Nigella Lawson has written eleven bestselling cookery books including the classics How to Eat and How To Be A Domestic Goddess – the book that inspired a whole new generation of bakers. These books, and her TV series, have made her a household name around the world. 
 
www.nigella.com 
@Nigella_Lawson

Nigella Lawson

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Charles Chilton

The final series of Charles Chilton’s classic 1950s sci-fi trilogy and the gripping 1981 sequel 
 
Written by veteran radio producer Charles Chilton, Journey into Space kept Light Programme listeners enraptured between 1953 and 1958. Almost eight million people tuned in to the interstellar adventures of Jet Morgan and his intrepid crew, making it the last UK radio drama serial to beat television in the ratings. This audio collection contains the complete Series 3 of the groundbreaking trilogy, as well as the special 90-minute sequel The Return from Mars. 
 
The World in Peril – Continuing the suspenseful story begun in The Red Planet, this 20-part serial, set in 1972, follows Jet and his comrades as they return to Mars with orders to discover all they can about the impending Martian invasion of Britain. Stretched to their limits, they take on the awesome Martian power – and when they discover the astounding secret of the invasion plan, they must race against time to warn a defenceless Earth… Starring Andrew Faulds, Guy Kingsley-Poynter, Don Sharp and Alfie Bass. 
 
The Return from Mars – It’s an ordinary afternoon at London Landing Control. Suddenly, a voice breaks across another aircraft’s frequency: ‘This is the spaceship Discovery’… To the controller’s astonishment, Jet Morgan and his crew are re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere – more than 30 years after they went missing, presumed dead. What happened to Jet and friends during those years? Consulting his diary, Jet begins to tell their astonishing story… Starring John Pullen, Ed Bishop, Nigel Graham and Anthony Hall. 
 
Production credits 
Written and produced by Charles Chilton 
Music composed and orchestra conducted by Van Phillips 
 
The World in Peril 
Jet Morgan – Andrew Faulds 
Lemmy Barnett – Alfie Bass 
Doc – Guy Kingsley-Poynter 
Mitch – Don Sharp 
Other parts played by David Jacobs, Alan Tilvern, John Cazabon, Fred Yule and Pat Campbell 
 
First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 26 September 1955-6 February 1956 
 
The Return from Mars 
Jet Morgan – John Pullen 
Lemmy – Anthony Hall 
Doc – Ed Bishop 
Mitch – Nigel Graham 
Cassia – Elizabeth Proud 
Nichols – Patrick Barr 
Wrist radio/Countdown voice – David Bradshawe 
Pilot/Talian – Graham Faulkner 
Controller/Radio voice – Stephen Garlick 
Videophone/Junior officer – John McAndrew 
Control/Sotteer 2 – Sion Probert 
Sotteer 1/Harry – Christopher Scott 
Supervisor/Radio – John Webb 
 
Script by Charles Chilton 
Directed by Glyn Dearman 
 
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, 7 March 1981 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Journey into Space: The World in Peril & The Return from Mars

The Classic BBC Radio Sci-Fi Drama

Aphra Behn

Susanna Centivre

William Congreve

Delarivier Manley

John Vanburgh

George Farquhar

A dazzling collection of comedies from the later Restoration period 
 
England's 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 and the reign of new monarchs William and Mary signified a turning point for Restoration comedy with laws being passed to restrict playwrights' freedoms. The latter years are marked by a shift towards more moral storylines, mixing humour with social and political issues, alongside the lighthearted 'comedy of manners'. 
 
The works in this collection bring together these complementary styles, full of humour while also focusing on hard hitting themes. We open with a 1688 piece by Aphra Behn, England's first professional female writer. Oroonoko is a powerful critique of the slave trade centring around a betrayed African prince. Adapted for BBC Radio, it stars Leo Wringer. 
 
A pre-eminent Restoration dramatist, William Congreve was renowned for his witty dialogue and brilliant characterisation, exemplified in the plays The Old Bachelor, The Double-Dealer and Love for Love. As heard on BBC Radio, these sparkling satirical portraits of romance, deception and the battle of the sexes star James Dale, Nicholas Parsons, Michael Spice and Maxine Audley. 
 
In her 1696 tragedy The Royal Mischief playwright and pamphleteer Delarivier Manley tackled gender politics rather than party politics. This BBC Radio adaptation stars Sian Thomas as the transgressive princess Homais, whose unrestrained sexual desire represents a threat to both the monarchy and the patriarchy. 
 
A loveless marriage is under the spotlight in The Provok'd Wife, John Vanburgh's outspoken 1697 comedy of sex, debauchery and revenge that is Restoration comedy at its finest. Saskia Reeves stars as Lady Brute, with Julian Rhind-Tutt as confirmed bachelor Heartfree. 
 
Irish playwright George Farquhar stormed the London stage with his 1699 comedy The Constant Couple, featuring a wealthy heiress seeking revenge, and the three rivals vying for her hand. Its popularity was mainly due to its rakish hero, Sir Harry Wildair, played in this BBC dramatisation by Alec Clunes. It is followed by William Congreve's The Way of the World, a comic masterpiece that exposes the grasping falsity of fashionable London society. Sheila Hancock stars, with Alex Jennings, Robert Glenister, Frances Barber and Indira Varma. 
 
Susanna Centilivre's 1705 comedy The Basset Table explores several hot topics of the time: the rise of science, gambling and female education. Featuring two strong, independent heroines determined to dodge unwanted marriages, this delightfully exuberant comedy stars Eleanor Bron and Danielle Allan. 
 
Concluding this collection are George Farquhar's two most popular plays. The Recruiting Officer, starring Paul Higgins and Lisa Dillon, is set in Shrewsbury during the War of the Spanish Succession, where wives are recruited while soldiers are wooed. Meanwhile, in The Beaux' Stratagem, starring Simon Treves and Dale Rapley, two rakes arrive in Lichfield from London in search of fortune... 
 
