Radio 3 Drama, 2019
Drama on 3 – 2019
Sundays
At long last this listing is done, with thanks to Norman Milburn in helping to sort out the entries.
ND / 23 Nov 2021
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2019-01-06, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Victim, rpt. from 2017
2019-01-13, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Ropewalk House
2019-01-20, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Arden of Faversham
2019-01-27, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Rosmersholm, rpt. from 2017
2019-02-03, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Jenny Lomas, rpt. from 2017
2019-02-10, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Richard II, rpt. from 2017
2019-02-24, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Orlando
2019-03-03, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Love Thy Synth
2019-03-10, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Lorenzaccio
2019-03-17, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Leave Taking
2019-03-24, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Mabinogi
2019-03-31, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Government Inspector, rpt. from 2017
2019-04-07, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Mother (Zeller), rpt. from 2017
2019-04-21, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2019-04-28, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Two Noble Kinsmen
2019-05-05, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Coriolanus
2019-05-12, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Radio Beckett, rpt. from 2016
2019-05-19, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Oedipus the King, rpt. from 2017
2019-05-26, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler, rpt. from 2016
2019-06-02, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The School For Scandal
2019-06-09, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Pericles, rpt. from 2017
2019-06-16, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Phlebotomist
2019-06-23, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Invisible
2019-06-30, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Visa Affair, rpt. from 2016
2019-07-07, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, A Clockwork Orange, rpt. from 2017
2019-07-14, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Masque of Anarchy
2019-09-15, 21-10, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Effect, rpt. from 2018
2019-09-22, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Carifesta 2019
2019-09-29, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Devil's Passion, rpt. from 2017
2019-10-06, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Mother (Brecht)
2019-10-13, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Summerhall 2019 (1/3)
2019-10-20, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Summerhall 2019 (2/3)
2019-10-27, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Summerhall 2019 (3/3)
2019-11-03, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Fathers and Sons by Brian Friel, rpt. from 2017
2019-11-10, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Radio 3 at HighTide
2019-11-17, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Tis Pity She's a Whore, rpt. from 2018
2019-11-24, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
2019-12-01, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Dance Till You Bleed, The World According to Hans Christian Andersen
2019-12-08, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, The Last of the Volsungs, rpt. from 2017
2019-12-22, 19-30, Radio 3, Drama on 3, Winter Solstice
42 broadcasts, 14 repeats
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-01-06, 19-30
Drama on 3
Victim
by Sarah Wooley.
A drama about the making of 'Victim', the first British film to address homosexuality seriously.
The 1961 film, starring matinee idol Dirk Bogarde, is often credited with helping to change public attitudes to homosexuality. This fast-moving drama follows the mixture of bravery and pragmatism involved in getting this ground-breaking enterprise off the ground, providing a glimpse of Britain at a tipping point of social change.
Dirk Bogarde - Ed Stoppard
Tony Forwood - Simon Harrison
Basil Dearden - Jonathan Aris
Janet Green - Fenella Woolgar
Michael Relph - Ben Miles
John Trevelyan - Michael Maloney
Dorothy - Julie Teal
Sylvia Sims - Sarah Ridgeway
Alexander Walker - Charlie Clements
Leo Abse MP/Trailer AnnouncerSimon Ludders
Sir Cyril Osborne MP/Earl of Arran/Roy Jenkins MP - Philip Fox
with Emilio Doorgasingh
David Sturzaker
Tom Forrister
Director - Abigail le Fleming
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-01-13, 19-30
Drama on 3
Ropewalk House
A daring new site-specific theatre piece set in a derelict rope factory.
Written by Anita Sullivan. Featuring members of the Shunt Collective.
On the first day of rehearsals the cast arrives to begin devising a new work, based loosely around the minotaur myth. The director, Jarek, is known for creating bold, immersive theatre productions. The warehouse once boasted the world's longest ropewalk, the narrow corridor stretching the length of the building, and supplied rope to the Royal Navy. Jarek's cast includes old friends alongside aspiring young actors. As they explore the venue they discover it has unpredictable physical properties, with disturbing consequences.
Recorded on location at the Fish Factory Studios.
Jarek. Nigel Barrett
Sarah Hannah Ringham
Gabe Rob Heaps
Nell Gbemisola Ikumelo
Mike . Carl Prekopp
Music by Ben and Max Ringham
Sound design by Alisdair McGregor
Directed by Joby Waldman
Executive Producer Jeremy Mortimer
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-01-20, 19-30
Drama on 3
Arden of Faversham
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 Cymru Wales.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-01-27, 19-30
Drama on 3
Rosmersholm
Rebekka West, the visionary, passionate heroine of 'Rosmersholm' inspired the English novelist to adopt that name. Ibsen's most complex play sees a society in turmoil through the lens of pastor John Rosmer and Rebekka, his social-revolutionary companion. Rosmer is recovering from the suicide of his unstable wife, Beata. Now Rebekka, replacing her in his affections, urges him to surrender his privileged place in conservative Norwegian society. A local elite plot to make him hold to the status quo. Can Rebekka prevail? Translated by Frank McGuinness and featuring music by Norwegian composer Marius Munthe-Kaas.
Music composed and arranged by Marius Munthe-Kaas
Music supervisor, Giles Perring
Gro Hole Austgulen (violin), Elin Kleppa Michalsen (violin), Anna Cecilia Johansson (viola), Olav Stener Olsen (cello)
Translated by Frank McGuinness
Adapted and directed by Peter Kavanagh
'Rosmersholm' premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 1987.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-02-03, 19-30
Drama on 3
Jenny Lomas
by David Eldridge.
Jenny Lomas is a solicitor who has always loved the law and its certainties, but when she finds herself involved in a case that seems more akin to fiction she begins to question her own judgement. David Eldridge's pertinent thriller examines the corrosive nature of paranoia and the febrile nature of living in a post truth world devoid of both moral and material fact.
Jenny ................... Amanda Hale
Oliver ................... Max Bennett
Anna ................... Monica Dolan
Lev/Michael ................... Peter Sullivan
Christos ................... Peter Polycarpou
Maria ................... Sanchia McCormack
Ian ................... Sam Clemmett
Aisha/Therapist ................... Chetna Pandya
Carl ................... David Sturzaker
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-02-10, 19-30
Drama on 3
Richard II
Richard II was the first king to insist on being called 'Majesty' and believed in the divine right of kings. In Shakespeare's lyrical play, Richard's folly and the delusion of autocracy bring about his own downfall. When he banishes Bolingbroke and then confiscates his land and wealth despite warnings, he triggers a chain of events that led to his overthrow and the accession of Bolingbroke as King Henry IV.
