Radio 3 Drama, 2016
Drama on 3 – 2016
Sundays
3 Jan: The Witness Death and the King's Horseman [90m]
By Wole Soyinka. A story based in Nigeria in the 1940s. A colonial district officer intervenes to prevent a local man from committing ritual suicide. Praise singer: Jude Akuwudike, Elesin: Danny Sapani, Iyaloja: Claire Benedict, Market woman / bride / singer: Rakie Ayola, 2 more market women/ singers: Ayo-Dele Edwards and Hazel Holder, Simon Pilkings: Jonathan Keeble, Jane Pilkings: Zoe Tapper, Sgt. Amusa: Anthony Ofoegbu, Joseph: Maynard Eziashi, Olunde: Adetomiwa Edun. Musicians: Yaw Asumadu and Wale Ogungbe; composer and musical director: Juwon Ogungbe, producer: Pauline Harris.
10 Jan: Artist Descending A Staircase [80m]
By Tom Stoppard.This is the first new production since the play was first broadcast on 14 Nov 1972. It is about the last moments of a dying artist caught on tape. Beauchamp: Derek Jacobi, Donner: Ian McDiarmid, Martello: Geoffrey Whitehead, Sophie: Pippa Nixon, Young Martello: Joshua McGuire, Young Beauchamp: Blake Ritson, Young Donner: Hugh Skinner. Producer: Gordon House.
17 Jan: El Cid [90m]
By Pierre Corneille; written for stage in 1637 and translated and adapted by Ranjit Bolt. It portrays the 11th-century Spanish hero "El Cid" before he became famous.Don Rodrigo is a young courtier who plans to marry Ximene. But when her father insults Rodrigo's father, Rodrigo challenges him to a duel. It's a lose-lose situation; if he wins the duel he loses the girl, and if he loses the duel, he dies. Rodrigo: James Purefoy, Ximene: Indira Varma, Elvira: Eleanor Bron, Dona Urraca: Gina McKee, Don Diego: David Calder, Don Gormas: Ewan Bailey, Don Fernando: Stephen Thorne, Don Sancho: Chris Pavlo, Leonora: Amelia Lowdell, Don Arias: Gerard McDermott, Page: Garry Podmore. Produced by Peter Kavanagh.
24 Jan: August 1914 [120m]
By Alexander Solzhenitsyn, dram. Robin Brooks, from the H.T.Willetts translation. A story about Tsarist Russia's failed military operations in East Prussia in 1914. Narrator: Fiona Shaw, with Alex Waldmann, Michael Bertenshaw, Sion Pritchard, Mark Edel-Hunt, Will Howard, Clive Hayward, Robert Pugh, Sam Dale, Simon Armstrong, Matthew Watson, David Cann, Melangell Dolma, Chris Gordon, Sion Ifan and Alex Hope. Rpt. from 2014.
31 Jan: A Raisin In The Sun [110m]
By Lorraine Hansbarry. Three generations of an African-American working class family on Chicago's South Side. Walter Lee Younger: Danny Sapani, Lena Younger: Dona Croll, Ruth Younger: Nadine Marshall, Beneatha Younger: Lenora Critchlow, Travis Younger: Segun Fawole, Asagai / Bob: Jude Akuwidike, Mrs. Johnson: Cecilia Noble, Karl Lindner: Sean Baker, George Murchison: Richard Pepple. Producer: Pauline Harris.
7 Feb: As Innocent As You Can Get [80m]
By Rex Obano. The play is about two men (Nathaniel and Tunde) who depend on each other. One is guilty and at liberty; the other is innocent but in prison. Nathaniel: Freddie Fox, Tunde: Paapa Essiedu, Nuri: Katie Redford, Lonny: Rikki Lawton, Abubakhar: Tobi Bakare, Hills: Gerard McDermott, Greening: AnneikaRose, Mal: Caolan McCarthy, Kate: Rebecca Hamilton, Grant: Richard Pepple, James: Chris Pavlo, Midwife: Debra Baker. Produced by David Hunter.
