Pauline Harris Radio Plays

Pauline is a multi-award winning producer/director, receiving over 25 national and international awards in audio drama. She’s also a documentary producer.

Pauline has been producing radio plays in Manchester since 1997. The titles below represent a small fraction of her work. When asked back in 2004 on 'Producers' Choice' to introduce her five favourite productions, she chose the following:

Listen To Your Parents by Benjamin Zephaniah (14 Nov 00)
The Kon Tiki Two Expedition by Richard Cameron (25 Jun 03)
Little Lives by Kate Atkinson (5 May 03)
The Big Marrow by Carina Rodney (28 May 03)
Depth of Field by Matthew Dunster (26 Jul 01)

She co-created, and produced/directed the epic 25-hour Emile Zola series: Blood Sex and Money for R4 written by Dan Rebellato, Oliver Emanuel, and Lavinia Murray broadcast from 2015 – 2018.

Other noteworthy productions include:

The Amazing Maya Angelou by Patricia Cumper, Janice Okoh, and Winsome Pinnock. Maya published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Pauline produced a podcast series of the entire Maya Angelou memoirs.

Red Earth, Red Sky by Janice Okoh, based on a true story. R4, a 45m drama. 70-year-old Paul is kidnapped at gunpoint whilst travelling from England to Nigeria to bury his sister.

The Pursuits of Darleen Fyles by Esther Wilson, 2010 – 2020; a series about a young married couple with learning disabilities.

Antigone by Jean Anouilh, Radio 3. This starred Sean Bean in his first audio drama for 25 years, along with Rosy McEwan.

A few other plays produced by Pauline are listed below, with notes about some of them further down the page:

14.02.22:Patterdale, by Paul Jones,
27.01.22:Bangla Bantams, by Kamal Kaan and Mary Cooper.
16.06.21:The Citadel, by C Reason & T Needham, based on A.J.Cronin
16.02.20:A Not-Nice Girl, by Chris Reason, inspired by Zola
13.02.20:Zola, 5: Art (rpt from 2025)
08.02.20:Blood, Sex & Money: - Animals by Dan Rebellato, after Zola
24.10.19:Red Earth, Red Sky, by Janice Okoh
12.08.19:Father's Land in Mother's Tongue, by Kamal Khan
09.07.18 My Mother's Daughter, by Becky Prestwich
16.02.18 The B Towns, play 3, by Michael Stewart
08.02.18 The Archivist, by Kellie Smith
06.03.15 The Mark, by Karen Brown
24.01.15 The Song Of Hiawatha, by Longfellow
13.01.15 Can't Live Without You, by Kellie Smith
05.12.14 The Beautiful Ugly, by Lavinia Murray
27.11.14 Homeowners, by Kellie Smith
28.08.14 A Meeting with Dora Russell, by Don Shaw
18.08.14 The Vicar, the Automaton and the Talking Dog, by Lavinia Murray
31.07.14 Imagining some Fear, by Ellen Dryden
30.06.14 Who Cares? by Peter Mills
28.05.14 The Dying Wish, by Rosemary Kay
04.01.14 The Old Man and the Sea, by E.Hemingway
28.09.13 The Million Pound Bank Note, by Mark Twain, dram. Bryony Lavery
17.04.13 The Second Son, by Peter Whalley
11.04.13 Once upon a time there was a Beatrix, by Lavinia Murray
01.03.13 Confessions of a Medium, by A.L.Kennedy
01.02.13 Stone, Heart of Darkness, by Gurpreet Bhatti
24.01.13 The disappearance of Jennifer Pope, by Mike Harris
09.04.12 The Judas Burner
05.10.12 The Trial
12.10.12 Power in Crimpsea
07.12.12 Something Wicked This Way Comes, ad. Diana Griffiths
16.10.11 Silas Marner, by George Eliot, in 2 episodes, ad. R.Cameron
11.01.11 I Before Bee
04.01.11 43 Letters, by Rony Robinson
12.11.10 Women of an uncertain age, by R.Robinson and Sally Goldsmith
12.07.10 A Kind Of Loving, by Stan Barstow; 50th anniv production, 10x15m
06.05.10 Can't Live Without You, by Kellie Smith
15.04.10 The Disappearance, by Peter Whalley
13.04.10 Highgate Letters, by Jeff Young
14.01.10 Solace, by Andrea Earl
09.11.09 Gilda and her Daughters, by Carine Adler
31.07.09 The Political Fraudster, by Mike Harris
13.06.09 J'Accuse, by Hattie Naylor
12.04.09 Therese Raquin, Classic Serial, by Zola, 2 eps, dram. Diana Griffiths
29.07.08 The Tiger Hunt (based on life of Wm. Blake)
08.06.07 The Prospect, by Gary Brown
16.03.07 The Longest Journey, by Peter Whalley
14.01.07 Germinal, Classic serial, by Zola, 3 eps, dram. Diana Griffiths
04.04.05 Lessons for the loveless
09.02.05 The lives and loves of Lorenzo da Ponte
14.02.04 Man of all work
29.01.04 The Old Wives' Tale (Arnold Bennett)
15.01.04 Sally go round the moon (Natalia Power)
06.09.03 Whistle Down The Wind, by Hayley Bell, dram. Diana Griffiths
12.07.03 Fair Maids are Shining, by Nick Wood
05.05.03 Little Lives, by Kate Atkinson
05.12.02 Poor Echo, by Matthew Dunster
08.02.02 Satisfaction Guaranteed, by Isaac Asimov
28.11.01 Always the bridesmaid, by Noel Greig
16.10.01 Brave Swimmer, by Noel Grieg
01.08.01 Henry's Leg, by Ann Pilling
17.05.01 The Blackpool Detective, by Peter Whalley
20.04.01 The Missing Wife, by Peter Whalley
19.01.01 Where're you walk, by Alan Pascoe (Fri play)
07.01.01 A Reign of Stones, by Wole Soyinka
01.02.00 Have I Enough? by Carmen Watson

