Abilio Estévez

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham &amp; Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. 
 
 
He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons. 
 
 
Website: abirmukherjee.com Twitter, Threads &amp; Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir

Abir Mukherjee

Abolqasem Ferdowsi

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham L. Newman is a professor at the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University. He is a 2022-2023 Berlin Prize winner and his work has been published in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Science, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Harvard Business Review, and Politico.

Abraham Newman

Abraham Verghese

Absolut Vodka

Ad Putter

Ada Moncrieff is the author of Murder Most Festive, Murder at the Theatre Royale and Murder at Maybridge Castle. She lives and works in London.

Ada Moncrieff

Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of over two million. As a linguistics student at Harvard College, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society. He’s discussed online language on NPR, repeatedly contributed to The Washington Post, and his work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He’s lectured on language and social media at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and other top universities, including a TEDx talk at the University of Pennsylvania. Adam is based in New York City, where he spends a lot of time scrolling TikTok for “research.”

Adam Aleksic

Adam Alter is an Associate Professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and holds an affiliated appointment within the Psychology Department. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave and has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Atlantic, Wired, Popular Science and numerous other publications.

Adam Alter

Professor Adam Balen is lead clinician at one of the UK's largest and most successful IVF units at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. In recognition of his research on fertility and related conditions, he holds a DSc (the highest academic degree in medicine) from the University of Leeds. Adam is internationally renowned, holding roles with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Federation of Gyneacology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists (RCOG). He runs both NHS and private fertility clinics so he understands the issues that arise from both sides and he works closely with fertility patient support organisations across the UK. Adam regularly features in the media on all aspects of reproductive health and lectures widely throughout the world.

Adam Balen

Adam Baron

Adam Bornstein

Adam Brookes grew up in the UK and was a journalist with BBC News for many years. As a foreign correspondent he was based in Indonesia, China and the United States. Along the way he reported from many other countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. He lives in Washington DC.

Adam Brookes

Adam Buxton

Adam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise. Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic. Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.

Adam Christopher

Adam Foulds's most recent books are In the Wolf’s Mouth, The Quickening Maze, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Encore Award and the European Union Prize for Literature, and The Broken Word, which won the Costa Poetry Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has recently been awarded the E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’.

Adam Foulds

Dr Adam Fox is a highly qualified and respected allergy specialist and consultant paediatric allergist and clinical lead for Allergy at Guy's &amp; St Thomas' Hospitals. The Times recently named him as one of Britain's top 100 children’s doctors. 
 
www.allergyfreebabyandtoddler.com

Adam Fox

Adam Frost

Adam Galinsky is currently the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He received his PhD from Princeton University in Social Psychology and his B.A. from Harvard University.

Adam Galinsky

Adam Glasser

Adam Goodfellow

Adam Goodwin

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, his TED talks have been viewed more than 30 million times, and he hosts the hit podcast Re:Thinking. His pioneering research on motivation and meaning has enabled people to reach their aspirations and exceed others' expectations. His viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across platforms. He has been recognized as one of the world's ten most influential management thinkers and Fortune's 40 Under 40, and has received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. Grant received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former Junior Olympic springboard diver. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and their three children.

Adam Grant

Adam and Charlotte met in Zanzibar while working with Voluntary Services Overseas. Upon their return to the UK, Charlotte completed an MA at Oxford Brookes and started her career in publishing. Adam in the meantime became writer-in-residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre before co-founding Storytelling Schools, an international organisation dedicated to training teachers in oracy, literacy and creativity. Adam and Charlotte's first book together was the best-selling and award-winning Spaghetti with the Yeti. Since then, Adam and Charlotte have continued to follow their passion for creating engaging books that inspire interaction and creativity in young readers.

Adam Guillain

ADAM HAMDY is a bestselling author and screenwriter. His most recent novel, The Other Side of Night, was an NPR best book of 2022 and a New York Times best thriller of the year, and has been described as ingenious and deeply moving. He is the author of the Scott Pearce series of modern spy thrillers, Black 13, Red Wolves and White Fire, and the Pendulum trilogy. Keep up to date with his latest books and news at www.adamhamdy.com.

Adam Hamdy

Adam Hart-Davis

Adam Haslett is the author of the story collection You Are Not a Stranger Here and the novels Imagine Me Gone and Union Atlantic. He has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and his books have been translated into over thirty languages. His journalism on culture and politics has appeared in The Financial Times, Esquire, The New Yorker, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, The Nation, and The Atlantic, among others. He lives in New York City.

Adam Haslett

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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

Jonathan Bate

Sir Jonathan Bate examines eight iconic poems inspired by great historical events - and explores the Romantics, John Clare and William Wordsworth 
 
'Mingles history and poetry ... in an accessible, thought-provoking way' Irish Times 
 
In this BBC Radio 4 series, eminent biographer and broadcaster Sir Jonathan Bate looks at major historical events through the poems they inspired, exploring how history influences poetry, and how poetry shapes the way we regard history. 
 
Bate interviews historians, scholars and writers to investigate the genesis of eight classic works. Beginning in Dublin, he looks at the history behind WB Yeats' Easter 1916, showing the impact of the Irish uprising on the poet. In Manchester, he discovers how the 1819 Peterloo Massacre sparked the creation of Shelley's The Mask of Anarchy, and in Westminster, he finds out what influence the English Civil War had on Marvell's An Horatian Ode. Visiting the village of Shamley Green and the roof of St Paul's Cathedral, he uncovers the links between TS Eliot's Four Quartets and the devastation of the Blitz. 
 
On the Essex coast, Bate delves into one of the classics of the Old English canon, The Battle of Maldon, written in the aftermath of the Anglo-Saxon army's failed attempt to prevent a Viking landing in 991. Coming right up to date, Bate talks to Linton Kwesi Johnson about his poem Di Great Insohreckshan, an account of the civil unrest that spilt on to the streets of Brixton in April 1981. Plague and fire ravaged England in 1666, yet for John Dryden, it was a 'year of wonders', as Bate explains in his analysis of Annus Mirabilis. Finally, he considers John Betjeman's Death of King George V, showing how it captures not only the passing of a monarch, but also a subtle shift in the Britain where Betjeman had grown up. 
 
