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

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

Dave Cohen

David Quantick

Richie Webb

Twenty brief, barbed and bittersweet musical comedies, written by and starring Richie Webb &ndash; including eight Christmas Specials 
 
&lsquo;Let&rsquo;s have a standing ovation for the 15 Minute Musical' The Guardian 
 
Oozing with satire and sass, these fun-size yet deliciously satisfying musical comedies do for your ears what chocolate does for your taste buds. Based on the lives and careers of well-known public figures, each one takes a politician or VIP who has hit the headlines, and gives them a West End make-over. Their fabricated stories are told in an original, never-heard-before, musical that will have your toes tapping to the rhythm and shoulders shaking to the laughs. 
 
All the conventions of a musical are followed (huge production numbers, tender ballads and emotional reprises) &ndash; but artistic licence is well and truly taken as celebrities such as David Cameron, Simon Cowell and Morrissey are hilariously lampooned in song. Hear the greatest stories never told (or sung) as Julian Assange is wiki-leaked; Nigel Farage goes to Europe with a Britpop soundtrack; and Barack Obama fights for the American presidency via power ballads and rock anthems. Plus, we go &lsquo;Upstairs Downton&rsquo; with the Middletons; and pay homage to Russia&rsquo;s greatest love machine in an outrageously camp, disco-tastic look at Vladimir Putin... 
 
Also featured are all eight Christmas specials from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, including Jeremy Corbyn Superstar!, Lady and the Trump, Cabarexit, Eurovision Gone Wrong Contest and a Rodgers and Hammerstein-inspired celebration of all things Meghan Markle: The Sixth in Line to be King and I. 
 
Winner of the Writers&rsquo; Guild of Great Britain Radio Comedy Award, this hugely entertaining series is written by Dave Cohen, David Quantick and Richie Webb, and stars Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Alex Tregear, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans. 
 
Production credits 
Starring Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Alex Tregear, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans 
Written by Richie Webb, Dave Cohen and David Quantick 
Produced by Katie Tyrrell and Richard Morris 
Production co-ordinator: Nick Coupe 
Music composed, performed and arranged by Richie Webb 
Music production: Matt Katz 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
A Right Royal Cockney Christmas 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2012 
 
Brian Elliott 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2012 
 
The Ozfather 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2012 
 
The Reducers 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2012 
 
Licence to Kil...marnock 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2012 
 
Barack of Ages 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 January 2013 
 
It&rsquo;s a One-Hit Wonderful Life 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 December 2013 
 
Julian and the Assanging Technicolour Download 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2013 
 
The Last Days of Farage 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2013 
 
Heaven Knows I'm Middle-Aged Now 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2013 
 
Half a Sixth Form 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2013 
 
Ra Ra It's Putin 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2013 
 
Seven Bribes 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2015 
 
Jeremy Corbyn Superstar! 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2015 
 
Lady and the Trump 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2016 
 
Cabarexit 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2016 
 
The Legend of Holy Superior Mother Theresa May and the Magic Money Tree 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2017 
 
Dud Brothers 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2017 
 
Eurovision Gone Wrong Contest 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2018 
 
The Sixth in Line to be King and I 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 January 2019 
 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

15 Minute Musical: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series

Twenty Musical Sketches

Laurie Wyman

Jimmy Edwards stars in this spin-off from The Navy Lark, chronicling life in and around the higher echelons of British United Plastics Ltd 
 
Following in the footsteps of The Navy Lark, The TV Lark and The Embassy Lark, The Big Business Lark aired for 13 episodes over the summer of 1969. Blending satire with farce, it charted the business machinations at a fictional plastics company. 
 
Ruling the roost at this chaotic commercial enterprise is managing director and chairman Sir Charles Bonniface, a crafty, cricket-loving tycoon who likes to keep one hand firmly on the tiller and the other on his secretary’s posterior. Waiting in the wings is his son Frank, stoically enduring his father’s bluff and bluster as he bides his time to take over the top job. Ensuring that all runs smoothly is Edith, Sir Charles’ put-upon personal assistant, who bears her boss’s lecherous attentions with equanimity. 
 
Together, they endeavour to promote British United Plastics’ sole product – Polystumer, a seemingly indestructible synthetic material with a surprising number of uses, from bathroom fixtures to breakfast cereal toys. In these entertaining episodes, they swing a contract with a camping company to make speedboat shells, land an order to supply the Red Army with tents, attempt to create camel-proof plastic to seal a deal with a Sultan, and make a TV commercial to try and impress a Hollywood film mogul... 
 
Starring Jimmy Edwards as Sir Charles, with Frank Thornton as Frank and Gwen Cherrell as Edith, The Big Business Lark also benefits from the considerable talents of Alexander John, Elizabeth Morgan and Nigel Graham, who between them play over 50 larger-than life characters. So mix business with pleasure, and enjoy this lively, laughter-filled Lark! 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes 
 
Production credits 
Scripted by Lawrie Wyman 
Produced by Alastair Scott Johnston 
Starring: Jimmy Edwards, Frank Thornton and Gwen Cherrell 
With Elizabeth Morgan, Alexander John and Nigel Graham 
Announcer: Michael de Morgan 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and The Radio Circle 
 
Note: none of the episodes were originally given titles. The ones here are taken from the closing announcements of the episode. 
 
Episode guide 
 
1. Leading You Through 
2. Cruising on the River 
3. Taking You Through 
4. Disposing of a Relative 
5. Playing Ducks 
6. Taking Orders 
7. Strike Breaking 
8. Dining Out 
9. Initiating You Through 
10. Searching For Liberty 
11. Contracting Out 
12. Destructing 
13. Advertising 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2, 6 July – 28 September 1969 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Big Business Lark

The Classic BBC Radio Comedy

William Shakespeare

Three classic radio productions from the BBC archives starring Nigel Hawthorne, Miriam Margolyes, Geraldine McEwan and a host of celebrated acting talent. 
 
These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th Century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatestdramatist. 
 
The Taming of the Shrew: The controversial comedy about the battle of the sexes and a very unconventional marriage, starring Fenella Fielding as Katherine, with Miriam Margolyes as Bianca and Paul Daneman as Petruchio. 
 
A Midsummer Night's Dream: One of Shakespeare'sbest-loved plays, this tale of warring fairies, eloping lovers and the magic and madness of love has bewitched audiences since its very first performance. Starring Nigel Hawthorne as Oberon with Maureen O'Brien as Titania. 
 
Twelfth Night: Mistaken identity and a tangled love triangle lead to confusion and, ultimately, happiness in this comic masterpiece. Starring Dorothy Tutin as Viola, with Geraldine McEwan as Olivia and Stephen Murray as Malvolio. 
 
Recorded at BBC Broadcasting House and featuring the BBC Drama Repertory company, with specially composed music including a score from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, this is classic radio drama at its finest.Duration: 7 hours approx.

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Comedies

The Taming of the Shrew; A Midsummer Night's Dream; Twelfth Night

Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston star in Shakespeare's tragedy of love and power. 
 
As part of BBC Radio 3's celebration of the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston star in this brand new production. 
 
Lovers, politicians, superstars. Antony &amp; Cleopatra is Shakespeare’s late and epic tragedy of mature love, and the catastrophic fall from grace and power that it brings about. Irresistibly drawn together, the couple are surrounded by friends, enemies, admirers and critics, none of who remain unscathed by the folly and heartbreak of this magnificent pair. As empires clash around them, their destiny seems inevitable: to love each other ‘til death and even beyond. 
 
Produced by BBC Cymru Wales for BBC Radio 3, this radio production also features Geoffrey Streatfeild, Nigel Anthony, Don Gilet and Peter Polycarpou amongst its cast.