NOTES

14 Feb 22: Patterdale
By Paul Jones, a recent Alfred Bradley Award winner. As Tommy Whelan runs away from his foster family, through the streets of Liverpool, his mind is full of fractured moments, memories and fantasies. In a stream of consciousness we hear and see what he does, and get glimpses of his life and imagination and the people closest to him, and discover why he desperately needs to get back to his Nan. Tommy - Oscar Tyndall, Sophie - Gillian Kearney, Nan - Eithne Browne, Grandad - Neil Caple, David/Football commentator - Liam Tobin, Thomas/Judge - Paul Duckworth, Policewoman/Julie - Keddy Sutton, Emily - Nancie Thomas, Cully - Harley Harrison, Smigger - Sonny Lackey. Sound by Sharon Hughes. Produced by Pauline Harris. Drama North.

27 Jan 22: Bangla Bantams
By Kamal Kaan and Mary Cooper. The drama focuses on a fictional family, based on the true story of how a Bradford women's community group became part of the Bangla Bantams supporters group for Bradford City Football. When Nessa's son-in-law suggests that her Ladies group comes to watch live football matches, she thinks he's crazy. Not so Farida. Nessa - Sudha Bhuchar, Farida, her friend - Nina Wadia. Producer - Pauline Harris.

29 Nov 21:Father's Land in Mother Tongue
By Kamal Kaan. Drama set in Bangladesh. After the death of her mother, Bradford-born Mya travels with her father to her parents' village in Bangladesh for the first time. She longs to re-connect to her mother's past. What Mya doesn't anticipate is the discovery of family secrets going back to the Liberation War of 1971, when Bangladeshis fought for independence from Pakistan. Mya ..... Bhavna Limbachia, Zain ..... Richard Sumitro, Lovely / Nani ..... Ayesha Dharker, Zahid / Train Guard / Police Officer ..... Ikky Elyas, Producer .... Pauline Harris

16 Jun 21: The Citadel
Series 8, ep. 1: by Chris Reason and Tom Needham. Based on the novel by AJ Cronin. Today's episode is set over 24 hours, where both doctors deal with unexpected events; Dr. Denny is shocked to receive a visit from a former soldier from his past, and worries that a potential epidemic is about to strike the valley, whilst Dr. Manson finds himself in a luxurious flat with an attractive woman. Continues tomorrow. Dr. Andrew Manson ...... Richard Fleeshman, Phillip Denny ........ Matthew Gravelle, Christine Manson ........ Catrin Stewart, Frank Trevithick ...... Carl Prekopp, Arthur Greenwood ......Conrad Nelson, Mrs. Roberts /Receptionist ..... Kath Weare, Eleanor/Bronwyn ......Emily Pithon, Gwyneth...... Charlotte Sienna Lee. Producers: Pauline Harris and Gary Brown. Directed by Pauline Harris.