Also included are two episodes of In Our Time, in which Jonathan Bate and Melvyn Bragg talk about the Romantics and John Clare respectively, and a 90-minute special, In Wordsworth's Footsteps, revealing the true story of the making of a creative and political radical who was so much more than the famous author of Daffodils. 
 
The Poetry of History 
Presented by Sir Jonathan Bate 
Produced by Julian May, Tom Alban and Martin Smith 
Readers: Jim Norton, Robert Glenister, Jim Durham, Dr Richard Dance, Julian Glover, Tom Durham, David Timson 
 
With guests including: Theo Dorgan, Anne Enright, Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, Tom Paulin, Clive Emsley, Professor Kelvin Everest, Professor Joad Raymond, Professor Kevin Sharpe, Professor José Harris, Ian Smith, Dr Katie Lowe, Dr Gareth Williams, Linton Kwesi Johnson, John Clare, Professor Justin Champion, Professor Valentine Cunningham, Candida Lycett Green, Hugo Vickers, AN Wilson 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 2-23 April 2006 (Series 1), 25 November-16 December 2007 (Series 2) 
 
In Our Time: The Romantics 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
Produced by Charles Taylor 
With Sir Jonathan Bate, Professor Rosemary Ashton and Professor Nicholas Roe 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 October 2000 
 
In Our Time: John Clare 
Presented by Melvyn Bragg 
Produced by Simon Tillotson 
With Sir Jonathan Bate, Dr Mina Gorji and Professor Simon Kövesi 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 February 2017 
 
In Wordsworth's Footsteps 
Presented by Sir Jonathan Bate 
Produced by Beaty Rubens 
Featuring Alice Oswald, James Rebanks, Melvyn Bragg, Professor Lynn Hunt, Emily Woof and Adam Nicolson 
With Simon Russell Beale as Wordsworth and Laura Christy as Dorothy Wordsworth 
Music specially composed by Emily Levy 
Viola playing by Aby Vulliamy 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 January-12 February 2020

The Poetry of History

Sebastian Baczkiewicz

Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth. 
 
How did Claudius become the man he is in Shakespeare's Hamlet? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew? These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic and political skulduggery. 
 
Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930-50s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. This compelling drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarised country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air. 
 
In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother, Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal. 
 
A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play and brings us to the moment where Hamlet begins. 
 
From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful Pilgrim series. 
Directed by Marc Beeby and Sasha Yevtushenko. 
 
 
Cast: 
Claudius - John Light 
 Hamlet - John Heffernan 
 Dauphin - Ed Gaughan 
 Captain True - Chetna Pandya 
 Polonius - Clive Hayward 
 Gertrude - Lyndsey Marshal 
 Anders/Dr Swiss/Schroeder - Neil McCaul 
 Olsson - Rupert Holliday-Evans 
 Yorick/Guard/Defence/Captain - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
 Katya - Isabella Inchbald 
 Beatrix - Abbie Andrews 
 Archimedes/Prosecutor - David Reakes 
 Horatio/ Schroeder/Judge - Philip Bretherton 
 Laszlo/Voice/Ulrik Krabbe - Adam Fitzgerald 
 Uncle - Ben Crowe 
 Helena - Clare Corbett 
 Helgeland - Sudha Bhuchar 
Catalina - Laura Christy 
Kabanova - Jessica Turner 
Lindstrom - Pip Torrens 
Fortinbras/Marcellus - Will Kirk 
Martin - Ikky Elyas 
Lieutenant/Horatio - Greg Jones 
 
 
 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Elsinore: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.

Oscar Wilde

A BBC radio celebration of the works of Oscar Wilde, including energetic adaptations of his best-known plays, short stories, and original dramas about the man himself 
 
Long before he'd produced any of his great works, Oscar Wilde was already famous for being famous. Armed only with some witty epigrams, a carefully crafted persona and his genius for self-promotion, he had conquered America and transformed himself from nobody to star. 
 
This radio collection opens with four plays from Radio 4's Born to be Wilde season, offering a 21st Century perspective on the making of one of the first true celebrities. First up are two sparkling and surprising productions of his two most popular comedies, marking the peak of his theatrical career. The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband feature stellar casts including Mathew Baynton, Jeany Spark, John Heffernan and Miranda Raison, with the latter also featuring music by Steppenwolf, Taylor Swift and Amy Winehouse. 
 
Next, two plays by Marcy Kahan and Lavinia Murray explore aspects of Wilde's life. The Warhol Years charts his astonishing rise, as he embarks on his US tour determined to be famous for 15 minutes - and then some. Oscar and Constancy portrays a celebrity marriage in crisis, as Wilde's domestic and creative lives vie for supremacy. Both dramas star Max Bennett as the young Wilde, with Dervla Kirwan as his mother, Speranza. 
 
Also included in this collection are nine of Wilde's classic short stories. The deliciously satirical 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' is dramatised with a full cast including Rupert Penry-Jones and Gillian Kearney. His humorous supernatural story 'The Canterville Ghost' is read by Alistair McGowan, and Joseph Ayre narrates two delightful stories with a twist: 'The Sphinx Without a Secret' and 'The Model Millionaire'. Wilde's dazzling fairytales - 'The Happy Prince', 'The Nightingale and the Rose', 'The Selfish Giant', 'The Remarkable Rocket' and 'The Birthday of the Infanta' - are read by Joseph Fiennes, Joseph Ayre, Sam Dale, John Moffatt and Paul McGann. 
 