Antony and Cleopatra

Drama

Noël Coward

Laura Jesson is a happily married woman until a chance encounter in a train station café draws her to Dr Alec Harvey. Literally bumping into each other brings temptation, danger and guilt into their lives, and a doomed love affair ensues...   A classic love story, 'Brief Encounter' was made into a much-loved and hugely successful film in 1945, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.   This 2009 adaptation is faithful to Coward's original screenplay and features a distinguished cast including Jenny Seagrove and Nigel Havers.

Brief Encounter

Howard Brenton

A collection of Howard Brenton's finest plays, produced for BBC radio 
 
One of Britain's leading contemporary playwrights, Howard Brenton is well known for his controversial state-of-the-nation plays, dark comedies and powerful political satires. He has written over 50 works for the theatre and numerous screenplays, including 13 episodes of the hit TV series Spooks. Included here are some of his most acclaimed dramas, including the award-winning Pravda, co-written with David Hare. 
 
Epsom Downs - Set on Derby Day in the Silver Jubilee year 1977, this provocative drama presents a teeming, Brueghel-like array of characters: from the gamblers, bookmakers and trainers to the jockeys, the horses and the Derby course itself... Among the ensemble cast are Peter Woodthorpe and Nigel Anthony. 
 
Pravda - Lambert Le Roux is an enormously powerful South African media tycoon. He's also a monster manipulating all, including Fleet Street. Anthony Hopkins and Bill Nighy star in this caustic black comedy. 
 
Thirteenth Night - Jack Beaty is an activist in a 'piddling little Labour Party ward.' What would he do if he came to power tomorrow? Tom Wilkinson, Frances Tomelty and Bill Nighy star in Brenton's surreal parody of Macbeth, with its horror-comic vision of a totalitarian state run mad. 
 
Nasser's Eden- 1956. Sir Anthony Eden and Gamal Abdel Nasser battle over Egypt nationalising the Suez Canal - Britain's last symbol of her empire. Written specially for radio and starring Alec McCowen and Nadim Sawalha, this fast-paced drama looks behind the politics to reveal the personalities who changed the face of history. 
 
Bloody Poetry - Switzerland, 1816. The poet Shelley, his future wife Mary and her step-sister Claire meet the infamous Lord Byron. But their dreams of a utopian future result in tragedy... Oliver Ryan, Clare Corbett, Patrick Kennedy and Sarah Ovens star in Brenton's compelling play celebrating these four young artistic radicals. 
 
Text copyright © Howard Brenton 1977 (Epsom Downs), 1981 (Thirteenth Night), 1984 (Bloody Poetry), 1998 (Nassar's Eden) Pravda text copyright © David Hare and Howard Brenton 1985 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Howard Brenton 
Pravda written by Howard Brenton and David Hare 
 
Epsom Downs 
Cast: Peter Woodthorpe, Nigel Anthony, Heather Bell, Peter Baldwin, Michael Spice, Graham Chinn, Jean Rogers, Chas Byer, Cliff Burnett, Mary Clare Nash, John Bull, Petra Davies, 
Eva Stuart, John Levitt, Susan Sheridan, Wilfrid Carter, Martin Muncaster, Tammy Ustinov, Heather Bell, Olivier Pierre, Michael McStay, Peter Gordon, Fred Bryant, David Tate, Andrew Branch 
Adapted for radio by Howard Brenton 
Directed by Richard Wortley 
 
Pravda 
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Bill Nighy, Robert Glenister, Suzanne Burden, Frederick Treves, 
Garard Green, Stephen Tompkinson, David King, Christopher Good, Vincent Brimble, 
James Greene, Simon Treves, Danny Schiller, Nicholas Gilbrook 
Adapted and directed by Richard Wortley. 
 
Thirteenth Night 
Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Frances Tomelty, Bill Nighy, Peter Woodthorpe, Sean Barrett, 
Timothy Bateson, Maggie McCarthy, Eileen Tully, Pauline Siddle 
With Alex Jennings, Richard Huw and Michael Jenner 
Directed by Michael Heffernan. 
 
Nasser's Eden 
Cast: Alec McCowen, Nadim Sawalha With Bob Peck, Nigel Davenport, Saeed Jaffrey, Raad Rawi, Trevor Peacock, James Laurenson, Alix Refaie, Antony Zaki, Clifford Rose, John Rowe, Peter Birrel, Vic Tablian and Ajay Chabra 
Produced by Carolyn Horn. 
 
Bloody Poetry 
Cast: Oliver Ryan, Clare Corbett, Patrick Kennedy, Sarah Ovens, Gareth Pierce 
Adapted for radio and directed by Alison Hindell 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Five BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Productions: Pravda, Epsom Downs and more

Nazrin Choudhury

Nazrin Choudhury's play, which won the Richard Imison Award for the best play by a writer new to radio, tells the story of a young British Asian woman whose life begins to unravel when she's faced with the possibility that her real father may actually be white. When Sharmila finds some letters in her late mother's belongings, she uncovers her mother's affair with a man called Peter while she was at university. More importantly, Sharmila discovers that  she may be the product of that affair. Outraged that her mother betrayed her and father for so long, Sharmila decides to track Peter down, and face the man who could be her father.

Mixed Blood

J B Priestley

The Birling family are spending a happy evening celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft - a marriage that will result in the merging of two successful local businesses.  Yet just when everything seems to be going so well, they receive a surprise visit from an Inspector Goole who is investigating the suicide of a young girl.   As the Inspector reveals more about the circumstances that led to the death of Eva Smith, each member of the family comes under the spotlight, and questions of guilt and responsibility are raised...   Toby Jones, David Calder, Frances Barber and Morven Christie are amongst the cast in this BBC Radio 4 production from 2010.   The Classic Radio Theatre range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.

An Inspector Calls (Classic Radio Theatre)

Sean O'Casey

An unparalleled collection of Full-Cast BBC Drama adaptations of Sean O’Casey’s powerful, poignant works 
 
 One of Ireland’s foremost playwrights, Sean O’Casey is renowned for his groundbreaking plays depicting the lives of poor, working-class Dubliners struggling with social and political upheaval and revolutionary change. This is the first comprehensive audio collection of O'Casey's works, and includes the three masterpieces collectively known as the ‘Dublin Trilogy’, as well as the dark comic satire Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, the one-act Bedtime Story and the anti-war drama The Silver Tassie.The Shadow of a Gunman – Dublin, 1920. With the Irish War of Independence raging, poet Donal Davoren finds himself caught up in danger and violence when he is mistaken for an IRA gunman on the run. Bryan Murray, Alan Devlin and Marcella O’Riordan star in this Radio 4 production of Sean O’Casey’s breakthrough play.Juno and the Paycock – The slum-dwelling Boyle family are blighted by poverty, war and the alcoholism of its feckless patriarch 'Captain' Jack Boyle. Will a surprise legacy transform their lives? Adapted for Radio 3, O’Casey’s classic tragicomedy stars Sorcha Cusack and Stanley Townsend.The Plough and the Stars – Painting a stark portrait of a city and a nation in turmoil, this classic play tells the story of ordinary Dubliners during the Easter Rising of 1916. Introduced by the playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah and starring Elaine Cassidy, Padraic Delaney, Gabrielle Reidy, Finbar Lynch & Matthew McNulty.Cock-a-Doodle Dandy – Rich farmer Michael Marthraun tries to stamp out permissiveness in rural Ireland, but the appearance of a beautifully plumed rooster calls the villagers to love and liberty. Believing the bird to be demonic, Marthraun calls in the priest, Father Domineer… Joseph O’Conor, Stephen Brennan and T. P. McKenna star in this adaptation of O’Casey’s own favourite play.Bedtime Story – Pious young clerk John Joe Mulligan is known to be a pillar of the Church. So why has he invited the seductive Angela back to his room? A concise exploration of morality and religious hypocrisy, this farcical comedy stars John Lynch, Sorcha Cusack and Angela Dearden.The Silver Tassie – A tale of love and the bitter heroics of war, O’Casey’s moving Expressionist play follows young athlete Harry Heegan (Jim Norton) as he leaves the football field for the Western Front.Text copyright © Sean O’Casey 1923 (The Shadow of a Gunman), 1924 (Juno and the Paycock), 1926 (The Plough and the Stars), 1927 (The Silver Tassie), 1949 (Cock-a-Doodle Dandy), 1951 (Bedtime Story)Production creditsWritten by Sean O’CaseyThe Shadow of a GunmanJuno and the PaycockThe Plough and the StarsCock-a-Doodle DandyBedtime StoryThe Silver Tassie© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Dublin Trilogy & more