16 Feb 20: 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.

13 Feb 20: 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.

8 Feb 20: 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.

24 Oct 19: Red Earth, Red Sky
By Janice Okoh. Based on a true story; 70 year old Paul had a dream in London where his sister, Evelyn, asked him to take her back to Agbor, their town of birth. The next morning he received a call saying his sister had died in Lagos. Paul sets off for Lagos but something unforeseen happens. With 190 million people mostly at poverty level in Nigeria, kidnappings began as a protest against the rich oil workers. Now it has grown into a business. On average there are seven kidnappings a day. The play is based on events which happened to a relation of the writer who was kidnapped in 2017. Two people were killed and the case remains unsolved. Paul - Nonzo Anozie, Carol/Evelyn -Joan Iyiola, Chinedu/Sunny - Peter Bankole, Deborah - Susan Aderin, Ovo- Seun Shote, Franklyn - Adam Courting. Produced by Pauline Harris.

12 Aug 19: Father's Land in Mother Tongue
By Kamal Khan. Mya travels to Bradford to Bangladesh accompanied by her father. Secrets are revealed about the Liberation War of 1971. Mya: Bhavna Limbachia, Zain, her father: Richard Sumitro, Lovely and Nani: Ayesha Dharker, Zahid, railway guard and the police: Ikky Elyas. Producer: Pauline Harris.

9 Jul 18: My Mother's Daughter
By Becky Prestwich; about the difference between idealised images of motherhood compared with the reality.Mother: Sue Johnston, daughter: Christine Bottomley, Simon: Graeme Hawley, Poppy: Freya Pollard, Rory: Michael Peavoy. Producer: Pauline Harris.

13 Mar 18: When Last I Saw You
By Peter Whalley, rpt. from 2015. Psychological thriller; a young woman believes she has found the man who attacked her five years earlier. Jane: Lyndsey Marshal, Mike: Graeme Hawley, Neil: Will Ash, Cath: Nicola Ferguson, detective: Kate Coogan. Producer: Pauline Harris.

16 Feb 18: The B Towns - Connor's Song
By Michael Stewart. Two mothers, from Poland and from Yorkshire, are hit by devastating news. Michelle: Siobhan Finneran, Amanda: Angela Lonsdale, Dad: Seamus O'Neill, Ruth: Mille Rose Kinsey, Halina: Aneta Piotrowska, Brandon: Nico Mirallegro, pianist: Simon Hoban. Producer: Pauline Harris.

8 Feb 18: The Archivist
By Kellie Smith, rpt. was described in Radio Times as a psychological thriller. I'm not so sure; 'suspense' might be a better description, and it had a few things to say about social media and its effect on our lives. Ben starts to film his family for his personal archive which is, in itself, fairly harmless. However he then shares everything on Facebook and elsewhere. He can't spend a day without videoing something and then sharing it with the world. His partner, Clare, gets sick of it and imposes a ban. Unfortunately Ben is addicted and can't stop; he finds a workaround and continues as before. Will Clare find out? Ben: Adam Nagatis, Clare: Christine Bottomley, John: Henry Devas, Nadia: Fiona Clarke. Producer: Pauline Harris.

THE BEAUTIFUL UGLY....2014
By Lavinia Murray. 5 Dec 14. An imagined day in the life of Hans Christian Andersen as a child, combining fact with fantasy. Christian ..... Ellis Hollins, Merman ..... Jonathan Keeble, Mother ...... Fiona Clarke, Ice Maiden ..... Kathryn Hunt, Father ...... Seamus O'Neil. Producer - Pauline Harris.

HOMEOWNERS....2014
27 Nov 14. By Kellie Smith. When Kate and Mark move into their new home, they find that the previous owners haven't moved out.

THE VICAR, THE AUTOMATON AND THE TALKING DOG....2014
By Lavinia Murray. 18 Aug 14. A day in the childhood of Alexander Graham Bell; a mixture of fact and fantasy. Produced by Pauline Harris.

IMAGINING SOME FEAR....2014
By Ellen Dryden. 31 Jul 14. Emma is a woman who has trouble sleeping because she has nightmares. She moves out of London when she inherits a lonely country cottage, but the nightmares continue,until she starts to uncover the secrets of the person who left her the property. Emma ..... Lyndsey Marshal, Abigail ..... Anna Francolini, Neil ..... Jonathan Keeble, Pamela ..... Ellen Dryden. Producer ..... Pauline Harris.

WHO CARES?....2014
30 Jun 14. A play about illicit loves and the insidious nature of cover-ups. By Peter Mills; his first radio play, though he has written for TV.

THE SECOND SON....2014
By Peter Whalley; 17 Apr 13. Psychological drama. A son tracks down his estranged father, only to find that someone has beaten him to it.

