Radio 3 Drama, 2021

Drama on 3 – 2021

Sundays

This is now finished....

ND / 4 Jul 2022

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-01-03

19:30 - Drama on 3

I Told You I Was Ill

A tribute to Spike Milligan, rpt.
In 2018, the centenary year of his birth, this was a special homage to Spike Milligan. Three writers respond to Milligan's style, his work, his legacy. Hosted by comic poet and singer John Hegley.
1. Going, Going, Goon by Toby Hadoke - Spike is called to a Heaven he doesn't believe in, in a synthesis of fact, fantasy and supposition.
2. 2 Clowns, 1 Trumpet by Lee Mattinson - combines clownery and childhood in a bizarre birthday party.
3. Deadline by Jessica Hynes. Hynes stars as a writer on the edge of a nervous breakdown as she attempts to reach her deadline. Performed live at the University of Hull's Middleton Hall in 2018 as part of 'Contains Strong Language', a season of poetry and performance from Hull. Jessica Hynes, Mark Heap, Pippa Haywood, Stephen Wight, Jonathan Keeble, Toby Hadoke, Connor Elliott, Fiona Clarke, Trumpeter - Simon Desbruslais.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-01-10

19:30 - Drama on 3
Peking Noir

Presented by Paul French
By Sarah Wooley

Whatever anyone declared categorically about Shura Giraldi, someone else insisted on the exact opposite. Shura was handsome and beautiful; Shura was kind and good, Shura was exploitative and evil. Shura was just another struggling White Russian refugee trying to get by in 1930s China; Shura was the heart and brains of a gang that ran clubs, sex workers, illicit booze and drugs, when not robbing banks and stealing gems to fence in Shanghai. Shura loved ballet and cabaret, creating the Shura Giraldi Dance Troupe that topped the bill at all the best Peking nightclubs.

Shura sometimes presented as male and sometimes as female. When passing as a man Shura bound his breasts tightly and wore a sharp tailored suit; when she was a woman she wore startlingly coloured robes, both Chinese-style cheongsam and Western dresses, letting her raven hair flow loose, said witnesses. Shura had added an incredibly massive layer of confusion and obfuscation to anyone looking by changing gender. Switching for anonymity, for commercial gain or criminal advantage, for love, for a whim.

Shura . . . . . Maggie Bain, Zaichek . . . . . Leo Wan, Roy . . . . . Daniel York Loh, Leopard . . . . . Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Tatiana . . . . . Charlotte East, Anton . . . . . Luke Nunn, Marie . . . . . Cecilia Appiah, Saxsen . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr, The MC . . . . . Roger Ringrose, Anna . . . . . Jane Whittenshaw, Editing and sound design by Peter Ringrose. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-01-17

19:30 - Drama on 3
Arden of Faversham

Rpt from 2019. In 1551 in Tudor England, Alice and her lover Mosby conspire with hired killers to murder Alice's husband Arden. This anonymous play is the first example of a brutal true crime story on the English stage and resonates with our contemporary fascination with all things 'noir'. Based closely on Holinshed's detailed account of the murder, it was first published in 1592. Arden ..... Ewan Bailey, Alice ..... Amaka Okafor, Mosby ..... Samuel James, Michael ..... Tom Forrister, Greene ..... Simon Ludders, Franklin ..... Philip Fox, Black Will ..... Ben Crowe, Shakebag ..... Sion Pritchard, Clarke ..... Ryan Whittle, Lord Cheiny ..... John Telfer, Bradshaw ..... John Norton, Susan ..... Olivia Marcus, Original music composed by Lucy Rivers, Musicians: James Ifan, Hannah McPake, Dan Messore, Mark O'Connor, Elin Phillips, Lucy Rivers & Aidan Thorne, Adapted and directed by Alison Hindell. BBC Wales.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-01-24

19:30 - Drama on 3
Rotterdam

In Jon Brittain's Olivier-winning comedy about gender, sexuality and transitioning Alice is about to email her parents when her girlfriend drops a bombshell. Rpt. from 2018. Fiona/Adrian ..... Felix Moore, Alice ..... Jeany Spark, Lelani ..... Lucy Phelps, Josh ..... Paul Heath, Director: David Hunter.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-01-31

19:30 - Drama on 3
The Brummie Iliad

The Brummie Iliad, by Roderick Smith. This high-octane verse-dramatisation of Homer's epic poem tells the story of the Trojan War from the death of Patroclus to Achilles' terrible revenge and its tragic aftermath. With a cast of Brummie voices, who perfectly capture the essence of the ancient oral tradition and bring fresh life to the original. The Birmingham accent is not normally associated with the classical world's epic poetry, but its hard-edged, cynical and wistful qualities turn out to be a perfect vehicle for a story of blood-thirsty warriors, long-suffering women and meddling Gods. Music from Birmingham's own Heavy Metal Rock Gods, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Homer ..... Roderick Smith, Achilles ..... John Light, Zeus ..... Kevin McNally, Thetis ..... Annette Badland, Patroclus ..... Nicolas Tennant, Hector ..... Joe Dixon, Priam / Ajax / Agamemnon /Odysseus ..... Mark Spalding, Iris / Andromache..... Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Athena / Cassandra ..... Helen Adie, Pyraechmes / Glaucus / Hephaestus ..... Pushpinder Chani, Apollo / Menelaus / Xanthus ..... Jack Loxton, Antilochus / Sarpedon ..... Simeon Blake-Hall, Chorus 1 / Hecuba ..... Doña Croll, Chorus 2 / Hera ..... Susie Riddell, Chorus 3 / Hermes ..... Chris Nayak, Directed and Produced by Fiona McAlpine, Adaptation for Radio by Robin Brooks, Sound by Lucinda Mason Brown, Indie (Allegra Productions)