 
Track listing: 
An Ideal Husband 
The Importance of Being Earnest 
The Warhol Years 
Oscar and Constancy 
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime 
'The Canterville Ghost' 
'The Sphinx Without a Secret' 
'The Model Millionaire' 
'The Happy Prince' 
'The Nightingale and the Rose' 
'The Selfish Giant' 
'The Remarkable Rocket' 
'The Birthday of the Infanta'

Born to be Wilde

Plays, stories and the making of a modern celebrity

John Ford

A visceral, revamped BBC radio production of John Ford's classic play about a doomed love between a brother and sister 
 
With its shocking portrayal of incest, intrigue and murder, this powerful Jacobean revenge drama scandalised audiences when it was first performed in the 1620s, and is still controversial today. 
 
When siblings Giovanni and Annabella embark on a passionate affair, Annabella falls pregnant with her brother's child. Knowing she must marry to protect her honour, she chooses one of the many suitors clamouring for her hand - but when her secret is revealed, the lovers are caught up in a bloody chain of events that culminate in a poisoning, a blinding, a stabbing and a brutal massacre... 
 
Reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, but darker and more twisted, John Ford's 17th-century tale of sex and death is restyled for radio in Pauline Harris's compassionate, disturbing adaptation. Intercut with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Nick Cave, it also features an original song, 'In Deep', composed by Jules Maxwell and sung by Jessie Buckley, Indira Varma, and Abby Andrews. The play is introduced by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford. 
 
 
 
Cast 
Annabella - Jessie Buckley 
Giovanni - Damien Molony 
Signor Florio - Niall Buggy 
Putana - Fenella Woolgar 
Friar Bonaventura - Oliver Cotton 
Lord Soranzo - Matthew Pidgeon 
Vasques - Enzo Cilenti 
Hippolita - Indira Varma 
Grimaldi - Gary Duncan 
Cardinal - Neil McCaul 
Officer - Adam Fitzgerald 
Dorando - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong 
 
Adapted and directed by Pauline Harris 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 7 January 2018

'Tis Pity She's a Whore

A BBC Radio full-cast production

Henrik Ibsen

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

Henrik Ibsen: Nine full-cast BBC radio dramatisations

William Shakespeare

Eight full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies 
 
Full of merriment, mayhem, mischief and mistaken identity, here are eight iconic radio productions of Shakespeare's most magical comedies, featuring star casts and introduced by Sir Richard Eyre. 
 
Much Ado About Nothing 
Shakespeare's delightful comedy sparkles with the verbal sparring of our two reluctant lovers in a world where nothing is quite what it seems. David Tennant and Samantha Spiro star as Benedick and Beatrice. 
 
As You Like It 
The Forest of Arden resonates with declarations of love in this joyous pastoral comedy, starring Helena Bonham Carter as Rosalind, David Morrissey as Orlando and Natasha Little as Celia. 
 
A Midsummer Night's Dream 
In this delightful comic fantasy, four young lovers and a troupe of actors have a bewitching encounter with Fairyland. Starring David Threlfall as Theseus/Oberon, Sylvestra Le Touzel as Titania/Hippolyta and Amanda Root as Hermia. 
 
The Merchant of Venice 
Shakespeare's thrilling courtroom drama explores the eternal themes of love and hate, mercy and justice. Starring Warren Mitchell as Shylock, with Martin Jarvis as Antonio, Juliet Aubrey as Portia and Samuel West as Bassanio. 
 
Twelfth Night 
On the night when all the world is turned on its head, girls become boys and women lust after women, in this most optimistic of Shakespeare's comedies. Michael Maloney stars as Orsino and Anne-Marie Duff as Viola. 
 
The Tempest 
A ship at sea and an enchanted island are the settings for this allegorical tale of betrayal, sorcery, revenge and reconciliation. Starring Philip Madoc as Prospero and Nina Wadia as Ariel. 
 
The Taming of the Shrew 
Farce, disguise, elaborate role-playing and acerbic exchanges of wit combine to make up an extraordinary love story that still sparks controversy 400 years after it was written. Gerard McSorley stars as Petruchio and Ruth Mitchell as Katherina. 
 
All's Well That Ends Well 
This intriguing play tells of the questionable course of action a young woman takes to win the hand of the man she loves. Emma Fielding stars as Helena, with Siân Phillips, Miriam Margolyes, Richard Griffiths and Simon Russell Beale.

BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Eight Comedies

Four full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's finest history plays 
 
Introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these four iconic productions, featuring star casts, bring Shakespeare's gripping histories to life in all their rich complexity. 
 
Henry IV, Part One 
Young Prince Hal struggles with his responsibilities as heir to the throne, preferring the company of the dissolute Falstaff. But when England is threatened with rebellion, will he do his duty? Father and son Julian Glover and Jamie Glover star as King Henry and Prince Hal, with Timothy West as Falstaff. 
 
Henry IV, Part Two 
The realm is still in danger, and the King is dying. It is time for Prince Hal to fulfil his royal destiny - but what will become of his old friend, Falstaff? Starring Julian Glover, Jamie Glover and Timothy West. 
 
Richard II 
This lyrically tragic history encompasses themes of nobility and kingship, as King Richard is brought to his own destruction - but was he justly punished for his excesses, or a misunderstood victim? Samuel West stars as Richard II, with Joss Ackland as John of Gaunt and Damian Lewis as Bolingbroke. 
 
Pericles 
Featuring world music and a multicultural cast, this timeless tale with a contemporary twist features tyrants, incest, murder, young love, and a great hero cruelly separated from his wife and daughter. Will he ever see them again? Benjamin Zephaniah stars as the narrator, Gower.

BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Four History Plays

Six full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's classic tragedies 
 
Treachery, betrayal and fatal power struggles are among the themes of these six iconic productions of Shakespeare's timeless tragedies. Featuring all-star casts, they are introduced by Sir Richard Eyre. 
 
Hamlet 
Shakespeare's powerfully poetic tragedy of murder, madness and revenge stars Michael Sheen as the Prince of Denmark, with Kenneth Cranham as Claudius and Juliet Stevenson as Gertrude. 
 