 
Content list 
 
Oroonoko 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 24 August 1990 
 
The Old Bachelor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 Jun 1966 
 
The Double-Dealer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 17 Jan 1969 
 
Love for Love 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 18 Feb 1965 
 
The Royal Mischief 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 28 Oct 1990 
 
The Provok'd Wife 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 12 Dec 2004 
 
The Constant Couple 
First broadcast BBC Network Three, 9 Jun 1967 
 
The Way of the World 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27 Apr 2003 
 
The Basset Table 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Aug 1990 
 
The Recruiting Officer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 18 Dec 2011 
 
The Beaux' Stratagem 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 19 Feb 1990 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Intrigue and Satire: Later Restoration Comedies

11 BBC Radio Full Cast Productions including  The Recruiting Officer and The Way of the World and more

Peter Flannery

Olivia Poulet

Laurence Dobiesz

Karen Laws

Melanie Harris

Hannah Silva

Dan Rebellato

Tim Dawson

Gemma Bedeau

Ishy Din

Derron Sandy

Kyle Hernandez

Elisha Efua Bartels

Lucy Montague Moffatt

Thirteen plays about human connection, from some of BBC Radio's best writers exploring love, family, romances and life's ups and downs 
 
This diverse collection of stories centres around family dynamics, relationships both romantic and platonic, and the diverse ways ordinary people navigate the vicissitudes of everyday life. 
 
Ranging from modern fairy tales to coming-of-age dramas, they feature a wide variety of styles, and are scripted by an array of writers from award-winning dramatists to first-time authors. Here are stories of meeting and parting; hope and heartbreak; grief and forgiveness; and the endless possibility of change. 
 
We meet the couple racing to secure their IVF treatment; the wide-eyed young Conservative whose awakening is more than just political; the teenager who discovers a secret that threatens his entire extended family; the ex-offender transformed through his friendship with a photographer, and many more captivating characters. These engrossing dramas let us venture into their worlds; giving us an intimate insight into their lives and loves. 
 
Among the casts are Jaime Winstone, Sean Gallagher, Rhea Bailey, Mina Anwar, Ciarán Griffiths and Harry McEntire. 
 
Cast and credits 
All plays are Sparklab productions for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. 
Produced by Melanie Harris and Executive Produced by Polly Thomas, Jeremy Mortimer & Jo Meek. 
 
#blessed 
Cast: Olivia Poulet, Laurence Dobiesz, Ayesha Dharker, Valmike Rampersad, Fenella Woolgar 
Written by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz. Directed by Susannah Tresilian. 
 
Indigo Children 
Cast: Lizzy Clark, Jaime Winstone, Luke Jerdy, Sylvestra Le Touzel 
Written by Hannah Silva. Directed by Jude Kelly 
 
My Life Is a Series of People Saying Goodbye 
Cast: Sean Gallagher, David Annen, Will Payne, Fenella Woolgar, Frances Grey, Jenny Jules 
Written by Dan Rebellato. Produced and Directed by Polly Thomas 
 
Not for Turning 
Cast Nicola Holt, Henry Devas, Andrew Bentley, Ashley Gerlach, Toby Hadoke 
Written by Tim Dawson. Directed by Lawrence Till 
 
The Ladies Room 
Cast: Rhea Bailey, Lisa Livingstone, Lois Chimimba 
Written by Gemma Bedeau. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Whose Baby? 
Cast: Gurjeet Singh, Mina Anwar, Perveen Hussain, George Bukhari, Sid Akbar Ali 
Written by Ishy Din. Directed by Julia Ford. 
 
1963 
Cast: Andy Clark, Curtis Appleby, Ross Waiton, Jill Dellow, Micheal Ajao 
Written by Peter Flannery. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Mr Singh 
Cast: Keegan Maharaj, Rhesa Samuel, Idrees Saleem, Tafar Lewis, Khadijah Kirton, Israel Nunes Children from the Quays Foundation, Maloney, Trinidad & Tobago. 
Written by Derron Sandy. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Aron 
Cast: Levee Rodriguez, Errol Fabien, Anand Lawkaran, Jayron Remy, Tishanna Williams, Nickolai Salcedo. Written by Kyle Hernandez. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Carifesta 2019: Water More Than Flour 
Cast: Mandisa Granderson, Conrad Parris, Kimmy Stoute-Robinson, Arnold Goindham 
Written by Elisha Efua Bartels. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
Karin and Andrew 
Cast: Eve Shotton, Ciarán Griffiths, Darren Kuppan, Melissa Jane Sinden 
Scripted and directed by Melanie Harris. 
 
In His Kiss 
Cast: Niamh McGowan, Harry McEntire, Kimberly Hart-Simpson 
Written by Lucy Montague Moffatt. Directed by Julia Ford 
 
The Reality Tunnel 
Cast: Sarah Miele, Sam Newton 
Written by Karen Law. Directed by Melanie Harris 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

#Blessed and other stories of love and friendship

13 BBC Radio Dramas

Leo Tolstoy

Charlotte Brönte

Gustave Flaubert

William Shakespeare

Colette

Jane Austen

Alessandro Manzoni

Radclyffe Hall

Emily Brontë

Elizabeth Gaskell

Edith Wharton

Thomas Hardy

Twelve dramatisations of the best love stories ever written, performed by star casts 
 
Treat yourself to this stunning collection of classic stories of love, loss, obstacles overcome and desperate attraction. This is a beautiful, moving and at times thrilling listen which takes you on a journey through the greatest tales of romance ever told. These unmissable, dramatised novels feature stellar performances from fantastic casts including Vanessa Kirby, Hiftu Quasem, Kate Philips, Rory Kinnear, Toby Jones, John Hurt and David Tennant. 
 
Anna Karenina is Leo Tolstoy's powerful drama of desire, transgression and heartache. Starring Kate Philips (Wolf Hall), Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter) and Rory Kinnear (James Bond films). 
 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë is a fantastic mix of injustice, romance, passion and danger wrapped up in a glorious love story. Starring Amanda Hale (Catastrophe) and Tom Burke (Strike). 
 
Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary is a masterpiece of betrayal and wantonness - the first great novel of adultery. Starring Sarah Smart (Wallander), Jude Akuwudike (Gangs of London) and James D’Arcy (Broadchurch) with John Hurt (Harry Potter) as the Narrator. 
 
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In a town full of hatred, where the streets ring with the Capulet-Montague feud and swords are too easily drawn, Romeo and Juliet find each other, fall in love, and never let go. Starring Trystan Gravelle (Mr Selfridge), Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible), David Tennant (Broadchurch) and Paul Ready (Motherland). 
 
Chéri by Colette is the story of a love affair between a courtesan and a man half her age, set in Paris before the First World War. Starring Frances Barber (Silk) and Joseph Millson (The Last Kingdom) with Lindsay Duncan (Birdman) as the Narrator. 
 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen remains one of the world’s favourite novels, dealing with the timeless issues of love, social class and money with a witty, clever - though flawed - heroine at its heart. Starring Pippa Nixon (Unforgotten), Jamie Parker (The Crown) and Toby Jones (The Detectorists). 
 
