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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Paul M. Levitt

Bob Sinfield

What drove Harry Houdini - magician, escapologist, and one of the most famous men in the world? 
 
Whether it was escaping from handcuffs, a straitjacket or from a box filled with water, Houdini wowed audiences with his seemingly death-defying performance... This BBC Radio collection shares the story behind the trickery: in two fascinating full-cast dramas about the life of Harry Houdini, and in particular his public campaign to expose fraudulent spiritual mediums. 
 
In the stunning full-cast dramatisation Houdini, a man is naked against the world, bound in chains, deprived of all help. Performing a death defying escape from a galvanised iron can, filled with water and secured with massive locks. Failure means a drowning death! This is the gripping story of the master magician, escapologist, and at the time of his death in 1926, one of the most famous men in the world. Michael Maloney stars as Houdini, with Graham Crowden as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lorelei King as Bess. 
 
Houdini, the showman, longed to believe that he might be able to communicate beyond the grave with his beloved mother, but knew far too much about the trickery and faking of the stage to be easily convinced. The Witch of Beacon Hill is the true story of how Harry Houdini tried to debunk psychics and mediums. Attending séances in disguise, accompanied by a reporter and a police officer he debunked the most famous and celebrated Boston medium Mina Crandon, also known as ‘Margery’. This radio drama tells Margery’s story, and the story of how Houdini set out to disprove her claims. Starring Shelly Thompson as Margery and Nigel Anthony as Houdini. 
 
This double edition collection comes with a bonus episode of Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showman with Rajan Datar. Through interviews, Datar charts the life and career of the legendary Houdini, with writer and biographer Adam Begley, Dr Matthew Solomon, and Dr Katharina Rein.Cast and credits 
 HoudiniWritten by Bob SinfieldProduced by Graham PassHarry Houdini - Michael MaloneySir Arthur Conan Doyle - Graham CrowdenBess - Lorelei KingLady Conan Doyle - Gwen TaylorDash - Jack KlaffWhitehead - Dan StraussDr Steves - Dick VosburghFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 2, Oct 1996The Witch of Beacon Hill Written by Paul M LevittDirected by Martin JenkinsLeroi Crandon - John Woodvine'Margery the Medium’ - Shelly ThompsonHarry Houdini - Nigel AnthonyJames Bird - Kerry ShaleCaldwell/Rand - Vincent BrimbleGray/Munn - Brian MillerMrs Corbridge/Mrs Weiss - Helen HortonCollins/Rubin - Joe DunlopGeorge - Ian TargettCaroline Churchill/Mrs Stinson - Hilda SchroderWinifred Churchill - Barbara AtkinsonHenry/Interviewer - Paul DowningLaura - Jane SlavinFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 Sep 1989The Forum: Harry Houdini: Escape artist and showmanPresented by Rajan DatarProduced by Fiona ClampinFirst Broadcast BBC World Service, 30 Dec 2021©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Houdini & The Witch of Beacon Hill

Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Historical Dramas

Victor Pemberton

A trio of terrifying radio tales starring Roger Delgado, Vincent Price and Honor Blackman 
 
Author, playwright and TV producer Victor Pemberton was probably best known as a script editor and writer for Doctor Who, and as the inventor of the Doctor's trademark sonic screwdriver. But he also created numerous dramas for radio, among them the three cult classics included here. 
 
The Slide - In the Kent new town of Redlow, the residents are shocked by a sudden earthquake. But a worse subterranean threat is still to emerge. When a torrent of mud oozes from the fissure and the local wildlife begins to die, expert seismologist Professor Gomez is called in. His analysis reveals the awful truth: the mud is sentient, intelligent - and lethal... Roger Delgado and Maurice Denham star in this thrilling seven-part sci-fi serial. 
 
Night of the Wolf - March, 1883, and a monster is on the loose in the East Anglian Fens... Concerned about his missing son, Robert, Judge Mathew Deacon travels from Pennysylvania to Cambridge to find out what has become of him. His inquiries lead him to the remote Northcott Manor, deep in the marsh country, where he finds a family hiding dark secrets - and comes face to face with a werewolf... This Gothic horror play stars Vincent Price and Coral Browne. 
 
Dark- Virginia's lover was murdered and her husband hanged. Then, years later, inexplicable events occur in the room where the murder took place. Summoned to investigate, medium Simon Elliott becomes possessed by people from the past. Can the dead really return to exert control over the living? Honor Blackman, Bessie Love and Nigel Anthony star in this suspenseful paranormal thriller. 
 