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-02-07

19:30 - Drama on 3
The Blackwood

'The Blackwood', a new drama born out of Jacob Polley's book Jackself, extends the story of boyhood friends in a world both recognisably modern as well as starkly folkloric and weird. It recounts the journey of two boys through spaces real and rumoured, through the great forest of Blackwood, where voices and music weave alternative histories of boyhood, troubled friendship and the north of England. There is a haunting soundscape created by John Alder. Narrator ... Jacob Polley, Jeremy Wren ... Ashley Margolis, Jackself ... Kyle Gardiner, Music composed and played by John Alder. Directed by Susan Roberts. Part of Radio 3's showcase of new audio plays at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Recorded with an audience at the BBC's newly created prefab drama studio at the Summerhall arts venue.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-02-14

19:30 - Drama on 3
The Last of the Volsungs

Drawn from one of the best-known Icelandic sagas, a powerful dramatisation of the tragic story of Sigurd Volsung and Brynhild, the woman he loves, With an introduction by the author. By Melissa Murray. Sigurd .... David Sturzaker, Regin ..... David Schofield, Gunnar ..... Carl Prekopp, Hod ..... Gerard McDermott, Gudrun ..... Lyndsey Marshal, Brynhild ..... Abbie Andrews , Sadhbh ..... Isabella Inchbald, Arvid ..... Clive Hayward , Alf ..... Rupert Holliday-Evans, Hjordis ..... Kath Weare, Warriors ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, Gary Duncan, Philip Bretherton. Directed by Marc Beeby.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-02-21

19:30 - Drama on 3
French like Faiza

Faiza is French of Algerian descent and moves to London hoping to reset her life. She has never felt truly accepted in her own country and arrives in Britain eager to escape a sense of exclusion she believes unique to France. In the wake of a painful break-up she is also open to the romantic possibilities this new city might offer. But when she meets Mehdi, a British Pakistani, Faiza soon discovers that Britain is far from the land of butterflies and rainbows she had imagined. By Ilana Navaro with Sudha Bhuchar and Nicolas Jackson. Faiza '.. Laila Alj, Mehdi '.. Navin Chowdhry, Elsa '.. Jade Matthew, Afrine ..' Sophie Khan Levy, Deepika '.. Hussina Raja, Prema ..' Sudha Bhuchar, Paul '.. Will Howard, Echo '.. Liz Sutherland-Lim, Atif '.. Danny Ashok, Sabrina '.. Adelia Esteve Richard, Elias '.. Djan Miske Navaro, Salma and Adele '.. Fatima Adoum, Nico '.. Yves Heck, Executive producer, Sara Davies, Mix,Steve Bond Sound design, Adam Woodhams, Produced and directed by Nicolas Jackson. Indie (Afonica).

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-02-28

19:30 - Drama on 3
Song of Myself

Rpt. from 2016 (and 2017). Orson Welles read Whitman's trailblazing poem for the BBC Third Programme in 1953. In a new reading of the poem, Welles's voice is interwoven with readings from a small cast of acclaimed actors - Michael Sheen, Clarke Peters, Julianna Jennings, Kyle Soller and Eleanor Bron. Introduction from poet Mark Doty. Reader ................... Orson Welles Writer ................... Walt Whitman Other readers: Michael Sheen, Julianna Jennings, Kyle Soller, Clarke Peters, Mark Doty. Producer .... Emma Harding.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-03-07

19:30 - Drama on 3
Mabinogi - Part 2

Adapted by Lucy Catherine
From the Red Book of Hergest, these are the tales of the Mabinogi. The return of the fantasy adventure series, based on the iconic work of medieval Welsh mythology. In the aftermath of the bloody war between Wales and Ireland, Brigid lies dying in the arms of her foster brother, Pryderi. She awakes in the Otherworld, struggling to make sense of her own death. While, in the living world, Pryderi discovers a way to cross realities and get Brigid back. In this second series we continue our adventures through myth and legend. Series one is available on BBC Sounds.

The tales of the Mabinogi form the earliest prose stories of Britain. Written around the 14th Century, the stories actually come from much earlier; they developed out of oral traditions.and were compiled in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was a time when the Welsh were struggling to keep their independence after the Anglo-Norman conquest. The stories tell of a mythical pre-Saxon era of Medieval Wales. This is a land of magic; of dragons, fairies and giants It's a land of romance and tragedy, adventure and fantasy. Lucy Catherine gives these stories a modern flavour while remaining true to the vivid magic of Celtic mythology. Brigid'... Aimee Ffion Edwards, Pryderi'... Darragh Mortell, Arawn'... John Cording, Matholwch'... Stephen Hogan, Bran'... Robert Pugh, Roisin'.... Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Manawydan'... Matthew Gravelle, Pwca'... Sion Pritchard, Directed by James Robinson and John Norton. BBC Wales.

