Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

Aaron Shapiro

Aaron T Beck

Aaron Vallance

Aaron Young was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and read Politics and Communications at The University of Liverpool. He is a BAFTA-nominated director, producer and executive producer with over 20 years of experience across projects for the BBC, PBS, Channel 4, Channel 5, UKTV, UK Film Council and Arts Council England. A long-time collaborator of acclaimed historian, James Holland, he is the producer and director of the BAFTA-shortlisted BBC titles ‘Battle of Britain: The Real Story’ and, ‘Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the German Dams’, as well as ‘The Battle for Malta’, ‘Normandy ’44: The Battle Beyond D-Day’, the RTS-nominated ‘Imphal &amp; Kohima: Britain’s Greatest Battle.’, and the 3-part series, 'Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France. His most recent credits include 'Hidden Histories of WWII', 'Lost Temples of Cambodia', the RTS-winning ‘Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany’, and ‘Prue Leith: Journey with My Daughter’. Aaron was named in the inaugural list of BAFTA ‘Brits to Watch.’ He is the co-owner of award-winning film and television production company, Bright Button Productions, and lives with his wife and children in Poundbury, Dorset.

Aaron Young

Aatish Taseer

Abbe Prevost

Abbey Bryant is an NYC-based award-winning illustrator. With her BFA in Children's Book Illustration, her notable illustrated books include Nautilus award winner Hazel Mist, Hypnotist as well as an Enchanted Fairy House Kit with Scholastic's Klutz! 
 
As a queer illustrator, LGBTQ+ themes and stories hold a spot near to her heart. Most days she can be found around the city drawing New Yorkers or sketching trees at the park.

Abbey Bryant

Abbey Clancy is a model, television presenter and the host of chart-topping podcast The Therapy Crouch. She was the runner-up of Britain's Next Top Model in 2006, winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and went on to present Britain's Next Top Model. Later this year she will host Celebrity Homes on ITV.

Abbey Clancy

Abbie Greaves studied at Cambridge University before working in a literary agency for a number of years. She was inspired to write her first novel, The Silent Treatment, after reading a newspaper article about a boy in Japan who had never seen his parents speak to one another before. 
 
Abbie lives in Brighton with her boyfriend.

Abbie Greaves

Abbie Ross is a British author and psychotherapist. Her first book, Hippy Dinners, a funny and poignant memoir of her bohemian childhood in 1970s North Wales, has been optioned by Baby Cow, who are developing it into an 8-part television series. 
Before turning to writing, Abbie had a successful career as a producer at Aardman Animations, the acclaimed studios behind Wallace &amp; Gromit and the film Chicken Run. 
Today, she divides her time between her thriving psychotherapy practice in Bristol, and her writing, and finds that the two careers complement each other perfectly.

Abbie Ross

Abbie Spallen

Abbie Taylor lives in Dublin. She works as a doctor and has two daughters.

Abbie Taylor

Abby L Yates co-founded the Ghostbusters with Erin Gilbert. Ghosts from Our Past was her first book, now finally back in print.

Abby L Yates

Abby Lee

Abby Rawlinson is an integrative therapist with a private practice based in east London, UK. Her work mixes traditional psychotherapeutic theories with cutting-edge, evidence-based techniques into a style that feels relatable, down-to-earth, and compassionate. Abby regularly contributes to articles, including but not limited to Stylist, Elle, BBC, Harpers Bazaar, Sheerluxe, Women's Health, and Psychologies. She can be found on Instagram @therapywithabby or online at therapywithabby.co.uk

Abby Rawlinson

Abby Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, FIFA World Cup champion, six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award and one of Time’s Most Influential People. She is a founder of Treat Media, an award-winning media company that makes art for humans who want to stay human. Abby is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wolfpack and the New York Times bestseller Forward. Named one of the ‘50 Most Powerful People in Podcasting,’ she is co-host of the chart-topping podcast We Can Do Hard Things, which has received over a half billion plays. Abby is an executive producer of the Sundance award-winning film Come See Me in the Good Light, part owner of the NWSL’s Angel City Football Club and sits on multiple boards. Her most recent book, We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions, created with Glennon Doyle, Amanda Doyle and Treat Media, is being hailed as ‘the guidebook for being alive.’

Abby Wambach

Abel &amp; Cole’s story starts in 1988 with Keith Abel flogging potatoes door-to-door. ‘Of course potatoes are organic,’ he thought, ‘they’re vegetables’. However, he quickly discovered how unnecessarily complicated our food system had become and, consequently, realised the huge benefits of going organic and never looked back. In fact, Abel &amp; Cole still get veg from the farm where Keith's first organic spuds came from. 
To this day, their priorities remain the same. Now, selling 100% organic produce, Abel &amp; Cole believe that organic farming (a holistic system that encourages biodiversity) is the very best way to go. It protects our countryside and the critters that inhabit it, insists on the very best animal welfare, supports your local community and, frankly, tastes heaps better. Abel &amp; Cole think so anyway.

Abel & Cole Limited

Abhijit Banerjee, winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). In 2011, he was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s top 100 global thinkers. Banerjee served on the U.N. Secretary-General’s High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Abhijit V. Banerjee

Abhishek Mukherjee, 30, is a Delhi-based journalist. He holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from Delhi University, a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Raipur. He also likes dogs.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Abi Elphinstone grew up in Scotland where she spent most of her childhood running wild across the moors, hiding in tree houses and building dens in the woods. After being coaxed out of her tree house, she studied English at Bristol University and then worked as an English teacher in Africa, Berkshire and London. She is the bestselling and multi-award shortlisted author of RUMBLESTAR (first in The Unmapped Chronicles), SKY SONG &amp; THE DREAMSNATCHER TRILOGY, published by S&amp;S. When she's not writing, Abi volunteers for Beanstalk, speaks in schools and travels the world looking for her next story.

Abi Elphinstone

Abi Falase is a Black British writer and director, reimagining fundamental societal concepts in inventive new worlds. Abi has written and directed a number of plays, including The Village and Rush with the Almedia Theatre, as well as Rift for Immediate Theatre and was shortlisted for the BBC Scriptworks ‘A Thousand Stories’ scriptwriting competition in 2021.

Abi Falase

Abi Titmuss

Abie Longstaff is the eldest of six children and grew up in Australia, Hong Kong and France. She knows all about squabbling, chaos and bossing younger sisters around. So she logically began her career as a barrister. She started writing when her children were born. Her favourite childhood books were Hating Alison Ashley, A Little Princess, Maura's Angel and The Black Stallion and she sneakily reads them again sometimes. Abie lives in Hove with her family.

Abie Longstaff

Abigail Ahern

Abigail is a Brighton-based writer, illustrator and creative producer. Original storytelling has always been at the heart of Abigail's career and she has spent a decade leading social media campaigns for some of the biggest TV &amp; entertainment clients in the world. Abigail also used to perform stand-up comedy and won several tiny trophies for her onstage humour; which involved life-size illustrations, ridiculous songs and rambling stories about her family.

Abigail Balfe

Abigail Docherty

Abigail Foster is a Chartered Accountant and founder of Elent Finance, a financial education company designed to demystify the world of finance and empower you to achieve financial wellbeing. 
 
Abigail has worked with leading financial institutions across the UK, including HMRC, the Bank of England and Downing Street, and global companies such as Google and Goldman Sachs. She hosts a weekly money segment on LBC radio and has also appeared as a finance expert on ITV, Channel 5 and Sky News.

Abigail Foster

Abigail Owen is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveler, and chocoholic. Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby.

Abigail Owen

Abigail Ulman was born and raised in Melbourne. She has a BA in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne/VCA and was a recent Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. This is her first book.

Abigail Ulman

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C.S. Forester

Full cast BBC Radio productions of five of C. S. Forester’s classic novels 
 
Most famous for his Hornblower series, iconic writer C. S. Forester tells tales of adventure like no other. This BBC radio collection features modern adaptations of five of his acclaimed novels, including The African Queen (famously adapted as an Oscar-winning film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn) and The Gun, which was turned into the hit Hollywood movie The Pride and the Passion. 
 
The African Queen – East Africa, 1915. When missionary Rose Sayer’s brother dies and the German army invade their village, she finds herself thrown together with cowardly Cockney Charlie Allnut in his rickety steam-powered boat, The African Queen. Together, they brave German attacks, rapids, malaria and mechanical mishaps – but can they survive each other’s company? This radio dramatisation goes back to the novel, reinstating Forester's original ending and giving Charlie his Cockney identity back. Samantha Bond stars as Rose, with Toby Jones as Charlie. 
 
London Noir – Based on early novels by C. S. Forester, these three psychological thrillers take crime writing in a new direction by portraying ordinary, desperate people engaging in monstrous acts. Set in the 1920s, Payment Deferred centres around a bank clerk who commits a heinous crime to get out of debt, while Plain Murder sees three ad men plotting the ‘perfect murder’. And in The Pursued, it is 1935, and an elderly lady becomes obsessed with revenge when her daughter is found dead. Greg Wise narrates these chilling dramas, with casts including Sam Dale, Bryan Dick and Sophie Thompson. 
 