Macbeth 
In this notorious 'Scottish play', a lust for power and the prophecy of three witches transform a brave nobleman into a traitor and murderous tyrant. Ken Stott stars as Macbeth and Phyllis Logan as Lady Macbeth. 
 
King Lear 
The tragic consequences of evil triumphing over truth, and of the vanity of old age, are set in motion when Lear banishes his favourite daughter, Cordelia, from court. Starring Corin Redgrave as King Lear, with David Troughton, Geraldine James and Robert Glenister. 
 
Othello 
Evil cunning perverts a once noble mind, as heroic general Othello is destroyed by both his own jealousy and the machinations of the devious Iago. Ray Fearon stars as Othello, with James Frain as Iago. 
 
Romeo and Juliet 
An updated version of Shakespeare's tragedy of feuding families and doomed love, set in modern Verona and starring Douglas Henshall as Romeo and Sophie Dahl as Juliet. 
 
Cymbeline 
When Cymbeline discovers his daughter Imogen's secret marriage to Posthumus, he banishes her husband. But Posthumus's boasts of his wife's chastity provoke lachimo to attempt her seduction. Bill Wallis stars as Cymbeline.

BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Six Tragedies

Three full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's most famous Roman plays 
 
Featuring all-star casts and introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these three iconic productions of Shakespeare's dynamic Roman histories are full of political intrigue, passion and tragedy. 
 
Julius Caesar 
This updated version of Shakespeare's classic play is set in Italy in 1925. Julius Caesar, a new Roman dictator, has swept to power, and his way is clear to assume total control - unless a coup by Cassius and Brutus can alter the tide of history. Nicholas Farrell stars as Brutus and Gerard Murphy as Julius Caesar. 
 
Coriolanus 
When Rome's greatest hero, the warrior Coriolanus, divides the people and the patricians through his arrogance, he is driven into exile. Samuel West stars as Coriolanus, with Susannah York as Volumnia. 
 
Antony and Cleopatra 
Shakespeare's last great tragedy is an action epic set against the political backdrop of the Roman Empire and the centre of Egyptian culture, Alexandria. But at the heart of the play is the story of what happens when two people fall in love. Starring Frances Barber as Cleopatra and David Harewood as Mark Antony.

BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Three Roman Plays

Timberlake Wertenbaker

George Farquar

A BBC Radio double bill of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s award-winning drama about a group of 18th-century Australian convicts and their attempts to stage a play, plus the Restoration comedy that the prisoners put on 
 
Australia, 1789: A young lieutenant attempts to direct a cast of convicts in the first play ever to be staged in the country. 
 
But one of his actors is about to be hanged... 
 
Adapted from Thomas Keneally’s novel The Playmaker, Our Country’s Good tells the true story of the convicts and Marines sent to Australia as part of the first penal colony. An eloquent argument for the redemptive power of theatre, Wertenbaker’s classic drama celebrates the beauty of language – in the slang of the criminal classes and the poetry of the play – and at the same time examines how it is used as an instrument of power. 
 
In The Recruiting Officer, we hear the play that the prisoners staged. George Farquhar’s popular Restoration comedy is set in Shrewsbury during the War of the Spanish Succession, where wives are recruited while soldiers are wooed. During a lull in the fighting, the womanising Captain Plume comes to town to seduce soldiers into the army, and – if possible – recruit Silvia into marriage. 
 
These two captivating radio dramas star many of the same cast, including Paul Higgins, Ralph Ineson, Kate Fleetwood, Jonathan Forbes and Adjoa Andoh. 
 
Our Country’s Good 
Captain Arthur Philip – Nicholas Le Prevost 
Major Robbie Ross – Stuart McQuarrie 
Captain David Collins – Paul Moriarty 
Captain Watkin Tench – Adam Billington 
Captain Campbell – James Lailey 
2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark – Paul Higgins 
Reverend Johnson – Simon Bubb 
Midshipman Harry Brewer – Rikki Lawton 
Mary Brenham – Francine Chamberlain 
Robert Sideway – Adam James 
John Wisehammer – Elliot Levey 
Liz Morden – Kate Fleetwood 
Dabby Bryant – Alex Tregear 
John Arscott – Ralph Ineson 
Ketch Freeman – Jonathan Forbes 
Duckling Smith – Adjoa Andoh 
 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
Our Country’s Good © Timberlake Wertenbaker, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2015 
Based on the novel The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally © 1978 The Serpentine Publishing Company Pty, published by Hodder &amp; Stoughton and Sceptre 
Timberlake Wertenbaker has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work 
All rights reserved 
 
The Recruiting Officer 
Captain Plume – Paul Higgins 
Silvia – Lisa Dillon 
Sergeant Kite – Ralph Ineson 
Mr Worthy – Adam James 
Melinda – Kate Fleetwood 
Captain Brazen – Elliot Levey 
Rose – Alex Tregear 
Bullock – Simon Bubb 
Justice Balance – Jonathan Forbes 
Lucy – Adjoa Andoh 
Appletree – James Lailey 
Pearman – Adam Billington 
Bridewell– Rikki Lawton 
Justice Scale – Paul Moriaty 
Justice Scruple – Gerard McDermott 
 
Produced and directed by Jessica Dromgoole 
The Recruiting Officer by George Farquhar originally published in 1706

Our Country's Good and The Recruiting Officer

Two BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations

Vicky Baker

Chloe Moss

The rise and fall of Anna Delvey: mixing drama with documentary to tell the incredible story of one of the most infamous impostors of our time 
 
Wealthy heiress Anna Delvey was one of the international jetset. Her Instagram account was a window on a glamorous world, filled with art launches, champagne brunches, VIP parties and stays in high-end hotels. Due to come into a $67m trust fund on her 26th birthday, she planned to establish the Anna Delvey Foundation, a multi-million dollar visual-arts centre in the heart of New York, and wined and dined the city’s wealthy elite to secure investment for her project. 
 