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BBC Radio 3 - 2021-03-14

19:30 - Drama on 3
Mabinogi - Part 3 (final)

Adapted by Lucy Catherine, following episodes from the last 2 weeks and also from 2019 ... Brigid must now return to the living world to confront her mother Roisin. Pryderi has lost his soul and isn't much use. Her only other help comes from Pwca, a tiny fairy. The three return to reality to find it greatly changed.. Brigid- Aimee Ffion Edwards, Pryderi- Darragh Mortell, Arawn- John Cording, Roisin- Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Pwca - Sion Pritchard, Mam - Eiry Thomas, Deryn - Saran Morgan, Bran the Blessed - Robert Pugh, Manawdan - Matthew Gravelle. Producers: James Robinson and John Norton. BBC Wales.

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21 Mar 21 The Meaning of Zong
Giles Terera stars in his own debut play about the massacre aboard the slave ship Zong in 1781, and how uncovering its story galvanised the growing Abolition movement in the UK. Olaudah Equiano (Gustavas Vassa) ….. Giles Terera, Granville Sharp ….. Samuel West, Ama/Rachel ….. Moronke Akinola, Riba/ Elijah ….. Gloria Obianyo, Miss Greenwood/Joyi ….. Akiya Henry, Ottobah Coguano/ Stubbs ….. Michael Balogun, Pigot /The Manager ….. Nikesh Patel, Lee/The Officer ….. Sule Rimi, James Kelsal/The Bishop ….. Paul Hickey, Lord Mansfield ….. Michael Bertenshaw. Score by Jon Nicholls, with Giles Terera, and the company with Amanda Wilkin. Percussion ….. Sola Akingbola. Sound design… Jon Nicholls, Director….. Tom Morris, Producer ….. Jonquil Panting. Indie; a Jonx Production for BBC Radio 3, in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic.

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28 Mar 21 Constellations and Elegy
By Nick Payne. Tonight we bring you two of his plays. Both explore science, time and love.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and George MacKay star in Constellations, a play about a relationship that plays out in multiple different ways in parallel universes. Marianne and Roland meet at a party. They hit it off, and go for a drink. Or do they? Perhaps they come together and their love story unfolds, or perhaps it's tragically cut short? The play explores how even the smallest change can significantly alter the course we take. It is a spellbinding exploration of the infinite possibility for heartbreak or for hope. Marianne . . . . . Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Roland . . . . . George MacKay.

Elegy stars Juliet Stevenson, Deborah Findlay and Marilyn Nnadebe. Two women have made a choice between love and survival. Lorna and Carrie met in later life and married. But now they are facing the possibility of their relationship disintegrating. Lorna's brain has been afflicted by an degenerative disease. Her partner Carrie is faced with a decision: to submit her wife to an experimental new treatment which risks erasing Lorna's memory of their relationship. Lorna . . . . . Juliet Stevenson, Carrie . . . . . Deborah Findlay, Miriam . . . . . Marilyn Nnadebe. Producer: Sasha Yevtushenko.

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4 Apr 21 The Fishermen
By Chigozie Obioma, one of Africa's major new voices, in an adaptation by Gbolahan Obisesan, from the stage version. The play is set on the banks of the river in Akure, Nigeria. Two brothers, Ben and Obembe, reunite after eight years, and retell the story of their Igbo childhoods in southern Nigeria in the mid '90s. The fishermen are the two children themselves, alongside their two older teenage brothers. The boys become haunted upon hearing Abulu the village madman’s terrifying Macbeth-like prophecy. The story that follows charts a family tragedy. Ben/Mother ..... David Alade, Obembe/Father/Boja/ Ma Iyabo ..... Valentine Olukoga, Ikenna/Abulu/Pastor Collins/Police Officer/Mr Bode ..... Michael Ajao. Director, Jack McNamara. Producer, Polly Thomas. Assistant Producer, Ravelle-Sadé Fairman. Original music by Adam P McCready. Sound design by Paul Cargill. Executive Producer, Eloise Whitmore. Indie (New Perspectives and Naked Productions).

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11 Apr 21 No drama

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18 Apr 21 Killer
By Eugene Ionesco. Sam Berringer, in pursuit of happiness, moves to the exquisite city of Radiance – he is delighted with his new home, and even happier when he meets and falls in love with Dani. But then he discovers there is a killer on the loose. The citizens seem reluctant to confront this threatening reality. He comes up against collective refusal to acknowledge the darkness, coupled with mindless group behaviour. Sam Berringer ..... Toby Jones, The Architect ..... Liz Carr, Dani ..... Christine Bottomley, Edward/Killer ..... Toby Hadoke, Mother Goose/House ..... Amanda Wilkin, Police officer/Screen ..... Owen Whitelaw. The production team: Director/Producer ... Polly Thomas, Recording engineer... Nick Scripps, Sound design/Producer... Eloise Whitmore, Executive Producer... Celia de Wolf.Indie (Naked Productions).

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25 Apr 21 The Phlebotomist
By Ella Road. Debut play. Bea meets Aaron. He’s intelligent, handsome, makes her laugh and, most importantly, has a high rating on his genetic profile. What’s not to like? Char has two degrees and is on the brink of landing her dream job but her rating threatens it all... In a world where health, wealth and happiness all depend on a single blood test, dictating everything from bank loans to dating prospects, phlebotomy reigns supreme. Adapted from Ella's stage play. Rpt. from 2019. Bea - Jade Anouka, Aaron - Rory Fleck Byrne, Char - Kiza Deen, David - Mark Lambert, with Claudia Cadette and Edward Wolstenholme. Directed by Sam Yates. Executive Producer: Frank Stirling. Indie (7digital).