The Gun – This masterful historical drama tells the story of a massive 18-pounder gun that falls into the hands of Spanish partisans during the Peninsular War. Dragged across the mountains and plains of Spain, it becomes a potent symbol of pride and resistance – and changes the lives of those who fight each other to the death to gain control of it. Scott Arthur and Matthew Grevelle star in this gripping tale of guerrilla warfare. 
 
Text copyright C. S. Forester 1926 (Payment Deferred), 1930 (Plain Murder), 1933 (The Gun), 1935 (The African Queen, The Pursued) 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by C. S. Forester 
 
The African Queen 
Featuring Samantha Bond, Toby Jones, Stephen Critchlow, Mark Edel-Hunt, David Acton 
Adapted by Paul Mendelson 
Produced and directed by David Ian Neville 
Music composed and played by Gary C. Newman 
 
London Noir 
Dramatised by Paul Mendelson 
Produced and directed by David Ian Neville 
Music composed by Gary C. Newman 
Clarinet: Samantha Baldwin 
 
Payment Deferred 
Featuring Greg Wise, Sam Dale, Rebecca Lacey, Teresa Gallagher, Nick Underwood, David Thorpe, Sam Cummings, Emily Dolbear 
 
Plain Murder 
Featuring Greg Wise, Bryan Dick, Susie Riddell, Crawford Logan, David Seddon, Christopher Webster, David Holt, Cassie Layton, Imogen Barnes 
 
The Pursued 
Featuring Greg Wise, Sophie Thompson, Ben Crowe, Tessa Peake-Jones, Richard Lumsden, Carl Prekopp, Charlie Abbit, Cassie Layton 
 
The Gun 
Featuring Scott Arthur, Matthew Gravelle, Keiron Self, Don Gilet, Kevin Doyle 
Dramatised by Mike Walker 
Produced by Polly Thomas 
 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

C.S. Forester: The African Queen, The Gun and more

5 Full Cast Dramatisations of iconic novels

Peter Ling

David Valla stars in a gripping story of drugs, deception and betrayal set in 1960s LondonTransport yourself to London&rsquo;s swinging sixties and the dark underbelly of the capital city in this immersive thriller that will have you hooked from the start. Find yourself trapped in the brutal world of drug dealers, vice and deception. This is an evocative and gripping listen with a full cast and stunning score.It&rsquo;s the late 1960s and Nico Gachet is a young French student on the run in England. After making some terrible mistakes he must take drastic measures if he is to save his life and the lives of those he loves. Hoping to make amends for a terrible crime, Nico plans a dangerous liaison in the heart of the city. However, everywhere he turns the fearsome &lsquo;Buller&rsquo; looms. Nico&rsquo;s plans begin to fall apart and he must choose who he can trust. Can the young man pick his allies wisely and are they really who they say they are? Who is the sinister drug dealer Buller? And can Nico save himself and his friends? This atmospheric story is a perfect listen for fans of vintage thrillers such as Edward Boyd, Find the Lady and Paul Temple.Starring David Valla, who is known for his roles as Bill Warren in Crossroads and Eddie Syms in Coronation Street. Written by Peter Ling, the co-creator of Crossroads, whose writing credits include Doctor Who for television and radio adaptations of Sherlock Holmes and Gideon Fell. 
Cast and creditsWritten by Peter Ling 
Produced by Ronald MasonNico Gachet - David Valla 
Karen Engstrom - Patricia Gallimore 
Mrs Benson - Hilda Kriseman 
Neil Benson - Derek Seaton 
Andrew Plessey - Geoffrey Wincott 
Miss Hathaway - Hilda Schroder 
Garage Mechanic/Ambulance Man - Roger Gale 
Vince McAfferty - Kerry Francis 
Coffee House Boss - John Gabriel 
Landlady - Diana Payan 
Syd Schumann - Leonard Fenton 
Indian Doctor/Inspector - Garard Green 
Ray Lockett - Alaric Cotter 
Detective - Michael Deacon 
Stall Keeper - Peter Maycock 
Suzanne Kaye - Cecile Chevreau 
Salesman - Ian Thompson 
Buller - Henry Stamper 
Receptionist - Frances Jeater 
Amanda - Margaret Wolfit 
Night Nurse - Kathleen HelmeFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 2, 7 August 1969&copy;2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Death Speaks Another Language

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Thriller

Harry Venning

Neil Brand

Meet the bungling surveillance team you won&rsquo;t want on your tail.The time, now - the place, outside your window. Three surveillance operatives are on an unspecified job, working for an unspecified employer. Together, they are Beagle Team.Good surveillance operatives have patience, alertness and discretion - this is a series about the other type of surveillance operative. Bill (Richard Lumsden), career snoop and technical specialist, has long carried a torch for beautiful yet disconnected fieldworker Sharla (Nina Conti), who doesn't know he exists, despite sharing the back of a van with him for most of their working life. Mark (Daniel Kaluuya), an enthusiastic yet slightly criminal trainee, has been assigned to them by their unknown employer, who goes by the codename &lsquo;Huntsman&rsquo;. However, whilst the team should be focusing on honing their surveillance skills, they spend more time backstabbing and scapegoating each other. Usually the team member out in the field with the microphones&hellip;Faced with fresh targets, situations and locations, can the team botch their way to bringing down a team of blackmailers, stake out a Russian billionaire or learn anything from a CIA operative? What will happen when old rivals Terrier Team come onto their patch and what about that job so secret even the boss doesn&rsquo;t know about it?Sneakiepeeks is a laugh-out-loud comedy featuring an all-star cast including comedian Nina Conti, Clare in the Community's Richard Lumsden and Daniel Kaluuya, star of Skins, Get Out and Black Panther. It&rsquo;s written by Harry Venning, the creator of Clare in the Community, and Neil Brand, the creator of Big Broadcast.&copy;2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution LtdCast and creditsWritten by Harry Venning and Neil BrandProduced by Katie TyrellBill - Richard LumsdenSharla - Nina ContiMark - Daniel KaluuyaTony Savage/Captain Le Clerc - Kevin EldonGeoff/Boris/Bristow - John BigginsTed/Bolkonski - Shaban ArifiNanny/Milij/Russian Girl - Alex TregearMr Smith/Russian Crew/Ignatius/Fuego - Nigel HastingsMrs Smith/Russian Girl/Mrs A/Delphine - Kate LaydenBishop/Russian Crew/Mr A - Ewan HooperJustine/Mrs Davies/Secretary -Tessa NicholsonDavid/Colonel/Customer 2/Channing - Ewan BaileyMan - Rhys JenningsEdward Barraclough MP/Ian - Paterson Joseph 
Norris/Tim the Tea Boy - Joe Thomas 
Ros/Mrs Davies - Lucy Montgomery 
Customer 1- Harry Venning 
Customer 3 - Neil BrandFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 December 2009

Sneakiepeeks

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Comedy

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

Edward Boyd

A collection of suspenseful standalone radio thrillers by Edward Boyd 
 
Scottish writer Edward Boyd was well known for his TV and radio plays, including The Corridor People and The View from Daniel Pike, and he also penned several episodes of Z-Cars. He specialised in the thriller genre, and this collection showcases six of his best radio crime dramas. 
 
The Wolf Far Hence – Steve Gardiner heads to the Highlands to try and locate his ex and her new fortune-hunting lover – only to find himself investigating a series of murders in a hotel beside a lonely Scottish loch. Teddy Johnson stars in this gripping serial, which won Edward Boyd a Writers’ Guild Award. 
 
The Candle of Darkness – Hardnosed investigator Steve Gardiner returns for another adventure, in which he goes looking for an old friend in a small Scottish seaside resort, but finds the town under threat from a serial killer dubbed ‘The Kind Man’. Starring Teddy Johnson as Steve, with Moultrie Kelsall as DI Gordon. 
 
The Same River Twice – Johnny Maxen reluctantly walks through the Gare du Nord on his way back to a life he thought he’d left behind. He’s looking for his missing wife – but is soon under suspicion for her murder… Gordon Jackson stars as Johnny Maxen, with Roddy McMillan as Inspector Wardlaw. 
 
Badger by Owl-Light – When a bomb explodes in the middle of London, Peter Talion is hired to uncover the secret cult responsible – and eliminate its leader. Starring Edward Judd as Peter Talion, with Tony Robinson as Simon. 
 
Curlew in Autumn – A small town in Galloway, Scotland. A cottage unchanged since 1941. A dead nurse. And a lawyer with one million pounds in his bank account, and no idea how it got there… These puzzling facts and events are explored in this atmospheric mystery, starring McLevy creator David Ashton. 
 