14 Feb: Uncle Vanya [100m]
By Chekhov. New production of the play, in the version by Christopher Hampton. Life on a provincial Russian estate is thrown into turmoil by the visit of the ailing Professor Serebryakov and his beautiful young wife Yelena. Vanya: Neil Dudgeon, Yelena: Lyndsey Marshal, with Geoffrey Streatfield, Bryony Hannah, Anton Lesser, Polly Hemingway, Michael Bertenshaw, Maggie McCarthy and Clive Hayward. Producer: Marc Beeby. Rpt. from 2014.
21 Feb: Modern Morality Tales [80m]
By Lin Coghlan, Al Smith, Duncan MacMillan, Effie Woods, Roy Williams and Lizzie Nunnery; produced by Sally Avens. Five plays introduced by Sue Niebrzydowski. These are plays inspired by medieval morality plays, exploring how attitudes have changed. Omnibus edition of the plays broadcast last week. Rebecca Front, Anastasia Hille, Scarlett Brookes, Ewan Bailey, Tom Hughes, Alex Lowe, Susan Jameson, Adie Allen, Steve Toussaint, Nick Underwood, Sue Niebrzydowski. Rpt. from 2014.
28 Feb: The Father [90m]
By Florian Zeller. A play about an 80-year-old man with dementia and the efforts of his daughter to balance caring for him with the demands of her own life. It is set from the viewpoint of the sufferer who is gradually sinking into mental decline. Andre: Kenneth Cranham, Anne: Claire Skinner, Pierre: Nicholas Gleaves, Laura: Kirsty Oswald, Man: Jim Sturgeon, Woman: Rebecca Charles. Producer: Mary Peate.
6 Mar: August 1914 [120m]
By A. Solzhenitsyn. Cheery little number about Tsarist Russia's failed military operations in East Prussia in 1914., dram. Robin Brooks, from H.T.Willetts' translation. Narrated by Fiona Shaw, with Alex Waldmann, Michael Bertenshaw, Sion Pritchard, Mark Edel-Hunt, Will Howard, Clive Hayward, Robert Pugh, Sam Dale, Simon Armstrong, Matthew Watson, David Cann, Melangell Dolma, Chris Gordon, Sion Ifan and Alex Hope. Produced by Alison Hindell. Rpt. from 2014.See also 24 Jan. Remember that RT is not 100% accurate. Sometimes episodes are pulled at the last minute because of current events or rights problems. - ND
13 Mar: Three Sisters [130m]
By Anton Chekhov., ad. Dave Britton. His wry and well-observed portrayal of dreams and self-delusion, and of the folloy of believing that life is always better elsewhere. Three sisters living in a garrison in provincial Russia dream of the day when they will return home to Moscow. Olga: Hattie Morahan, Masha: Scarlett Alice Johnson, Irina: Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Andrei: Alex Waldemann, with Robert Pugh, Elliot Cowen, Mark Edel-Hunt, Jonathan Forbes, Leila Crerar, Sion Pritchard, Shirley Hughes, William Thomas, Gareth Pierce and Aled Bidder. Producer: Alison Hindell.
20 Mar: The Skriker [90m]
By Caryl Churchill; radio adaptation of her 1994 play combining naturalism, horror and magical realism. In a broken world, sisters Lily and Josie meet an extraordinary creature. The Skriker is a shapeshifter, an ancient fairy, which has come through time and space to pursue, seduce and entrap the sisters. The play was first produced by the Royal Exchange Theatre, Edinburgh in 2015. The Skriker: Maxine Peake, Lily: Danusia Samai, Josie: Laura Elsworthy, The Hag: Jessica Walkerl. Producer: Susan Roberts. Director: Sarah Frankcom.
27 Mar: The News From Home [95m]
By Nick Dear. Play written for the centenary of the Easter rising in Dublin. The plays views the events of Easter Week 1916 and its aftermath through the eyes of Kitty and Nora, maidservants at an English country house in the New Forest. They have come from Tipperary and regard themselves as British citizens, until they learn that there has been an armed insurrection in their homeland. Kitty: Clare Dunn, Nora: Charlene McKenna, Ilsa: Geraldine Somerville, Blanche: Nelly Harker, Scammell: Sam Dale, Cook: Serena Evans, Archie: Sam Troughton, Ken: Ferdinand Kingsley. Producer: Celia de Wolff.
