the course of history - but an invasion only a very few know is about happen... 
 
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliet Stevenson, and Claudia Harrison. 
 
Credits 
Narrator...Juliet Stevenson 
Capt Collins...Benedict Cumberbatch 
Cpl Cunningham...Claudia Harrison 
Jack Harris...Danny Webb 
Gloria Harris...Kaye Wragge 
Ray Harris...Joseph Tremain 
Tim...Ben Tibber 
Gen Eisenhower...Colin Stinton 
Flt Lt Paul Parker...Bertie Carvel 
Lilly...Emily Chennery 
Eddie...Ricci Harnett 
Lancaster Skipper...Jamie Glover 
Lancaster Crew...Carl Prekopp/Simon Nehan 
Warders...Chris MacDonnell/John Rowe 
Rosie...Alice Hart 
Sea Captain...David Leonard 
1st Lieutenant RN...Andrew Mackintosh 
G.I....John Guerrasio 
Monty...Philip Fox 
Nursing Sister...Joanna McCallum 
 
Directed by Jeremy Howe 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 June 2004

The Biggest Secret

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Gareth Edwards

The complete Series 1 & 2 of the BBC radio sitcom about an artists' colony in Cornwall 
 
Set in the Cornish cultural mecca of St Ives, Artists centres around a close-knit community of artists whose talent is matched only by their dysfunctionality. When they're not bitching about each other's work, they're bickering with one another - but as genius goes hand-in-hand with an artistic temperament, they never take their squabbles too seriously. 
 
Sharing a studio with landscape painter Tamsin are sculptor Dolores, who pushes the boundaries of papier maché; her bank manager partner, Nisha; and laissez-faire installationist Josef, Tamsin's lodger and sort-of boyfriend. Along with pub landlord Marcus, who provides inspiration in alcoholic form, and Tamsin's avuncular agent Gerard, they spend their time searching for their muse, suffering for their art - and making a thorough exhibition of themselves. 
 
In these 10 episodes, Tamsin competes with Josef to create a self-portrait, Marcus goes away for a weekend to save his marriage, Nisha proposes to Dolores - hypothetically, and Gerard takes a cross-Channel booze cruise that almost ends in tragedy... 
 
Written by award-winning radio producer Gareth Edwards, whose credits include That Mitchell and Webb Look and Bleak Expectations, this slow-burning, character-driven comedy features a stellar cast including Vicki Pepperdine, Pauline McLynn, Mina Anwar, Ben Miller, Dave Lamb and Graham Crowden, with guest appearances from Miranda Hart and Bertie Carvel. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Gareth Edwards 
Script editor: Paul Mayhew-Archer 
Produced by Katie Tyrrell 
 
Cast 
Tamsin - Vicki Pepperdlne 
Dolores - Pauline McLynn 
Gerard - Graham Crowden 
Nisha - Mina Anwar 
Josef - Ben Miller 
Marcus - Dave Lamb 
Jake - Dean Johnston 
Lindy - Maria Liberos 
Couple in art gallery - Stephen Critchlow & Caroline Johnson 
Ewan - Giles New 
Pippa - Miranda Hart 
Best Man/Clive - Bertie Carvel 
Cressida - Raquel Cassidy 
Charlotte - Phyllida Hewat 
Sam - Julia Morris 
Lesley/Weinberg - John Rowe 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 March-30 April 2003 (Series 1), 21 April-12 May 2004 (Series 2) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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