STONE, HEART OF DARKNESS....2013
By Gurpreet Bhatti; 1 Feb 2013. A schoolgirl's body is found in the poor part of town.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JENNIFER POPE....2013
By Mike Harris; 24 Jan 13. Written in collaboration with Dave and Stefan Pope. The story of the disappearance of an English nurse in Ecuador, and how her husband and sontracked down her abductor. Dave and Stefan spend a year in a country full of poverty and corruption, where they barely speak the language, but with determination they finally achieve their objective - justice. Dave Pope ........... Reece Dinsdale, Stefan Pope .......... Matthew McNulty, Jennifer Pope ......... Kate Layden, Marco Chaves .......... Oliver Miceli, Clifford Craig .........David Fleeshman, Hostel Owner .................... David Fleeshman, Fiscal of Banos .........Javier Marzan, Producer .........Pauline Harris.

THE TRIAL....2012
By Peter Whalley. 5 Oct 12. Falling in love with a stranger has never been scarier: A gripping new thriller. Vibrant, young, attractive, Mollie Spiers, signs up to internet dating. When the man she arranges to meet looks suspicious she spontaneously sits next to another man, Colin, and hurriedly asks him to pretend they're on a date. Molly and Colin fall for each other and what seems like serendipity turns into a chilling thriller. As Mollie falls headlong in love Colin is arrested on a murder charge. As we inter-cut between murder trial and action, Mollie's own life is in danger. Mollie ........Tracy Wiles, Colin ........ Graeme Hawley, Paul ....... Stephen Fletcher, Sarah ........ Natalie Grady, Prosecuting Counsel ...... Jonathan Keeble. Producer .......Pauline Harris.

THE JUDAS BURNER....2012
By Jeff Young. 9 Apr 04. Past and present collide when an old man refuses to leave his home, which is due for demolition: He looks back to his past and finds strength and meaning in a wild, strange ritual of his childhood. The burning of an effigy of Judas Iscariot was performed every Good Friday in an area of Liverpool known as The Dingle. This evocative, romantic and defiant drama is an elegy for the death of a way of life. The voices of real people who used to take part in the ritual are woven into the drama.

43 LETTERS ....2011
4 Jan 11; by Rony Robinson. Julia and David work together in the family archives. One day a mysterious envelope arrives for David, with letters from 43 women, all answering a lonely hearts advert he didn't place.

WOMEN OF AN UNCERTAIN AGE....2010
By Rony Robinson and Sally Goldsmith. When a mutual friend dies, Clare, Heather and Kat throw caution to the winds and pursue what they really want in their middle age, as opposed to what they think they should want. A funny, touching play about what it is really like to survive the menopause. Heather ..Deborah Findlay, Clare...Alwyne Taylor, Kat ..Gaynor Faye, Clare's Mother..June Broughton, Greg...Chris Jack, Piano performed by Paul Janes, produced by Pauline Harris and directed by Polly Thomas.

A KIND OF LOVING .... 2010
12 Jul 10; dramatised in 10 fifteen-minute episodes by Diana Griffiths. 50th anniversary production.

HIGHGATE LETTERS....2010
13 Apr 10; by Jeff Young. A quirky comedy about life in Highgate, North London.

SOLACE....2010
By Andrea Earl, 14 Feb 10. Maggie, a middle-aged mother and grandmother is becoming hooked on prescription drugs.

GILDA AND HER DAUGHTERS.....2009
By Carine Adler, 9 Nov 11. Comedy drama about a mother and her three daughters who gather at their family home after the death of the father.

THE POLITICAL FRAUDSTER....2009
By Mike Harris, 31 Jul 09. MP Bobby Khan has his sights set on a ministerial post, but things don't go quite to plan. Bobby's mother Elizabeth is also delivered a shock which changes the family dynamics forever.

J'ACCUSE....2009
By Hattie Naylor, 13 Jun 09. Dramatisation inspired by a newspaper article written by Emile Zola in response to the Dreyfus Affair of the 1890s, when a Jewish army officer was persecuted and wrongly imprisoned by the French military and judicial establishment.


The Tyger Hunt (sic)....2008
29 Jul 08. Lavinia Murray's play imagines a surreal day in the life of the young William Blake. With a runaway tiger on the loose, William is out with his sketch pad to capture the magic of a truly enchanting and extraordinary afternoon.
William ...... Barney Clark
Mrs Blake/Mary Capper/Smock race runner ...... Pippa Haywood
Mr Blake/Broadsheet yeller/Innkeeper ...... David Fleeshman
Tol Tiddle Doll/Matchstick seller ....... Jonathan Keeble
Ann Capper/Corncutter ...... Kathryn Hunt
Dog/Drunk/Bellows mender ...... Seamus O'Neill
Music consultant: Philip Tagney.
Produced by Pauline Harris.