3 Apr: Everyday Time Machines [90m]
By Al Smith. Three physicists meet at Oxford. Time plays a central part in their work and their relationships. Michael: Sam Troughton, Samantha: Pippa Bennett-Warner, Harry: Steven Robertson, Hauptmann: Mark Edel-Hunt, Grimshaw: David Acton, Feynman: Shaun Mason, Rosemary: Jane Slavin, Teacher: Roslyn Hill. Producer: Sally Avens. Rpt. from 2014.
10 Apr: Song Of Myself [100m]
Not a drama. A programme featuring an archive reading of a poem by Walt Whitman written in 1855, read by Orson Welles in 1953. Some present-day actors also do some readings: Michael Sheen, Julianna Jennings, Kyle Soller and Clarke Peters. Producer: Emma Harding.
16 Apr: Tongue [15m]
By Lee Mattinson. A short one-off Saturday drama. A surreal story inspired by the 140th sonnet. Noel, whilst high on drugs, has bitten off someone's tongue. He flees, imagining being pursued by the tongue. Sonnet read by Maxine Peake. Music by BBC Phil; composed by Chiu-Yu Chou. Noel: Will Ash, Oliver: Kevin Hely, Aaron: Luke Bailey, Imogen: Verity Henry. Producer: Nadia Molinari. Rpt. from 2015.
17 Apr: The Death of Shakespeare [90m]
By Nick Warburton. It is Shakespeare's last day on earth. The play recreates what might have happened... "every figure seems to be a threat, from the man with blood on his hands to the girl carrying flowers. He is confused and paranoid. What is real and what is in his imagination?" (Summarised from Jane Anderson's remarks, RT). In his introduction, Nick plays credit to the immense contribution of actor Robert Lindsay in Shakespeare's plays. William S: Robert Lindsay, John Fletcher: Oliver Chris, William Harvey: Gwilym Lee, Ann: Susan Jameson, Susanna Hall: Nicola Ferguson, John Hall: Nick Underwood, Hamnet: Sam Brough, un-named gentleman: James Lailey, Voice: Brian Protheroe. Producer: Marion Nancarrow.
24 Apr: The Winter's Tale [150m]
By Shakespeare. There's little I can say about this well-known play. One of his later works. Cast: Hermiione: Eve Best, King Leontes: Danny Sapani, Polixenes: Shaun Dooley, Camillo: Karl Johnson, Perdita: Faye Castelow, Autolycus: Tim van Eyken, Florizel: Will Howard, Mamillus: Charlie Brand, Archidamus: Sean Baker, Antigonus: Brian Protheroe, Emilia: Scarlett Brookes, Cleomenes: Richard Pepple, Dion: Nick Underwood, Mopsa: Nicola Ferguson, Shepherd: Paul Copley, Clown: Sam Rix, First lady: Adie Allen, First lord: James Lailey, Mariner: Sargon Yelda, Officer: Ewan Bailey. Producer: David Hunter.
8 May: King Lear [150m]
By Shakespeare. A Scottish cast. Lear is a king with a problem: three daughters and no sons. In dividing the kingdom amongst his children he seeks to avoid future trouble but his action leads to a chain of events leading to madness and the disintegration of the kingdom. King Lear: Ian McDiarmid, Goneril: Madeleine Worrall, Regan: Frances Grey, Cordelia: Joanna Vanderham, Gloucester: Bill Paterson, Edgar: Finn den Hertog, Edmund: Paul Higgins, the fool: Brian Vernal, Albany: Steven Robertson, Cornwall: Steven Cree, Oswald: Owen Whitelaw, Burgundy / doctor: Sean Murray, King of France: Simon Harrison, Old man / gentleman: Ewan Bailey. Producer: Gaynor MacFarlane.