 
Produced by John Tydeman 
 
The Slide 
Professor Josef Gomez - Roger Delgado 
Hugh Deverill MP - Maurice Denham 
Janet Marshall - Elisabeth Proud 
Dr Ken Richards - David Spenser 
Anna Deverill - Marion Mathie 
'Tug' Wilson - Stephen Jack 
Mrs Wilson - Miriam Margolyes 
Sergeant Johnson - Wilfred Babbage 
Inspector Baxter - Geoffrey Matthews 
Constable/First Journalist/Pilot - Anthony Jackson 
Professor Landers - Rolf Lefebvre 
Professor Lippert - Allan McClelland 
Newscaster/AC2 Gibbons - Nigel Graham 
Mrs Luke - Noel Hood 
Nursing Sister - Eva Haddon 
Sorensen - Fraser Kerr 
RAF Corporal - Anthony Hall 
Barry - Glyn Dearman 
Nurse - Patricia Leventon 
Dr Robeson - Michael Kilgarriff 
Second Journalist - Hector Ross 
Third Journalist/Policeman/Ground Control - Brian Hewlett 
American Journalist - Peter Marinker 
Vicar - Noel Howlett 
Margaret Griffiths MP - Joan Matheson 
TV Interviewer - Henry Stamper 
Special effects: The BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
First broadcast BBC Radio Light Programme, 13 February-27 March 1966 
 
Night of the Wolf 
Judge Mathew Deacon - Vincent Price 
Robert Deacon, his son - Peter Whitman 
Mrs Northcott - Coral Browne 
Sybil, her daughter - Sheila Grant 
Dorothy, Sybil's daughter - Elizabeth Proud 
Nicholas, Sybil's son - John Rye 
Griffin, an undergraduate - Michael Cochrane 
Professor Forrester - Hugh Manning 
Sir Richard Burnett - Haydn Jones 
Morris - Paul Gaymon 
Jessie - Norma Ronald 
Technical assistants Jock Parrell, Marsail MacCuish, David Bitchinson and Alister Wilson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 August 1975 
 
Dark 
Virginia Preston - Honor Blackman 
Mother - Bessie Love 
Simon Elliott - Nigel Anthony 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 February 1978 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Vintage BBC Radio Horror: The Slide, Night of the Wolf & Dark

Three full-cast supernatural thrillers

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe's most celebrated stories, as heard on BBC Radio - plus bonus documentaries and two thrilling original dramas 
 
The master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe has inspired generations of horror writers with his chilling Gothic tales, and is also credited with inventing the detective fiction genre in The Murders in the Rue Morgue. 
 
This radio collection features five of his classic tales - The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Oblong Box, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death, read by David Horovitch, Brian Gear, James Aubrey, Sean Barrett and Don Gilet. Also included is his renowned poem The Raven, read by Patrick Romer. 
 
Here, too, are adaptations of Poe's suspenseful story of piracy and slavery, The Gold Bug, starring Clarke Peters and Rhashan Stone, and his pioneering mystery story The Murders in the Rue Morgue, starring James Fleet and Andrew Scott. 
 
Radio 3's The Essay: Loving the Raven sees Poe enthusiasts Andrew Taylor, Joanne Harris, Louise Welsh, Mark Lawson and Kim Newman discussing the author's enduring legacy and cult status, while in Adventures in Poetry: The Raven, Peggy Reynolds explores Poe's most iconic work. 
 
Also included are two original dramas featuring Poe himself. Obsessed by a woman's unsolved murder, Edgar Allan Poe is presented with a disturbing revelation on the night before his death in Peter Mackie's The Real Mystery of Marie Roget, starring Ed Bishop. And in Christopher Cook's The Strange Case of Edgar Allan Poe, starring Kerry Shale and John Moffatt, Poe's famous detective C. Auguste Dupin investigates the bizarre death of his creator. 
 
Content warning: The Gold Bug is set in a time when slavery was still prevalent in America, and contains racist language from that era. 
 
Track listing: 
The Pit and the Pendulum 
The Tell-Tale Heart 
The Oblong Box 
The Fall of the House of Usher 
The Masque of the Red Death 
The Raven 
The Gold Bug 
The Murders in the Rue Morgue 
The Essay: Loving the Raven 
Adventures in Poetry: The Raven 
The Real Mystery of Marie Roget 
The Strange Case of Edgar Allan Poe 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Edgar Allan Poe BBC Radio Collection

