R4 Drama 2020
I'm typing these entries out, summarising them from RT, removing spoilers and editing / adding notes where necessary. Typos are gradually being removed. The page is generally updated at the end of each month.
To locate a play, use Control-F which will bring up a search box. The page lists afternoon dramas including Sat-Sun. (Saturday Drama and Classic Serial). .........ND
Note that the 'Classic Serial' slot on Sunday afternoons is no longer described as such in the Radio Times. However I am still using the term so people can navigate the page more easily.
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THE PLAYS:
1 Jan 20: Poetry - Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
2 Jan 20:Eight Point Nine Nine
By James Fritz and Becky Ripley. What if doping were allowed in athletics? How much faster could we go? And at what cost? A retelling of the Julian Mason scandal, a year after the closure of Project Hermes, the doping program which enabled Mason to run the 100m in under nine seconds. What drove the scientists at the heart of the project? What made the athletes sign up? And who was to blame when things went wrong? Drama-doc.
3 Jan 20: Enemies of the System
By Mark Lawson. Three political experts discover the Chinese are seeking their advice. Two English diplomats are flying to Beijing. They meet Benedict, a former Chief Advisor to the American President. They have been summoned by the Chinese government to advise on how to deal with the protests in Hong Kong.
Heck: Paul Rhys,
Danny: Julian Wadham,
Benedict: Matt Rippy,
Ruby: Macy Nyman,
Mai-Ling: Michelle Yim,
Yu Haigwang: David K S Tse,
Producer: Eoin O’Callaghan.
Indie (Big Fish Production).
4 Jan 20: Saturday Drama - Unmade Movies: The Hook
By Arthur Miller, rpt. A 1950s Brooklyn longshoreman is fired for standing up to his corrupt union boss, but decides to fight back by standing for union president. 1951....The Brooklyn Docks, dawn. Hundreds of longshoreman queue in line to see if they’re going to be given a counter and picked for work in that day’s gang. It’s dangerous work, but with a hierarchy of corrupt union bosses all taking backhanders, they have no option but to accept.
The play is part of a season of radio adaptions of unproduced screenplays by the major authors of the 20th century.
Narrator - David Suchet, Marty - Elliot Cowan,
Louis - Nigel Lindsay, Rocky - Michael Feast,
Farragut - Tim Pigott-Smith, Piggy - Nathan Wiley,
Enzo - Jonathan Guy Lewis, Sleeper - Kerry Shale,
Therese - Joanne Pearce, Old Dominic - Vincent Riotta,
Mama - Lorelei King, Irene - Hollie Burgess,
Pete - Leo Heller. Screenplay written by Arthur Miller.
Adapted for radio by Laurence Bowen. Sound Design by Wilfredo Acosta.
Directed by Adrian Noble. Produced by Laurence Bowen.
Indie (Feelgood Productions). About 2 hours.
5 Jan 20: Classic Serial slot: Riot Days
Rpt. of Maria Alyokhina's account of her activism, trial and imprisonment, as part of Russian feminist punk protest group Pussy Riot. Dramatised by E V Crowe. Directed by Emma Harding. Maria.....Katie West, Nadya.....Kerry Gooderson,Katya.....Kathryn Drysdale,Bass Player.....Saffron Coomber, Petya.....Cameron Percival,Investigator Igor.....Ronny Jhutti; All other parts played by Lucy Doyle, Alexandra Constantinidi, Clare Corbett, Tony Turner, Michael Bertenshaw, Carolyn Pickles, Christopher Harper and Jeanette Percival. Guitarist....Lewis Turner.
Additional material from Pussy Riot, A Punk Prayer for Freedom (Feminist Press) and Maria Alyokhina's closing courtroom statement translated by a collaborative team of translators, Marijeta Bozovic, Maksim Hanukai, and Sasha Senderovich, edited by Bela Shayevich, originally published on the website of n+1 magazine.
6 Jan 20:Road to Lisbon
Rpt. from 15 Oct 18.By Douglas Livingstone and producer Jane Morgan; a recent production from a long series of 'Road' stories which began in 1983. In each play,a specially recorded soundtrack made at a major festival is used to create a drama. In this episode, a man is caught up in the Feast of St. Anthony as he tries to discover a family secret with roots in Portugal's fascist past. Tony: Carl Prekopp, Sharmila: Carlyss Peer, Joan: Elizabeth Rider, Paulo: David Westhead, receptionist and Alonso: Andre Flynn, American tourist: Julie Fitzpatrick, Azra: Cleo Sylvestre, Fernando: Malcolm Sinclair. Producer, as mentioned above: Jane Morgan.
7 Jan 20: Seven Pomegranate Seeds
By Colin Teevan. It is summer, and a young girl is stolen under the ground. Up in the world, her mother searches for her lost child, her grief so powerful that the ground hardens into winter. The play draws on Greek mythology to weave a new contemporary story. Based on the stage play. Originally based on seven of Euripedes’ female characters - Persephone, Hypsipyle, Medea, Alcestis, Phaedra, Creusa and Demeter. Niamh Cusack, Ruth Bradley and Leah McNamara. Produced by Allegra McIlroy. BBC Northern Ireland.
8 Jan 20: Someone Dangerous, 1
By Andy Mulligan. Thriller. A couple move into a big house with an unpleasant history. It is unfortunate that only the man knows what happened there. Jed: Rob Jarvis, Ira: Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton, Mr Turner.....Harry Myers, D.I McCabe.....Keir Charles,
Yola.....Emma Carter, Estate Agent.....Ewan Bailey, Henna.....Ayeesha Menon, Plumber.....Jonathan Abbott, Saboni.....Lydia Daniston, Young Woman's voice.....Jade Matthew. Original Music by Jon Ouin. Sound Design by Laurence Farr. Produced by Emma Hearn.
producer: John Scott Dryden. Indie (Goldhawk).
9 Jan 20: Someone Dangerous, 2
By Andy Mulligan. When Ira finds the young woman's diary under the floor boards, she begins to suspect murder. But all is not what it seems. Jed.....Rob Jarvis, Ira.....Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton,
Mr Turner.....Harry Myers, D.I McCabe.....Keir Charles,
Yola.....Emma Carter, Coroner....Ewan Bailey,
Henna.....Ayeesha Menon, Saboni.....Lydia Daniston,
Voice of Young Woman.....Jade Matthew, Sally.....Natasha North.
Original Music by Jon Ouin,Sound Design by Laurence Farr,
Produced by Emma Hearn.Producer: John Scott Dryden Indie (Goldhawk).
10 Jan 20: My Dad's Wardrobe
By Frazer Flintham.Comedy; a 12 year old boy's attempts to recover his dad's clothes. But there's much more to Louie's mission than merely getting out of trouble.
Louie ..... Aaron Gelkoff,
John ..... Luca Evans,
Mum .... Heather Craney,
Sam ..... Ikky Elyas,
Dad ..... Clive Hayward,
Clodd ..... Gerard McDermott,
Dean ..... Will Kirk,
Mary ..... Lucy Reynolds,
Charity shop man ..... Neil McCaul,
Librarian ..... Jessica Turner,
Park-Keeper ..... Adam Courting,
Heather ..... Sinead MacInnes,
Park woman ..... Laura Christy,
T-Shirt girl ..... Scarlett Courtney,
Swimming coach ..... Greg Jones.
Producer: David Hunter.
11 Jan 20: Saturday Drama: The Dreaming Child
Unmade Movie by Harold Pinter. World premiere,based on a Karen Blixen short story. It's Bristol in 1868 and Emily, married to Tom Carter, is haunted by her first love affair with a young soldier who subsequently dies at sea. Seven years later and unable to have children themselves, they decide to adopt a boy from the slum. Jack however is not an ordinary child, and seems to know everything about his new home and family.
Narrator - Anne Reid,
Emily - Lydia Leonard,
Tom - Bertie Carvel,
Charlie - Joshua Silver,
Mrs Jones - Joanna Scanlan,
Miss Scott - Susan Woolridge,
Jack - Jack Hollington,
Peggy - Rose Leslie,
Bess - Bryony Hannah,
Mr Rudd - Karl Johnson,
Mr Carter - Malcolm Sinclair,
Children - Flynn Allen,Esme Allen-Quarmby,Isabella Blake-Thomas, Joey Price.
Adapted by Joanna Hogg and Laurence Bowen'
Producer: Laurence Bowen.
Director: Joanna Hogg.
Indie (Feelgood Productions).
12 Jan 20: Classic Serial slot: Riot Days, 2
Rpt.of Maria Alyokhina's account of her activism, trial and imprisonment, as part of Russian feminist punk protest group Pussy Riot. Dramatised by E V Crowe.
Maria.....Katie West,
Nadya.....Kerry Gooderson,
Katya.....Kathryn Drysdale,
Beautician.....Saffron Coomber,
Lena.....Alexandra Meyrick,
Olga.....Roslyn Hill,
Prosecutor.....Tony Turner,
Defence Attorney Violetta.....Clare Corbett,
Guard.....Carolyn Pickles,
Oksana.....Lucy Doyle,
Major.....Michael Bertenshaw,
Judge.....Ronny Jhutti,
Guard 2....Jeanette Percival,
Prisoner....Alexandra Constantinidi,
Producer: Emma Harding,
Guitarist....Lewis Turner.
13 Jan 20: Behind Closed Doors, Series 4, ep.1: Life chances
By Clara Glynn. A series of dramas set at legal hearings. This episode is set in the Court of Protection. Emily Cross has a history of anorexia. After collapsing at a Tube Station she has been admitted to an eating disorder unit for the third time. Emily is dangerously ill but refusing treatment. Should she be force fed? Barrister Rebecca Nyman is in court to look after the patient’s interests.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman ……Clare Corbett,
Jemima MacFadyen …… …Amiera Darwish,
Barnaby McNeish ……Peter Forbes,
Judge …… Susan Jameson,
Dr Hall/George Cross ……Jack Klaff,
Letitia Cross ………Joanna Monro,
Emily Cross ………Lucy Wells,
Dr Jude Meredith ……Debbie Korley,
Stella ……Helen Clapp.
Producer/director: David Ian Neville. BBC Scotland.
14 Jan 20: Behind Closed Doors, 2: Best Interests
By Clara Glynn. Esti, a divorced Jewish mother, has come to the Family Courts to stop her ex-husband changing their children’s schools. Yossi, the father, has left the Charedi community and wants his children to go to a co-ed. Barrister Rebecca Nyman represents the mother in the dispute.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman ……Clare Corbett,
Esti Shieman ……Oriion Ben,
Judge ……David Acton,
Yossi Shieman ……Daniel Ben Zenou,
Simon Frear ………Ilan Goodman,
Mary Bates ……Kate Barton.
Producer/director: David Ian Neville. BBC Scotland.
15 Jan 20: Behind Closed Doors, 3: More than Kissing
By Clara Glynn. The Court of Protection must decide if an eighteen year-old with learning difficulties should be allowed to have sex. Harry is 18 with learning difficulties who enjoys and wants to have sex. His parents think he's too vulnerable and could be put at risk. The Court of Protection must decide what is best.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman ……Clare Corbett,
Harry Grant ……Ryan Whittle,
Joanna Grant ……Debra Baker,
Charles Fenwick-Pagett QC..Owen Oakeshott,
Judge ………Dan Starkey,
Ms Gill ……Caroline Lawrie,
Dr Theo Field ………Chris Pavlo.
Producer/director: David Ian Neville. BBC Scotland.
16 Jan 20: Behind Closed Doors, 4: Mediation
By Clara Glynn. Maud and Martin's father, a widower, has died and left his whole estate to a twenty-two year-old dog walker. Why? Will the will be challenged? Going to court could be expensive and there are no guarantees. Mediation is a sensible first step, otherwise the legal profession will probably get most of the money.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman ……Clare Corbett,
Martin Armstrong……Stephen Rashbrook,
Maud Armstrong……Samantha Spiro,
Hope James ……Sarah Ovens.
Producer/director: David Ian Neville. BBC Scotland.
17 Jan 20: Behind Closed Doors, 5: The Balance of Probabilities.
By Clara Glynn. Daniel and Scarlett's baby son was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night and died two days later. Did Daniel cause the baby's injuries? The local authority has taken the couple's baby daughter into care. Barrister Rebecca Nyman has been engaged to represent Daniel in Court.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman …Clare Corbett,
Daniel ………Samuel Harris,
Scarlett ……Georgia Burnell,
Dr Bukhari ...Saikat Ahamed,
Henry Neil……David Hounslow,
Thomas Marengo.……Sean Baker,
Sarah Maitland……Melissa Woodbridge,
Judge…………Chris Harper,
Health Visitor...Helen Clapp.
Producer:: David Ian Neville. BBC Scotland.
18 Jan 20: Saturday Play - Animal Farm
By George Orwell (Eric Blair), rpt. One night, on an English farm, Major the boar recounts his vision of an utopia where his fellow creatures own the land along with the means of production and are no longer the slaves of humans. Before long, his dream comes true and for a short while all animals really are equal. But the clever pigs educate themselves and soon learn how to extend their power. George Orwell described his short novel as a fairy story. It's a satire on how the Communist system really works.
Narrator ..... Tamsin Greig,
Napoleon .....Nicky Henson,
Squealer ..... Toby Jones,
Snowball ..... Patrick Brennan,
Boxer ..... Ralph Ineson,
Clover ..... Liza Sadovy,
Major ..... Robert Blythe,
Benjamin ..... Paul Stonehouse,
Muriel ..... Sarah Thom,
Mollie ..... Lizzy Watts,
With Eleanor Crooks, Ben Crowe, Will Howard, Gerard McDermott, Adam Nagaitis and Stephanie Racine.
Musical director ..... Neil Brand.
Adapted from his own novel by George Orwell.
Producer ..... Alison Hindell.
19 Jan 20: Classic Serial slot - Oliver: Lagos to London, 1
By Charles Dickens / Ayeesha Menon, in three episodes. Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist is a powerful indictment of child poverty and exploitation. This is an imaginative updating of the story for today, beginning in modern-day Nigeria. A young orphan’s search for family and home. Ten year old Oli plays with best friend Mene but the next day, the oil company will come to take their land. When the villagers fight back many of them are killed, leaving Oli and Mene as orphans. They have to find work to survive.
Oli - Jordan Nash,
Young Mene - Maryam Drammeh,
Agnes - Bisola Elizabeth Alabi,
Saro - Charles Venn,
Tinubu - Danny Sapani,
Pastor Solomon - Cyril Nri,
Mene - Tamara Lawrance,
Miss Saffron Hill - Jocelyn Jee Esien,
Jann - Alexander Campbell,
Kwame - Alfie Nash,
Mrs Solomon -Jumoke Fashola,
Noah - Samuel Adebayo,
Dodger - Nifemi Bankole,
Bet - Nina Cassells.
The children in the mine are played by Ethan Langley, Isiah Adeyeye, Marvellous Aigbedion and Saria Joye.
Produced by Gill Parry.
Directed by Michael Buffong.
Music by Tunde Jegede.
Sound design by David Thomas and Steve Bond.
Photography by The Masons.
Development concept written by Silas Parry.
Sound Interns: Makee Ogbon and Kairon Edwards.
Production Interns: Samantha Mandaza and Jayesh Fernando.
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling.
Executive Producer: John Scott Dryden. Indie (CONNECTfilm Productions, Scotland)
20 Jan 20: Burma
By Mike Walker, rpt. The first of four dramas featuring episodes in the life of Eric Blair.
After an undistinguished academic career at Eton, Eric left in December 1921. Unlike most of his friends, his parents could not afford to send him to University. When the girl he hoped to marry rejected him, he went Burma to join the colonial police. His experiences in Burma affected him profoundly. He later wrote of 'A Hanging' and 'Shooting An Elephant', and his first novel, 'Burmese Days'.
Eric Blair . . . Joseph Millson,
Jacintha Buddicom . . . Sophie Roberts,
Wilson . . . Joseph Kloska,
Inspector d'Souza . . . Ernest Ignatius,
Burmese youth . . . Armaan Kirmani,
Man on Train . . . Derek Riddell,
Ted . . . Alun Raglan.
BBC Wales, producer Kate McAll.
21 Jan 20: Dreaming
By Mike Walker, rpt. The second of four plays about Eric Blair (George Orwell). In September 1938, Eric and Eileen Blair leave London for Marrakech. He is hoping that the climate will be good for his health, and that he will be able to complete his novel 'Coming Up for Air'.
Eric Blair... Joseph Millson,
Eileen Blair... Lyndsey Marshal,
Georges Kopp... Ewan Bailey,
Tommy... Paul Stonehouse,
With Ben Crowe and Will Howard,
Producer: Jeremy Mortimer.
22 Jan 20: Loving
By Mike Walker, rpt. Eric Blair's relationship with the opposite sex could be a distraught one; over the course of his lifetime, he made several awkward marriage proposals to different women. But his relationship with Eileen O'Shaugnessy, whom he married in 1935, had a huge influence both on his life and his writing. This drama explores the nine years of their relationship.
Eric Blair . . . Joseph Millson,
Eileen O'Shaugnessy/Blair . . . Lyndsey Marshal,
Dorothy . . . Isabella Marshall,
Lydia Jackson . . . Vera Filatova,
Inspector Summerfield . . . Dick Bradnum,
Len . . . Alun Raglan.
BBC Wales, produced by Kate McAll.
23 Jan 20: Jura
By Jonathan Holloway, rpt. In 1947, the year after Eileen's death, Eric leaves London and moves to Jura, with his sister Avril, and his three year old son. He is suffering from tuberculosis but is determined to try and make a go of living off the land. But most of all he is determined to finish Nineteen Eighty-Four, his final book.
Eric Blair..Joseph Millson,
Avril Blair...Liza Sadovy,
David Holbrook... Adam Nagaitis,
Sonia Orwell ...Stephanie Racine,
Ricky Blair...James Foster,
Henry...Will Howard,
Lucy...Alexandra Guelff,
Jane...Lizzie Watts,
Produced by Jeremy Mortimer.
24 Jan 20: Five Rachels
By Katie Hims, rpt. A play about the nature of memory. Rachel seems to have discovered memories she didn't used to have. She thinks the memories are from her past, but the doctor doesn't agree. She tries to work out what is happening to her. Rachel Ridley: Rachel Davies, Rachel2: Kika Markham, Dr. Jones: Michael Bertenshaw, girl in the newsagent's: Sarah Ovens, library customer: Christopher Harper. Producer: Allegra McIlroy.
25 Jan 20: Saturday Play - The Trial of The Well of Loneliness
By Shelley Silas. Radclyffe Hall's novel (1928, Jonathan Cape) about love between women, 'The Well of Loneliness', became the centre of a 1928 obscenity trial. It contains the passionate plea: "Give us also the right to our existence". The book became the target of a campaign by James Douglas, "Sunday Express" editor, and a British court judged it obscene because it defended "unnatural practices between women".
Radclyffe Hall ..... Kate Fleetwood,
Una, Lady Troubridge ..... Anastasia Hille,
Stephen Gordon ..... Laura Christy,
Gilchrist Thompson ..... Will Kirk,
Sir Chartres Biron ..... Neil McCaul,
Eustace Fulton ..... Clive Hayward,
Norman Birkett ..... Rick Warden,
James Melville ..... Tony Turner,
Desmond McCarthy ..... Greg Jones,
Court Clerk ..... Adam Courting,
Court Actress ..... Scarlett Courtenay,
Puddle ..... Jessica Turner.
Directed by Emma Harding. Additional research documents courtesy of Morris Ernst Papers, Harry Ransom Center, the University of Texas at Austin.
26 Jan 20: Classic Serial slot - Oliver: Lagos to London, 2
Continued from last Sunday, adapted by Ayeesha Menon.. In Lagos, Oli is now fifteen and a key member of a gang of Area Boys who sell drugs for underworld figure Miss Saffron Hill. High-octane capers through the backstreets of Lagos, a world of new tricks and double-edged jokes, but Oli never stops looking for his best friend Mene.
Oli - Idris Debrand,
Babatunde - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,
Nancy - Tamara Lawrance,
Bill - Fehinte Balogun,
Dodger - Sylvester Akinrolabu,
Miss Saffron Hill - Jocelyn Jee Esien,
Grimwig - Charles Venn,
Inspector Ndbuisi - Kalungi Ssebandeke,
Charlie - Samuel Adebayo,
Auntie Bello - Jumoke Fashola,
Blessing - Marlene Madenge,
Zaki - Ali Zayn,
Hotel guest - Ayeesha Menon,
Hotel Receptionist - Samantha Mandaza.
Produced by Gill Parry.
Directed by Michael Buffong.
Music by Tunde Jegede.
Sound design by David Thomas and Steve Bond.
Photography by the Masons.
Development concept written by Silas Parry.
Cultural Advisor: Onassis Andem.
Sound Interns: Makee Ogbon and Kairon Edwards.
Production Interns: Samantha Mandaza and Jayesh Fernando.
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling.
Executive Producer: John Scott Dryden.
Indie; a Connectfilm production.
27 Jan 20: Dykes - Six of one and half a dozen of the other
A new three part series by Sarah Daniels, which follows the friendship of three radical lesbian feminists from the 1970s to today, and takes in the pioneering campaigning of the ‘70s and ‘80s, the backlash of Clause 28 in the 1990s, and the more recent fractures in the LGBTQ community. Part of the fourth season of Riot Girls: provocative writing by women which explores themes of gender identity, lesbian relationships and the intersections between the feminist and LGBTQ movements.
Pat.....Nichola McAuliffe,
Lynn/Liam.....Jelena Budimir,
Miley.....Katie Angelou,
Younger Pat.....Lucy Reynolds,
Younger Bex.....Scarlett Courtney,
Younger Lynn.....Sinead MacInnes,
Headmaster.....Neil McCaul,
Pat’s Dad.....Ian Conningham.
Directed by Emma Harding.
28 Jan 20: Dykes - A greater threat to family life than Adolf Hitler
By Sarah Daniels. The angry, pioneering 1970s give way to the more repressive 1980s, and the introduction of Clause 28 by Mrs. Thatcher, which said that local authorities would not be able to promote homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. (It was repealed in Scotland in 2000 and in the rest of the UK in 2003.)
Pat.....Nichola McAuliffe,
Lynn/Liam.....Jelena Budimir,
Miley.....Katie Angelou,
Younger Pat.....Lucy Reynolds,
Younger Bex.....Scarlett Courtney,
Younger Lynn.....Sinead MacInnes,
Flick.....Laura Christy,
Marc.....Ian Conningham,
Policeman.....Neil McCaul.
Directed by Emma Harding.
29 Jan 20: Dykes: Man that is born of Woman
By Sarah Daniels - a third story following the friendship of three lesbian feminists.
Pat.....Nichola McAuliff,
Lynn/Liam.....Jelena Budimir,
Miley.....Katie Angelou,
Andrea.....Heather Craney.
Directed by Emma Harding.
30 Jan 20: Torn
By Eve Steele,rpt. Sasha has done some bad things in the past. She has lost her marriage and her relationship with her child. She is now clean and wants to make amends. Can she rebuild her relationship with her daughter?
Sasha ..... Eve Steele,
Marvin ..... Simon Trinder,
Nicole ..... Sade Malone,
Del ..... Will Ash,
Tony ..... Jim English.
Producer.... Gary Brown.
31 Jan 20: The Lights
By Eoin McNamee, rpt.Thriller about the exploitation and trafficking of foreign migrants in Northern Ireland. Claire, retired early from the Police Force following her recent diagnosis of MS, goes to the Irish coast to clear out her dead mother's house and come to terms with her diagnosis. It is whilst here that she finds herself in the midst of a major foreign migrant trafficking ring. And the gangmaster turns out to be someone a little too close to home.
Ruth Adamson ..... Emma Canning,
Clare ..... Denise Gough,
Pastor Adamson ..... Lloyd Hutchinson,
Marka ..... Aneta Piotrowska,
Maciek ..... Adam Wittek,
Sam Owens ..... Tom Glenister,
Jim Martin ..... Vinne Shiels.
Produced by Celia de Wolff.
1 Feb: Saturday Play - Bathwater
By poet Vicky Foster; one of the Imison Award finalists this year. Rpt. The play explores Vicky's eal-life experiences of what happens when violence spills over into family life. What's the impact on a son of having a violent father he never really knew? How does society view those whose partners are violent?
Written and performed by Vicky Foster, with Finlay McGuigan as her son Joseph. Sound score composed and played by Broken Orchestra - Pat Dooner and Carl Conway-Davis. BBC Drama North production, produced by Susan Roberts. 45m.
2 Feb: Classic Serial slot - Oliver: Lagos to London, 3
By Ayeesha Menon. Concluding episode. Oli has become a hardened 20-year-old, who’s forgotten his best friend Mene and all their dreams. Saffron Hill is grooming Oli as the gang’s new leader, and persuades Bill to include him in a plan that will earn them a small fortune. But when they get to the rendezvous, Oli’s kind heart ruins the callous scheme and he pays a heavy price. Is this the end of Oli’s last hope of escape and the possibility of a new life?
Oli - Idris Debrand,
Babatunde - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ,
Nancy - Tamara Lawrance,
Bill - Fehinte Balogun,
Dodger - Sylvester Akinrolabu,
Miss Saffron Hill - Jocelyn Jee Esien,
Blessing - Marlene Madenge,
Inspector Ndbuisi - Kalungi Ssebandeke,
Charlie - Samuel Adebayo ,
Auntie Rosie - Bisola Elizabeth Alabi,
Waitress - Fatima Adoum,
Young Agi - Sariah Joye,
Other parts played by Ali Zayn, Fabio Goutet, Ewens Abid, Makee Ogbon, Samantha Mandaza, Jayesh Fernando and Kairon Edwards.Adapted by Ayeesha Menon. Produced by Gill Parry. Directed by Michael Buffong.
Music by Tunde Jegede.Sound design by David Thomas and Steve Bond. Photography by The Masons. Development concept written by Silas Parry. Cultural Advisor: Onassis Andem.
Sound Interns: Makee Ogbon and Kairon Edwards.
Production Interns: Samantha Mandaza and Jayesh Fernando. Production Manager: Sarah Tombling.
Executive Producer: John Scott Dryden. Indie; a CONNECTfilm production.
3 Feb: The Hartlepool Spy
By Ian Martin, rpt. from Christmas Day 2018. Imison Award finalist. Comedy-drama. Britain is at war with France; it's 1804. Bonapart's spies are everywhere. Invasion is expected any day.Then a French ship has been spotted; it’s heading their way. But there's a storm, and a single survivor washes ashore: a monkey. For reasons which become clear, the town needs to arrest a spy. Could it be the monkey? Cavendish: Michael Palin, Rev. Ferrier: Jim Moir, Mayor Palmer: Toby Jones, Lady Enbleton: Gina McKee, Mrs. Palmer: Monica Dolan, Garvey: Jason Forbes, The Monkey: Robin Berry. Producer: Sam Ward.
4 Feb: Talk To Me: H.P.Lovecraft
By Sara Davies and Abigail Youngman, rpt. Audio Drama Awards finalist. The play is about Lovecraft's marriage to Sonia Greene, a businesswoman whose family had fled Ukraine to live in the USA. Lovecraft: John Mackay, Sonia: Tracy Wiles, Samuel Loveman: Carl Prekopp, Lilian Clarke: Sarah Parks, Florence Greene: Martha Godber. Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery.
5 Feb: The Disappearance of Mr. Chan
By Simon Wu. Hong Kong writer Mr Chan fails to arrive at Heathrow. His daughter Poppy sets out to find him. But her mother begs her to come home and keep her company. She’s scared. Poppy enlists the help of ex-boyfriend Jason, who’s an online journalist. They fly out to Hong Kong determined to research and write a story that will help get her father released, but Poppy’s mother Ada is certain the best way to help is to comply with the authorities by staying silent.
Poppy – Jennifer Leong,
Jason – Jeremy Ang Jones,
Mr Chan and Uncle – Jamie Zubairi,
Mrs Chan and Auntie – Liz Sutherland-Lim,
Vicky and Security Officer – Michelle Yim.
Director: David Tse,
Producer: Melanie Harris,
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer,
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore. Indie (Sparklab).
6 Feb: Maynard
By Fraser Ayres. Marcus wants younger brother Maynard under his thumb. But Maynard, with help from his girlfriend Jules, is determined to turn his life around and escape a life of crime. Fraser, who wrote the drama and plays Maynard is co-founder of Triforce Creative Network and Dandi which encourages diversity in the media industries. The producer, Kathy Burke, is an actor, writer and director in theatre, television and film. This is the first time she has produced a radio play.
Maynard – Fraser Ayres,
Marcus – Kobna Holdbrook-Smith,
Auntie P – Ellen Thomas,
Sister Magdelene/Petra – Chizzy Akudolu,
Jules – Kellie Shirley,
Mama – Martina Laird.
producer: Kathy Burke,
Executive Director: Jeremy Mortimer,
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Sparklab).
7 Feb: Wheatish
By Yasmeen Khan. Sabina contemplates becoming a single mother, despite what her community might think. But there are more than a few hurdles to overcome before she embarks on the first stage. For British Asian women of a certain generation, life can be complicated – even more so if you are Muslim, single and heading into your 40s. Sabina wonders what went wrong. A failed marriage? Compromised fertility? Or perhaps she’s just too choosy? She confides in her best friend Amber that she’s planning to freeze her eggs, just in case. (I can't understand the title - presumably a fault in me - Ed. )
Sabina – Mina Anwar,
Amber – Nadia Emam,
Sarah – Jeanette Percival,
Mum – Rani Moorthy,
Nadeem – Esh Alladi.
Director: Aisha Khan,
Producer: Melanie Harris,
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer,
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Sparklab).
8 Feb: Saturday Play: Blood, Sex and Money, by Zola. Ep. 1 - Animals. Season 1, rpt. - Blood; episode title: Animals. By Dan Rebellato. The first season of 24 hours of drama inspired by the works of literature's greatest whistleblower - Zola. Glenda Jackson is Dide (pronounced Deedee), 104 years old and matriarch to a family of wolves - the Rougon-Macquarts. I've removed the BBC's spoilers in this write-up. Cast: Dide ...... Glenda Jackson, Pierre ....... Robert Lindsay, Felicité ....... Fenella Woolgar, Antoine .......Ian Hart, Silvère ....... Ashley Margolis, Miette ........ Shannon Flynn, Eugene ......... Robert Jack, Col Masson/Sicardot ....... Jonathan Keeble, Burgat/Roudier ...... Seamus O'Neill, Ursule ...... Kate Coogan. Produced and Directed by Pauline Harris.
9 Feb: Classic Serial slot: Blackwater
This is a one-off play broadcast in the Sunday slot. Rpt; shortlisted for (and winner of) 'best adaptation' in the Audio Drama Awards 2020. Novella by Joyce Oates, adapted by Sarah Wooley for radio. A young political writer, Kelly, meets a U.S. senator and the pair hit it off. They leave in the evening by car but there is an accident. The story is clearly based on the Kennedy / Chappaquiddick Island incident, in which Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge into swampy waters, got out of the car, left the scene and did not report the accident for several hours. His female companion drowned. Kennedy was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident. Kelly: Lydia Wilson, the senator: Elliot Cowan, narrator and mother: Laurel Lefkow, Buffy: Kelly Burke, Ray: Chris Pavlo, Felicia / Operator: Emma Lau, Stacey / woman at party: Hannah Wood. Producer: Gaynor Macfarlane.
10 Feb: Zola, 2: Food
Rpt. (Originally ep 3 of 9 in 2015. Ep. 2 seems to have been skipped this time). Lisa Macquart's brother-in-law arrives and her future seems threatened. Adaptation by Oliver Emanuel. Dide: Glenda Jackson, Jodie McNee, Quenu: Graeme Hawley, Gervaise: Julie Hesmondhalgh, Old man / Revolutionary: James A Pearson, Pauline: Millie Kinsey. Producer: Kirsty Williams.
11 Feb: Zola, 3: Politics
Rpt; this was originally ep. 4 in 2015) Eugene Rougon was once at the heart of government, but now he is just another member of the public. Adapted by Oliver Emanuel. Dide: Glenda Jackson, Eugene: Robert Jack, Clorinde: Laura Dos Santos, Lisa: Jodie McNee, Merle: James Anthony Pearson, Quenu: Graeme Hawley, Gilquina: Jonathan Keeble. Producer: Kirsty Williams.
12 Feb: Zola, 4: Drink
Rpt; this was originally ep. 5 in 2015) As Gervaise Macquart sits across the table from a bottle of brandy and a handsome man, she realises the value of happiness. Adapted by Oliver Emanuel.Dide: Glenda Jackson, Gervaise: Julie Hesmondhalgh, Goujeta: Mark Holgate. Produced by Kirsty Williams.