1 May: A Winter's Tale [150m]
Cast:
Hermione: Eve Best, King Leontes: Danny Sapani, Polixenes: Shaun Dooley, Camillo: Karl Johnson, Perdita: Faye Costelow, Paulina: Susan Jameson, Autolycus: Tim van Eyken, Florizel: Wilf Howard, Mamillius: Charlie Brand, Archidamus: Sean Baker, Antigonus: Brian Protheroe, Emilia: Scarlett Brookes, Cleomenes: Richard Pepple, Dion: Nick Underwood, Mopsa: Nicola ferguson, Shepherd: Paul Copley, Clown: Sam Rix, First Lady: Adie Allen, First Lord: James Lailey, Mariner: Sargon Yelda, Officer: Ewan Bailey. Producer: David Hunter.
15 May: Sonnets in the City[75m]
Five contemporary dramas written in response to Shakespeare sonnets, rpt. Maxine Peake does the readings.
1.BABA GANOUSH, by Tom Wells, with Luke Newberry, Emily Pithon and Ben Addiss, prod. Gary Brown.
2.TATTERED HEART, by Francesca Martinez, with Francesca Martinez, Kevin Hely, Verity Henry, prod. Charlotte Riches.
3.AFTER SUNSET FADES, by Esther Wilson, with Jodie Comer, Eileen O'Brien, prod. Pauline Harris.
4.TONGUE, by Lee Mattinson, with Will Ash, Kevin Hely, Luke Bailey, Verity Henry, prod. Nadia Molinari.
5.LOVE AGAIN, by Zodwa Nyoni, with Wummi Mosaku, Curtis Cole, Ben Addis, Emily Pithon, prod. Nadia Molinari.
22 May: The Wolf in the Water [90m]
By Naomi Alderman. A response to Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice', asking what happened to Jessica, Shylock's daughter - a minor character who leaves her father to convert to Christianity and marry Lorenzo. Jessica: Pippa Bennett-Warner, Lorenzo: Scott Arthur, Anna: Jennifer Tan, Augusta: Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tubal: Vincent Ebrahim, thieves: Philip Nightingale and Philip Jennings. Producer: Polly Thomas.
29 May: Time and the Conways [120m]
By John Priestley; well-known classic written in 1937. The play looks at the lives of a family in scenes across 19 years. WW1 has just ended, and the Conways gather to celebrate Kay's 21st birthday. 19 years later, it becomes clear that the future they hoped for is not the one they ended up with. Mrs Conway: Harriet Walter, Kay: Anna Madeley, Alan: Rupert Evans, Carol: Amaka Okafor, Hazel: Eleanor Howell, Robin: Harry Hadden-Paton, Madge: Heather Craney, Joan: Clare Corbett, Ernest Beevers: Tony Bell, Gerald Thornton: Clive Hayward, John Priestley: Michael Bertenshaw. Producer: David Hunter. Rpt. from 2014.
5 Jun: Bix: Singing The Blues [90m]
By Robert Forrest. Cornet player Bix Beiderbeck (1903-31) and Louis Armstrong (1901-71) met on several occasions, but collaborated only once, in a private session. The play is a fictional account of that meeting. Bix: Bryan Dick, Louis: Eric Kofi Abrefa, Riy/Zutty: David Seddon, Alpha: Priyanga Burford. Music composed for the play by Ian Johnstone and played by him; producers: David Ian Neville and Mark Rickards. Rpt. from 2013.
12 Jun: The Sorrows of Samuel Taylor Coleridge [90m]
By Robin Brooks. It was thought at one time that Coleridge would be the genius of his generation, but he suffered from addiction, hallucination and procrastination.The play looks at his friendship with William Wordsworth and his infatuation with Sara, sister of Wordsworth's future wife.Coleridge: Alex Waldmann, Porlock: Tim McInnerney, Wordsworth / Elliston: Jamie Glover, Dorothy Wordsworth / Mrs. Glover: Christine Entwhisle, Sara / Miss Smith: Clare Corbett, Mr. Rae / Hazlitt / Byron: Carl Prekopp, Albert / Tom / John: Samuel Valentine, Mrs. Coleridge: Tilly Gaunt. Producer: Fiona McAlpine.