The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart & other works

Susan Hill

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

The Susan Hill BBC Radio Drama Collection

14 Full-Cast Dramas

Honoré De Balzac

Stunning all-star adaptations of Balzac&rsquo;s finest worksThis brilliant collection of France&rsquo;s foremost nineteenth-century novelist and playwright delivers four of his most fascinating works - stories of love, rivalry, horror and adventure - all brought to life by a stellar cast including Stephen Fry and Alex Kingston. A huge influence on many of the most famous writers from Proust to Kerouac to Dickens, Balzac delivers beautifully observed and complex characters with an unsurpassed attention to the details of society at the time, making him an exemplary of realism in European literature.Pere Goriot - Dramatised in four parts, this is the story of Eugene, who has discovered that the mysterious Pere Goriot has two daughters who could provide the key to his entry into Parisian society&hellip; Starring Stephen Fry as the author Balzac and Alex Kingston as Delphine.Ursule Mirouet (The Inheritance) - 74 year old Dr Minoret has returned to live out his final days in his home town. His grasping nephews and nieces eagerly await his demise but the good doctor seems to favour his charming young ward, Ursule. What lengths are his family prepared to go to secure their inheritance? Starring Elizabeth Cassidy in the title role of this three-part production.The Mysterious Mansion - A grisly tale set in La Grande Breteche, the ruins of an abandoned house and neglected garden. Balzac is determined to uncover the story behind its tragic secrets&hellip; David Calder stars as the author.The Black Sheep - Balzac&rsquo;s classic tale of family rivalry set in 19th-century France. Philippe Bridau returns from the battle of Waterloo and steals from his mother to finance his gambling habit. It's left to his brother Joseph to rescue the family from destitution, but at what cost? Can he betray his own sibling? Geoffrey Whitehead leads the cast in the role of narrator.A wonderful collection from a superb author, performed by a stunning cast, this is a must listen for any fan of classic literature.Cast and creditsWritten by Honoré De BalzacPere GoriotFeaturing: Stephen Fry, Douglas Hodge, David Ross, Geoffrey Banks, Alex Kingston, Noreen Kershaw, Ian Mercer, Romy Baskerville, John Griffin, Clare Dow, Barbara Marten, Paul Broughton, Robin PolleyDramatised by David HopkinsDirected by Kate RowlandFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 Sep 1992Ursule Mirouet (The Inheritance) Featuring: Margot Boyd, Ronald Herdman, Alan Devereux, Patricia Gallimore, Haydn Jones, Sean Barrett, Stephen Thorne, Terry Molloy, Edward Kelsey, Patricia Gibson, Denys Hawthorne, Elizabeth Cassidy, Penelope Shaw, Geoffrey Matthews, Alexander JohnDramatised by Joan O&rsquo;ConnorDirected by Roger PineFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 Apr 1980The Mysterious MansionFeaturing: David Calder, Dorien Thomas, Dillwyn Owen, Tessa Gearing, Christopher Grimes, Marilyn Le Conte, Nigel Carrington, Manon Edwards, Alan TownerDramatised by Peter MackieDirected by David HunterFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 Oct 1993The Black SheepFeaturing: Geoffrey Whitehead, Matthew Pidgeon, Briony McRoberts, Thomas Arnold, Alan Cox, Timothy Bateson, Lucy Paterson, Christian Rodska, Colette O'Neil, Jon Glover, Nyasha Hatendi, Chris PavloDramatised by Chris NolanDirected by Bruce YoungFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 Aug 2008&copy;2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Honoré De Balzac: Pere Goriot, The Black Sheep & more

Four BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

Agatha Christie

‘There’s Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.’ Published in 1945, Sparkling Cyanide is all about remembrance. It begins with six characters recalling the horrific death of Rosemary Barton, a beautiful but shallow young heiress poisoned by a cyanide-spiked glass of champagne whilst celebrating her birthday at a smart London restaurant. Rosemary haunts all six characters, each of them a suspect, throughout the story – and it’s not until her killer is found and her ghost laid to rest that the group can move on, though they will never forget. With a distinguished cast including Naomi Frederick, Peter Wight and Sean Baker, this wonderfully entertaining production retains the thrill of Agatha Christie’s clever, compulsive story.

Sparkling Cyanide

William Shakespeare

Robert Louis Stevenson

Oscar Wilde

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

James Hogg

BBC radio dramatisations of classic novels featuring some of literature’s most devious and compelling villainsCunning. Corrupt. Charismatic. The degenerate characters in this collection shun conventional morality, and will stop at nothing to get what they want... These five sensational dramas, set in locations ranging from 16th century Venice to Victorian England, revolve around their unscrupulous actions – and the devastating consequences of the choices they make.Othello – Lenny Henry stars in this acclaimed production of Shakespeare's great tragedy of love turned sour by unfounded jealousy. Othello is a brave general and a noble man – but the evil manipulations of his lieutenant, Iago (Conrad Nelson) provoke his descent into deluded rage.The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Introduced by David Tennant, this fast-moving dramatisation tells the disturbing tale of a scientist who experiments on himself to release his uncontrollable dark side, and of the lawyer’s daughter determined to bring him to book. Starring Stuart MacQuarrie, John Dougall and Madeleine Worrell.The Picture of Dorian Gray – Vain, hedonistic aristocrat Dorian Gray makes a Faustian pact to preserve his youthful beauty. But after years of decadence and selfish pleasure, is retribution on the horizon? Jamie Glover and Ian McDiarmid star in this adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s famous novel.Lady Audley’s Secret– Newly married to rich widower Lord Audley, former governess Lucy Graham glories in the delights of her new life. When her scandalous past is discovered, she will dare anything to preserve the security and wealth she has gained… Starring Hattie Morahan, Charlotte Emerson and Alex Wyndham, this thrilling serial retains all the mystery and suspense of Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Gothic ‘sensation novel’.Confessions of a Justified Sinner – Robert Colwan believes he is destined for salvation no matter what crimes he commits. If you can kill without paying the price, how murderous can you become? And what, if anything, does that do to your psyche? Lorn Macdonald stars in this tense, eerie reimagining of James Hogg’s seminal novel about a young man radicalised by religious fanaticism.Content listOthelloWritten by William Shakespeare 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 Feb 2010The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeWritten by Robert Louis Stevenson 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 Nov 2016The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten by Oscar Wilde 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 Jan-6 Feb 2000Lady Audley’s SecretWritten by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 Apr-1 May 2009Confessions of a Justified SinnerWritten by James Hogg 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 Mar 2023© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Immorality Unmasked: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Five Full-Cast Dramatisations Including Othello, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde & The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dan Freedman