This is the first recording of a Shakespeare play to be broadcast in binaural sound. The production has been recorded using a pioneering 3D microphone set-up: listen with headphones for an enhanced experience which highlights Richard II's subjective world view.
Writer ................... William Shakespeare
Richard ................... Joel MacCormack
Bolingbroke ................... Geoffrey Streatfeild
John of Gaunt ................... John Rowe
Duke of York ................... Philip Jackson
Mowbray ................... Steffan Rhodri
Aumerle ................... Will Howard
Northumberland ................... Christian Rodska
Harry Percy ................... Edmund Wiseman
Queen Isabel ................... Jaimi Barbakoff
Bushy ................... Tom Forrister
Bagot ................... David Sturzaker
Greene ................... Simon Ludders
Salisbury ................... Joe Sims
Duchess of York ................... Georgie Glen
Bishop Carlisle ................... Keiron Self
Welsh Captain ................... Sion Pritchard
Lady ................... Alexandria Riley
Director ................... Alison Hindell
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-02-24, 19-30
Drama on 3
Orlando
Virginia Woolf's Orlando re-imagined by five poets
An exhilarating, inventive, comedic odyssey spanning four centuries. A journey of self-discovery and transformation, unravelling gender expectations, identity and sexuality.
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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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-03-03, 19-30
Drama on 3
Love Thy Synth
Hannah Silva's future-set story of a woman's search for connection is told through the podcasts she makes with her synthetic robodoll.
Nikki King is a journalist and presenter of Scientethics, a podcast exploring the blurred lines where tech, science and ethics merge. Covering the reappearance of enigmatic and reclusive robotics expert Tim Lowe, Nikki is surprised to find herself at the centre of his latest work.
"The relationship between humans and their artificial counterparts runs right back to the myths of ancient Greece, where Pygmalion's statue was brought to life with a kiss. It is the stuff of legend and of science fiction - part of our written history and a part of our imagined future." Dr Kate Devlin
Pygmalion and Narcissus intertwine in this 21st century story of human relationships and loneliness, of our need for external validation and the search for self.
By Hannah Silva
Nikki & Knickers .. Valene Kane
Tiresias .. Neil Bell
Marc .. Luke Jerdy
Soozie .. Stephanie Greer
Other voices .. Catriona Stirling
Executive producer, Sara Davies
Produced by Nicolas Jackson & Steve Bond
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 3
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-03-10, 19-30
Drama on 3
Lorenzaccio
Often referred to as the French Hamlet, Lorenzaccio by Alfred de Musset 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.
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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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-03-17, 19-30
Drama on 3
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 stunning revival of this classic, beautifully observed play adapted for Drama on 3.
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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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-03-24, 19-30
Drama on 3
Mabinogi
Adapted by Lucy Catherine
From the Red Book of Hergest, these are the tales of the Mabinogi. A new fantasy adventure, based on the iconic work of medieval Welsh mythology.
Pryderi, Prince of Dyfed, heads to Harlech in North Wales, to win the hand of Princess Branwen of Gwynedd. But first he must impress her giant of a brother, King Bran the Blessed.
The tales of the Mabinogi are tales of romance, tragedy, comedy and fantasy and together they form the earliest prose stories of Britain. Award-winning writer Lucy Catherine (The Master and Margherita, Being Human, Vanity Fair) gives these stories a modern flavour while remaining true to the vivid magic of Celtic mythology.
Pryderi. Darragh Mortell
Brigid. Aimee Ffion Edwards
Pwyll /Bran. Robert Pugh
Branwen. Rhian Blythe
Arawn. John Cording
Matholwch.... Stephen Hogan
Efnysien.... Richard Elfyn
Nysien.... Rhodri Meilir
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-03-31, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Government Inspector
Adapted by Adrian Mitchell from Nikolai Gogol's classic satire, the drama concerns the corrupt officials of a small Russian town, headed by the Governor (Roger Allam), who react with terror to the news that an incognito inspector will soon be arriving in their town to investigate them. When Khlestakov (Lenny Henry), a penniless nobody from Moscow, is mistaken for this government inspector, a tangled web of misunderstandings ensues. Gogol portrays officialdom as self-satisfied philistines occupying positions for which they are ill-suited.
Widely held to have led the realist revolution in Russian drama, Nikolai Gogol (1809 - 1852) liberated comedy from a tradition of sentimentality. The Government Inspector (1835), regarded as Gogol's masterpiece, caused such a furore when first performed that he was driven into exile.
A Catherine Bailey Production.
Adaptor ................... Adrian Mitchell
Author ................... Nikolai Gogol
Director ................... Jeremy Herrin
Producer ................... Catherine Bailey
Khlestakov ................... Lenny Henry
The Governor ................... Roger Allam
Anna, his wife ................... Monica Dolan
Marya, his daughter ................... Erin Doherty
Judge ................... Don Warrington
Charity Commissioner ................... Peter Wight
Dr Gibner ................... Paul Jesson
Bobchinsky ................... James Fleet
Dobchinsky ................... Adrian Scarborough
Postmaster ................... Ivanno Jeremiah
Osip ................... Geoffrey Palmer
Schools Superintendent ................... Stephen Critchlow
Locksmith's Wife ................... Jessica Gunning
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-04-07, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Mother
Florian Zeller's acclaimed stage play is a portrait of a mother coming to terms with the 'empty nest' effect, soon after the departure of her two children who have found partners and new lives for themselves.
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Featuring music by Philip Glass, Christopher Hampton's regular collaborator.
Told in an original and ingeniously fractured style, the play charts the woman's descent into a world of imagination and make-believe. Can we trust anything she or the other characters say? Are their appearances indeed figments of her imagination?
Christopher Hampton is surely our foremost translator (Art, God of Carnage) as well as outstanding playwright (Liaisons Dangereuses, The Philanthropist etc.) again translates with effortless skill and comic timing.
Gina McKee (Our Friends from the North / Wonderland / Notting Hill / Atonement) reprises her stage role from Bath and London's Tricycle Theatre, as the troubled matriarch, relying too heavily on white wine and pills. In scaldingly comical exchanges she accuses her husband (Tom Goodman-Hill) of seeing a mistress when he claims to be at conferences or working late.
She trains her - sadly oppressive - attention on their son (Jonathan Bailey) who can't reciprocate her affection: he's obsessing about his girlfriend (Kesiah Joseph) with whom he's just had a blazing row. Will the Mother's attempts to stoke the flames of antagonism between them succeed?