Six BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions including Shadow of a Gunman & Juno and the Paycock

Stephanie Dale

A BBC Radio 4 drama by Stephanie Dale, originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 10 January 2011.  When art teacher Rachel, walking home festooned with end-of-term gifts from her pupils, bumps into Tyrone on his first day in London it is the beginning of a passionate love affair. Soon it makes sense for Tyrone, now working as a chef in a local up-market cafe, to move into Rachel's flat. But it's not long before there are tiny bits of grit starting to despoil the love oyster. As things get more serious, issues of control, jealousy, trust and violence rise to the surface in this thriller exploring a lesser-known side of domestic abuse.  'Believe Me' stars Naomi Frederick as Rachel and Alex Lanipekun as Tyrone. Also included in the cast are Leah Brotherhead, Sally Orrock, Lloyd Thomas and Sean Baker. Directed by David Hunter.

Believe Me

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Harold Pinter

Joseph Conrad

Harold Pinter's unproduced screenplay of Joseph Conrad's last great novel, specially adapted for radio by Sir Richard Eyre 
 
'All radio drama should be at this level' Spectator 
 
The annals of movie history are full of lost treasures - spectacular scripts from world-renowned writers that could have been classics, had they only been made. Now, for the first time, some of these forgotten gems have been brought to life, fully realised as vivid, cinematic radio productions. Scripted by major 20th Century writers, including Harold Pinter, Arthur Miller, Alfred Hitchcock and Dennis Potter, they star a host of A-list actors and feature richly evocative, atmospheric soundtracks. 
 
One of seven of these 'unmade movies' available on audio, Victory is a dark, morally complex drama set in the Dutch East Indies in 1900. It tells the story of Baron Heyst, a mysterious Swedish recluse living alone on a deserted island whose life is changed forever when he visits a neighbouring island, and falls in love with young English violinist Lena. Pursued by predatory older men, Lena is drawn to Heyst, and escapes with him to his island retreat... 
 
The foremost playwright of his generation, Harold Pinter was also a celebrated screenwriter, who wrote the scripts for hit movies including The Servant, The Go-Between and The French Lieutenant's Woman. Victory, however, was judged too expensive for Hollywood - but, courtesy of this special adaptation by award-winning director Sir Richard Eyre, it has finally seen the light of day. Bjarne Henriksen (The Killing) stars as Heyst, with Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as Lena and Mark Strong (Cruella) as Ricardo, while narrator Simon Russell Beale sets the scene with directions and descriptions from Pinter's screenplay, some taken directly from Conrad's original novel. So sit back, grab some popcorn and let this epic production play out on the biggest screen of all - that of your imagination. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Harold Pinter 
Based on Victory: An Island Tale by Joseph Conrad 
Directed by Richard Eyre 
Produced by Laurence Bowen 
Sound Design: John Leonard and Wilfredo Acosta 
A Feelgood Fiction production for BBC Radio 4 
 
Cast 
Narrator - Simon Russell Beale 
Heyst - Bjarne Henriksen 
Lena - Vanessa Kirby 
Davidson - Matthew Marsh 
Ricardo - Mark Strong 
Jones - Robert Portal 
Schomberg - Patrick O'Kane 
Mrs Schomberg - Helen Schlesinger 
Pedro - Martin Marquez 
Chang - Paul Chan 
Mrs Zangiacomo - Flaminia Cinque 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 February 2015 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Unmade Movies: Harold Pinter's Victory

A BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the unproduced screenplay

Stephen K Amos

Jonathan Harvey

Stand-up meets sitcom in Stephen K Amos&rsquo;s semi-autobiographical show about growing up black, gay and funny in 1980s London 
 
&lsquo;One of the most likable figures in British comedy Radio Times 
 
Comedian Stephen K Amos is one of eight children, whose parents came to London from Nigeria in the 60s. In these three series, co-written with multi-award-winning British playwright Jonathan Harvey, he takes us back in time to the 1980s, as he reminisces about his dysfunctional childhood and formative experiences, and shares the dramas and traumas of his teenage years. 
 
We join his younger self as he wrestles with his identlty; falls in love; overcomes his stage fright and takes the lead role in the school play, Balham Side Story. And as he takes his first steps into working life, he gets caught up in the Brixton riots, worries about his parents splitting up, and finally plucks up the courage to reveal a secret&hellip; 
 
Shaquille Ali-Yebuah stars as Young Stephen, and each show is hosted by Stephen K Amos himself, adding stand-up narration and his own comic perspective. Among the cast are Ellen Thomas and Don Gilet as Stephen&rsquo;s mum and dad, Fatou Sohna as Stephanie Amos, Gemma Whelan as Miss Collins, Michelle Butterly as Miss Bliss and Frankie Wilson as Jayson Jackson. 
 
And the answer to the show&rsquo;s title? You&rsquo;ll have to listen and find out... 
 
Production credits 
 
Stephen K Amos &ndash; Himself 
Young Stephen &ndash; Shaquille Ali-Yebuah 
Stephanie Amos &ndash; Fatou Sohna 
Virginia Amos &ndash; Ellen Thomas 
Vincent Amos/Tanktop &ndash; Don Gilet 
Miss Collins &ndash; Gemma Whelan 
Jayson Jackson/John the Baptist &ndash; Frankie Wilson 
PE Teacher/Red Coat/Philip/Check-in guy/Random Bloke &ndash; Harry Jardine 
Fanni &ndash; Emerald O'Hanrahan 
Fola &ndash; Kathryn Drysdale 
Bo Bells/Taxi driver/Stephanie Turner &ndash; Rachel Atkins 
Samaritan/Policeman/Taxi driver &ndash; David Seddon 
Miss Bliss &ndash; Michelle Butterly 
Mary Magdalene/Bette Davis/Sophie &ndash; Nadia Kamil 
Boy Roy &ndash; Ryan Watson 
Miss Hunt/Moira Stuart/Fergie &ndash; Margaret Cabourn-Smith 
Princess &ndash; Jocelyn Jee Esien 
Dustin &ndash; Laurie Kynaston 
With Frances Barber, Bola Okun, Emerald Crankson, Karen Bartke and David Sterne 
 
Written by Jonathan Harvey with Stephen K Amos 
Produced by Colin Anderson and Paul Sheehan 
Violin played by Rachel Barnes 
Cover photography by Pal Hansen 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 November 2013-1 January 2014 (Series 1), 31 December 2014-4 February 2015 (Series 2), 25 January-15 February 2017 (Series 3) 
 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

What Does the K Stand For?