Castles in Spain – Grahame Mayer is a bookseller, not a private eye. Nonetheless, he's being asked to investigate a military mystery connected to the Spanish Civil War – a mystery that almost every major intelligence agency in Great Britain and America wants solved. Starring Ray Brooks and Garard Green. 
 
NB: These vintage recordings contain language and attitudes from the time in which they were first broadcast. Due to the age of the recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Edward Boyd 
Produced by Eddie Fraser (The Wolf Far Hence, The Candle of Darkness, The Same River Twice), Stewart Conn (Badger by Owl-Light) and Patrick Rayner (Curlew in Autumn, Castles in Spain) 
 
The Wolf Far Hence 
First broadcast BBC Home Service, 20 November-25 December 1953 
 
The Candle of Darkness 
First broadcast BBC Home Service, 29 March-3 May 1954 
 
The Same River Twice 
First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 2 October-20 November 1966 
 
Badger by Owl-Light 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 October 1975 
 
Curlew in Autumn 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 April-13 May 1984 
 
Castles in Spain 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 October-20 November 1987 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Same River Twice & Other Stories

Six Classic BBC Full-Cast Thrillers

Mike Walker

Mike Walker’s gripping BBC Radio drama about money, art, religion, politics and power 
 
Florence, 1415. Banker Cosimo Medici is looked down upon as a jumped up money-changer. Then he marries the noble Contessina de Bardi and becomes the richest man in Europe. But his wealth and power threaten the Florentine elite, who are determined to bring him down... 
 
However, the House of Medici cannot be crushed that easily. Sixty years and many violent deaths later, the family are the unquestioned, ruthless rulers of Florence. They control the government, have transformed the city through their patronage of the arts, and one of them has even been crowned Pope. But trouble is coming in the form of the fanatical poet monk Savonarola, and the bank is in decline. Can Lorenzo the Magnificent save anything for his dim-witted successors – and will they even care? 
 
With a cast of extraordinary characters including Piero the Gouty, master negotiator Lucrezia Tornabuoni and Pope Leo X, as well as Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Artemisia Gentileschi, this fast-paced ‘Renaissance Sopranos’ tells the thrilling story of one of the most infamous dynasties of all time. Among the cast are Patrick Baladi, Sirine Saba, Tom Cullen, Saran Morgan and Catrin Aaron. 
 
 
Created by Mike Walker 
Written by Mike Walker, Sian Ejiwunmi Le-Berre and Catherine Johnson 
Sound Design: Nigel Lewis and Catherine Robinson 
Organ: Branwen Munn 
Produced by John Norton 
 
Cast 
Cosimo de' Medici – Patrick Baladi 
Contessina de' Bardi – Sirine Saba 
Rinaldo degli Albizzi – Richard Elfyn 
Niccolo Tinucci – Christopher Elson 
Old Giovanni – Hugh Thomas 
Silvio – Marc Danbury 
Gio Verdi – Marco Fiera 
The Manager – David Hounslow 
Lorenzo de' Medici – Tom Cullen 
Lucrezia Tornabuoni – Saran Morgan 
Clarice Orsini – Abra Thompson 
Gio de' Medici – Gareth Pierce 
Marietta – Saran Morgan 
Cardinal Orsini – Simon Armstrong 
Soderini – Daniel Cerqueira 
Pope Sixtus – John Cording 
Tinucci – Tommy Sim'aan 
Pazzi – Matthew Durkan 
Savonarola – Matthew Gravelle 
King Ferrante – Jonathon Forbes 
Pope Innocent – Roger Ringrose 
Leonardo da Vinci – Tom Kiteley 
Botticelli – Hughie O' Donnell 
Alessandro de Medici - Elliott Barnes-Worrell 
Lorenzino de Medici - Sion Daniel Young 
Ippolito de Medici - Jacob Ifan 
Taddea Malaspina - Kiran Sonia Sawar 
Simonetta da Collevecchio - Marsha Millar 
Giorgio Vasari - Nico Pimparé 
Pope Clement - Arwel Gruffydd 
Emperor Charles V - Michael Bertenshaw 
Margaret - Kitty O'Sullivan 
Scoronconcolo - Tyler Cameron 
Strozzi - John Lightbody 
Young Alessandro - Hardy Yusuf 
Young Ippolito - Huw Huckstep 
Catherine de Medici - Catrin Aaron 
Silvestri - Julian Lewis Jones 
Diane de Poitiers - Juliette Aubrey 
Prince Henri - Arthur Hughes 
King Francis - Aneirin Hughes 
Guise - Joel MacCormack 
Nurse - Heather Craney 
Young Catherine - Grace Nettle 
Isabelle - Nia Gandhi 
Coligny - Ian Dunnett Jnr 
Le Conde - Matthew Bulgo 
Cardinal Guise - Tom Mumford 
Margot - Poppy Almond 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Medici: Bankers, Gangsters, Popes

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Drama

David Ashton

Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond return in two new series of adventures set in San Francisco.Forced to run for his life after killing two suspects, assaulting the Chief Constable and inadvertently causing the death of Lieutenant Roach, McLevy has fled Leith for San Francisco. Somewhat rashly, and against her better judgement, Jean Brash has decided to accompany him...Arriving in America, it seems they’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. San Francisco is as cold and foggy as Leith, and home to just as many criminals. With the Gold Rush at its height, the city is a madhouse, its inhabitants driven by greed. Everyone is dying to get rich quick, and McLevy and Jean are caught in the middle.Unimpressed by San Francisco’s bawdy houses, Jean shifts from brothel-keeping to playing poker, and is soon making a killing. McLevy, however, is having a harder time adjusting. Adrift and purposeless, he goes looking for trouble – and finds it in spades. As he and Jean face violence, corruption, skulduggery and murder, McLevy sets about doing what he does best: tackling crime. His time as a policeman may be over, but in this wild, lawless West, there’s a desperate need for a good private investigator...Starring Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond, these four entertaining episodes follow ex-Inspector James McLevy and former madame Jean Brash as they attempt to forge a new life in the New World.Cast and creditsWritten by David AshtonProduced and directed by Bruce Young© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

McLevy in the New World: Series 1 and 2

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Crime Drama

Wiliam Rose

Robert Hamer

John Dighton

T.E.B. Clarke

Compton MacKenzie

A quartet of classic Ealing comedy films, reimagined for BBC Radio 
 
Between 1947 and 1957, Ealing Studios produced a series of immensely popular, darkly funny film comedies that made the West London borough famous throughout the world. Almost 50 years later, four of these timeless films were recreated for BBC Radio 4, and are now collected together for the first time. 
 
The Ladykillers – Eccentric elderly widow Mrs Wilberforce unwittingly foils a gang of crooks lodging in her London house under the pretext they are a string quintet. Dramatised by award-winning playwright Bruce Bedford from the much-loved 1955 film, this captivating crime caper stars Edward Petherbridge, Donald Sinden, Margot Boyd, Johnny Morris and Stratford Johns. 
 
Kind Hearts and Coronets – Disinherited by his snobbish aristocratic familly, Louis Mazzini sets out to gain his rightful place as a Duke by bumping off the other eight D’Ascoyne heirs who stand ahead of him. But then he is arrested for the one murder he didn’t commit… Michael Kitchen stars as Mazzini and Harry Enfield as the various members of the D’Ascoyne family in this brilliant dramatisation of the classic 1949 comedy film. 
 
Passport to Pimlico – When an undetonated World War Two bomb accidentally goes off, the explosion reveals a cache of treasure – including an ancient treaty declaring that the residents of Pimlico are actually part of the Duchy of Burgundy… Adapted by acclaimed scriptwriter John Peacock from the evergreen 1949 film, this delightful drama stars George Cole, Louise Lombard and Sylvia Sims. 
 
Whisky Galore – It is the middle of World War Two, and the residents of the Hebridean islands Great Todday and Little Todday are facing a whisky drought. Then a cargo ship bound for America runs aground carrying 50,000 cases – but can the islanders keep this unexpected bounty secret? Bernard Holley and Dolina MacLennan star in this witty dramatisation of Compton Mackenzie and Angus MacPhail’s 1949 film. 
 
Written by Wiliam Rose (The Ladykillers), Robert Hamer and John Dighton (Kind Hearts and Coronets), T E B Clarke (Passport to Pimlico) and Compton Mackenzie (Whisky Galore!) 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Ealing Comedy Collection

BBC Radio Full-Cast Remakes of The Ladykillers, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Passport to Pimlico & Whisky Galore!

Alfred Hitchcock

Ernest Lehmann

Mark Gatiss

Anthony Hinds

D.M. Thomas

Dennis Potter

Harold Pinter

Karen Blixen

Joseph Conrad

Alexander Mackendrick

Jay Presson Allen

Arthur Miller

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

Unmade Movies: The Collection

Seven BBC Radio 4 Adaptations of Unproduced Screenplays

Matthew Broughton

A compelling new thriller from the creator of Tracks 
 
When artist Jess is rescued by a mysterious stranger after collapsing at a protest rally, neither of them know that their lives are about to be transformed forever. The pair swiftly fall in love, but when Dan disappears, Jess realises how little she knows about the man who saved her. 
 