Nick Romero

The swashbuckling exploits of Edwardian occultist and adventurer Lord Zimbabwe, written by and starring Nick Romero and Dan Freedman Laugh out loud at this 2000s sitcom featuring the outrageous time travelling Edwardian Lord Zimbabwe (Nick Romero), and his friend the German inventor Doctor Lilac (Dan Freedman). This pacy comedy has the travelling duo racing across space and time solving mysteries and thwarting evil enemies with the help (or lack thereof) of Zimbabwe’s butler, Theremin, who refuses to carry out any of his instructions, and Schrödinger, a semi-corporeal cat that exists in a superposition of quantum states of life and death.First stop on the adventure is Ancient Egypt, where Lord Zimbabwe must swash a buckle or two! The tackiest Pharaoh civilisation ever created experiences an untimely death and unwittingly unleashes an evil curse on humanity - will the intrepid adventurers be able to save the day as well as the damsel? There is barely time for a hot buttered crumpet and a cup of tea when a mysterious Countess begs Lord Zimbabwe to win back her soul from the Lord of the Underworld. The stakes are high – if the soul is not retrieved, the Countess is destined to become a Barry Manilow fan for eternity… Soon after, the beautiful Miss Clanton summons the occultist over the seas of time to the Wild West and the town of Tombstone, where her evil uncle, the Waffle Barron is set on dastardly acts. Despite his trusty butler Theremin, refusing to carry out any of his commands, Lord Zimbabwe presses on and faces his greatest challenge yet when an American heiress is subject to a cruel alien abduction and taken into space - will Zimbabwe and Dr Lilac successfully be able to reach the moon and save her? And more importantly, will they be back in time to feed Schrödinger?This delightful comedy, written by award-winning duo Nick Romero and Dan Freedman, famous for their fast jokes and clever puns, will have you laughing from here to there and back again.Cast and creditsWritten by Dan Freedman and Nick RomeroProduced by Helen WilliamsLord Zimbabwe - Nick RomeroDr Lilac - Dan FreedmanTheremin/Ringo - Peter DonaldsonProfessor Cockcroft/Contessa Del Monte/Miss Clanton - Sophie AldredPriest/Vicar - Colin GuthrieIke Clanton/Cletus - Owen OakeshottOther parts played by the cast.First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 Jul - 1 Aug 2000©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ectoplasm

A BBC Radio Sitcom

William Peter Blatty

Robert Glenister and Ian McDiarmid star in a gripping BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of William Peter Blatty’s classic horror novel 
 
‘When a radio play is this good, the devil really is in the details’ Radio Times 
 
Summoned to a case of apparent possession, Father Karras is at first sceptical, then horrified. The victim –a 12-year-old girl named Regan – seems to be controlled by a malign supernatural force that makes her swear, blaspheme, scream in agony and perform appalling acts. Attempting to find a rational explanation for the girl’s behaviour, Karras tries to talk to Regan, only to find himself locking horns with the demon inside her head. Its many voices mock him, tormenting him with his weakness, doubts and buried guilt. With his faith in God and humanity tested to the limit, Karras turns to the ultimate solution: exorcism… 
 
The film version of The Exorcist is widely considered to be one of the most terrifying movies ever made. This new, full-cast radio drama is just as chilling, suspenseful and shocking, while also retaining the depth and psychological complexity of Blatty’s original novel. Adapted by Sony Award-winning dramatist Robert Forrest, it stars Robert Glenister as Karras, Alexandra Mathie as the Demon and Ian McDiarmid as Merrin.

The Exorcist

Tim Firth

Noel Coward

William Chaucer

E F Benson

M. R. James

W.W.Jacobs

Classic plays and ghost stories, as performed by the residents of Ambridge and friends - plus bonus drama Dead Girls Tell No Tales 
 
Borsetshire's queen of amateur theatricals, Lynda Snell, never misses the chance to put on a Christmas show. Her productions are always a big hit with Ambridge audiences - and now, Archers fans can enjoy these top-notch performances alongside them (as well as eavesdropping on the shenanigans backstage). 
 
In Blithe Spirit, the Ambridge Am-Dram Society and guest star Julian Rhind-Tutt recreate Noël Coward's ghostly masterpiece, and Lynda finds herself in sympathy with eccentric medium Madame Arcati as she attempts to conjure some festive high spirits. Calendar Girls sees the group taking on Tim Firth's comedy of jam and Jerusalem, along with honorary resident Siân Phillips (who starred in the original West End show). Will the intrepid cast really bare all? And in the 2-parter The Canterbury Tales, the company present barnstorming adaptations of Chaucer's classic stories of courtly love, deadly rivalry and boisterous sex - with a little bit of magic thrown in. 
 