The Mother ................... Gina McKee
The Father ................... Tom Goodman-Hill
The Son ................... Jonathan Bailey
The Girl ................... Keziah Joseph
Writer ................... Florian Zeller
Director ................... Peter Kavanagh
Producer ................... Peter Kavanagh
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-04-21, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is considered to be one of Shakespeare's earliest plays and is paired next week with a production of The Two Noble Kinsmen which was his last play and widely considered to have been written with the up and coming writer John Fletcher. Director Celia De Wolff was keen to present the two plays together as they share common themes of men and women falling for the same lover, cunning disguises and betrayal within friendships. She has recorded both productions entirely on location in the Sussex Countryside with the same band of actors giving a sense that they are being presented by a group of strolling players.
The Plot
Two young men, Valentine and Proteus, make their way from Verona to Milan. Valentine's father is sending him to take a position in the Duke of Milan's court, and Proteus accompanies him reluctantly, not wanting to leave his beloved Julia. While in Milan, Valentine falls for the Duke's daughter, Silvia.. Silvia is betrothed to Thurio, a wealthy courtier, although Silvia prefers Valentine. The two decide to elope, and Valentine confides in Proteus; Proteus, however, has fallen in love himself with Silvia. In order to get Valentine out of the way, Proteus tells the Duke of Valentine's feelings and he is banished and Silvia is sent to a jail, and Proteus becomes the Duke's confidante in matters concerning Thurio and Silvia.
Valentine joins a band of outlaws and is elected their leader. Julia disguised as a boy page enters Milan in search of Proteus, who is trying unsuccessfully to woo Silvia on the sly. Silvia, on the other hand, still longs for Valentine, and cares nothing for Proteus or Thurio. Julia, ironically now in service as a page to Proteus, becomes an intermediary between Proteus and Silvia. Silvia finally tires of the situation and escapes Milan in search of Valentine. As fate would have it, Silvia is captured by Valentine's band of outlaws.
The Duke soon learns of Silvia's escape, and he, Proteus, and Thurio all set off to rescue her. Proteus finds Silvia before the outlaws can bring her to Valentine. Valentine encounters them as Proteus makes the case for his love to Silvia; the two confront and eventually make peace with each other. In a gesture of reconciliation, Valentine even offers Silvia to Proteus, which causes Julia (who is still disguised as the page) to faint and Proteus recognizes her, much to his shame. The Duke and Thurio arrive but Thurio backs off his claim to Silvia when challenged by Valentine. As the play ends, Valentine gets Silvia with the Duke's approval, Proteus and Julia are reconciled, and the Duke grants a pardon to the band of outlaws.
JULIA ..... Lyndsey Marshal
SILVIA ..... Kate Phillips
PROTEUS ..... Blake Ritson
VALENTINE ..... Nikesh Patel
SPEED ..... Ray Fearon
LUCETTA ..... Emma Fielding
DUKE ..... Hugh Ross
PANTHINO .....Daniel Ryan
THURIO ..... Oliver Chris
HOST ..... Sara Markland
LAUNCE ..... Sam Dale
EGLAMOUR ..... Carl Prekopp
ANTONIO ..... Pip Donaghy
Written by William Shakespeare
Adapted for Radio by Sara Davies
Sound design by David Thomas
Directed by Celia de Wolff
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 3
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-04-28, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Two Noble Kinsmen
This and the Two Gentlemen of Verona are the least performed of the Shakespeare canon and I wanted to see the progression between the first and the last. It is for this reason that I have given this production a modern feel in terms of sound and music. I wanted to record them with the same actors entirely on location to give the sense of a strolling company, making the most of the countryside around enabling them to be as honest to the story as they possibly could be.
On the day planned for his wedding to Hippolyta, Duke Theseus of Athens is petitioned by three queens to go to war against King Creon of Thebes, who has deprived their dead husbands of proper burial rites. In Thebes, the 'two noble kinsmen', Palamon and Arcite, realize that their own hatred of Creon's tyranny must be put aside while their native city is in danger, but in spite of their valour in battle it is Theseus who is victorious. Imprisoned in Athens, the cousins catch sight of Hippolyta's sister, Emilia, and both fall instantly in love with her. Arcite is set free, but disguises himself rather than return to Thebes, while Palamon escapes with the help of the Jailer's Daughter, who loves him. Meeting each other, the kinsmen agree that mortal combat between them must decide the issue, but they are discovered by Theseus who is persuaded to revoke his sentence of death and instead decrees that a tournament shall decide which cousin is to be married to the indecisive Emilia and which is to lose his head. The Jailer's Daughter has been driven mad by unrequited love, but accepts her former suitor when he pretends to be Palamon. Before the tournament Arcite makes a lengthy invocation to Mars, while Palamon prays to Venus and Emilia to Diana - for victory to go to the one who loves her best. Although Arcite triumphs, he is thrown from his horse before the death sentence on Palamon can be carried out, and with his last breath bequeaths Emilia to his friend.
JAILER'S DAUGHTER ..... Lyndsey Marshal
EMILIA ..... Kate Phillips
PALAMON ..... Blake Ritson
ARCITE ..... Nikesh Patel
THESEUS ..... Ray Fearon
HIPPOLYTA ..... Emma Fielding
JAILER ..... Hugh Ross
PIRITHIOUS ..... Daniel Ryan
WOOER ..... Oliver Chris
QUEEN 1 ..... Susan Salmon
QUEEN 2 ..... Sara Markland
QUEEN 3/DOCTOR ..... Jane Whittenshaw
COUNTRYMAN 1/FRIEND ..... Sam Dale
ARTESIUS/COUNTRYMAN 2 ..... Carl Prekopp
COUNTRYMAN 3/BROTHER ..... Pip Donaghy
Music composed and performed by Tom Glenister and sung by Emma Mackey and Tom Glenister
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-05-05, 19-30
Drama on 3
Coriolanus
Shakespeare's penetrating portrayal of political turmoil in a society at war with itself. Coriolanus, a great martial hero, is banished by those he despises, the common people of Rome. Disaster must surely follow.
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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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-05-12, 19-30
Drama on 3
Radio Beckett
Matthew Sweet presents a sequence of radio plays by Samuel Beckett, with Stephen Rea and Ian McKellen. Recorded in binaural sound and first broadcast as part of Radio 3's 70th season.
Like no other dramatist, Beckett's works capture the pathos and irony of modern life.
In the decade following the success of Waiting for Godot (1952), Samuel Beckett wrote some of his most absorbing work for radio, including the BBC's Third Programme. These plays are suffused with a musicality which, though evident in his novels, poetry and plays, is particularly remarkable in this medium. They are concerned with human isolation and the frailty of memory and communication.
With the exception of the monologue FROM AN ABANDONED WORK, the plays can be heard in binaural surround sound. Just wear your headphones.
The plays give a great insight into the development of Beckett's style and into his approach to sound. Increasingly different in tone and conception from his stage work, the radio plays become more abstract as characters become less individualised and more representative.