It all sounded amazing – but it was all a lie. Anna Delvey the heiress was actually Anna Sorokin the magazine intern. Through name-dropping, networking and sheer chutzpah, this ordinary twentysomething had reinvented herself as a multimillionaire socialite – conning businesses and friends out of thousands of dollars in the process. 
 
But how did she manage to live a life of luxury for so long? How did she make anyone believe her story? And how did she get people to trust her enough to give her their money? 
 
In this gripping docudrama, journalist Vicky Baker and playwright Chloe Moss dig deeper into the scandal that shook New York, exploring how she successfully scammed high society, and what ultimately brought about her downfall. Bella Dayne, who played Helen of Troy in the BBC series Troy: Fall of a City, stars as Anna. 
 
Cast and credits 
Reporting by Vicky Baker 
Drama by Chloe Moss 
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko 
 
Starring Bella Dayne as Anna 
Other parts played by Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Heather Craney, Will Kirk, Scarlett Courtney, Neil McCaul, Clive Hayward, Ian Conningham, Lucy Reynolds, Adam Courting, Greg Jones, Laura Christy, Jessica Turner, Ikky Elyas and Sinead MacInnes 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 December 2019

Fake Heiress: The Anna Delvey scandal

A BBC investigation into how she conned New York high society

Christopher Douglas

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

Michael Hastings

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the heart-breaking story of TS Eliot's marriage to Viv Haigh-Wood. 
 
Michael Hastings' best known play charts the turbulent, doomed marriage of the young TS Eliot and the charismatic Vivienne Haigh-Wood. This moving, highly-charged study has been described as 'one of the most important plays of the 20th century'. 
 
Stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Tom, Lia Williams as Viv, David Haig as Maurice and Judy Parfitt as Rose. 
 
Adapted and directed by Peter Kavanagh.

Tom and Viv

The heart-breaking story of TS Eliot's marriage to Vivienne Haigh-Wood

The collected BBC radio productions of the major works of Oscar Wilde, plus bonus play by Neil Bartlett 
 
Loved for his flamboyant personality, sparkling wit and brilliant epigrams, Oscar Wilde was a comic genius and a literary icon. 
 
This collection reflects the many facets of his dazzling talent. Here are dramatisations of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Gothic tale of a gilded aristocrat who makes a dangerous pact, as well as four scintillating social comedies – Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Among the distinguished casts are Ian MacDiarmid, Joely Richardson, Edward Fox, Diana Rigg, Martin Clunes, Michael Hordern and Judi Dench. 
 
Moving examples of his correspondence are revealed in The Letters of Oscar Wilde and De Profundis, read by Simon Callow and Simon Russell Beale respectively, and his most famous poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is performed live by stars including Ian McKellen, Neil Tennant and Stephen Fry. 
 
In addition, a bonus drama, In Extremis by Neil Bartlett, starring Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock, reimagines Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader, a week before the trial that would cost him so dearly.

The Oscar Wilde BBC Radio Drama Collection

Five full-cast productions

Henry Normal

Henry Normal uses poetry, storytelling and comedy to tackle big subjects with his trademark humour. This collection includes five of his funny and moving BBC Radio 4 shows: 
 
A Normal Family is centred around Henry's son, Johnny, who was diagnosed with autism. Through stand-up and poetry, Henry explores what this means for Johnny, for himself, and for his wife, Angela. 
 
A Normal Life continues to draw on Henry's experiences of bringing up a child with autism, and tackles the subjects of life, death, loneliness, loss, human frailty and other classic conversation stoppers. 
 
A Normal Love sees Henry explore love, romance and other unreasonable expectations. 
 
A Normal Imagination looks at the reasons why humans create. 
 
A Normal Nature is an exploration of unsung nature, from the point of view of a busy urban human. 
 
These extended episodes include material never broadcast on the radio. 
 
‘It's a rare and lovely thing: half an hour of radio that stops you short, gently demands your attention and then wipes your tears away while you have to have a little sit down’ - The Guardian 
 
A Normal Life was awarded a Silver ARIA for Best Comedy/Entertainment production at the 2017 Radio Academy Awards. 
 
Written and performed by Henry Normal. 
Produced by Carl Cooper. 
A BBC Studios Production.

A Normal…Family, Life, Love, Imagination & Nature

The BBC Radio 4 stand up shows

Chris Emmett

Five delightful pantomimes featuring musical numbers, silly jokes and fun for all the family! 
 
In Puss In Boots, young Tom dreams of winning the heart of Princess Rose Petal. Can Puss in Boots help Tom defeat Baron Skinflint and his greedy ogre, and win the princess’ heart? 
 
Aladdin is a happy peasant boy. But the wicked Abanazar needs his help, as only Aladdin can enter the secret cave to find a very special lamp… 
 
In Mother Goose, Jack and Jill are in love and want to get married. Will their wish come true, thanks to a magical goose which lays golden eggs? 
 
Dick Whittington has come to London to seek his fortune. It seems his luck is changing – until the evil King Rat threatens everything… 
 
In Sleeping Beauty, the christening of Princess Rosebud is interrupted by the Wicked Fairy Carabosse, who gives the baby a terrible gift. If Rosebud pricks her finger and spills a drop of blood she will fall into a deep sleep… 
 
With stellar casts including Terry Wogan, Maureen Lipman, Anita Harris, June Whitfield, Kenneth Connor and Frank Thornton. 
 
Everyone loves a traditional Christmas pantomime, and with this classic BBC Radio collection you can enjoy the festive fun whenever you wish. With rousing songs, corny jokes and the obligatory Widow Twankey, it’s perfect entertainment for all the family. Oh, yes it is!

The Classic BBC Panto Collection: Puss In Boots, Aladdin, Mother Goose, Dick Whittington & Sleeping Beauty

Five live full-cast panto productions

Tim Key

Ever wondered just how much of life you can understand through poetry? 
 