The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni is an icon of Italian literature: the story of two lovers who want nothing more than to marry but are beset by the hazards of war, bread riots and the machinations of a nameless crime lord. Starring Hiftu Quasem (Killing Eve) and Ian Dunnett Jnr (Masters of the Air). 
 
The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, written in 1928, is a pioneering novel about love and attraction between women. Starring Valerie Edmond as the enigmatic Stephen. 
 
Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's iconic love story. Heathcliff and Cathy's love is the beating heart of the story, set against the backdrop of the bleak Yorkshire moors. Starring Chloe Pirrie (Temple) and Ben Batt (Shameless). 
 
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell explores social conscience, ideological difference and love in a mill town in the 1800s. Starring Emily Mortimer (The Pursuit of Love) and David Threlfall (Shameless). 
 
The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a passionate life-long love affair which breaks all the rules of the restrictive high society of 1870's New York. Starring Susan Lynch (Happy Valley) and Kellie Bright (Eastenders). 
 
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy is a story of the belief in true romance and the power of money and love. Starring Alex Tregear (Silk: The Clerk’s Room), Toby Jones (The Detectorists) and Patrick Kennedy (Boardwalk Empire). 
 
This stunning collection is packed with the best romance stories written in the last 500 years – a fully dramatised, unmissable listen featuring some of the biggest names of stage and screen. 
 
©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Classic Love Stories: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

12 Full-Cast Dramatisations

Gary Brown

Leah Chillery

David Hodgson

Alan Harris

Anna Mary Murphy

Lavinia Murray

A series of inter-linked plays exploring birth, marriage and death through the prism of a Welsh Register OfficeIsn't it strange that the registering of life's most important moments happens in a sterile municipal office? Everyone's got a story to tell about how they got there. Listen for the first time to this spectacular collection of six funny, quirky and moving plays that start in a Register Office and end in a birth, marriage or death.In Uncle Harry, Mark’s life is nicely well-ordered until a passing comment from Uncle Harry sends him on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a comedy about grief and the true meaning of family.Losing my Penny is a story of love, secrets and family. Leo is in love with Penny and plans to marry her but Penny's possessive father has other ideas. Leo has secrets of his own which threatens to ruin everything.Teddy is on his stag night in the comedy Time and Tide. He wakes up naked and handcuffed to a lamp post. So far, so normal. But then he realises that something very weird has occurred which makes him question everything…A Certain Date is a surreal and darkly comic exploration of the meaning of death. Geoff Levine, aka the Slim Reaper, is a pest control technician. All day long he kills rats and other vermin but when he meets Mystic June, she tells him something that will alter the rest of his life – what's left of it anyway.An unexpected family secret is unearthed in Nine Lives, when Beth's elderly father Patrick claims never to have been born because he's lived forever. As Beth tries to untangle the truth of her father's birth, she uncovers more than she bargained for.Lastly, Elephants all the Way tells the story of Harper, who works in a zoo. He is a simple soul but his life is complicated. His wife is desperate for a baby, and his angry dad is a bare knuckle boxer. Then the ground starts to shift - literally…Engaging, funny and thought provoking, these six plays were recorded by BBC Wales. This brilliant series of modern dramas showcase some of Wales’s best acting talent. Download all six plays now for a mesmerising listen.Episode 1 - Uncle HarryWritten by Gary Brown 
Directed by Helen PerryMark - Dylan Edwards 
Uncle Harry - Ewan Bailey 
Elaine - Denise Black 
Helen - Katherine Jakeways 
Lionel - Christian Patterson 
Charlotte - Rachel Redford 
Dad - David CannEpisode 2 - Losing my PennyWritten by Leah Chillery 
Directed by Gary BrownLeo - Don Gilet 
Penny - Verity May Henry 
Rita - Kathryn Hunt 
Henry - Conrad Nelson 
Duchess - Tupele Dorgu 
Bartholomew - Fiona ClarkeEpisode 3 - Time and Tide Written by David Hodgson 
Directed by Gary BrownOld Man - Will Tacey 
Teddy - Alan Morrissey 
Lawrence - Will Ash 
Megan - Hannah Wood 
Brankin - Sean Mason 
Jess - Harriet Chandler Judd 
Shaffy - Hamilton BerstockEpisode 4 - A Certain DateWritten by Alan Harris 
Directed by Helen PerryGeoff - Julian Lewis Jones 
Valmai - Sara McGaughey 
Sandy - Katy Owen 
Mystic June - Lisa Palfrey 
Doctor Ramis - Richard Mitchley 
Pigeon - Sion Pritchard 
King Rat - Michael BertenshawEpisode 5 – Nine Lives Written by Anna Maria Murphy 
Directed by James RobinsonBeth - Eiry Thomas 
Patrick - Peter Marinker 
Bill - Christian Patterson 
Mrs Knowles - Sharon Morgan 
Miriam/Janet - Eirlys Bellin 
Reg/Harold - Matthew GravelleEpisode 6 – Elephants All the Way Up Written by Lavinia MurrayDirected by Gary BrownHarper - Graeme Hawley 
Yolanda - Kate Coogan 
Dad - Seamus O'Neill 
Carlos - Chris Jack 
Arlo/Turtle - Lloyd Peters 
Grayson/Turtle -Malcolm Raeburn 
Woman/Turtle - Lisa Allen©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Hatch, Match and Dispatch

Six Full-Cast Original BBC Radio Dramas

Elizabeth Bowen

A collection of full-cast dramas from one of Ireland's foremost writers - plus Elizabeth Bowen's thoughts on the novelist's craft 
 
Elizabeth Bowen was one of the 20th century's most distinctive writers. An associate of the Bloomsbury Set, she was a keen observer of upper-middle-class life and relationships. Best known for her novels of the Anglo-Irish gentry and wartime London, her fiction displays recurring themes of loss, rootlessness and displacement. This collection contains five of Bowen's best-loved works, and hears from the author herself in three radio talks on the art of novel-writing. 
 