13 Feb: Zola, 5: Art
Rpt; this was originally ep. 6 in 2015). Adaptation by Martin Jameson. Struggling artist Claude Lantier is determined to create new art in Paris. Dide: Glenda Jackson, Claude: Brian Dick, Christine: Georgina Campbell, Pierre: Richard Hand, Fagerolles: Stephen Fletcher, Bongrand: David Fleeshman. Producer: Pauline Harris. Produced by Pauline Harris.
14 Feb: Zola, 6: Masterpiece
Rpt; this was originally ep. 7 in 2015. Adapted by Martin Jameson. Claude now has a son and feels rejuvenated, but his obsessiion to create a defining masterpiece causes havoc in Paris. Dide: Glenda Jackson, Claude: Brian Dick, Christine: Georgina Campbell, Young Jacques: Talia Barnett, Pierre: Richard Hand, Fagerolles: Stephen Fletcher, Bongrand: David Fleeshman, Jacques: William Ash. Producer: Pauline Harris. Note that the episodes NOT being broadcast this time around on R4 (eps 2,8,9 if my memory is correct) are being broadcast NEXT week on R4X.
15 Feb: Saturday Play: Wide Sargasso Sea
By Jean Rhys, dram. Rebecca Lenkiewicz, rpt. This is a prequel to Jane Eyre, written in 1996. It has been cut a little to fit into the one-hour slot, so some scenes are omitted. The story: A woman's loss of her destiny, through no fault of her own. Antoinette is a white Creole who is married off to an Englishman, Edward Rochester, for £30,000. The honeymoon period is soon poisoned by rumours, paranoia and manipulation. As a result, Rochester tries to mould his new wife into a Victorian lady, at the expense of her freedom and, ultimately her sanilty. Antoinette Cosway: Lara Rossi, Rochester: Trystan Gravelle, Christophine: Martina Laird, young Antoinette: Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Amelie: Alexandria Riley, Grace Poole: Jaimi Barbakoff, Annette: Sirine Saba, Mr. Mason: Don Gilet, Tia: Emily Burnett, Richard Mason: Eric Kofi Abrefa. Original music composed and performed by Lucy Rivers. Producer: Helen Perry.
16 Feb: Classic Serial slot: Money, 1 - A Not Nice Girl
By Christopher Reason, first story in a new series inspired by Zola. Miles Stirling is one of the richest men in Britain and has made his money in plastics. When a dark secret is exposed it puts his career under threat. Constance: Glenda Jackson, Miles: Robert Glenister, Rufus: Jonathan Keeble, Rachel and Janet: Fiona Clarke, Lydia: Heather Craney, Gabriel and Asif: Hasan Dixon. Producer: Pauline Harris.
17 Feb: Money, 2 - The Road More Travelled
By Chris Reason; conslusion of yesterday's play. It seems that Miles is being blackmailed. Unpleasant secrets are exposed. Production team - as yesterday.
18 Feb: Money, 3 - Collapse
By Esther Wilson. A resident of a tower block looking after her son and nephew finds herself without housing when disaster strikes. Constance: Glenda Jackson, Hannah: Gillian Kearney, Eden: Albie Crompton, Dylan: Edmund Davies, Jamal: Peter Singh, Neil: Paul Bernhard, Shelly: Susan Twist. Producer: Pauline Harris.
19 Feb: Money, 4 - The Score
By Roy Williams. Carlton is a small-scale football agent. His most promising footballer is his son, Jordan who suddenly turns up with unwelcome news. Carlton has to take drastic action. Constance - Glenda Jackson, Carlton - Don Gilet, Jordan - Makir Ahmed, Gurpreet - Manjnder Virk, Barry - Clive Hayward, Conor McNamara as himself. Produced by Pauline Harris.
20 Feb: Money, 5 - Grow
By Eve Steele. Nathalie is broke. She's lost her job and now she's been landed with a bedroom tax demand. She's desperate to earn money. But then she meets an old friend.
Constance...Glenda Jackson, Nathalie......Siobhan Finneran, Benji.....Jason Done,
Sean....Marvin Brown, Denise....Verity Henry, Kelly....Sade Malone. Producer... Gary Brown.
21 Feb: Money, 6 - Sanctuary
By Michael S Roberts. Constance journeys to rural France on the pretence that she wants to commission a famous artist, Eleanor. But there's a lot more to this visit, and there are secrets between Constance and Eleanor.
Constance - Glenda Jackson, Eleanor - Eleanor Bron, Celeste - Melody Grove, Alain - Clive Hayward,
Produced by Pauline Harris.
22 Feb: Saturday Play - The Man Who Would Be King
By Rudyard Kipling, ad. Mike Walker. Kipling's cautionary tale set deep in the Hindu Kush mountains. Dan and Peachey are two con men with an insane and dangerous plan: they want to conquer a remote region of what is now Afghanistan.
Rudyard Kipling .... Blake Ritson,
Daniel Dravot ....Richard Ridings,
Peachey Carnehan .... Samuel James,
Timuk ....Peter Polycarpou,
Tribesman .... Joseph Ayre,
Tribesman .... Stephen Hogan,
Young woman ....Lauren Cornelius,
Bride .... Lauren Cornelius,
Wounded man .... John Lightbody,
Tribesman .... Ryan Early,
Tribesman .... Ryan Whittle,
Adapted by .... Mike Walker,
producer .... Abigail le Fleming.
23 Feb: Classic Serial: The Pallisers,4
Dramatised by Mike Harris based on the novels by Anthony Trollope.
Return of the series set in Victorian England. It is the 1880s and Plantagenet is to become Prime Minister. He is in charge of the government, but Cora is determined to be the power behind the throne. Is she a force for good, or is she just meddling?
Lady Glencora..................Jessica Raine,
Plantagenet.....................Tim McMullen,
Phineas Finn...................Edward MacLiam,
Marie Goesler.................Melody Grove,
Lopez.................................Mark Arends,
Emily Drought..............Lucy Reynolds,
Orlando Drought.......Neil McCaul,
Spurgeon......................Clive Hayward,
Sailor/Servant..............Greg Jones,
Servant..........................Scarlett Courtney.
Director Emma Harding.
Producer Gary Brown.
24 Feb: This Thing of Darkness, 1
By Lucia Haynes, with monologues by Eileen Horne. Dr Alex Bridges is a forensic psychiatrist, assessing and treating perpetrators of the most unthinkable crimes. In this drama, Alex records the psychological impact of the murder of a young man on his family. A week after 19-year-old Jamie’s murder, Alex interviews the family.
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
David … Robin Laing,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams.
BBC Scotland.
25 Feb: The Interrogation, 1 : Ross
By Roy Williams. New series, no. 6, of this popular drama. The detective duo interview a young prisoner about an attack on a fellow inmate, but there's something else they want help with.
Max ..... Kenneth Cranham,
Sean ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Harry ..... Rupert Holliday Evans,
Ross ..... Billy Seymour.
Produced by Mary Peate.
Written by Roy Williams.
26 Feb: The Interrogation, 2: Jack
While DCI Matthews and DI Armitage interview Jack, a writer, who says he's innocent of shoplifting, they discover something more serious.
Max ..... Kenneth Cranham,
Sean ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Julie ..... Georgie Glen,
Jack ..... Michael Shaeffer,
PC Kerry ..... Kerry Gooderson.
Directed by Mary Peate.
27 Feb: The Interrogation, 3: Heather
A man is brutally attacked in his own home, but the detective duo are at a loss to find anyone with a motive. Eventually, years of pent-up anger burst out.
Max ..... Kenneth Cranham,
Sean ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Heather ..... Jo Martin,
Clare ..... Claire Rushbrook.
Directed by Mary Peate.
28 Feb: Where This Service Will Depart
By Katherine Jakeways. As David embarks on a new life in Chicago, Suzie plans to surprise him at the airport. The final instalment of the romantic comedy about a couple who met on a train. Suzie has taken the plunge and planned a surprise romantic reunion at Heathrow airport with David, as he leaves the country to start a new life in the USA. But Suzie discovers that surprises don't always go to plan.
A couple of years ago, Suzie and David sat next to each other on a train journey from London to Penzance. Both married, they shared an intense and unforgettable five-and-a-half hours. Since then they’ve enjoyed escaping their middle-aged lives together. But in reality, is there any future for them?
Suzie .…. Rosie Cavaliero,
David .…. Justin Edwards,
Julia .…. Pippa Haywood,
Check-in Person/Security Officer/Passenger .…. Sargon Yelda,
Ticket Person/Make-up Woman/Air Steward .…. Katherine Jakeways.
Directed by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
29 Feb: The Vital Spark: Intelligence
By Sarah Wooley, rpt. During the Second World War, the young Muriel Spark worked in the British 'Black Propaganda' Department of MI6. Her job was to produce what she called 'a tangled mixture of damaging lies, flattering and plausible truths'. Muriel: Jessica Hardwick, Sefton Delmer: Stuart McQuarrie, Marcelle / Nurse: Lucianne McEvoy, Erich / Officer: Finn den Hertog, Betty: Francesca Dymond, Crips/Hans/Engineer: Robin Laing. Producer: Gaynor MacFarlane.
1 Mar: The Pallisers
Episode 5, dramatized by Sharon Oakes based on the novels by Anthony Trollope.
Bruised by his term as Prime Minister, Plantagenet has retired from front line politics. Cora is pleased that they can spend more time with their grown up children Silverbridge and Mary. But can they guide their futures?
Lady Glencora............Jessica Raine,
Plantagenet...............Tim McMullen,
Mary............Laura Christy,
Silverbridge...............Will Kirk,
Lady Mabel...............Anneika Rose,
Marie Goesler.............Melody Grove,
Tregear........Prasanna Puwanarajah,
Isabel..........Julianna Jennings,
Mrs Boncasson........Jessica Turner,
Mr Boncasson............Neil McCaul,
Tifto............Sam Dale,
Popplecourt...............Greg Jones,
Johnson.......Ikky Elyas.
Director Emma Harding.
Producer Gary Brown.
2 Mar: This Thing of Darkness
Pt. 2; by Lucia Haynes, with monologues by Eileen Horne. Alex Bridges is an expert forensic psychiatrist, assessing and treating perpetrators of horrendous crimes. In this play he follows the impact of murder on the victim's family and explores the long shadow cast by homicide, via group therapy for those who have committed murder.
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Dougie … Simon Donaldson,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
Kyle/Tyler … Reuben Joseph,
David … Robin Laing,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald,
Frankie … Brian Vernel.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams.
BBC Scotland.
3 Mar: The AntiSocial Network
By Peter Jukes, rpt, set in a ski resort in the Carpathian Mountains. A secretive British lobbying firm is manipulating the outcome of elections in the city below. As the clock ticks, one of their team goes missing on the slopes. Did she fall or was she pushed?
Marcus ..... Orlando Seale,
Kaveeta ..... Deeivya Meir,
Niko ..... Adam Fitzgerald,
Seth ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong,
Greg ..... Philip Bretherton,
Kelly ..... Abbie Andrews,
Elisa ..... Isabella Inchbald,
Pablo ..... Clive Hayward.
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
4 Mar:Two Households
By Claire McGowan. The Cassidys and the Sallises have always lived on adjoining farms in the Northern Irish countryside, near the border in South Down. They were enemies for years during the Troubles. But after years of peace, and when Sean’s daughter Niamh and Ian’s son Michael fell in love, they put their differences behind thems. On the night before the wedding, it’s also almost the Twelfth of July, a time when violence still flares up. The two fathers have a few drinks and discuss their secret plan to give the newlyweds a wedding gift. But Fate has now revealed that a long-ago family death was not suicide; it was murder.
Sean ..... Dermot Crowley,
Ian ..... Paul Hickey,
Niamh ..... Amy Molloy,
Michael ..... Fra Fee.
Producer ..... Celia de Wolff.
5 Mar: Game Over
By Emily Short; rpt from 27 Dec 17. Building a video game which works, where the player understands the goals and enjoys the experience is one thing, but Chelsea wants her new game to change the world. She's calling it Glacier and it will tell the story of an Alaskan village eroded by global warming. Californian investor Harrison Reed decides to back the game. He has a reputation for great design and commercial success. He has also become infamous for not working with women.Chelsea: Sarah Elmaleh, Lee: Eden Marryshow, Harrison: Ari Brand, Jared: Michael Levi Harris, Gloria: Fay Ann Lee. Other parts taken by Emily Perkins, Pate McGete, and Raphael Martin. Music by Gene Pritsker; produced by Judith Kampfner.
6 Mar: A Fair Shot
By Viv Groskop. Millionaire business-woman Maria Wild launches a new brand of centrist politics promising a fairer shot for voters and minority parties: proportional representation, and is met with a curiously mixed response.
Tamara is Maria’s new speechwriter. She is a former lobby journalist and Parliamentary adviser. She believes she can make Maria into a figure who can galvanise the political system and re-invigorate the centre.
Maria …………. Barbara Flynn,
Tamara …… Viv Groskop,
Nicola …….. Jane Slavin,
James ……….. Gerrard McArthur.
Produced by Eoin O'Callaghan. Indie (Big Fish Productions).
7 Mar: Saturday Play - The Turn of the Screw
By Henry James, ad. from his novella by L.M.Griffiths. Rpt from 28 Oct, classic serial. A governess caring for two orphans on a remote country estate becomes convinced that evil forces want to take them over. Henry James: John Lynch, governess: Kate Phillips, Peter Quint/Lord: Jake Feretti, Mrs. Grose/Miss Jessel: Krissi Bohn, Flora: Poppy O'Brien, MIles: Elijah Wolf. Producer: Nadia Molinari.
8 Mar: Classic Serial - The Pallisers, 6
Dramatised by Sharon Oakes, based on the novels by Trollope.
Lady Glencora has tragically died. But she is still a presence in her family. Plantagenet is bereft, but he has to protect and guide his grown up children
Lady Glencora.....Jessica Raine,
Plantagenet.......Tim McMullan,
Mary...........Laura Christy,
Tregear.......Prasanna Puwanarajah,
Lady Mabel........Anneika Rose,
Silverbridge........Will Kirk,
Tifto......Sam Dale,
Marie.........Melody Grove,
Isabel.........Julianna Jennings,
Mr Boncasson...Jessica Turner,
Nidderdale.......Ikky Elyas,
Popplecourt.....Greg Jones,
Director Emma Harding,
Producer Gary Brown.
9 Mar: This Thing of Darkness, 3
By Anita Vettesse, with monologues by Eileen Horne.
Alex Bridges is a forensic psychiatrist, assessing and treating perpetrators of unthinkable crimes. Here he charts the psychological impact of the murder of a young man on his family, and explores the long shadow of homicide through a therapy group for murderers.
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
Kyle … Reuben Joseph,
David … Robin Laing,
Karen … Victoria Liddelle,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead. Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams
BBC Scotland.
10 Mar: Brave Old World
By Mike Harris. After an eco-holocaust, the remaining population of the world has gone completely green. Economic growth is banned, invention is a crime, and everyone lives in small, self-sufficient villages rigorously controlled by Facilitators. But all revolutions tend to go wrong. Miranda, disaffected with the new old ways and bored by her ideologically perfect partner, decides to see what the bad old world had to offer.
Miranda ..... Eleanor Jackson,
Peter ..... Tom York,
The Facilitator ..... Geraldine Alexander,
Wendy ..... Kellie Shirley,
The Inventor/Boss ..... Christian Rodska,
The Prophet ..... Paul Joseph.
Producer: Clive Brill.
Indie (Brill Productions).
11 Mar: Body Horror, 1
By Lucy Catherine. London, 2050. The transplant industry is in full swing. Mortician Caroline gets a new body. Dystopian thriller, developed through the Wellcome Trust Experimental stories scheme.
Caroline ..... Jill Halfpenny,
Gloria ..... Shelley Conn,
Rowan ..... Adam Courting,
Anastasia ..... Samantha Dakin,
Tom ..... Ian Conningham,
Waiter ..... Greg Jones,
Bar Guy ..... Ikky Elyas,
Virtual James ..... Will Kirk,
Government Computer ..... Neil McCaul,
Work Computer ..... Sinead MacInnes,
Lift Voice ..... Lucy Reynolds,
Producer: Toby Swift.
12 Mar: Body Horror, 2
By Lucy Catherine. Former mortician Caroline has had a full body transplant, but there are shadows left by the body's previous occupant.
Caroline ..... Jill Halfpenny,
Gloria ..... Shelley Conn,
Paulina ..... Chetna Pandya,
Anastasia ..... Samantha Dakin,
Trevor ..... Clive Hayward,
Mel ..... Liza Sadovy,
Karina ..... Heather Craney,
Che ..... Ikky Elyas,
BodyEx Computer ..... Scarlett Courtney,
Young Mum ..... Lucy Reynolds,
Security Guard ..... Greg Jones.
Produced by Toby Swift.
13 Mar: Body Horror, 3
By Lucy Catherine. Caroline's new body is starting to shut down. Her fate lies in the hands of the medics.
Caroline ..... Jill Halfpenny,
Gloria ..... Shelley Conn,
Anastasia ..... Samantha Dakin,
Paulina ..... Chetna Pandya,
Mel ..... Liza Sadovy,
Trevor ..... Clive Hayward,
Che ..... Ikky Elyas,
Karina ..... Heather Craney,
Stan ..... Neil McCaul,
Car Salesman ..... Ian Conningham,
Library Computer ..... Sinead MacInnes,
BodyEx Computer ..... Scarlett Courtney,
Hotel Computer ..... Laura Christy,
Benefits Office Computer ..... Adam Courting.
Produced by Toby Swift.
14 Mar: Saturday Play - The Man With The Golden Gun
By Ian Fleming, dram. Archie Scotney. James Bond story. Cold War thriller written in 1964. James Bond’s obit appears in the Times. But suddenly he’s back in London with murder on his mind. M gives him one more chance - kill international assassin, Francisco Scaramanga.
Narrator (Ian Fleming): Martin Jarvis
James Bond ….. Toby Stephens,
Scaramanga ….. Guillermo Diaz,
M ….. John Standing,
Chief-of-Staff ….. Lloyd Owen,
Moneypenny ….. Janie Dee,
Townsend ….. Simon Templeman,
Professor Gillian ….. Lisa Dillon,
Tiffy ….. Monica McSwain,
Mary Goodnight ….. Moira Quirk,
Paradise ….. Seamus Dever,
Gengerella ….. Tim Dekay,
Hendricks ….. Matthew Wolf,
Binion ….. André Sogliuzzo,
Garfinkel ….. Darren Richardson,
Ruby ….. Anna Mathias,
Leiter ….. Josh Stamberg,
Nicholson ….. JD Cullum,
Doctor ….. Gilbert Glenn Brown,
Matron ….. Inger Tudor,
Cargill ….. John Cothran,
Telephonists ….. Anna-Louise Plowman, Paula Jane Newman, Anna Lyse Erikson,
Newsreader ….. Brian Perkins,
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Specially composed music: A-Mnemonic.
Sound Design (a Caribbean soundscape): Mark Holden.
Dramatised by Archie Scottney.
Producer: Rosalind Ayres,
Director: Martin Jarvis.
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres)
15 Mar: Classic Serial: The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, 1
By Carson McCullers (novel, The Lonely Hunter), dram Amanda Dalton. The story is set in a small mill town in the 1930s in the middle of the Deep South. Mick Kelly is a tomboy who loves music and dreams of buying a piano. John, a lonely deaf-mute, comes to stay as a lodger in Mick's house; no-one knows where he's from. People who live in the town are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature.
Mick Kelly .... Coco Green,
Bubber ..... Aaron Gelkoff,
John Singer ..... David Bower,
Biff Brannon ..... Michael S. Siegel,
Jake Blount ..... Andonis Anthony,
Alice Brannon ..... Laurel Lefkow,
Portia Jones ..... Anna Jobarteh,
Dr Benedict Copeland ..... Delroy Brown,
Etta Kelly ..... Lily Green,
Willie Copeland ..... Tachia Newal,
Harry Minowitz ..... Eric Sirakian.
Producer: Susan Roberts.
BBC, Drama North.
16 Mar: This Thing of Darkness, 4
By Lucia Haynes, with monologues by Eileen Horne.
The Group's members begin to consider their relationships with their parents.
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Dougie … Simon Donaldson,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
Kyle/Tyler … Reuben Joseph,
David … Robin Laing,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald,
Frankie … Brian Vernel.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams.
BBC Scotland
17 Mar: Edith Sitwell in Scarborough
By Mary Cooper, from an idea by Lavinia Murray. Mixture of fact and fantasy exploring the poet, writer and critic Edith Sitwell. Edith returns to Scarborough where she was born, and meets her younger self to wreak revenge on her parents where she was subjected to cruelty as a child.
Dame Edith - Glenda Jackson,
Miss Edith - Bella Ramsey,
Lady Ida - Julia Davis,
Sir George - Jonathan Keeble,
Moat - Roger Ringrose.
Producer: Pauline Harris.
18 Mar: Freezing to Death, and How to Avoid It
By Abigail Youngman, rpt. This is based on actual events. In 1739 Empress Anna Ivanovna had an ice palace built on the River Neva in St Petersburg. She was an exceptionally cruel woman and matchmaker. She arranged the marriage of two of her jesters, Prince Mikhail Golitsyn and Avdotya Buzhenina, a hunchback peasant woman.. After the ceremony the couple were forced to spend the night in the ice palace. Did they survive? This is the story of what happened. Mikhail, old and young: Karl Theobald, Avdotya: Mandeep Dhillon, Traveller and Grigori Petrovich: John MacKay. Producer: Alison Crawford. Studio Manager: Ian Hunter. Thanks to Yelena Alexander for guidance on Russian language and culture.
19 Mar: Moving the Goalposts
A new drama by Juliet Ace. 80-year-old Mattie is given 18 months to live which allows Mattie the golden opportunity to plan her ‘future’. There’s a will to make, a funeral to organise and possessions to give away. It’s an empowering experience. But then she doesn’t die. Four years later she's left with limited mobility and exhaustion – a condition she shares with many cancer patients who are supposedly cured of the disease. But Mattie is irrepressible and refuses to submit.
Mattie ...... Pam Ferris.
Written by Juliet Ace.
Directed by Tracey Neale.
20 Mar: Becoming Betty
By Elizabeth Lewis, rpt from Feb 2018. Based on her experience whilst a teenager of working as an au pair in Italy in 1986. Between daily chores and child-minding, dreams of becoming Sophia Loren grow hazy. That is until her knight in shining armour arrives and Lizzie's romantic Brief Encounter begins Betty: Emma Sidi, Vilma Cantarini: Francois Pandolfo, translator: Stephen Perring, Marisa: Juliet Aubrey, Illyana: Alice Coles. Producer: Helen Perry.
21 Mar: Saturday Play -20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
By Jules Verne, dramatised by Gregory Evans, rpt from Classic Serial slot Jul 2018. A fast-moving dramatisation, featuring the mysterious Captain Nemo, a renegade submariner who will have nothing to do with the human race, and a ferocious giant squid. Captain Nemo: Sagar Arya, Professor Aronnax: Neil McCaul, Connie Arronax: Madeleine Hatt, Ned Land: David Seddon, Capt. Farragut: Philip Bretherton. Producer: Marc Beeby.
22 Mar: Classic Serial_ - The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, 2
Kelly loves music and dreams of buying a piano. The owner of the café where John Singer eats every day is an angry socialist drunkard; a frustrated black doctor. Singer is this man's silent confidante, and he helps others in a similar way. He in changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine.
Mick Kelly ..... Coco Green
Bubber ..... Aaron Gelkoff
John Singer ..... David Bower
Biff Brannon ..... Michael S. Siegel
Jake ..... Andonis Anthony
Portia ..... Anna Jobarteh
Dr Benedict Copeland ..... Delroy Brown
Etta ..... Lily Green
Willie Copeland/Deputy Sheriff ..... Tachia Newall
Harry Minowitz ..... Eric Sirakian.
Dramatised by Amanda Dalton; produced by Susan Roberts.
BBC Drama North.
23 Mar: This Thing of Darkness, 5
By Anita Vettesse, with monologues by Eileen Horne.
Alex finds herself at an impasse with David. Elsewhere, things are beginning to unlock: Hannah makes a game-changing disclosure to Laura and in the group, Frankie makes a break-through.
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Liam/Dougie … Simon Donaldson,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
Tyler … Reuben Joseph,
David … Robin Laing,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald,
Frankie … Brian Vernel.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams. Series consultant: Gwen Adshead.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams. BBC Scotland.
24 Mar: Playing Dead
By Vivienne Harvey; rpt from Mar 2018. Roza arrives in Erbil in the war-torn country she fled as a child, with her boyfriend Liam. She has just leaned that her father's remains have been found in a mass grave. He was last heard of three decades ago when Iraq was fighting Kurdistan, which ended with the deaths of tens of thousands of Kurds. The body is not where it should be. Roza: Nadia Emam, Liam: William Ash, Rojan/Namak: Shervin Alenabi, Ari: Murat Erkek, Mother/Bayan: Sahaniaz Hama Ali, Shad/armed guard: Aso Sherabayani, Jenny: Susan Twist. Producer: Nadia Molinari; directors: Vivienne Harvey and Nadia Molinari.
25 Mar: My Little Eye
By Richard Stoneman. The new UK Prime Minister appoints a former spook to control her untrustworthy spy network and protect a Russian dissident under threat. Bob Trench is a veteran of international undercover missions, cool under pressure, wise, wry and laconic. He's a loner determined to save his career and his reputation as he faces a dilemma.
Bob Trench ... Pip Torrens,
Oliver Heywood ... Julian Rhind-Tutt,
Prime Minister ... Siobhán Redmond,
Dave Sefton ... Samuel Anderson,
Julia Hapsgood ... Monica Dolan,
Home Secretary ... Michael Cochrane,
Inspector Farr ... Jonathan Bailey,
Commander Barr ... Justin Edwards,
Charlie McKenna ... Matthew Marsh.
Producer: Marilyn Imrie. Indie. (Catherine Bailey Productions)
26 Mar: The Blackrock Girl, 1
By Lucy Gannon. Theresa Finn arrives in the small rural village of Bridesway to start a new life. She befriends the whole village. She forges a friendship with Charles, a wealthy pensioner, and appears to be doing him the world of good. Only the retired policeman Martin is suspicious. Theresa arranges a tea party to celebrate her old and new friends…
Finn ....Fenella Woolgar,
Ellen ….. Marion O’Dwyer,
Evie ….. Pauline McLynn,
Martin ….. Des McAleer
Charles ….. Jonathan Coy,
Dave ….. Jamie Beamish.
Produced by Celia De Wolff; BBC Northern Ireland.
27 Mar: The Blackrock Girl, 2
By Lucy Gannon. Charles is clean and tidy and he is happy with his relationship with Finn, but Evie the postmistress is concerned that Charles has withdrawn a large amount of cash from his account. Retired policeman Martin starts to investigate. Production team: as yesterday, plus Elli Potter playing Beth.
28 Mar: Saturday Play - The Mysterious Island
By Jules Verne; little-known sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Dram. Gregory Evans. Three people escaping the American Civil War become stranded on Captain Nemo's island. Nemo: Sagar Arya, Cyrus Harding: Nathan Osgood, Grace Spilett: Kerry Gooderson, Neb: Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, Tom Ayrton: Rupert H Evans. Producer: Marc Beeby. Rpt. from Aug 2018.
29 Mar: Classic Serial - Castle of the Hawk: Wallenstein
By Mike Walkler,following the story of the Habsburg dynasty which lasted for 600 years. It's now 1618. Wallenstein is a brilliant soldier, and wants to fight for the army of the Holy Roman Empire, but he is a Protestant, and has difficulty in keeping his mouth shut. A widow, Katherina, assists him and he achieves fame and money.
Katherina - Anamaria Marinca,
Wallenstein - Richard Harrington,
Ferdinand - Patrick Baladi,
Tilly - Simon Armstrong,
Gordon - John Dougal,
Gustavus - David Menkin,
Bishop - Marc Danbury,
The Officer - Rhys Meredith.
Producer: RT said Alison Hindell; online info. said John Norton, for BBC Wales. Not sure which is correct.
30 Mar: This Thing of Darkness, 6
Written by Anita Vettesse with monologues by Eileen Horne.
Has Laura discovered who killed her son?
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
David … Robin Laing,
Laura… Shauna Macdonald;
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.
Series consultant: Gwen Adshead.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams.
31 Mar: Settlers
By Adam Usden, Imison Award winner 2018.Two scientists have been in cryogenic stasis for nine hundred years along with one thousand others. They are underground waiting for a new planet to be born, then they can colonise. Nothing can go wrong, can it? A sci-fi comedy.
Sam ..... Laura Aikman,
Ian ..... Tom Rosenthal,
Michael.... Hamish Rush,
System ..... Leah Marks,
Director/Producer Gary Brown.
1 Apr: My Little Eye: Brought to Book
By Richard Stoneman. A topical drama. Bob Trench is charged by the Prime Minister to track down and confront a bitter former soldier who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Now she will stop at nothing to publish the truth as she recalls it and Bob faces a dangerous confrontation.
Bob Trench ... Pip Torrens,
Julia Hapsgood/Karen Price ... Monica Dolan,
Prime Minister ... Siobhán Redmond,
Dave Sefton ... Samuel Anderson,
Tony Havers ... Jonathan Cullen.
Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
Produced by Marilyn Imrie.
Indie (Catherine Bailey production)
2 Apr: Story from Hay el Matar: 1-Us and Them
Drama from Syria telling stories of current life in Damascus.By Syrian writer Hozan Akko, adapted into English by actor and dramatist Raffi Feghali. Radio adaptation Jonathan Myerson.This is a series taking place in a fictional suburb of Damascus. It is made by a team of Syrian and Lebanese actors working with producer Boz Temple-Morris, recorded in Beirut, Lebanon. Each story takes place at the same point in time, exploring a different part of the community. Many of the actors in these plays are living through the kinds of events depicted.
Ep.1: As the Government are scouring the community to find recruits for military service, Wajd is returning home to sell her late mother's apartment. She is quickly embroiled in conflict as her presence in the neighbourhood has dramatic and unexpected consequences.
Wajd Yara Bou Nassar,
Mandour Elie Youssef,
Kevork Raffi Feghali,
Assaf Oussama el Ali,
Abou Jameel Marcel Bou Chakra,
Jack Alhasan Yousseff,
Amer Adeeb Razzouk,
Toufik Saseen Kawzally,
Souad Maya Harb,
Hadeel Nesrine Abi Samra,
Ghali Hussam Sharwany.
Studio recording Karim Beidoun, Guerilla Studios.
Spot effects Layal Salman.
Sound editing Alisdair McGregor.
Music Ziad Ahmadiye.
Producer:Boz Temple-Morris.
Indie (Holy Mountain productions), rpt.
3 Apr: Eavesdropper By Jeremy Raison. Claire is a secret agent, charged with terrorist surveillance. On a mission her hearing is affected when she fails to follow instructions.She is fitted with a new hearing device to prevent her from becoming permanently deaf. But it has other effects. Her hearing becomes too acute and she is increasingly aware of unusual sounds - and sometimes a voice. This has serious consequences. Claire ..... Lydia Leonard, Paul ..... Lee Ingleby, Voice ..... Anton Lesser, Mike ..... David Rintoul, Greta ..... Amaka Okafor, Valteri ..... Stephen Critchlow, Nurse ..... Rachel Atkins, Voices ..... David Holt, Receptionist ..... Beth Eyre. Producer: Cherry Cookson. Indie (Rockethouse Production)
4 Apr: Saturday Play - Return to Vegas
Musical drama by Roland Gift, soul singer.
Johnny Holloway, an ex-pop star wrongly convicted of drug dealing, gets out of prison. Johnny asks to be taken to the wake of his colleague Frank to pay his respects. When he gets there, he finds he has inherited his nightclub - the Las Vegas.
Recorded on location in Gerry’s Club in Soho, London, with music written by Roland and Barson (who is he?) and performed by Roland along with members of the cast.
Johnny………….. Roland Gift,
Sean……………. Ian Puleston-Davies,
Ezra…………. Miles Richardson,
Ricky...... Carl Prekopp,
Pearl...... Sophie Melville,
Carol….. Katy Cavanagh-Jupe,
Barry…………… Bill Fellows,
Frank........Robert Glenister,
Eloise…………Claudia Jolly.
Mourners and punters: Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Tallulah Bond, Zooey Gleaves, Tom Glenister, Ellis Howard, Jonny Lavelle, Declan Mason.Producer: Celia de Wolff,
Sound Design: David Chilton.
Indie (Pier productions).
5 Apr: Classic Serial slot: The Garrick Year
By Margaret Drabble; from her novel, dram. Robin Brooks.
Set in the 1960s. Emma Evans is forced to sacrifice a job in television when her actor husband, David, insists on taking his young family off for a season at a new theatre in the provinces. Emma observes the goings-on backstage with a detached amusement, until charismatic director Wyndham comes on the scene.