19 Jun: Electra [95m]
By Sophocles. This version premiered at the Old Vic in London in 2014. Producer: Ian Rickson; music by P.J.Harvey. (rpt) The Servant: Peter Wight, Orestes: Jack Lowden, Electra: Kristin Scott Thomas, Chorus: Julia Dearden, Golda Rosheuvel and Thalissa Teixeira, Chrysothemis: Liz White, Clytemnestra: Diana Quick, Aegisthus: Tyrone Huggins.
26 Jun: Life In The Tomb [95m]
By Stratis Myriviliss (novel), dram. April De Angelis. The story is about WW1 as seen through the eyes of a Greek soldier. Music by Errollyn Wallen. Kostoulas: Scott Arthur, Givezo: Mariah Gale,Anjo: Pamela Miles, General Balafras: Nick Mercer, Brother: Danny Lee Wynter, Doctor: Kevin Harvey, M'Chigilous: Andrew Leung. Producer: Polly Thomas. Rpt. from 2014.
3 Jul: The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler [80m]
Adaptation of a play about Ivor Cutler. He was a poet, songwriter, surrealist and eccentric, 1923-2006. "The play is based on an original biographical work by Sandy Grierson, James Fortune and Matthew Lenton" (RT). George Martin produced his records, John Peel was a fan, as was Bertrand Russell. Apparently he wrote plays for radio 3. Ivor: Sandy Grierson, Phyllis King: Elicia Daly. Producer: Matt Thompson.
10 Jul: No drama
17 Jul: The Deep Blue Sea [110m]
By Terence Rattigan; new production. Play set in Britain just after the war (1952). Hester has left her husband, a well-known judge, to be with Freddie, an ex-RAF pilot with no prospects. The passion she feels for this younger man is not reciprocated and the play opens at the point where Hester, in a state of despair, has attempted suicide. Mrs. Elton: Auriol Smith, Philip Welch: Jospeh Kloska, Ann Welch: Joannah Tinsey, Hester Collyer: Carolyn Pickles, Mr. Miller: Hugh Ross, William Collyer: Anton Lesser, Freddie Page: Tom Mison, Jackie Jackson: Adrian Grove. Producer: Nicholas Soames. Rpt. from 2009.
24 Jul: Tartuffe [45m]
By Moliere: Roger McGough version (Liverpool Playhouse productiion), adapted for radio.Comedy about a wealthy merchant who makes the mistake of extending hospitalitytowards a swindler.
Tratuffe: John Ramm, Orgon: Joseph Alessi, Cleante: Simon Coates, Elmire: Rebecca Lacey, Mme Pernelle: Eithne Brown, Dorine: Annabelle Dowler, Mariane: Emily Pithon, Damis: Robert Hastie, Valere: Kevin Harvey, Loyal: Alan Stocks, Officer of the King: Roger McGough. Rpt. from 2009.
31 Jul: No drama
7 Aug: Henceforward [120m]
By Alan Ayckbourn. A comedy set in the near future about a comoposer who has no friends - just his music, his rrecording machines and a malfunctioning humanoid robot. Jerome: Jared Harris, Lupus: Simon Templeman, Zoe: Sophie Winkelman, Geain aged 9: Rosa Calcraft, Corinna: Joanne Whalley, Mervyn: Derren Richardson, Geain aged 13: Moira Quirk, Mrs. Hope-Fitch: Daisy Hydon, Technician: Matthew Wolf. Producer: Rosalind Ayres, director: Martin Jarvis. Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
14 Aug: Things Might Cease Or Change [90m]
By Linda Marshall Griffiths, inspired by 'King Lear', rpt. When Maggie sees an illusionist on television she becomes convinced that he is her half-brother and that through him, she and her sisters Lena and Nell will finally find the father who left them 37 years earlier. Maggie: julia Ford, Lena: Deborah McAndrew, Nell: Jo Hartley, Ivan: Tom Rollinson, Austin: Oliver Cotton, Charlie: Ifan Meredith, Tom: Jake Norton, Terry / Dave: Russell Richardson. Producer: Nadia Molinari. Features music from 'Infra' composed by Max Richter.