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom About Growing up Black, Gay and Funny in 1980s London

Liz Lochhead

Five full-cast dramas by the celebrated Scottish writer Liz Lochhead, plus a short story 
 
Liz Lochhead is a widely recognised poet, playwright and performer. She was the Makar, Scotland’s national poet, between 2011 and 2016, and was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2015. The six pieces in this anthology are characterised by their evocative language and focus on different facets of female identity: from schoolgirls, wives and mothers to convention-defying creators and ‘cunning women’. 
 
Blood and Ice – Summer, 1816. Following their scandalous elopement, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Shelley decamp to Lake Geneva. There, they are joined by Lord Byron and his mistress Claire Clairmont, and one night, in a villa by the shore, they challenge each other to write a ghost story. Mary’s tale will become the most famous Gothic novel of all time – and the creature at its centre will haunt her for the rest of her life. Starring Gerda Stevenson, Stephen Boxer, Jack Klaff and Stella Gonet. 
 
Quelques Fleurs – Liz Lochhead plays lonely, ‘born to shop’ housewife Verena, with Stuart Hepburn as her oil-rig worker husband in these tragicomic intercut monologues, which paint a portrait of a childless couple trapped in an unhappy marriage. 
 
Maleficium – Taking its title from a Latin word meaning ‘malevolent sorcery’, this chilling play draws on real accounts of witch trials to create voices for three women: Alice, Margery and Jinnet – a farm labourer, a farmer's wife and an elderly wisewoman. When two of them are accused of witchcraft by the other, they are brought to the point of tragedy… Starring Clare Corbett, Siobhan Redmond and Freda Dowie. 
 
Fancy You Minding That – Separated by three generations and by the 400 miles from London to Glasgow, a grandmother, mother and daughter recall their very different, very painful memories of the men in their lives. With Phyllis Logan as Valerie, Jennifer Piercey as Ina and Catherine Clarke as Kate. 
 
Cuba – Scotland, 1962. With the Cuban Missile Crisis at its height, best friends Barbara and Bernadette believe the world is about to end. They decide to spend their last days making a stand for women and peace – only to find themselves facing a very personal betrayal. Julie Wilson Nimmo, Pauline Lockhart and Liz Lochhead star. 
 
‘The Cure’ – Hoping to impress her handsome house captain, a schoolgirl takes to the athletics track – but the course of true love does not run smoothly. Read by Grace Glover. 
 
Text copyright © Liz Lochhead 1982 (Blood and Ice), 1986 (Fancy You Minding That), 1991 (Quelque Fleurs), 1994 (‘The Cure’), 1998 (Cuba), 2001 (Maleficium) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Blood and Ice & other plays

Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

Bernard Kops

An anthology of plays and original radio dramas from the prolific playwright 
 
Born and brought up in the East End of London, Bernard Kops came to fame in the late 1950s as part of British drama’s ‘New Wave’. A lyrical chronicler of Jewish family life, he is often compared to Arnold Wesker and Harold Pinter, though his work is more sentimental and surreal. 
 
In a 50-year career, he wrote 10 novels, numerous poetry collections, two autobiographies and over 40 stage, TV and radio plays. Included here are some of his most popular pieces, beginning with two East End tales of love, loss, friendship and community, Whitechapel Dreams and Harry and the Angels, both featuring Kops himself as the narrator. 
 
An adaptation of his famous stage play, Ezra, about the treacherous, anti-Semitic poet Ezra Pound, is followed by a selection of original radio dramas including Falling in Love Again, the five-part serial Soho Nights and a two-parter featuring the trials and tribulations of a Yiddish theatrical troupe, The Jericho Players and The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds. 
 
Next up are more plays specially written for radio: The Lost Loves of Phoebe Myers (commissioned to mark Kops’ 80th birthday), Kafe Kropotkin, Trotsky Was My Father, Over the Rainbow, Bournemouth Nights, and The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast. Also featured are Congress in Manchester, centring around an ageing publisher’s attempts to seduce a young poetess; and Simon at Midnight, his 1982 radio drama about an East End factory owner facing bankruptcy which was later adapted for the theatre. 
 
Concluding this collection are a quartet of vintage plays from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s that have not been broadcast since they first aired: The Street Game; I Grow Old, I Grow Old; The Lemmings and The Dark Ages. 
 
Showcasing the range and prodigious output of an extraordinary talent, these 19 dramas star a wealth of leading actors, among them Miriam Margolyes, Ian Holm, Anne-Marie Duff, Maureen Lipman, Timothy West, Amanda Root, Stephanie Cole, Mark Bonnar, Louise Brealey, Alfred Molina, Warren Mitchell, Lesley Joseph, Leo McKern, Derek Fowlds,Tracy-Ann Oberman, Jane Asher, Lorelei King, Andrew Sachs and Denis Quilley 
 
With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle 
 
Content Warning: The themes present in some of these dramas could be distressing for some listeners 
 
Production credits 
Written by Bernard Kops 
Text copyright © 1959 (The Street Game), 1963 (The Lemmings), 1964 (The Dark Ages), 1979 (Bournemouth Nights; I Grow Old, I Grow Old), 1980 (Over the Rainbow), 1981 (Ezra), 1982 (Simon at Midnight), 1984 (Trotsky Was My Father), 1988 (Kafe Kropotkin), 1990 (Congress in Manchester), 1993 (Soho Nights), 1996 (The Jericho Players), 1998 (The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds), 2000 (Falling in Love Again, The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast), 2006 (The Lost Love of Phoebe Miles), 2008 (Whitechapel Dreams), 2010 (Harry and the Angels) 
All rights reserved 
 
Content List 
<ul><li>Whitechapel Dreams</li><li>Harry and the Angels</li><li>Ezra</li><li>Falling in Love Again</li><li>Soho Nights</li><li>The Jericho Players</li><li>The Jericho Players: Rogues and Vagabonds</li><li>The Lost Love of Phoebe Miles</li><li>Kafe Kropotkin</li><li>Trotsky Was My Father</li><li>Over the Rainbow</li><li>Bournemouth Night</li><li>The Anarchist Bed and Breakfast</li><li>Congress in Manchester</li><li>Simon at Midnight</li><li>The Street Game</li><li>I Grow Old, I Grow Old</li><li>The Lemmings</li><li>The Dark Ages</li></ul> 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bernard Kops: A BBC Radio Collection

19 Full-Cast Productions including Ezra, Soho Nights & more

Patrick Barlow

Four satirical spoof shows from the multi-award-winning Patrick Barlow 
 
The National Theatre of Brent is a two-man company founded in 1980 and led by Patrick Barlow as his comic alter ego, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Desmond Olivier Dingle. Helping him to realise his enormously ambitious artistic visions is his helpful but hapless assistant, a role that has been performed by a succession of actors including Jim Broadbent (as Wallace) and John Ramm (as Raymond Box) who co-wrote with Martin Duncan (who also directed). Collected together for the first time, here are two of the comic troupe’s epic productions, plus a bonus series from Desmond’s ‘Royal Dingle Company’ and a special bonus historical parody starring Dawn French. 
 
All the World’s a Globe – The chaotic and comedic story of life on Earth is presented with a bang by Desmond and his helpful sidekick Wallace (Jim Broadbent), aided by announcer Peter Barker and guest stars Juliet Stevenson and Sir Ben Kingsley. Winner of the Sony Award for Best Comedy, this majestic eight-part series leads us through the definitive history of mankind – from lemur to cosmonaut. 
 
The Greatest Story Ever Told – Celebrated thespian Desmond Olivier Dingle presents his hilarious and surprisingly moving interpretation of Christ's Passion. With Desmond as Jesus, and Wallace as the Devil, disciples and everybody else. 
 