FROM AN ABANDONED WORK performed by Stephen Rea
ROUGH FOR RADIO 1
He ..... Ron Cook
She ..... Monica Dolan
ROUGH FOR RADIO 2
Animator ..... Stephen Dillane
Stenographer ..... Louise Brealey
Fox ..... Brian Protheroe
Dick ..... Nick Underwood
WORDS AND MUSIC
Croak ..... Ian McKellen
Words ..... Carl Prekopp
CASCANDO
Voice ..... Stanley Townsend
Opener ..... David Seddon
Music composed and directed by Roger Goula
Composer's assistant: Jessica Jones
Music performed by
Piano: Kit Downes
Violin: Georgia Hannant
Viola: Oli Langford
Bass Clarinet: Nicola Baigent
Flute: Michael Liu
Cellist: Raphael Lang
Synth: Jessica Jones
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-05-19, 19-30
Drama on 3
Oedipus the King
Never before performed or heard in the UK, Burgess's Oedipus the King is a robust and powerful version of Sophocles' classic text. The drama includes an invented language that Burgess created especially for the 1972 production of the piece at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, USA, which has been archived in the International Anthony Burgess Foundation archive. This broadcast will be the first time it has been spoken or heard in over forty years.
Christopher Eccleston, a keen Burgess fan, who used to run a market stall in the same area of Manchester that Burgess grew up in, stars as Oedipus; Don Warrington as Creon, Adjoa Andoh as Jocasta and Fiona Shaw as Tiresias, the ancient blind prophet who was born both man and woman.
The music was composed for the original theatre production by Obie Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated composer of the show, Stanley Silverman. Stanley has worked with Arthur Miller, Pierre Boulez, James Taylor, Elton John, Sting and with legendary New York theatre maker Richard Foreman.
The BBC Philharmonic and Manchester-based Kantos Chamber Choir perform the music, conducted by Clark Rundell.
Oedipus starts the drama as a powerful king, who has risen from an impoverished newcomer to Thebes by freeing the land from the curse of the monstrous Sphinx, solving a seemingly simple yet impenetrable riddle. Over the course of the play his world unravels. A new blight is on the land and he is determined to rescue his people by rooting out the cause.
Oedipus is an iconic anti-hero, doomed from the outset to disaster, yet blithely storming ahead, oblivious to his own fate, convinced that he has managed to outwit fate. Burgess's accessible, dynamic rendition of a classic story focuses on the contradictions and complexities of a proud man's downfall:
"...Oedipus is the cause of the state's disease and disruption but also, through his discovery of and expiation for sin, the cause of its recovered health. He is a criminal but also a saint. In other words he is a tragic hero..."
Part of Radio 3's Burgess Centenary programming, marking 100 years since the birth of Manchester-born novelist and playwright Anthony Burgess.
Anthony Burgess is one of the best-known English literary figures of the latter half of the twentieth century. His dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is his best-known novel. In 1971 it was adapted into a highly controversial film by Stanley Kubrick. Burgess produced numerous other novels, including the Enderby quartet, and Earthly Powers, regarded by most critics as his greatest novel. He wrote librettos and screenplays, including for the 1977 TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth. He worked as a literary critic for several publications, including The Observer and The Guardian, and wrote studies of classic writers, notably James Joyce. A versatile linguist, Burgess lectured in phonetics, and translated Cyrano de Bergerac and the opera Carmen, among others. Burgess also composed over 250 musical works.
Co-producers Polly Thomas and Eloise Whitmore
Production Coordinator Sarah Kenny
Executive Producer Joby Waldman
Writer Anthony Burgess
Composer Stanley Silverman
Music performed by BBC Philharmonic and Kantos Chamber Choir, conducted by Clark Rundell.
With thanks to Andrew Biswell and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation.
A Naked Production for BBC Radio 3.
Writer ................... Anthony Burgess
Oedipus ................... Christopher Eccleston
Creon ................... Don Warrington
Jocasta ................... Adjoa Andoh
First Elder ................... John Shrapnel
Second Elder/Tiresias ................... Fiona Shaw
Third Elder/Shepherd ................... Vincent Ebrahim
Other Eoder/Messenger/Officer ................... Darrell D' Silva
Child ................... Katie Kemp-Riley
Other child ................... Tess Robinson
Other child ................... Riley Nixon
Other child ................... Eleanor Read
Other child ................... Lucy Godson
Other child ................... Billie Robinson
Producer ................... Polly Thomas
Producer ................... Eloise Whitmore
Composer ................... Stanley Silverman
Performer ................... BBC Philharmonic
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-05-26, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler
The fragmented life of the surrealist, poet, songwriter and eccentric, Ivor Cutler. He shot to fame, when The Beatles cast him in The Magical Mystery Tour. George Martin produced his records, John Peel had him on numerous sessions, Bertrand Russell admired him, he wrote plays for Radio 3. But it is his voice that distinguishes Cutler. His studied melancholia and frail persona tells naive fables which have an existential sting in the tail. He grew up in Glasgow when the pursuit of happiness was never going to be written in the constitution.
The radio adaptation is based on an original play by Vanishing Point and National Theatre of Scotland created by Sandy Grierson, James Fortune and Matthew Lenton, with Ed Gaughan and the company.
Like Bob Dylan, Ivor's brilliant song writing is sometimes hidden by an idiosyncratic delivery. James Fortune has arranged Ivor's songs for a small ensemble which have been specially recorded for Radio 3 by Julian Simmons.
Ivor's many characterisations were just seen as amusing when he appeared later in life on Andy Kershaw's Radio 1 show. In fact, Ivor was already showing signs of the dementia that would engulf him. He once told Piers Plowright (who had produced him for Radio 3) 'My mind has been broken into.'
Ivor Cutler ..... Sandy Grierson
Phyllis King ..... Elicia Daley
The Other Characters ..... Ed Gaughan
Ivor Cutler songs arranged by James Fortune.
The Band: James Fortune, Jo Apps, Nick Pynn, Pete Flood and Ed Gaughan.
Music recorded and mixed by Julian Simmons at Din Studios
Adaptation for radio by Sandy Grierson and Matt Thompson
Musical Director James Fortune
Director Matt Thompson
Rockethouse Productions Ltd.
Ivor Cutler ................... Sandy Grierson
Phyllis King ................... Elicia Daly
Actor ................... Ed Gaughan
Adaptor ................... Sandy Grierson
Adaptor ................... Matt Thompson
Director ................... Matt Thompson
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-06-02, 19-30
Drama on 3
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. Wonderfully gossipy music specially composed by A-Mnemonic. Loads of wicked laughs in this sparkling new production. Can scandal ever die?
'The School for Scandal' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
CAST:
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
A Jarvis & Ayres Production
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-06-09, 19-30
Drama on 3
Pericles
A gripping new production of one of Shakespeare's later and least performed plays, Pericles, in which murder, incest, intrigue, shipwrecks and prostitution tear King Pericles' family apart.