Jess is an aspiring artist with synaesthesia - she sees colours and patterns when she hears certain sounds, and uses her unique ability to connect the unconnected. Searching for answers, she is seduced by a glamorous and shadowy underworld of criminal gangs and a brutal leader with murderous intent. Conflicting perceptions compete as Jess's world begins to spiral out of control in this dark and gripping thriller... 
 
Who is Dan, really? Who can Jess trust, and is the truth what it appears to be? 
 
Senses collide and worlds change in this taut full-cast drama, starring Holli Dempsey as Jess and Josef Altin as Dan. 
 
 
Written by Matthew Broughton and Faebian Averies 
Directed by John Norton, Emma Harding and Philippa Swallow 
Sound Design by Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis 
Produced by John Norton, Philippa Swallow and Emma Harding 
 
Cast 
Jess - Holli Dempsey 
Dan - Josef Altin 
Johnny - Tom Byrne 
Melissa - Alexandria Riley 
Petal - Rina Mahoney 
Daisy - Grace Cooper Milton 
Clem - Francois Pandolfo 
Desk Sergeant, Security Guard, Newsreader - Chris Jack 
Security Guard, Janey, Gallery Director - Jasmine Hyde 
Mark, Magner - Neil McCaul 
Ryan - Justice Ritchie 
Ronnie Vaz - Alun Raglan 
Henry - Brendan Charleson 
Mother - Christine Kavanagh 
Molly - Molly Pepper Tuer 
Man - Dean Rehman 
Gina - Suzanne Packer 
Anthony Wheeler - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
Vic - David Sterne 
Maggie - Ashleigh Haddad 
Blue Rider - Olivia Vinall 
 
Series 1 first broadcast BBC Radio 4, February 2022 
Series 2 first broadcast BBC Radio 4, December 2022 
Series 3 first broadcast BBC Radio 4, December 2023 
 
©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Broken Colours: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast thriller

Vincent McInerney

A trilogy of thrillers set in Liverpool, featuring the formidable Detective Inspector Crust 
 
Veteran scriptwriter Vincent McInerney draws on his lifelong knowledge of Liverpool and his background in the Merchant Marine in these engaging thrillers, in which the gruff, indomitable John Crust and his sidekick Minty probe the circumstances surrounding a missing husband, a stolen sculpture and a hidden treasure. 
 
O’Rourke’s First Case – Made redundant at 40, John O’Rourke gets a grant from the Enterprise Allowance Board and sets up as a private detective. Hired by Mrs Rate to trace her absent spouse, he’s soon caught up in a dangerous scheme involving modern art, drug money and shoot-outs on container ships. Fortunately, Inspector Crust is also investigating, and monitoring the rookie PI’s progress. Can the redoubtable copper ensure that O’Rourke’s first case isn’t also his last? 
 
The Finger of Suspicion – With the university rag day parade in full swing, Inspector Crust is keeping his beady eye on the floats making their way through the city centre. So when a helicopter suddenly appears, and hoists the Epstein statue off Lewis’s department store, Crust assumes it’s an elaborate student prank. But when the police receive a ransom note, together with one of the statue’s fingers, he starts to have second thoughts. 
 
The Bell – Following the death of shipowner Oliver Bright, his granddaughter Elizabeth prepares to sell his house and possessions at auction. Rumour has it that among his worldly goods is a rare artefact saved during the sinking of the Titanic – and psychotic criminal Tarrant will stop at nothing to lay his hands on it. But Inspector Crust is also on the trail of the missing relic, and is determined to find it first... 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Vincent McInerny 
Directed by Shaun MacLoughlin 
 
Starring James Ellis as Inspector Crust and Bill Monks as Minty 
 
O’Rourke’s First Case 
John O'Rourke – Ken Cumberlidge 
Mr O'Rourke – Richard Tate 
Chris – Maureen O’Brien 
Curly – Dominic Rickhards 
Mrs Rate – June Barrie 
Ronnie Rate – Eric Allan 
Bogger – David Goudge 
Captain/Adrian Mince – Christian Rodska 
Charlie – Jonathan Nibbs 
Barman/Compere – Ian Targett 
Scratcher – David Learner 
Operator – Maryon Ellor 
‘Just Another Night’ written and sung by Vincent McInerney 
Musicians: Steve Wright (guitar), Dave Dover (bass) and Steve Bartley (percussion) 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 January 1990 
 
The Finger of Suspicion 
Guy – Richard Pearce 
Colonel Rivers – David Bannerman 
Malcolm – Kim Wall 
James – Brendan Charleson 
Mr Patch – Peter Copley 
Julia – Carolyn Backhouse 
Billy/Eddie – Christian Rodska 
Mrs Rivers – Peggy Ann Wood 
Arthur Frank – Richard Tate 
Mandy – Cheryl Maiker 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 February 1992 
 
The Bell 
Elizabeth – Teresa Gallagher 
Tarrant – Eric Allan 
Father Kennedy – Peter Caffrey 
Mrs Moran – June Barrie 
Dicky Bird – William Eedle 
Eileen – Sue Jenkins 
Alf Gringod – Gerry Hinks 
Mitzi Müller – Melinda Walker 
Gottfried Müller – William Eedle 
Jim Rawson – Sion Probert 
George – Derek Hicks 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 August 1993 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Detective Inspector Crust

Three Full-Cast BBC Radio Crime Dramas

Alan Melville

Edward Hardwicke and Robert Lang star in this four-part comedy thriller 
 
With the House of Commons in recess, it's a chance for all hard-working politicians to take a holiday. So when Conservative MP Vincent Mellors and Labour MP Arnold Sellers discover that they're staying at the same golf hotel in Lytham St Annes, they agree to put affairs of state on the back burner. But they're soon handed a political hot potato in the shape of Sir Bertram Oliphant's parliamentary memoirs. Full of red-hot revelations, the manuscript is diplomatic dynamite - and someone will go to any lengths to get their hands on it... 
 
Then Sir Bertram is found murdered, buried head-first in a bunker and wearing someone else's shoes. Deciding to investigate, Mellors and Sellers find themselves faced with a slew of suspects, including a suspiciously inquisitive Welsh receptionist, a mysterious Baltic businessman with size eleven feet, and an Italian mafioso named Marinello... 
 
Created by playwright, broadcaster and Golden Age crime writer Alan Melville, this light-hearted comic crime drama stars Edward Hardwicke as Mellors and Robert Lang as Sellers. 
 
This programme was made in 1977, and contains language and attitudes from the time in which it was first broadcast. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Alan Melville 
Produced and directed by John Tydeman 
 
Cast 
Vincent Mellors - Edward Hardwicke 
Arnold Sellers - Robert Lang 
Steward - Geoffrey Collins 
Mordecai - Anthony Daniels 
Stranger/Zhednev - Peter Woodthorpe 
Woman - Shirley Dixon 
Inspector - James Thomason 
Maid/Ruth - Terri Lang 
Golf professional - Fraser Kerr 
Miss Parker - Gudrun Ure 
Sir Reginald Deane - John Humphry 
Lady Heston - Fabia Drake 
P - Sean Barrett 
Steward/Marinello - Neville Jason 
Woman - Anne Rosenfeld 
Barman - Leslie Heritage 
Mrs Oliphant - Mary Wimbush 
O - Alan Barry 
Police sergeant - Timothy Bateson 
Morris - John Rowe 
 
With Michael Tudor Barnes, Malcolm Reid, Michael Harbour, Jonathan Scott, Peter Craze and Valerie Murray 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5-26 January 1977 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mellors and Sellers

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Classic Comedy Thriller

David Edgar

David Edgar – one of Britain’s greatest living playwrights – introduces a collection of his outstanding works 
 
David Edgar is among the UK’s leading contemporary dramatists, well known for his powerful plays chronicling Britain's changing political landscape over the past 50 years. 
 
This radio anthology begins with the award-winning Destiny, adapted for radio by Edgar himself, in which he analyses the rise of the right-wing National Front movement. In Saigon Rose, the sexual revolution is under the spotlight, as a couple and their cohorts are forced to face the darker side of the Swinging Sixties. This is followed by a play adapted from the journals of a South African lawyer – The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs is a dramatic account of his arrest and solitary confinement. 
 
Mary Barnes recounts the struggles of the titular heroine with her own madness, and Ecclesiastes deals with a fundamentalist preacher. A Movie Starring Me centres around a TV soap star and her obsessive fan, while Entertaining Strangers is about the struggle between a fundamentalist parson and a town’s first woman brewer. The 1984 miners’ strike forms the backdrop to That Summer. 
 
Two plays from Edgar’s ‘Iron Curtain Trilogy’ are next: The Shape of the Table and Pentecost, examining themes of negotiation in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Talking to Mars looks at the collapse of the Cold War through the eyes of an international radio station. 
 