The Heat of the Day - London, 1942. When Stella discovers that her lover, Robert, is suspected of selling secrets to the enemy, she finds herself caught between two men: one a potential spy, the other a blackmailer... A compelling tale of love, espionage and betrayal, in one of the quintessential depictions of London during World War II, starring Harriet Walter, Michael Maloney and Bill Nighy. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 Nov 1998 
 
The House in Paris - Even as she lays dying, scheming Madame Fisher manipulates the lives of young Henrietta and Leopold. But will her own secrets and lies ever be revealed? Sara Kestelman stars in this enthralling story of deception, scandal and death. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-17 Jul 1994 
 
The Last September - 1920, Danielstown, County Cork. Poised on the brink of womanhood, Lois flirts and dances with English officers at society parties- but the Troubles are closing in, and her world is about to change irrevocably. This evocative coming-of-age tale stars Anna Healy and Greg Wise. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-16 Sep 1996 
 
The Confidant - Starring Cathy Belton and Fionnuala Murphy, this penetrating short story, set in 1920s Cork, revolves around a couple in a clandestine relationship and the woman who keeps all their secrets. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Nov 1998 
 
The Demon Lover - Mrs Drover nervously returns to her deserted London house in the Blitz to find a letter on the hall table - a reminder of a special rendezvous she cannot fully recollect... Maggie Steed stars in Elizabeth Bowen's eerie ghost story. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 Jul 1997 
 
Truth and Fiction - In these three talks about the art of writing fiction, Elizabeth Bowen discusses the importance of story, people and time in establishing a novel's 'truth'. 
First broadcast BBC Home Service Basic, 26 Sep-10 Oct 1956 
 
NB: Due to the age of the source material, the sound quality of Truth and Fiction may vary 
 
The Last September copyright &copy; Elizabeth Bowen 1929, 1952 
Copyright renewed 
The House in Paris copyright &copy; Elizabeth Cameron 1935 
Copyright &copy; renewed by Elizabeth D. C. Cameron 1963 
The Heat of the Day copyright &copy; Elizabeth Bowen 1948 
Copyright &copy; renewed by Spencer Curtis and Graham August Watson 1976 
'The Confidant' and 'The Demon Lover' copyright &copy; 1923, 1945 
Copyright &copy; Curtis Brown Ltd, 1980 
 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Elizabeth Bowen: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Drama Collection

The Heat of the Day, The House in Paris and More

William Wycherley

John Dryden

George Etherege

Thomas Otway

Edward Ravenscroft

A sparkling collection of nine witty full-cast comedies from the early Restoration era 
 
Raunchy, risqué and rebellious, early Restoration comedies were a breath of fresh air for 17th century theatregoers. With Charles II restored to the throne in 1660, Oliver Cromwell's ban on stage performances was rescinded, and for the first time, women were invited to tread the boards as actresses. Playwrights developed a new style of social comedy, packed with amorous escapades, bawdy humour, wicked wit and sexual innuendo. 
 
This scintillating anthology showcases six leading lights of early Restoration drama, beginning with George Etherege, the creator of the 'comedy of manners': The Man of Mode, an irreverent portrait of the fops and libertines that populated London's beau monde; and She Wou'd If She Cou'd, a racy, fast-paced romp mocking society's double standards for men and women. Among the casts are Derek Jacobi, Anna Massey, Ian Richardson, Prunella Scales and Hattie Jacques. 
 
Also poking fun at hypocrisy and immorality was William Wycherley. However, his comedies were considered far more daring - especially The Country Wife, which was judged too obscene to be staged in its original form for over 200 years. Centred around a notorious rake who resorts to deception to pursue a naïve married woman, this effervescent BBC radio dramatisation stars Jonathan Pryce and Maggie Smith. 
 
Male playwrights were not the only ones penning scandalous dramas during this period. Aphra Behn, Britain's first professional female writer, was a poet, spy and the most prolific playwright of the 1670s and '80s. Her sex comedy The Rover, featured here, revolves around love, lust, intrigue and mistaken identity, and stars Julia Ford, Suzan Sylvester and Juliet Aubrey. 
 
England's first Poet Laureate, John Dryden, dominated Restoration literature to such an extent that it came to be known as the Age of Dryden. His 1677 play All For Love, a powerful reworking of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, is regarded as his finest work. John Turner and Barbara Jefford star in this heroic tragedy. 
 
A rival of Dryden, Edward Ravenscroft was the first British playwright to introduce characters from the 'commedia dell' arte' into his farces. His seminal comedy The London Cuckolds, featuring three ridiculous husbands, three beautiful wives, and one dissolute young cad, was hugely popular, and this BBC adaptation retains all the original's ribald wit. It stars Carleton Hobbs, Norman Shelley and Madi Hedd. 
 
Thomas Otway achieved his greatest success in the last five years of his life. Three of his acclaimed works appear here: his 1683 comedy The Soldier's Fortune and its sequel The Atheist, focussing on disbanded army officers looking for sex and money, and his masterpiece Venice Preserved, a dark political thriller about power, revolution, love and betrayal. The ensemble casts feature Dennis Quilley, John Rowe, Michael Turner and Donald Wolfit. 
 
Content list 
 
The Man of Mode 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 27 Jun 1986 
 
She Wou'd If She Cou'd 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 6 Sep 1968 
 
The Country Wife 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 22 Dec 1985 
 
The Rover 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 22 Jan 1995 
 
All For Love 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 7 Jul 1983 
 
The London Cuckolds 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 30 Dec 1974 
 
The Soldier's Fortune 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 24 May 1981 
 
The Atheist 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 31 May 1981 
 
Venice Preserved 
First broadcast BBC Third Programme, 10 Aug 1960 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Humour and Madness: Early Restoration Comedies

Nine BBC Radio Full Cast Productions including The Rover, The Country Wife and more

R.D Wingfield

A collection of RD Wingfield’s finest thrillers from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties 
 
Best known for his ‘Inspector Jack Frost’ series of novels, RD Wingfield also penned a string of gripping thrillers for BBC Radio. Initially thought lost, many of the 14 dramas in this collection were recovered and restored by Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle, and thanks to their careful preservation, are now available to enjoy once more. 
 
Credit Risk is a robbery comedy caper about a man with a cunning plan to defraud a credit card company of a quarter of a million pounds. Cleft Stick sees the police investigating an attack on a woman, and the dramatic way she chose to defend herself. In The Last Escape, a mugging ends in murder, and Superintendent Dawson must find the perpetrator – a patient who has escaped from a private nursing home after 35 years. And in The Alternative Plan, a frightened ex-Army captain and a dying ex-Nazi hold the key to preventing a political assassination. 
 
In A Second Class Risk, when a man dies in a car crash the same week he insures his life for £50,000, the widow’s claim must be investigated. A Test for Destruction finds a Security Supervisor at the Department of Scientific Warfare facing an agonising crisis when his son’s safety is at stake. Our West Ladyton Branch centres around a bank manager recovering from a nervous breakdown, whose new assignment in a sleepy Devon town is not at all what he expected. In Letter of the Law, Detective Inspector Nash wants nothing to do with his newly arrved (and newly demoted) Sergeant, but with seven unsolved robberies on his plate, Nash needs all the help he can get…Cover Up features another demoted ex-Inspector, kicked out of the Division but brought back to investigate a bank raid. 
 