In Ambridge Ghost Stories, it's a cold December night, in the darkened attic of Lower Loxley. Then Jim Llloyd (John Rowe) takes to the stage to recount three spine-chilling supernatural tales from the turn of the last century - 'The Room in the Tower' by E. F. Benson, 'Lost Hearts' by M. R. James and 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. Prepare to be enthralled - and terrified... 
 
Also included are two special seasonal pageants, The Ambridge Mystery Plays- The Nativity and The Passion and a stunning original drama by Joanna Toye. Starring Eleanor Tomlinson and Ysette Churchman and Miles Jupp Dead Girls Tell No Tales explores the real story behind the death of Grace Archer: a watershed moment in the history of broadcasting and one of the defining cultural events of the 1950s. 
 
Production credits 
Blithe Spirit 
Written by Noël Coward 
Adapted and directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2014 
 
Calendar Girls 
The accompanying pianist was Simon Taranczuk 
Written by Tim Firth and based on the motion picture Calendar Girls written by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi. Adapted and directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2015 
 
The Canterbury Tales, Parts 1 &amp; 2 
Tellers of the Tales 
The Knight's Tale 
The Miller's Tale 
The Wife of Bath's Tale 
The Sailor's Tale 
The Pardoner's Tale 
The Friar's Tale 
The Franklin's Tale 
The Bailiff's Tale 
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer 
Dramatised by Nick Warburton. Directed by Kim Greengrass. Produced by Alison Hindell 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2018-5 January 2019 
 
The Ambridge Mystery Plays 
The Nativity 
The Passion 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26th December 2021 &amp; 2nd January 2022 
 
Ambridge Ghost Stories 
Abridged by Jeremy Osborne 
 
'The Room in the Tower' written by E F Benson 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Davey 
 
'Lost Hearts' written by M. R. James 
Produced and directed by Mel Ward 
 
'The Monkey's Paw' written by W. W. Jacobs 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Davey 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2019-1 January 2020 
 
Dead Girls Tell No Tales 
Cast: Jon Culshaw, Pam Ferris, Lex Shrapnel, Eleanor Tomlinson, Georgie Fuller, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Sally Bretton, Simon Russell Beale, John Hopkins, Claudie Blakley, David Reed, Miles Jupp, Zeb Soanes, Paddy O'Connell, Ysanne Churchman, David Hounslow, Sam Dale, Chris Pavlo, Jessica Turner and Alex Tregear 
Written by Joanna Toye. Directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 September 2015 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Archers: The Ambridge Players

Six BBC full-cast drama productions including Blithe Spirit, Calendar Girls & More

R D Wingfield

Five full-cast BBC Radio thrillers from renowned crime writer R.D. Wingfield 
 
Author and dramatist R.D. Wingfield was best known for creating one of Britain's most beloved fictional policemen, Inspector Jack Frost, who featured in 10 bestselling books and a hit ITV series starring David Jason. This collection includes the radio precursor to the novels and TV show, A Touch of Frost, plus four more gripping dramas. 
 
A Touch of Frost - DI Frost is tough, rough and rude. He does things his way - and gets results. But when Denton CID is faced with a spate of major crimes, including rape, robbery, a missing girl and a hit-and-run incident, he finds himself under pressure... Derek Martin stars as Jack Frost. 
 
Det Con Webster - Haydn Wood 
Det Chief Insp Cull - Stephen Thorne 
Supt Mullett - Alan Dudley 
Sergeant Wells - Ellis Dale 
PC Fletcher - Stanley Page 
WPC Susan Dean - Jill Lidstone 
Det Sgt Ingram - Gordon Reid 
PC Smith - Andrew Byatt 
Paula Grey - Alex Marshall 
Kitty Reynolds - June Brown 
Freddie Bicknall - Richard Gold-Parry 
Directed by Peter King 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 February 1982 
 
Outbreak of Fear - When Sergeant Fowler investigates a brutal death in the sleepy West Country fishing village of Polford, he soon discovers he has a serial killer on his hands. Leslie Sands, Nick Orchard and Nicholas Courtney star in this suspenseful drama. 
 
 Sergeant Fowler .... Leslie Sands 
 PC Beaumont .... Nick Orchard 
 Dave Clark .... Cornelius Garrett 
 The Doctor .... Paul Nicholson 
 Pete Carter .... Derek Graham 
 Mitchell .... Conrad Phillips 
 Rose .... Gillie Graham 
 Fred Dickey .... Fred Bryant 
 Albert .... Douglas Leach 
 Kim .... Deborah Paige 
 Mrs Trevor .... Patricia Gibson 
 Joe Hardy.... John Gabriel 
 Radio DJ..... Jim Reid 
 Vicar .....Ronald Russell 
Miss Reed... Ann Morrish 
 Chadwick .... Nicholas Courtney 
 Eric Farrow... Malcolm Young 
 Mrs Farrow.... Rosemary Sigel 
 Operator .... Brian Gear 
 Jackson... Roger Leach 
 Director: Brian Miller 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 August-26 September 1982 
 
 Deadfall - Retired special agent and demolitions expert Harry Davis was once part of a disastrous attempt to assassinate an African leader. Now, years later, his past catches up with him when he is called back to try again. 
 