Adapted for radio and directed by acclaimed British theatre writer/director Neil Bartlett with a multicultural cast including opera legend Sir Willard White as Gower, the RSC's rising star Paapa Essiedu as Pericles and renowned British film actress Adjoa Andoh as Dionyza. A Greek chorus trio provides an innovative way to deliver pirates, fishermen, knights and villains galore.
Pericles is a problem play on stage given the long script, wordy passages, multiple shipwrecks and sea storms, and large number of locations. With a pacey, music-rich new adaptation for radio by Neil Bartlett and the rich, beguiling tones of Willard White as Gower, Pericles becomes a lively, shocking and moving roller-coaster journey, perfect for radio drama, and reclaims Pericles as one of Shakespeare's plays definitely worthy of more frequent productions.
CAST
Gower ..... Willard White
Pericles .....Paapa Essiedu
Thaisa ..... Sarah Malin
Helicanus/Pandar ..... Colin Hurley
Cleon/Boult ..... Barrie Rutter
Cerimon/Bawd ..... Tamzin Griffin
Dionyza/Lychorida ..... Adjoa Andoh
Marina ..... Laura Rees
Leonine/Simonides ..... Martin Turner
Antiochus/Lysimachus ..... Mark Straker
Trio 1 ..... Tim Chipping
Trio 2 ..... Martin Bassindale
Trio 3 ..... Oscar Batterha
Marina's song composed by Simon Deacon
Pianist, Josef Janik
A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 3.
Writer ................... William Shakespeare
Gower ................... Willard White
Pericles ................... Paapa Essiedu
Thaisa ................... Sarah Malin
Helicanus/Pandar ................... Colin Hurley
Cleon/Boult ................... Barrie Rutter
Cerimon/Bawd ................... Tamzin Griffin
Dionyza/Lychorida ................... Adjoa Andoh
Marina ................... Laura Rees
Leonine/Simonides ................... Martin Turner
Antiochus/Lysimachus ................... Mark Straker
Trio 1 ................... Tim Chipping
Trio 2 ................... Martin Bassindale
Trio 3 ................... Oscar Batterham
Director ................... Neil Bartlett
Adaptor ................... Neil Bartlett
Producer ................... Turan Ali
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-06-16, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Phlebotomist
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 ratist world where health, wealth and happiness depend on a single blood test - dictating everything from bank loans to dating prospects - phlebotomy reigns supreme. So how far will people go to beat the system?
Ella Road's debut play is a powerfully provocative vision of a dystopian future, questioning the value we place on one another, whether knowledge really is power, and if love truly can conquer all. It is brought to Radio 3 following two triumphant runs at London's Hampstead Theatre.
Cast:
Bea - Jade Anouka
Aaron - Rory Fleck Byrne
Char - Kiza Deen
David - Mark Lambert
with
Claudia Cadette and Edward Wolstenholme
Written by Ella Road
Directed by Sam Yates
Executive Producer: Frank Stirling
a 7digital production
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-06-23, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Invisible
Original drama set in a speculative future London by Linda Marshall Griffiths
A story of lost people. A story of 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. London's an island; it's what we always wanted. So easy to live in; so beautifully accommodating.
El Irving disappeared seventeen 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
Listen with headphones for a more immersive 3D experience.
The Invisible imagines the possibility of losing your identity, your legal status, because suddenly your citizenship becomes invalid. It imagines a future where everything is digital. It is a drama that imagines millions of displaced people living in refugee camps; people that no-one wants; people held in detention centres because their papers don't prove their right to citizenship.
Linda Marshall Griffiths is an award-winning, radio and stage writer who has written many original dramas. For Radio 3 her dramas include A Dream of White Horses and Things Might Change or Cease.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-06-30, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Visa Affair
In 1965 Joe Orton visited the American Embassy in London to get a visa to attend the Broadway production of his outrageous West End hit 'Entertaining Mr Sloane' and was caught up in a Kafkaesque world of oppression and paranoia. He was forced into absurd interrogations and accused of "moral turpitude." In the mid-1960s Orton was one of the most talked about new playwrights of the decade - even attracting the attention of the Beatles, who asked him to write them a new film.
Writer Jake Arnott has uncovered a previously unpublished story by Orton about his this encounter. This story becomes the heart of a new drama, in which Arnott also draws on letters, archive, newspaper reports and personal testimony to create a darkly comic drama revealing Orton's life and the world that he lived in.
Orton's first commission as a playwright was from Radio 3's predecessor the Third Programme in 1964 and this new play was originally commissioned as part of the station's 70th season in October 2016, celebrating seven decades of pioneering music and culture.
In 'The Visa Affair', Orton has just found success in the UK after years of obscurity, and Broadway beckons, but events in his past threaten his American dream. As embassy staff challenge him about his criminal record we follow a labyrinthine struggle as Joe is forced to defer to authority, deny his sexuality, and to look again at his subversive acts and how they affected his writing and work.
Throughout, Orton plays a game of hide and seek with bureaucracy - evading its surveillance whilst revealing its absurdity.
Orton's own narrative voice forms the heart of this drama. It is a rich source of character, dialogue and unfolding plot. Writer Jake Arnott says: "Though his work often seems surreal, Orton always insisted that what he wrote was reality. This is real. What excites me about this project is the opportunity to dramatise a hidden work: Orton's own encounter with the kind of absurd bureaucracy that he brilliantly depicts in his plays."
Cast
Joe Orton ..... Russell Tovey
Kenneth Halliwell ..... Tom Burke
Miss Boynes ..... Alison Steadman
Peggy Ramsey ..... Frances Barber
Ensemble cast played by Kerry Shale, Nigel Anthony, Stephen Critchlow, Alison Steadman and Frances Barber
'The Visa Affair' by Jake Arnott is based on the original story by Joe Orton.
Additional material contributed by Joe's sister Leonie Barnett.
Director: Marilyn Imrie
Producer: Jo Coombs
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 3
Writer ................... Jake Arnott
Joe Orton ................... Russell Tovey
Kenneth Halliwell ................... Tom Burke
Miss Boynes ................... Alison Steadman
Peggy Ramsey ................... Frances Barber
Director ................... Marilyn Imrie
Producer ................... Jo Coombs
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-07-07, 19-30
Drama on 3
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
Alex and his vicious gang of 'droogs' revel in horrific violence. They run riot and communicate in 'Nadsat' their own hybridisation of Russian and English slang. When a drug-fuelled night of fun ends in murder, Alex is arrested. He is given a choice: be brainwashed into a good citizen, or face a lifetime in prison.