Post Mortem Shock concerns a man who appears to have been shot dead by an intruder – but the post mortem reveals he died of a heart attack. Who, or what, really killed him? In Sins of Commission, made redundant after 19 years’ faithful service with a firm?of?diamond merchants, Mr Fletcher is willing to take on almost any job – as long as it’s legal. It’s double or quits when £15,000 goes missing from a safe in Double Entry, and in Adequate Reasons, when a child is abducted, there’s a complex interplay between police, parents and kidnapper. Finally, in Moveable Assets, a crafty crook comes up with an ingenious scheme to rob a supposedly burglar-proof bank – but will it work, and will he get away with it? 
 
With ensemble casts including John Rowe, Diana Olsson, Roger Delgado, Robert Lang, Frederick Treves, Jill Bennett and Patricia Gallimore, these clever, artfully plotted dramas are full of twists, turns and surprises. 
 
With warm thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by RD Wingfield 
 
Contents 
 
Credit Risk 
Cleft Stick 
The Last Escape 
The Alternative Plan 
A Second-Class Risk 
A Test to Destruction 
Our West Ladyton Branch 
Letter of the Law 
Cover Up 
Post Mortem Shock 
Sins of Commission 
Double Entry 
Adequate Reasons 
Moveable Assets 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

R.D Wingfield: Post-Mortem Shock and other thrillers

14 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

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.   Flying home from a lecture tour of America, Paul Temple encounters Mike Langdon who is seeking to persuade his employer's spoilt daughter Julie to give up her boyfriend, pop-singer Tony Wyman.   Meeting Paul at the airport, Steve is drugged and kidnapped. She is released without harm - but mysteriously in possession of a coat, bearing the label 'Margo'.   As Mike seeks Paul's help, the Temples enter into a dangerous web of lies and murder.

Paul Temple And The Margo Mystery

Michael McStay

The collected BBC Radio 4 crime dramas featuring Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor 
 
Like his actor namesake, Ronald Coleman is a suave, well-spoken English gentleman. But although he's a movie buff, Coleman is no film star - he's a copper, and a Detective Inspector to boot. Together with his down-to-earth Scottish partner, DS Fred Astor, he sets about solving cases on two very different patches - rural Kirkcaldy and inner-city Southampton. 
 
Death Beach sees Hollywood director Curt Zorack's film shoot interrupted by the death of one of the cast. But is it suicide or murder? In Death of a Mean Cornet, a jazz musician and old friend of Sergeant Astor is found dead of a heroin overdose. It looks like an accident, but Fred's not convinced. In Death Against the Odds, two murders in one night cause Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor to lose some sleep - and long for the days when sheep-rustling was the worst crime they had to deal with. 
 
Death of a Hooligan finds the two detectives working together at South Hants Central, and probing the suspicious death of a football fan; while in A Day at the Races, Sergeant Astor falls among thieves, and Inspector Coleman has one of his infamous hunches. In No Harm Done, the duo are faced with a wall of silence when a resident of the notorious Gantry Estate is found badly beaten. And in Fools Rush In, an IRA terrorist is released from Parkhurst prison - and promptly disappears. How is he connected to the mysterious Irishman causing parking problems on a suburban street? 
 
These enthralling crime dramas star Stephen Thorne as Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Astor, with a supporting cast including Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater and Nicholas Boulton. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Michael McStay 
Produced and directed by Jane Morgan and Ned Chaillet. Theme music by Stephen Warbeck 
Starring Stephen Thorne as Inspector Coleman and Joe Dunlop as Sergeant Astor 
 
Death Beach 
Cast: Peter Vaughan, Mary Miller, David King, Nigel Carrington, Vincent Brimble, Jonathan Oliver, James Greene, Michael McStay, Jane Whittenshaw, Sue Broomfield, Ben Onwukwe, Stephen Garlick, Nicholas Gilbrook 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 October 1990 
 
Death of a Mean Cornet 
Cast: Kate Binchy, Maria Miles, James Grant, Paul Barber, Tony Armatrading, Michael McStay, Sidney Cole, Peter Gunn, John Forgeham, Terence Edmond, David Learner, John Webb, Matthew Sim, Mark Straker, Nicholas Murchie, Jonathan Tafler 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 July 1992 
 
Death Against the Odds 
Cast: Peter Gunn, Phyllis Logan, James Warwick, Morag Hood, Elaine Collins, Diana Bishop, 
John Fleming, Pauline Yates, John Webb, David Holt, Dominic Letts 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 August 1993 
 
Death of a Hooligan 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, James Kerry, Dominic Curtis, Tom Bevan, Peter Kenny, Paul Panting, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Gareth Armstrong, James Taylor 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 16 May 1994 
 
A Day at the Races 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, John Hartley, Larry Dann, McCartney Brown, Breffni McKenna, Gareth Armstrong, David Jarvis, David Sinclair, James Taylor, 
Don McCorkindale. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 May 1994 
 
No Harm Done 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Tony Osoba, Elaine Claxton, Pauline Letts, Dexter Fletcher, Simon Schatzberger, Deborah Berlin, Toby Jones, Sidney Cole, Peter Acre, Matthew Morgan, Gavin Muir, David Jarvis, Danny Schiller, Susannah Corbett 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 May 1994 
 
Fools Rush In 
Cast: Diana Bishop, Frances Jeater, Nicholas Boulton, Anthony Jackson, Marianne Morley, Sally Kinghorn, Rachel Atkins, Michael Onslow, Tom Bevan, Paul Panting, Lyndham Gregory. 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 June 1994 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor

Seven BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Steve Sunderland

Jim Poyser

Michael Stewart

Sharon Oakes

Shakeel Ahmed

Six quirky dramas from in and around a northern market stall 
 
“If you want owt - go down the market... They sell everything from pins to pearl earrings, from peaches to pig's trotters, from tripe to tiramisu. See the hanging, marbled haunches of beef down Butchers' Row. Smell the flowers, a fragrant dream. Taste the fresh silvery fish motorwayed down from the North Sea.” 
 