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2 May 21 No drama

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9 May 21 Folk
By Nell Leyshon.A playabout a name familiar to all who have an interest in genuine folk music: Cecil Sharp. Louie Hooper lives with her sister on the Somerset Levels, and knows over 300 folk songs by heart. Cecil Sharp, who is down from London and staying in the village, overhears one of the songs. He immediately recognises its importance and is determined to gather as many songs as he can, before they are lost in the new industrialised and literate world of music halls and ballad sheets. Louie thinks of her songs as free and changeable, owned and sung by the people. Sharp thinks the songs can be caught and arranged, saved for posterity, but he also believes they will inspire a new classical English music, and a new sense of pride in England. Cecil Sharp co-founded what is now the English Folk Dance and Song Society and was at the heart of the first folk revival in the early 20th century, collecting around 5000 songs from singers in England and America.

The idea for the play came from an exhibition which told the stories of some of the singers. Writer Nell Leyshon discovered that Sharp had collected songs from the village she grew up in and that all his work had begun in Hambridge, a village nearby. Sharp collected many songs from Louie, who had an extraordinary feel for music. In an old interview recorded by the BBC, Louie described how she heard music everywhere, in the birds and in the rain falling on the roof. The play is set at the time when a village was a whole world and contained everything needed - when Nell grew up in Somerset, it was still common to meet people who had hardly left her village. People still had traditional haymaking rituals including song.

Folk was originally commissioned by The Hampstead Theatre but is unstaged, as of yet, due to the pandemic LOUIE HOOPER - Amanda Lawrence, LUCY - Amanda Wilkin, JOHN ENGLAND - Stuart McLoughlin, CECIL SHARP - Simon Russell Beale. Musical Director - Gary Yershon. Directed by Susan Roberts.

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16 May 21 Angela
'Angela' is the first autobiographical play by leading dramatist Mark Ravenhill. Written during lockdown specifically for radio, the play centres on his mother, Angela, at the age of 84 and suffering with dementia, looking back across her life. This production was originally created for Sound Stage, by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in association with Naked Productions.

Mark Ravenhill said: “With the death of my mum in 2019, I was drawn for the first time to write an autobiographical play. I was particularly interested to explore the way culture high and low had impacted on Mum's life and our lives as a family. The play is constructed around a series of encounters with children's literature, classical ballet, amateur theatre and popular song - encounters that shaped my mum's sense of self and her relationship with me. Both my parents are from working-class backgrounds which gives a specific turn to their relationship to culture and to me. As I thought about a form that could move swiftly in time and location and between inner thought and outer action, I realised that this was best written as a radio play. I feel it's the most 'radio' of the radio plays that I've written…”

The drama intercuts between Angela in her old age, her memories and mind failing her, and her youth; growing up, falling in love, moving away from her roots as the world of amateur dramatics welcomed her, her struggle with post-natal depression, the challenges of her own aspirations, and motherhood. The play is set against Mark’s experience of beginning to learn his lifelong passion of ballet, in his fifties.

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23 May 21 Welcome to Iran
By Nadia Fall, artistic director of Theatre Royal Stratford East. Nadia weaves an imagined narrative together with real-life stories to construct a snapshot of culture and life in modern Iran. Ava is a twenty-something dual heritage, British Iranian. Following the death of her estranged Iranian father, she journeys to Iran in search of his past and to connect with her family. Exploring this often misunderstood country, Ava is swept into a world of raves, raids and illicit love, all whilst negotiating family politics, Tehran traffic and the morality police. Ava … Maimuna Memon, Fatemeh… Karina Fernandez, Reza… Nicholas Karimi, Leila… Isabella Nefar, Aunty Soraya … Souad Faress, Waiter/Aligula…Moe Bar-El, Roya…Nalan Burgess, Elnaz…Serena Manteghi, Carpet Dealer/Taxi Driver/Akbar…Joplin Sibtain, Tehran policeman… Dana Haqjoo, Other parts were played by members of the cast. Original songs by Maimuna Memon. Music by Maimuna Memon and Kareem Samara. Theatre Sound Design by Alexandra Braithwaite. Radio sound design by Adam Woodhams and Steve Bond. Assistant Director Sepy Baghaei. Produced by Jeremy Mortimer and Jack Howson. Executive Producers Joby Waldman and Bertie Carvel. Indie (Reduced Listening).

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30 May 21 Coriolanus
Shakespeare's portrayal of political turmoil. Coriolanus, a great martial hero, is banished by those he despises, the common people of Rome. Rpt. from 2019. Coriolanus . . . Trystan Gravelle, Volumnia . . . Diana Rigg, Menenius . . . James Fleet, Cominius . . . Paul Hilton, Sicinius . . . Tony Turner, Brutus . . . Joel MacCormack, Lartius . . . David Hounslow, Aufidius . . . Ray Fearon, Virgilia . . . Clare Corbett, Valeria . . . Susan Jameson, Gentlewoman . . . Franchi Webb, with Michael Bertenshaw, Kenny Blyth, Joseph Ayre and Christopher Harper. Introduction by Natalie Haynes. Directed by Marc Beeby.

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6 Jun 21 Terminal 3
By Lars Noren, Swedish playwright. Two couples sit in a hospital waiting room. One is here for the birth of their first child; the other has been asked to identify the body of their son. Introduced by English writer Simon Stephens. She ..... Norah Lopez Holden, He ..... Joseph Ayre, Man ..... Shaun Dooley, Woman ..... Jane Slavin, Guard ..... Philip Bretherton. Translation from the Swedish by Marita Lindholm Gochman. Directed by Toby Swift. 1 hour 19m.