A dramatisation of the controversial dystopian classic about crime and punishment using an original score composed by author Anthony Burgess with new orchestration by Iain Farrington.
Performed live with the BBC Philharmonic as part of 'Contains Strong Language'. A season of poetry and performance from Hull.
Musical Arranger/Musical Director Iain Farrington.
Producer/Director Gary Brown
Alex ................... Samuel Edward-Cook
Dim/Warder/Comedian ................... Edward Leigh
Alexander/Governor ................... Ian Bartholomew
Deltoid/Minister ................... Sevan Stephan
Wife/Branom ................... Sue Jenkins
Chaplain/Joe ................... Jonathan Keeble
Brodsky/Billyboy ................... Paul Barnhill
Pete/Rick ................... Wesley Charles
Georgie/Jojohn ................... Robbie Fallon
Marty/Nurse ................... Ibinabo Jack
Conductor ................... Gergely Madaras
Producer ................... Gary Brown
Director ................... Gary Brown
Executive Producer ................... Susan Roberts
Performer ................... BBC Philharmonic
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-07-14, 19-30
Drama on 3
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.
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 - a call for political action - 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 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 a BBC North Production, produced by Susan Roberts.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-09-15, 21-10
Drama on 3
The Effect
by Lucy Prebble.
Starring Jessie Buckley, Christine Entwisle, Damien Molony and Samuel West.
"I can tell the difference between who I am and a side effect."
Award-winning chemical romance.
Connie (Jessie Buckley - 'The Last Post', 'Taboo') and Tristan (Damien Molony - 'Crashing', 'Being Human') are taking part in a clinical trial for a new psychoactive drug. So when they start to feel attracted to each other, can they really trust how they feel?
A profound, and funny, play about love, depression and selfhood, winner of the Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play when it was performed at the National Theatre in 2012.
Dr Lorna James .... Christine Entwisle
Connie .... Jessie Buckley
Tristan .... Damien Molony
Dr Toby Sealey .... Samuel West
Composer, Richard Hammarton
Writer, Lucy Prebble
Director, Abigail le Fleming
THE WRITER
Lucy Prebble is a writer for film, television, games and theatre. Before THE EFFECT she wrote the hugely successful ENRON (2010). Her first play, THE SUGAR SYNDROME (2003), won her the George Devine Award and was performed at the Royal Court.
Lucy is an Associate Artist at the Old Vic Theatre.
For television, she is the creator of the TV series SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL. She is Co-Executive Producer and writer on HBO's media mogul drama, SUCCESSION.
THE COMPOSER
Richard Hammarton is a composer and sound designer for Theatre, TV and Film. His work has been heard throughout the UK and Internationally. He was part of the design team that won the Manchester Evening News "Best Design" award for DR FAUSTUS in 2010 and was Sound Designer for the Olivier Award winning play, THE MOUNTAINTOP. He also worked on the Ivor Novello winning RIPPER STREET for TV.
Actor ................... Christine Entwisle
Connie ................... Jessie Buckley
Tristan ................... Damien Molony
Dr Toby Sealey ................... Samuel West
Composer ................... Richard Hammarton
Writer ................... Lucy Prebble
Director ................... Abigail le Fleming
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-09-22, 19-30
Drama on 3
Carifesta 2019
Three new dramas by young writers from Trinidad and Tobago, recorded for the 2019 Caribbean Festival of the Arts.
"Mr Singh", by Derron Sandy, is set in a troubled country school where lawlessness prevails. New teacher Mr Singh arrives with his peaceful Buddhist ways, prompting his colleagues to lay bets as to how long he'll last.
"Aron", by Kyle Hernandez, is about a 19-year-old working in his uncle's barber shop, under pressure from all sides to grow up and decide his future. It's a modern-day fairy tale in which a young man and a famous soca star form an alliance against toxic masculinity.
In "Water More Than Flour" (an expression meaning hard times), by Elisha Efua Bartels, we eavesdrop on a couple who are keeping secrets from each other. Her secret is bigger than his.
MR SINGH
Mr Singh ..... Keegan Maharaj
Ms Serrieux ..... Rhesa Samuel
Mr Pelton ..... Idrees Saleem
Mrs Frank ..... Tafar Lewis
Felicia ..... Khadijah Kirton
Bolo ..... Israel Nunes
Children from the Quays Foundation, Maloney, Trinidad & Tobago.
Writer Derron Sandy
Original music Kenyatta Lewis
ARON
Aron ..... Levee Rodriguez
Uncle ..... Errol Fabien
Dad ..... Anand Lawkaran
Teddy Boi ..... Jayron Remy
Friday ..... Tishanna Williams
Imani ..... Nickolai Salcedo
Writer Kyle Hernandez
Original music by Kyle Hernandez, Jayron Remy & Nickolai Salcedo
WATER MORE THAN FLOUR
She ..... Mandisa Granderson
He ..... Conrad Parris
Girlfriend ..... Kimmy Stoute-Robinson
Friend ..... Arnold Goindham
Writer Elisha Efua Bartels
Recorded music 3canal
Original music Everald 'Red Man' Watson
Sound engineering and design for all three dramas by Kasi Foster, Robin Foster and Alisdair McGregor
Producer/Director Melanie Harris
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 3 and Trini Good Media.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-09-29, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Devil's Passion
David Suchet stars as Satan - and a bible's-worth of other characters, human and animal - in this comic, gripping, poetic and pungent hell's-eye view of the Passion of Christ, written by renowned satirist, playwright and actor Justin Butcher.
33 AD. Jesus enters Jerusalem to fulfil his destiny. Satan ascends from Hell to stop him.
"Within the next hour, our operatives will isolate, engage and capture or kill the notorious leader of the most extreme, dangerous and contagious ideology to emerge in the modern era, whose terror activities represent the gravest threat to our interests across the region and the wider world.
I refer, of course, to the radical preacher and populist demagogue Y'shua Bar-Yessuf - the man known, by way of shorthand to our operatives, as 'Jesus'."
Satan ..... David Suchet
Jesus ..... Amir El-Masry
Miriam ..... Lara Sawalha
Written by Justin Butcher
Produced and Directed by Jonquil Panting
Sound Design by Jack C Arnold.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-10-06, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Mother
The Mother by Bertolt Brecht with original musical score by Hanns Eisler.
Translated by Mark Ravenhill, from a literal translation by Marc Funda, with song lyrics translated by Steve Trafford.
When Pelagea Vlassova's son Pavel becomes involved in political activity her radical action to protect him from imprisonment transforms her into the figurehead for a revolutionary movement. Brecht and Eisler's iconic drama set in pre-revolutionary Russia.