Some would say the Market is the last authentic part of the city centre. This northern city has reinvented itself as a business and financial centre, bristling with designer shops and bars. A cosmopolitan, twenty-four hour city. Yet slap bang in the centre the Victorian City Market remains what it has always been; a place where you can get anything and see anything - a place teeming with life. The market is the real face of the city - mucky, multicultural and magnificent. Listen to this immersive collection of full-cast BBC radio dramas exploring the high and lows of this unique place which bursts with stories and life.In Loco Parentis by Garry Brown, a bittersweet empty nester comedy starring Reece Dinsdale, Jim can't sleep because his daughter's left for uni, his business is going belly up, and his father is going gaga. Oh, and to top it all he suspects his wife is having an affair with her boss…Phonebreaker by Steve Sunderland is the story of Matt. He’s going off the rails. School was a washout and working on his dad's market stall is a dead-end job. But when he hears a call for help on a stolen mobile phone, it's a call to action. An arresting morality tale starring Stephen Hoyle, Joseph Kloska and Jessica Blake.Sean's family own a fish stall down the market. Except Sean doesn't want to join them. He's become a 'Joey' for his best friend Darren who's a highly paid footballer. A Joey is a 'Go to Guy'. No way is he a dogsbody… The Joey by Jim Poysner is a quirky comedy starring John Catterall and Greg Wood.In Castaway by Michael Stewart, Kevin Eldon stars as Andrew, a man proud of his beard and his liberal attitudes. When Akram Khan, a successful businessman, buys some computers off his stall, things start looking up for Andrew. That is, until he fits a wi-fi router in Mr Khan’s impressive house…Eclipse by Sharon Oakes is a tender romantic comedy that tells the story of Carrie, who runs a flower stall. She also has a birthmark on her face. Maybe that's the reason she has never married? But Mrs Kaminsky knows she has a secret admirer. Starring Michelle Holmes, Andrew Westfield and Melissa Jane Sinden.Finally, An Imam and a Rabbi by Shakeel Ahmed is a wickedly funny supernatural comedy starring Muzz Khan and David Fleeshman. Imam Jawad and Rabbi Greenberg can't stand the sight of each other. But then something strange and spooky occurs that needs cross-cultural co-operation. Can they do it?Available as a complete collection for the first time, Market is a series of six plays with a whiff of the fantastical about them. Each story is self-contained, quirky and best described as a ‘modern morality’ play. Compelling, compulsive and utterly delightful, this wonderful collection is not to be missed by fans of comedy and drama alike.Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Gary BrownOriginal Music by Steven D Reid©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Market

Alison Plowden

Abigail Docherty

John Mortimer

Madame de Lafayette

Peter Wolf

Michael Butt

Amanda Whittington

Paul B. Davies

Friedrich Schiller

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

The Tudor Crown

A BBC Radio 4 Drama Collection

From 1938 to 1969 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, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - a world where Sir Graham Forbes, of Scotland Yard, usually needed Paul's help with his latest tricky case. In this adventure, Paul Temple is called in to investigate the disappearance of the Desmond baby, and the 'Sitter-In' Miss Millicent. When they visit Mary Desmond she is, understandably, very upset - it's already been a week since her eighteenth-month-old daughter vanished. The only clue is a telephone message left in Miss Millicent's handwriting: 'A Mr Vandyke telephoned, he left no message'. However, no-one knows who this mysterious Mr Vandyke is... This audio edition also includes the BBC Radio 4 programme The Radio Detectives: 'Send for Paul Temple', an affectionate look at the indomitable husband and wife team, Paul and Steve Temple. It features an exclusive interview with the definitive Paul Temple, Peter Coke, and rediscovered vintage recordings.

Paul Temple And The Vandyke Affair

Alexander McCall-Smith

Rachel Joyce

Charles Dickens

Anton Chekhov

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

Mahesh Dattani

Three original murder mysteries featuring Bangalore detective Uma Rao 
 
Actor, writer and director Mahesh Dattani is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award by India’s National Academy of Letters. Included here are all three of his plays featuring Uma Rao – PhD student, daughter-in-law of Bangalore's deputy commissioner of police, and wife of the superintendent. Priyanga Burford (neé Elan), stars as the intrepid sleuth, with full casts including Shiv Grewal, Saeed Jaffrey, Ajay Chhabra, Amerjit Deu and Nitin Chandra Ganatra. 
 
Seven Circles Around the Fire – For her university thesis, Uma is conducting research into the Hijra community (third gender people who are invited to sing, dance and give blessings at weddings and births, but marginalized from mainstream society). But her inquiries uncover a case of corruption, murder and a terrible miscarriage of justice... 
 
The Swami and Winston – When an English aristocrat is found murdered outside a Hindu temple, the only clues are a mischievous dog and a Burberry raincoat. Why was Lady Montefiore visiting an ashram, and who could have wanted to kill her? As Uma delves into her death, she comes into contact with religious fanaticism at its most dangerous... 
 
Uma and the Fairy Queen – Attending a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Uma is embroiled in another murder investigation when the actor playing Oberon, Michael Forsyth, is kidnapped, reappears just in time to go on, and is then found shot dead after the show. Suspicion falls on his wife, but Uma is convinced that the solution to the mystery lies in the play itself... 
 
 
Seven Circles around the Fire 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Suresh Rao – Rehan Sheikh 
Constable Muniswami – Shiv Grewal 
Jumpa – Saeed Jaffrey 
Anarkili – Rikki Beadle-Blair 
Saleem – Amerjit Deu 
Mr Shirma – Nitin Chandra Ganatra 
Suba Shirma – Ajay Chhabra 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 January 1999 
 
The Swami and Winston 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Constable – Shiv Grewal 
Charles – Andrew Wincott 
Suresh – Ajay Chhabra 
Swami – Saeed Jaffrey 
Sitaram – Paul Bhattarcharjee 
Lady Montefiore – Richenda Carey 
Driver – Amerjit Deu 
Farmer – Nitin Chandra Ghanatra 
Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer 
Music by Eero Hameenniemi 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 June 2000 
 
Uma and the Fairy Queen 
Uma Rao – Priyanga Elan 
Suresh – Ajay Chhabra 
Nila – Souad Faress 
Feroz – Akbar Kurtha 
Malik – Kaleem Janjua 
Liam – Gerard McDermott 
Michael – Stephen Critchlow 
Produced and directed by Marc Beeby 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 August 2003 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Uma Rao Mysteries

Three Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

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

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

Alan Bennett

The complete collected edition of the award-winning writer's unforgettable Untold Stories 
 
Over the course of his distinguished entertainment career, Alan Bennett has received multiple awards and honours, including two BAFTAs, four Laurence Olivier Awards, two Tony Awards, an Academy Award nomination for his film The Madness of King George, and a British Book Award for Author of the Year in 2006. In this four-part collection of his remarkable Untold Stories, the acclaimed writer considers his childhood, career, and the current state of the world with his customary blend of wit and poignancy. 
 