The Secret Parts is a gripping murder mystery, adapted for radio by David Edgar from the novel written by his late wife Eve Brook. Playing with Fire is a powerful exploration of racial tensions in multicultural Britain, and Something Wrong about the Mouth is about a man who wants to commission a portrait of a woman he can't produce, dressed for an event that didn't occur. If Only finds a Labour spin doctor, a Tory MP and a Lib Dem party worker stranded by the Icelandic ash cloud. 
 
David Edgar’s 2019 solo show, Trying It On, sees him delving into the background of his landmark play, Maydays. This collection concludes with Maydays, refashioned by Edgar into a sweeping three-part audio epic charting the journey of idealistic young activists from the far-left to the die-hard right. 
 
Track List: 
01: Introduction by David Edgar 
02-05: Destiny 
06-08: Saigon Rose 
09-11: The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs 
12-13: Mary Barnes 
14-15: Ecclesiastes 
16-17: A Movie Starring Me 
18-19: Entertaining Strangers 
20-21: That Summer 
22-23: The Shape of the Table 
24-28: Pentecost 
29-30: Talking to Mars 
31-32: The Secret Parts 
33-34: Playing with Fire 
35: Something Wrong About the Mouth 
36-37: If Only 
38: Trying It On 
39-41: Maydays 
 
Written by David Edgar 
The Secret Parts written by Eve Brook 
 
Text copyright © David Edgar 1976 (Saigon Rose, Destiny), 1977 (Ecclesiastes), 1978 (The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs), 1979 (Mary Barnes), 1983 (Maydays), 1987 (That Summer), 1990 (The Shape of the Table), 1991 (A Movie Starring Me), 1994 (Pentecost), 1996 (Talking to Mars), 2005 (Playing with Fire), 2007 (Something Wrong About the Mouth), 2013 (If Only), 2018 (Trying It On) 
The Secret Parts text copyright © Eve Brook 2000 
All rights reserved 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

David Edgar: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

17 Full-Cast Productions including The Shape of the Table, Pentecost & Maydays

Michael Dobbs

The classic political drama that inspired the hit Netflix series Francis Urquhart, Chief Whip of the Conservative Party, wants to get to Number 10 and will stop at nothing in his pursuit of power. This full-cast dramatisation packs a powerful punch in the fast-paced political thriller based on Michael Dobbs bestselling novel of the same name.The country is undecided after a close election and the party must stand united behind a new leader. Francis Urquhart has ambitions for the role, however several adversaries stand between him and the top job. Urquhart’s scheming reaches new levels of intrigue and scandal resulting in a deadly showdown. After receiving a series of leaks from an unknown source, journalist Mattie Storrin must follow her instinct for a story. But she has no idea how far this particular story will lead her down a path of deceit and destruction. As Storrin uncovers more than she expects and the web of lies becomes ever more complex, we’re left wondering how far Urquhart is prepared to go in pursuit of power? This thrilling production will have you wondering if it’s really true that, ‘he who wields the knife never wears the crown.’Listen to the full series, available for the first time as a download, and follow the ruthless ambition of the master schemer. Embark on this story of blackmail, intrigue and suspense as one man does everything he can to eliminate his enemies.Cast and creditsBased on the novel by Michael DobbsFrancis Urquhart - Daniel Massey Mattie Storrin - Amanda Root Henry Collingridge - Geoffrey Whitehead Roger O’Neil – Colm McConvey Morris Metcalf – Denis Hawthorne Rebel Preston - David Timpson Steve Kendrick - Stephen Critchlow Kevin Spense- Roger May Mr Jabwala - Buddy Osman Other parts played by Patience Tomlinson, Beverly Hills, Keith Drinkell, John Hartley, Alice Arnold, Zu Lemondean First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 January 2004©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

House of Cards

A BBC Radio Drama

Dave Simpson

Diane Whiteley

A six-part crime drama about a group of Manchester teens fighting for justice 
 
When their friend Keith Brandon is charged with murdering a policeman, Gemma, Liam and Andy decide to bunk off school and go to the trial. Keith had a knife, a motive and has confessed to the crime, but they're sure he didn't do it - so when he's found guilty, they can't believe it. 
 
Determined to prove Keith's innocence, they take their story to the local media, but no-one will take them seriously. Then Gemma comes up with an unorthodox way of appealing for new evidence: setting up their own pirate radio station... 
 
But someone's trying to warn them off. First they receive a letter telling them to 'stop looking', then Andy's mum - a police officer - is suspended from the force. Unafraid, they keep broadcasting - only to uncover sinister surprises and dangerous secrets. 
 
Can they find out the truth about PC Johnson's death, before they're shut down for good? 
 
First broadcast in 1993, this engaging crime drama was written by Dave Simpson and Diane Whitley. Among the star cast are Jane Dawson (Coronation Street), Sue Jenkins (Brookside), Maureen Beattie (Deadwater Fell) and Michelle Holmes (Rita, Sue and Bob Too). 
 
 
Cast 
Gemma - Jane Dawson 
Liam - Colin Parry 
Andy - Jonathan Perkins 
Dad/Malcolm - Jimmy Hibbert 
Keith Brandon - Vincent Davies 
Mrs Brandon - Sue Jenkins 
PC Gibson/Simon - Jason Done 
PC Johnson - Chris Brailsford 
Detective Inspector Mädchen - Seamus O'Neill 
Jennifer Walsh - Maureen Beattie 
Judge - Geoffrey Banks 
Ted - Russell Dixon 
Jeff Carter/Sphinx - Peter Rylands 
Susan - Michelle Holmes 
Himself - Julian Warwicker 
 
Written by Dave Simpson & Diane Whitley 
Produced by Martin Jameson 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 5, 12-27 April 1993 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Crimewaves

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Thriller

Ted Willis

A collection of full-cast dramatisations from the renowned screenwriter and novelist Ted Willis 
 
"There are great actors and intriguing premises in every one of the stories ... If you’d forgotten what an ingenious mind Ted Willis had, and what a gifted writer he was for espionage plots, then this collection is a timely reminder." Entertainment Focus 
 
Ted Willis began his creative life in amateur theatre and journalism before moving into writing for films, TV and radio, and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most prolific writer for television. His best-known creation was the hit police procedural Dixon of Dock Green which he based on the stories told to him by a policeman friend. This radio anthology includes five of his best-loved crime tales from the 1960s, '70s and '80s. 
 
The Buckingham Palace Connection - Summer, 1976. A question in the House of Lords leads Ted Willis to uncover the extraordinary true story of a 1918 mission to rescue the Romanovs... Maurice Denham, Jeremy Clyde and Miriam Margolyes star in this exciting drama, based on real events and adapted by Ted Willis from his own novel. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-31 May 1981 
 
The Left-Handed Sleeper - Ted Willis' neighbours have become embroiled in scandal. MP Mark Ritchie has gone on the run, suspected of being a spy, and MI5 are on his trail. Can his wife Christine prove his innocence? Dramatised by the author from his 1975 novel, this gripping espionage thriller stars Ted Willis as the narrator, with Annette Crosbie as Christine. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 November-12 December 1982 
 
Death May Surprise Us - Attending a country fair, the Prime Minister and his wife are kidnapped in broad daylight, within yards of a huge crowd. With the country reeling, the hunt is on to find them and bring them home safely... Leslie Sands and Mary Wimbush star in this suspenseful tale, adapted by Ted Willis from his 1974 novel. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 August-30 September 1984 
 
The Blue Lamp - This vintage drama by Ted Willis and Jan Read was based on their original treatment for the 1950 Ealing Studios film that introduced the character of PC George Dixon, who went on to appear in TV's Dixon of Dock Green. Deryck Guyler stars as the veteran London copper who faces up to an armed robber. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 December 1962 
 
And No Birds Sing - Philip Brooks is quietly reading at home, but a knock on his front door may change his life forever... This intriguing play stars Hugh Burden as Philip Brooks, Mary Miller as Ann Brooks and Adrian Egan as Detective Sergeant Syms. 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 May 1979 
 
Credits 
Written and dramatised by Ted Willis 
 
The Buckingham Palace Connection: Directed by Glyn Dearman 
The Left-Handed Sleeper: Produced by Christopher Venning 
Death May Surprise Us: Directed by Graham Gauld 
The Blue Lamp: Produced by David H. Godfrey; Written by Ted Willis and Jan Read; Adapted for radio by Jan Read 
And No Birds Sing: Directed by David Johnston 
 
With special thanks to Keith Wickham 
 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Buckingham Palace Connection and more

Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Vintage Thrillers

Anthony Berkeley

Two BBC Radio full-cast dramas from the master of classic crime 
 
 
Anthony Berkeley was a journalist, novelist, and founding member of the Detection Club - whose members included Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers - and was one of crime fiction's greatest innovators, developing the idea of the psychological crime novel in the 1920s and 30s. One of his recurring and most-beloved characters was Roger Sheringham, a novelist and amateur detective. 
 