 Harry Davis - Bob Peck 
Jenny Brown - Julie Berry 
 Tom Crossland - Aubrey Woods 
 Colonel Travers - Peter Howell 
 Reynolds - Tim Reynolds 
 Joe - Alan Dudley 
 Det Sgt Redway - Stephen Thorne 
Police and Secret Agents- Michael Tudor Barnes 
Agent - Paul Gregory 
 Directed by Ian Cotterell 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 December 1987 
 
 Daylight Robbery - 'Elderly lady living alone in remote house, willing to take in paying guests.' Miss Pickering's newspaper advert seems innocuous, but she has an ulterior motive - as do the four gentlemen who reply. 
 
Miss Pickering -Monica Grey 
 Colonel Fryatt - Norman Shelley 
 Dr Brown - Jonathan Scott 
 Harris - Peter Woodthorpe 
 Wakeson - Howard Goorney 
 Bank Manager - Lewis Stringer 
 Woman in Telephone Kiosk - Daisy Bell 
 Jones - Brian Gear 
 Woman in Crowd - Elizabeth Havelock 
 Constable - Douglas Leach 
 Car Driver - David Ponting 
 Other parts played by the cast. 
 Directed at BBC Bristol by John Cardy 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 June 1977 
 
 The Cellar 
 In mourning for their little boy, the Bakers move into a secluded cottage - only to find that horror lurks below stairs... John Pullen and Rosalind Ayres star in this spine-tingling supernatural tale. 
 
Paul Baker - John Pullen 
Susan Baker - Rosalind Ayres 
Mr Crawford - Leonard Fenton 
Bill - Fred Bryant 
Alf - Gordon Dulieu 
Little Boy - Elizabeth Lindsay 
Directed by Gerry Jones 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 April 1979 
 
 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

R.D. Wingfield: A Touch of Frost and other thrillers

A BBC Radio 4 Drama Collection

Daisy Johnson

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

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

A BBC Radio 4 drama collection

Horror maestro Christopher Lee reads this quartet of supernatural tales, adapted from the stories of M. R. James 
 
Over a century ago, M. R. James was the provost of King's College, Cambridge. He would gather together a select group of students in his rooms every Christmas Eve, and give a candlelit performance of one of his superbly unsettling ghost stories. Christopher Lee recreates the spine-chilling atmosphere of those evenings, as he dons James' mantle to read these four fearful tales. 
 
The Stalls of Barchester - Perusing the papers of Archdeacon Haynes, our narrator uncovers a hidden history of intrigue, murder, a sinister cat and some strange ecclesiastical carvings. 
 
The Ash Tree - When Sir Matthew Fell, squire of Castringham Hall, testifies against suspected witch Mrs Mothersole, she is found guilty and hanged. From that day forward, a series of tragic events afflict the Fell family, all seemingly linked to the old ash tree growing in the Hall grounds... 
 
Number 13 - Staying in Room 12 of the Golden Lion in the Danish town of Viborg, historian Mr Anderson is perturbed by the mystery of the room next door. Who, or what, is the inhabitant of number 13? 
 
A Warning to the Curious - The horrific account of an archaeologist named Paxton, who takes the fateful decision to excavate the last of the legendary East Anglian crowns - and unleashes a terrifying supernatural force... 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by M. R. James 
Adapted by Ronald Frame 
Read by Christopher Lee 
Directed by Eleanor Yule 
Produced by Richard Downes 
Title music: Geoffrey Burgon 
Editors: James Hamilton and Phyllis Ironside 
Production manager: Monica O'Connor 
 
First broadcast on BBC Two on the following dates: 
 
The Stalls of Barchester 23 December 2000 
The Ash Tree 26 December 2000 
Number 13 29 December 2000 
A Warning to the Curious 31 December 2000 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ghost Stories with Christopher Lee

Four chilling tales from the BBC TV series

Valentine Dyall

Various

Four gripping episodes from the famous 1940s BBC Radio horror series.   Includes: 'The Pit and the Pendulum' by Edgar Allen Poe (18 September 1943); 'The Speaking Clock' by John Dickson Carr (13 April 1944);  'The Clock Strikes Eight' by John Dickson Carr (18 May 1944);  'And the Deep Shuddered' by Monckton Hoffe (20 November 1945).   'Appointment With Fear' ran for a total of ten series between 1943 and 1955, with Valentine Dyall – ‘The Man in Black’ – introducing nine of them. The four episodes here are the sole surviving ones from the BBC archive.   'The Pit and the Pendulum' is a terrifying tale of torture told by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, while 'The Speaking Clock' tells of a man who commits murder and gets away with it. In 'The Clock Strikes Eight', we learn from Dr Gideon Fell the awful truth about the Barton case, while 'And The Deep Shuddered' is a haunting tale of a survivor of a maritime disaster who subsequently goes insane.   Dramatised with a full cast, these four sinister stories will chill your blood and strike terror into your heart.