Part 1: Stories is a moving family memoir recalling his parents' marriage, the lives and deaths of his aunts, and the revelation of a long-held family secret. Part 2: The Diaries covers Alan Bennett's celebrated diaries for 1997-2004, in which he celebrates the joys of nature and comments on the state of the arts and politics with humour and sharp observation. Part 3: Written on the Body is a reflection on youth and a meditation on writing itself, with a look at Alan's schooling in Leeds, the growing pains of puberty, and a window into his creative process. Part 4: A Common Assault harks back to a mugging incident in Italy, a glimpse into his own schooldays that became the inspiration for The History Boys, and a light note on his thoughts on the Honours System. 
 
Funny, thoughtful, and fascinating, this wonderful series of essays and stories read by the author offers an extraordinary journey into an exceptional career. For those who want to hear Alan Bennett narrate more of his memoirs, Alan Bennett: Diaries is also available from BBC Audio. 
 
Extracts originally broadcast on Radio 4: 
10 October - 14 October 2005 
20 November - 24 November 2006 
 
Production credits 
Read by Alan Bennett 
Produced by Gordon House 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alan Bennett: Untold Stories

Read by Alan Bennett

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

Jane Austen: The 250th Anniversary Collection

Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Marcy Kahan

Nick Warburton

Gary Ogin

Seven BBC full-cast romantic comedies about love, longing and life-changing moments 
 
 Written by a host of top radio writers and starring some of Britain's finest actors, these sparkling, beautifully crafted comedy dramas are centred around people with unconscious yearnings. From the serial seducer to the lonely mother's boy, each is looking for love - but will they find it? 
 
 Vongole by Michael Butt: Oxford professor Tristram Swann's favourite pastime is wooing his female students with Petrarch and pasta. But what is he really after? Starring Bill Nighy. 
 
 The Non-Entity by Marcy Kahan: Once a successful Soviet hack, Dimitri hasn't sold a story since the fall of Communism. So why has a British publisher flown out to Moscow to see him? Starring Kenneth Cranham, Eleanor Bron and Sylvestre Le Touzel. 
 
 Toad Squad by Nick Warburton: Bitter at being retired prematurely, Reg embarks on a mission to protect the humble toad. Starring Philip Jackson and Amanda Root. 
 
 The Anniversary Waltz by Jeremy Front: Deli owners Max and Shirley spend their days sniping at one another - but a sudden epiphany makes them realise things have got to change... Starring Prunella Scales, Roger Allam and Rebecca Front. 
 
 Catching Heathcliff by Nick Warburton: Lindsey dreams of someone brooding and passionate - and then Morton walks into her book group... Starring Philip Jackson and Amanda Root. 
 
 Battersea Triangle by Michael Butt: Passive Dougie is trapped in a relationship with his domineering boss, Angela. When he meets the docile India, his problems seem to be over - but are they just beginning? Starring Mark Benton, Christine Kavanagh and Indira Varma. 
 
 The Dangers of Self-Hypnosis by Gary Ogin: Having had no luck with speed-dating, Maurice turns to a self-hypnosis CD to find romance. Exploring his subconscious, he finds the beautiful Rachel... Starring Richard Coyle, Prunella Scales and Sophie Winkleman. 
 
 
 Produced and directed by Peter Kavanagh 
 
 Vongole 
 Tristram - Bill Nighy 
 Minnie - Emma Callander 
 Helen - Miranda Colchester 
 Freddie - Stephen Critchlow 
 Mamma/Judy - Carolyn Jones 
 Written by Michael Butt 
 
 The Non-Entity 
 Dmitri - Kenneth Cranham 
 Annoushka - Eleanor Bron 
 Claire - Sylvestra Le Touzel 
 Robert - Stephen Critchlow 
 Written by Marcy Kahan 
 
 Toad Squad 
 Reg - Philip Jackson 
 Bel - Amanda Root 
 Mr Topping - Jonathan Coy 
 Written by Nick Warburton 
 
 The Anniversary Waltz 
 Shirley - Prunella Scales 
 Max - Roger Allam 
 Roszinka - Rebecca Front 
 Girl - Rosie Fellner 
 Marcy - Liza Sadovy 
 Toastmaster/Old man - Bruce Purchase 
 Written by Jeremy Front 
 
 Catching Heathcliff 
 Graham - Philip Jackson 
 Lindsey - Amanda Root 
 Heathcliff/Morton - Mark Straker 
 Postman - Nick Warburton 
 Written by Nick Warburton 
 
 Battersea Triangle 
 Dougie - Mark Benton 
 India - Indira Varma 
 Angela - Christine Kavanagh 
 Fiona - Emily Rose Smith 
 Written by Michael Butt 
 
 The Dangers of Self-Hypnosis 
 Maurice - Richard Coyle 
 Mother - Prunella Scales 
 Rachel - Sophie Winkleman 
 Abigail - Christine Kavanagh 
 Hypnotist/Judge - Sam Dale 
 Daniel - Mark Straker 
 Written by Gary Ogin 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Hopes and Desires

Seven BBC full-cast romantic comedies

Joan Bakewell

Humphrey Carpenter

Francine Stock

Matthew Parris

Famous fans choose their favourite writers for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives 
 
For 20 years, Great Lives has been a cornerstone of the Radio 4 schedules, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Each week, a well-known personality is invited to select someone who has inspired them. They then discuss the 'Great Life' with the presenter and a guest expert to decide whether their hero really merits the accolade. 
 
This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, contains the very best episodes featuring authors' lives - from novelists to poets, playwrights to food writers. The eclectic selections include Armando Iannucci on Charles Dickens, Caroline Criado Perez on Jane Austen, and Rich Hall on Tennessee Williams. Two Prime Ministers, John Major and Boris Johnson, discuss the lives of Rudyard Kipling and Samuel Johnson respectively, while MP Rory Stewart champions Sir Walter Scott and Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate, nominates Alfred, Lord Tennyson. 
 
From Fay Weldon on H. G. Wells, to Prue Leith on Elizabeth David, the lives of the guests themselves are revealed to be just as fascinating as those of their chosen candidates for greatness. 
 
Illuminating and insightful, these gripping Great Lives episodes track the highs and lows of some of the most illustrious characters in the world of literature, sifting fact from fiction to show why they achieved so much and how they have inspired and influenced so many. 
 