Emma Evans ….. Melody Grove,
David Evans….. Trystan Gravelle,
Wyndham Farrar….. Tom Burke,
Sophy Brent ….. Georgina Strawson,
Michael Fenwick….. Mark Spalding,
Mary Summers..... Phoebe Fildes,
Pascal / Young Woman ….. Rose Reade,
Jimmy / Henry ..... Karan Gill,
Flora ….. Rose Shepherd Lewis,
Joseph ….. Louis Mason Dedieu.
Additional White Devil Actors ..... Richard Bates and Simon Maier. Producer: Fiona McAlpine,
Sound Design : Alisdair McGregor,
Broadcast Assistant : Sarah Tombling.
Indie (Allegra production).
6 Apr: This Thing of Darkness, 7
By Anita Vettesse with monologues by Eileen Horne.
Series on homicide. Will the truth about Jamie’s murder finally be revealed?
Alex … Lolita Chakrabarti,
Dougie … Simon Donaldson,
Hannah … Jessica Hardwick,
Tyler … Reuben Joseph,
David … Robin Laing,
Frankie … Brian Vernel.
Series created by Audrey Gillan, Lucia Haynes, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.
Series consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane and Kirsty Williams.
BBC Scotland.
7 Apr: The Will
Thriller. Birgitte is a young successful Danish woman. Angie, in her 40s, has a string of failed business and is currently on bail for tax evasion. When Birgitte turns up out of the blue, begging her to fulfil their dying father’s last wish to meet Angie, there is little time to waste - they have to get to Copenhagen as soon as possible.
Recorded on location in Manchester.
Birgitte………Charlotte Munck,
Angie……..Danielle Henry,
Chris…… Steph Lacey,
Writers and Co-Producers…………….Polly Thomas and Anders Lundorph
Script Editor…………………..John Dryden
Executive Producer……………Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Naked Productions).
8 Apr: The Kubrick Test
Kerry Shale's first radio play, based on a script by Jeremiah Quinn. He was interviewed about it about a fortnight earlier by John Wilson on Front Row. It's about Kerry's encounter with Kubrick, one of the greatest film makers. He has produced, for example, A Clockwork Orange, 2001 A Space Odyssey, D.r Strangelove and The Shining.
For many years, the great director’s methods were unknown. So when, in 1987, a young actor gets an invitation to enter Kubrick’s hidden world, he leaps at it. Kerry plays himself.
Kerry: Kerry Shale,
Leon: Robert Emms,
Kubrick: Henry Goodman,
Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor,
Produced and Directed by Boz Temple-Morris.
Indie (Holy Mountain).
9 Apr: Hay el Matar - The Bomb
By Hozan Akko, adapted into English by Raffi Feghali, dram. Jonathan Myerson. Rpt. Drama from Syria. Love, money and radicalisation in contemporary Damascus. For the poorest living in Damascus, there is precious little choice. Nidal is a teenage boy who would have little to look forward to – but he is in love. His neighbour, Hadeel, is from a displaced family who are only just making ends meet so, when the rich businessman Abou Jameel becomes interested in her, the family only see one course of action.
Nidal: Odai Quedese,
Hadeel: Nesrine Abi Samra,
Rashed: Hashem Kabrit,
Azzam: Bassel Madi,
Shukri: Abdelrahim Alawji,
Rabab: Nowar Yousef,
Assaf: Oussama el Ali,
Souad: Maya Harb,
Toufik: Saseen Kawzally,
Abou: Jameel Marcel Bou Chakra,
Jack: Alhasan Yousseff,
Amer: Adeeb Razzouk,
Mandour: Elie Youssef,
Ghali: Hussam Sharwany.
Studio recording Karim Beidoun, Guerilla Studios.
Spot effects Layal Salman.
Sound editing Alisdair McGregor.
Music Ziad Ahmadiye.
Producer: Boz Temple-Morris.
Indie (Holy Mountain).
10 Apr: Marian and George
By Anna Linstrum. Marian Evans (aka George Eliot) has to make a choice – between the brother she loves and the love of her life, between respectability and social scandal, between duty and the freedom to write. Biographical drama.
Marian.....Lia Williams,
George Henry Lewes.....Tom Goodman-Hill,
Isaac.....John Lightbody,
Young Mary Anne.....Maddie Evans,
Young Isaac....Aaron Gelkoff,
Chapman.....Sargon Yelda,
Elisabeth/ Mrs Evans.....Maggie Service,
Susannah.....Bettrys Jones,
Printer/ Porter.....Hasan Dixon.
Producer: Emma Harding.
11 Apr: Saturday Play - A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London
Dickens, ad.Ayeesha Menon and set in contemporary Aleppo and London. Rpt; was previously boradcast in the Classic Serial slot. The story of a chance resemblance between a feckless lawyer and a troubled exile, both in love with the same woman, is updated to modern-day London and war-torn Syria. However, in this modern version, the driving forces are two women - British Syrian journalist Lina Mahmoud and her nemesis, Taghreed Daffar.
Episode 1: 2011/2012 -
It's the Arab Spring and peaceful protests in Syria lead to a release of political prisoners. When Dr Mahmoud is freed after 30 years, he is sheltered by Taghreed and Emad Daffar, and brought to the UK by his old friend Jarvis Lorry and the daughter he has never met, foreign correspondent Lina. Back in London, Jarvis persuades his nephew Sid Carton, a flawed but brilliant advocate, to represent Syrian émigré doctor Shwan Dahkurdi against terrorism charges. When Lina and Shwan meet, they are immediately attracted. But Dr Mahmoud's release has set in train a series of events that none of them can escape.
Development concept written by Silas Parry.
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore.
Broadcast Assistant: Jan Shepherd.
Produced by Gill Parry.
Directed by Polly Thomas.
Indie (Goldhawk). Producer: Emma Hearn.
Executive Producer: John Dryden.
12 Apr: Classic Serial slot: A Kestrel for a Knave (Kes)
By Barry Hines, dram. Robert Rigby, rpt. Set in a mining town in South Yorkshire. Young Billy Casper is ridiculed and bullied at home and at school but he discovers meaning and purpose in his harsh day-to-day existence when he finds a beautiful kestrel he calls Kes. Life takes on direction and meaning for Billy as he trains his hawk.
Billy Casper ….. George Kent,
Jud Casper ….. Joe McArdle,
Mrs Casper ….. Kelly Harrison,
Mr Crossley / Newsagent ….. Craig Cheetham,
Mr Gryce / Butcher ….. Adrian Hood,
Mr Farthing / Milkman ….. Lee Rufford,
Youth Employment Officer / Mrs Rose ….. Olwen May,
MacDowall ….. Daniel Rainford,
Armitage ….. Daniel Corey,
Anderson ….. Corey Westwood,
Ellis / Tibbut ….. Troy Tipple,
Young Boy ….. Isaac Bartram.
Additional cast: Ronan Braisby, Dominic Cooper, Ethan Godbold, Olivia Sephton,Ella McHugh, Grace McVeigh, Daniel King, Georgia Mahoney and Harvey Kitchen. Recorded on location in Barnsley, with thanks to The Civic and the Pauline Quirke Academy.
Sound Recordist: Alisdair McGregor,
Sound Design & Music: Lucinda Mason Brown,
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling,
Director: Fiona McAlpine,
Producer: Lucinda Mason Brown.
Indie (Goldhawk).
13 Apr: Richard III Rebothered
By David Reed. Penny Dreadfuls production.
Rather than a conniving and treacherous hunchback, Richard was an honest and loyal warrior with only a slight spinal kink, nothing you'd notice if you weren't looking for it. This is the story of how, through the invention of the printing press, a good man became the first victim of fake news and how The Tudor dynasty was built on a foundation of lies by the world's first spin-doctor, Henry Tudor.
Written by David Reed. Performed by David Reed, Thom Tuck, Humphrey Ker, Margaret Cabourn-Smith and Celeste Dring.
Producer...Julia McKenzie. BBC Production.
14 Apr: The Grey Man and Other Lost Legends
By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. A strange craft crash lands into the UK’s second highest peak. The mayday signal is picked up by amateur radio enthusiast and conspiracy theorist Fergus McGregor whose special interest is the Great Grey Man.Stories of the Grey Man have been reported by hikers and mountaineers on Ben Mcdhui as far back as the Victorian era. Fergus sets out to find the truth. Includes interviews with residents and visitors in the Cairngorms National Park. Special thanks to Angus Upton.
Weatherall …. Laura Elphinstone,
Fergus McGregor ... Brian Vernel,
Councillor Boyne … Rachel Handshaw,
Sound Design by Steve Bond,
Executive Producer Jeremy Mortimer,
Produced by Joby Waldman,
Directed by Steve Bond and Joby Waldman.
Indie. (Reduced Listening production).
15 Apr: Watch Me While I'm Sleeping
By Christopher William Hill, rpt. Mo and Eddie, a gay couple, have been together throughout their twenties. Now Eddie finds Mo's snoring unbearable. He wants separate bedrooms. Will a heart to heart over a quiet dinner at home solve the busy couple's problem? Or is there more to sleepless nights than meets the eye?
Mo ….. Joseph Kloska,
Eddie ….. Mark Edel-Hunt,
Producer: Peter Kavanagh.
16 Apr: Hay el Matar - The War Is Over
By Hozan Akko, ad. Raffi Feghali, dram. Jonathan Myerson. Rpt.
Drama from Syria.
“The war is over!” declares Arshy, the proprietor of a traditional restaurant in Hay El Matar. Has she lost her senses or does she know something that we don’t? Made by a team of Syrian and Lebanese artists working with British director Boz Temple-Morris, and is recorded in Beirut, Lebanon.
Arshi: Najwa Kondakji,
Kevork: Raffi Feghali,
Abou: Jameel Marcel Bou Chakra,
Assaf: Oussama el Ali,
Rabab: Nowar Yousef,
Shukri: Abdelrahim Alawji,
Amer: Adeeb Razzouk,
Jack: Alhasan Yousseff,
Rashed: Hashem Kabrit,
Karakas: Zeinab Assaf,
Ghali: Hussam Sharwany.
Studio recording: Karim Beidoun, Guerilla Studios,
Spot effects Layal Salman,
Sound editing Alisdair McGregor,
Music Ziad Ahmadiye.
Producer: Boz Temple-Morris.
Indie (Holy Mountain).
17 Apr: Twenty Four Hours From Tulse Hill
By Guy Meredith and Zalie Burrow, set in an estate agency in North London. Would-be writer Mark and artist Lisa work alongside each other, but both wantr a more rewarding life. Their boss comes up with a challenge, conditional on making one big sale.
Cast: Catrin Stewart (Lisa) and John Heffernan (Mark), with Philip Jackson as the boss of the agency and Ricky Norwood as hius assistant. Nicholas Le Prevost is Myles, the wealthy client, with Rachel Atkins as Selena, his much younger girlfriend. Producer: Cherry Cookson. Indie (Wireless Theatre production)
18 Apr: Saturday Play - A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London
By Ayeesha Menon, adapted from Charles Dicken's novel. Ep.2: 2013/2014. Rpt.
Lina is reporting from Aleppo when she is confronted by Taghreed, now in the Free Syrian Army, accusing her of not speaking the truth. Back in London, Lina and Shwan fall in love but, when his dark family secret is revealed, it propels Dr Mahmoud's descent into madness, driving the two lovers apart. Sid confesses his unrequited love for Lina, promising always to protect her and those she loves. Meanwhile Shwan desperately returns to Syria to rescue his old housekeeper, Samia, and is trapped by Taghreed's terrible plan for vengeance.
Development concept written by Silas Parry,
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore,
Broadcast Assistant: Jan Shepherd,
Produced by Gill Parry,
Directed by Polly Thomas,
Producer for Goldhawk Productions: Emma Hearn,
Executive Producer: John Dryden.
Indie (Goldhawk).
19 Apr: Classic Serial slot: Weir of Hermiston, 1
By R.L.Stevenson. A powerful story of family rebellion and forbidden love, set in Edinburgh and the Borders in the early 19th century. Stevenson died halfway through writing the novel, but Colin Macdonald has used the author’s notes to complete it. The eager young law student, Archie Weir, publicly denounces the capital punishment favoured by his father, “hanging judge”, Lord Hermiston.
Kirstie…………..Phyllis Logan,
Archie Weir………...Jack Lowden,
Young Archie………..Billy Thomson,
Lord Hermiston ……...Paul Young,
Frank Innes ……...Finn Den Hertog,
Jean Weir.…….Karen Bartke,
Christina Elliot…. ...Helen Mackay,
Davie Leslie………..Simon Tait,
Glenalmond/Forbes…...Kenny Blyth,
Miller/ Laidlaw ..Alasdair Hankinson,
Pringle /Jopp ………Owen Whitelaw,
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Bruce Young
20 Apr: The Corrupted
By Gordon Newman. Series 5. Episode 1:
It's now the 1990s. Brian Oldman is still in jail for a crime he didn't commit. He found a man in jail able to prove his innocence, but that man was soon found dead in his cell. He suspects that Joseph Oldman, now Sir Joseph Olinska MP, organised the killing. The series, based on the characters from Newman's novels, weaves fiction with real characters from history, following the fortunes of the Oldman/Olinska family, from small-time business and petty crime, through gang rivalries, to their entanglement in the highest echelons of society. John Major is now the Prime Minister and a friend of Olinska;a young Tony Blair also seems keen on making Joseph’s acquaintance. Meanwhile, Joseph is trying to divorce his first wife, Catherine.
Joseph Oldman: Toby Jones
Brian Oldman: Joe Armstrong
Catherine: Isabella Urbanowicz,
Leah Cohen: Jasmine Hyde,
Margaret Courtney: Flora Montgomery,
Warder Peters/John Major: Paul Kemp,
Asst Governor/Lord Miles: Christian Rodska,
Dr Aziz: Damian Lynch,
Dr Eaves: Felicity Duncan,
Lord Goodman: Edward Max,
Kevin Wheeler: Lucas Hare,
George Carmen: Nigel Cooke,
The Master: Jamie Newall,
Jack Braden: John Hollingworth,
Third Doctor/Usher/Secretary: Sarah Lambie,
Produced and directed by Clive Brill.
Indie (Brill Productions).
21 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-2
Continued from yesterday.
Production team as before, plus actors
Boris Yeltsin: Alec Newman,
Douglas Hurd/ Menachem Hayek: Paul Kemp,
Eddie Richardson: Charles Davies,
The Master: Jamie Newall,
Lord Miles: Christian Rodska,
Kevin Wheeler: Lucas Hare,
Sonia Hope: Sarah Lambie,
Chuck Haley: Matt Rippy,
Anatoly Popov: Boris Isarov,
Brad Peterson: William Meredith,
2nd warder/ prisoner: Kieron Jechinnis,
Brian Perry: Nicholas Murchie.
Indie; Brill Productions.
22 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-3
Continued from yesterday.
Additional actors -
John Redvers: Tom York,
Peter Balladur: Jamie Newall.
23 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-4
Continued from yesterday.
Additional actors in this episode:
Tony Wednesday: Alec Newman,
Brian Perry/DAC Henderson: Nicholas Murchie,
Judge Kelman: Paul Kemp,
John Redvers: Tom York,
Eddie Richardson: Charles Davies,
Pongo: Damian Lynch,
George Carmen/Tony Blair: Nigel Cooke,
Alex Murray: John Hastings.
24 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-5
Continued from yesterday. Episodes 6-10 follow next week.
Additional actors in ep.5:
Nurse Moriarty/Reggie Kray: Lucas Hare,
Sonia Hope/Rita: Sarah Lambie,
Julian Tyrwhitt: Jonathan Tafler,
Lord Carson: Jamie Newall.
25 Apr:Saturday Play - Aleppo and London, 3
Continued from last Saturday. Episode 3: 2016
East Aleppo is devastated by years of siege. Lina has not returned since having her young daughter, Serena - while Shwan has disappeared in Syria, not knowing he is a father. When a kidnap video arrives on Jarvis' desk, threatening Shwan's execution, Lina embarks on a desperate mission to save him, followed closely by Sid, determined to make good on his promise. Meanwhile, Taghreed's obsessive need for revenge has pushed her over the edge.
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore.
Broadcast Assistant: Jan Shepherd.
Produced by Gill Parry.
Directed by Polly Thomas.
Producer for Goldhawk Productions: Emma Hearn.
Executive Producer: John Dryden.
Indie (Goldhawk).
26 Apr:Classic Serial slot - Weir of Hermiston, 2
By R.L.Stevenson, completed by Colin MacDonald. Archie Weir’s secret meetings with Christina Elliot arouse the interest of Frank Innes who sets out to exploit her innocence.
Kirstie…………..Phyllis Logan,
Archie Weir………...Jack Lowden,
Lord Hermiston ……...Paul Young,
Frank Innes ……...Finn Den Hertog,
Jean Weir.…….Karen Bartke,
Christina Elliot…. ...Helen Mackay,
Dand Elliot………...Simon Donaldson,
Davie Leslie………..Simon Tait,
Lord Hume/Auctionee…...Kenny Blyth,
Kelly/ Warder ..Alasdair Hankinson,
Pringle /Campbell ………Owen Whitelaw.
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Bruce Young
27 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-6
By Gordon Newman. Continued from last week. Corruption in high places in London's gangland and in the corridors of power. This is a brilliant series.
Joseph Olinska: Toby Jones,
Margaret Olinska: Flora Montgomery,
Brian Oldman: Joe Armstrong,
Nikolai Lebedev/Alexei Egorkin: Kieron Jechinnis,
Tony Wednesday/Malcolm Rifkin: Alec Newman,
Leah Cohen: Jasmine Hyde,
Boris Isarov: Anatoly Popov,
Eddie Richardson: Charles Davies,
Chuck Haley: Matt Rippy,
Pongo: Damian Lynch,
Rita: Sarah Lambie,
Lord Carson: Jamie Newall,
Catherine: Isabella Urbanowicz,
Jack Braden: John Hollingworth,
Warder Peters: Paul Kemp,
Nurse Moriarty: Lucas Hare.
Produced by Clive Brill.
Indie (Brill Productions).
28 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-7
Joey Oldman (Joey Olinska) built his empire with the help of a corrupt bank manager in the 1950s, starting with small greengrocer shops before moving into tertiary banking and property development, dealing with some bent coppers on the way - and befriending both Lord Goodman and Margaret Thatcher. Now ennobled and on the board of Lehman Brothers, Joseph intends to extend his business interests into Russia with the help of Boris Yeltsin and his cronies.
Production team - see yesterday's entry.
29 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-8
The story continues.
Joseph Oldman: Toby Jones,
Brian Oldman: Joe Armstrong,
Tony Wednesday: Alec Newman,
Brian Perry/DAC Henderson: Nicholas Murchie,
Leah Cohen: Jasmine Hyde,
Lord Carson: Jamie Newall,
Chuck Haley: Matt Rippy,
Detective Albright: Nigel Pivaro,
Julian Tyrwhitt: Jonathan Tafler,
Margaret Olinska: Flora Montgomery,
Sir Ralph Courtney: Nick Sampson,
Tim Listfield: Charles Davies,
Inspector Vallins: John Hastings,
Prison Doctor: Kieron Jechinnis,
Rita and Audrey: Sarah Lambie.
Producer: Clive Brill. Indie (Brill Productions)
30 Apr: The Corrupted, 5-9
And on it goes ...
Joseph Olinska: Toby Jones,
Brian Oldman: Joe Armstrong,
Warder Peters/Menachem Hayek: Paul Kemp,
Assistant Gov: Christian Rodska,
Tony Wednesday: Alec Newman,
Eddie Richardson/Tim Listfield: Charles Davies,
Lord Carson: Jamie Newall,
Dac Henderson: Nicholas Murchie,
Chuck Haley: Matt Rippy,
Margaret Olinska: Flora Montgomery,
DCS Redvers: Tom York,
Sonia Hope/Audrey: Sarah Lambie,
Bob Reed: Damian Lynch,
Jack Braden: John Hollingworth.
1 May: The Corrupted, 5-10
Conclusion.
Additions to cast:
Detective Albright: Nigel Pivarro,
Tim Listfield/Dietrich Heller/Eddie Richardson: Charles Davies,
Catherine: Isabella Urbanowicz,
John Quayle: Damian Lynch,
Warder Thompson: Christian Rodska,
Kevin Wheeler: Lucas Hare,
Warder Peters: Paul Kemp,
Sir Ralph Courtney: Nick Sampson,
Dac Henderson: Nicholas Murchie,
John Redvers: Tom York.
2 May: Saturday Play - How to flee from Sorrow - Stradella
By F.C.Boyce; rpt. from 2016. A play about the colourful life of Alessandro Stradella, baroque composer from 17th century Italy. Stradella is fairly well-known for his chamber cantatas. His patron was Queen Christina in Rome. His interesting life and his love for Agnese, the Doge's niece, has been put together from original historical letters. Alessandro: Trystan Gravelle, Corelli: Harry Treadaway, Lonati: Ralf Little, Agnese von Uffele: Alice St. Clair, Cardinal Cibo: David Houslow, Contarini, Doge of Venice: Chris Pavlo, Duchess Maria Giovanna: Amelia Lowdell, Stage Manager: George Watkins, Nuns: Debra Baker, Rebecca Hamilton and Katie Redford, Domenico: Caolan McCarthy, Innkeeper: Stephen Critchlow, Damiano: Leo Wan, Violin: Dr. Alberto Sanna. Produced by Allegra McIllroy.
3 May: Classic Serial slot - Uncle Fred in the Springtime
By P.G.Wogehouse, ad. Archie Scotney, rpt. Lord Emsworth, head of Blandings Castle, is afraid that there is a plot to steal his prize pig, the Marquess of Blandings. Uncle Fred: Alfred Molina, Lady Constance: Patricia Hodge, the Duke of Dunstable: Christopher neame, Rupert Baxter: Jared harris, Ricky Gilpin: Rufus Sewell, Horace Davenport: Lloyd Owen, Mustard Pott: Julian Holloway, Polly Pott: Sophie Winkleman, Lord Emsworth: Martin Jarvis, P.G.Wodehouse: Ian Ogilvy, Lord Bosham: Simon Templeman, Pongo: Matthew Wolf, Beach: Kenneth Danziger, Valerie Twistleton: Moira Quirk, Webster and footmen: Darren Richardson, singing gardener: Mark Holden. Producer: Rosalind Ayres, Director: Martin Jarvis. Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
4 May: Brief Lives, 1
By Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly. Rpt.from Sept 2018. Legal drama based in Manchester; series 10. Frank is asked to help a community of retired people. David Schofield as Frank, Sally Dexter as Sarah and Susan Twist as Lana, with Sue Jenkins, Kate Coogan, John Henshaw and Lloyd Peters. Produced by Gary Brown.
5 May: Brief Lives, 2
Series 10 ep.2 , rpt. Frank Twist and Sarah Gold tackle another legal case. This episode involves an investigation from some time ago, looked at after some new DNA evidence has been found. Frank: David Schofield, Sarah: Sally Dexter, Lucy: Gillian Kearney, Dominic: Reece Dinsdale, with Samuel Holland, Russell Richardson and Beatrix Baxter. Producer: Gary Brown.
6 May: Brief Lives, 3
By Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly. Rpt. from series 10. Frank gets to meet his childhood hero, but his footballing god has feet of clay. Frank: David Schofield, Sarah: Sally Dexter, Johnnie: Steve Evets, Jason: Rob Ward, Kendrick: Reuben Johnson, DC Mark Turner: William Fox. Producer: Gary Brown.
7 May: Brief Lives, 4
By Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly. Rpt. from series 10. Frank is reluctantly considering becoming a landlord to increase his pension, but when he and Sarah view a property they unwittingly become involved in a neighbourhood dispute. Frank: David Schofield, Sarah: Sally Dexter, Finch: Rupert Hill, Belbay: Eddie Capli, Harvey: Kenneth Alan Taylor, Sgt. Dishforth: Sue Kelly. Producer: Gary Brown.
8 May: Brief Lives, 5
By Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly. Rpt. from series 10. Sarah has begun volunteering at the Law Centre, but the lawyer running it has some unorthodox methods. Frank: David Schofield, Sarah: Kathryn Hunt, Debbie: Eve Steele, DC Coleman: Natalie Grady, Stuart: Graeme Hawley, Serena: Maria Major. Producer: Gary Brown. (I note every play this week has been a repeat - Ed.)
9 May: Saturday Drama - The Voyage of the St. Louis
By Daniel Kehlmann. Several months before the outbreak of WW2, the St Louis, an ocean liner, left Germany with over 900 Jewish refugees on board, all hoping to escape persecution. THis is Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Daniel Kehlmann’s play, based on the book The Voyage of the Damned by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Wit.s
Schroeder . . . . . Philip Glenister,
Schiendick . . . . . Paul Ritter,
Berenson . . . . . Toby Jones,
Bru . . . . . Alan Corduner,
Benitez . . . . . Joseph Balderrama,
Spanier . . . . . Philip Arditti,
Pozner . . . . . Shai Matheson,
Hoffman . . . . . John Dougall,
Clasing . . . . . Roger Ringrose,
Babette . . . . . Bettrys Jones,
Jockl . . . . . Chris Lew Kum Hoi,
Aber . . . . . Sargon Yelda,
Elise . . . . . Rachel Essex,
Charlotte . . . . . Elizabeth Counsell,
Bergman . . . . . Hasan Dixon,
Fischer . . . . . John Lightbody,
Marianne . . . . . Rosie Boore,
Renata . . . . . Amy-Jayne Leigh,
Evelyne . . . . . Taya Tower.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
10 May: Classic Serial slot: Uncle Fred in the Springtime, 2
Dram. Archie Scotney, rpt. Uncle Fred is still at Blandings Castle masquerading as a 'brain doctor'. The Duke of Dunstable's pig-napping scheme continues. He calls in nephew Ricky. Money is involved, and maybe a chance for Ricky to marry Polly Pott. Lord Emsworth's prize-pig Empress of Blandings is purloined - and hidden.
Uncle Fred ..... Alfred Molina,
Lady Constance ..... Patricia Hodge,
The Duke of Dunstable ..... Christopher Neame,
Rupert Baxter ..... Jared Harris,
Ricky Gilpin ..... Rufus Sewell,
Horace Davenport ..... Lloyd Owen,
Mustard Pott ..... Julian Holloway,
Polly Pott ..... Sophie Winkleman,
Lord Emsworth ..... Martin Jarvis,
P.G. Wodehouse ..... Ian Ogilvy,
Lord Bosham ..... Simon Templeman,
Pongo Twistleton ..... Matthew Wolf,
Beach ..... Kenneth Danziger,
Valerie Twistleton ..... Moira Quirk,
Webster/Footmen ..... Darren Richardson,
Singing Gardener ..... Mark Holden.
Director: Martin Jarvis.
Producers: Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis .
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
11 May: Whose Baby?
By Ishy Din. Bilal, a teenager, discovers that one his three married brothers has fathered a child with a white woman. He is 15, the youngest of four boys who loves living in a big Asian family with all his sisters-in-laws and nephews and nieces around him. He’s preoccupied with his leading role in the school drama and especially preoccupied with Sarah, his co-star.
Billy – Gurjeet Singh,
Big Mam – Mina Anwar,
Kaneeze/Iram – Perveen Hussain,
Maz/Bash – George Bukhari,
Raf/Mo – Sid Akbar Ali..
Producer – Julia Ford,
Executive Director – Jeremy Mortimer,
Sound Designer – Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Sparklab).
12 May: Holbein's Skull
By Martyn Wade, rpt. from April 2018. A light-hearted comedy inspired by Holbein's painting "The Ambassadors". This painting is famed for the ephemera surrounding the two men which has led historians to attribute different meanings to the picture. Martyn's play imagines two French ambassadors to the court of Henry VIII negotiating Henry's argument with the Pope. They are persuaded to have their picture painted. Tinniswood Award finalist 2020.
Jean de Dinteville ..... Jack Farthing,
Georges de Selve ..... Sam Alexander,
Margery Horsman ..... Lauren Cornelius,
Hans Holbein/King Henry VIII ..... Clive Hayward.
Producer: Tracey Neale.
13 May: The Unforgiven, 1
By Barbara Machin, rpt. Five-part crime thriller by Barbara Machin. Prequel to BBC1's Waking The Dead. It is 1984, a world without DNA, CCTV, mobiles, the internet and databases. A serial killer-rapist launches a legal appeal against his conviction, claiming police corruption, pointing the finger at young DC Peter Boyd - and implicating a forensic scientist. There are just five days to stop the killer's acquittal.
Peter Boyd: Anthony Howell, Grace Foley: Sue Johnston, Frankie Wharton: Holly Aird, Mel Silver: Claire Goose, Spencer Jordan: Wil Johnson, Janny Boyd: Amelia Lowdell, Commissioner: Clive Hayward, journalist: Ryan Early, Kate Foley: Kerry Gooderson, Clive Bristow: Simon Shepherd, Eddie Macteer: Justin Salinger, Astrid Klein: Frances Barber, Diver: Luke Bailey, Marcus Perriman: Jonathan Forbes, HQGreen: Ryan Early, Roz Coolridge: Amber Aga, Sam Gilchrist: Claire-Louise Cordell, June Shewell: Georgie Glen, Mike Shewell: Rupert Holliday Evans, reporter: Ryan Early, Julie de la Mere: Lauren Cornelius, Billy C10: Luke Bailey. Sound Design: David Chilron, Producer: Allegra McIlroy. Indie (Goldhawk). Crime Story Consultant ..... Brian Hook.
14 May: Bread and Butter
By Jennifer Bell, rpt. Where are we really in our imaginations while we're sitting at our desks? Bristol composer Jennifer Bell's a-cappella songs about the human emotions and oddities at play in office life are interwoven with true stories of love and yearning from office workers around the country. Singers: : Andy Marshall, Ellie Showering, Natalie Farr, Harry Humberstone, Katy Tucker, Mella Faye, Blythe Pepino and Jennifer Bell. Interviewees include Lorraine Mariner, Susan Reuben and Bethany Moore. Producer: Beth O'Dea.
15 May: The Life Cycle of Ospreys
By Jane Wainwright; her second radio play. 400 years since ospreys have bred in the Peak District, and David takes his voluntary job of guarding the eggs very seriously. But he's none too happy about the arrival of Louise, his clueless new volunteer, who's only there under duress. David - Henry Goodman, Louise - Sally Messham.
Producer: Pauline Harris.
16 May: Saturday Play - Havana Blue
By Cuban writer Leonardo Padura, ad. Jennifer Howarth, rpt. The first story in Padura's detective series set in Havana. It's New Year's Day 1989 and Lieutenant Mario Conde wakes up with a hangover and a case which is close to home. His schoolboy rival, now a party grandee, is missing.
Mario Conde ..... Zubin Varla,
Rangel ..... David Westhead,
Manolo ..... Lanre Malaolu,
Josefina ..... Lorna Gayle,
Skinny ..... Ben Crowe,
Tamara ..... Adjoa Andoh,
Rene Maciques ..... David Acton,
Zaida ..... Hannah Genesius,
Zoilita ..... Bettrys Jones,
Miki ..... Jude Akuwudike,
Maria Antonia ..... Elaine Claxton,
China ..... Jane Slavin,
Neighbour ..... Ian Conningham,
Minister ..... Michael Bertenshaw,
Garcia ..... Sam Dale.
Produced by Mary Peate.
17 May: Classic Serial slot: Leave it to Psmith, 1
By P.G.Wodehouse, ad. Archie Scottney. 1. Poets at Blandings.
Psmith (the P is silent) advertises himself to ‘go anywhere, do anything. Crime not objected to!’ Down at Blandings Castle, Lord Emsworth prepares to travel to London to collect a famous poet invited to Blandings by Emsworth’s fearsome sister Constance. Emsworth’s son Freddie sees Psmith’s advert and needs someone to steal his aunt’s necklace. He hires Psmith to do the stealing.
Psmith ..… Edward Bennett,
Eve ..… Susannah Fielding,
Constance ..… Patricia Hodge,
Freddie ..… George Blagden,
Joe Keeble ..… Nigel Anthony,
Lord Emsworth ..… Martin Jarvis,
Miss Peavey ..… Lisa Dillon,
Jackson ..… Ifan Meredith,
Miss Clarkson ..… Lucy Phelps,
McTodd ..… Kieran Hodgson,
Baxter ..… Joe Bannister,
Beach ..… Lloyd Owen,
Other parts: Matthew Wolf, Darren Richardson, Daisy Hydon.
Directed by Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis.
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
18 May: Mythos,2: Glamis
Rpt of two stories in the 'Mythos' series by Julian Simpson. Mary Lairre, the ghost of a sixteenth century French nun murdered at Borley Rectory and rendered corporeal by the mysterious Department, is joined by Parker, a character with magical abilities. Lairre and Parker accompany their boss Johnson to Glamis Castle in Scotland, where a secret door has been discovered. The door leads into a folkloric dimension, where monster hunter Libby Ward is tracking a dangerous monster and has kidnapped an innocent American tourist to use as bait.