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13 Jun 21 Inheritors
By Susan Glaspell. Adapted for radio by Samina Baig and introduced by Dr Laura Rattray, Reader in American Studies, University of Glasgow. The play starts in 1879 in the American mid-west. Wealthy landowner Silas Morton is being pressured by a young businessman to sell his land for a good price - land his ancestors stole from the Native Americans - but instead he donates it for the founding of a college, for the good of future generations. He's a progressive and an idealist, who wants his wealth to fund the education of young men and women.

We then jump forward to 1920. When two Indian students at Morton College are arrested and threatened with deportation, likely to result in their hanging, for speaking out against British rule in India, the college authorities condemn them as foreigners and revolutionaries, yet they are supposed to believe in freedom of speech as described by the American constituion. Grandmother.....Lorelei King, Felix Fejevary......Nathan Osgood, Madeline.....Samantha Dakin, Silas and his son Ira.....Clive Hayward, Jozsef Fejevary.....Stephen Critchlow, Senator Lewis.....Colin Stinton, Aunt Isabel.....Jane Slavin, Mr Smith/Emil.....Henry Devas, Young Felix/Horace....Joshua Riley, Doris.....Elinor Coleman, Bakhshish.....Shubham Saraf, Holden.....Tony Turner, Harry.....Stewart Campbell. Directed by Tracey Neale.

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20 Jun 21 Lorenzaccio

By Alfred de Musset. Often referred to as the French Hamlet, Lorenzaccio is one of the great classics of the French repertoire. Written soon after the July revolution of 1830, when King Charles X of France was deposed in favour of a constitutional monarchy, the play scrutinises the strength of republican sentiments in the face of despotic leadership and the challenge of violent overthrow. Rpt. from 2019.

Dan Rebellato, radio dramatist, has written his own, fresh new version of this French classic.

The story: Florence,1537. Lorenzo is a young man from a good family, but he has joined the court of the Medici as an advisor and he is fully participating in their libertine excesses. His family, politically opposed to the Duke, are not impressed.

But in reality, Lorenzo has infiltrated the court with a different aim.

Lorenzo..Tom Hughes
Duke Alexander..Ashley Zhangazha
Philippa Strozzi..Tanya Moodie
Louisa.Nadia Albina
Cardinal Cibo.Toby Jones
Marquess Cibo...Fenella Woolgar
Marquis Cibo/Peter/Michele..Shaun Mason
Reporter/Venturi.Danny Kirrane
Salviati/Bindo..Kevin Mains
Co-producers.....Polly Thomas and Eloise Whitmore
Executive producer - Jeremy Mortimer
A Naked Production for BBC Radio 3.


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27 Jun 21 The Rival

By Jude Cook. A re-imagining of how Shakespeare came to write the sonnets. In 1590, young dramatist and actor William Shakespeare is called to Titchfield House, seat of the Countess of Southampton where he’s hired by Lord Burghley to write a series of sonnets encouraging the young Earl of Southampton to marry Burghley’s granddaughter. When the playhouses are closed due to plague in 1592, Will is forced to flee London to live at Titchfield, where he’s given a second commission to write a poem for the Countess’s son. However, he writes sonnets in praise of the ‘lovely youth’. He’s also attracted to Aline, the wife of the young man’s tutor, John Florio, occasioning more poetry about a ‘Dark Lady’. When poet and translator George Chapman arrives, Will sees he has real competition for the Earl’s affections. The play is introduced by Dr Will Tosh.

William Shakespeare ..... Elliot Barnes-Worrell, Earl of Southampton ..... Freddie Fox, Aline Florio ..... Indra Ové, Lord Burghley/ Robert Greene ..... Philip Jackson, John Florio/ Landlord ..... Philip Arditti, George Chapman/ Robert Cecil ..... Ben Deery, Christopher Marlowe ..... Tim Downie, Countess of Southampton ..... Christine Kavanagh, Richard Burbage ..... Stephen Leask, Susannah Shakespeare ..... Kirsten Udall.

Sound Editor Alisdair McGregor, Producer Jeremy Mortimer, Indie (Reduced Listening).

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4 Jul 21 Orlando

Virginia Woolf's Orlando re-imagined by five poets

A comedic odyssey spanning four centuries. Rpt. from 2019.

Chapter 1 & 6: by Amanda Dalton
Chapter 2: by Caroline Bird
Chapter 3: by Zena Edwards
Chapter 4: by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Chapter 5: by Hannah Silva

ORLANDO.....Emma Frankland, OAK TREE.....Claire Benedict, QUEEN ELIZABETH I / THE BLACKAMOOR.....Nina Sosanya, MRS GRIMSDITCH.....Kate Rutter, EUPHROSYNE / SASHA / MAID.....Natalie Grady, NICHOLAS GREEN / CAPTAIN.....Rupert Hill, GRACE......Leonie Elliott, RUSTUM / NARRATOR.....Stephen Marzella, SHELMERDINE/ BOW STREET RUNNER .....Cesare Taurasi. Directed by Nadia Molinari.

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11 Jul 21 The Duchess of Malfi

Based on a true story, Webster's classic shifts from gentle romanticism to darkest cruelty. This new audio production intercuts the music of Jimi Hendrix and Laura Marling.