Appointment With Fear

Colin Haydn Evans

David Campton

Jill Hyem

Don Webb

Four hair-raising tales of terror, as heard on BBC Radio 4 
 
'Three hours worth of spooky entertainment ... there are some terrific performances to be enjoyed here' Entertainment Focus 
 
In these four supernatural dramas, first broadcast on radio in 1984, a house hides more than meets the eye; a B &amp; B landlady helps her guests forget their troubles; a Japanese man inadvertently awakens a vengeful spirit; and a mother and baby become unsettled in remote mill. 
 
 
Written by Colin Haydn Evans, David Campton, Jill Hyem and Don Webb, and starring Anna Massey, Rosemary Leach, Sean Barrett, and Pam Ferris, these eerie, atmospheric stories are guaranteed to give you goosebumps. Just don't listen with the lights off... 
 
Figures - Stuck in a marriage of convenience, unhappy Ann is searching for a refuge. So as soon as she sees the house, she knows it has to be hers. Its past is part of her future - all she has to do is sit in the upstairs room, kept locked for so long, and wait... 
 
Mrs M - Mrs Meadowsweet offers visitors to her country guesthouse a truly carefree holiday. Everybody is so happy. A little abstracted, perhaps, but certainly happy. New arrivals Madge and Arthur are suspicious, but can Mrs M win them over? 
 
Origami - When mild-mannered Mr Shimojo takes a room in Mrs Bestall's house, he becomes an instant hit with her young daughter, teaching her the Japanese art of paper folding. But no one is prepared for the sequence of horrifying events which his presence seems to generate... 
 
Witch Water Green - Barbara Tate and her baby girl are all alone in their new home - a converted mill deep in the countryside. The move has been stressful; Barbara is lonely and the baby is fretful. But there's another, deeper reason for her uneasiness... 
 
Cast and credits 
Figures 
Ann - Anna Massey 
Ralph Symons - Blain Fairman 
Rebecca Symons - Jill Lidstone 
Peter Fuller - Jon Strickland 
Alex Slade - Michael Bilton 
 
Written by Colin Haydn Evans 
Directed by Ian Cotterell 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 February 1984 
 
Mrs M 
Mrs Meadowsweet - Rosemary Leach 
Madge - Anne Jameson 
Arthur - Roger Hume 
Simon - Terry Molloy 
Miss Brazenose - Joyce Gibbs 
Inga - Patricia Gallimore 
 
Written by David Campton 
Directed by Peter Windows 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 February 1984 
 
Origami 
Mr Shimojo - Sean Barrett 
Helen Bestall - Carole Boyd 
Peter Trent - Christopher Scoular 
Lucy Bestall - Helen Worth 
 
Written by Jill Hyem 
Directed by Kay Patrick 
Pronunciation adviser: Masatoshi Tobia 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 February 1982 
 
Witch Water Green 
Barbara Tate - Pam Ferris 
Dr Jane Rayner - Jenny Lee 
The Rev Roy Brown - Nigel Anthony 
Johnny Goad - Brian Southwood 
Wendy Williams - Kate Lee 
 
Written by Don Webb 
Directed by Tony Cliff 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 March 1984 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Spine Chillers

A BBC Radio 4 Horror Collection

Mary Shelley

Lucy Catherine

Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Ann Ratcliffe

Mary Braddon

Edith Nesbit

Edith Wharton

Elizabeth Bowen

Howard Brenton

Bram Stoker

A chilling collection of classic gothic horror and ghost stories adapted or written by women 
 
In this breathtaking collection of gothic horror and eerie tales, draw the curtains and pull the blankets close for two classic Victorian horror tales in new adaptations, Dracula starring Nicky Henson, Charles Edwards, Don Gilet and Ellie Kendrick and Frankenstein, with Jamie Parker (Harry Potter) as Frankenstein and Shaun Dooley (Gentleman Jack, Broadchurch) as the Monster. Next is a thrilling drama about the scandalous Mary Shelley and Lord Byron in Bloody Poetry. In the sensational psycho-sexual thriller The Mysteries of Udolpho with Robert Glenister (Suspicion, Spooks), a young woman is trapped in a castle of nightmares and villains. But who can she trust? 
 
Four spine-chilling dramatised tales follow: The Cold Embrace, where a handsome artist makes a terrible mistake, Man-size in Marble, in which newly-weds must face a horrifying truth, Afterward sees a couple paying the price for an unexpected windfall, and The Demon Lover, featuring Jenny Howe (Silent Witness, Eastenders) about a woman struggling home through the Blitz. 
 