Lairre: Nicola Walker, Parker: Phoebe Fox, Johnson: Tim McInnerny, Libby: Jana Carpenter. Sound Designer: David Thomas,
Producer: Karen Rose, director: Julian Simpson.
Indie (Sweet Talk)
19 May: Mythos, 3: Albion
By Julian Simpson, rpt. A sinkhole opens up beneath the City Of London and Lairre and Parker, fresh from battling Robin Hood and his Merry Men, are tasked by Miranda Hyde (Tracy Ann Oberman) to rescue Johnson from the depths of the city. Production team - see yesterday's entry.
20 May: The Unforgiven, 2
By Barbara Machin, rpt. The five-part crime thriller continues. Trying to peel back the layers of this old case, Criminal Profiler Grace Foley must face her own fears. Producer: Allegra McIlroy.
Sound Design ..... David Chilton.
Crime Story Consultant ..... Brian Hook.
21 May: Rumpole and the Family Pride
By John Mortimer, ad. Richard Stoneman, rpt. It is the 1950s; Rumpole and Hilda are young marrieds.Rumpole mingles with a branch of Yorkshire aristocracy remotely connected to Hilda's family when he represents a Lord in the Coroner's Court.
Older Rumpole/Mr Cursitor ..... Timothy West,
Young Rumpole ..... Benedict Cumberbatch,
Hilda ..... Cathy Sara,
Liz Probert/Helen Yarrowby ..... Elaine Claxton,
Lord Richard Sackbut ..... Julian Wadham,
Rosemary Sackbut/Pippa Bastion ..... Sophie Thompson,
Jonathan Sackbut/Young Man ..... Joshua McGuire,
"Plunger" Plumstead/Tarquin Yarrowby/Mr Saggers ..... Stephen Critchlow,
Mrs Percier ..... Susan Wooldridge,
Dr Malkin/Castle Guide/Policeman ..... Geoffrey Whitehead,
Dr Swabey/Gavin Bastion ..... Adrian Scarborough.
Music: Sax quartet version of Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away From Me", arranged by Julie Hodge and performed by "Sax": Luiza Beddoes, Kate Mylnar, Janine Ng and Julie Hodge.
Produced by Marilyn Imrie.
Indie (Catherine Bailey Productions).
22 May: Eric the Skull
By Simon Brett. In 1930, at the height of the Golden Age of crime fiction, a group of detective writers formed their own social organisation, the Detection Club. It still exists and, three times a year, it meets for dinner. How the group actually formed is not known, but this play describes how it might have happened.
Founder members included Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Gilbert Chesterton, who became its first President. Here, the members devise an initiation ritual for new members, and search for a suitable object on which to make their vows of loyalty to the Club.
:
Dorothy L Sayers – Fenella Woolgar,
Agatha Christie – Janie Dee,
GK Chesterton – Mark Williams,
EC Bentley – Steve Furst,
Anthony Berkeley Cox – Matt Addis.
Producer: Liz Anstee. Indie (CPL Productions).
23 May: Saturday Play - Havana Gold
By Leonardo Padura, ad. Joy Wilkinson. Lieutenant Conde goes on a trip through his childhood Havana haunts when a young female schoolteacher at his old school is murdered. Dramatisation of the second novel in the Havana Quartet series.
Mario Conde ..... Zubin Varla,
Rangel ..... David Westhead,
Manolo ..... Lanre Malaolu,
Josefina ..... Lorna Gayle,
Skinny ..... Ben Crowe,
Karina ..... Tanya Franks,
Caridad ..... Elaine Claxton,
Andres ..... Ian Conningham,
Dagmar ..... Jane Slavin,
Pedro/ Rabbit ..... Monty d'Inverno,
Lando ..... Sam Dale,
Lazaro ..... Shaun Mason,
Red ..... Jude Akuwudike,
Jose Luis ..... Paul Heath,
Headteacher ..... Michael Bertenshaw,
produced by Mary Peate.
24 May: Classic Serial slot: Leave it to Psmith,2.
By P.G.Wodehouse. Ep. 2- Impostors at Blandings. Psmith, a guest at Blandings Castle, is smitten by library cataloguist Eve Halliday.
She believes him to be renowned poet Ralston McTodd. But Psmith has been secretly hired by Lord Emsworth’s son Freddie to steal his Aunt’s valuable necklace. Freddie plans to sell the jewels so he can finance himself as a bookie.
:
Psmith ..… Edward Bennett,
Eve Halliday ..… Susannah Fielding,
Freddie ..… George Blagden,
Constance ..… Patricia Hodge,
Miss Peavey/Liz ..… Lisa Dillon,
Baxter ..… Joe Bannister,
Lord Emsworth ..… Martin Jarvis,
Joe Keeble ..… Nigel Anthony,
Beach ..… Lloyd Owen,
Detective Simmons ..… Lucy Phelps,
Eddie ..… Kieran Hodgson,
Other parts: Daisy Hydon, Matthew Wolf, Darren Richardson.
Dram.Archie Scottney.
Produced by Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis.
Indie. (Jarvis & Ayres).
25 May: Tumanbay, series 4, episode 1
Palace of the Blind. Historical fantasy from creators John Scott Dryden and Mike Walker. Once the greatest city on earth, Tumanbay has fallen into the hands of two opposing warlords: the Grand Master Amalric (Anton Lesser), leader of a fearsome religious order of knights; and Fatima (Kirsty Bushell), ambitious wife of a provincial governor who exerts total control over the weakened young Sultana Manel.
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Mehmed................ Nadim Sawalha,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Olef................ Antony Bunsee,
Alkin................ Nathalie Armin,
Physician................ Vivek Madan,
Knight................ Nadir Khan,
Orderly............... Gerard McDermott,
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam,
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Written and directed by John Dryden. Indie (Goldhawk).
26 May: The Deletion Committee
By Mark Lawson. Rpt. from 13 Apr 2018. Play about social media and its growing influence. Following pressure from activists on social media, the trustees of a waxworks feel obliged to establish a dekletion committee to remove the figures of celebrities who have been named and shamed on Facebook and the like. But when they start to target popular figures like Germaine Greer, the committee begins to question the process. Paul Freeman, Bill Paterson, Samantha Bond, Weruche Opia and Abram Rooney; producer Eoin O'Callaghan.
27 May: The Unforgiven, 3
By Barbara Machin, rpt. from 2018. Production team: see 20 May. The team desperately need Frankie Wharton's forensic skills if they are to find the kidnapper and save a life.
28 May: Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle By John Mortimer, ad. Richard Stoneman, rpt. When Rumpole and Hilda attend a concert performed by The Casterini Trio, Rumpole is surprised to be approached by Elizabeth Casterini - the trio's beautiful violinist. Rumpole falls for her charms. But then, the Trio's cellist, Tom Randall is murdered. Elizabeth's husband Desmond is arrested. Rumpole agrees to defend him at the Old Bailey. Older Rumpole ..... Timothy West, Young Rumpole ..... Benedict Cumberbatch, Hilda/Dorothy Clapton ..... Cathy Sara, Elizabeth Casterini ..... Faye Castelow, Desmond Casterini/Henry ..... Adrian Scarborough, Bonny Bernard/Peter Matheson ..... Matthew Morgan, Claude Erskine-Brown/DS Straw ..... Nigel Anthony, Sam Ballard ..... Michael Cochrane, Oliver Oliphant/Barman ..... Geoffrey Whitehead, Christopher Peek/Waiter/Usher/Alfred ..... Stephen Critchlow. Producer: Marilyn Imrie. Indie (Catherine Bailey).
29 May: Personal Shopper
By Hugh Costello. A topical coronavirus drama about how living in enforced isolation can lead to the forging of new relationships, and to the revitalisation of old ones. It starts with a slip of paper posted through Nina’s letter box: Dear Neighbour. My name is Max. I am almost 15 years old and I live at number 76 of this road. My school has been shut and I am free to do shopping for anyone who needs it. Just ring me on the number below. Told through phone calls and Nina's audio diary, the drama follows the relationship developing between Max and Nina through the first weeks of enforced isolation.
Nina .......... Monica Dolan,
Frank ........ Phil Davis,
Max .......... Tom Glenister,
Sarah ....... Jane Slavin.
Produced by Eoin O'Callaghan. Indie (Big Fish).
30 May: Saturday Play - The Havana Quartet, 3: Havana Red
By Leonardo Padura, ad. Jennifer Howarth. Lieutenant Mario Conde's prejudices are tested in a case involving a man found strangled in Havana Woods wearing a beautiful red dress.
Mario Conde ..... Zubin Varla,
Rangel ..... David Westhead,
Manolo ..... Lanre Malaolu,
Fatman/ Salvador K ..... Shaun Mason,
Miki ..... Jude Akuwudike,
Matilde ..... Elaine Claxton,
Dulcina ..... Lorna Gayle,
Alberto Marques ..... Michael Cochrane,
Father Mendoza ..... David Acton,
Faustino ..... Sam Dale,
Alquimio/ Lab Man ..... Ian Conningham,
Polly ..... Roslyn Hill.
Produced by Mary Peate.
31 May: Classic Serial slot: A Room of One's Own
By Virginia Woolf, ad. Linda Marshall Griffiths.A text on female creativity. Part of "Electric Decade" - classics from the 1920s. It is 1928, a woman is asked to talk of women and writing. She takes a walk in the university town of 'Oxbridge' where she is refused entry to the gardens and to the library and discovers the poverty of the one female college there. She decides to hunt through the British Museum for proof that women even existed in history. She imagines what would have happened if Shakespeare had had a sister and imagines conversations with the great British female novelists and so comes to an understanding of the difficulties that face the female writer and women who want to have a creative life.
Woman: Indira Varma,
Mary Seton / Charlotte Bronte: Jenny Platt,
Judith Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Mary Carmichael: Anjli Mohindra,
William Shakespeare and Nick Green:.Sacha Dhawan,
Trevelyan and Shakespeare's father: .Colin Tierney,
Producer: Nadia Molinari. The drama was recorded and edited during coronavirus lockdown with actors, director, writer and studio managers all in their own homes.
1 Jun: Tumanbay 4-2 Glass Souls
Historical fantasy, series 4. The great artist Piero has arrived. He has been commissioned by the Empire’s Fatima to create a great work glorifying her rule. But after a period of brutal occupation, Tumanbay is no longer the gleaming city it was. The blind Grand Master, leader of a fearsome religious order of knights, has his own plans for the city involving the religious figurehead, the Hafiz, but the Hafiz has gone missing. The only person who can find him is spymaster Gregor (Rufus Wright) who is languishing in the Palace of the Blind, a place in the desert where unwanted officials and rulers are exiled.
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Mehmed................ Nadim Sawalha,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Pilaar................Enzo Cilenti,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Olef................ Antony Bunsee,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Matilla................Albane Courtois,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Alkin................ Nathalie Armin,
Faruk............... Ali Khan,
Mad Sultan................ Vivek Madan,
Functionaries................ Gerard McDermott.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam,
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore,
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Written by Mike Walker, directed by John Scott Dryden. Indie (Goldhawk).
2 Jun: An Accident that Wasn't Your Fault
By Margaret Perry. A chance encounter in a random phonecall may prove good fortune or bad luck for Jess and Lydia. A sweet romance about taking control of destiny.
Lydia ..... Charlotte O'Leary,
Jess ..... Vanessa Schofield,
Gary ..... John Dougall,
Jess' Mum ..... Maggie Service,
Sharon ..... Elizabeth Counsell,
Catherine ..... Bettrys Jones,
Nate ..... Hasan Dixon.
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole.
3 Jun: The Unforgiven, 4
By Barbara Machin. Rpt from 8 Mar 2018. Mel Silver, a young old police officer, finds herself at the centre of the case of her life. Now, with only two days to find the victim alive, she's determined to push the case on herself.
Produced by Allegra McIlroy. Sound Design ..... David Chilton.
Crime Story Consultant ..... Brian Hook. Production team - see 20 May.
4 Jun: 1/2. Rumpole and the Old Boy Net.
By John Mortimer, adapted by Richard Stoneman, rpt from 20 Mar 2014. Rumpole's wife is worried about which public school their son should attend. Meanwhile Rumpole has his head turned by his new, attractive female assistant. Benedict Cumberbatch as Rumpole, with Jasmine Hyde as his wife, Nigel Anthony as Erskine-Brown, Ewan Bailey as Sir Cuthbert, Cathy Sara as Phillida Trant, Stephen Critchlow as the judge and Stehen Lucas. Producer - Catherine Bailey. Indie (Catherine Bailey).
5 Jun: Rowena the Wonderful
By Helen Cross. A real-life magician's assistant, Rowena is eleven years old. She can't speak but she wants a voice, so that she can tell her extraordinary story of growing up, celebrity and love. A drama-documentary to reflect the life of a unique girl. Rowena was born with a rare chromosome disorder which has caused her condition, but she can understand the language of looks and the power of stories, music and the love of her family.
Rowena's voice...Dominique Moore.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.
6 Jun: Saturday Play - The Havana Quartet, 4: Havana Black
By Leonardo Padura, ad. Joy Wilkinson. Lieutenant Mario Conde has been suspended for taking a well-deserved pop at a fellow officer. But Major Rangel is short of staff and has to call Conde in for a case involving the disappearance of a Cuban with U.S. citizenship who has come home to visit his family.
Mario Conde ..... Zubin Varla,
Rangel ..... David Westhead,
Manolo ..... Lanre Malaolu,
Josefina ..... Lorna Gayle,
Skinny ..... Ben Crowe,
Tamara ..... Adjoa Andoh,
Andres ..... Ian Conningham,
Rabbit ..... Monty D'Inverno,
Fermin ..... Shaun Mason,
Friguens/ Alfonso Forcade ..... John Rowe,
Gomez ..... Cyril Nri,
Miriam ...... Anna Madeley,
Adrian ..... Nicholas Pinnock,
Molina .... Sam Dale;
directed by Mary Peate.
7 Jun: Classic Serial slot: The Penny Dreadfuls: Don Quixote
Published in the early 17th Century, condensed into one hour by David Reed, for the Penny Dreadfuls. Join peasant Sancho and the man who thinks he's a Knight as they travel together in a quest to save those who don't want saving and unravel enchantments which may only exist in their minds. Starring Sylvester McCoy and Amanda Abbington. Producer...Julia McKenzie. BBC.
8 Jun: Tumanbay, 4-3. Pronounced 'A Killer'
Story by John Scott Dryden and Mike Walker. The artist Piero begins work on a great painting of Fatima, the self-styled Mother of the Empire. Meanwhile, his assistant Angel attempts to secure the promised payment for the commission and discovers all is not what it seems in Tumanbay. An assassin has arrived for another type of commission and takes up residence in the same lodging house as former spymaster Gregor who has returned to the city from exile. Frog and his friend Dumpy attempt to break Matila out of jail.
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Aquila................ Rob Jarvis,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Pilaar................Enzo Cilenti,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Matilla................Albane Courtois,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Landlady............... Arita Sadiku,
Balarac Soldier................ Gerard McDermott.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Written by Mac Rogers.
Directed by John Scott Dryden.
Indie (Goldhawk).
9 Jun: The Jester of Astapovo
By Rose Tremain, dramatised by the author. Nothing happens in Astapovo, an isolated little place in the vast Russian countryside. Until the day a very unwell Count Leo Tolstoy arrives at the little railway station with the Countess - and the hungry Russian press pack - on his trail. Based on real events.
Ivan ..... John Lightbody,
Anna ..... Maggie Service,
Countess Tolstoya ..... Barbara Flynn,
Chertkov ..... Ewan Bailey,
Dushan ..... Chris Lew Kum Hoi,
Count Leo Tolstoy/Dmitri ..... Roger Ringrose,
Sound ..... Caleb Knightley.
Produced by Marc Beeby.
10 Jun: The Unforgiven, 5.
Final episode of the Barbara Machin thriller, rpt. With one day left to save Boyd and crack the case, everything disappears into desperation as another victim is snatched, right from under our team. Produced by Allegra McIlroy.
Sound Design ..... David Chilton.
Crime Story Consultant ..... Brian Hook.
11 Jun: Rumpole and the Sleeping Partners
2/2. Rumpole is in disgrace after he gets drunk. He sleeps in his chambers for the night. He asks his new assistant to help him with the defence of a man who has been accused of attempted murder. Production details - see 4 Jun.....and I wish they'd never used that irritating musical jingle in the Rumpole plays. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4. Rpt.
12 Jun: The Return of Rowena the Wonderful
By Helen Cross. Rowena is getting ready to launch herself into adult life, approaching the age when she must leave her special school in Birmingham. On a planet that often seems hostile to severely disabled people, how should she live, as an adult? Seventeen-year-old Rowena still works as a magician’s assistant, Rowena the Wonderful, in her Dad’s magic show, and she’s approaching the end of her school life. Her twin, Alex, has formed his own jazz band, and is off to London to study music in September. Her parents know they won't be around forever, and they want Rowena to be independent.
Music by Tom Constantine and Alex Polack.
Rowena's voice...Dominique Moore.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.
13 Jun: Lockdown Theatre Festival: Shoe Lady
By E.V. Crowe. The Royal Court production had not completed its run when theatres were closed in March 2020 because of the coronavirus from China. This production uses computer technology to record the actors at home. Shoe Lady is an examination of the social and domestic pressures placed on women to perform multiple and often contradictory roles in our society. Viv has lost a shoe. They’re her work shoes, her weekend shoes, her only pair of shoes, and she doesn’t know what to do. The curtains are falling, her foot is bleeding, and she’s starting to feel a little overwhelmed. But all will be well in the world once she finds that missing shoe.
Viv…Katherine Parkinson,
Kenny/ Curtains…Tom Kanji,
Elaine/ Curtains…Kayla Meikle,
Tree…Archer Brandon.
Music by Matthew Herbert.
Theatre sound design by Tony Gayle.
Directed by Vicky Featherstone.
Produced by Jeremy Mortimer and Jack Howson.
Sound Editing by Steve Bond and Adam Woodhams.
Production Coordinator: Gabriel Franci.
Production Manager: Sarah Kenny.
Executive Producers: Bertie Carvel and Joby Waldman.
A Reduced Listening production (Indie).
E.V. Crowe is an ex-Imison winner. Lockdown Theatre Festival was set up by Bertie Carvel as a response to the coronavirus crisis, which has forced theatres all over the world to close, with no knowing when -- or in some cases if -- they will reopen. It captures in audio form some of the stage productions which had their performances unexpectedly cut short. Using computer communication, actors record “down the line” from isolation, linked with each other and with the director via video conferencing.
14 Jun: Classic Serial slot - Lockdown Theatre Festival: The Mikvah Project
By Josh Azouz. Eitan is 17 and at college, and Avi is 35 and married. Their lives couldn’t be more different. But every Friday they meet at the Mikvah, to share in the Jewish ritual of immersion. This is a play about the courage it takes to confront our hidden desires.
Avi…Alex Waldmann,
Eitan…Josh Zaré.
Directed by Georgia Green.
Theatre Sound Design by Lex Krosanke.
Produced by Jeremy Mortimer and Steve Bond.
Additional production by Jack Howson.
Sound Editing by Adam Woodhams.
Production Coordinator: Gabriel Francis.
Production Manager: Sarah Kenny.
Executive Producers: Bertie Carvel and Joby Waldman.
A Reduced Listening production (indie).
15 Jun: Tumanbay, 4-4: Feels Like Old Times
Having returned to the city, spymaster Gregor (Rufus Wright) rebuilds his network of informers, and sets about tracking down the missing Hafiz. In the palace, whilst Fatima (Kirsty Bushell) plots to extends her power, Sultana Manel (Aiysha Hart) has found a kindred spirit in the artist assistant Angel (Steffan Donnelly).
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Aquila................ Rob Jarvis,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Pilaar................Enzo Cilenti,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Magrub................Joplin Sibtain,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Matilla................Albane Courtois,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Landlady............... Arita Sadiku
Foreman................ Gerard McDermott.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Written by Mike Walker.
Directed by John Scott Dryden.
Goldhawk. Indie.
16 Jun: Dangerous Visions - Forward Presence
By Hugh Costello, rpt, from 2017. The abduction of a soldier by pro-Russian Estonians causes chaos on NATO's front line.
Claire Cross is an Army Intelligence Corps officer stationed in Estonia where 800 British soldiers currently form part of a NATO forward presence, protecting the Baltic state from the threat of aggression from neighbouring Russia. She's called in to investigate the disappearance Darren, a young squaddie, last seen in a nearby bar - and to keep the matter as low-key as possible.
Jeany Spark, Matthew Aubrey, Paul Panting, Ewan Bailey, Elaine Claxton, Nick Murchie. Produced by Eoin O'Callaghan. Indie (Big Fish).
17 Jun: Enemies of the System
By Mark Lawson. Three political advisors are shocked to discover the Chinese are seeking their advice. They realise they have all been summoned by the Chinese government to advise on how to deal with the protests in Hong Kong. In Beijing, it emerges that all three are great admirers of Mao - particularly his doctrine of permanent revolution. The men also seem to share the view, now old-fashioned in China, that Capitalism is entering its final crisis.
To the Chinese, the three westerners seem to be dangerous revolutionaries. To Hector, Danny and Benedict, their hosts are cautious stalwarts of conventional establishment thinking.
Hector: Paul Rhys
Danny: Julian Wadham
Benedict: Matt Rippy
Ruby:Macy Nyman
Mai-Ling: Michelle Yim
Yu Haigwang: David K S Tse
Producer: Eoin O’Callaghan
Indie (Big Fish).
The plot seems vaguely familiar ... is this a repeat? ....Yes; rpt. of 3 Jan 20 -Ed.
18 Jun: Rumpole: The Point of Our Chambers
By John Mortimer, ad. Richard Stoneman, rpt. Rumpole comes close to giving up the law when forced to consider the path his life has taken by a combination of his attraction to his pupil Phillida, an unsettling case involving an Irish terrorist and a devoted father and son, and a visit from an old flame of Hilda’s. From 2014.
Horace Rumpole ..… Benedict Cumberbatch,
Hilda Rumpole ….. Jasmine Hyde,
Phillida Trant ….. Cathy Sara,
Boxey Horne ….. Stephen Critchlow,
Matthew Culp ..… Samuel Reader.
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
Produced by Catherine Bailey.
Indie (Catherine Bailey).
19 Jun: How Success Ruined Me
By Christopher Green, including the music. Roy Hudd and Christopher Green tell the lost story of music hall idol Fred Barnes, a queer icon and music hall star 'in the Greek style', who topped the national circuit in 1911. He was openly homosexual (the closest thing to a 'gay icon' permissible at the time, to paraphrase Jane Anderson in RT, 2018). This is not a normal afternoon drama; the format that of Christopher Green and Roy Hudd 'rehearsing' a play which Christopher has written about Fred Barnes. At the height of his fame, he would be seen about town in his trademark white suit and hat, with a pet marmoset on his shoulder. Chris and Roy play out key moments from Fred's private and public life, while reflecting on the perils of applause, addiction and identity in their own performing lives - with jokes, chat and songs. Roy Hudd died in March 2020. Rpt. from 2018.
Roy Hudd ..... himself,
Matthew Todd ..... himself,
with John Orchard on the piano.
Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting.
20 Jun: Saturday Play - Cane
By Jean Toomer. In the series 'Electric Decade': classic titles which influenced and characterised the Jazz Age. This play is a series of vignettes revolving around the experiences of African-Americans in the USA and is a mixture of poetry, story and drama. African-American; dram. for radio by Janice Okoh with original music by soul musician Carleen Anderson. 3pm.
Carleen Anderson,
Peter Bankole,
Pippa Bennet-Warner,
Saffron Coomber,
Alfred Enoch,
Clarke Peters,
Sule Rimi,
Danielle Vitalis.
producer: John Norton, for BBC Wales.
21 Jun: Classic Serial slot:
By Primo Levy. Vanadium. Argon. Lead. Rpt. from 2016. Janet Suzman introduces a dramatisation of Primo Levi's short stories about our human relationship with the chemical elements that make up our universe - a book the Royal Institution of Great Britain named 'the best science book ever'. Dramatized by Graham White from the translation by Raymond Rosenthal. Part 1.Vanadium:
Primo's job at a paint factory brings him into contact with Auschwitz researcher Doktor Muller. Older Primo: Henry Goodman, younger Primo: Akbar Kurtha, Cornetto: John Rowe, Dr. Muller: Erich Redman, Lucia: Juliet Aubrey, Polish overseer: Chris Pavlo.
Argon: Primo imagines a fantasy meeting with his Piedmontese (NW Italian) ancestors, who share a number of characteristics with the noble, rare and inert gases, such as Argon.
Older Primo ..... Henry Goodman,
Cesare ..... John Rowe,
Jacob ..... David Horovitch,
Moses ..... David Hounslow,
Samuel ..... Sam Dale,
Abigail ..... Jessica Turner,
Zepora ..... Debra Baker.
In 'Lead', set in the ancient world, a prospector travels from northern to southern Europe in search of the valuable, but toxic, lead rock. Read by Paul Copley. Produced and directed by Marc Beeby and Emma Harding.
22 Jun: Tumanbay, 4-5: The Watchers
Written by Mike Walker. Frustrated at the Balarac's continued presence in Tumanbay, Fatima (Kirsty Bushell) lays down a challenge to their leader, the blind Grand Master (Anton Lesser). Former spymaster, Gregor (Rufus Wright) is on the trail of the missing Hafiz with the help of talkative assassin, Aquila (Rob Jarvis).
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Aquila................ Rob Jarvis,
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Pilaar................Enzo Cilenti,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Physician................Vivek Madan,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Landlady............... Arita Sadiku,
Cafe Owner................ Gerard McDermott,
General Barbarossa................ Nadir Khan.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Far.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Directed by John Scott Dryden.Indie (Goldhawk).
23 Jun: The UN. Episode 1
By Guy Hibbert, ad. Eoin O'Callaghan.
Fictional drama set in a world undergoing pan-national upheaval and contagion, where there has never been such a need for an effective United Nations. Richard is head of the Oversight Committee, tasked with uncovering corruption in the UN. One day a man named Fazal inveigles his way into his office with information that Pakistan has covertly moved three nuclear warheads into Saudi territory, Richard knows that according to the rules he should be extra cautious and simply call Security. But this was never Richard’s way.
Cast:
Richard: ……..Jason Isaacs,
Carol...........Madeleine Potter,
Claire……… Mabel Partridge,
Sana ……….Ayesha Dharker,
Donald ………Kerry Shale,
Martha ….…..Laurel Lefkow,
Elizabeth ………Jane Slavin,
Fazal Ahmed…….. Farshid Rokey,
Haifa……….Aiysha Hart,
Niko…………Ewan Bailey,
Mrs. Odele… Nimmy March.
Sound design by Wilfredo Acosta.
Indie (Big Fish).
24 Jun: The UN, episode 2.
Second and final part of the drama which began yesterday.
25 Jun: Rumpole
Rpt. from 2015; title 'Rumpole and the Bubble reputation'. By John Mortimer, ad.Richard Stoneman. Rumpole defends a tabloid newspaper editor accused of libelling a writer. Meanwhile Rumpole's colleague Erskine-Brown is photographed bhy the press ogling some topless dancers. Rumpole: Benedict Cumberbatch, Hilda: Jasmine Hyde, Erskine-Brown: Nigel Anthony, Phillida: Cathy Sara, Maurice: Ewan Bailey, Porky: Stephen Critchlow. Producer: Catherine Bailey, directed by Marilyn Imrie. Indie: Catherine Bailey Productions.
26 Jun: Hilda
Hilda is by French-Senegalese novelist Marie Ndiaye, dramatised for radio by Sarah Woods. [Marie's novel "Three Strong Women" went out in 2015, dram. Pat Cumper.] 'Hilda' examines modern domestic slavery through a wealthy woman, Mrs Lemarchaud, who becomes obsessed with the new nanny - the 'slave' she employs - and then develops a relationship with Hilda's husband, to glean more information about Hilda and to further her own ends. Produced in Salford by Susan Roberts. Rpt, from 7 Jun 18.
27 Jun: Saturday Play - A Fortunate Man
John Berger's story about a GP and the rural community he served, adapted for radio by Matthew Broughton. In 1966, John Berger and Swiss photographer Jean Mohr spent several months shadowing a GP in The Forest Of Dean. The resulting book was A Fortunate Man - a meditation on society, the doctor-patient relationship and how we value a life. Broadcast at 3pm.
The Writer – Peter Marinker,
The Doctor – Adrian Scarborough,
Miriam – Barbara Flynn,
Harry - Joe Sims,
Timid Woman - Carys Eleri,
Black Haired Woman - Scarlett Courtney, with
the voices of Dorothy Burley, Kevin and Karen Wellham, Anne Childs and Robin Harris, recorded by the Reading the Forest project. Producer: John Norton. BBC Wales.
28 Jun: Classic Serial slot: The Periodic Table: Iron
By Primo Levy. The story of Primo Levi's early life as a chemist in Mussolini's Italy, from his student days, his early crushes and his first experiences as a professional chemist, at a time when it was increasingly hard for Jewish Italians to find work. Rpt.
Younger Primo ..... Akbar Kurtha,
Older Primo ..... Henry Goodman,
Enrico/ Marchetti ..... Caolan McCarthy,
Rina ..... Debra Baker,
Lazzari ..... Sam Dale,
Luca ..... Leo Wan,
Giulia ..... Rebecca Hamilton,
Caselli ..... Stephen Critchlow,
Bettega ..... George Watkins,
Rita ..... Katie Redford,
Sandro ..... Andrew Rothney,
Dallaporta ..... Richard Pepple,
Antaeus ..... David Hounslow,
Alida ..... Amelia Lowdell.
Produced by Marc Beeby and Emma Harding.
29 Jun: Tumanbay, 4-6
Episode title "The Secret Garden". Written by Mac Rogers; created by John Dryden and Mike Walker. Convinced she has secured the Balarac’s withdrawal from the city, the murderous Fatima turns her attentions to the throne and how to get it. Meanwhile Gregor, with the help of the Skyrats and the assassin Aquila, searches for a secret garden in the city where he believes the Hafiz may be hiding.
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Aquila................ Rob Jarvis,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Physician................Vivek Madan,
Hafiz.............. Antony Bunsee,
Butcher Hassan................ Gerard McDermott.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Directed by John Scott Dryden. Indie (Goldhawk).
30 Jun: Suffer Little Children
By Gabriele Kogl; translated by Michael Hastik. Ad. Jessica Dromgoole. Set in rural Austria. On her 80th birthday, an old woman recounts a life of sacrifice, and weighs up its value. She has suffered poverty, loss and sexual abuse. "A brilliant, important piece of drama, but not for the faint-hearted" (Jane Anderson, RT). The Austrian production won 'best single drama' in last year's Prix Europa.
Woman ..... Maggie Steed.
Sound by Anne Bunting.
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole.
1 Jul: My Mother's Daughter
By Becky Prestwich. An adult daughter and mother try to build bridges in their relationship. A drama exploring the gulf between idealised images of motherhood and the reality.
Helen - Christine Bottomley,
Sandra - Sue Johnston,
Simon - .Graeme Hawley,
Rory - Michael Peavoy,
Poppy - Freya Pollard,
Producer - Pauline Harris.
2 Jul: Rumpole
By John Mortimer, ad. Richard Stoneman, rpt. "Rumpole and the Age of Miracles". Hilda’s distant relation, the Reverend Timothy Donkin, looks set to be defrocked as Canon of Lawnchester Cathedral unless Rumpole can convince an Ecclesiastical Court that adultery did not take place in the nearby Saint Edithna Hotel.
Horace Rumpole ….. Benedict Cumberbatch,
Hilda Rumpole ….. Jasmine Hyde,
Claude Esrkine-Brown ….. Nigel Anthony,
Sam Ballard ….. Michael Cochrane,
Rev Tim Donkin ..... Roger May.
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
Produced by Catherine Bailey.
Indie (Catherine Bailey).
3 Jul: #blessed (sic)
A woman waits in a hospital bed while her husband tears across London with a priceless suitcase that may or may not contain one egg - their only chance of having a baby. Written and performed by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz. The drama is is inspired by true events of IVF treatment within the NHS.
Sound Designer: James Morgan,
Director: Susannah Tresilian,
Producer: Melanie Harris,
Executive Producer: Polly Thomas.
Indie (Sparklab).
4 Jul: Saturday Play - Tristram Shandy: In Development
This was recorded under lockdown and produced under those unusual conditions by Gary Brown; all actors in their own homes. Written by Christopher Douglas, who also takes part. As for the radio play - we're in a radio drama studio , where a workshop and podcast are being recorded on the novel Tristram Shandy. It's an opportunity, says producer Philippa Lauriston, to discover a new way of making a radio play. The creative team also includes the actors who will play the novel's main characters. There is also a rumour that a famous actor will be joining them. What could possibly go wrong?