21 Aug: The Piano Lesson [120m]
By August Wilson.l Set in Pittsburgh in 1936. A brother clashes with his sister over the sale of an old upright piano carved with African faces. The play was inspired by Romare Bearden's painting of the same name. Boy Willie: John Earl Jelks, Berniece: Roslyn Ruff, Doaker: Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lymon: Chris Chalk, Wining Boy: Anthony Chisholm, Grace: Marsha Stephanie Baker, Avwery: Leland Gantt, Maretha: Zadshire Dupuis. Producer: Claire Grove. Rpt.
28 Aug: Henry VIII [150m]
By Shakespeare. Henry's struggle to divorce Catherine of Aragon, and the fall of Cardinal Wolsey. Henry VIII: Matthew Marsh, Catherine: Yolanda Vazquez, Wolsey: Patrick Malahide, Duke of Norfolk: Joseph Mydell, Cranmer: Adam Godley, Duke of Suffolk: Stuart McQuarrie, old lady: Ann Beach, Anne Boleyn: Donnla Hughes, Buckingham / Cromwell: Paul Rider, Chamberlain / Capuchias: Chris Pavlo, Abergavenny / Surrey: Stephen Critchlow, Surveyor: / Gardiner: Gunnar Cauthery, Sands / Campeius: Jonathan Tafler, Lovell / Griffith: Dan Starkey, Princess Elizabeth: Sonny Crowe. Other parts played by Jill Cardo, Robert Lonsdale, Manjeet Mann, Inam Mirza and Malcolm Tierney. Producer: Jeremy Mortimer. Rpt.
4 Sep: The Physicists [90m]
By F. Durrenmatt. A play about three deluded scientists locked in a lunatic asylum who think they are Einstein, Newton and Mobius. Each gets tangled in murders. Dr. Von Zahnd: Samantha Bond, Inspector: Geoffrey Whitehead, Mobius: John Hodgkinson, Newton: Thon Tuck, Einstein: John Bett, Nurse Monika / Mrs. Rose: Madeleine Worrall, head nurse: Yvonne Fraser, Mr. Rose: Andrew Watson. Producer: Matt Thompson. Rpt. The play was broadcast very late (11pm) because of the Prom concert earlier.
11 Sep: Macedonia [90m]
By David Rudkin (new play) about Euripedes and his self-imposed exile in the wilds of Macedonia. Determined to write an uncontroversial play for the king, Euripedes keeps hearing strange noises from the mountainside, which lead him into the subject matter of his final drama, 'The Bacchae'. Euripedes: Michael Pennington, Oreivassa: Mia Soteriou, Nikos: Hambi Pappas, Mefistes: Sam Crane. Produced by Jeremy Mortimer; music by Mia Soteriou. Rpt. from 2015.
18 Sep: The House Of Bernarda Alba [90m]
By F. Lorca, ad. Pauline Harris. Translated by Michael Derwell and Carmen Zapata. Following the death of her second husband, tyrannical matriarch Bernarda Alba rules over her house and daughters, imposing an eight-year period of mourning. Bernarda: Sian Thomas, La Poncia: Brigit Forsyth, Maria Josefa: Pauline Jefferson, Angustias: Kate Coogan, Magdalena: Victoria Brazier, Martirio: Christine Bottomley, Adela: Elaine Cassidy, Prudencia: Christine Cox, Girl: Daisy Jones. Male chorus singers: Les Pratt, Martin Medina, Nathan Jenkins, Andrew Johnston, David Cane, Peter Edge and George Leeming. Producer: Pauline Harris. Rpt. from 2014.
25 Sep: The Picture of Dorian Gray [90m]
By Oscar Wilde, dram. Neil Bartlett. A beautiful young man is cursed with the ability to keeps his looks whilst descending into a world of drug addiction and debauchery. Francis: Pater Guinness, Mrs. Leaf: Maggie Steed, Lord Henry: Jasper Britton, Basil Hallward: Richard Lintern, Dorian Gray: Tom Canton, Victor: Gunnar Cauthery, James Vane: Owen Sharpe, Lady Ruxton: Geraldine Alexander, Sybil Vane: Zoe Telford, Lady Carlisle: Barbara Barnes. Producer: Turan Ali. Rpt. from 2015.