Tim Key is never far from stage and screen - from Peep Show to Alpha Papa to Taskmaster. But now he's back doing what he does best - attempting to recite poetry whilst tormenting his friend and musician, the equally brilliant, and long suffering, Tom Basden. 
 
From ruminating on the meaning of family via his narrative poem The Godfather, attempting to get to the bottom of death via his poem The Boy Who Faked His Own Death, and also organising an impromptu stag party, Tim Key uses poetry to help him understand every situation. 
 
'In any other sphere apart from comedy, we'd probably class this way of looking at the world as certifiable. Here it feels like genius.' The Telegraph 
 
"The show... has a kind of artistry and strange beauty that makes it unlike any other hour of stand-up you are likely to see." The Observer 
 
'...You never know when Key will suddenly toss you a fantastic joke or startlingly well-constructed line.' Radio Times 
 
Audio updated April 2019

Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme: The Complete Series 1-4

The BBC Radio 4 comedy

Bernard Shaw

Alistair McGowan

A star-studded BBC radio production of Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion – plus bonus drama The ‘B’ Word, telling the story of the play’s scandalous opening night. 
 
Irascible phonetics professor Henry Higgins makes a bet with his friend Colonel Pickering that he can train Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle to talk ‘like a lady’ and pass as a duchess at the Ambassador’s Ball. As the day of reckoning approaches, can Eliza convince the assembled aristocrats that she’s one of them? And what will become of her afterwards? 
 
This effervescent radio version of Shaw’s classic comedy features a stellar cast, including award-winning comedians Alistair McGowan as Henry Higgins, Morgana Robinson as Eliza Doolittle and Al Murray as Alfred Doolittle. 
 
Also featured on this release is The ‘B’ Word, written by and starring Alistair McGowan as Bernard Shaw. Centring on the shocking opening night of Pygmalion – the first time that the word ‘bloody' was used on the British stage – it also explores the passionate love-hate relationship between Shaw; his leading man, Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and his leading lady, Mrs Patrick Campbell, who played the 19-year-old Eliza Doolittle at the age of 49. 
 
Cast and credits 
 
Pygmalion 
Henry Higgins……………………Alistair McGowan 
Eliza Doolittle……………………Morgana Robinson 
Alfred Doolittle……………………Al Murray 
Colonel Pickering……………………Hugh Fraser 
Mrs Higgins……………………Siân Phillips 
Mrs Pearce/Maid……………………Charlotte Page 
Mrs Eynsford-Hill……………………Georgie Glen 
Clara Eynsford-Hill……………………Maeve Bluebell Wells 
Freddy Eynsford-Hill.....……………………Tom Forrister 
Nepommuck……………………David Sturzaker 
Ambassador……………………John Dougall 
Ambassador's wife……………………Sarah Ridgeway 
Bystander……………………David Sterne 
Written by Bernard Shaw 
Produced and directed by Emma Harding 
 
 
The ‘B’ Word 
Bernard Shaw……………………Alistair McGowan 
George Alexander……………………David Sturzaker 
Mrs Patrick Campbell.....……………………Charlotte Page 
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree……………………Richard McCabe 
Charlotte Shaw……………………Georgie Glen 
Merivale……………………Philip Fox 
Gurney/Fishman……………………Simon Ludders 
Bell……………………Charlie Clements 
Maid……………………Sarah Ridgeway 
Written by Alistair McGowan 
Produced and directed by Emma Harding

Pygmalion

A brand new BBC Radio 4 drama plus the story of the play's scandalous opening night

Noel Coward

Seven BBC radio full-cast productions of Noël Coward’s classic plays – plus bonus material including a profile of Coward and extracts from his diaries 
 
Renowned for his wit, style and sophistication, Noël Coward was one of the greatest playwrights of the twentieth century. His plays, set in the glittering world of high society in which he lived, are much admired and have remained in the popular theatre repertoire to this day. 
 
This collection brings together the very best radio adaptations of Coward’s works, encompassing sparkling comedies of manners Private Lives and Hay Fever, farcical ghost story Blithe Spirit, and daring ménage à trois drama Design for Living. Here, too, is his controversial first hit The Vortex; the poignant Still Life (the inspiration for the film Brief Encounter); and the semi-autobiographical Present Laughter. 
 
Among the star-studded cast are Helena Bonham-Carter, Bill Nighy, Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Roger Allam, Harriet Walter, Paul Rhys, Stephanie Cole and Paul Scofield. 
 
Also included is a BBC World Service profile of Noël Coward, comprising interviews, musical extracts and archive clips; and the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘From His Diaries’, featuring a selection of passages from Coward’s journal read by Simon Cadell.

The Noel Coward BBC Radio Drama Collection

Seven BBC Radio full-cast productions

R C Sherriff

Journey's End is an unflinching vision of life in the tranches towards the end of the First World War. 
 
The play opens in a dugout in the trenches in France. Raleigh, a new 18-year-old officer fresh out of school, joins the besieged company of his friend and hero Stanhope. But when he arrives in the trenches, he finds Stanhope dramatically changed. 
 
This vintage BBC radio production from 1970 stars Martin Jarvis as Captain Stanhope. 
 
Bonus content: This BBC radio release includes The Man From Esher and his Theatre of War, a 30-minute documentary about R C Sherriff and the story behind Journey’s End. 
 
Journey's End was an instant stage success in 1928 (starring Laurence Olivier) and remains a remarkable anti-war classic, regularly revived in theatres. A film was released in February 2018, starring Sam Claflin (Hunger Games, Me Before You) as Stanhope and Asa Butterfield (Hugo) as Raleigh, along with Paul Bettany, Toby Jones and Tom Sturridge. 
 