Jason.......Tim McInnerny,
Philippa...Monica Dolan,
Chris.........Christopher Douglas,
Rosie......Mina Anwar,
Clare.......Emily Pithon,
Johnny/Gary....Simon Greenall,
Roberta/Sam.........................Nicola Sanderson,
Producer.... Gary Brown.
5 Jul: Classic Serial: The Periodic Table
By Primo Levy. Gold.
The author's account of his early career as a chemist continues as the Nazis invade Italy. Primo and his friends are forced to scatter and he and Vanda head for the mountains to join the partisans. Older Primo: Henry Goodman, younger Primo: Akbar Kurtha, Vanda: Rebecca Hamilton, Silvio: Leo Wan, Lina: Evie Killip, Aldo: George Watkins, Militiaman 1 / prisoner: David Hounslow, militiaman2: Caolan McCarthy, Fossa: Stephen Critchlow, Cagni: Nicholas Murchie. Producers: Emma Harding and Marc Beeby.
Cerium.
The author's account of his earlier years continues: he gives an account of how his training as a chemist helped him survive Auschwitz. Older Primo: Henry Goodman, younger Primo: Akbar Kurtha, Alberto: Leo Wan, Guard: Erich Redman, Prisoners: David Hounslow and Sam Dale. Producers: as above.
Sulphur
Ben Crowe plays a boilerman who saves Primo's factory from disaster.
Note that the episodes are not in the same order as the original broadcasts in 2016. Rpt.
6 Jul: Tumanbay, 4-7
Menagerie of all Life. Written by Mike Walker; series created by Mike Walker and John Dryden. The murderous governor’s wife Fatima has taken control of the palace. The sultan Manel has been exiled to a madhouse in the desert. And former spymaster Gregor discovers a terrible secret in the passageways beneath the city about the worlds he lives in.
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Alkin............... Nathalie Armin,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Medmed............... Nadim Sawalha,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Angel................Steffan Donnelly,
Piero................Pano Masti,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Matilla................Albane Courtois,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Hafiz.............. Antony Bunsee,
Landlady.............. Arita Sadiku.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Directed by John. Indie (Goldhawk)
7 Jul: The Apple, The Tree
Family drama by Ali Taylor. Beth’s about to be visited by her daughter for the first time since beginning her prison sentence. But she doesn’t want to see her daughter, ever again.
Beth …Victoria Liddelle,
Megan … Anna Russell-Martin,
Kat …Hannah Donaldson,
David ... Robert Jack.
Producer: Kirsty Williams.
8 Jul: The Trial of Joseph Knight
By May Sumbwanyambe. The play is based on historical events. In the late 18th century much of Scotland's mercantile wealth was built on slavery. Plantation owner, Sir John Wedderburn, returned to Perthshire from the West Indies, bringing with him an African slave, Joseph Knight. Wedderburn educated Knight and made him a domestic servant. But when Knight ran away his escape and recapture helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery in Britain. Rpt.
Joseph: Nana Amoo-Gottfried, Sir John: Ron Donachie, Annie Thomson: Anita Vettesse, Margaret Wedderburn: Helen Mackay, Sheriff Swinton: John Buick. Producer: Bruce Young. BBC Scotland.
9 Jul: Rumpole and the Tap End
By John Mortimer, ad. Richard Stoneman. Tony Timson finds himself in hot water when charged with the attempted drowning of his wife.
Horace Rumpole ….. Benedict Cumberbatch,
Hilda Rumpole ….. Jasmine Hyde,
Claude Erskine-Brown ..… Nigel Anthony,
Tony Timson ..... Stephen Critchlow,
Guthrie Featherstone ..... Julian Rhind-Tutt,
Charles Hearthstoke ….. David Shaw-Parker,
Phillida Erskine-Brown ….. Cathy Sara.
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
Produced by Catherine Bailey.
Indie (Catherine Bailey). Rpt.
10 Jul: Undeniably Keith
By Lucy Gannon. Recently widowed Rose (Doon Mackichan) arrives in a small village in bleak winter frost to try to start a new life. The first person she meets is retired policeman Keith (Kevin Whateley), who lives at Winterspite cottage on the ridge. She starts receiving poems. Really bad ones, and they are from Keith.
Producer: Allegra McIlroy.
11 Jul: Saturday Play: Goblin Market
By Christina Rossetti. Dramatization of a Victorian poem of passion and redemption, with original song. It includes testimony from sisters whose lives have been caught up in the cycle of addiction. The drama was created and recorded in lockdown (caused by the China virus), with the actors and singers all in separate acoustically protected rooms, and the interviewees all recording themselves. The programme owes its existence to the skills of the sound engineer. Almost anything is possible in radio drama. 55m.
Christina Rossetti ..... Ellie Piercy,
Laura ..... Kathleen Cranham,
Lizzie ..... Anjana Vasan,
Goblins ..... Ed Gaughan, Joel MacCormack & Chris Lew Kum Hoi,
Children ..... Eliza & Orla Pearce.
Singers ..... Stephen Jeffes, Tom Raskin & Edward Price.
Singing producer ..... Jonathan Manners.
Composer ..... James Maloney.
Sound ..... Peter Ringrose.
Documentary producer ..... Georgia Catt.
Adapted & directed ..... Jessica Dromgoole.
12 Jul: Classic Serial - The Periodic Table: Arsenic and Silver
By Primo Levy. Introduced by Janet Suzman and dramatised by Graham White from the translation by Raymond Rosenthal. At his retirement party, Primo recounts more stories from a professional chemist's life. Rpt.
Older Primo ..... Henry Goodman,
Younger Primo ..... Akbar Kurtha,
Versino ..... Jessica Turner,
Lentini ..... Nicholas Murchie,
Bruni ..... David Horovitch,
Cometto ..... John Rowe,
Lucia ..... Juliet Aubrey,
Gallery Director ..... Stephen Critchlow,
Emilio ..... Caolan McCarthy,
Farmer ..... David Hounslow,
Customer ..... Ben Crowe,
Bonino ..... Sam Dale,
Gina ..... Rebecca Hamilton.
Produced and directed by Emma Harding and Marc Beeby.
13 Jul: Tumanbay, 4-8: The Fires
The city prepares for a spectacular celestial event – fires falling from the sky. While self-proclaimed Mother of the Empire, Fatima, sees it as an opportunity to glorify her new reign, for the Balarac it is the signal to enact a dreadful plan. Meanwhile Frog must save Matilla, the girl he loves, from the gallows and a prophesy that she will die at the hands of "the blind man". By John Dryden and Mike Walker. Extended final episode (55m).
Gregor................ Rufus Wright,
Heaven................Olivia Popica,
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh,
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell,
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser,
Manel................ Aiysha Hart,
Angel................ Steffan Donnelly,
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain,
Mehmed................ Nadim Sawalha,
Frog................Misha Butler,
Dumpy............... Ali Khan,
Matilla................Albane Courtois,
Bello................Albert Welling,
Piero................Pano Masti,
the Hafiz................Antony Bunsee,
Sarah................Nina Yndis,
Qulan................Christopher Fulford,
Alkin............... Nathalie Armin,
Landlady.............. Arita Sadiku.
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam.
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore.
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr.
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden.
Indie (Goldhawk).
14 Jul: Tiger Girls
By Amy Ng. (pronounced "Ing") ... Michelleis addicted to gambling in London casinos. She is from a family of gamblers and can't stop. She consults her almanac daily, looking to see if it's an auspicious day for Tiger Girls. If the signs are good, she'll drop everything to get to the roulette table. Like her grandma, she was born in the Year of the Tiger, but unlike her grandma, she can't walk away after three wins.
Michelle: Crystal Yu, Grandma: Pik-Sen Lim, Roy: Adam Bernard, Shirley: Liz Sutherland-Lim, Cousin Ting: Lobo Chan. Sound Designer: James Morgan.
Additional music: Ruth Chan, Nick Crofts. Director: Shan Ng. Producer: Melanie Harris. Executive Producer: Polly Thomas. Indie (Sparklab)
15 Jul: The Interrogation - Series 4 - Tom
Matthews and Armitage are from different generations and different worlds but together they make an excellent team. It's Sean's first day back at work since Max was seriously injured in the line of duty and both men are finding it hard to adjust. Today's interviewee is Tom, the son of a wealthy scrap metal merchant who is also an old colleague of Max's. Rpt.
DCI Max Matthews ..... Kenneth Cranham,
DS Sean Armitage ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Tom ..... Luke Norris,
Debbie Ross ..... Susan Brown,
Producer ..... Mary Peate. Rpt. from 2015
Incidentally, a brief listing of this excellent series is as follows:
Series 1 (Feb 2012) Rod, Jermaine, Sarah
Series 2 (Apr 2013 Marc, Grace, Simon
Series 3 (Apr 2014) Colin, Jonny, Kellie
Series 4 (Sep 2015) Tom, Rix (Riz?), PC Joanne
Series 5 (Mar 2017) Beverley, Mickey, Neil
16 Jul: The Interrogation - Riz
By Roy Williams. Sean and Max investigate an American movie actor living in London who has been burgled, but the details of the case don't add up. Riz's story. Rpt.
DCI Max Matthews ..... Kenneth Cranham,
DS Sean Armitage ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Riz ..... Nabil Elouahabi,
Tara ..... Joanna Horton,
Derek ..... Chris Pavlo,
Reporter ..... Stephen Critchlow,
Producer ..... Mary Peate.
17 Jul: The Interrogation - PC Joanne Laverty
By Roy Williams. D.S. Armitage finds himself working with P.C. Joanne Laverty, whom he knows. Then he and Max have to interview her. Rpt.
DCI Max Matthews ..... Kenneth Cranham,
DS Sean Armitage ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Jordan ..... Gershwyn Eustache Jnr.,
Joanne ..... Sally Orrock,
Producer .... Mary Peate.
18 Jul: Saturday Play slot: Murder At The Savoy
Rpt. from 2013. Broadcast at 1500hrs; 60m. Translated by Amy and Ken Knoespel; dram. Jennifer Howarth. The Martin Beck books were written over ten years from 1965-75 by the Swedish husband and wife team of Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo.In this story, Martin Beck and Lennart Kollberg are called to Malmo in Southern Sweden when an industrialist is shot whilst having dinner at the city's best hotel. There are people in high places who want the case cleared up quietly and quickly, but Beck refuses to give way to pressure.
Narrators .......... Lesley Sharp and Nicholas Gleaves.
Martin Beck .......... Steven Mackintosh,
Lennart Kollberg .......... Neil Pearson,
Gunvald Larsson .......... Ralph Ineson,
Per Mansson .......... Tom Mannion,
Zachrisson .......... Joe Sims,
Asa Torell .......... Clare Corbett,
Malm .......... Nicholas Murchie,
Edvarsson .......... Will Howard,
Mats Linder .......... Paul Mundell,
Charlotte Palmgren .......... Philippa Stanton,
Bertil Svensson .......... Rick Warden,
Sara Moberg .......... Joanna Brookes,
Sister .......... Carolyn Pickles,
Gun Kollberg .......... Sally Orrock,
Helena Hansson .......... Hannah Wood,
Broberg .......... Michael Shelford,
Victor Palmgren .......... Robert Blythe.
Original Music composed by Elizabeth Purnell.
Produced by Sara Davies.
19 Jul: Classic Serial slot: Primo Levi's The Periodic Table
Mercury & Vanadium Part 2
Vanadium Part 2: In the course of his work as a chemist in a paint factory in the 1960s, Primo Levi has received a letter from one of the factory's German clients, Doktor Muller. The same Doktor Muller who had overseen Levi's work as a prisoner in the lab at Auschwitz. And now Muller wants to meet. Older Primo ..... Henry Goodman, Cometto ..... John Rowe, Dr Muller ..... Erich Redman, Younger Primo ..... Akbar Kurtha, Lucia ..... Juliet Aubrey, Polish overseer ..... Chris Pavlo. Produced and directed by Marc Beeby and Emma Harding. Rpt.
20 Jul: Yarmouk, 1 - Syrian Spring
By Ghassan Zakarya. In Damascus, during 2011, a group of friends must decide whether to join the uprising as the Arab Spring reaches Syria. There is hope for change but is tempered by the strictly controls on life in Syria under Bashar al Assad. This three-part drama tells the story of the Syrian uprising and how it turned into a civil war. Writer Ghassan Zakarya lived through the uprising before being forced to leave, claiming asylum in France. The production was recorded in London with a Syrian and Palestinian cast, some of whom were established actors in Syria before fleeing the war, arriving in the UK as refugees after often perilous journeys.
Hatem ..... Osama el Azzeh,
Salma ..... Sofia Asir,
Khaled ..... Ammar Haj Ahmad,
Rania ..... Arwa Omaren,
Nasser ..... Nayef Rashed,
Omar ..... Zaydun Khalaf,
News Announcer ..... Alia Alzougbi,
General Command Officer ..... Joe Haddad.
Music: Rihab Azar.
Sound Design, Alisdair McGregor.
Producer: Boz Temple-Morris. Indie (Holy Mountain).
21 Jul: Yarmouk, 2 - Uprising
Continued... Hatem was among the young people in Syria who joined the protests to help bring about a better future but who soon found himself gun in hand, fighting in a war. Set in Yarmouk Camp, an area of Damascus initially established as a Palestinian refugee camp but which, by the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011, is a thriving multi-cultural part of the city. Violence escalates as the Government crack down on dissent. The Free Syrian Army is set up in response. Indie (Holy Mountain)
Hatem ..... Osama el Azzeh,
Salma ..... Sofia Asir,
Khaled ..... Ammar Haj Ahmad,
Rania ..... Arwa Omaren,
Nasser ..... Nayef Rashed,
Fatima ..... Alia Alzougbi,
Masoud ..... Joe Haddad,
Omar ..... Zaydun Khalaf,
Checkpoint Commander ..... Baraa Halabieh.
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Other details- see yesterday.
22 Jul: Yarmouk, 3 - War
The people of Yarmouk are stuck as the Government bombardment intensifies and ISIS also attempt to seize control. Hatem and his Free Syrian Army unit must fight to regain control as civilians begin to lose all hope for the survival of their community. This is the concluding episode of the story of the Syrian uprising. Production team - see entries for previous two days. Indie (Holy Mountain)
23 Jul: Rhoda and Pete Get Back On the Scene
By Ross Dunsmore. Recently-widowed Rhoda and Pete are determined never again to commit to a life-partner. Their children, Mari and Seb, have other ideas and set up a date between the two.
Peter: Kenneth Cranham, Rhoda: Elizabeth Counsell, Mari: Valerie Grogan, Seb: Ryan Whittle, Waitress: Lauren Cornelius. Producer: Peter Kavanagh. Rpt.
24 Jul: What He Would Have Wanted
By Viv Groskop. Caroline had an affair with Jen's husband, and it ended their friendship. Now it is a year later. Jen's father has died and Jen's mother is determined that his memorial will prompt a reconciliation. Anne: Barbara Flynn, Jen: Flora Montgomery, Caroline: Jane Slavin, Sorcha: Nimmy March, Geoffrey: Gerrard McArthur. Producer: Eoin O'Callaghan.
25 Jul: Saturday Play: The Abominable Man
Another Martin Beck detective story, by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, dramatised by Katie Hims. Martin is called in to see the butchered bosy of a senior policeman. He begins to investigate. He senses that catastrophe is imminent and once again, he is correct. Rpt.
Narrator 1 ... Lesley Sharp,
Narrator 2 ... Nicholas Gleaves,
Martin Beck ... Steven Mackintosh,
Lennart Kollberg ... Neil Pearson,
Gunvald Larsson ... Ralph Ineson,
Einar Rönn ... Wayne Foskett,
Frederik Melander ... Adrian Scarborough,
Malm ... Nick Murchie,
Hult ... Sean Baker,
Mrs. Nyman ... Christine Absalom,
Stefan Nyman ... Matthew Watson,
Bodil ... Greta Dudgeon,
Mrs Eriksson ... Dinah Stabb,
Mr Eriksson ... John Rowe,
Kvant ... Sam Alexander,
Kristiansson ... Don Gilet,
The Rump ... Robert Blythe,
Doctor ... Michael Shelford,
Bohlin ... Rick Warden,
Man 1 ... Ben Crowe,
Man 2 ... David Seddon,
Woman in Records Dept ... Joanna Brookes,
Official 1 ... Paul Stonehouse,
Original music by Elizabeth Purnell,
Produced by Mary Peate. Translator: Thomas Teal.
26 Jul: Classic Serial slot: The Plague
By Camus, ad.Neil Bartlett, based on his 2017 Arcola Theatre production and script. English language world radio premiere production of The Plague focusing the story on five characters, using only words contained in the novel. It is often said of La Peste that the plague and the rats in his novel are an allegory for the rise of fascism. He said this was untrue. For us today, The Plague will have uncanny echoes of the pandemic and the restrictions we are living through. This drama about a community facing lockdown due to a deadly plague was recorded by actors, locked down in their own homes during our own pandemic. Technically very tricky.
Doctor Rieux ............ Sara Powell,
Raymond Rambert .... Billy Postlethwaite,
Mr Cottard ................ Joe Alessi,
Jean Tarrou .............. Jude Aduwudike,
Mr Grand .................. Colin Hurley.
Directed by Neil Bartlett; producer: Turan Ali.
Indie (Bona Broadcasting).
27 Jul: Just The Three Of Us
By Becky Prestwick. May dotes on her grand-daughter, Ruby and daughter, Danielle. When Will, Danielle's partner stops contact things quickly escalate into dangerous territory and the extent of his control comes to the fore.
May - Lorraine Ashbourne,
Danielle - Michelle Keegan,
Ruby - Poppy O'Brien,
Will - Jason Done.
Producer: Pauline Harris
28 Jul: Holding Back the Tide - There Will Be Guests
By Nick Warburton, rpt. When Richard and Clare Wells inherit a house in Breck Howe they also inherit a sitting tenant, John Hector, who sees the house and the town as his own personal fiefdom. With money tight, Richard and Clare decide to take in B&B guests, a decision which John does not like.
Richard Wells ..... Paul Ritter,
Clare Wells ..... Kate Duchêne,
John Hector ..... Ronald Pickup,
Lux ..... Michelle Asante,
Chucker ..... Don Gilet,
Barb ..... Jeanette Percival,
Mikey ..... Cameron Percival,
Anthony ..... Lewis Bray.
Producer: Sally Avens.
29 Jul: While We're Here
By Barney Norris Twenty years earlier Eddie and Carol were lovers but then Eddie disappeared. Now he's back in Havant. Can they get back together?
Carol ..... Tessa Peake-Jones,
Eddie ..... Andrew French.
Produced by Sally Avens.
30 Jul: Care, Inc.
By Eric Micha Holmes. A drama about the world of American health care; quite unlike the system we have in the UK. Shirley is single and self employed. She owns a struggling Afro-centric bookstore in Seattle. It's been flooded several times but she can't afford flood insurance because she has to pay so much in health insurance. It's a monumental task to navigate the small print of her Care Inc health policy and Shirley is desperate because she has been denied the treatment that she needs. Her policy is too basic.In the call centre at the health insurance company, employees face a daily barrage of callers who don't understand why they can't get the drugs their doctors order or why their claim is denied. Now the staff at Care Inc now face a merger with a large pharmaceutical company. Shirley speaks to Nina, a call operator. Nina sees her need, and breaks the rules.
Medical Advisor - Dr Stephen Adler,
Recorded by Louis Mitchell in Brooklyn, New York,
Mixed by Jon Calver in London.
Produced by Judith Kampfner.
Indie (Corporation for Independent Media).
31 Jul: Bird in the Sky
By Emma Jane Kirby, who investigates the mystery of 23-year-old Sergeant Paul Meyer, a successful, respected mechanic in the US Air Force who, at the height of the Cold War in 1969, stole a plane from his base in East Anglia and disappeared mid-flight. Neither his plane nor his body was recovered.
Paul . . . . . Adam Gillen,
Jane . . . . . Julianna Jennings,
Colonel Kingery . . . . . Elliot Cowan,
Sergeant Alexander . . . . . Ewan Bailey,
Sergeant Johnson . . . . . Joseph Ayre
Sergeant Vince . . . . . Joe Jameson.
Producer........ Sasha Yestushenko
1 Aug: Saturday Play: Martin Beck - The Locked Room
By by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, translated by Paul Britten Austin, ad.Katie Hims. On his return to work after recuperating from a bullet wound in the chest, Martin Beck's first case is about the body of a man who has been shot dead. The room was sealed but there is is no gun.
Narrator 1 ... Lesley Sharp,
Narrator 2 ... Nicholas Gleaves,
Martin Beck ... Steven Mackintosh,
Lennart Kollberg ... Neil Pearson,
Gunvald Larsson ... Ralph Ineson,
Einar Rönn ... Wayne Foskett,
Bulldozer Olsson ... Michael Maloney,
Malm ... Nick Murchie,
Sten/Police Commissioner ... Rick Warden,
Mauritzon ... Ewan Bailey,
Ake/Manager/Doctor ... Ben Crowe,
Monita ... Philippa Stanton,
Clerk/Insurance Woman ... Joanna Brookes,
Pathologist/Ingela ... Hannah Wood,
Gustavsson ... David Seddon,
Rhea ... Nadine Marshall,
Zachrisson ... Joe Sims,
Hjelm/Warehouse man - old ... Robert Blythe,
Detective Sergeant/Warehouse man - young ... Matthew Watson,
Original music by Elizabeth Purnell,
produced by Mary Peate. Rpt.
2 Aug: Classic Serial slot: Closely Observed Trains
By Bohumil Hrabal., Crech writer. It is 1945. For young apprentice Milos Hrma, life at the sleepy railway station in Bohemia is full of complex preoccupations. There is the burden of dispatching German troop trains; the shocking scandal of Dispatcher Hubicka; and the vexing problem of his sexual performance. Comedy drama. Dram. Ian Kershaw'
Milos ..... John Bradley,
Masha/Virginia ..... Verity Henry,
Hubicka ..... Jason Done,
Lansky ..... Howard Chadwick,
Mother/Viktoria ..... Fiona Clarke,
Slusny/Father ..... Jonathan Keeble,
Zednicek ..... Hamilton Berstock.
Closely Observed Trains, which became the award-winning Jiri Menzel film of the 'Prague Spring', is a classic of post-war literature, a small masterpiece of humour, humanity and heroism. Director: Gary Brown. Rpt. from 2015.
3 Aug: Festival
By Sarah Wooley. Comedy drama about festivals and the start of a legendary literary romance. In 1962, novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard took on the job of running the Cheltenham Literary Festival. An extremely demanding role. In 1956 she had been one of its resident young writers. The job of running the event was far from straightforward. Elizabeth: Melody Grove, John Moore: Tony Gardner, Colin Howard: Will Howard, Kingsley: Jonathan Forbes, with Emma Handy (three parts) and John Lightbody (three parts). Producer: Gaynor Macfarlane. Rpt.
4 Aug: Holding Back the Tide - Ps and Qs
By Nick Warburton. John Hector has a new campaign to halt the decline of good manners in Breck Howe. But his idea of naming and shaming those who fall below his standards meets with opposition, and John's own manners are called into question. Rpt.
John ..... Ronald Pickup,
Richard ..... Paul Ritter,
Clare ..... Kate Duchêne,
Mrs Cardabbon ..... Sue Jameson,
Ralph Bell ..... Sean Murray,
MC ..... Tony Turner,
Robust Betty ..... Emma Handy,
rude Girl ..... Saffron Coomber,
WPC ..... Jeanette Percival,
surly Reader ..... Cameron Percival,
producer: Sally Avens. Rpt.
5 Aug: My Mother Taught Me How to Sing
By Daf James. Docu-drama about two men, Daf and Hywel, who want to adopt a baby. But when his mum dies, Daf wonders if he has what it takes to become a parent. Returning to his childhood home, and with the help of some cassette recordings made of him growing up, Daf attempts to uncover what it means to be a mum. Rpt.
Daf James.... Himself,
Social Worker.... Eiry Thomas,
Little Daf.... Lewis Howe,
Dawn.... Mali Matthews.
Produced by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
6 Aug: Graveyards in My Closet
By Daf James. The story of a dark family secret which Daf discovered when he was 11. In 1931 Daf’s grandmother, who was 5 years old, was taken to her grandparents’ house and told that her mother was dead. Her father, who had taken her there, walked away and never went back. With the help of his Dad, Daf investigates what happened. Drama-doc. Not a repeat.
Narrator …. Daf James,
Little Daf …. Fflyn Edwards,
Mam Aberteifi …. Siw Hughes,
Hanna …. Carys Eleri,
Grandad …. Ifan Huw Dafydd,
Douglas …. Himself,
Nigel Owens.... Himself.
Producer: James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
7 Aug: Wild Swimming
By Marek Horn, from an idea by Marek Horn and Julia Head. Produced by Becky Ripley. Nell and Oscar meet on a deserted beach in Dorset. It’s 1595. Or maybe it’s 1610. Oscar has returned from his first term at university and Nell is bored out her brains. They will meet here, on this same beach, again and again for the next 400 years. Stuff will change, as it does with time. They will try to keep up.
Nell: Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Oscar: Joseph Tweedale.
8 Aug: Saturday Play: Martin Beck: Cop Killer
By Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, translated by Thomas Teal. Dramatised for radio by Jennifer Howarth. The murder of a woman in a small village outside Malmö in Southern Sweden wouldn't normally warrant the attentions of Martin Beck and his team, but she lived next door to a man who has killed once before. Narrators: Lesley Sharp and Nicholas Gleaves. Martin Beck - Steven Mackintosh, Lennart Kollberg - Neil Pearson, Gunvald Larsson - Ralph Ineson, Hergot Allwright - Howard Coggins, Einar Ronn - Wayne Foskett, Music by Elizabeth Purnell. Produced by Sara Davies. Rpt. from 2013.
9 Aug: Classic Serial slot: Short Stories: Katherine Mansfield. Part 1.
(1)Marriage a la Mode, where Isabel’s new friends come between her and husband William.
(2)Something Childish and Very Natural, where Henry and Edna meet and fall in love, just as passionately as they always hoped they might.
(3)Bliss, where Bertha’s life is dedicated to happiness, and her will for happiness folds around every experience, until this one.
Casts: Marriage a la Mode: Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield, Ellie Piercy ..... Isabel, Carl Prekopp ..... William, Charlotte East ..... Moira, Ian Dunnett Jr ..... Bobby, Joel MacCormack ..... Dennis, Luke Nunn ..... Vendor, Eliza Pearce ..... Paddy, Orla Pearce ..... Jonny.
Something Childish but Very Natural: Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield, Joel MacCormack ..... Henry, Cecilia Appiah ..... Edna, Eliza Pearce ..... Moth Girl
Bliss: Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield, Charlotte East ..... Bertha, Luke Nunn ..... Harry, Ellie Piercy ..... Pearl, Joel MacCormack ..... Eddie, Cecilia Appiah ..... Mary, Ian Dunnett Jr ..... Mr Norman Knight. All dramatised by Katie Hims; sound by Peter Ringrose; produced by Jessica Dromgoole.
10 Aug: The Ballad of Bobby Sands
By Tom Kelly, who imagines the final days of MP and IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in a play about political and religious conviction, grief and a mother’s love. Sands helped plan the 1976 bombing of the Balmoral Furniture Company in Dunmurry, which was followed by a gun battle with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Sands was arrested while trying to escape and was sentenced to 14 years for firearms possession. He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. During Sands’ strike, he was elected to the British Parliament as an Anti H-Block candidate. His death and those of nine other hunger strikers was followed by a new surge of IRA recruitment and activity.
Bobby Sands ..... Jonjo O'Neil,
Rosaleen ..... Frances Tomelty,
Father Faul ..... Lloyd Hutchinson,
Director ..... Emma Harding,
Producer ..... Marc Beeby.
11 Aug: Holding Back the Tide - John's Jaunts
By Nick Warburton. When John Hector is thrown off a tour of Breck Howe he decides to set up his own guided tours in opposition to those run by the Council.
Richard ..... Paul Ritter,
Clare ..... Kate Duchene,
John ..... Ronald Pickup,
Mrs Cardabbon ..... Susan Jameson,
Trevor Butt ..... Tony Turner,
Mrs Briggs of Events ..... Elizabeth Counsell,
Tourist ..... Cameron Percival.
Produced by Sally Avens. Rpt.
12 Aug: No Place But The Water,1
By L.M.Griffiths. Drama series set in a future flooded world. There is a hotel on the edge of the water, run by a messy family of dreamers in the middle of nowhere. There is also a pig called Barking. But the food is running out and Birdie thinks they are being watched.
Jessie..... Sade Malone,
Birdie..... Poppy O’Brien,
The Angel ..... Vinette Robinson,
Maurice ..... Pearce Quigley,
Gil ..... Rupert Hill,
Laurie/Selene ..... Jenny Platt.
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
Programme Consultants: Dr James M Lea and Dr Ian Dawson.
13 Aug: No Place But The Water,2
No-one believes Birdie when she says they are being watched and that there is someone else in the hotel, but she has found a voice recording on an old phone and someone saved her from a swarm of bees. A boat arrives.
Caleb ..... Ceallach Spellman,
Gil.. . Rupert Hill,
Laurie/Selene ..... .Jenny Platt,
Maurice ..... Pearce Quigley,
Jessie ..... Sade Malone,
Birdie ..... Poppy O’Brien,
The Angel ..... Vinette Robinson,
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
Programme consultants: as above.
14 Aug: No Place But The Water, 3
With the arrival of Caleb and Selene to the island the family can no longer ignore the questions that they haven't dared ask: about the hotel: about the forest beyond it; about what happened to the people that were there before and about things must change when the food is running out and the water is rising.
Cast, etc - as yesterday.
15 Aug: Saturday Play: Martin Beck - The Terrorists
Final story in the series, rpt. (See Martin Beck listing, at the bottom of the 'Radio Plays listed by Topic' page). Beck reluctantly takes charge of a security operation protecting a controversial American Senator whilst he is in Sweden on an official visit. Meanwhile, a young woman is accused of bank robbery.
Narrator 1 ..... Lesley Sharp,
Narrator 2 ..... Nicholas Gleaves,
Martin Beck ..... Steven Mackintosh,
Kollberg ..... Neil Pearson,
Larsson ..... Ralph Ineson,
Einar Rönn ..... Wayne Foskett,
Frederik Melander ..... Adrian Scarborough,
Skacke ..... Sam Alexander,
Rhea ..... Nadine Marshall,
Crasher ..... Robert Blythe,
Bulldozer Olsson ..... Michael Maloney,
Rebecka Lind ..... Hannah Wood,
Malm ..... Nick Murchie,
Mr. Bondesson/Eric Möller/ American Senator ..... Ben Crowe,
National Police Commissioner/Taxi Driver ..... Rick Warden,
Kristiansson ..... Don Gilet,
Court Official/ Policeman ..... Matthew Watson,
Heydt ..... Alex Lanipekun,
Airforce Commander ..... Paul Stonehouse,
Judge/Prime Minister ..... John Rowe,
Kirsten/ Mrs. Cosgrove/ neighbour ..... Joanna Brooks,
Levallois/ Kvastmo ..... David Seddon,
Ruth Salmonsson .....Philippa Stanton,
Gun Kollberg ..... Sally Orrock,
Original music by Elizabeth Purnell,
produced by Mary Peate, dramatised by Katie Hims.
Original novels by Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, trans. Joan Tate.
16 Aug: Classic Serial slot: Katherine Mansfield short stories, part 2
Four stories:
1.Daughters of the Late Colonel, where Jug and Con's fear of their father’s disapproval continues even after he has died.
2.The Garden Party, where Laura learns, briefly, the awful gap between her class and that of a dead neighbour on the day of her mother’s garden party.
3.Life of Ma Parker, where the cleaner for a Literary Gentleman discovers she has absolutely nowhere to grieve when her grandson dies.
4.Her First Ball, where Leila learns that the joy of a ball, and of being young and free, is short-lived and destined to end.
Daughters of the Late Colonel:
Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield,
Rosie Cavaliero ..... Josephine,
Clare Corbett ..... Constantia,
Michael Bertenshaw ..... The Late Colonel,
Cecilia Appiah ..... Kate,
Carl Prekopp ..... Mr Farolles,
Charlotte East ..... Nurse Andrews,
Luke Nunn ..... Cyril.
The Garden Party:
Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield,
Cecilia Appiah ..... Laura,
Rosie Cavaliero ..... Mrs Sheridan,
Michael Bertenshaw ..... Mr Sheridan,
Luke Nunn ..... Laurie,
Rose Basista ..... Cook,
Clare Corbett ..... Sadie,
Carl Prekopp ..... Man,
Charlotte East ..... Josie.
Life of Ma Parker:
Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield,
Rosie Cavaliero ..... Ma Parker,
Michael Bertenshaw ..... Literary Gentleman,
Carl Prekopp ..... Doctor,
Orla Pearce ..... Lennie.