The Duchess of Malfi - Pippa Nixon, Bosola - Shaun Dooley, Antonio - Sandy Grierson, Ferdinand - Alexander Cobb, Cardinal - Jonathan Keeble, Delio/Pilgrim - Kevin Harvey, Cariola/Julia - Jenny Platt, Silvio/Pilgrim - Rupert Hill, Doctor - Lloyd Hutchinson.

Original songs arranged and composed by Jules Maxwell and sung by Shaun Dooley and Jules Maxwell.

Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford. Abridged and adapted by Pauline Harris and Emma Smith. Directed by Pauline Harris.

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18 Jul 21 Ninety Minutes with Stanislavski

Rpt. from 2017. Cressida Yorke is a young actress in trouble. She has 90 minutes before her next run-through of The Seagull. Previews are three days away. She takes refuge in an empty rehearsal room at the top of Her Majesty's Theatre, London - where she encounters five remarkable and legendary acting teachers. Can they rescue her in time? It's surprising what can happen in 90 minutes.

Marcy Kahan writes for stage and film: Antonia & Jane for BBC/Miramax and has written and dramatized over 40 original radio dramas for Radio 4, including the award-winning four series of 'Lunch'.

Bobby Lewis ..... Colin Stinton, Cressida Yorke ..... Norah Lopez Holden, Stella Adler ..... Maggie Steed, Harold Clurman ..... Matthew Marsh, Lee Strasberg ..... Nicholas Woodeson, Stanislavski ..... Bruce Alexander.

Writer, Marcy Kahan. Director, Melanie Harris. Sound design, John Scott and Eloise Whitmore. (Sparklab)

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25 Jul 21 No drama

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1 Aug 21 The Masque of Anarchy

Ian McMillan introduces a commemoration of the Peterloo Massacre to mark the two-hundred year anniversary of the events of 16 August 1819. Rpt. from 2019.

Maxine Peake performs Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem of protest The Masque of Anarchy. Shelley was compelled to respond to the massacre in which cavalrymen charged campaigners protesting against the restrictive parliamentary representation of the time in St Peters Field Manchester leaving 15 dead and 700 injured. Recorded only a few miles from where it happened, Maxine Peake”s performance makes the poem resonate for a contemporary audience.

We also hear eyewitness accounts from Samuel Bamford a radical reformer who led the group from Middleton and his wife Jemima Bamford. These are performed by Jason Done and Christine Bottomley. Contemporary ballads written in the aftermath are sung by Jennifer Read.

The Masque of Anarchy, with a specially composed sound design by Peter Rice, was directed by Sarah Frankcom. The eyewitness accounts were directed by Nadia Molinari.

This commemoration of the Peterloo Massacre was from BBC North, produced by Susan Roberts.

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8 Aug 21 No drama

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15 Aug 21 No drama

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22 Aug 21 No drama

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29 Aug 21 No drama

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5 Sep 21 No drama

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12 Sep 21 The Invisible

Original drama set in a speculative future London by Linda Marshall Griffiths. A story of lost people and erasure.The city flourishes, the streets gleam. All the ugly things on the streets, all the people you don't want, bit by bit, one by one, they vanish. Rpt. from 2019.

El Irving disappeared 17 years ago. When his sister Tor sees him on screen at a protest outside Westminster Abbey, she embarks on a journey that will lead her to the invisible. How easy is it to fall through the cracks?

Tor ..... Lyndsey Marshal, Rose/Maia ..... Katie West, Wren/Eimer ..... Poppy O'Brien, Cal ..... William Ash, Gertrude ..... Claire Benedict, Leith ..... Max True, El ..... Simon Trinder, Detective Bolan/Librarian ..... Rupert Hill.

Sound Design by Steve Brooke. Directed by Nadia Molinari.

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19 Sep 21 Doctor Faustus

Faustus sells his soul to the devil in exchange for twenty-four years of knowledge, power and pleasure. Christopher Marlowe's tragedy about a man who gains control over nature but, in the process, loses control of himself.

Adapted and directed by Emma Harding.

Faustus/Mephistopheles.....John Heffernan, Wagner.....Pearl Mackie, Good Angel.....Frances Tomelty, Evil Angel/Wrath.....Rafferty Railton, Cornelius/Emperor Charles V/Covetousness.....Tim McMullan, Valdes/Belzebub/Knight.....Simon Ludders, First Scholar/Gluttony.....Gerard McDermott, Second Scholar/Ralph/Pride.....Leo Wan, Robin/ Sloth.....Joseph Ayre, Lucifer.....Shaun Mason, Helen.....Debra Baker,

Music composed and directed by Joseph Howard, performed by The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments: William Lyons, Louise Duggan, Emilia Benjamin and Clare Salaman.

Production co-ordinator.....Maggie Olgiati Sound design.....Peter Ringrose

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26 Sep 21 This Little Relic

In an abandoned pub in Coventry a rebellion is rising.By Karla Marie Sweet.

Reggie Sims is determined to produce the perfect version of Ira Aldridge’s play The Black Doctor but dogged by violent nightmares Sims knows his dream for a pop-up community theatre in the pub is under threat.

Ajay wants to make his mark. Prabhleen is falling in love. Alex wants to belong. Jen is returning home. Five people's dreams and hopes collide. Recorded live in front of an audience for BBC Contains Strong Language Festival at Coventry.