Vlassova.....Maxine Peake
Pavel.....Andy Coxon
Anton and Sigorski.....Esh Alladi
Ivan.....Nico Mirallegro
Mascha.....Elen Rhys
Andrei and Luschin.....Rupert Hill
Nikolai and Inspector.....William Ash
Vassil and Smilgin.....Kevin Harvey
Karpov and the Landlady.....Christine Bottomley
The Niece.....Nadia Emam
All other parts were played by the company.
Songs by the Chorus of Revolutionary Workers were performed by Kantos Chamber Choir
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Conducted by HK Gruber
A Radio Drama North Production in association with BBC Philharmonic.
Recorded in front of an audience at Middleton Hall in Hull as part of BBC Contains Strong Language Festival.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-10-13, 19-30
Drama on 3
Summerhall 2019 (1/3)
This is the second year that Radio 3 hass showcased new audio plays at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Recorded live with an audience at the BBC's pop-up drama studio at the Summerhall arts venue, we begin with three very different plays from Naomi Sheldon, Kate O Donnell and Matilda Ibini.
19.30 - 20.00 Out of Your Mind
Three students, one underground tunnel and some very scary sounds. A spooky exploration of what happens to the mind in an age of surveillance when we go underground. What is the mind capable of when all you have is your imagination?
Naomi Sheldon (Funny Women best show 2018) returns with a new psychological drama that takes the audience on an exploration of sound and the supernatural. Not for the fainthearted'
Kate ..... Lois Chimimba
Ellen ..... Naomi Sheldon
Steph ..... Rebecca Humphries
Writer, Naomi Sheldon
20.00 - 20.30 Pass
A mother and daughter's relationship through transition. By Kate O'Donnell. When Kate's mum arrives on her doorstep, announcing that she has finally left her controlling husband, mother and daughter embark on unexpected adventures.
Kate ..... Kate O Donnell
Mum ..... Sue Jenkins
Writer, Kate O Donnell
20.30 - 21.00 The Grape That Rolled Under the Fridge
Imagine if your shadow were the keeper of all your secrets - a lucrative prize for unscrupulous thieves, profit-driven business and state monitoring alike. Set in a future world where advancements in technology allow accurate monitoring of everyone's activities by directly communicating with a person's shadow, which stores entire histories about their owner. When Seth's shadow is stolen, with all of its secrets, she has to get it back. An Afro - futurist tale about identity, familial relationships and the encroaching surveillance state by Matilda Ibini.
Seth ..... Shvrone Marks
Jade ..... Lois Chimimba
Mekah/Pink Stain ..... Nick Ikunda
Writer, Matilda Ibini
Co-producers, Polly Thomas and Eloise Whitmore
Executive producer, Celia de Wolf
A Naked Production for BBC Radio 3.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-10-20, 19-30
Drama on 3
Summerhall 2019 (2/3)
A Khoisan Woman by Zodwa Nyoni
Saartjie Baartman is the proud embodiment of the Khoisan women of South Africa. But in London 1810, she is the Hottentot Venus, a freak of race and sexuality on display for the audiences' amusement. Saartjie stands as the epitome of colonial exploitation, ridicule and commodification of black women.
HENDRIK CESAR.....Finlay Bain
SARAH BAARTMAN..... Luyanda Unati-Lewis-Nyawo
JOSEPH.....David Judge
REAUX/ATTORNEY GENERAL.....Kenny Blyth
Produced by Gary Brown
Garlands by Satinder Chohan
When Khush's wedding is unexpectedly disrupted by men objecting to the marriage of a Sikh to a non Sikh in the Gurdwara can Khush persuade the protesters to back down?
MOTHER.....Lubna Kerr
SUKH.....Darren Kuppan
BALGYAN.I.....Raj Bajaj
KHUSH..... Krupa Pattani
DHOL DRUMMER......Mark Singh
Produced by Nadia Molinari
Questions for Quiz Shows by Thomas Pickles
Arriving in Edinburgh hoping to re-kindle a broken relationship, Cora soon finds herself having to pick up the pieces for someone else.
CORA..... Sacha Parkinson
OSCAR..... Kyle Gardiner
SAPPHIRE..... Kay McAllister
ANABELLE.....Victoria Balnaves
Produced by Nadia Molinari
Recorded live at Summerhall as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-10-27, 19-30
Drama on 3
Summerhall 2019 (3/3)
THE LADIES ROOM by Gemma Bedeau
In Gemma Bedeau's first drama for radio, she invites us to join three friends on a girls' night out in the Ladies room of a favourite nightclub. This is usually a safe space where women help you back into your jumpsuit and offer advice about how to get over your ex-boyfriend. But on this particular evening, Amy, Becca and Keisha can no longer avoid dealing with the past. A little too much alcohol stirs up old resentments, turning this Ladies room into more of a crucible than a retreat. These women must come apart in order to come together again.
Becca Rhea Bailey
Keisha Lisa Livingstone
Amy Lois Chimimba
Writer Gemma Bedeau
Post production sound design Eloise Whitmore
Producer/Director Melanie Harris
Executive producer Jeremy Mortimer
A Sparklab Production for BBC Radio 3 at Summerhall
alt-delete by Frances Poet
LAYLA ..... Rehanna Macdonald
MARISA ..... Saskia Ashdown
ENGLAND_UNTIL_I_DIE ..... Cal MacAninch
ANGEL_ROSIE ..... Karen Bartke
MR RUMBELOW/TOUR GUIDE ..... Stuart McQuarrie
A BBC Scotland production directed by Gaynor Macfarlane
Faking It by Owen Whitelaw
MOIRA/HELEN ..... Gayanne Potter
BRIAN/JOHN ..... Robert Jack
JENNIFER ..... Jessica Hardwick
DETECTIVE ..... Gavin Mitchell
A BBC Scotland production directed by Bruce Young
Recorded live at Summerhall as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-11-03, 19-30
Drama on 3
Fathers and Sons by Brian Friel
'Fathers and Sons' by Brian Friel, after the novel by Ivan Turgenev. Fathers: Charles Dance, James Fleet. Sons: Edward Bennett, George Blagden.
In Turgenev's prescient 1859 story of generational collision, both young heroes seem, at first, passionate revolutionaries, believing the old Russia should be swept away. But they're unsure what they'd replace it with. Julia McKenzie is a batty princess, Lisa Dillon a self-searching widow, Gabrielle Lloyd a loving mother and Martin Jarvis as odd-ball Uncle Pavel.