2 Oct: Short plays by Samuel Beckett [120m]
Stephen Rea, Ron Cook, Monica Dolan, Stephen Dillane, Louise Brearley, Brian Protheroe, Nick Underwood, Ian McKellen, Carl Prekopp, Stanley Townsend, David Seddon. Producer: Gaynor MacFarlane.
9 Oct: The Visa Affair [75m]
By Jake Arnott, based on a previously unpublished story by Joe Orton. The play is about Orton's own encounter with bureaucracy. JA (Radio Times) summarised by ND ........Orton is part bemused and part infuriated by the obstacles put in front of him by the American Embassy in London when he applies for a visa. Cast: Joe: Russell Tovey, Kenneth Halliwell: Tom Burke, Miss Boynes: Alison Steadman, Peggy Ramsay: Frances Barber. Producer: Jo Coombs.
16 Oct: The Vampyre Man [90m]
By Joseph O'Connor. About the friendship between Bram Styoker and Henry Irving, the inspiration for Count Dracula. Strange spelling of 'vampire' - I've included the normal spelling here to aid searchers. Darragh Kelly, Anton Lesser and Amanda Redman. No details of producer in Radio Times. Rpt. from 2015.
23 Oct: Mary Rose[90m]
By J.M.Barrie. Set on a sinister Scottish island where a young girl never grows up. A soldier sits staring into the fire in an empty, dark house whilst a tragic history unfolds before him. Barrie: Bill Paterson, Mary Rose: Bryony Hannah, Simon: Oliver Chris, Mr. Morland: James Fleet, Mrs. Morland: Pippa Haywood, Harry: Finlay Robertson, Mrs. Otery: Alison Belbin, Cameron: Mark Prendergast. Producer: Abigail le Fleming.
30 Oct: The Stroma Sessions [85m]
By Timothy X Atack. Fantasy about four musicians who have disappeared whilst making an album on the Scottish island of Stroma. The Blackletter Quartet want to make music in a ghost town. Stroma was abandoned by its last residents in the early 1960s and its few remaining buildings, battered by winds and the North Sea, stand dilapidated. The tale is told through a series of audio files found on the internet five years after they went missing. Narrator: Colin Salmon, Hilde: Valene Kane, Riley: Rebekah Staton, Sam: Jade Matthew, Telephone man: Timonthy Atack, Nico: David Carlyle. Producer: Nicolas Jackson.
6 Nov: King Charles III [90m]
By Mike Bartlett. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne. A future of power - but how to rule? THis 'future history' play won the 2015 Olivier Award for best new play. Charles: Tim Piggott-Smith, Camilla: Margot Leicester, William: Oliver Chris, Kate: Lydia Wilson, Harry: Richard Goulding, Mr. Evans: Adam james, Mr. Stevens: Nicholas Rowe, James reiss: Miles Richardson, Jess: Tafline Steen, Sarah / Diana / TV Producer: Katie Brayben, Spencer / Sir Gordon / Archbishop / kebab man: Paterson Joseph, Coutssey / Clive / Sir Michael / Speaker: Tom Robertson. Producer: Toby Swift, Director: Rupert Goold. Rpt. from 2015.
13 Nov: Pinter Double Bill [90m]
"A Kind Of Alaska" and "Ashes", rpt. In the first play, Harriet Walter plays Deborah, who has lost the last 29 years to sleep. In the second she plays Rebecca, who is haunted by a different kind of loss. Other parts: Hornby: Guy Paul, Pauline: Indira Varma. Producer: Toby Swift, director: Harry Burton. Rpt. from 2015.