Finally, two of Mary Shelley's finest short stories, 'The Mortal Immortal '- when a young apprentice drinks a potion to cure his heartbreak but discovers a feeling far worse - and 'Rodger Dodworth: The Reanimated Englishman' - where a man is woken after 170 years encased in ice. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Dracula 
Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz 
Story written by Bram Stoker 
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 14 October 2012 
 
Frankenstein 
Dramatised by Lucy Catherine 
Written by Mary Shelley 
Directed by Marc Beeby 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 28 October - 4 November 2012 
 
Bloody Poetry 
Written by Howard Brenton 
Adapted by Alison Hindell 
Directed by Alison Hindell 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 20 October 2012 
 
The Mysteries of Udolpho 
Written by Ann Radcliffe 
Dramatised by Catherine Czerkawska 
Directed by David Blount 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 October - 24 October 1996 
 
The Cold Embrace 
Written by Mary Braddon 
Produced by Marion Nancarrow 
Directed by Christopher Hawes 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26 July 1997 
 
Man-size in Marble 
Written by Edith Nesbit 
Produced by Marion Nancarrow 
Dramatised by Christopher Hawes 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 November 1997 
 
Afterward 
Written by Edith Wharton 
Produced by Marion Nancarrow 
Directed by Christopher Hawes 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 November 1997 
 
The Demon Lover 
Written by Elizabeth Bowen 
Produced by Marion Nancarrow 
Directed by Christopher Hawes 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 July 1997 
 
'The Mortal Immortal' 
Written by Mary Shelley 
Produced by Gemma Jenkins 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3 December 2005 
 
'Rodger Dodworth: The Reanimated Englishman' 
Written by Mary Shelley 
Produced by John Cardy 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 May 1982 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Gothic Imagination: Dracula, Frankenstein & more

A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Matthew Lewis

Jane Austen

Ann Radcliffe

Horace Walpole

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

Tales of Terror: A BBC Radio Gothic Drama Collection

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

A thrilling collection of dramatisations from the classic Scottish master of tales 
 
Robert Louis Stevenson was a novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer, and created some of the most famous and influential characters in modern literature. From Long John Silver and David Balfour to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, his figures swiftly became the shorthand for piracy, monstrous medicine, and the slave trade in America. A master of atmosphere and an enthusiast of foreign travel, Stevenson wrote countless stories which have been enjoyed in film, television and theatre adaptations throughout the years. 
 
In this fantastic collection, enjoy the ripping adventures of Treasure Island, with young Jim Hawkins discovering a treasure map in a pirate's chest and soon finding himself drawn into a world of danger and high seas adventure with the charismatic Long John Silver. The next two stories are introduced by David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens): Kidnapped, the thrilling tale of one young man's escape from the Jacobite rebellions, only to be press-ganged onto a slave ship heading for the plantations of America, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the terrifying story of a scientist experimenting on himself, and the terrible dark discovery he makes, featuring Stuart McQuarrie (The Crown, Shetland) and John Dougall (The Girl on the Train, Holby City). 
 
Five further stories follow: 'The Bottle Imp', a twisted tale about a magic bottle, The Master of Ballantrae, a buccaneering tale of two rival brothers, and Weir of Hermiston, Stevenson's unfinished novel of passion and rebellion in the Lowlands. In 'Olalla', a family is hiding a terrible secret in the Spanish hills, and in 'Markheim', an unusual stranger is suspiciously helpful. 
 
Finally, two fascinating pieces of non-fiction: Travels with a Donkey, Stevenson's account of attempting to travel the French mountains with only a donkey for company and Great Lives, an episode of the series featuring Stevenson as the examined life. 
 
Starring such acclaimed actors as David Tennant, Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Lovejoy), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Mary Queen of Scots) and Alan Cumming (The High Life, The Good Wife), this is a collection not to be missed by any fan of literature or adventure. 
 
Contents List 
 
Treasure Island 
 
Kidnapped 
 
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 
 
'The Bottle Imp' 
 
The Master of Ballantrae 
 
Weir of Hermiston 
 
'Olalla' 
 
'Markheim' 
 
Travels with a Donkey 
 
Great Lives - Robert Louis Stevenson 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Robert Louis Stevenson: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and more

Widely acknowledged as the master of the supernatural, M. R. James penned many of his classic ghost stories to be read aloud to friends, by candlelight, in his study on Christmas Eve. These five adaptations, originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, perfectly capture the mood of nerve-jangling suspense that would surely have been present during those readings.   In ‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’, Professor Parkins embarks on a terrifying journey of discovery after he removes a curious artefact from the ruins of a Templar preceptory; while ‘The Tractate Middoth’ sees diligent curator David Garrett caught up in the machinations of the mysterious Dr Rant when he’s sent to retrieve an obscure manuscript from the library stacks.   ‘Lost Hearts’ tells of a young boy haunted by two ghostly children, and in ‘The Rose Garden’, terrifying forces are unleashed when the Goodmans tear down their old summer house. Finally, ‘Number 13’ takes us to the Danish town of Viborg, where Dr Anderson puts himself in terrible danger as he investigates why the hotel he’s staying at does not contain a room 13.   Starring BAFTA and Emmy-award winning actor Derek Jacobi, and with powerfully chilling music and sound effects, these rich, riveting dramatisations make for irresistible listening.

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