Desmond Olivier Dingle’s Compleat Life and Works of William Shakespeare – 'The Royal Dingle Company' embarks on a voyage around the Bard, with the help of special guests Richard E Grant, Juliet Stevenson, Dame Harriet Walter, Brian Cox CBE, Louise Lombard, John Barrowman and Lionel Blair. Over six sparkling episodes, Desmond and his troupe tackle Shakespeare’s comedies, verse and tragedies; wreak havoc in Stratford-upon-Avon; search for Shakespeare’s true identity and re-enact great Shakespearean moments from cinematic history. 
 
Joan of Arc, and How She Finally Became a Saint – Joan is a country girl more inclined to stay with her herd of cows than venture forth and rescue France. But she has no choice but to follow her destiny, and when guided by her guardian angels, St Catherine and St Margaret, she stands up to fight for what she knows is right. Dawn French stars as the Maid of Orléans, with a full cast including Jim Broadbent, Anne Reid, Maggie Steed, John Ramm, Mark Wooton, Nell Barlow, Cheryl Campbell, Samuel Barnet, Kevin Eldon and Andrew Dunn. It ends in a literal blaze of glory. 
 
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The National Theatre of Brent

Four BBC Radio Productions

George Bernard Shaw

Shaw&rsquo;s story is rife with such &lsquo;beyond opinions&rsquo;, as an Anglo-Irish Protestant, a Dubliner in London, and a socialist living in the aftermath of the industrial revolution. In one sense, as a Protestant choosing to live in London, he is a John Bull, yet he remains Irish &ndash; an Irish Bull, something alluded to in his one play set in Eire, John Bull&rsquo;s Other Island.

John Bull's Other Island

Peter Ackroyd

VOL. 2: THE UPSTART CROW. 
Ambitious Actor and Poet. 
(c. 1590 - Midsummer Night's Dream) 
Peter Ackroyd's insightful new biography positions Shakespeare in the close context of his world. In this way, Ackroyd not only richly conjures up the texture of Shakespeare's life, but also imparts an amazing amount of vivid, interesting material about place, period and background. Walk with Ackroyd through sixteenth century London and Stratford as he uncovers the intimate circumstances of Shakespeare's life. Discover the theatrical world in which Shakespeare had his being - not just Shakespeare the actor but the other actors, playwrights, and managers that surrounded him. And journey to Stratford to meet Shakespeare the family man, whose private life had such an impact on his work that the strongest bond in his plays is always between father and daughter.

Shakespeare - The Biography: Vol II

The Upstart Crow

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

13 plays and dramatisations of the works of the influential playwright, novelist and essayist J. B. Priestley - plus bonus programmes 
 
J. B. Priestley was one of Britain's most significant writers. His output was prodigious: in his lifetime, he penned 26 novels, 39 plays and hundreds of essays. He enjoyed great success on stage, notably with Dangerous Corner, Time and the Conways and An Inspector Calls, which experimented with narrative structure and unorthodox theories of time. Included here are some of his most esteemed works, adapted for radio and brought together in one statement collection. 
 
We begin with Priestley's most famous play, An Inspector Calls, which sees Inspector Goole arriving unexpectedly at the prosperous Birling family home. Their celebratory dinner is shattered by his startling revelations about the death of a young woman. Next is Time and The Conways, telling the story of one family in several scenes set over 19 years, and When We Are Married, in which three couples receive a rude shock during their joint silver wedding party. In I Have Been Here Before, a group of strangers who meet at a remote Yorkshire inn discover that they are all interdependent - have they met before? 
 
A happy gathering of friends discover that their relationships aren't what they seem in Dangerous Corner and, in Eden End, an elderly Yorkshire GP finds himself coming to the end of an era. The Linden Tree is set in England 1947, where rationing and austerity have fostered opportunism, escapism - and confrontation - within the Linden family. 
 
The Good Companions, J. B. Priestley's classic story of a 1929 concert party tour, is followed by The Demon King, in which a Boxing Day panto is set to be a flop - until the Demon King comes on. In Lost Empires, Richard Hemcastle leaves his dead-end job to join his Uncle Nick in the glamour of the music halls, while in Bright Day, a chance encounter prompts a disillusioned scriptwriter to rediscover his past. Extraordinary and magical things happen on one elusive day in The Thirty-First of June, and in The Grey Ones, a patient fears evil is at work in the shape of a sinister conspiracy. Will his psychiatrist be able to help? 
 
Among the array of stars in these stunning dramas are Toby Jones, Frances Barber, Harriet Walter, Alan Bennett, Brenda Blethyn, Lesley Nicol, Morvern Christie, Alun Armstrong, Roy Hudd, Tom Baker, Jack Shepherd, Geoffrey Palmer, Amaka Okafor, Martin Jarvis and Joan Plowright. Also included are two fascinating documentaries: Postscripts: J. B. Priestley, a five-part series of wartime observations originally broadcast in 1940 and read by Patrick Stewart, and Great Lives: J. B. Priestley, which sees Barry Cryer discussing his friend and fellow Yorkshireman with Martin Wainwright and Matthew Parris. 
 
First published 1929 (The Good Companions), 1932 (Dangerous Corner), 1934 (Eden End), 1937 (Time and the Conways, I Have Been Here Before), 1938 (When We Are Married), 1945 (An Inspector Calls), 1946 (Bright Day), 1947 (The Linden Tree), 1953 (The Grey Ones), 1961 (The Thirty-First of June), 1962 (The Demon King), 1965 (Lost Empires) 
 
Production credits 
Written by J. B. Priestley 
 
 
Contents List 
 
An Inspector Calls 
 
Time and The Conways 
 
When We Are Married 
 
I Have Been Here Before 
 
Dangerous Corner 
 
Eden End 
 
The Linden Tree 
 
The Good Companions 
 
The Demon King 
 
Lost Empires 
 
Bright Day 
 
The Thirty First of June 
 
The Grey Ones 
 
Postscripts: J. B. Priestley 
 
Great Lives: J. B. Priestley 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Plays of J. B. Priestley

A BBC Radio Collection of 13 Full-Cast Productions including An Inspector Calls

Katie Sayer

Imogen is a classic left-wing student. War is bad, minorities are good, and I don’t care if I’m ruining Christmas, Mum, it’s important! 
 
But when she accidentally falls foul of campus orthodoxy, she finds herself alone, dejected, and friendless. Until a firebrand right-wing news station, Channel Albion, arrives to pick up the pieces... 
 
Suddenly, Imogen’s a “unicorn” –an attractive young woman who is happy to spout right-wing viewpoints on TV. She’s got her own Breakfast Show, she’s winning awards, and she’s the new face of the culture wars in Britain. But she doesn’t really mean any of it… does she? 
 
A satirical comedy about cancel culture, nominated for the 2025 Speakies. 
 
 “Biting satire” – The Times 
 
“Katie Sayer’s pacy forthright satire exposes the absurdities of our age” – The Radio Times 
 
“Bravo to Sayer and to Radio 4” – The Telegraph 
 
 
Starring Alyth Ross as Imogen (nominated for Best Performance at the 2025 Speakies), with Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Thursday Murder Club) as Mick and Rufus Jones (Rivals) as Theo. 
 