Her First Ball:
Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield,
Rose Basista ..... Leila,
Cecilia Appiah ..... Laura,
Carl Prekopp ..... Man 1 & 3,
Charlotte East ..... Josie,
Luke Nunn ..... Man 2,
Michael Bertenshaw ..... Old Man.
All dramatised by Katie Hims.
Sound by Peter Ringrose.
Produced by Jessica Dromgoole.
17 Aug: Luxembourg Gardens
By Katie Hims. For the last five years of her short life, Katherine Mansfield struggled to find a cure for her pulmonary tuberculosis. Very ill, and sometimes hallucinatory, she spends her last day in Paris before resolving to stop writing while she finds a cure.
Hattie Morahan ..... Katherine Mansfield,
Clare Corbett ..... Ida,
Olivia Ross ..... Waitress,
Charlotte East ..... Laura,
Luke Nunn ..... Bill,
Carl Prekopp ..... Lawrence,
Ian Dunnett Jr ..... Gardener,
Sue Rivers ..... Grandmother,
Eliza Pearce ..... Girl,
Orla Pearce ..... Boy.
Sound by Peter Ringrose.
Produced by Jessica Dromgoole.
18 Aug: Holding Back the Tide - Selling The Capstan
By Nick Warburton. When the local tearoom is threatened with takeover by a major coffee chain The Breck Howe Preservation Society decide to take direct action to save it; John Hector has big ideas but things don't go to plan. Rpt.
John ..... Ronald Pickup,
Richard ..... Paul Ritter,
Clare ..... Kate Duchene,
Lux ..... Michelle Asante,
Robust Betty ..... Emma Handy,
Brandi ..... Saffron Coomber,
Librarian ..... Liam Lau Fernandez,
A Heavy ..... Don Gilet,
Wayne ..... Lewis Bray.
Producer: Sally Avens.
19 Aug: The Infinity Pool
By Nalini Chetty. Treat your loved ones to the perfect spa retreat. Afternoon tea, fizz, a treatment of your choice, and full use of the facilities. Optional extras include sibling rivalry, unspoken grief, and the sort of fierce love that can only accompany the impending death of a loved one.
Maggie…….Anne Kidd,
Greer......Jessica Hardwick,
Isla....... Samara MacLaren,
Waitress/Manager/ Therapist……. LouiseMcCarthy.
Producer: Bruce Young.
BBC Scotland.
20 Aug: Keeping the Wolf Out - Gellert Hill
By Philip Palmer, rpt. Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár returns in a crime drama set in communist Hungary in 1964. A child's body has been discovered by a hiker. It seems that Bertalan must first fight a turf war if he is going bring the perpetrator to justice.
Bertalan Lazar .... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar .... Clare Corbett,
Jozsef Szabados .... Joseph Ayre,
Dmitri Dragunov .... Simon Scardifield,
Mark Meszaros .... Michael Bertenshaw,
Andras Vasary .... David Hounslow,
Priest .... Christopher Harper,
Gyuri Varga .... Kenny Blyth,
Dorina Varga .... Helen Clapp,
Ministry official .... Chris Pavlo.
Produced by Toby Swift.
21 Aug: Fledgling
Lockdown explored from an unexpected angle in this debut radio drama by Sami Ibrahim. A figure stands on a deserted beach in a deserted seaside town waiting for her father to return. Who now rules the roost in this strange new world?
Fledgling ….. Ruby Bentall,
Thick-head ….. John Lightbody,
Twitcher ….. Carl Prekopp,
Pigeon ….. Clare Corbett.
Produced by Gemma Jenkins.
22 Aug: Saturday Play: God of Carnage
By Yasmina Reza, trans. Christopher Hampton. Two sets of parents meet up to deal with the unruly behaviour of their children. A calm and rational debate between grown-ups about the need to teach children how to behave properly? Or does it turn into a night of name-calling, tantrums and tears? Yasmina Reza is a French playwright and novelist.
Michael ..... Lenny Henry,
Veronica ..... Rosie Cavaliero,
Alan ..... .Joseph Millson,
Annette ..... Monica Dolan,
Directed by James Macdonald,
Produced by Catherine Bailey.
Indie (Catherine Bailey productions).
23 Aug: Classic Serial slot: Madam, Will You Talk? - 1
By Mary Stewart, dramatised by Marcy Kahan from the novel, published in 1954.. Set in the South of France in the early 1950s, the heat is intense, roads are dusty and parched, cicadas are noisy, the coffee is strong and une omelette aux fines herbes at the local café is almost exotic. This is Charity’s dream holiday after the austere greyness of England and the death of her husband in the war. At her hotel, she meets David, a lonely English schoolboy there with his stepmother. She discovers that his father has been accused of murder and he is in France for his own safety.
Charity Selbourne ..... Scarlett Courtney,
Louise Cray ..... Esme Scarborough,
David Bryon ..... Frankie Milward,
Loraine Bristol ..... Harriet Collings,
Paul Very ..... Sam Alexander,
Mrs Palmer ..... Karen Ascoe,
Richard Byron ..... Tim Dutton.
Sound Engineer and Design: David Thomas.
Production Co-ordinators: Sarah Tombling & Phoebe Izzard-Davey.
Programme Illustration: Mahla Bess. Producer: Caroline Raphael.
Indie (Pier Productions).
24 Aug: Break of Day
By Colette, dram. Nicholas McInerny. This largely biographical story, written in 1928, charts French author Colette’s retreat from her Parisian life for her first summer alone, in her Provencal home. She needs to lick her wounds after a messy second divorce and to be back in the garden, held in the arms of the natural world, with her animals and at peace, and she means to renounce love forever. She's 55 and, for the first time since she was 16, will live without her life depending on love. An unexpected encounter with her long-deceased mother, through finding her letters, leads Colette to a bruising reality check.
Cast includes:
Colette...………...Frances Barber,
Sidonie…………..Siân Phillips,
Helene...………...Elle McAlpine,
Vial...……………...Timothy George.
Director: Marina Caldarone.
Sound Engineer and Design: David Thomas.
Prod Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling.
Indie (Pier Productions).
25 Aug: Holding Back the Tide - Chips
By Nick Warburton, rpt. John Hector is meant to be taking things easy but it's all too easy to become annoyed especially when listening to Test Match Special on the radio.And when Jonathan Agnew comes to town John Hector is waiting for him.
John Hector ..... Ronald Pickup
Richard Wells ..... Paul Ritter
Clare Wells ..... Kate Duchêne
Trafford ..... Gerard McDermott
Robust Betty ..... Emma Handy
Seasider ..... Lewis Bray
Guest appearance from Jonathan Agnew of the TMS team.
Produced by Sally Avens.
26 Aug: Power Out, 1
By Sarah Woods. The world is dying. It’s time to take action. A new drama podcast thriller about young people taking power into their own hands.
Sean …… Vinnie Heaven,
Xarea …… Jeanette Percival,
Skimmer …… Ayden Brouwers,
Qiqi …… Celia Dominguez,
Cathy …… Deb McAndrew,
Mr Graham …… Jason Done,
Sameera …… Bhavna Limbachia,
Moth .........Saul Woods,
MP …… Jonathan Keeble.
Produced by Susan Roberts.
Recorded in binaural sound to give a fully immersive sound experience when listening on headphones. BBC Drama.
27 Aug: Keeping the Wolf Out - Spider's Web
Philip Palmer's Cold War crime drama set in Hungary, 1964. What looks like a straightforward case of GBH proves to be something quite different and leads Special Investigator Lázár to a rogue cop. Rpt.
Bertalan Lazar .... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar .... Clare Corbett,
Jozsef Szabados .... Joseph Ayre,
Dmitri Dragunov .... Simon Scardifield,
Mark Meszaros .... Michael Bertenshaw,
Andras Vasary .... David Hounslow,
Hanna Krivosik .... Franchi Webb,
Fabenyi .... Kenny Blyth,
Police Officer .... Chris Pavlo,
Priest .... Christopher Harper.
Directed by Toby Swift.
28 Aug: The Other Tchaikovsky
The story of self-confessed outlaw and villain, activist, fraudster, lesbian club owner and visionary, Chris Tchaikovsky. A collaboration between writer Harriet Madeley and the Prison Radio Association, the charity that invented and runs the world's first national radio station for people in prison, National Prison Radio. Chris Tchaikovsky's life impacted countless people and sent shock waves through the Ministry of Justice, but her story is little known to the public. Here, it is told using the words of people who knew her, voiced by actors.
The Other Tchaikovsky takes us from the 1950s to the 90s, from Dartmoor and Plymouth to gangland Soho, Holloway prison to Lombok. We hear about Chris’s creation of fraudster gang The Happy Firm in the 60s, the iconic Women’s City Disco in the 80s, and finally, Women in Prison, the charity that remains at the forefront of campaigning for penal reform for women today. In prison herself, Chris met women locked in a cycle of incarceration, an overwhelming number of them victims of abuse. She experienced a system that couldn't deal with the needs of the women in its care. During her final sentence at Holloway, a woman burned to death in her cell. It was said the alarm bell had been cut so that staff could sleep. Cast: Sheila Atim, Harriet Madeley, Jenna Russell, John Madeley, Victoria Ebun. Script: Harriet Madeley, Sound Design: Tom Foskett-Barnes, Director: Jessica Edwards, Producer: Andrew Wilkie. Includes excerpts from 'Criminal Women' (Tchaikovsky, O'Dwyer et al), published by Polity Books. Used with permission. Indie. Prison Radio Association production.
29 Aug: Saturday Play: The Lie
By Agatha Christie. Previously unperformed play, discussed on 'Front Row' a few days earlier. Trapped in an unhappy marriage and provoked by her husband's obsession with her younger sister, Nan disappears from the family home for a night, with devastating consequences. This play predates Agatha's famous stage thrillers and lay unread in her family's archives until it was discovered by theatre producer Julius Green. It seems to have been written in the 1920s, during the breakdown of the writer's first marriage
Nan Gregg (the wife) - Sarah Mowat, Nell Reeves (her sister) - Chloe Newsome, John Gregg (the husband) - Ben Nealon, Hannah Reeves (the mother) - Alison Skilbeck, Mrs Endicott (the grandmother) - Tina Gray, Jim Hayward (The suitor) - Mike Evans. Ad. from the stage play by Martin Lewton and Julius Green.
Director - Julius Green, Assistant Director - Martin Lewton, Producer - Iain Mackness, Executive Producer - Ashley Byrne. Music was composed by Rebecca Applin. Indie (Made in Manchester production) by arrangement with The Agatha Christie Archive Trust. 90m.
30 Aug: Classic Serial: Will You Talk?
Mary Stewart, ad. Marcy Kahan, ep. 2. Charity soon finds herself caught up in a plot to kidnap the young boy and she begins to mistrust everyone. Is the man she keeps bumping into a foe or friend? She flees to Marseille where the war still casts a shadow. Collaborators with the occupying Germans are still being hunted down and fugitive Nazis are living in disguise.
Charity Selbourne ..... Scarlett Courtney,
Richard Byron ..... Tim Dutton,
Paul Very ..... Sam Alexander,
Loraine Bristol ..... Harriet Collings,
Louise Cray ..... Esme Scarborough,
John Marsden & Max Kramer ..... Kenneth Collard,
David Bryon ..... Frankie Milward.
Other parts were played by members of the cast.
Sound Engineer and Design: David Thomas.
Production Co-ordinators: Sarah Tombling and Phoebe Izzard-Davey.
Programme Illustration: Mahla Bess.
Producer: Caroline Raphael.
Indie (Pier Productions).
31 Aug: Agatha Christie’s Absent in the Spring
Absent In The Spring, written under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott , is the book that Christie describes in her autobiography as the most complete of all her works. It is the story of a woman, Joan Scudamore, who becomes stranded in a Mesopotamian way station when returning from a visit to her daughter in Baghdad. The sudden solitude compels her to look back over her married life in rural England. She returns, determined to change her attitude to love and married life.
Joan Scudamore ... Harriet Walter,
Barbara Wray/ Myrna Randolph ... Amy Morgan,
Ali/ William Wray ... Nabil Elouahabi,
Blanche Haggard ... Geraldine Alexander,
Rodney Scudamore/Col. Sherston ... James Fleet,
Lesley Sherston/ Miss Gilbey ... Hilary Maclean.
Adapted by Malcolm McKay.
Composer: Nick Bicat.
Sound Design: Leon Chambers.
Produced by Catherine Bailey. Indie (Catherine Bailey).
1 Sep: The Rose and the Yew Tree
By Agatha Christie, writing as Mary Westmacott, ad. Malcolm McKay. The story is set in a Cornish seaside town, during the election of 1945 when it was assumed Churchill would be re-elected as Prime Minister. Everyone expects Isabella to marry her cousin Rupert, the returning war hero. But she seems to like the working class parliamentary candidate, John Gabriel.
Hugh Norreys ... Richard McCabe,
Teresa Norreys/Milly Burt ... Selina Cadell,
Capt. Carslake ... Jonathan Cullen,
Lady St. Loo ... Avril Clark,
John Gabriel ... Toby Jones,
Isabella Charteris ... Ioanna Kimbook,
Rupert St. Loo/ James Burt ... Stephen Critchlow.
Sound Designer: Leon Chambers
Directed by Catherine Bailey; Indie (Catherine Bailey Productions).
2 Sep: Power Out
By Sarah Woods. Part 2/2. Sean is in in trouble with the cyber crime police and a fake video has been posted on social media. A green group seems to be threatening the National Grid.
Sean …… Vinnie Heaven,
Cathy …… Deborah McAndrew,
Mr Graham …… Jason Done,
Sameera …… Bhavna Limbachia,
Xarea …… Jeanette Percival,
Skimmer …… Ayden Brouwers,
Qiqi …… Celia Dominguez,
Moth .... Saul Woods,
Inspector Carter …… Jonathan Keeble,
Security Guard …… Ashley Margolis.
Produced by Susan Roberts.
BBC Drama North.
3 Sep: Keeping the Wolf Out: Carnaby Street
By Philip Palmer. Crime drama set in Hungary in 1964, when the country was communist. The death of a rock musician leads Bertalan to enter uncharted territory - Budapest's underground drugs scene. Meanwhile, his wife Franciska's relationship with her KGB contact spirals out of control. Rpt.
Bertalan Lazar ..... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar ..... Clare Corbett,
József Szabados ..... Joseph Ayre,
Dmitri Dragunov ..... Simon Scardifield,
Márk Mészáros ..... Michael Bertenshaw,
Zsófia ..... Sarah Ovens,
Drug Dealer ..... Chris Pavlo,
Police Officer ..... Kenny Blyth.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
4 Sep: The Summer Book
By Tove Jansson. A woman and her six-year-old granddaughter Sophia spend a summer together on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland . They talk about life, nature, religion - everything but their feelings about Sophia's mother's death and their love for one another. Dram. Amanda Dalton from the translation by Thomas Teal.
Sophia Jansson, the real-life model for Sophia (Tove's niece) is narrator. narrates this radio adaptation. Her own mother, Signe Hammarsten-Jansson, informed the character of the grandmother.
Producer: Susan Roberts, in Salford. Rpt.
5 Sep: Saturday Play - On a Lost Highway
By Ed Thomas. Remi wakes on a road with no memory of who she is or how she got there. This is the first audio drama production recorded in BBC Wales' new headquarters in Central Square, Cardiff.
Remi.... Rakie Ayola,
The Lover.... Richard Harrington,
Mother.... Sian Phillips,
The Stranger.... Valene Kane,
Johnny Grecco.... Ronan Summers.
Directed by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
6 Sep: Classic Serial - Half of a Yellow Sun, 1
Tale from Biafra by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Set during the Nigeria-Biafra War of the late 1960s, dramatised by Janice Okoh.
Sisters Olanna and Kainene are daughters of a "nouveau riche" tribal chief. Olanna's lover Odenigbo is a university professor. Richard is a British writer in love with Kainene and Ugwu is a young man employed as a houseboy. They all have their lives changed drastically as they become swept up in the brutal civil war.
Narrator.....Ben Onwukwe,
Okeoma...Sule Rimi,
Odenigbo.....Adetomiwa Edun,
Ugwu.....Valentine Olukoga,
Miss Adebayo, Mama and Amala....Gbemisola Ikumelo,
Olanna.....Susan Wokoma,
Richard.....Blake Ritson,
Kainene.....Nikki Amuka-Bird,
Madu.....Okezie Morro,
Produced by Nadia Molinari,
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes.
7 Sep: Trust, 1: W.A.L.T.
By Jonathan Hall. Serial set in a school. Yvette Miller is the acting head of an inner city school in Salford which has just joined Quays Academy Trust, a group of academy schools headed by Sir Ken Bishop. He is an advocate of freedom from the Local Education Authority. Yvette reluctantly goes along with it. How will her school fit in?
Yvette ..... Julie Hesmondhalgh,
Sir Ken ..... Jonathan Keeble,
Andy ..... Rupert Hill,
Tim ..... Ashley Margolis,
Joy/ Tannoy ..... Susan Twist,
Sidrah ..... Purvi Parmar,
Emily ..... Molly Ehrenberg-Peters.
Producer.... Gary Brown.
8 Sep: Trust, 2 - Purple Enough
By Jonathan Hall, contd. The school is having budget difficulties and the financial manager says cuts are necessary including East Salford's brass band. The Deputy Head is rebranding which includes purple hoodies. Then an incident occurs in a local nightclub.
Yvette ..... Julie Hesmondhalgh,
Sir Ken ..... .Jonathan Keeble,
Tim ..... Ashley Margolis,
Dhruti ..... Mina Anwar,
Joy/ Tannoy ..... Susan Twist.
Producer Gary Brown.
9 Sep: Trust, 3 - A Surgical Head
By Jonathan Hall, contd. The most successful school in Quays Academy Trust is Lodestone Academy. This formerly failing school has been turned around by Surgical Head Kayleigh Britton. But when East Salford's financial manager is loaned out to help with the books she uncovers some interesting details.
Yvette ..... Julie Hesmondhalgh,
Tim ..... Ashley Margolis,
Dhruti ..... Mina Anwar,
Sir Ken ..... .Jonathan Keeble,
Terry ..... Sushil Chudasama,
Tannoy ..... Susan Twist,
Producer Gary Brown.
10 Sep: Keeping the Wolf Out - Gypsy Dancers
By Philip Palmer, rpt. Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár returns in Philip Palmer's crime drama set in communist Hungary in 1964. The robbery of a foreign goods store leads the police investigators into a dangerous world of mercenaries and drugs. Meanwhile, Bertalan's old nemesis is back in town.
Bertalan Lázár....Leo Bill,
Franciska Lázár....Clare Corbett,
Tibor Farkas....Andy Linden,
József Szabados....Joseph Ayre,
Dmitri Dragunov....Simon Scardifield,,
Márk Mészáros....Michael Bertenshaw,
PuŠomori Žiga....Debbie Korley,
András Vásáry....David Hounslow,
Nurse 1....Sarah Ovens,
Nurse 2....Susan Jameson,
Partygoers....Kenny Blyth and Chris Pavlo,
Copper....Christopher Harper.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
11 Sep: Death Knock
By Martin Edwards, former journalist. This is his first radio play. When a young black teenager is found stabbed, in a reservoir, local newspaper reporter Nathan, also black, can no longer ignore his past. He tries to reconcile the realities of his middle-class job with a sense of dislocation from his origins.
Nathan.....Stefan Adegbola,
Emma.....Clare Corbett,
Janice.....Ayesha Antoine,
Brooky/ Ali.....Peter Polycarpou,
Sam/ Ms Stone.....Charlotte East,
DCI Jones/ Alice.....Cecilia Appiah,
Alec.....Ian Dunnett Jnr.
Producer: Emma Harding.
12 Sep: Saturday Play - The English Lesson
By Tamsin Oglesby. Farooq is a recent immigrant to the UK and a keen student of English. He becomes close friends with his teacher, Johnny, but a sharing of language is not the same as mutual cultural understanding. 3pm; 55m.
Johnny.....Danny Sapani,
Farooq.....Ben Turner,
Lola/ Student.....Kate O'Flynn,
Dad.....Patrick Fitzsymons.
Producer..... Emma Harding.
13 Sep: Classic Serial - Half of a Yellow Sun, 2
By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, dram. Janice Okoh. With the continued bombing of Biafra and the danger coming ever closer, Olanna, Odenigbo, Ugwu, and Baby are forced to flee again. They move forward with courage even when living conditions get progressively worse and food and money run out. An unexpected visit from Kainene brings some hope for their future.
A depiction of the human tragedy of those caught up in Biafra's struggle to establish an independent republic and the violence and trauma which followed.
Narrator..... Ben Onwukwe,
Olanna..... Susan Wokoma,
Odenigbo..... Adetomiwa Edun,
Mrs. Muokelu and Eberechi..... Adeyinka Akinrinade,
Ugwu.....Valentine Olukoga,
Richard.....Blake Ritson,
Kainene.....Nikki Amuka-Bird,
Madu.....Okezie Morro.
Producer.....Nadia Molinari.
Sound Design.....Sharon Hughes.
14 Sep: Oil on Water
From the novel by Helon Habila. Dramatised by Rex Obano. A contemporary thriller about neocolonial corruption, ecological devastation and journalistic ethics in the badlands of the oil rich Niger Delta. Two reporters risk everything in search of a story after the British wife of an oil company executive is kidnapped. It is set in a filmic world of mangrove swamps, floating villages, and jungle shrines. It is a thriller with echoes of Graham Greene or Joseph Conrad.
Rufus ….. Idris Debrand,
Zaq ….. Cyril Nri,
Gloria ….. Tamara Lawrance,
The Major & The Professor ….. Danny Sapani,
Naman & Ibiram ….. Peter Bankole,
Tamuno & other voices …. Seun Shote,
Joseph, & other voices ….. Uché Gabriel Akujobi,
Michael ….. Jordan Nash,
James Floode ….. Matthew Gravelle,
Isabel Floode ….. Claire Price.
Other characters are voiced by the cast.
Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams.
Mixing ….. Steve Bond.
Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies.
Produced and Directed by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica). 55m.
15 Sep: Brother of Mine
By Nathaniel Price; his second play for radio. Walter has always looked up to his older brother and Nigel has always been there for him. But how well do you really know anyone?When Nigel is accused of a serious crime their relationship will never be the same again. With Enyi Okoronkwo, Lara Rossi and Jimmy Akingbola. Produced by Sally Avens.
16 Sep: Not for Turning
By Tim Dawson. Young Hal from Bolton attends the Conservative Party conference, where he falls in with a young crowd and is awakened in more ways than one.As they spill out onto the street in the small hours, Hal and another young man photographed, kissing. The photo hits an internet news outlet. The drama considers three possible outcomes.
Cassie – Nicola Holt,
Hal – Henry Devas,
Cruise – Andrew Bentley,
Nate – Ashley Gerlach,
Garnier and Weasel – Toby Hadoke.
Producer: Lawrence Till (radio drama debut).
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Sparklab).
17 Sep: Keeping the Wolf Out - Grandmother's Footsteps
By Philip Palmer, rpt. Franciska played a dangerous game when she enlisted the help of a corrupt cop to free herself from her KGB tormentor.
Bertalan Lázár .... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lázár .... Clare Corbett,
Tibor Farkas .... Andy Linden,
József Szabados .... Joseph Ayre,
Dmitri Dragunov .... Simon Scardifield,
Márk Mészáros .... Michael Bertenshaw,
András Vásáry .... David Hounslow,
Police Officer .... Kenny Blyth,
Receptionist .... Susan Jameson.
Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko.
18 Sep: Read the Room
By Viv Groskop, rpt. After years of hard graft, Sally has finally landed the role of a lifetime in a movie franchise. It’s a job which could set her up for life.
Then the Executive Producer asks to meet her alone in his hotel suite.
Sally…….Melody Grove,
Richard…..….Tim McInnerny,
Kate.....Dona Croll,
Jack…..Owen Findlay,
Maddie / Chambermaid.……Katy Ellis,
Anna..……Rebecca Saire.
Produced by Eoin O'Callaghan.
Indie (Big Fish).
19 Sep: Saturday Play - Sex, ep. 1 - Performance
By Zola, rpt, dram. Oliver Emanuel. Glenda Jackson returns as Dide, the matriarch to the the Rougon- Macquarts. Over half of Zola's novels were part of a set of 20 known as Les Rougon-Macquart. He formulated the plan for the series when he was 28. They are set in France's Second Empire, under Napoleon III, in Paris; Napoleon Bonaparte was his more famous uncle. The series examines two branches of a family; the legitimate Rougons and the illegitimate Macquarts, for five generations. As Zola put it at the beginning of this work: "I want to portray, at the outset of a century of liberty and truth, a family that cannot restrain itself in its rush to possess all the good things that progress is making available and is derailed by its own momentum, the fatal convulsions that accompany the birth of a new world." In this first episode, Nana has been living and working as a prostitute on the dangerous streets of Paris when a theatre manager buys her for the night. He realizes just how potent she could be.
Dide … Glenda Jackson,
Nana…Holliday Grainger,
Mignon…Ben Batt,
Fauchery… John Catterall,
Copeau…David Crellin,
Rose…Kimberly Hart-Simpson,
Paul…Reece Noi,
Satin… Kate O’Flynn.
Produced by Kirsty Williams. Indie (Sparklab).
20 Sep: Classic Serial slot: Sex, ep. 2 - Power
24 hours of drama inspired by the works of literature’s greatest whistle blower, Emile Zola. Eugene Rougon is at the peak of his political power when his lover gives him an ultimatum. Dram. Oliver Emanuel. Rpt.
Dide … Glenda Jackson,
Eugene … Robert Jack,
Veronique ... Victoria Beesley,
Photograher/Minister ... Laurie Brown,
Clorinde … Laura Dos Santos,
Delestang … Alasdair Hankinson,
Gilquin/Emperor … Jonathan Keeble.
Produced by Kirsty Williams. Indie (Sparklab).
21 Sep: Sex, ep. 3 - Family
By Zola, ad. Dan Rebellato, rpt. Adelaide Fouque (Dide) is 104 years old, trapped in her small room in the local asylum, but omniscient as she broods over her extended family. As a young woman, she gave birth to two dynasties that exemplified French society: one legitimate - rich, powerful, obsessive and corrupt; the other - illegitimate, poor, vulnerable, weak and depraved. France is on the brink of a new Empire. Her family is a turbulent mix of the good, the bad and the misguided. This episode, Family, takes place over one evening, in the mansion belonging to Aristide Rougon. Inviting his brother Eugene round to help clinch the engagement of his son Maxime to a young heiress seems simple enough. It turns out to be anything but.
Dide..............Glenda Jackson,
Aristide..........Samuel West,
Renee............Anna Maxwell Martin,
Eugene...........Robert Jack,
Maxime...........John Heffernan.
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore.
Produced by Polly Thomas.
Executive Producer: Melanie Harris.
Series Producer: Susan Roberts.
Indie (Sparklab).
22 Sep: Sex, ep. 4 - Lovesick
By Zola, ad. Dan Rebellato. Rpt. Dide reflects on the fate of Angelique, the love child of the incestuous affair in the previous episode. Abandoned by her real mother and cruel foster carers, Angelique is fortunate enough to be adopted by Hubertine, a kind woman desperate to have a child. Angelique is strange and obsessive, inheriting some Macquart-Rougon traits. Dide watches helplessly as Angelique’s love of God clashes with her love of a beautiful young man.
Dide............Glenda Jackson,
Angelique...............Robyn Skeete,
Hubertine................Mina Anwar,
Renee.....................Anna Maxwell Martin,
Girl at the stream.....Lucy Moss,
St Catherine.............Yusra Warsama.
Sound Designer: Eloise Whitmore.
Produced by Polly Thomas.
Executive Producer: Melanie Harris.
Series Producer: Susan Roberts.
Indie (Sparklab).
23 Sep: Sex, ep. 5 - Innocence
From Zola, by Martin Jameson, rpt, inspired by Zola's The Sin of Father Mouret. A young man wakes up in an idyllic garden in the care of a beautiful young woman. He has no idea of his true identity. But when his memory returns, the young man is forced to question the very nature of his identity and a battle for his soul ensues.
Dide.....Glenda Jackson,
Serge.....Nico Mirallegro,
Albine.....Leila Mimmack,
Doctor Pascal.....Paul McGann,
Brother Archangias.....Steve Evets.
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
24 Sep: Sex, ep. 6 - Jealousy
From Zola, by Martin Jameson, rpt, inspired by 'A Love Episode'. Helene is recently widowed and lives a claustrophobic and reclusive life struggling to look after her fragile daughter Jeanne. When handsome Doctor Henri Deberle comes to her aid, it seems as if life for both mother and daughter might take a new turn.
Dide.....Glenda Jackson,
Helene..…Lyndsey Marshal,
Henri..…Fraser James,
Jeanne..…Talia Barnett.
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
25 Sep: Sex, ep. 7 - Affairs
From Zola, by Lavinia Murray, rpt. Unusual for Zola, this is fun. Dide follows her great-grand-son as he journeys to Paris to find his fortune. Octave Mouret, ambitious and a ladies man, moves into an apartment block where there are female delights on each floor.
Dide ...... Glenda Jackson,
Octave ....... Jack Lowden,
Mrs. Josserand ..... Alison Steadman,
Berthe ....... Verity Henry,
Concierge/August Vabre/Mr. Josserand ...... Eric Potts,
Adele ......Rachel Austin,
Marie Pichon/Mrs. Hedouin ....... Fiona Clarke.
Produced by Pauline Harris.
26 Sep: Saturday Play - Sex, ep. 8 - Lust
By Zola, dram. Lavinia Murray, rpt. Octave Mouret runs 'The Ladies' Paradise' – the greatest shop in Paris. But no matter its success, he’s never satisfied. 55m.
Dide … Glenda Jackson,
Octave … Jack Lowden,
Bourdouncle ...Christopher Bisson,
Baudu/Haussmann ... David Fleeshman,
Mrs Desforges … Shobna Gulati,
Clara … Zoe Iqbal,
Denise … Katie West,
Produced by Kirsty Williams.
27 Sep: Classic Serial - Sex, ep.9 - Flesh
Cont'd from yesterday, rpt. Dram. Lavinia Murray. When Nana, Paris’s most famous courtesan, returns to the city she finds herself living in a derelict building with her oldest friend.
Dide … Glenda Jackson,
Nana…Holliday Grainger,
Satin… Kate O’Flynn.
Produced by Kirsty Williams.
28 Sep: Bones
By Zosia Wand. Drama set in real time at Morecambe Bay. A Polish mother and her teenage daughter fight over a family secret on the sands.
The plays explores how it feels to be a migrant and the emotional impact on the generations which follow. For information about the making of the drama see Zosia's website, www.zosiawand.com
Marie.....Daniela Denby-Ashe,
Katherine.....Miranda Dobson,
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
BBC Audio Drama North.
29 Sep: Emergency
By Jacob Polley. Part of Contains Strong Language, the BBC's Poetry and Spoken word festival. The play explores the experience of a love-struck couple in Carlisle during the catastrophic Cumbrian flood event of 2005. Cumbria was flooded again in 2015 and again in 2020. The play illustrates the elemental powers of the natural world, conjured in a unique soundscape composed by the Dutch musicians, Strijbos and van Rijswijk.
Storm..........Joe Dixon,
Him.........James Cooney,
Her .......Jeanette Percival,
Pliny / Landlord.......Simeon Truby,
Report / Resident ........Emily Pithon.
Produced by Susan Roberts. BBC Audio Drama North.
30 Sep: Behind Closed Doors, 1 - Contact
By Clara Glynn, rpt from 2016. The first in a series of three dramas following London barrister Rebecca Nyman. This one is set in the Family Courts where Harry, a sperm donor, is trying to get a court order to allow him to see 'his' daughter. Barrister Rebecca Nyman is representing Beth - the mother - who is now in a lesbian relationship and would prefer Harry to keep his distance.
Barrister Rebecca Nyman ………Clare Corbett,
Harry Venton ………… Sam Alexander,
Judge ………… Sean Baker,
Beth Sinclair ………Robin Weaver,
Melanie Otway/Miss Haslow ……Joanna McCallum.
Producer: David Ian Neville.
1 Oct: Behind Closed Doors, 2 - Section
By Clara Glynn, rpt from Jun 2016. Rebecca represents a client, Andrew, who has spent seven years in a secure psychiatric hospital. Rebecca: Clare Corbett, Andrew: Joe Sims, Judge: David Holt, Dr. Ruckman: Katherine Igoe, Dr. Reynolds: David Timson, Wendy Caston: Adie Allen, Charlotte Workman: Kirsty Oswald, Margosha: Nicola Ferguson. Producer: David Ian Neville.