Nikolai Kirsanov ... James Fleet
Arkady ... George Blagden
Vassily Bazarov ... Charles Dance
Yevgeny ... Edward Bennett
Princess Olga ... Julia McKenzie
Anna Sergeevna ... Lisa Dillon
Pavel ... Martin Jarvis
Arina ... Gabrielle Lloyd
Fenichka ... Lucy Phelps
Dunyasha ... Joanna Cassidy
Katya ... Matilda Wickham
Piotr ... Kieran Hodgeson
Fedka ... Darren Richardson
Prokofyich and Timofeich ... Nigel Anthony
Musicians: Michael Lan, Stavros Dritsas, Louis Baily,
Djordje Gajic, Richard Sisson
Music advisers: Lucy Parham, Richard Sisson
Sound design: Mark Holden
Produced and directed by Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis and Ayres Production for BBC Radio 3.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-11-10, 19-30
Drama on 3
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.
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
Tallulah Brown is a playwright and screenwriter from Suffolk. Her plays have included Songlines, Sea Fret and When the Birds Come.
Vinay Patel is best known for writing BAFTA-winning single play 'Murdered by my Father', and Demons of the Punjab for Doctor Who. His stage plays included True Brits, and An Adventure.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-11-17, 19-30
Drama on 3
Tis Pity She's a Whore
Compassionate and disturbing, John Ford's great story of doomed love between a brother and sister in this new, visceral production for radio, intercut with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Nick Cave.
Annabella ..... Jessie Buckley,
Giovanni ..... Damien Molony
Signor Florio ..... Niall Buggy,
Putana ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Friar Bonaventura ..... Oliver Cotton.
Lord Soranzo ..... Matthew Pidgeon,
Vasques ...... Enzo Cilenti,
Hippolita ..... Indira Varma.
Grimaldi ..... Gary Duncan,
Cardinal ..... Neil McCaul,
Officer ..... Adam Fitzgerald
Dorando ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong.
The original song - In Deep - composed by Jules Maxwell, and sung by Jessie Buckley, Indira Varma, and Abby Andrews
Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford.
Adapted and directed by Pauline Harris.
Further info:-
This is Jessie Buckley's first radio play appearance, as Annabella.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-11-24, 19-30
Drama on 3
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
Novel by Lola Shoneyin
Dramatised by Rotimi Babatunde
Adapted for radio by Femi Elufowoju, jr
The Secret Lives of Babi Segi's Wives tells of the struggles, rivalries, intricate family politics, and interplay of personalities amongst the four wives of Baba Segi, the pompous patriarch of a well-to-do polygamous Nigerian household.
As the story hops between past and present, the tone switches. In the present, we follow young Bolanle as she marries into a polygamous family, to become the fourth wife of the rich, rotund patriarch, Baba Segi. She is young, beautiful and - crucially - college-educated, and the existing wives treat her with a suspicion that quickly spills over into contempt. Survival becomes paramount as she repeatedly dodges the plots hatched against her.
Originally a novel, the production is inspired by the Arcola Theatre's hit 2018 show, directed by Femi Elufowoju Jr. and adapted by Rotimi Babatunde.
The production is packed with music and song. Under the Musical Direction of Femi Elufowoju, jr., percussion is performed by Sola Akingbola (head percussionist in the British jazz funk band Jamiroquai), the flute by Patrice Naiambana, and the songs by Ayo-Dele Edwards and Kemi Durosinmi.
Baba Segi . . . . . Patrice Naiambana
Bolanle . . . . . Ayo-Dele Edwards
Iya Segi . . . . . Golda John
Iya Femi . . . . . Mofetoluwa Akande
Iya Tope . . . . . Yasmin Mwanza
Segi . . . . . Kemi Durosinmi
Dr Usman . . . . . Jude Akuwudike
Taju . . . . . Sule Rimi
Director: Femi Elufowoju, jr
Producer: Sasha Yevtushenko
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-12-01, 19-30
Drama on 3
Dance Til You Bleed: The World According to Hans Christian Andersen
Toby Jones stars as Hans Christian Andersen in five interlinked fairy-tale adaptations by Lucy Catherine that shine a light into the dark regions of the author's mind. Best-selling author and fairy-tale aficionado, Joanne Harris, introduces us to the author's imagination.
A drama of haunting strangeness that delves into the author's most unnerving tales where a king barters his daughter's happiness, a young girl is punished for the colour of her shoes, a woman makes a terrible choice to escape poverty, romance is marred by an icy kiss of death and a power-mad prince embarks on world domination.
The King '.. Clive Hayward
Karen '.. Shannon Tarbet
Anne Lisbeth '.. Amanda Hale
Rudy '.. Joseph Ayre
The Prince '.. Craig Parkinson.
Other parts played by Scarlett Courtney, Greg Jones, Ian Conningham, Adam Courting, Neil McCaul, Jessica Turner, Sinead MacInnes, Lucy Reynolds, Heather Craney, Will Kirk, Laura Christie and Ikky Elyas.
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
Hans Christian Andersen jettisons the conventions of fairy tale logic, giving his characters realistic motivations for why they do what they do. Without him, every fairy tale would end happily ever after.
Andersen acts as a tour guide, embarking on a journey through his imagination as he attempts to identify the source of his creativity.
Featured in the drama are The Most Incredible Thing, The Red Shoes, Anne Lisbeth, The Ice Maiden and The Wicked Prince.
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-12-08, 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
The Last of the Volsungs is based, at times loosely, on part of the 13th century Icelandic Volsunga Saga. The sagas are an extraordinary rich and varied cultural treasury. In style they can be domestic, historical, heroic, funny and tragic and can claim with a lot of justification to be the earliest European novels or at least the precursors to them. The Volsung saga falls within the heroic tradition and it has been the inspiration for many - William Morris, Tolkien and of course Wagner.
At the bedrock of the heroic saga is the idea of Ragnarok, the doom of the Gods. At the end of time the Gods go out and fight a last battle with their enemies, the Frost Giants and their allies, and in the conflict the universe is destroyed. The Gods die. This is not a Last Judgement; there are no morally justified winners and damned sinners. It's just the end - the inevitable, organic end of everything. What's deemed admirable - although post apocalypse there's actually no one left to admire it - is the stoicism, the courage of the warriors as they rally round Odin All Father facing certain annihilation in that final battle. It's a stark enough philosophy. It leads to a warrior class more than half in love with bloody death, their own as much as their enemies.
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 Holiday Evans
Hjordis ................... Kath Weare
Warrior ................... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Warrior ................... Gary Duncan
Warrior ................... Philip Bretherton
Director ................... Marc Beeby
Writer ................... Melissa Murray
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BBC Radio 3 - 2019-12-22, 19-30
Drama on 3
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...
Albert .... Sam Troughton
Bettina ..... Clare Corbett
Corinna .... Susan Brown
Rudolph ..... David Haig
Konrad ..... Christopher Harper
Voice ..... Sinead MacInnes
Writer, Roland Schimmelpfennig
Translator, David Tushingham
Pianist, Chris Lee
Director, Abigail le Fleming
Roland Schimmelpfennig is one of the most produced European playwrights.
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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.
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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:
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