Cast: 
Captain Stanhope...Martin Jarvis 
Osborne...Garard Green 
Raleigh...Derek Seaton 
Trotter...Kevin Brennan 
Hibbert/Private...Michael Harbour 
Colonel...Richard Hurndall 
Sergeant Major...John Bentley 
Mason...Malcolm Hayes 
Hardy...John Graham 
German soldier...Patrick Tull 
 
Adapted by Peter Watts. 
Produced by Christopher Venning.

Journey's End

A BBC Radio 4 drama

Alan Bennett

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast production of one of the earliest plays by Alan Bennett 
 
The 1970s are a time of change, but Labour MP George Oliver feels stuck in one place: distrusting the ‘mawkish mentality’ of the young and fearing the encroaching life of the middle-aged, with little to look forward to but the imminent end of a not-very-interesting road. 
 
Ten years into his second marriage, he is world-weary and dissatisfied with his social position and the public he deals with on a regular basis (‘He’s a socialist, but he doesn’t like people’ observes his wife Polly). In his self-absorption, he cannot see that his wife is having an affair, his mother-in-law is dying and his friends and neighbours regard him as a joke. With his trademark wry observational humour, Alan Bennett renders his plight at once poignant and comic. 
 
This bittersweet drama won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy of 1971, and was described by the Sunday Times as ‘a small jewel of bewilderment and regret’. Keith Barron stars as George in this radio adaptation, with a supporting cast including David Rintoul, Emily Richard and Margaret Courtenay.

Getting On

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

Moira Buffini

A deliciously black satirical comedy about the dinner party from hell. 
 
The fastidious host, Paige, decides to throw a dinner party in honour of her husband Lars, who is celebrating the success of his pop psychology book, Beyond Belief. She carefully plans a surprise menu that will mark the occasion, and anxiously checks with the waiter she has employed to make sure that everything is perfectly prepared. Her lucky guests include a post-feminist vegetarian artist, a distinguished microbiologist, a TV journalist and an uninvited guest who ends up staying for dinner. But it soon becomes apparent that the meal may contain some rather nasty surprises… 
 
Moira Buffini's outrageous comedy Dinner started life in the National Theatre's Loft in 2002, and became her first West End smash. In this production, adapted by the writer for BBC Drama on 3, Harriet Walter returns to the role she created: Paige, the hostess and architect of an evening which her guests will never forget. Two other original leads, Nicholas Farrell and Penny Downie, and four new cast members join her in this viciously black chamber piece about appetite, which will make you think twice about ever accepting another invitation to dinner. 
 
Moira Buffini was nominated for an Olivier Award for Dinner in 2003, and won the Olivier in 2014 for her play Handbagged. 
 
Cast 
Paige……………………Harriet Walter 
Lars……………………Nicholas Farrell 
Wynne……………………Penny Downie 
Hal……………………Paul Bazely 
Sian……………………Pippa Bennett-Warner 
Mike……………………Peter McDonald 
Waiter……………………David Hounslow 
 
Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting

Dinner

A full-cast production of the acclaimed black comedy

Tennessee Williams

Anne-Marie Duff stars as Blanche DuBois in BBC Radio 3’s landmark production of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece 
 
Tennessee Williams's iconic play tells the story of a catastrophic confrontation between fantasy and reality, embodied in the characters of Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. 
 
Blanche DuBois arrives unexpectedly on the doorstep of her sister Stella and her explosive brother-in-law Stanley. Over the course of one hot and steamy New Orleans summer, Blanche's fragile façade slowly crumbles, wreaking havoc on Stella and Stanley's already turbulent relationship… 
 
Embodying the turmoil and drama of a changing nation, A Streetcar Named Desire strips Williams's tortured characters of their illusions, leaving a wake of destruction in their path. 
 
Tennessee Williams's 1947 drama is one of the most loved and well-known stage plays of the 20th century. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award in 1948, and the 1951 film adaptation picked up four Oscars. In this compelling radio dramatisation, Blanche is played by Olivier Award-winning actress Anne-Marie Duff, with a stellar cast including Matthew Needham as Stanley and Pippa Bennett-Warner as Stella. 
 
Cast: 
Blanche: Anne-Marie Duff 
Stella: Pippa Bennett-Warner 
Stanley: Matthew Needham 
Mitch: John Heffernan 
Steve: David Sturzaker 
Eunice: Sarah Ridgeway 
Pablo: John Dougal 
Mexican Woman: Leila Arias 
Collector: Tom Forrister 
Nurse: Georgie Glen 
 
Dramatised by Sarah Churchwell 
Produced and directed by Sasha Yevtushenko

A Streetcar Named Desire

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation

William Makepeace Thackeray

Stephen Fry narrates this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the famous Victorian comic novel. 
 
Orphan Becky Sharp and wealthy Amelia Sedley are best friends at Miss Pinkerton's Academy for Young Ladies. On leaving school, ambitious, social-climbing Becky looks for a rich man to support her, while the sweet-natured Amelia meets her old friend Dobbin, who is instantly captivated. 
 
Becky takes a job in the service of Sir Pitt Crawley, and uses her charm to hook his dashing son. However, marriage to Captain Rawdon of the Guards does not provide the fortune she seeks. Meanwhile, Amelia rejects the faithful Dobbin and becomes engaged to the handsome George Osborne - but destiny has some shocks in store for her, too. 
 
As time goes by, the girls' fortunes rise and fall. War, financial disaster and the ruin of her reputation leave the resourceful Beckyundaunted, but Amelia finds it harder to bear fate's blows. It will be many years before their story is played out, and their futures finally decided... 
 
William Makepeace Thackeray's classic satire of passion and ambition, first published in 1847 and 1848, is a deliciously ironic portrait of English society and its mores. This engaging 2004 radio production, published for the first time on audio, features a distinguished cast including Emma Fielding as Becky Sharp, Katy Cavanagh as Amelia and Toby Jones as Jos Sedley.