In these two classic tales, Roger Sheringham must investigate two terrible murders: The Poisoned Chocolates Case, from 1929, sees him taking up the challenge when Scotland Yard admits defeat after months of investigations. How was a woman poisoned by a box of chocolates that weren't even intended for her? Who was the intended victim? And who was the terrible mind behind it? Roger and his amateur detective friends will each have a turn to put forward their own personal theories about the dreadful crime... 
 
In Jumping Jenny, written in 1933, Roger attends a party with the questionable theme 'famous murderers and their victims', only to discover that one difficult guest has been deliberately killed on one of the party's props. When Roger suspects one of his close friends may be involved, he decides to meddle in the evidence - but is he putting his own life at risk with this mischievous intervention? 
 
 
Witty, subversive, and fiercely clever, these wonderful crime mysteries by the renowned writer are just the thing for fans of The Lady Detectives, Maigret's Collected Cases, and Dashiell Hammett: The Maltese Falcon and other Adventures. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
 
The Poisoned Chocolates Case 
 
Roger Sheringham - Neil Stacy 
Mrs Fielder-Flamming - Hilda Schroder 
Sir Charles Wildman - Conrad Phillips 
Moresby - Victor Winding 
Chitterwick - Michael Bilton 
Bradley / Smithson - Geoffrey Collins 
Alicia - Jane Wenham 
Lockwood - William Eedle 
Bendix - Mark Straker 
Sir Eustace - Clive Panto 
Mrs Bendix - Eileen Tully 
Marguerite - Deborah Cranston 
 
Novel by Anthony Berkeley 
Dramatised by Neville Teller 
Directed by Brian Miller 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 14 January 1984 
 
 
Jumping Jenny 
 
Ronald Stratton - Trevor Martin 
Roger Sheringham - Hugh Burden 
Colin Nicolson - Simon Lack 
Dr Philip Chalmers - Hamilton Dyce 
Laura Chalmers - Judy Bailey 
Ena Stratton - Joan Newell 
David Stratton - John Scott 
Osbert Williams - Philip Cunningham 
Agatha Lefroy - Monica Kirton 
Dr Frank Mitchell - David Bird 
Margot - Sheila Manahan 
Mrs Williams - Molly Rankin 
Inspector Crane - Keith Williams 
Coroner - Richard Williams 
 
Novel by Anthony Berkeley 
Adapted by H. Oldfield Box 
Produced by David H. Godfrey 
 
First broadcast on BBC Home Service, 14 November 1959 
NB: Due to the age of this recording, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Cast and credits

Amateur Detective Roger Sheringham

The Poisoned Chocolates Case and Jumping Jenny

Arthur Conan Doyle

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

Arthur Conan Doyle: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Denise Mina

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

Denise Mina: A BBC Radio Collection

The Dead Hour, Three Fires & more

Jonathan Holloway

Briony Glassco

Philip Martin

Natalia Power

Gregory Evans

Five full-cast BBC Radio Dramas to send a chill up the spine 
 
Thrilling, creepy, and utterly unforgettable, these five stories of strange voices, haunting passions, and terrifying nightmares will stay with you forever... 
 
In No Conferring, four students from Bracewell College, Cambridge, attempt a Christmas bonding week in order to prepare for their upcoming University Challenge appearance. But the isolated moorland cottage stay soon goes very, very wrong. Written by Jonathan Holloway. 
 
Myrtle, Mahonia and Rue finds a young landscape gardener who loves her work, but will do anything to escape the terrible nightmares she suffers from. Her only hope is a drastic course of action... Written by Bryony Glassco. 
 
Voices from Another Room sees an artist troubled by the voices he thinks he's hearing - voices discussing his murder. And what is worse: the voices are in the future, and the murder is due to happen at any moment. Written by Philip Martin. 
 
In Sally Go Round the Moon, Sally is working hard at her job - perhaps too hard. Is it stress that's making her hear the voice of a child no one else can? Or is she really being haunted? Written by Natalia Power. 
 
Ghosting is the tale of a young novelist, who agrees to some ghostwriting work on the memoir of supermodel Vita. Soon he discovers exactly how seductive Vita is - but how much will he risk for his work, and for Vita herself? Written by Gregory Evans. 
 
Featuring a star-studded cast including Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders, Life of Riley, Common as Muck), Claire Cage (Casualty, Submarine), Damian Lynch (EastEnders, Tommies, Little Britain), Jaimi Barbakoff (The Archers, Black Mirror, The Power), Lydia Leonard (The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Ten Percent), Rachel Atkins (Absolute Power, Ed Reardon's Week, Mrs Sidhu Investigates), Jimi Mistry (Coronation Street, East is East, The Syndicate), and Honeysuckle Weeks (Foyle's War, Lewis), this is just the collection for those who love the chilling, spine-tingling dramas of The Man in Black, The Price of Fear, and Fear on 4. 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A Sting in the Tale

Five Eerie Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Jill Paton Walsh

Two delightful detective dramas adapted from Jill Paton Walsh's bestselling books 
 
Award-winning author Jill Paton Walsh was well known for her four Lord Peter Wimsey novels that continued and completed Dorothy L. Sayers's much-loved series. These two cosy crime dramas introduce her own sparkling creation, Imogen Quy, a college nurse and amateur sleuth who investigates foul play in academia. 
 
The Wyndham Case - The tranquil atmosphere of St Agatha's College, Cambridge is shattered when a young undergraduate is found dead on the floor of a specialist library. The repository of a rare collection of 17th-century scientific volumes, the 'Wyndham Case' is always kept locked: so how did Philip Skellow get in? And was his death accidental - or murder? Imogen is determined to find out... Starring Carolyn Pickles as Imogen Quy. 
 
A Piece of Justice - When Imogen's lodger Fran Bullion is asked to write the biography of eminent mathematician Gideon Summerfield, she is delighted - but Imogen fears she may be in danger. Three previous would-be biographers have either died or disappeared, and their research stopped at the same point in their subject's life: August 1978. What secret surrounds that fateful summer, and who is willing to kill to protect it? Barbara Flynn stars as Imogen, with Tracy Wiles as Fran. 
 
Text copyright © Jill Paton Walsh 1993 (The Wyndham Case), 1995 (A Piece of Justice) 
All rights reserved 
 
Production credits 
Written by Jill Paton Walsh 
 
The Wyndham Case 
Imogen Quy - Carolyn Pickles 
Mike Parsons - Richard Derrington 
Sir William Buckmote - Jeffery Dench 
Lady Buckmote - Marlene Sidaway 
Fran Bullion - Tracy Wiles 
Mountnessing - Charles Collingwood 
Mrs Skellow - Gillian Goodman 
Lord Goldhooper - Ian Brooker 
Nick - Tom George 
Emily/Tracy - Claire Corbett 
Catherine/Felicity - Jasmine Hyde 
Jack - Thomas Arnold 
Phillip Skellow - Alex Trinder 
Roger - Martyn Read 
Dramatised by Neville Teller 
Directed by Peter Lesley Wild 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 February 2001 
 
A Piece of Justice 
Imogen Quy - Barbara Flynn 
Janet Somerfield - Rosemary Leach 
Fran Bullion - Tracy Wiles 
Josh - Robert Harper 
Dr Mistral - James Greene 
Lady Buckmote - Marlene Sidaway 
Sir William Buckmote - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Professor Maverack - Colin Starkey 
Meredith Bagadeuce - Peter Howell 
Pamela Zephyr - Di Botcher 
David Swann - Iwan Thomas 
Dramatised by Neville Teller 
Directed by Janet Whitaker 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 November 1998 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Imogen Quy Detective Mysteries

Two BBC Radio Crime Thrillers

Ann Cleeves

Gripping full-cast BBC dramatisations and riveting readings of four 'Shetland' tales, plus a bonus short story and interview 
 
Ann Cleeves is well known for her 'Vera', 'Shetland', and 'Two Rivers' crime series, all of which have been adapted into hit TV shows. She was presented with the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in 2017, and was appointed an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to reading and libraries. This collection includes full-cast dramatisations of the first two 'Shetland' novels featuring Detective Jimmy Perez, as well as three short stories and a discussion with the bestselling author. 
 
Raven Black - Midwinter in Shetland, and a young woman is found strangled in a snow-covered field. Suspicion falls on elderly loner Magnus Tait - but Detective Jimmy Perez has a hunch the solution is not that simple. Starring Grant O'Rourke. 
 
White Nights - It is midsummer on the island, a time of white nights where the sun never quite leaves the sky. When a distressed stranger disrupts an art exhibition claiming amnesia, and is later found hanged, it seems a clear case of suicide. But Jimmy Perez has other ideas... Starring Steven Robertson. 
 
'The Soothmoothers' - The tensions between three travellers on a business trip to Shetland spark a local woman's interest. By dawn the next day, DI Jimmy Perez is on the scene, investigating a violent crime. Read by Marnie Baxter. 
 