20 Nov: The Birthday Party [110m]
By Harold Pinter. A pianist, Stanley, lives in a dingy seaside boarding house run by Meg and Peter. He is comfortable there, like a surrogate son. Then two sinister strangers turn up who claim to know him from the past. They turn Stanley's birthday party into a menacing and terrifying encounter. Stanley: Toby Jones, Goldberg: Henry Goodman, McCann: Stephen Rea, Meg: Maggie Steed, Petey: Peter Wright, Lulu: Jaime Winstone. Producer: Gary Brown. Rpt. from 2014.
27 Nov: No drama
(Concert)
4 Dec: Autumn Journal [90m]
By Louis MacNeice. His poetic testament of life in 1938, written against the backdrop of the Munich Agreement, the fall of Barcelona, and London's preparations for war. Read by Colin Morgan; produced by Emma Harding.
11 Dec: The Tidebreak [90m]
By David Constantine. Haunting drama set in Morecambe Bay. Three linked tales with accompanying poetry and music. The traveller: David Sterne, Captain Molineaux: Luke MacGregor, Alfred Meyer: Anthony Boyle, Mrs. Williams: Christine Bottomley, Jane Williams: Catriona MacFarlane, Arthur Benson: Struan Roger, Elsie Armer: Susan Brown, Readers: Natasha Cowley, John Bowler and John Dougall. Produced by David Hunter.
18 Dec: The Home and the World [90m]
By Rabindranath Tagore, adapted and updated by Tanika Gupta. The novel was set in British Colonial India; it is moved to a contempoary British Muslim context. Nusrat: Indira Varma, Nabell: Sacha Dhawan, Sultan: Ameet Chana, Rukhsana: Chetna Pandya, Roshan: Antonio Aakeel, Grace: Janice Connollu. Producer: Nadia Molinari.
25 Dec: As You Like It [150m]
By Shakespeare. His well-known comedy; too familiar to summarise here. Rosalind: Pippa Nixon, Orlando: Luke Norris, Celia: Ellie Kendrick, Oliver: Patrick Baladi, Touchstone: Adrian Scarborough, Duke Ferdinand: Jonathan Coy, Duke Frederick: Sam Dale, Jaques: William Houston, Silvius: Paul Heath, Phoebe: Bettrys Jones, Adam: David Acton, Corin: Jude Akuwudike, Charles: Ian Conningham, Le Beau: Shaun Mason, Audrey: Jane Slavin, Jacques be Boys: Monty d'Inverno, Amiens: Johnny Flynn. Producer: Sally Avens. Rpt. from 2015.
TWENTY MINUTES:
Various dramatic twenty-minute pieces that are used as mid-concert interval pieces during Performance On 3 and Opera On 3; Writer/reader credits have been noted where available; Documentaries/talks have been omitted.
24 Dec: The Shepherd [45m]
By Frederick Forsyth. Dramatised reading of a ghostly 1975 Christmas classic, adapted by Amber Barnfather. A pilot's aircraft has instrument failure; then the fog descends. How will he get back? Music and sound effects by the St. Martin Singers. Read by Luke Thompson. Produced by Amber Barnfather.
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BETWEEN THE EARS
Saturday nights, 30mins unless otherwise noted; Writer credits, and in some cases entry titles, aren't always given.
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OTHER
Dramatised pieces and readings that don't fit within the usual slots:
25 Sep: The Present Experiment [90m]
By Robin Brooks. 6pm. The play celebrates exactly 70 years since the Third Programme was launched "for the alert and receptive listener". This is a comedy which romps through the first few hours of the station back in 1946, in fact and fantasy. Katherine, the herald: Pippa Bennett-Warner, George Barnes: Pip Torrens, Gwylim Jones: Trystan Gravelle, Lawrence O'Neill: Jonjo O'Neill, Lord Reith: Christopher Godwin, Roland Givens: Tim Potter, Guy Burgess: Gunnar Cauthary, William Hayley: Michael Bertenshaw, Rex Hardcastle: Adrian Scarborough, Virginia the sorceress: Carolyn Pickles, Heidi O'Neill: Catriona McFarlane, Ethel McRea: Natasha Cowley. Other parts played by Nicholas Murchie and John Dougall. Not sure who produced this; nothing in RT. Sasha Yevtushenko? Gaynor MacFarlane?
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