Vanity Fair

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

A unique collection of eight Alan Bennett stories, read by the author. Alan Bennett is one of Britain's best-loved authors and an acclaimed storyteller. This exclusive compilation includes eight of his best tales, collected together for the first time. 
 
Here is his celebrated, iconic memoir The Lady in the Van; as well as two fascinating autobiographical accounts of his family and childhood. Uncle Clarence sees Bennett visiting the grave of a relative who died in Flanders in 1917; while in Hymn he joins forces with composer George Fenton and the Medici String Quartet to explore his musical memories. 
 
Bennett's incisive, acute observations shine through in his fiction too, with wry, moving and darkly humorous meditations on death (Father! Father! Burning Bright and The Laying On of Hands), sex (The Shielding of Mrs Forbes) and middle-age ennui (The Clothes They Stood Up In). His gift for affectionate satire reaches its pinnacle in The Uncommon Reader, a delightful tale in which the Queen discovers the pleasures of literature. 
 
Poignant, compassionate, wise and witty, the stories included are The Lady in the Van, Uncle Clarence, The Clothes They Stood Up In, Father! Father! Burning Bright, Hymn, The Laying On of Hands, The Uncommon Reader and The Shielding of Mrs Forbes. Duration: 13 hours approx.

Alan Bennett: Stories

Read by Alan Bennett

Three classic radio productions from the BBC archives starring Hannah Gordon, Tim Pigott-Smith, Paul Scofield 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 greatest dramatist. 
 
The Winter's Tale 
One man's consuming jealousy threatens to destroy both himself and those around him, but his actions arouse a passionate sense of honour, love, justice and self-sacrifice in members of his Court and family. First broadcast in 1982, starring Ronald Pickup as Leontes, with Hannah Gordon as Hermione and John Gielgud as Time. 
 
Pericles 
Pericles is haunted by Fate, buffeted by storms, driven from country to country and cruelly separated from his wife and daughter. Having endured the waywardness of Fortune, will he be reunited with his family? First broadcast in 1981, starring Tim Pigott-Smith as Pericles and Angharad Rees as Marina. 
 
The Tempest 
Set on an enchanted island ruled by the sorcerer Prospero, this spellbinding tale of magic, illusion, forgiveness and repentance is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. First broadcast in 1974, starring Paul Scofield as Prospero and Patrick Stewart as Caliban. 
 
Recorded at BBC Broadcasting House and featuring the BBC Drama Repertory company, with specially composed music, this is classic radio drama at its finest. Duration: 7 hours 35 mins approx.

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Romances

The Winter's Tale; Pericles; The Tempest

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

Three powerful radio productions from the BBC archives starring Ian McKellen, Ronald Pickup and Paul Scofield 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 greatest dramatist. 
 
Romeo and Juliet: The Montagues and the Capulets are sworn enemies, so when Romeo Montague falls in love with Juliet Capulet, tragedy ensues. This fateful tale of two young star-crossed lovers isone of Shakespeare's most popular dramas. First broadcast in 1970, starring Ian McKellen as Romeo. 
 
Hamlet: One of the most powerful, influential and thrilling tragedies in the English language, and the story of Prince Hamlet and his quest for vengeance never fails to enthral. First broadcast in 1971, starring Ronald Pickup as the Prince of Denmark. 
 
Macbeth: The notorious 'Scottish Play' is a gripping tale of vaulting ambition, witchcraft, madness and murder that has kept generations of audiences spellbound. First broadcast in 1966,starring Paul Scofield as Macbeth and Peggy Ashcroft as Lady Macbeth. 
 
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 30 mins approx.

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Tragedies

Hamlet; Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet

Mark Jones

A unique collection of historic recordings covering the events of 1916, from the final evacuation of Gallipoli to the aftermath of the Somme. These fascinating and often poignant first-hand accounts describe the humiliating retreat by Allied forces from Gallipoli, starvation during the Siege of Kut-al-Amara in Mesopotamia, the Easter Rising - viewed from both sides of the Irish divide - and the costly battles of Jutland and the Somme. At Jutland, the only full-scale fleet-to-fleet encounter of the war, 6,000 sailors died. Survivors are haunted by memories of their drowning comrades but it is the Somme which arouses the strongest feelings. Soldiers speak bitterly of the carnage and needless sacrifices as men were cut down ‘like sickled grain’. With a final toll of over 600,000 Allied casualties and no decisive breakthrough, the battle marked the point at which hope began to fade. Among the reminiscences, conscientious objectors defend their beliefs, the poets Edmund Blunden and Robert Graves offer their own distinctive observations on life in the trenches and a fusilier on the Western Front recalls meeting his new battalion commander, Lt-Col Winston Churchill. Finally, David Lloyd George, looking back on 1916, remembers a ‘dark and desperate’ time for the country.Duration: 2 hours approx.

First World War: 1916

Voices from the BBC Archive

Atlantia

Avalon

BBC Children's Classics

BBC Classics

BBC Earth

BBC Radio’s The Lord of the Rings

BBC TV Soundtracks

BP Animation

Baby Touch

Ballroom Girls

Barnaby Grimes

Be More...

Bear Mountain Rescue Series

Beasts of Prey

The complete boxed collection of Beatrix Potter's beloved Peter Rabbit books

Beatrix Potter Originals

Beautiful Creatures

Bel Dame Apocrypha

Bella Wallis Victorian Mysteries

Belle

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom

Bergman Brothers

Big Ideas for Little Philosophers

Bill Clinton & James Patterson stand-alone thrillers

Bill Smith / Lydia Chin

Bim Blake

Bindi Babes

Tim and Biscuit, two unlikely friends, always seem to get themselves into difficult situations. From their first meeting in Cliffhanger, where bookish Tim is forced to endure an activities camp, to Buried Alive, where a quiet camping holiday turns out to be full of surprises, there is never a dull moment with these two around.Jaqueline Wilson’s hilarious duo of books catalogues their escapades, triumphs and failures, with a good helping of snacks along the way!

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