2 Oct: Behind Closed Doors, 3 - Protection
By Clara Glynn, rpt. from 15 Jun 16. Rebecca represents a man who thinks he should allow his wife to die. She has shown no signs of consciousness since an accident three years ago. Rebecca: Clare Corbett, Mr. Buchar: Vincent Ebrahim, Justice Rainer: Elizabeth Bennett, Gavin Howell: Ewan Bailey, Emily Howell: Amy Schindler, Dr. Raplock / Mrs Forest: Clare Perkins, Prof. Rushmore: Brian Protheroe, Megan Trantor: Bettrys Jones. Producer: David Ian Neville.
3 Oct: Saturday Play - Shadowbahn
By Steve Erickson, from the novel, In the series 'Dangerous Visions', ad. Anita Sullivan.This is a new America where a knowledge of history is no guide to what happens next. Parker, aged 23, and his 15 year-old sister Zema are driving from the West coast to see their mother in Michigan. They hear that the Twin Towers have reappeared in South Dakota, overnight.
Recorded on location in Arizona and New York. 60m.
With Pete McElligott,
Chris Dwane,
Sara Berg,
Reynaldo Piniella,
Raphael Martin.
Produced by Judith Kampfner and Steve Bond. Indie (Corporation For Independent Media).
4 Oct: Classic Serial slot: Elegies, 1
Written and adapted from Milton's 'Lycidas' by Michael Symmons Roberts. A two-part drama telling the stories behind Milton's Lycidas and Tennyson's In Memoriam.
Although written two centuries apart, in 1637 and 1833, the making and circumstances of both of these great elegies are are centred on the poetic response to grief and loss. Milton's Lycidas is the first great elegy in English poetry. Both Lycidas and In Memoriam were written in response to the sudden unexpected death of a young male friend, striking the poets in their mid-twenties, when the poets were students at Cambridge. The dead men were also poets, early rivals and first readers to the poets who elegised them. Milton and Tennyson created radically different elegies standing among the finest poems in English literature.
Holliday Grainger ..... Emily Tennyson,
Nico Mirallegro ..... John Milton,
James Cooney ..... Alfred Lord Tennyson,
Conrad Nelson ..... John Milton senior,
Ashley Margolis ..... Diodati.
Produced by Susan Roberts. BBC North.
5 Oct: The Tenderness of Boys
By Oliver Emanuel. A writer walks into a supermarket and sees his mother, who's been dead for 15 years. A play about the bond between mothers and their sons.
Writer … Robert Jack,
His Mother … Shauna Macdonald,
Boy … Daniel Smith.
Produced by Kirsty Williams.
6 Oct: Quartet for the End of Time
By Emma Hooper, with original music by Red Carousel. At 10am on a Wednesday morning, the Stellae String Quartet meets for rehearsal. Each of them has met at this time on this day for the last twelve years, but today is different. Today something extraordinary happens. hey discover that together they can stop time. Shocked, excited, amazed, each player takes a turn to use this newfound power to change something in their lives.
Anika (First Violin): Mandeep Dhillon,
Peter (Viola): Simon-Anthony Rhoden,
Emily (Cello): Anna Doolan,
Felix (Second Violin): Ed Browning.
Casting by Alison Crawford, Ali Serle, Victoria Cansfield and Toby Field.
Studio Manager: Nick Ford.
Produced by Toby Field for BBC Audio in Bristol.
7 Oct: Deacon
By Edson Burton. Mack has an illicit delivery to make and the clock is ticking. But his mission begins to unravel when he runs into Deacon, a fierce and enigmatic old drifter. Rpt.
With Don Warrington and Ashley Thomas. produced by by James Robinson; BBC Wales.
8 Oct: Deacon: Moonlight on Water
By Edson Burton. The enigmatic drifter returns to help a lost soul. Young Jas is in love and in danger, but who from? This second episode of Deacon, unfolds in the spaces between inner-city Bristol and the nether world. Rpt.
Deacon - Don Warrington,
Jas - Ashna Rabheru,
Ray - Don Gilet,
Legba - Marega Palser,
Zain - Raj Bajaj.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
9 Oct: Deacon: Gabriel’s Feast
By Edson Burton. Deacon is called back to our world to help a lost soul, but despite his years and wisdom, he is struggling to read the signs. The story is about Grace, who fled her war-torn homeland and has taken refuge in a strange community on the fringes of Bristol.
Deacon - Don Warrington,
Grace - Diana Yekinni,
Gabriel – Richard Pepple,
Khan - Ikky Elyas,
Max/ Legba – Marc Danbury.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
10 Oct: Saturday Play - Sex: Winter Jasmine
By Kathrine Smith, inspired by Zola's Rougon-Macquart novels. With failing health, Constance is losing heart. Her carer Misha plots to lift her spirits by revamping her garden but the arrival of Kim has unexpected consequences for them both. 45m.
Constance - Glenda Jackson,
Misha - Mina Anwar,
Kim - T'Nia Miller.
Produced by Pauline Harris.
11 Oct: Classic Serial slot: Elegies, 2 - Tennyson's In Memoriam
Written and adapted from Milton's 'Lycidas' by M.S.Roberts. Tennyson idolised Milton and wanted his elegy to emulate Milton's expansiveness and profundity. When Edward Fitzgerald heard that Tennyson was working on an elegy for Hallam, he warned his friend that Milton had already done it all: 'Lycidas is the utmost length that an elegy can reach'.
Holliday Grainger ..... Emily Tennyson,
James Cooney ..... Alfred Lord Tennyson,
Ashley Margolis ...... Diodati.
Produced by Susan Roberts .
BBC North.
12 Oct: Sex,2: Subject, Object
By Eve Steele. Chloe seems like a normal teenager, obsessed with fashion and boys. But when these obsessions teeter into dangerous territory she finds it hard to cope. A drama about the pressures female teenagers are under.
Constance.... Glenda Jackson,
Chloe.....Sade Malone,
Jake....Greg Wood,
Sam......Hamish Rush,
Stella.....Eve Steele,
Ryan......Luke O'Rourke,
Grace.....Lauren Dickenson.
Producer: Gary Brown.
13 Oct: Sex, 3: In Real Life
By Tom Fry & Sharon Kelly. Bella is a teacher, but she has a secret life. She gains confidence from this secret life and feels safe. Then she falls for a client.
Constance.......Glenda Jackson,
Bella.......Gillian Kearney,
Judy......Emily Pithon,
Ross.....Chris Jack,
Jack.....Jason Done,
Petra......Fiona Clark,
Producer.... Gary Brown.
14 Oct: Sex, 4: Last Chance
By Roy Williams. A chance encounter for Constance with Ed in a garden centre leads to a most unexpected and delightful afternoon. Ed challenges the idea that elderly people can't possibly be thinking about sex.
Constance - Glenda Jackson,
Ed - Rudolph Walker,
Produced by Pauline Harris.
15 Oct: Sex, 5: Me and You and You and Me
By James O'Neil. Zak is a successful entrepreneur. He has plenty of money and material success but no-one with whom to share his life. Then he finds the woman of his dreams.
Constance - Glenda Jackson,
Zak - Rupert Hill,
Zoe - Verity Henry,
Ali - Darren Kuppan,
Steph - Kate Coogan,
Simon - Danny Hughes,
Producer - Gary Brown.
16 Oct: Sex, 6: Electricity
By Fiona Evans. Mother and daughter live alone on an isolated sheep farm, where the electricity keeps failing. A drama inspired by Zola's Rougon Macquart stories and the Greek myth of Electra.
Esther - Charlie Hardwick,
Amy - Sally Mesham,
Jack - Will Ash.
Produced by Pauline Harris.
17 Oct: Saturday Play: Sex, 7: Vocation
By Michael S Roberts. Celeste has returned from France and is looking after her Aunt Constance. Celeste feels Constance may need the solace of religion to help her cope with her illness and enlists the help of a local priest. 45m.
Constance...Glenda Jackson,
Celeste.....Melody Grove,
Richard.....Matthew Gravelle,
Producer: Gary Brown.
18 Oct: Classic Serial slot: USA, 1
By John Dos Passos, dram. Robin Brooks from the USA trilogy (The 42nd parallel, 1919 and Big Money). A saga following a group of characters through the early part of the 20th century, from post-war boom to the Great Depression.
In this episode we meet John Moorehouse, a young man on the make, Eleanor Stoddard, a young woman with artistic ambitions, and Janey Williams, a girl growing up on the wrong side of the tracks.
:
John Ward Moorehouse ..... Tom Bateman,
Eleanor Stoddard ..... Tanya Reynolds,
Eveline Hutchins ..... Hannah Genesius,
Janey Williams ..... Sheila Atim,
Annabelle Strang ..... Jessica Phillippi,
Rochevillain /Oliver Taylor ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd,
Freddy Sergeant / Alec ..... Calam Lynch,
Joe Williams ..... Adam Courting,
Gertrude Staple ..... Laurel Lefkow,
McGill ..... Eric Meyers,
Jerry Burnham/ Oppenheimer ..... Will Howard.
Produce: Fiona McAlpine
Sound Design - Lucinda Mason Brown.
Production Manager - Lucy Barte.r
Broadcast Assistant - Georgia Brown.
Indie (Allegra production).
19 Oct: Bottled
By Hayley Wareham. Katy is a normal teenager wrapped up with school, friends and new boyfriend Bradley. But when Katy's new stepdad Brian comes on the scene, her life starts to fall apart, as Brian's hold over Katy's mum Sharon gets stronger. A play about domestic abuse.
Katy….Ashna Rabheru,
Sharon…..Clare Corbett,
Brian ….Richard Corgan,
Bradley .Michael Ajao,
Mr Morris/Bailiff…Carl Prekopp,
Coreen…..Hayley Wareham.
Produced by Anne Isger.
20 Oct: Into the Maze, 1
By Ayeesha Menon.Thriller set in three locations - London, Saudi Arabia and Mumbai - exploring women affected by sexual assault, harassment and personal freedom. Sisters Jamila and Saira grew up in a very traditional Muslim village in India, but are now leading independent lives of their own; Jamila in Mumbai, and Saira as a student in London. Saira also works at a hotel for extra cash. Rpt.
Jamila.....Maya Sondhi,
Saira.....Aysha Kala,
Najma.....Fatima Adoum,
Majid.....Silas Carson,
Zafar.....Amir El-Masry,
Clare.....Clare Corbett,
Colleague......Christopher Harper,
Sharon.....Jeanette Percival,
Andy.....Lewis Bray,
Ms Morgan.....Carolyn Pickles,
John McKinley.....Tony Turner,
Produced by Emma Harding,
DC Price.....Alexandra Constantinidi,
Officer Megan.....Lucy Doyle,
Wheeler.....Sam Dale,
Jamila's Boss.....Waleed Elgadi,
Guide.....Ronny Jhutti.
Research Consultant.....David Rhodes, Doughty Street Chambers.
21 Oct: Into the Maze, 2
Jamila decides to use her vlog to bring her sister's rapist to justice, but someone wants to silence her. Production details: see 19 Oct. Rpt.
22 Oct: Into the Maze, 3
Conclusion. Clare confronts Najma about the true identity of Saira's rapist. Production details: see 19 Oct. Rpt.
23 Oct: Pilgrim - The Timbermoor Imp,1
By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. A new 2-part tale for Halloween. Pilgrim donates an impossibly valuable artwork to Timbermoor museum, to keep it open and maintaining a particular shabby exhibit.
William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton,
John ..... Stefan Adegbola,
Rabbit ..... Louis Jay Jordan,
Amy ..... Charlotte East,
Piper ..... Katie Redford,
Vaughan ..... Luke Nunn,
Eddie/Mr Buttoner ..... Roger Ringrose,
Sally ..... Jane Whittenshaw,
Janice ..... Ellie Piercy,
Ginger ..... Emma Handy.
Producers: Marc Beeby and Jessica Dromgoole.
24 Oct: Saturday Play: Fusion Confidential
A new play by Marcy Kahan. Dedicated young physicist, Jane, makes a discovery that she believes will enable nuclear fusion and pave the way for limitless clean energy. She confides in her opera-singer flatmate, Elvira. But Elvira realises that her brilliant, idealistic friend will need to be protected from all the vested interests out in the world. A comedy about nuclear science - and opera. 55m.
Elvira.....Charlotte Ritchie,
Jane.....Cecilia Appiah,
Alex.....Adam Fitzgerald,
Luba Lampedusa.....Tamara Ustinov,
Alicia Mittelbaum.....Charlotte East,
Dmitri 2.....Carl Prekopp.
Additional music from Helen Neeves, Tom Raskin and Jessica Gillingwater from the BBC Singers and pianist Christopher Weston.
Technical producer.....Keith Graham.
Produced by Emma Harding.
BBC Audio production.
25 Oct: Classic serial: USA, 2
Dramatised by Robin Brooks from John Dos Passos's USA trilogy.
Now the story focuses on Janey Williams, Eveline Hutchins, Richard Savage and Anne Elizabeth. The war has ended and as the Paris peace conference exerts its influence, their lives collide.
John Ward Moorehouse ..... Tom Bateman,
Eleanor Stoddard ..... Tanya Reynolds,
Eveline Hutchins ..... Hannah Genesius,
Janey Williams ..... Sheila Atim,
Richard Savage ..... Luke Thallon,
Daughter (Anne Elizabeth) ..... Kelly Burke,
Jack Washburn ..... Christopher Ragland,
Bud ..... Gabriel Freilich,
Gertrude Staple ..... Laurel Lefkow,
Jerry Burnham ..... Will Howard,
Freddy Sergeant ..... Calam Lynch.
Other parts played by members of the company.
Producer - Fiona McAlpine
Sound Design & Music Arrangement - Lucinda Mason Brown.
Production Manager - Lucy Barter.
Broadcast Assistant - Georgia Brown.
Indie (Allegra).
26 Oct: Tracks, series 5, Abyss, 1
By Matthew Broughton. Final series of the conspiracy thriller Dr Helen Ash is coming to terms with the fact she has just 9 months to live, when she’s emailed a video of a boat mysteriously sinking in stormy seas. The email is from her dead father. Tracks won 'Best Sound' at the BBC Audio Drama Award and Best Fiction at the British Podcast Awards. This series is in 9 45m parts. The four previous series of Tracks are available now on BBC Sounds.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Eddy…. Mark Bonnar,
Lucy…. Kiran Sonia Sawar,
Yvonne…. Bettrys Jones,
Cancer Specialist…. Finlay Robertson.
Producer: James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
27 Oct: Polygamy for Girls
By Julie Mayhew. In the 'Riot Girls' series, rpt. Feminist vlogger Chloe undertakes a radical domestic experiment, when she recruits some extra wives to help raise her baby daughter. Lauren Cornelius, Luke Bailey, with Aneta Piotrowska, Teri Ann Bobb-Baxter, Rebecca humphries and Belinda Lang.. Produced by Emma Harding.
28 Oct: Male Order
In the 'Riot Girls' series. By Ming Ho, rpt. 59-year-old dentist Barbara has been arrested; the victim of her alleged crime is 20-year-old Brazilian waiter, Fabio, her new husband. Comedy drama. Belinda land, Lino Facioli, with Carolyn Pickles, Neil McCaul, Kerry Gooderson, Luke bailey, Edyta Budnik, Rupert Holliday-Evans, Amber Aga, Lauren Cornelius, Rebecca Humphries. Immigration law advice ..... Colin Yeo. Producer: Emma Harding.
29 Oct: Unfit
In the 'Riot Girls' series, rpt. By Katherine Jakeways. It's hard for Gemma to form new relationships when she has to reveal that she chose to leave her two young children. A play about a woman who breaks the rules. Rebecca Humphries, Emerald O'Hanrahan, Ryan Early, Joe Sims, Karen bryson, Florence Duncalf, Billy Duncalf, Amber Aga, Georgie Glen,n, Clive hayward, Lauren Cornelius and Belinda Lang. There is considerable overlap of characters and cast in this short 'Riot Girls' series, where the stories interlock. Produced by Emma Harding.
30 Oct: Pilgrim: The Timbermoor Imp, 2
By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Concluding episode of this new drama. It is Halloween, the night of the Timbermoor Dance, when the townsfolk bring offerings to the Sun Stone and dance. They are unaware that beneath and around them, the recent dead dance to freedom. But the Timbermoor Imp is out and about, disrupting the traditions of the town.
William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton,
Rabbit Owens ..... Louis Jay Jordan,
John Wayne ..... Stefan Adegbola,
Janice Wayne ..... Ellie Piercy,
Amy Lister ..... Charlotte East,
Piper Lawrence ..... Katie Redford,
Ginger Richards ..... Emma Handy,
Vaughan Richards ..... Luke Nunn,
Eddie/Mr Buttoner ..... Roger Ringrose,
Sally Mop ..... Jane Whittenshaw.
Producers: Marc Beeby and Jessica Dromgoole.
31 Oct: Saturday Play: Also Sprach Zarathustra
By Simon Scardifield and Andrew Day. The play explores interpretations and misinterpretations of Nietzsche's world-changing book. Also Sprach Zarathustra.....Zubin Varla,
Pride and Prejudice.....Clare Corbett,
On the Road.....Carl Prekopp,
Madame Bovary.....Olivia Ross; other parts played by Roger Ringrose, Charlotte East, Luke Nunn, Emma Handy, Simon Scardifield and Ian Dunnett Jnr. Producer Emma Harding.
1 Nov: Classic Serial slot - USA, 3
By John Dos Passos, cont. Dram. Robin Brooks from the USA trilogy: The 42nd Parallel, 1919 and The Big Money. Margo Dowling is a would-be actress, Charley Anderson is a working-man turned war hero, and Richard Savage is now Moorehouse’s right-hand man on Madison Avenue. The fates of the characters are resolved.
John Ward Moorehouse ..... Tom Bateman,
Eveline Hutchins ..... Hannah Genesius,
Janey Williams ..... Sheila Atim,
Richard Savage ..... Luke Thallon,
Margo Dowling ..... Genevieve Gaunt,
Charley Anderson ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong,
Agnes ..... Laurel Lefkow,
Frank / Doctor .... Eric Meyers,
Tony Garrido ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd,
Sam Margolies/ Jerry ..... Will Howard,
Mo Askew..... Christopher Ragland,
Tad Whittlesea..... Gabriel Freilich,
Nat Benton ..... Calam Lynch,
Doc Bingham ..... Robert G.Slade,
Myra Bingham ..... Lily Lefkow-Green,
Althea Bingham ..... Georgia Brown.
Other parts played by members of the company.
Producer - Fiona McAlpine.
Sound Design & Music Arrangement - Lucinda Mason Brown.
Production Manager - Lucy Barter. Indie (Allegra).
2 Nov: Tracks, series 5, Abyss, ep. 2
By Matthew Broughton. Helen and Freddy drive back from Scotland with possible proof that the sunken ship exists. But on the motorway they're being followed, and disaster awaits.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Amina.... Emma Fryer,
Rebecca.... Carys Eleri,
Frances.... Juno Robinson.
Produced by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
3 Nov: Franklin
Following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Harriet Glickman, a high school teacher in California, wrote to Charles M Schultz, creator of the USA's most widely published comic strip, 'Peanuts', about the possible inclusion of a 'Negro character' in the strip. ' What she suggested appealed to Schultz, but he also found it morally troubling. Based on a true story.
Charles Schultz ('Sparky') ..... Trevor White,
Joyce Schultz ..... Clare Corbett,
Morrie Turner/Ken ..... Danny Sapani,
Alan Saunders/Larry ..... Roger Ringrose,
Harriet Glickman ...... Charlotte East,
Teacher ..... Ian Dunnett Jr.,
Radio ..... Luke Nunn.
Written by Simon Bovey.
Produced by Marc Beeby.
4 Nov: Ayn Rand
By Sara Davies and Abigail Youngman.
1974. Ayn Rand, darling of the Alt-Right, and allegedly President Trump's favourite writer, has secrets she will never reveal. But her husband Frank just might. And now - after nearly forty years without contact, her sister Nora is coming to visit from the Soviet Union.
Ayn Rand is the inspiration behind the slogan 'Greed is Good'. She believed that 'rational self interest' should guide an individual's actions; that 'society' and altruism are evil, and that the State should not exist. For Rand, love consists of the 'selfish pleasure' of two individuals acting on reason. She chose her husband, Frank O'Connor, for his film-star looks and heroic aspect, but it's hard to live up to that image in real life. We meet members of Rand's household: husband Frank, her sister Nora, housekeeper Eloise and Rand herself, to to see if her ideas hold water. Includes an interview with writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan.
Ayn Rand...Diana Quick,
Nora Drobysheva...Tracy-Ann Oberman,
Frank O'Connor...Rupert Wickham,
Eloise Huggins...Kerri McLean.
Music by Tom Constantine.
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery.
5 Nov: Sunrise
By Amit Gupta. A play about India's proposed nuclear energy programme. Early one morning, Prakash is showing his research to Professor Akram, senior research scientist in India’s atomic energy programme. It’s brilliant, possibly ground-breaking, but Professor Akram is distracted. He is worried about a meeting taking place with a Government Minister about the direction of the atomic programme and which is causing him to doubt the work he has been pursuing; work which will be taken over by Prakash. Fifty years later, Prakash remembers the events of that momentous day.
Professor Akram - Vincent Ebrahim,
Prakash - Nikesh Patel,
The Government Minister - Neil d'Souza,
Dr Divya Mishra - Ayesha Dharker,
Sheena, daughter of Prakash - Sheena Bhattessa,
Studio Manager and Editor: Mark Smith,
Director: Nicolas Kent, Producer Nicholas Newton.
Indie (Promenade).
6 Nov: Meltdown
By Tessa Gibbs. A famous actress reaches the end of her tether with selfies and the pressures of celebrity. A comedy about fame and privacy.
Emily Sanders ..... Joanna Lumley,
Frank ..... Robert Glenister,
Tara ..... Claire Rushbrook,
Anita ..... Maggie Service,
Noah/The Fan ..... Ben Onwukwe,
Evan Davis as himself.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane.
7 Nov: Saturday Play - Bartholomew Abominations
By Paul Sirett. Collaboration between Naked Productions and disabled-led theatre company Graeae Theatre, recorded remotely. New version of Ben Jonson's classic. In the original,Ben Jonson criticises the narrow-minded puritanism of the early 17th century. This version reflects on disability discrimination and English nationalism of the early 21st century. The story is set in 2032, at an annual event where suitors must find the “perfect” partner or face deportation. This November is the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act.
Mrs Purecraft…….Liz Carr,
John………Jack Hunter,
Ursula…….Chloe Ewart,
Alice…………Stacey Ghent,
Tom………Stephen Collins,
Ned……….Michael Golab,
Best………..Garry Robson,
Hobbs…………..Mina Anwar.
Directors………… .Jenny Sealey and Polly Thomas.
Sound recordist….…..Louis Blatherwick.
Sound design and producer….Eloise Whitmore.
Original music ……………….Oliver Vibrans.
Sign Language Interpreters…..Caroline Richardson, Jeni Draper, Vikki Gee-Dare and Chandrika Gopalakrishnan.
Executive Producer……..Jeremy Mortimer'
Indie; Naked Productions/Graeae Theatre collaboration.
8 Nov: Classic Serial - Clash, ep. 1
By Ellen Wilkinson, one of the first female MPs and members of the cabinet. A political romance, set during the General Strike, looking at the clash between North and South, work and life, tradition and emerging roles. Joan Craig, the main character in the story, contains elements of Ellen's own life.
Kate O’Flynn plays Joan Craig,
Paul Ready ..... Tony Dacre,
Luke Nunn ..... Gerry Blain,
Jane Whittenshaw ..... Mary Maud Meadowes,
Roger Ringrose ..... William Royd,
Emma Handy ..... Helen Dacre,
Stefan Adegbola ..... Harry Browne,
Charlotte East ..... Factory worker,
Ian Dunnett Jnr ..... Chemical Worker.
Adaptation - Sharon Oakes.
Sound - Peter Ringrose.
Directors - Ciaran Bermingham and Jessica Dromgoole.
9 Nov: Tracks, Abyss, ep. 3
By Caroline Horton. Helen Ash receives a call from Eddy’s daughter Lucy - there is a survivor, she is sick, and Lucy is hiding her in her University halls of residence.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Lucy…. Kiran Sonia Sawar,
Joanna.... Beatrice Engel,
Naani… Sindhu Vee,
Frances…Juno Robinson,
Lead writer.... Matthew Broughton.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
10 Nov: Connections
Three short dramas from new writers - Anita Karla Kelly, Kathyryn Golding and Leanne Allen - starring Liz Carr, Chloe Ewart and Nadia Albina. Part of R4's Exploring Disability Through Art season, marking the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act. The dramas were written and recorded remotely during the spring lockdown as part of a five-part series of short dramas. The other two dramas were by Michael Southan and Shahid Iqbal Khan. Inspired by lockdown, we asked the writers to create dramas set in different kinds of isolation and to explore what positive connections can be made in difficult times. Many disabled and deaf people experience isolation; for such people the notion of isolation and how to survive/overcome it was not new.
1.Red Flags by Anita Karla Kelly A divorcee comes to terms with her new life, but trying to get rid of her wedding rings proves surprisingly difficult. Tina – Liz Carr, produced by Jenny Sealey
2.To the Stars by Leanne Allen
A young woman reaches out to her estranged mother, and inadvertently connects with a lonely stranger.
Tina – Liz Carr,
Cassie – Nadia Albina,
Produced by Polly Thomas.
3.My Time by Kathryn Golding
Sitting out lockdown by sorting out her cupboards, a woman finds old mixtapes which rekindle a friendship.
Lizzie – Chloe Ewart,
Directed by Polly Thomas.
Production Team: Script editor, Sarah Daniels, Directors: Jenny Sealey and Polly Thomas, Sound recordist, Louis Blatherwick, Sound design and producer, Eloise Whitmore. Executive Producer, Celia de Wolff. Connections was originally funded by the Audio Content Fund and broadcast on UK community radio. Indie (Naked production).
11 Nov: Keeping the Wolf Out - Mad Dog
By Philip Palmer. The return of Philip Palmer's crime drama set in Hungary in 1964. The fearsome former secret policeman Tibor Farkas is back in charge of the Ministry, where he is Franciska's new boss.
Bertalan Lazar ..... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar ..... Clare Corbett,
Tibor Farkas ..... Andy Linden,
Gyozo Novak ..... Carl Prekopp,
Florian Hevesi ..... Luke Nunn,
Sandor Boros ..... Stephen Greif,
Pathologist ..... Jane Whittenshaw,
Cop ..... Stefan Adegbola,
Mother ..... Emma Handy.
Produced by Toby Swift.
12 Nov: Keeping the Wolf Out - The Light of Dawn
Philip Palmer's crime drama continues. The murder of an infamous official in the Ministry changes everything for Franciska and her police inspector husband.
Bertalan Lazar ..... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar ..... Clare Corbett,
Gyozo Novak ..... Carl Prekopp,
Florian Hevesi ..... Luke Nunn,
Kulcsar ..... Roger Ringrose,
Sandor Boros ..... Stephen Greif,
Detective ..... Stefan Adegbola,
Billiards player ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr.
Produced by Toby Swift.
13 Nov: Keeping the Wolf Out - The Great Society
By Philip Palmer. Franciska continues to deny her involvement in a murder as her battle of wits with a CIA agent threatens her career.
Bertalan Lazar ..... Leo Bill,
Franciska Lazar ..... Clare Corbett,
Gyozo Novak ..... Carl Prekopp,
Florian Hevesi ..... Luke Nunn,
Kulczar ..... Roger Ringrose,
Draskovic ..... Ewan Bailey,
Prison Officer ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr.
Directed by Toby Swift.
14 Nov: Saturday Play - Thunderball
The ninth James Bond novel, by Ian Fleming, dramatized by Archie Scotney. Bond: Toby Stephens, Largo: Tom Conti, Blofeld: Alfred Molina, Domino: Janet Montgomery, Dr. Wain: John Sessions, Patricia: Lisa Dillon, Lippe: James Callis, Leiter: Josh Stamberg, Governor: Ian Ogilvy, 'M': John Standing, Miss Moneypenny: Janie Dee, 'Q': Julian Sands, Captain Clark: Nigel Lindsay, Petacchi/Dietl: Matthew Wolf, Sam: Alan Shearman, Beresford/Pilot: Darren Richardson, Kalyagin/Operator: Aaron Lyons, Santos/Officer: Simon de Deney, Ian Fleming: Martin Jarvis. Producer: Rosalind Ayres, Director: Martin Jarvis. Indie; Jarvis & Ayres production, 90m. Rpt from 2016.
15 Nov: Classic Serial - Clash, ep. 2
By Ellen Wilkinson, continued, ad. Sharon Oakes. Joan, the main character, is born into a working class family, fights for social equality but admires the world of ease and luxury represented by Mary Maud Meadowes and Tony Dacre.
Kate O’Flynn ..... Joan Craig,
Paul Ready ..... Tony Dacre,
Luke Nunn ..... Gerry Blain,
Jane Whittenshaw ..... Mary Maud Meadowes,
Roger Ringrose ..... William Royd,
Emma Handy ..... Bunny Royd,
Stefan Adegbola ..... Ben Lewis,
Charlotte East ..... Dolly,
Ian Dunnett Jnr ..... Alaric,
Cecilia Appiah ..... Sally.
Adaptation - Sharon Oakes.
Sound - Peter Ringrose.
Producers - Ciaran Bermingham and Jessica Dromgoole.
16 Nov: Tracks, Abyss, ep. 4
By Lucy Catherine. A strange cannister recovered from the sunken ship contains seeds from the global seed bank. Helen and Freddy head to Svalbard, a remote island in the Arctic circle, to find out more. As storm clouds gather, nothing is quite as it seems in the darkening North.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy… Jonathan Forbes,
Oskar … David Menkin,
Farouk... Amir El-Masry,
Henning... Dino Kelly,
Lead writer.... Matthew Broughton.
Directed by James Robinson.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
17 Nov: Dead Weather
Contemporary gothic thriller by Hattie Naylor. Samantha moves from London to rural Wales, but her composer husband abandons her for another woman: Freya, his childhood sweetheart. Sam is devastated and haunted by the memory of a place by the sea where Dylan wrote a sonata just for her. When a lost young crow turns up in her garden, Sam takes it in and nurtures it. But this act of compassion triggers a series of events which affects her profoundly.
Sam ….. Juliet Aubrey,
Dylan ….. Matthew Gravelle,
Freya ….. Claire Price,
Alwyn ….. Lloyd Meredith,
Ceri & Nerys ….. Megan Jones.
Music composed by Dan Jones and performed by Dan Jones and Jonathan Morton. Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams,
Mix ….. Steve Bond,
Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies,
Directed & produced by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
18 Nov: Cornerstone
By Kieran Knowles. Play about one woman’s epiphany (look it up). Katie has learnt to control the simmering anger which she feels at small everyday annoyances. But then her daughter announces she’s leaving.
Katie ….. Debbie Rush,
Phil ….. Ray Castleton,
Molly ….. Evie Killip,
Karen ….. Emma Handy,
Lauren ….. Charlotte East,
Customers ….. Roger Ringrose, Ian Dunnett Jnr and Luke Nunn.
Producer: Gemma Jenkins.
19 Nov: Redacted
By Hugh Costello. Political thriller, rpt from 2017. Twice a year thousands of confidential state files are released to the press and public- files that detail the workings of the British government of thirty years ago. If you want to know how Margaret Thatcher reacted to Islamic terror in Lebanon or how the Cabinet responded to the AIDS crisis then these are the documents you're waiting for. But some of those files will be disfigured by a black marker pen- they'll be "redacted". Secrets too sensitive, even thirty years on, will remain in the shadows. In this play, a senior civil servant notices the name of his wife at the bottom of an incriminating document. Jonathan: Nicholas Murchie, Monica: Greta Scacchi, Fiona: Lauren O'Neill, Shofi: Ashley Kumar, Justin: John Dougall, Derek: Christian Patterson, Lucas: David Reakes, Kitty: Alice Kerriganx. Producer: Alasdair Cross.
20 Nov: Blue Thunder
By Padraic Walsh. In small-town Ireland, a father and his two adult sons are holed up in a minibus for the night. There’s no escape when the home truths start flying. This play won the Innovation Award at the VAULT Awards in 2019. Padraic’s debut audio drama Foxes (prod. Peter Kavanagh) was shortlisted for Best Original Drama at the 2018 BBC Audio Drama Awards.
Brian ….. Gary Lilburn,
Dara ….. Stephen Jones,
Ray ….. Paul Reid.
Directed by Gemma Jenkins.