ALEX.....Aimee Powell, MR.SIMS.....Delroy Brown, AJAY.....Qasim Mahmood, IRA.....Tijan Sarr, JEN.....Emma Cunniffe, PRABHLEEN.....Manjeet Mann, MARK/LAURENCE.....James Mitchell.

Songs created and performed by songsmith Una May Olomolaiye and members of Belgrade Black Youth Theatre Choir: Esther Olagunju, Esther Tshisuaka, Ifeolu Olomolaiye, Joelle Ikwa, Kimberley Musa, Kisanet Yacob, Seyi Olomolaiye.

Dramaturg.....Ola Animashawun, Assistant Director.....Joelle Ikwa, Facilitator Black Youth Theatre.....Leon Phillips, Director..... Justine Themen, Producer.....Nadia Molinari,

BBC Audio Drama North, in collaboration with Belgrade Theatre Coventry.

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3 Oct 21 No drama

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10 Oct 21 City College

When a shy but brilliant student accuses a charismatic and controversial professor of plagiarising her black history thesis, she is roundly ignored. With no-one left to turn to, she resorts to a campaign of activism which threatens to expose his hidden past. By Rex Obano.

Rashaan Talley ….. Cyril Nri, Alex de Pfeffel-Price ….. Pippa Nixon, Ennis Talley ….. Kenneth Omole, Louis Chenevix ….. Jay Simpson, Margot Henning ….. Heather Craney, Himself ..... Dotun Adebayo.

Other parts played by Justice Ritchie, Grace Cooper Milton and Joseph Ayre.Sound design by Peter Ringrose. Directed by Femi Elufowoju, jr.

Rex Obano dedicated the play to the actor Seun Shote who died earlier this year.

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17 Oct 21 Radio 3 at HighTide

Two plays recorded live at HighTide Festival in Aldeburgh, set on the edge of the world, weaving myth and archaeology, telling stories of humanity and sacrifice. Created in tandem and with a playful rapport, the plays were presented with live foley.

Silver Darlings, Rita ..... Cassie Layton, Reggie ..... Simon Ludders, Sam ..... Joel MacCormack, Val ..... Anastasia Hille, Writer: Tallulah Brown.

The Shores, Mammoth ..... Clare Perkins, Kenny, Shul ..... Joel MacCormack, Erin, Dena ..... Cassie Layton, Oxir, Carrotson ..... Simon Ludders, Thorpe ..... Anastasia Hille, Writer: Vinay Patel.

Sound: Anne Bunting, Peter Ringrose. Director: Jessica Dromgoole.

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24 Oct 21 The Saga of Burnt Njal

Hattie Naylor’s adaptation of Iceland’s most famous saga with an introduction by saga specialist, Dr Brynja Thorgeirsdottir. Drawing upon the oral storytelling tradition to conjure up the beauty of Medieval Iceland, it tells the epic tale of two rival families, a long-running blood feud and its tragic outcome.

Five storytellers gather. This troupe is made up of renegades, outlaws and outsiders who live on the edges of society. They see this as an opportunity to engage and pass judgement on a world which chooses not to see them.

Teller 1/Hallgerd ….. Lisa Hammond, Teller 2/Gunnar ….. Justice Ritchie, Teller 3/Bergthora ….. Christine Kavanagh, Teller 4/Njal ….. Justin Salinger, Teller 5/Mord ….. Jasmine Hyde, Voice of the Saga ….. Salomé Gunnarsdottir.

Translations by Benjamin Danielsson. Directed by Gemma Jenkins.

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31 Oct 2021 Leave Taking

There’s no turning back for Jamaican-born Enid, and her teenage daughters Del and Viv, as they negotiate the frictions between their countries and cultures in the Bush Theatre's revival of this play, adapted for Drama on 3. Rpt. from 2019.

Enid - Sarah Niles, Del - Seraphina Beh, Viv - Nicholle Cherrie, Broderick - Wil Johnson, Mai - Claire Benedict, Written by Winsome Pinnock, Directed by Madani Younis, Produced by Pauline Harris, BBC Drama North.

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7 Nov 21 The Tempest

A Scottish cast is led by Ian McDiarmid as Prospero in this play of magic, romance and revenge. Audiences are transported to Prospero's island of chaos and disorder; the island is 'full of noises' and the play’s opening storm is created out of recent news items about severe weather events.

As Shakespeare’s most musical play, original Scottish music composed by Pippa Murphy interweaves throughout - to ethereal and magical effect, - enhanced by Ariel’s songs realised in binaural sound.

Prospero ..... Ian McDiarmid, Caliban ..... Joseph Arkley, Sebastian ..... Maggie Bain, Gonzalo ..... Maureen Beattie, Stefano ..... Sandy Grierson, Antonio/Boatswain ..... John MacKay, Alonso ..... Forbes Masson, Ferdinand ..... Noof Ousellam, Trinculo ..... Owen Whitelaw, Miranda ..... Helena Wilson, Ariel ..... Madeleine Worrall, Ceres.....Julia Daramy-Williams.

Sound Designer Eloise Whitmore. Composer Pippa Murphy. Producer/Director Gaynor Macfarlane.

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14 Nov 21 The Cherry Orchard

Chekhov's celebrated stage play is given a new version by writer/composer duo, Katherine Tozer and John Chambers. Ranyevskya returns to the family estate after five years in Paris to face seemingly insurmountable debts. Local businessman Lopakhin is keen to offer her a way out, but there will be a price to pay.