'Secrets of Soil' - Written in collaboration with forensic soil scientist Lorna Dawson, this specially-commissioned short story sees Shetland detective Willow Reeves returning to her childhood home on the Scottish island of North Uist to confront a dark secret from her past. Read by Lesley Hart. 
 
'The Queen of Mystery' - Attending the Malice Domestic crime convention in Bethesda, Maryland, award-winning mystery writer Stella Monkhouse fears her star is starting to wane... Read by Joanna Tope. 
 
Phil Williams - Ann Cleeves talks to the Radio 5 Live presenter about the inspiration for her work, and why she's keen to encourage a national passion for reading. 
 
Text copyright © Ann Cleeves 2006 (Raven Black), 2008 (White Nights), 2010 ('The Soothmoothers'), 2013 ('Secrets of Soil'), 2016 ('The Queen of Mystery') 
All rights reserved 
 
Raven Black 
Jimmy Perez - Grant O'Rourke 
Magnus - John Shedden 
Fran - Rosalind Sydney 
Sally - Clare Yuille 
Robert - John Kielty 
Duncan - Kenny Blyth 
DI Taylor - Robin Laing 
Euan - Greg Powrie 
Annie Perez - Sandra Voe 
Catherine - Melody Grove 
Dramatised by Iain Finlay MacLeod 
Produced and directed by Kirsteen Cameron 
 
White Nights 
DI Jimmy Perez - Steven Robertson 
Kenny - Finlay Welsh 
Edith - Anne Lacey 
Bella - Eileen McCallum 
Fran - Tracy Wiles 
DI Taylor - Robin Laing 
Peter - Steven McNicoll 
Roddy - Finn den Hertog 
Dramatised by Iain Finlay MacLeod 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
 
'The Soothmoothers' 
Read by Marnie Baxter 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
 
'Secrets of Soil' 
Read by Lesley Hart 
Produced by Allegra McIlroy 
 
'The Queen of Mystery' 
Read by Joanna Tope 
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron 
 
Phil Williams 
With Phil Williams and Ann Cleeves 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ann Cleeves: Raven Black, White Nights & other Shetland mysteries

A BBC Radio Crime Collection

Sheila Hodgson

A series of full-cast ghost stories based on plots by M. R. James 
 
In 1929, M. R. James penned an essay called 'Stories I Have Tried to Write', in which he detailed plots that had failed to blossom and fragments of tales that never materialised, recalling them 'for the benefit of someone else'. In this BBC Radio series, Sheila Hodgson takes advantage of his generosity, fleshing out these sketchy ideas into full-blown dramas. Some are narrated by M. R. James himself, while others feature the author as a character, caught up in strange, inexplicable events. 
 
The Whisper in the Ear - M. R. James recounts the curious affair of young undergraduate Robert Stafford and his mysterious train companion. 
 
Turn Turn Turn - The Cambridge provost tells a chilling cautionary tale of witchcraft in Cambridge, in an attempt to heal a rift between a vicar and his son. 
 
The Backward Glance - The unsettling story of a mysterious 18th-century mask made of black silk - and skin... 
 
Here Am I, Where Are You? - The tale of a cursed professor with a curious red book, a wayward nephew and a Georgian tankard. 
 
Echoes from the Abbey - An invitation to spend Christmas at Medborough Abbey leads to a ghostly encounter for distinguished academic Dr James. 
 
The Lodestone - A young illustrator becomes obsessed with drawing the gravestone of a 17th-century witch. 
 
The Boat Hook - Visiting Trondheim Cathedral, Dr James is unsettled by the appearance of a small model boat... 
 
David March and Michael Williams star in these haunting supernatural dramas, which will thrill all fans of M. R. James' original ghost stories. 
 
NB: Due to the age of some of the recordings, the sound quality may vary 
 
Written by Sheila Hodgson 
Based on ideas by M.R. James 
Directed by David Johnston 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

M. R. James: Stories I Have Tried to Write

Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramas

Peter Lovesey

Full-cast adaptations of five of Peter Lovesey's acclaimed novels featuring Victorian detective Sergeant Cribb and his assistant Constable Thackeray 
 
Tough, shrewd and determined, Sergeant Cribb is a stalwart of Scotland Yard's newly formed Criminal Investigation Department. Aided and abetted by the loyal, stolid Constable Thackeray, he pounds the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London, tracking down murderers and bringing them to justice. 
 
Waxwork - 1888. Sentenced to death for murder, Miriam Cromer awaits her fate in Newgate Prison. She has confessed that blackmail drove her to kill, but a photograph sent anonymously to the Home Office reveals new evidence and Sgt Cribb must investigate. Starring Brian Cox as Sergeant Cribb and John Cater as Thackeray. 
 
Swing, Swing Together - 1889, and Jerome K Jerome's bestselling novel Three Men in a Boat has sparked a craze for rowing on the River Thames. Out for a midnight swim, Harriet Shaw notices an unlikely boating threesome - and when a body is discovered, the trio become murder suspects, and Harriet the key witness... Barry Foster stars as Sergeant Cribb, with John Cater as Thackeray. 
 
A Case of Spirits - Spiritualism is all the rage among well-to-do Victorian Londoners, but when thefts follow two séances, Cribb is called in. He suspects the young medium, Peter Brand, but Brand's mysterious death means he must look further afield. Starring Barry Foster as Sergeant Cribb and John Cater as Thackeray. 
 
Wobble to Death - During a six-day speed-walking race, one of the pedestrian competitors is found dead, poisoned by strychnine. Enter Cribb and Thackeray, who discover murder is afoot. Timothy Bateson stars as Sergeant Cribb, with William Eedle as Thackeray. 
 
Abracadaver - Investigating a series of 'accidents' in the Victorian music-halls, the indomitable detective duo uncover the dark side of these popular entertainment palaces when a murder takes place. Starring Frank Windsor as Cribb and John Hollis as Thackeray. 
 
Due to the different ages of the recordings in this collection, the sound quality may vary. 
 
Text copyright © Peter Lovesey 1970 (Wobble to Death), 1972 (Abracadaver), 1975 (A Case of Spirits), 1976 (Swing, Swing Together), 1978 (Waxwork) 
All rights reserved 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sergeant Cribb

Five BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisations

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

Bert Coules

Fully-dramatised adaptations of all 60 Sherlock Holmes stories, brought to life with a full cast of actors, sound effects and music 
 
'A remarkable undertaking... applauding them, and particularly Clive Merrison's Holmes, made my hands sore' The Times 
 
Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his dear friend Dr Watson are among the most enduringly popular fictional characters ever created. Their adventures have been dramatised countless times on radio, TV and film, but until BBC Radio 4 took on the challenge in 1989, no-one had ever attempted to adapt all sixty stories. 
 
Beginning with A Study in Scarlet and concluding with The Hound of the Baskervilles, their epic project took over 8 years to complete - and this landmark collection contains the extraordinary result of their labours. Here is the world's first ever fully-dramatised Sherlock Holmes canon: 56 short stories and 4 novels, all made by the same team of directors, producers, dramatists and leading actors, and packed with the high production qualities of a film or TV drama that set it apart. 
 
Starring one of radio's great double acts, Clive Merrison and Michael Williams, as Holmes and Watson, and with guest stars including Brian Blessed, Judi Dench, Maurice Denham, Andrew Sachs, Peter Davison, Robert Glenister and Harriet Walter, this definitive collection contains over 48 hours of enthralling listening. 
 
Also included is a bonus interview with Adrian Conan Doyle about his father, Sir Arthur, and some fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations from the series' head writer, Bert Coules, about the making of the radio adaptations. 
 