Also starring: 
 
Alex - Harry Trevaldwyn 
Pete - Steve Edge 
Michelle - Robin Weaver 
Cally - Karise Yansen 
Jake - Iain Ferrier 
Sam - Joe Barnes 
Lucy - Ada Player 
Tom - Freddie Walker 
Imam Ali - Naveed Khan 
Will - James Taylor-Thomas 
Zoe - Jade Groves 
Cara - Sapphire Joy 
 
Written by Katie Sayer (The Skewer, The Naked Week, Dead Ringers, The News Quiz, The Now Show, One Person Found This Helpful) 
 
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-King (Uncanny) 
 
Produced and directed by David Tyler (Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive, Cabin Pressure, Spitting Image) 
 
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13th May 2025. 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Four Gammons and a Unicorn

A Full-Cast BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

Emlyn Williams

A superb selection of Emlyn Williams’ finest playsEmlyn Williams was one of the brightest stars of Welsh stage and screen. An acclaimed playwright, actor and director, he made over 40 film and TV appearances, re-invented the one-man show with his virtuoso portrayals of Charles Dickens and Dylan Thomas, and wrote numerous plays and screenplays. Featured here are seven of his most popular works, ranging from his classic semi-autobiographical tale The Corn is Green to a psychological thriller, a ghost story and a drama about Tolstoy.The Corn is Green – It is 1895 in a remote mining village in Wales, a place where children are routinely sent down the pit once they turn 12. But iron-willed English teacher Miss Moffat is determined that her prize pupil, Morgan Evans, should realise his potential, and sets out to bully and inspire him to follow the path of learning. Starring Anna Massey, George Winter and Imelda Staunton.The Light of Heart – Once an actor of genius, Maddoc Thomas is now reduced to playing Father Christmas in a London department store. But his daughter Catrin is determined to help him make a comeback. William Squire stars as Maddoc, with Sharon Morgan as Catrin.The Power of Dawn – An old Russian woman, Katya, recalls the winter night in 1910 when she talked to the great writer Leo Tolstoy as he lay dying. Holed up in a small stationmaster’s hut, he tells the young peasant girl of his passions and his past… Starring Michael Redgrave as Tolstoy, with Felicity Hayes-McCoy as the young Katya and Gwen Ffrancon-Davies as Katya aged 82.The Wind of Heaven – 1856, and in the Welsh mountain village of Blestin, rumours abound of a teenage boy who may be the new Messiah. Drawn to the miracle child for very different reasons, Crimean War widow Dilys Parry and circus owner Ambrose Ellis both find new hope as the village rediscovers its lost faith. Siân Phillips and Freddie Jones star in this moving and absorbing play.Night Must Fall – When the elderly, demanding Mrs Bramson takes on a new odd-job man, her niece Olivia becomes infatuated with him – while also becoming convinced that the charming Dan is responsible for a recent murder. Richard Harrington, Anne Jameson and Melanie Walters star in this chilling study of a household under a psychopath's spell.Trespass – Grief-stricken after her husband’s death, former countess Christine summons a medium to her Welsh castle home to bring him back. The consequences spark a night of terror… Starring Glyn Owen, Patricia Mort and Ray Smith.Cuckoo – In 1935, in a small, shabby Thames bungalow, a Welsh emigré family's life revolves around Cuckoo, a middle-aged woman with the mind of an eight-year-old. But when Cuckoo’s devoted mother dies, what will become of them all? Judy Cornwell stars as Cuckoo in this poignant, captivating drama.Text copyright © Emlyn Williams 1935 (Night Must Fall), 1938 (The Corn is Green), 1940 (The Light of Heart), 1945 (The Wind of Heaven), 1947 (Trespass), 1975 (The Power of Dawn), 1986 (Cuckoo)Production creditsWritten by Emlyn WilliamsContentsThe Corn Is Green The Light of HeartThe Power of DawnThe Wind of HeavenNight Must FallTrespassCuckoo© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Emlyn Williams: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven Full Cast Productions including The Corn Is Green

Edward St Aubyn

From the author of the Patrick Melrose novels, now a major Sky Atlantic television series starring Benedict Cumberbatch 
 
Henry Dunbar, the once all-powerful head of a global media corporation, is not having a good day. In his dotage he handed over care of the corporation to his two eldest daughters, Abby and Megan. But relations quickly soured, leaving him to doubt the wisdom of past decisions. 
 
 Now imprisoned in a care home in the Lake District with only a demented alcoholic comedian as company, Dunbar starts planning his escape. As he flees into the hills, his family is hot on his heels. Who will find him first, his beloved youngest daughter, Florence, or the tigresses Abby and Megan, so keen to divest him of his estate?

Dunbar

King Lear, Retold

Jenny Eclair

Julie Balloo

A collection of comedies and dramas about modern women’s lives and loves, starring Jenny Eclair 
 
Jenny Eclair is one of Britain’s most-loved stand-up comedians, and the first woman to win the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has written several acclaimed books, including the Sunday Times bestseller Older and Wider: A Survivor's Guide to the Menopause, and appeared on numerous TV and radio shows including Grumpy Old Women and Just a Minute. Collected here are some of her finest radio comedies and dramas, centred around women who are at a turning point in their lives. 
 
On Baby Street introduces us to three neighbours discovering the delights of parenthood. Series 1 sees them preparing for their new arrivals; in Series 2, the babies are born and the fun begins; and in Series 3, the children are toddlers, and their parents’ lives are changing. TwilightBaby.com takes a similar comic look at motherhood, as Cass, a 46-year-old with grown-up kids, finds to her shock that she is pregnant again. Over two series, we follow her as she blogs about being an ‘older’ mum, whilst endeavouring to keep the rest of her family in work and out of trouble. Just Juliette sees talk show host Juliette Johnson trying to balance marriage, motherhood and the media. As the two series unfold, she is on the verge of losing her job, her husband and her mind… And in the four-part comedy Dear Jenny, Dear Julie, two long-time pen pals – a Blackpudlian and an Australian – meet for the first time in London, and paint the town red. 
 
The pitfalls of fame are explored in two standalone dramas: Jason’s Mum, about a single mother with a chart-topping son, and The Andy Warhol Syndrome, in which housewife Carol becomes a reality TV celebrity, but has to deal with the aftermath when the cameras stop rolling. And in two dramatic monologues, In Convenience and He’s Leaving His Wife, Jenny Eclair takes us into the worlds of an unhappy wife preparing to host a dinner party on the worst of all possible days, and a mistress waiting on tenterhooks for her lover to tell his wife that their marriage is over. 
 
Written by Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo, these witty, intimate comedy dramas boast stellar casts, including All Murray, Frances Barber, Kathy Burke, Kevin Eldon, Claire Skinner, Linda Robson, Emerald O’Hanrahan, Peter Sallis, Helen Lederer, Paul Merton, Nicholas Parsons and Ronni Ancona. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo 
 
On Baby Street 
With Jenny Eclair, Tilly Vosburgh, Keith Allen,Lee Cornes, Caroline Hook, Claire Skinner, Matilda Ziegler, Graham Fellows, Hugh Ross, Frances Barber, Kathy Burke/Linda Robson, Kevin Eldon, Sue Elliot-Nicholls, Eva Stuart, James Sutton, Julie Balloo, Ronni Ancona and Al Murray 
Produced by Jane Berthoud and Helen Williams 
 
TwilightBaby.com 
With Jenny Eclair, Kevin Eldon, Joseph Cohen-Cole, Emerald O'Hanrahan, Felicity Montagu, Philip Fox, Stephen Hogan, Kate Layden, Sean Baker, Christine Kavanagh, Sally Orrock 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
Just Juliette 
With Jenny Eclair, Jeff Rawle, James Fleet, Annabel Giles, Jan Goodman, Peter Sallis, Sylvia Syms, Robert Duncan, Jane Whittenshaw, Simon Upson, Jon Culshaw, Julie Balloo, Anthony Best, Martin Hyder and Deborah Stevenson 
Produced by Helen Williams and Claire Jones 
 