Ranyevskya ..... Emma Fielding, Lopakhin ..... Neil Dudgeon, Anya ..... Lucy Doyle, Varya ..... Joan Iyiola, Gayev ..... Dominic Coleman, Peter ..... Nicholas Prasad, Pishchik ..... Tony Turner, Charlotte ..... Alexandra Constantinidi, Yepikhodov ..... Matthew Wilson, Dunyasha ..... Saffron Coomber, Yasha ..... Liam Lau Fernandez, Firs ..... Sean Murray, The Tramp ..... Lewis Bray.

Music composed by John Chambers. Directed by Toby Swift. Rpt. from 2018.

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21 Nov 21 The Name

Norwegian Jon Fosse, winner of the prestigious International Ibsen Prize in 2010, is one of the world's most performed playwrights. His breakthrough came with Namnet ('The Name'), written in 1995, and it remains one of his most widely produced plays. It tells the story of a pregnant young woman's return to the claustrophobia of her family home with the reluctant father-to-be in tow. Translated by Gregory Motton. Rpt. from 2018.

The Girl ..... Norah Lopez Holden, The Boy ..... Joseph Ayre, The Mother ..... Ellie Darvill, The Father ..... Philip Bretherton, The Sister ..... Isabella Inchbald,

Bjarne ..... Nikhil Parmar, Directed by Toby Swift.

British playwright Simon Stephens introduces the drama. His adaptation of Fosse's play I AM THE WIND was performed at the Young Vic in 2011.

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28 Nov 21 The School For Scandal

The play is introduced by Ian Hislop, Editor of Private Eye. Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis direct an outstanding company in this brand-new production of Sheridan’s surprisingly up-to-date comedy. Written by the 27-year-old genius in 1777. Scandalmonger Lady Sneerwell controls a nest of gossipy vipers: Backbite, Crabtree, Snake, and two-faced Mrs Candour. Young Lady Teazle, bored by her elderly husband Sir Peter, has been lured into the circle too. What’s the latest? Which of the young Surface brothers is the good guy, and which the hypocrite? Rakish Charles or admired Joseph? Their Uncle Oliver puts them both to the test. Who deserves to win feisty Maria? Glittering performances. Music specially composed by A-Mnemonic. Rpt. from 2019.

‘The School for Scandal’ by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Sir Oliver Surface ….. Hugh Bonneville, Mrs Candour ….. Joanna Lumley, Crabtree ….. Roger Allam, Sir Benjamin Backbite ….. Mark Gatiss, Lady Sneerwell ….. Lisa Dillon, Lady Teazle ….. Susannah Fielding, Sir Peter Teazle ….. Martin Jarvis, Master Rowley ….. Nigel Anthony, Joseph Surface ….. Joe Bannister, Charles Surface ….. George Blagden, Maria ….. Amy Morgan, Snake ….. Ifan Meredith, Mr Moses ….. Jon Glover, Trip ….. Kieran Hodgson, Careless/William ….. Simon de Deney, Sir Harry ….. Richard Sisson, Lucy/Jessie ….. Daisy Hydon.

Violinist: Francesca Barritt. Specially composed music: A-Mnemonic.

Sound Design: Mark Holden. Directed by Rosalind Ayres and Martin Jarvis.

Indie ( Jarvis & Ayres).

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5 Dec 21 Winter Solstice

By Roland Schimmelpfennig.

It's Christmas Eve in the flat where unhappy arty intellectuals Albert and Bettina live with their little daughter Marie. Bettina's difficult mother Corinna has come to stay, and worse still Corinna has invited Rudolph, a total stranger. Not only that, but Rudolph has some rather uncomfortable views... rpt. from 2019.

Albert .... Sam Troughton, Bettina ..... Clare Corbett, Corinna .... Susan Brown, Rudolph ..... David Haig, Konrad ..... Christopher Harper, Voice ..... Sinead MacInnes.

Translator, David Tushingham, Pianist - Chris Lee, Director - Abigail le Fleming. ----------------------------------------

12 Dec 21 Don Juan
By Lord Byron, ad. Robin Brooks. New production. The story is about young Juan’s adventures as an innocent abroad, moving from the bedroom of a lady of Seville to a love island in the Cyclades, to the harem of the Sultan. Instead of the heartless rake, we have a hapless young innocent, more seduced than seducer. The story opens with young Juan’s seduction, at the hands of a “chaste” married lady. After their exposure, Juan undergoes exile and shipwreck, until he is washed up on a Grecian Isle, where he is nursed by the lovely young nymph Haidee. Robin Brooks introduces the play. Byron.....Edward Bennett, Mephistopheles…..Julian Bleach, Don Juan.....Matthew Tennyson, Donna Julia.....Pippa Nixon, Haidée.....Dolores Carbonari, Gulbeyaz.....Keziah Joseph, Donna Inez.....Kate Paul, Don Alfonso/Johnson/Fletcher.....Nicholas Murchie, Lambro/Sultan/Crony.....Mark Spalding, Baba, a Eunuch.....Cyril Nri, Antonia / Lolah.....Bettrys Jones, Zoe.....Harmony Rose Bremner, Mother of the Maids.....Barbara Dryhurst, Katinka.....Alexandra Ewing, Dudu.....Kate Morgan Jones, Pedro / Crony /Diner/ Slaver.....Charlie Layburn, Margarita.....Eleanor Tata. Producer - Fiona McAlpine. Sound Design - Alisdair McGregor. Indie (Allegra).

No more dramas after 12 Dec- Ed.

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