Cast 
Sherlock Holmes - Clive Merrison 
Dr John Watson - Michael Williams 
Mrs Hudson - Anna Cropper/Mary Allen/Joan Matheson/Judi Dench/ 
Inspector Gregson - John Moffatt 
Inspector Lestrade - Donald Gee/Stephen Thorne 
Mary Morstan/Mary Watson - Moir Leslie/Elizabeth Mansfield/Hannah Gordon 
Irene Adler - Sarah Badel 
Inspector Jones - Nigel Carrington 
Colonel Moran - Fraser Kerr/Frederick Treves 
Mycroft Holmes - John Hartley 
Professor Moriarty - Michael Pennington 
 
Production credits 
Written by Arthur Conan Doyle 
Dramatised by Bert Coules with David Ashton, Michael Bakewell, Roger Danes, Robert Forrest, Denys Hawthorne, Gerry Jones, Peter Ling, Vincent McInerney and Peter Mackie 
Produced and directed by Ian Cotterell, David Johnston, Patrick Rayner and Enyd Williams 
Musicians: Alexander Balanescu, Leonard Friedman, Richard Friedman, Michael Haslam, Ian Humphries and Abigail Young 
 
Contents 
A Study in Scarlet 
The Sign of the Four 
The Hound of the Baskervilles 
The Valley of Fear 
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 
A Scandal in Bohemia 
The Red-Headed League 
A Case of Identity 
The Boscombe Valley Mystery 
The Five Orange Pips 
The Man with the Twisted Lip 
The Blue Carbuncle 
The Speckled Band 
The Engineer's Thumb 
The Noble Bachelor 
The Beryl Coronet 
The Copper Beeches 
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 
Silver Blaze 
The Yellow Face 
The Stockbroker's Clerk 
The Gloria Scott 
The Musgrave Ritual 
The Reigate Squires 
The Crooked Man 
The Resident Patient 
The Greek Interpreter 
The Naval Treaty 
The Final Problem 
The Return of Sherlock Holmes 
The Empty House 
The Norwood Builder 
The Dancing Men 
The Solitary Cyclist 
The Priory School 
Black Peter 
Charles Augustus Milverton 
The Six Napoleons 
The Three Students 
The Golden Pince-Nez 
The Missing Three-Quarter 
The Abbey Grange 
The Second Stain 
His Last Bow 
Wisteria Lodge 
The Cardboard Box 
The Red Circle 
The Bruce-Partington Plans 
The Dying Detective 
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax 
The Devil's Foot 
His Last Bow 
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes 
The Illustrious Client 
The Blanched Soldier 
The Mazarin Stone 
The Three Gables 
The Sussex Vampire 
The Three Garridebs 
The Problem of Thor Bridge 
The Creeping Man 
The Lion's Mane 
The Veiled Lodger 
Shoscombe Old Place 
The Retired Colourman 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between November 1989 and March 1995 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection

60 Full-Cast Dramatisations

Jeremy Front

Simon Brett

Five full-cast BBC radio dramatisations, starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris 
 
Thespian sleuth Charles Paris is his own worst enemy, a louche lush who can resist anything except temptation - especially in the form of women and alcohol. Estranged from his long-suffering wife, Frances, his personal life is shambolic, and as an actor, he's C-list at best. But he does have a talent for solving murders - which is just as well, because wherever he goes, someone seems to drop dead... 
 
A Series of Murders - Charles has landed a juicy part playing Sergeant Collins in the TV detective series, 'The Stanislaus Braid Mysteries'. But will all the deadly doings be restricted to on-screen? 
 
Sicken and So Die - A suspected poisoner is on the loose in a production of Twelfth Night - can Charles track down the culprit before this comedy turns into a tragedy? 
 
Murder Unprompted - There's drama backstage when a murder is discovered in a West End theatre production. Has Charles time to find the killer before the curtain goes up? 
 
The Dead Side of the Mic - A job with the BBC radio rep coincides with the mysterious death of a studio manager in Broadcasting House. Once again, Charles steps in to investigate... 
 
Cast in Order of Disappearance - Playing a middle-management vampire in 'The Wreathing', Charles finds himself dealing with a blackmailer, a maiden in distress - and a murderer. Has he bitten off more than he can chew? 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1975 (Cast in Order of Disappearance), 1980 (The Dead Side of the Mic), 1982 (Murder Unprompted), 1989 (A Series of Murders), 1995 (Sicken and So Die) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A BBC Radio Collection

A Series of Murders, Sicken and So Die, Murder Unprompted, The Dead Side of the Mic & Cast in Order of Disappearance

Bill Nighy stars as the lovably louche Charles Paris in these five BBC Radio dramatisations 
 
Charles Paris - unsuccessful actor, bad husband, and dipsomaniac - is back, and getting into trouble once more. As he tries to woo back his semi-detached wife, Frances, and land a few half-decent roles, he finds himself embroiled in murder and mayhem and forced to turn detective. Luckily, his sleuthing is much better than his acting... 
 
Murder in the Title - The thespian sleuth gets a part in a terrible play - but someone wants to kill off the cast. First a series of nasty accidents occur, then Charles is the victim of an attempted stabbing. Can he find the killer, or will he be fired first? 
 
A Reconstructed Corpse - Charles is playing a missing businessman in a crime reconstruction programme. But when severed body parts begin to appear, he must piece together a macabre jigsaw puzzle of murder. 
 
An Amateur Corpse - What starts as a simple voiceover job leads Charles to the discovery of a dead body. Could his old friend Hugo really be a murderer? All the signs are pointing that way... 
 
Corporate Bodies - A corporate video turns into a horror movie when a secretary is killed. As he investigates, Charles uncovers blackmail, sexual intrigue and multiple motives for murder amongst the workforce. 
 
A Decent Interval - Cast as The Ghost and First Gravedigger in Hamlet, Charles is finding rehearsals tense as both the lead roles are being played by reality TV stars. But soon it's not just Shakespeare's lines being murdered... 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1978 (An Amateur Corpse), 1983 (Murder in the Title), 1991 (Corporate Bodies), 1993 (A Reconstructed Corpse), 2013 (A Decent Interval) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Second BBC Radio Collection

Murder in the Title, A Reconstructed Corpse, An Amateur Corpse, Corporate Bodies & A Decent Interval

Bill Nighy stars as the irrepressible Charles Paris in these five BBC Radio dramatisations 
 
Actor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth Charles Paris returns in another quintet of humorous theatrical thrillers. All Charles asks for is a nice juicy part in a successful play - but wherever he appears on the bill, murder and mystery always play a starring role... 
 
The Cinderella Killer - Panto seems the perfect way to spend the Christmas season for Charles, but when the show's star is found dead, the slapstick must make way for a murder investigation. 
 
Dead Room Farce - Charles is appearing in a revival of a 1970s farce. But when two cast members die in suspicious circumstances, he suspects foul play is afoot. 
 
Star Trap - When a series of accidents befalls the cast of a West End musical, Charles steps in to investigate. Who is trying to sabotage the show - and why? 
 
A Doubtful Death - Charles has landed a role in an immersive theatre production of Hamlet. But when an actress goes missing, he must decide if it is to be or not to be a murder case... Also included with this story is an exclusive afterword with scriptwriter Jeremy Front, who adapted it from an unproduced screenplay by Simon Brett. He reveals what it's like behind the scenes of Charles Paris, and explains the mechanics of recording for radio. 
 
A Deadly Habit - Offered a job in a verbatim theatre piece set in a monastery, Charles has reservations. Then disaster strikes the production - and he smells criminality... 
 
Written by Jeremy Front 
Based on the novels and screenplay by Simon Brett 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Starring Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice 
 
Text copyright © Simon Brett 1977 (Star Trap), 1998 (Dead Room Farce), 2014 (The Cinderella Killer), 2018 (A Deadly Habit), 2020 (A Doubtful Death) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charles Paris: A Third BBC Radio Collection

The Cinderella Killer, Dead Room Farce, Star Trap, A Doubtful Death & A Deadly Habit

Victor Pemberton

A suspenseful archaeological thriller full of secrets, lies and mysteries from acclaimed writer and producer Victor Pemberton 
 
Best known as a TV producer, writer and script editor for Doctor Who, Victor Pemberton created the Doctor's most iconic gadget, the sonic screwdriver. A prolific dramatist, he also penned a wide variety of plays for BBC Radio including this gripping 8-part adventure, first broadcast in 1968. 
 
Elizabeth Warwick, the daughter of a famous archaeologist, travels to Egypt's Valley of the Kings to explore the mysterious tomb her father discovered before his death. Following in his footsteps, she hopes to find out what secrets lurk within. Is it an empty shell, or the final resting place of a Pharaoh? 
 
But her investigations lead her further and further into danger. Sir Richard Warwick had enemies, and now they are pursuing her. Embroiled in intrigue and unsure who to trust, she embarks on a quest that will take her from the Temple of Luxor to Cairo's City of the Dead... 
 
Among the cast of this thrilling serial are Sheila Grant, John Humphry, David Spenser, Rolf Lefebvre, Nigel Anthony and Marion Mathie. 
 
 
NB: Contains some dated references. Due to the age and nature of the recording, the sound quality may vary 
 
Cast 
Elizabeth Warwick - Sheila Grant 
Mahmoud - James Thomason 
Mr Wilder - John Humphry 
Fuad - David Spenser 
Charles Villiers - Rolf Lefebvre 
Margaret Villiers - Marion Mathie 
Achmed Araby - Haydn Jones 
Abdullah - Antony Viccars 
Bertie Pringle - Barry Lowe 
O'Hara - Denis McCarthy 
Captain Aziz - John Justin 
Achmed Araby - Haydn Jones 
The stranger/Michael Warwick - Christopher Bidmead 
Dr Fawzad - Nigel Anthony 
 
Other parts played by Anthony Jackson, Ian Thompson, Barbara Mitchell, Margaret Robertson, Rosalind Shanks, Douglas Hankin, LeRoy Lingwood, Alexander John and members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company 
 
Written by Victor Pemberton 
Produced by John Tydeman 
First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 30 May-24 June 1968 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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