List of episodes and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
 HG Wells 12.10.2001 
 George Eliot 7.6.2002 
 Lord Byron 19.7.2002 
 Charles Dickins 21.11.2003 
 Edith Wharton 14.5.2004 
 George Orwell 12.11.2004 
 Robert Burns 31.12.2004 
 Elizabeth Gaskell 20.5.2005 
 Robert Louis Stevenson 22.4.2005 
 George Sand 8.4.2005 
 Vasily Grossman 28.10.2005 
 Anton Chekhov 17.4.2007 
 George Bernard Shaw 29.5.2007 
 Elizabeth David 25.9.2007 
 Katherine Mansfield 22.1.2008 
 Charles Bukowski 8.4.2008 
 Dr Samuel Johnson 8.9.2009 
 Rudyard Kipling 29.9.2009 
 Alfred, Lord Tennyson 4.8.2009 
 Tennessee Williams 15.12.2009 
 Bertolt Brecht 06.04.2010 
 Michel de Montaigne 21.09.2010 
 Samuel Beckett 21.12.2010 
 DH Lawrence 14.12.2010 
 Lewis Carroll 3.5.2011 
 Simone de Beauvoir 19.04.2011 
 Hans Fallada 6.9.2011 
 William Shakespeare 30.08.2011 
 Sir Walter Scott 14.8.2012 
 John Updike 07.01.2014 
 Elie Wiesel 13.12.2016 
 CS Lewis 03.01.2017 
 Jane Austen 7.5.2019 
 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
Presented by Matthew Parris, Francine Stock and Humphrey Carpenter 
Produced by Perminder Khatkar, Miles Warde, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Maggie Ayre, Toby Field, Alasdair Cross, Mary Ward Lowery, Peter Everett, Mark Smalley, Isobel Eaton, Jolyon Jenkins, Christine Hall, Lizz Pearson, Beth O'Dea, Paul Dodgson, Nicola Humphries, Chris Ledgard, Melvin Rickarby, Camellia Sinclair, Eliza Lomas, Beatrice Fenton

Great Writers' Lives

A BBC biography collection

Jules Verne

Full-cast contemporary dramatisations of Jules Verne’s best-known work, plus insight into his life and workOften referred to as the father of science fiction, Victorian author Jules Verne is renowned for his fantastical adventures imagining extraordinary voyages to strange new horizons. Prolific and prophetic, he wrote over 50 novels and numerous short stories, in which he foretold the skyscraper, the submarine, space missions and even the Internet. Featured here are contemporary adaptations of four of his most famous tales, as well as a special episode of The Forum examining the long-lasting appeal of his work. 
 These full-cast dramatisations feature a stellar line-up including Jim Broadbent, Leslie Phillips, Sagar Arya, Joel MacCormack, Stephen Critchlow, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Neil McCaul, Madeline Hatt, David Seddon, Yves Aubert, Nathan Osgood, Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong and Kerry Gooderson. 
Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Renowned professor Otto Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel decipher a mysterious cryptogram telling of a pathway to the earth’s core. Determined to find out if such a journey is possible, the intrepid explorers and their guide, Hans, venture into the heart of a dormant Icelandic volcano, where shocks, perils and amazing discoveries await. 
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – On the hunt for a terrifying sea monster that has been attacking ships, marine scientist Professor Aronnax and his stowaway daughter Connie join whaler Ned Land aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. But what they find is no monster, it’s a submarine: the Nautilus, piloted by the mysterious Captain Nemo… 
Around the World in Eighty Days – Risking his fortune, eccentric gentleman Phileas Fogg makes a bet that he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Accompanied by his new valet, Passepartout, he sets off on a headlong race – pursued by the energetic Sergeant Fix, who is convinced Fogg is the bank robber he’s seeking. With the clock ticking, can Phileas make it back to the Reform Club in time? 
The Mysterious Island – Escaping the American Civil War, military engineer Cyrus Smith, his freed slave Neb, and reporter Grace Spilett steal an observation balloon. Following a violent storm, it crashes near a seemingly deserted Pacific island: but the castaways soon realise that they are not alone… 
The Forum: 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas – Jules Verne’s classic novel is one of the most translated works in publishing history (and yes, the original French title does have the plural 'seas'). Talking to authors, academics and members of the Société Jules Verne, Rajan Datar finds out what makes this boys’ own adventure tale so popular. 
First published 1864 (Journey to the Centre of the Earth), 1870 (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea), 1872 (Around the World in Eighty Days), 1874 (The Mysterious Island) 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jules Verne: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Four Full-Cast Dramatisations

Denise Mina

Full-cast dramas and short stories from bestselling author Denise Mina, plus a bonus interview 
 
An acclaimed novelist, playwright and comic book writer, Denise Mina has won numerous awards, including the CWA John Creasy Dagger for Best First Crime Novel and the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award (twice). Her 'Paddy Meehan' series has been adapted for BBC TV, and she has presented numerous television and radio programmes. Included here are six of her stories, as heard on BBC Radio, plus a bonus biographical programme. 
 
The Dead Hour - Glasgow, 1984. Called out to a domestic dispute involving a female lawyer, cub reporter Paddy Meehan accepts a bribe to keep the story out of the papers. But when the woman is found dead the next day, Paddy feels compelled to investigate. Starring Amy Manson. 
 
Three Fires - Focussing on the rise and fall of fanatical Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola, Denise Mina turns her satirical eye on Renaissance Florence and the events leading up to the Bonfire of the Vanities. Kieran Hodgson reads this gripping historical tale. 
 
'Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away' - Alice is disturbed by the squirrels infesting her new home, but when she is accused of a crime it is the squirrels who come to her rescue. Read by Tracy Wiles. 
 
'In a State of Nature' - A murder under Tanzanian skies, and a beautiful young woman is left rootless after her rich, kindly lover disappears mysteriously at a roadside petrol station. Read by Emma Currie. 
 
Hurtle - Three financial dealers are trapped in a plummeting lift during a major trading scandal. But did someone deliberately cause the lift to malfunction? Starring John Kielty, Crawford Logan and Alexandra Mathie. 
 
The Meek - Baby Simone has Down's Syndrome, and her mother is convinced she has special powers. Is she traumatised, or is Simone really leading a parallel life in a world where superheroes exist and are being hunted down? Meg Fraser and Sarah Gordy star in this dark, surreal drama. 
 
Inspecting Detectives - Ex-detectives Tom Wood and Peter Ritchie give Denise Mina the 'good cop, bad cop' treatment to find out what makes her tick, grilling her on her life, her writing, and her portrayal of police work. 
 
Text copyright © Denise Mina 2002 ('Squirrels are Pretty from Far Away', 'In a State of Nature'), 2003 (Hurtle), 2006 (The Dead Hour), 2009 (The Meek), 2022 (Three Fires) 
All rights reserved 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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