Dear Jenny, Dear Julie 
With Jenny Eclair, Julie Balloo, Helen Lederer, Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton 
Produced by Sioned Wiliam 
 
Jason’s Mum 
Starring Linda Robson and Jenny Eclair 
Produced by Jane Berthoud 
 
In Convenience 
Performed by Jenny Eclair 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
The Andy Warhol Syndrome 
With Jenny Eclair, Ewan Bailey, Jan Goodman, Gerard McDermott, Harry Myers and Ronni Ancona 
Produced by Liz Webb 
 
He’s Leaving His Wife 
Performed by Jenny Eclair 
Directed by Mary Peate 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jenny and Julie’s BBC Radio Dramas

On Baby Street, TwilightBaby.com and more

Basil Boothroyd

The convoluted chronicle of an optimistic crime writer 
 
'Basil Boothroyd's quietly comic classic' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Gerald C Potter is the proud author of Death in the Arboretum, described by the Bournemouth Echo as 'well-written'. He works hard on his books, and worries about every comma, adjective and unfortunate typo: but somehow, he never seems to get very much done. However, his wife and fellow novelist, Diana (aka Magnolia Badminton) is positively prolific - much to his chagrin. 
 
These four series recount his daily activities and struggles for inspiration, as he tries to solve the mystery of his missing briefcase; goes up against his wife as they compete to publicise their new books; takes a holiday abroad that's far from relaxing; and receives a double-edged surprise on United Potter Day. And in special festive episode 'The Cousin', an unexpected message in a Christmas card leaves Gerald and Diana scrambling to prepare for a last-minute visitor... 
 
Written by celebrated humorist Basil Boothroyd, this witty, quick, clever sitcom ran for five years on Radio 4 between 1976 and 1981. It stars Ian Carmichael (The World of Wooster, Lord Peter Wimsey) as Gerald C Potter, with Charlotte Mitchell (Waggoners' Walk, The Adventures of Black Beauty) as Diana. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Basil Boothroyd 
Produced by Bobby Jaye 
 
Cast 
Gerald C Potter - Ian Carmichael 
Diana, his wife - Charlotte Mitchell 
With Michael McClain, James Thomason, Trader Faulkner, Robin Browne, Michael Deacon, Jo Manning Wilson, Margaret Robertson, Peter Craze, Anthony Smee, Michael Goldie, Penelope Reynolds, Geoffrey Matthews, Edward Kelsey, Betty Huntley-Wright, Fiona Mathieson, Garard Green, Brian Carroll, Danny Schiller, Douglas Blackwell, Patricia Hughes, Margot Boyd, Pauline Letts, Brian Haines, Lolly Cockerell, Jane Knowles, Michael Spice, Preston Lockwood, Charles Colville, Paddy O'Byrne, John Church, Judy Franklin and John McAndrew 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 March-26 April 1976 (Series 1), 9 November-14 December 1977 (Series 2), 26 December 1977 (Christmas Special, 'The Cousin'), 24 September-29 October 1979 (Series 3), 27 April-1 June 1981 (Series 4) 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Small Intricate Life of Gerald C. Potter

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

Rudyard Kipling

Dramatisations of some of Kipling’s finest fiction for adults, including ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and The Light That Failed 
 
Well-known for his poems and stories set in India during British Imperial rule, Rudyard Kipling was the first English author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was also offered a knighthood and the Poet Laureateship, but turned down both. His books remain immensely popular today, and this collection showcases a selection of his best adult works. 
 
Set deep in the Hindu Kush mountains, the chilling cautionary tale ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ tells the story of two conmen with an insane and dangerous plan to conquer a remote region of Afghanistan. Blake Ritson, Richard Ridings and Samuel James star in this thrilling drama about friendship and the folly and glory of imperial ambition. 
 
First broadcast in 1994 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rudyard Kipling, Kipling in Love comprises eight half-hour dramas based on his short stories – ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Love O’Women’, ‘Beyond the Pale’ and ‘On Greenhow Hill’. Among the star casts are Jack Klaff, Mamta Kaash, Alex Jennings, Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater, Terry John, Samuel West, Meera Syal, Michael Troughton and Nina Wadia. 
 
Adapted from Kipling’s debut novel, The Light That Failed revolves around war illustrator Dick Heldar, his struggles to become a successful artist and his unrequited love for his childhood sweetheart, Maisie. It stars Steve Hodson, Stuart Organ and Natasha Pyne. Wrapping up this collection is ‘They’, a haunting supernatural tale of a motorist’s mysterious encounters with a group of elusive children. Narrated by Tony Britton, this 1982 World Service production stars Annette Crosbie and Douglas Blackwell. 
 
First published 1888 (‘The Man Who Would Be King’, ‘His Wedded Wife’, ‘Lispeth’, ‘Venus Annodomini’, ‘In the Pride of His Youth’, ‘Beyond the Pale’), 1891 (‘The Courting of Dinah Shadd’, ‘On Greenhow Hill’, The Light That Failed), 1893 (‘Love-o’-Women’), 1904 (‘They’) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Rudyard Kipling 
 
The Man Who Would Be King 
 
Kipling in Love 
<ul><li>His Wedded Wife</li><li>Lispeth</li><li>Venus Annodomini</li><li>The Courting of Dinah Shadd</li><li>In the Pride of His Youth</li><li>Love O’Women</li><li>Beyond the Pale</li><li>On Greenhow Hill</li></ul> 
 
The Light That Failed 
They 
 
Copyright © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Selected works of Rudyard Kipling

11 Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Christopher Douglas

The complete 16th series of the hit comedy – including the 100th episode 
 
‘Matchless’ Julie Burchill, The Spectator 
 
Ed Reardon, washed-up writer, master of the diatribe and a man with the unfaltering ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, hits the milestone of his 20th anniversary on Radio 4. Still mourning his beloved feline companion, he finds solace in a new life partner – the offspring of Elgar. But he’s sorely in need of a new source of income now his wealthy Third Age writing-class students have all decamped to Dubai. 
 
Never one to be defeated, he clears out his storage cupboard to illegally sub-let it as an ‘opportunity for boutique capsule living’, tries to find an outlet for his long-forgotten radio play A Pigeon in Sainsbury’s, takes on the role of theatre critic for The Countrywoman magazine, and agrees to write a bottle episode of Jaz Milvain’s new show about two chalk-and-cheese cops who do things their own way. With commissions thin on the ground, he’s forced to become the ‘Writer in Residence’ at a nuclear power station: but unfortunately, his on/off romantic partner Maggie is on the other side of the fence protesting. And in the final episode of the series – the landmark 100th show – the curmudgeonly author makes the fateful decision to stop writing for good. Can Zadie Smith persuade Ed not to throw in the towel? 
 
First broadcast in 2005, Ed Reardon’s Week has garnered two Broadcasting Press Guild awards for Best Radio Programme, and attracted some of the UK’s finest actors as guest stars. Joining the roll call in this series are Adrian Scarborough, Robert Powell, Stephen Mangan and Joe Thomas, while regulars include Christopher Douglas as Ed, Lisa Coleman as Eli, Barunka O’Shaughnessy as Ping and Pippa Haywood as Maggie. 
 