21 Nov: Saturday Play - Moonraker
Another James Bond story by Ian Fleming, ad. Archie Scottney. 1445 hrs. Rpt. from 2018. Winston Churchill sends Bond to protect the Moonraker rocket from the baddies. James Bond: Toby Stephens, Sir Hugo Drax: Sam West, Winston Churchill: John Baddeley, Moneypenny: Janie Dee, M; John Standing, Vallance: Jared Harris, Prof. Train: Patricia Hodge, Gala: Katherine Kingsley, Basildon/Krebs: Nigel Anthony, Meyer/Dr. Walter/Trimble: Simon de Deney, Movietone/Minister: Jon Glover, broadcaster: Ian Ogilvy, Brevett: Matthew Wolf, Countdown: Darren Richardson, Captain: Kenneth Danziger, Ian Fleming: Martin Jarvis. Producer: Rosalind Ayres. Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
22 Nov: Classic Serial: The Good Soldier
By Ford Maddox Ford, ad. Sebastian Baczkiewicz. John Dowell recounts the ‘saddest story ever told’, in which ‘good soldier’ Edward Ashburnham's sexual appetite leaves countless lives in ruins. Dowell is the voyeuristic husband of Florence, whose love affair with Edward ultimately ends in tragedy.
John Dowell…. Kyle Soller,
Florence Dowell…. Tonya Cornelisse,
Edward Ashburnham…. Patrick Baladi,
Leonora Ashburnham…. Fiona O’Shaughnessy,
Major Hazleton…. Mark Bonnar,
Nancy Rufford…. Ashna Rabheru,
Jimmy Doyle…. Ronan Summers,
Maisie Maidan…. Cecilia Appiah.
Directed by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
23 Nov: Tracks - Abyss, ep. 5
By Matthew Broughton. Knowing the co-ordinates of the sunken ship, Helen and Freddy head down beneath the waves in search of the truth. But dark secrets await them in the deep abyss of the ocean.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Valerie Peluso.... Juliet Cowan,
Barbara.... Barbara Flynn.
Directed by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
24 Nov: Billy Ruffian
By Lisa Osborne, and directed by her; rpt. In June 1815, Napoleon had been beaten at Waterloo and had fled to Paris. As the royalists took control of the city, Napoleon went to the coast hoping to escape to America. Captain Frederick Maitland, in charge of HMS Bellerophon, was given the job of observing events and of stopping him from getting away. Napoleon: Adrian Scarborough, Maitland: Arthur Darvill, Bertrand: Adam James, Mott: Sam Alexander, Madame Bertrand: Emerald O'Hanrahan, Baker Hawkins: Sam Dale, Lord Liverpool: Hugh Ross. Producer Karen Rose. Indie (Sweet Talk).
25 Nov:Where this service will terminate
By Katherine Jakeways, rpt (third broadcast). A relationship develops between two strangers on a train. Suzie: Rosie Cavaliero, David: Justin Edwards, Guard: James MacCallum, angry woman: Katherine Jakeways. Produced by James Robinson (BBC Wales).
26 Nov: Lanny
By Max Porter, ad. Oliver Emanuel. Ten year old boy, Lanny, and his mum and dad have recently moved to a village outside London. They are not fully accepted and the locals are suspicious of outsiders. The village is also the realm of Dead Papa Toothwort, a local mythical figure, who listens to the sounds and talk of the village. And to Lanny in particular. Then one day Lanny disappears.
Dead Papa Toothwort: Ron Cook,
Lanny: Jason Sparrow,
Jolie: Lucianne McEvoy,
Robert / Detective: Robin Laing,
Pete: Michael Nardone,
Villager and Laura: Ceciliia Appiah,
Villager / Detective: Charlotte East,
Villager 3 / Hack: Roger Ringrose,
Villager / Mrs. Larton: Jane Whittenshaw,
Villager / Publisher: Stefan Adegbola.
Sound design and music by Jon Nicholls.
Producer:Gaynor Macfarlane.
BBC Scotland.
27 Nov: Blame
By Mark Lawson. Lady Radebe, a retired member of the Supreme Court, is appointed by HM Government to head a public inquiry. She plans to operate the approach employed by Lord Justice Taylor’s 1989 first inquiry into football stadium safety after the Hillsborough disaster earlier that year. Taylor insisted on a rapid “interim report”, making recommendations for stadium safety; these were made and quickly implemented, and the inquiry moved on to allocate blame. This model has never been applied to any subsequent inquiry; governments and institutions prefer inquiries to be extremely slow so that fault and responsibility can be forgotten. Lady Radebe doesn't agree.
Lady Grace Radebe ..... Cecilia Noble,
Clerk to the Inquiry ..... Nickolas Grace,
Witness 1 ..... Haydn Gwynne,
Witness 2 ..... Tom Glenister,
Witness 3 ..... Jane Slavin,
Witness 4 ..... Philip Jackson.
Producer: Eoin O'Callaghan.
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling.
Sound Engineer: Wilfredo Acosta.
Sound Editor: Joe Bedell-Brill.
Indie (Big Fish).
28 Nov: Saturday Play: James Bond - Diamonds are Forever
Ian Fleming, ad. Archie Scotney. Another preposterous plot; diamonds smuggled out of British mines in Africa; 'ABC' is responsible. Bond is sent by MI6 to New York to see what's going on. He meets ice-cold, Tiffany Case. She stands between Bond and gang-bosses whose criminal diamond business stretches from Sierra Leone to Las Vegas. We have horse-racing scams, a car chase, a rigged card game, pursuit by locomotive - and probably a big fire and explosion at the end. Wonderful nonsense. 90m.
James Bond ..... Toby Stephens,
‘M' ..... John Standing,
Supt Harris ..... Nigel Havers,
Rufus B. Saye ..... Alan Shearman,
Tiffany Case ..... Lisa Dillon,
‘Shady’ Tree ..... Alex Jennings,
Felix Leiter ..... Josh Stamberg,
Ernie Cureo ..... Stacy Keach,
Mr Spang ..... Jared Harris,
Sammy ..... Kevin Daniels,
Rocky and Wint ..... Andre Sogliuzzo,
Kidd and the Sergeant ..... Darren Richardson,
Tingaling and Dentist ..... Matthew Wolf,
Voice of Ian Fleming ..... Martin Jarvis.
Other parts played by members of the cast.
Sound design: Mark Holden.
Original music: Mark Holden and Michael Lopez.
Director: Martin Jarvis.
Producer: Rosalind Ayres.
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres). Rpt from 2015.
29 Nov: Classic Serial slot -The Continuing Adventures of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Deceased)
By Sebastian Baczkiewicz; an original Western. It’s 1904. New Mexico. Legendary lawman Pat Garrett has grown weary and old. An altercation with President Roosevelt has left his future looking bleak; his present is awash with whisky, blood and bullets. He's haunted by a ghost from his past.
Pat Garrett ..... Sean Gilder,
Billy The Kid ..... Sam Swann,
Nancy ..... Madeline Appiah,
Benjy ..... Edward Hogg,
Clayton Claypole ..... Nathan Osgood,
President Roosevelt ..... Rolf Saxon,
Stubbenfield ..... John Guerrasio,
Maxwell ..... Caolan McCarthy.
Director: Helen Perry.
BBC Wales. Rpt from Jan 2016.
30 Nov: Tracks: Abyss, 6
By Katherine Chandler. An odd detail on the uniform of a drowned soldier leads Helen further down the rabbit hole. At a military base in North Wales she finds a new companion and a warehouse full of secrets.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Tec…. Dino Kelly,
Linda... Maria Pride,
Irene… Heather Craney,
The Assistant...Tom Mumford,
Frances… Juno Robinson.
Series created by Matthew Broughton.
Directed by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
1 Dec: Fare
By Tony Schumacher; his first radio play. Set in a taxi. The driver hopes that the next fare will be easy and hassle-free. But then a man and his girlfriend climb in; they are pushy and wearing nylon tracksuits and they pay him big money to drive around.
The Driver..... Mark Womack,
Mikey.............. Mike Noble,
Leanne......... Sade Malone,
The Kid........ Sacha Parkinson,
Producer.....Gary Brown
2 Dec: Where This Service Will Continue
By Katherine Jakeways. Romantic comedy, rpt from 2017. Fifteen months ago Suzie and David sat next to each other on a train journey from London to Penzance; both married, they shared a memorable five and a half hours. Now David tries to find Suzie. Sequel to "Where this Service Will Terminate". Suzie: Rosie Cavaliero, David: Justin Edwards, Lucy: Ashna Rabheru, Cashier: Sarah Ridgeway. Producer: as for play 1 (James Robinson), BBC Wales.
3 Dec: The Beneficial Owner
By Hugh Costello. A thought-provoking play about money laundering and the people who do it. A hard-up accountant is offered temptation ... Tony: John McAndrew, Karen (Kaz): Jane Slavin, Xenia: Emma Fielding, Laura: Melody Grove, Paul Finnegan: Lloyd Hutchinson, Rudy: Matt Rippy, News Reporter: Andy Verity. Producer: Eoin O'Callaghan. Indie (Big Fish)
Tony………John McAndrew
Karev (Kaz)……Jane Slavin
Xenia……… Emma Fielding
Laura…. Melody Grove
Paul Finnegan…..Lloyd Hutchinson
Rudy…..Matt Rippy
News Reporter....Andy Verity
4 Dec: London Particular, 1
By Nick Perry. A child in an East End garden plays with an imaginary friend. One day she goes to the bottom of the garden and never returns. A homeless man desperately tries to stay awake, believing that whenever he falls asleep he wakes up in a different century. A London Underground maintenance engineer walks the two miles between adjacent stations in less than four minutes.While travelling on the Tube one afternoon, Alice sees for a moment a man who might be her missing brother.
Alice . . . . . Scarlett Brookes,
Alan . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Mum . . . . . Jane Whittenshaw,
Lizzie . . . . . Emma Handy,
Dorian . . . . . Roger Ringrose,
Simon . . . . . Joseph Ayre,
Kelechi . . . . . Stefan Adegbola,
Stefania . . . . . Charlotte East,
Isaac . . . . . Aaron Gelkoff.
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.
5 Dec: Saturday Play slot: Passenger List, 1 & 2
1445 hrs. By John Dryden, Lauren Shippen and Sam Dingman. Mystery thriller. A missing plane, a cabin full of suspects. Suspicious of the official versions of events, Kaitlin Le begins her own investigation into the disappearance of Atlantic Flight 702, and with it, her twin brother. Episode 2 was broadcast later that afternoon at 1525. Continued next Saturday.
Kaitlin Le...Kelly Marie Tran,
Dylan...Colin Morgan,
Ana Gavanski...Dolya Gavanski,
Mai Le...Elyse Dinh,
Valarie Vennix...Wendy Brown,
Greg Ford...Ian McQuown,
Gate Attendant....John Scott Dryden,
Airport Security...Ayeesha Menon,
Evelyn...Anjli Mohindra,
Colleague...Heather Craney,
Bratva...Hugo Rehaan Dryden,
Interpreter...Noemi Sanchez Milan,
Mayor or New York...Mark Harelik,
Kirsty & Waitress...Julia Adamo,
Helen McPherson...Tessa Auberjonois,
Jennifer Wong...Marie-France Arcilla,
Ground Control...Carl Prekopp,
Zahid Nejem...Pej Vadat,
Frank Garza...Richard Tanner,
Donna Nejem...Kelsey Venter,
Dolores...Kathleen Early,
Imam Kassab...Sean T. Krishnan,
Henry Jackson...Adam O'Byrne,
Muslim TV Show Guest...Alex Brown Marshall,
Flight Attendant...Lauren Shippen.
Original Music by Mark Henry Phillips.
Created, co-written and co-directed by John Scott Dryden.
Co-written and co-directed by Lauren Shippen.
Additional Writing by Sam Dingman.
Script Editor - Mike Walker.
UK Producer, Emma Hearn.
US Producer, Julie Thompson.
US Production Assistant, Julia Adamo.
US Casting by Janet Foster.
Indie (Goldhawk).
6 Dec: Classic Serial slot: iPromise
By Martin Jameson. A play about a quantum cryptocurrency robbery, and a thriller exploring the illusory nature of money itself. Rebecca is in trouble. She’s hacked into US mainframes and brought the eastern seaboard to a standstill. She’s driven by principle and she’s the very best at what she does. Then she's offered 494 million’s worth of missing iPromises - a brand-new cryptocurrency.
Rebecca ("Bit" & "Infinity Bit" ….. Tamara Lawrance,
Kevin Straw ….. Jonathan Forbes,
Tinaya ….. Skye Lourie,
Leon ….. Gunnar Cauthery,
Emir & Clive ….. Nabil Elouahabi,
Frank & Grimmur Ekkert ….. Danny Sapani.
Other characters voiced by the cast.
Sound design ….. Adam Woodhams.
Mix ….. Steve Bond.
Executive producer ….. Sara Davies.
Directed & produced by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
7 Dec: Tracks: Abyss, 7
By Matthew Broughton. Helen gives up on her quest and hides away with Frances in her old house in Pembrokeshire.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Older Frances.... Scarlett Courtney,
Frances.... Juno Robinson.
Directed by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
8 Dec: Lennon: A Week in the Life
By Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, adapted by Lizzie Nunnery. Dick and Ian were writers of 'The Likely Lads' and 'Porridge'.
This play is set in December 1980, at John Lennon's memorial service in Liverpool. hen only forty people turn up to John Lennon's memorial service in Liverpool, his old friend and promoter Sam Leach is forced to act. A true story, using fragments of reportage, interviews with Lennon, the true story of the Beatles' first promoter, plus fictional stories of two young people whose lives were transformed by the concert. Billy Butler stars as himself.
Sam Leach ..... Tony Maudsley,
Joan Leach ..... Joanna Monro,
Debbie Leach ..... Lauren O'Neil,
Janine Hobday ..... Laura dos Santos,
Morris Tate ..... Bruce Alexander,
Clive Inch ..... Craige Els,
Kenny Stratton ..... John Shortell,
Carol Stratton ..... Alison Pettitt,
Billy Butler ..... Billy Butler,
Traynor ..... John Biggins,
Jonesy ..... David Seddon,
Homeless man ..... Rufus Wright,
Wooldridge ..... Nigel Hastings.
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole.
9 Dec: Where This Service Will Connect
By Katherine Jakeways, rpt. Third episode of this occasional romantic comedy series. Five months after they last met, Suzie turns up unannounced at David's office. She's wearing last night's clothes, her make-up is smeared, hair bedraggled. She asks to see David. He's not expecting her. It's nearly two years since they sat next to each other on a train journey, and they've only ever met twice. Suzie: Rosie Cavaliero, David: Justin Edwards, Joe: Richard Nicholls, Receptionist: Katherine Jakeways. Producer: James Robinson. BBC Wales.
10 Dec: Operation Crucible
Operation Crucible, by Kieran Knowles, was originally a stage play about the Sheffield Blitz during WW2, based on fact. On 12th December 1940 the city suffered 9 hours of bombing as the Luftwaffe sought to destroy its heavy industry. The drama gives the experience of 4 fictional steelworkers who fled to the Marples Hotel. Bob: Salvatore D'Aquilla, Tommy: Matthew Wilson, Arthur: Joseph Ayre, Phil: Ross Anderson, Elaine and Martha: Kerry Gooderson, Foreman and Dad: John Lightbody. Producer: Toby Swift. Rpt. from 2018.
11 Dec: London Particular, 2
By Nick Perry. Whilst investigating a strange encounter with her missing brother on the London Underground, Alice is contacted by a group of time-travel enthusiasts who are documenting London’s hidden gateways to the past. Late one night, they return with Alice to the "ghost station" where she saw her brother. She is transported to a bygone era where she learns something about her own identity.
Alice . . . . . Scarlett Brookes,
Alan . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Jill . . . . . Charlotte East,
Jackie . . . . . Jane Whittenshaw,
Lizzie . . . . . Emma Handy,
Doctor . . . . . Roger Ringrose,
Simon . . . . . Joseph Ayre,
Kelechi . . . . . Stefan Adegbola,
Pianist: Peter Ringrose.
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.
12 Dec: Saturday Play - Passenger List, 3
Created by John Dryden; ep. written by Kevin Rodriguez & Lauren Shippen. Episode title: Psychic Witch. Atlantic Airlines flight 702 has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York with 256 passengers on board. Kaitlin Le, a college student whose twin brother vanished with the flight, is determined to uncover the truth.
Kaitlin ..... Kelly Marie Tran,
Mr Lapeer ..... Nathan Osgood,
Mrs Lapeer ..... Lorelei King,
Nurs ..... Gabby Brooks,
Kaitlin ..... Kelly Marie Tran,
Dolores ..... Kathleen Early,
Martin Dobbs ..... Richard Doyle,
Beatrice ..... Lauren Shippen,
Kein (Kaitlin’s Father) ..... George Nyugen,
Chuck ..... Adrian Latourelle,
William Schroeder ..... Kristian Bruun,
Mia ..... Patti LuPone,
Air Stewards ..... Lauren Shippen & Steve Basaula,
Passenger filming ..... Mark Henry Phillips.
Script Editor, Mike Walker.
US Casting, Janet Foster.
US Producer, Julia Thompson, assisted by Julia Adamo.
UK Producer, Emma Hearn.
Editing, Sound Design & Music by Mark Henry Phillips.
Directed by Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden.
Executive Producers: Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden
Executive Producer for Radiotopia – Julie Shapiro.
Indie (Goldhawk), for Radiotopia/PRX & R4.
13 Dec: Classic Serial slot - Cheeta, My Life in Hollywood
By James Lever, adapted from the novel by Stef Penney, rpt. from 3 Nov 2018, when it was broadcast as the Saturday Play. Cheeta is the chimp who featured in many of the Tarzan adventures starring Johnny Weissmuller. Cheeta recalls his capture in the jungle and the training which followed. Cheeta: John Malkovich, Johnny Weissmuller and Tarzan: Julian Sands, Marlene Dietrich and other characters: Edita Brychta, Humphry Bogart and others: Enn Reitel, Errol Flynn and others: Darren Richardson, Dolores del Rio and others: Elisa Bocanegra. Producer: Kate McCall.
14 Dec: Tracks, Abyss, 8
By Matthew Broughton, 1400hrs.. As the search for Arca Island continues, Helen is offered fresh hope that her life could be saved.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Professor Manuel.... Peter Marinker,
Amina.... Emma Fryer,
Frances.... Juno Robinson.
Produced by James Robinson. BBC Wales.
15 Dec: Dot and the Russian Dossier
By Ed Harris. May, 1941. The future of the war hangs in the balance, and Dot has been selected for a most perilous mission. Ed Harris' witty wartime comedy sees Dot casting off the shackles of her desk job in the personnel department in Whitehall's War Rooms and entering the field of conflict.
Dot . . . . . Fenella Woolgar,
Myrtle . . . . . Kate O'Flynn,
Peabody . . . . . David Acton,
Archie . . . . . Carl Prekopp,
Sister Frances . . . . . Clare Corbett.
Editing . . . . . Peter Ringrose.
Producer. . . . . Sasha Yevtushenko.
16 Dec: Where This Service Will Separate
By Katherine Jakeways. Rpt. from May 2019. Episode 4 of the occasional romantic comedy about a couple who met a while back on a train and who, after that, have encountered each other in two other dramas. This time they're at a funeral. Suzie's husband, from whom she was separated, has just died, and her erstwhile partner, David, has arrived to give her some support. Unfortunately he's not known to any of her family. Suzie: Rosie Cavaliero, David: Justin Edwards, Josh: Luke Nunn, Gareth: Michael Bertenshaw, Pam: Katherine Jakeways. Producer: James Robinson.
17 Dec: Close Both Eyes
By Matthew Graham, whose previous radio play was "Jayne Lake".
For Julie Salander, the internet vlogger Patrick Starr is just another online psychic who thinks he can speak to the dead. But then one day out of the blue, he rings her up.
Julie Salander – Fiona Shaw,
Patrick Starr – Toby Jones,
Woman In Crowd – Lucy Russell,
Darren – Christian J Wilde.
Writers – Matthew Graham and Sam Graham.
Sound design – Alisdair McGregor.
Director – Kate Rowland.
Producer – Russell Finch.
Indie (Somethin' Else Productions).
18 Dec: London Particular, 3
By Nick Perry. Alice is stuck in London three generations ago. Her bizarre adventure still seems to make no sense, but she continues looking for her brother.
Alice . . . . . Scarlett Brookes,
Alan . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Morris . . . . . Joseph Ayre,
Jack . . . . . Stefan Adegbola,
Jill . . . . . Charlotte East,
Isaac . . . . . Aaron Gelkoff,
Churchill . . . . . Roger Ringrose,
Mum . . . . . Jane Whittenshaw,
Lizzie . . . . . Emma Handy.
Pianist: Peter Ringrose.
producer: Sasha Yevtushenko.
19 Dec: Saturday Play: Passenger List, 4: Cyberspace
Episode by Lauren Shippen & Mara Wilson. The guilty client, the twin brother and his lover, how to hack a plane...Atlantic Airlines flight 702 has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York with 256 passengers on board. Kaitlin Le, a college student whose twin brother vanished with the flight, is determined to uncover the truth.
Kaitlin ..... Kelly Marie Tran,
Mia ..... Patti LuPone,
Thoma ..... Colin Morgan,
International War Tribunal Judge ..... Philip Desmeules,
Begovic ..... Nathan Osgood,
British Police Detective ..... Becci Gemmell,
Police Officers ..... Carl Prekopp, Eben Figueiredo, Fode Simbo,
Agent Gerard ..... Nicole Stedwell,
Roberto Manalo ..... Nick Massoub,
Mai (Kaitlin’s Mother) ..... Elyse Dihn,
Kein (Kaitlin’s Father) ..... George Nyugen,
Agent Saurez ..... Richard Tanner.
Created by John Scott Dryden.
Script Editor, Mike Walker.
Casting, Janet Foster.
US Producer, Julia Thompson.
Assisted by Julia Adamo.
UK Producer, Emma Hearn.
Editing, Sound Design & Music by Mark Henry Phillips.
Directed by Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden.
Executive Producers: Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden.
Executive Producer for Radiotopia, Julie Shapiro.
Indie (Goldhawk). Made for Radiotopia/PRX (USA) and BBC.
20 Dec: Classic Serial slot - The Haunting of M.R. James
By Neil Brand. Each Christmas, M.R. James would read a creepy tale to his Cambridge students. In this drama, horrific events from those stories are echoed in reality.
M.R. James ..... Mark Gatiss,
Gwendolyn MacBryde ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Jack Pownall ..... Ryan Whittle,
Dr. Luxmoore ..... Gerard McDermott,
Davey Steadman ..... Cameron Percival,
Sellerman ..... Ronny Jhutti,
Jukes ..... Michael Bertenshaw,
Grant ..... Tony Turner,
Thomas Herrick ..... Ewan Bailey,
Dr. Cameron ..... Chris Harper,
Webb ..... Sam Dale,
Student ..... Lewis Bray.
Director: David Hunter.
21 Dec: MON 14:00 Tracks: Abyss, 9
By Matthew Broughton; final episode. As time runs out for Helen, the truth about Arca Island is revealed and she's offered a difficult choice.
Helen… Olivia Poulet,
Freddy…. Jonathan Forbes,
Amina.... Emma Fryer,
The Architect.... Siân Phillips,
The Reporter.... Kathy Clugston,
The Medic.... Stefan Adegbola,
Frances.... Juno Robinson.
Produced by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
22 Dec: From Shore to Shore
By Mary Cooper with MW SunAudio; adaptation of the touring theatre show revealing the complex lives of migrants from China. Mary Cooper and multilingual collaborator MW Sun worked with Chinese communities in Leeds and West Yorkshire, where some people spoke for the first time of events which had shaped their lives and which had not been told before; not even to their children.
Cheung Wing/Old Tyke/Bailiff - Ozzie Yue,
Young Cheung Wing - Hayden Zhenxi Yu,
Adolescent Cheung Wing/Bob/Doctor - Paul Chan,
Mei Lan/Neighbour/Teacher - Michelle Yim,
Yidi/Kam Fa - Luna Dai,
Yidi's Ma/Ma/Por Por/Mei Lan's Ma - Alice Lee,
Yidi's Dad/Trader/Uncle/Mei Lan's Dad - Windson Liong.
Directed for theatre by David Tse for On The Wire Theatre.
Produced and directed for BBC Audio by Pauline Harris.
23 Dec: Where This Service Will Depart
By Katherine Jakeways, rpt. Episode 5 of the occasional series about a couple who met on a train. As he leaves the country to start a new life in the USA, Suzie discovers that her surprise mission to join him doesn't go to plan.
Suzie .…. Rosie Cavaliero,
David .…. Justin Edwards,
Julia .…. Pippa Haywood,
Check-in Person/Security Officer/Passenger .…. Sargon Yelda,
Ticket Person/Make-up Woman/Air Steward .…. Katherine Jakeways.
Produced by James Robinson.
BBC Wales.
24 Dec: The Moon That Night
By Mark Lawson, rpt. On Christmas Eve, delayed by traffic, a family of four arrives just in time for the Christingle service at the 14th century Anglican church beside their second home, a country cottage, where they plan to spend Christmas. When they get to the cottage, they find the lights are on. Inside is a single mother and her child.
Anthony – Tim McInnerny
Emily - Juliet Aubrey
Ruby - Macy Nyman
Rufus - Tom Glenister
Rev Julie - Amaka Okafor
Tess - Jeany Spark
Producer: Eoin O’Callaghan.
Indie (Big Fish)
25 Dec: Christmas by the Lake
Two dramas today: First one (2.15 pm) is by Rachel Joyce. Walter is 68 and Mary is 64. It's in the park that Mary first spots him; he's drowning in the lake and she calls for help. When she returns a few days later, Walter is there and berates her for interfering - all he was trying to do was learn to swim. It's a bad beginning but then their conversation begins. They both hate Christmas and they have both experienced loss.
Mary ….. Niamh Cusack,
Walter ….. Robert Lindsay,
Helen ….. Cecilia Appiah.
Producer: Tracey Neale.
Second drama (4pm) was STAR CHILD
Based on an original play by Patrick Barlow, adapted by him with the assitance of Clemmie Reynolds. Patrick, as you may be aware, wrote the National Theatre of Brent plays. This is a new nativity story; a comedy drama. A magic star appears in the sky, a lonely village seamstress meets an anxious angel and a kindly donkey, two shepherds go on a dangerous mission, three bickering wise women bring news to a paranoid, psychotic king and a bolshie girl gives birth to a baby. It stars Jim Broadbent, Maggie Steed, Sophie Thompson, John Ramm and newcomers Robert Lennon and Nell Barlow. Cast details:
God & Herod – Jim Broadbent,
Gabriel, Innkeeper & Shem – John Ramm,
Sara, Lilith & Angel – Maggie Steed,
Mary & Shabnan – Nell Barlow,
Joseph, Steward & Ham – Rob Lennon,
Parsley, Sushila & Babbling Brook – Sophie Thompson,
Children – Louie, Bonnie, Sonny, Noah & Beatrix Barlow.
Director: Patrick Barlow.
Producer: Liz Anstee.
Indie (Cpl Productions).
26 Dec: Saturday Play: The Sleeper and the Spindle
By Neil Gaiman, ad. Katie Hims. A new tale drawing on traditional folk stories, interweaving Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. In her mountain kingdom, a soldier-Queen prepares for her wedding day. But three dwarves, guardians from her childhood, arrive briging news of a sleeping sickness speading over the land. As a girl she survived her own long, magical sleep, so she puts on her armour and rides to the heart of this new plague to find its source and save her people. 55m.
Dame Penelope Wilton ….. The Narrator/The Old Woman,
Gwendoline Christie ….. The Queen,
Neil Gaiman ….. The Home Secretary,
Ralph Ineson ….. The First Dwarf,
Stefan Adegbola ….. The Second Dwarf,
Ian Dunnett Jnr ….. The Third Dwarf/The Prince/ The Tinker/The Woodcutter,
Cecilia Appiah ….. The Pot Girl/ The Young Girl/ The Mother,
Emma Handy ….. The Maid/The Other Woman/ The Stepmother,
Roger Ringrose ….. The Father/The Innkeeper/ The Bandit,
Milton Dighton ….. The Child,
Directed and produced by Allegra McIlroy.
Recorded remotely by Sharon Hughes and John Benton.
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes.
BBC Audio North.
27 Dec: Classic Serial slot - Passenger List, 5 - Inoperative Operative
By Lauren Shippen & Kevin Rodriguez. A familiar song, a friend unmasked, a rogue agent... final episode.
Kaitlin ..... Kelly Marie Tran,
Don Malone ..... Ray McAnally,
Chad ..... Ian McQuown,
Thomas ..... Colin Morgan,
Jim Dennison ..... Rob Benedict,
Phone Voices ..... Alene Latimer, Avery Monsen, James McCarthy, Phoebe Stonebraker & Jon Bershad,
Karen ..... Mary Gordon Murray,
Professor Marshal ..... Richard Doyle.
Created by John Scott Dryden.
Script Editor, Mike Walker.
Casting, Janet Foster.
US Producer, Julia Thompson.
Assisted by Julia Adamo.
UK Producer, Emma Hearn.
Editing, Sound Design & Music by Mark Henry Phillips.
Directed by Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden
Executive Producers - Lauren Shippen & John Scott Dryden
Executive Producer for Radiotopia – Julie Shapiro.
Indie (Goldhawk), for Radiotopia/PRX and BBC Radio.
27 Dec: Anansi Boys, 1 of 6
By Neil Gaiman, ad. Dirk Maggs; rpt. from Xmas Day 2017. Late night slot (11.30pm): Mythical fantasy about the trickster god Anansi and his son Fat Charlie. Other episodes: Mon-Fri: ep.2 (28 Dec 11.30pm), ep.3(29 Dec 11.30pm), ep.4(30 Dec 11.30pm), ep.5 (1 Jan 21, 11.30pm), ep.6 Saturday Play slot, 2 Jan 21, 3.00pm (60m). Total running time 3½ hours. Cast for series: Earl Cameron, Tanya Moodie, Adjoa Andoh, Joseph Marcell, Jacob Anderson, Lenny Henry, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Sheila Atim, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Cecilia Noble, Angela Wynter, Ariyon Bakare, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Danielle Vitalis, Ronke Adekoluejo, Clifford Samuel, and Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong.
Sound Design ..... Wilfredo Acosta, Producer: Allegra McIlroy.
28 Dec: Antic Hay
By Aldous Huxley; dramatised by Mike Harris. Part of 'Electric Decade', a series of classic titles characterising the Jazz Age of the 1920s. When inspiration leads Theo Gumbril to design pneumatic trousers to ease the discomfort of a sedentary life, he decides to give up teaching and seek his fortune in London. But his dreams seem to disappear as he gets caught up in the world of his self-absorbed friends. A satire on the hedonism of the 1920s.
Theo..................James Cooney,
Myra..................Emily Pithon,
Coleman...............Jonathan Keeble,
Lypiatt...................Simeon Truby
Shearwater............Graeme Hawley,
Emily.......................Verity Henry.
Producer/Director Gary Brown.
29 Dec: Lena Marsh, Live and Shticking!
By Jeremy Front. A festive action comedy. She's Big, She's Brash, She's Still Breathing and She's Here! Lena Marsh is the self-proclaimed, 'Broad of Broadway'. Now in her 9th decade she's in London to record a new christmas album at the BBC, with the help of her showbiz chums including Michael Ball, Sharon D Clarke and Kevin Whately.With a son and daughter who both want their mother dead, what could possibly go wrong?
Guest cameos from Michael Ball, Kevin Whately and Sharon D Clarke.
Rebecca Front as Lena Marsh, with
Jeremy Front,
Samantha Spiro,
Jenny Bede,
Lewis Macleod,
Jason Forbes.
Guest cameos from Michael Ball, Kevin Whately and Sharon D Clarke.
Producer: Simon Nicholls.
BBC Studios Production.
30 Dec: Wasteland
By Ed Harris. A new comedy set in the world of Brighton Seafront refuse collection. Blake, an idealist, is determined to clean up the sea front. Are his methods too unusual?
Blake ..... Matt King,
Cromwell ..... Michael Bertenshaw,
Diana ..... Cecilia Appiah,
Wilf ..... Simon Scardifield,
Long Pete ..... Hasan Dixon,
Jaws ..... Jane Whittenshaw,
Agent ..... Charlotte East,
Frankenstein ..... Ian Dunnett Jr.
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole.
31 Dec: That Dinner of '67
By Tracey-Ann Oberman, with David Spicer. In 1967, as race riots swept the streets of America and the Supreme Court considered a landmark case about interracial marriage, Hollywood director Sidney Kramer started filming Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner about a pair of young lovers - one black, one white - seeking the blessing of their concerned parents before getting married. He had assembled Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Kate Hepburn, with Hepburn’s niece Katharine Houghton making her film debut. This was a light-hearted film about a serious subject. It was also to be Tracy and Hepburn’s final film together; Spencer was terminally ill.
Spencer Tracy - Kenneth Branagh,
Sidney Poitier - Adrian Lester,
Stanley Kramer - David Morrissey,
Katharine Houghton - Daisy Ridley,
Kate Hepburn - Tracy-Ann Oberman,
Ray - Matt Addis.
Producer: Liz Anstee.
Indie (CPL productions).
Repeats: 138 out of 365 in 2020. 100th repeat for the year was on 4 Sept.
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