THE PROSPECT.....2007
8 Jun 07. Political drama by Gary Brown. MP Bobby discovers the truth about businessman Paul Deacon and his involvement in the murder of a local man.

THE LONGEST JOURNEY....2007
By Peter Whalley. 16 Mar 07. A man picks up a female hitch-hiker. Both of them are concealing a secret. A murder has been committed - but who's the victim and who's the murderer?

LESSONS FOR THE LOVELESS....2005
By Richard Cameron. 4 Apr 05. Four disaffected teenagers and their drama teacher are putting together a play based on the speech from "As You Like It", on the Seven Ages of Man. Crises of different kinds hit each of the characters. We hear their thoughts as they sort themselves out. With Robert Pickavance, Rachel Brogan, Charlie Ryan, Rhea Bailey, Elliott Tittensor. Producer-Director Pauline Harris.

THE LIVES AND LOVES OF LORENZO DA PONTE....2005
9 Feb 05. Lorenzo was Mozart's librettist, but he had a zest for life which enabled him to pack three lifetimes' experiences into his 70-odd years. He was raised in obscurity but found his way into the priesthood, and his life was full of intrigue and adventure. By Paul Dodgson. With Gerald Harper, Robert Pickavance, Bertie Carvel, Paul Dodgson (as Mozart), Tom George, Alexander Delamere, Julie Routhwaite, Adam Paulden. Afternoon play, 45m.


Man of all Work....2004
By Richard Wright, 14 Feb 04. Saturday play. Just how far will a man go to provide for his family? Richard Wright's very funny play centres on Carl, a black man in 1950s America struggling to make ends meet for his family.

Turning on its head the view held by some whites that 'blacks all look the same', Carl adopts the name of his wife, Lucy, and poses as a female maid, securing a position in a white family. The performance is all too convincing for the father of the house, who tries to make Carl submit to the sexual advances that have driven away his predecessor. Through the wife's outrage, which turns to violent retribution, Carl identifies the articulation of race and gender that characterises this period of America's history.

Carl ...... Paterson Joseph
Dave ...... John Sharian
Lucy ...... Nicola Hughes
Rosie ...... Josie Kook-Clark
Henry ...... Anton Rice
Anne ...... Barbara Barnes
Revised for radio by Lavinia Murray.
Produced by Pauline Harris.


The Old Wives' Tale....2004
By Arnold Bennett, 29 Jan 04. 15 episodes, 15m each.

Constance ...... Gillian Kearney,
Samuel Povey ...... Ian Dunn,
Daniel Povey ...... Declan Wilson,
The Narrator ...... Philip Jackson,
Mr. Critchlow ...... Stephen Critchlow,
Maria Inshull ...... Rachel Atkins,
Dramatised by Stephen Wyatt,
Directed by Pauline Harris.


Sally Go Round The Moon....2004
15 Jan 04. By Natalia Power. A chilling short drama. 11pm. Are the pressures of her job the reason Sally is hearing the voice of a child which no-one else can hear? Or is she being haunted?
Sally ...... Jaimi Barbakoff
Voice ...... Jessica Crossley
Laura ...... Rachel Atkins
Receptionist ...... Frances Jeater
Stacey Wilson ...... Ioan Meredith
Simon ...... David Thorpe
Pianist and Musical Director: Clement Power
Director: Pauline Harris.

The Kon Tiki Two Expedition by Richard Cameron....2003
25 Jun 03. The residents of a mental hospital try to build their own 'Kon Tiki' and sail it on a lake in the grounds.

The Big Marrow by Carina Rodney....2003
28 May 03. The Shelby family face challenges great and small in Carina Rodney's play about dreams and despair.

Little Lives by Kate Atkinson....2003
5 May 03. Alannah plans for her retirement, her allotment and perhaps a course in Italian conversation. So why does she feel apprehensive?

Depth of Field by Matthew Dunster
26 Jul 01. Michael is an 18-year-old with an obsession with crisps and rock group Nirvana, and has a mild form of autism, known as Asperger's syndrome. The play explores how he copes with unexpected events: his best friend is pregnant, and he has witnessed a family deceit. With Lee Ingleby, Elizabeth Spriggs, Marsha Thomason and Russell Dixon.

Listen To Your Parents by Benjamin Zephaniah.....2000
14 Nov 00. The story of a ten-year-old boy from Birmingham who lives with a violent father, coping only with the aid of his talents for poetry and football. With James Smith, Charlie Ryan, Flo Wilson and Burt Caesar.

Compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website

Most of above plays known to exist in VRPCC collections

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