Written by Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Dawn Ellis 
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum 
Sound: Jon Calver & Alison McKenzie 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon – Christopher Douglas 
Eli – Lisa Coleman 
Christos/Uncle Beastly – Simon Greenall 
Ping – Barunka O’Shaughnessy 
Sheila/Francesca/Fifi/Kayleigh/Newsreader – Nicola Sanderson 
Ross – Dan Tetsell 
Simon – Joe Thomas 
Maggie – Pippa Haywood 
The Pigeon – Stephen Mangan 
Nick – Adrian Scarborough 
Michael Berkeley – Himself 
Willow – Eve Ponsonby 
Sir Peter – Robert Powell 
Jaz Milvain – Philip Jackson 
Jake – Sam Pamphilon 
Clare – Clare Perkins 
Devashree – Aasiya Shah 
Danny – Tom Stourton 
Kate – Robin Weaver 
Petroc Trelawney – Himself 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 June-4 August 2025 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon’s Week: Series 16

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

Scott Cherry

The complete Series 1 &amp; 2 of the historical sitcom about well-meaning but gullible 18th Century squire Fenton Babblewick and his clever manservant Augustus 
 
When idealistic Fenton Babblewick inherits his uncle's Yorkshire estate, it's the perfect opportunity to realise his Utopian dreams. But for his valet, Augustus Snipe, moving to Babblewick Hall is a nightmare. The servants are surly, the house is freezing cold and full of farm animals, and worst of all, it's in the North - a world away from the cosy coffeehouses and gentlemen's clubs of London. 
 
In these ten episodes, Fenton tries his hand as an agricultural reformer and radical grower of beetroots, falls in love with the charming Miss Lucinda Bluntstone, and embarks on a glamorous political career. An escape to London beckons - but Augustus' hopes are dashed when his master chooses to stay in the village, where he tries to convert a workhouse into a school and investigates a case of witchcraft... 
 
Fans of Blackadder will love this light-hearted comedy drama, full of japes, jokes and amusing sound effects and soundtracked with brilliant Baroque-style music. Olivier Award-winning actor Nicholas Le Prevost stars as Fenton Babblewick, with Forbes Masson as Augustus Snipe and Sam Kelly and Dave Hill as Jack. Among the stellar guest cast are Sophie Thompson, Maurice Denham, Tracie Bennett and John Moffatt. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Scott Cherry 
Produced by Paul Schlesinger (Series 1) and Jon Rolph (Series 2) 
Music composed by Paul Mottram 
Violin: Paul Mottram 
 
 
Cast 
Fenton Babblewick - Nicholas Le Prevost 
Augustus Snipe - Forbes Masson 
Barney - David Antrobus 
Jack - Sam Kelly/Dave Hill 
Molly - Gillian Bevan 
Bob Scotcher - Philip Jackson 
Peck - Alex Lowe 
Pickett - Christian Rodska 
Grunter - Geoffrey McGivern 
Flinch - Maurice Denham 
Mrs Bluntstone - Elizabeth Spriggs 
Lucinda - Tracie Bennett 
Smellie - David Timson 
Hartson - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Berridge - Jeremy Clyde 
Dribb/Maddison - John Baddeley 
Mrs Maddison - Sara Coward 
Highwayman - Stephen Critchlow 
William Babblewick - Benjamin Whitrow 
Elizabeth Babblewick - Pauline Yates 
Harriet - Courtney King 
Septimus Hickey - John Moffatt 
With Maggie McCarthy, Benedict Sandiford, Michael Troughton, Pat Coombs, Kim Wall, Lynda Barron, Phil Nice, Peter Gunn, Sophie Thompson, Rosemary Leach 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 27 December 1995-31 January 1996 (Series 1), 4-25 September 1998 (Series 2)

Babblewick Hall

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy drama

Andrew Nickolds

Curmudgeonly author Ed Reardon is back - author, pipe smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive email, attempts to survive in a world where the media seems to be run by idiots and lying charlatans. 
 
'The funniest sitcom to ever grace Radio 4' - Radio Times 
 
In these six episodes, Ed and Elgar return to London (from their failed jaunt living in a shepherd's hut in the country) destitute and on the lookout for a new roof over their respective heads, where he bumps into Geoff Daytona - a rich successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker Ed was at school with. Surely big bucks are in Ed’s future when Geoff commissions Ed with writing his self-help book – The Geoff Daytona Method. Ed then collides with the worlds of reality television and, most surprisingly of all modern parenting. 
 
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds, this sublimely funny sitcom stars Christopher Douglas as Ed Reardon, with Barunka O'Shaughnessy, Philip Jackson, Monica Dolan, Geoffrey Whitehead, Brigit Forsyth and Stephanie Cole with guest star Meera Syal. 
 
Credits 
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds 
Produced by Simon Nicholls 
A BBC Studios Production

Ed Reardon's Week: Series 13

The BBC Radio sitcom

Dan Laurence

&lsquo;A tearing, flaring, revivalist drama&rsquo; was how Desmond MacCarthy described The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet. Set in America&rsquo;s Wild West and aptly subtitled &lsquo;A Sermon in Crude Melodrama&rsquo;, this single-act play concerns the conversion of a horse thief desperate to &lsquo;keep the devil&rsquo; in him and die game. Published in 1909, it brought Shaw into conflict with the Lord Chamberlain of England, who banned it on the grounds of alleged blasphemy, and it was twelve years before the play was performed in a London theatre. In an interview Shaw commented, &lsquo;I am sorry that Fanny&rsquo;s First Play has destroyed the cherished legend that I am an unpopular playwright &hellip; for the first time I have allowed a play of mine to run itself to death &hellip; And the worst of it is it will not die.&rsquo; First performed in 1911, the play is a delightful farce in which Shaw debates some of his favourite subjects: middle-class morality, marriage, parents and children and women&rsquo;s rights. And, deliberately concealing his authorship, Shaw took the opportunity to satirize contemporary drama critics who, he claimed, &lsquo;do not know dramatic chalk from dramatic cheese when it is no longer labelled for them.&rsquo;

The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet and Fanny's First Play

VOL. 3: A MUSE OF FIRE. 
Successful Playwright and Businessman. 
(c. 1595 - Opening of The Globe) 
Peter Ackroyd's insightful new biography positions Shakespeare in the close context of his world. In this way, Ackroyd not only richly conjures up the texture of Shakespeare's life, but also imparts an amazing amount of vivid, interesting material about place, period and background. Walk with Ackroyd through sixteenth century London and Stratford as he uncovers the intimate circumstances of Shakespeare's life. Discover the theatrical world in which Shakespeare had his being - not just Shakespeare the actor but the other actors, playwrights, and managers that surrounded him. And journey to Stratford to meet Shakespeare the family man, whose private life had such an impact on his work that the strongest bond in his plays is always between father and daughter.

Shakespeare - The Biography: Vol III

A Muse of Fire

biblio.categories.code

biblio.publicationStatus

biblio.brand

biblio.workEditions.format

biblio.ageRange

biblio.series.seriesName

biblio.imprint.description

biblio.type

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

Search Results

Little Black Classics Box Set

Penguin Modern Box Set

Frankenstein

Features

25 fans of Anne Tyler for 2025

Reading lists

Reading inspiration from your favourite celebrities

Aerial image of Greek Myths, Sapiens and The Secret to Superhuman Strength laid out on a wooden table surrounded by natural Christmas decorations.

12 Vintage books that make perfect Christmas gifts

Images of cookbook covers on a green and white feathered background.

Books to build your perfect Christmas dinner

A decorative banner with a portrait of David Larbi and small illustrations of everyday sources of comfort like a cup of tea, flowers and a candle.

The Penguin books that helped us through hard times

The book cover for The Body Keeps the Score against a white background with blue and yellow splotches.

Showing results for: ‘Nigella Lawson’

Filters

Category

Age

Publication Date

Format

Series

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter