Radio 3 Drama, 2023
Drama on 3 – 2023
Sundays
8 Jan 23 HashtagPublicEnemy
“The Haven” is a Norfolk eco-village jeopardised by the discovery of toxic waste in the water table. Based on Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People by Steve Waters. The play is updated to explore colliding pressures about the economy, ecology, cancel-culture, corruption and popularism.
Tom Stockman ..... Joseph Millson,
Penny Stockman ..... Alexandra Gilbreath,
Petra ..... Norah Lopez Holden,
Maggie Killingworth ..... Anna Savva,
Conor Houston ..... Carl Prekopp,
Millie Goff ..... Silvia Presente,
Ajay Charkraborti ..... Sartaj Garewal.
Sound design: Alisdair McGregor.
Producer and director: Jeremy Mortimer.
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman.
Indie; Reduced Listening.
15 Jan 23 Constellations and Elegy (two plays)
By Nick Payne. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and George MacKay star in Constellations, a play about a relationship that plays out in multiple different ways in parallel universes. The play explores how even the smallest change can significantly alter the course we take.
Marianne . . . . . Gugu Mbatha-Raw,
Roland . . . . . George MacKay.
The play was first performed in 2012 at the Royal Court.
'Elegy' stars Juliet Stevenson, Deborah Findlay and Marilyn Nnadebe. It's about a couple who have made a choice between love and survival. Lorna and Carrie met in later life and married. But now they are facing the possibility of their relationship disintegrating in the most painful way. Lorna's brain has been afflicted by an degenerative disease that will soon destroy her. Her partner Carrie is faced with a devastating decision: to submit her beloved wife to an experimental new treatment that risks completely erasing Lorna's memory of the relationship. Lorna . . . . . Juliet Stevenson, Carrie . . . . . Deborah Findlay, Miriam . . . . . Marilyn Nnadebe. 'Elegy' opened at the Donmar Warehouse in 2016. Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko.
22 Jan 23 Wunderkind
By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. It's 1770 and Leopold Mozart is taking his 14-year-old son on a trip to Italy to perform for a string of wealthy and influential people. They hit trouble in Rome when young Wolfgang is found to have written down the closely-guarded unpublished music for Allegri's sacred 'Miserere', only ever performed in the Vatican. One interesting thing about the action ... Wolfgang is at the centre of the play, but at no time does he speak.
Leopold Mozart ..... Paul Higgins,
Cardinal Ucelli ..... Craige Els,
Liana ..... Claire-Louise Cordwell,
Donna Maria ..... Ayesha Antoine,
Lucius ..... Justice Ritchie,
Anna Mozart ..... Jasmine Hyde.
Violinist ..... Natalie Purton.
Singer ..... Dominic Mattos.
Composer/musical director ..... John Chambers.
Produced by Toby Swift.
29 Jan 23 Songs in Times of Distress
This isn't actually a drama but its content could not be more dramatic. Theresienstadt is a walled town in Bohemia, used by the Nazis in WW2 as a walled concentration camp. Singing gives comfort in dark times. Before the Nazis sanctioned Theresienstadt’s 'leisure activities', covert music persisted – composers drew their own manuscript paper and choirs met in secret. With most instruments needing to be smuggled in, Theresienstadt led composers to write for small groups, such as in the pieces for strings by Gideon Klein, Pavel Haas and Frantisek Domazlicky which are presented here by Guildhall School Musicians. Post-war reflections from Silvie Bodorova and Dieter Gogg complete the programme, with reflective interludes provided by students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Hear works that would have been forbidden in Nazi territory, including Hebrew and Yiddish songs by Viktor Ullmann. Baritone Simon Wallfisch, co-curator of the concert and grandson of an Auschwitz survivor, also sings Ullmann’s Songs of Comfort and reads first-hand accounts from the camp.
BBC Singers:
Nicholas Chalmers conductor,,
Simon Wallfisch baritone/narrator,
Iain Farrington piano,
Guildhall School Musicians:
Hana Mizuta-Spencer violin,
Melanie Gruwez violin,
Kate de Campos viola,
William Clark-Maxwell cello,
Bogdan Skrypka percussion.
The pieces: Viktor Ullmann Two Hebrew Pieces for choir, Extracts from Diary of Dan by Gonda Redlich, 16 March - 6 October 1944, Words from Viktor Ullmann, Viktor Ullmann Songs of Comfort for low voice and string trio: Extract from Goethe and Ghetto, Extract from a review by Viktor Ullmann, Gideon Klein String Trio. Words by Zeev Shek, extract from Music in Terezin by Joza Karas, Gideon Klein Folk Songs for male chorus, Silvie Bodorova 'Lacrimosa' from Terezín Ghetto Requiem for baritone and string quartet, Pavel Haas 'Wild Night' from String Quartet No 2, Extract from Terezin, a story of the Holocaust by Franklin Watts, Dieter Gogg/Leo Strauss Als Ob (As If) (arr Iain Farrington), Dieter Gogg/Otto Beer Theresienstadt, der schönste Stadt der Welt (Theresienstadt, the most beautiful city in the world) (arr Iain Farrington), Frantisek Domazlicky Song Without Words for string quartet, Viktor Ullmann Yiddish Songs for choir, Viktor Ullmann ‘Komm Tod, du unser werter Gast‘ from Der Kaiser von Atlantis (arr Iain Farrington).
5 Feb 23 The Get
By Josh Azouz. A domestic drama, set in a contemporary North London Jewish suburb. The Get is a Jewish divorce bill, and in Jewish law only the husband can grant one. When Jonny’s sister Lara asks him to pressurise his brother-in-law Zach to agree to a Get, he is drawn into a spiral of criminal behaviour.
Jonny …. Paul Chahidi,
Ruth …. Dorothea Myer Bennett,
Zach …. Michael Gould,
Lara …. Alexis Zegerman,
Benya …. Frewyn Thursfield,
Nina .… Macy Nyman,
Dovy .… Joshua Lewis,
Vasily .… Josh Zare.
Sound design: Steve Bond,
Director: Georgia Green,
Producer: Jeremy Mortimer.
Indie (Reduced Listening).
12 Feb 23 The Duchess of Malfi
By John Webster; too well-known to require much comment from me. It's based on a true story. This production uses some of the music of Jimi Hendrix and Laura Marling.
The Duchess of Malfi - Pippa Nixon,
Bosola - Shaun Dooley,
Antonio - Sandy Grierson,
Ferdinand - Alexander Cobb,
Cardinal - Jonathan Keeble,
Delio/Pilgrim - Kevin Harvey,
Cariola/Julia - Jenny Platt,
Silvio/Pilgrim - Rupert Hill,
Doctor - Lloyd Hutchinson.
Original songs arranged and composed by Jules Maxwell and sung by Shaun Dooley and Jules Maxwell. Introduction by Emma Smith of Hertford College, Oxford.
Abridged and adapted by Pauline Harris and Emma Smith.
19 Feb 23 The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov. from the stage play, ad. Katherine for radio, with music composed by John Chambers. A convoluted story about relationships. And Peter loves booze and fags. Let battle commence.
Irene ..... Emma Fielding,
Stan ..... Mark Quartley,
Peter ..... Dominic Coleman,
Nina ..... Erin Doherty,
Boris ..... Joel MacCormack,
Eugene ..... Danny Sapani,
Paulie ..... Nina Wadia,
Ian ..... Paul Rider,
Martha ..... Chloe Sommer,
Simon/Jacob ..... Tom Kiteley.
Sound Design by Peter Ringrose.
Produced by Toby Swift.
This is another collaboration between Katherine and John, who did The Cherry Orchard for R3 in 2018. They work together for Palimpsest, a multimedia theatre company.
26 Feb 23 The Meaning of Zong
By Giles Terera. It explores the massacre on the slave ship 'Zong' in 1781, and how uncovering its story stimulated the growing Abolition movement in England.
A collaboration between Giles, Bristol Old Vic and Jonx Productions back in 2021, when work on new stage productions was stopped because of lockdowns.
Olaudah Equiano (Gustavas Vassa) ….. Giles Terera,
Granville Sharp ….. Samuel West,
Ama/Rachel ….. Moronke Akinola,
Riba/ Elijah ….. Gloria Obianyo,
Miss Greenwood/Joyi ….. Akiya Henry,
Ottobah Coguano/ Stubbs ….. Michael Balogun,
Pigot /The Manager ….. Nikesh Patel,
Lee/The Officer ….. Sule Rimi,
James Kelsal/The Bishop ….. Paul Hickey,
Lord Mansfield ….. Michael Bertenshaw.
The score was created by Jon Nicholls with Giles Terera and the company with Amanda Wilkin.
Percussion, Sola Akingbola.
Sound design, Jon Nicholls.
Director, Tom Morris.
Producer, Jonquil Panting.
Indie (Jonx, in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic.)
5 Mar 23 Reykjavik
By Juan Mayorga. One of the very few plays we get involving chess.
Bailen and Waterloo are united and separated by a chessboard. But it isn't chess they're playing, it's Reykjavik It's about the Cold War. They're playing at being Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, the German arbiter, the Icelandic bodyguard, Bobby's mother, Boris's second wife, the girlfriends Bobby never had ....
Waterloo ….. Robert Emms,
Bailen ….. Gunnar Cauthery,
Boy ….. Samantha Dakin.
Russian voices ….. Oleg Tsiplakov and Ilia Golitsyn.
Japanese voice ….. Nao Nakazawa.
Other voices played by the cast.
Translated by Nicolas Jackson and Bill Murphy.
Production by Sarah Tombling.
Executive producer Sara Davies.
Sound design by Jon Nicholls.
Adapted for radio and directed by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
12 Mar 23 Peking Noir
Researched by historian Paul French; drama written by Sarah Wooley. This is the story of Alexander Sosnitsky/Shura Giraldi, a Russian man/woman emigree to China after the 1917 revolution. The records aren’t clear and (s)he lived openly as both and may even have been an hermaphrodite. He/she set himself up in the Chuanban Hutong, an area inside the old city walls to one side of the Foreign Legation that was famous for its bordellos, bars and bust-ups – that Chuanban’s main street was referred to in some foreign circles as ‘Heroin Street’ gives you a sense of what some of those busts ups were about. (...thanks to www.singhbartlett.com/chinadiaries for this information) Shura worked as a dancer, promoter and then became the lover of a local warlord, who gave them a club before fleeing the capital, and then in 1937 went on to organise the biggest bank robbery in China’s history. None of the money has ever been recovered.
Paul French is a historian and writer who focuses on China in the first half of the 20th century. He's been researching Shura for 15 years. This story, a product of his research, is full of truths, but a lot of information is missing. So Sarah Wooley has joined the dots of Shura’s story. We go from a Russian Far East in violent revolution, to the chaos of the mass emigration of the White Russians, to the crowded hutongs of Peking; from that city’s nightclubs and cabarets, to the casinos of Shanghai; from a China wracked by rampaging warlordism, invaded by Japan, and then fighting its own civil war culminating in its own revolution. Shura saw it all.
Shura . . . . . Maggie Bain,
Zaichek . . . . . Leo Wan,
Roy . . . . . Daniel York Loh,
Leopard . . . . . Chris Lew Kum Hoi,
Tatiana . . . . . Charlotte East,
Anton . . . . . Luke Nunn,
Marie . . . . . Cecilia Appiah,
Saxsen . . . . . Ian Dunnett Jnr.,
The MC . . . . . Roger Ringrose,
Anna . . . . . Jane Whittenshaw.
Editing and sound design by Peter Ringrose.
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
19 Mar 23 The Dance of Death
By Conor McPherson’s version of August Strindberg’s story about a toxic marriage. The drama is set in a military outpost off the coast of Sweden. The Captain and his wife Alice embark on a series of games in an attempt to alleviate the hell they’ve created for themselves. Events take a disturbing turn when a divisive figure from their past arrives back on the scene.
The Captain ….. Robert Glenister,
Alice ….. Hattie Morahan,
Kurt ….. Blake Ritson.
Piano played by Peter Ringrose.
Produced by Gemma Jenkins.
26 Mar 23 The Two Noble Kinsmen
By William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Based on Chaucer's 'The Knight's Tale'. 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.
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/Friend ..... Sam Dale,
Artesius/Countryman 2..... Carl Prekopp,
Valerius ..... Pip Donaghy.
Other parts played by members of the company.
Music composed and performed by Tom Glenister; sung by Emma Mackey and Tom Glenister. Adapted by Sara Davies.
Produced by Celia de Wolff.
Sound Design: David Thomas.
Production co-ordinator Sarah Tombling.
Indie (Pier).
2 Apr 23 Kafka's Dick
By Alan Bennett. This play was first performed in 1986, at the Royal Court. It is hilarious at times but it also grapples with problems of fame and artistic integrity.
The central premise is simple: Franz Kafka and his friend Max Brod, returned from the dead (Kafka metamorphosing from a pet tortoise), find themselves in the suburban home of Sydney, a Kafka fanatic and his less literary minded wife, Linda. Brod spends the entire drama trying to hide the fact that he did not burn Kafka’s papers, as promised, but had them all published, thus making his friend one of the world’s best-known writers. Kafka and his father Herman K’s relative penis size become crucial to the plot whilst Sydney’s father, who pops in and out of the action, is increasingly convinced that these odd visitors are assessing him for a place in a care home.
Franz Kafka ..... Toby Jones,
Max Brod/Recording Angel ..... Mark Heap,
Sydney ..... Jason Watkins,
Linda ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Father ..... Jim Broadbent,
Herman K/God ..... Don Warrington.
Production crew:- adapted, produced and directed by Polly Thomas;
Co-Director, Dermot Daly.
Production Manager, Darren Spruce,
Recording Engineer, Paul Clark at Sonica Studios,
Sound Designer, Alisdair McGregor,
Photographer, Simon Bray,
Executive Producer, Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Naked Productions).
9 Apr 23 Bess Loves Porgy
By Roy Williams; inspired by ‘Porgy’ by Edwin DuBose Heyward; this is a radical update. Set in modern London. Porgy is an underground, anonymous grime/rap artist whose life and music are changed for ever when he meets Bess. Their love, and the musical journey they go on together, gives him the courage to shed his anonymity and perform his music openly.
Bess ..... Gabrielle Brooks,
Anon/Porgy ...... Reece Pantry,
Crown ..... Fehinti Balogun,
Sporting Life ..... Idris Debrand,
Jacki ..... Erin Doherty,
Carly ..... Jade Anouka,
Robbie ..... Ray Fearon,
Amira ..... Shobna Gulati,
Dyer ..... Phil Daniels,
Pastor ….. Jumoke Fashola,
DJ ….. Jocelyn Jee Esie.
Sound Recordist, Alisdair McGregor.
Sound Designer, Lucinda Mason Brown.
Sound Assistant, Makashe Ogbon.
Line Producer, Sarah Tombling.
Production Assistant, Jacob Tombling.
Stills, Kim Lang Studio.
Music Consultant, Ray Paul / The PMG.
Associate Producer, Nick Eziefula.
Executive Producer, Polly Thomas.
Original music produced and written by Swindle.
Lyrics by Eva Lazarus and TEE.
Arranged and orchestrated by Neil Waters.
Performed by the cast with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Conducted by Tom Kelly.
Orchestra Director, Bill Chandler.
Orchestra Producer, Neil Varley
Produced by Gill Parry.
Directed by Michael Buffong.
Supported by the PRS Foundation.
Indie (Feral Inc).
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in two parts on 11 -12 March 2023.
16 Apr 23 Henry IV, Part 1
By William Shakespeare. Too familiar to need many notes from me. Rebellion is brewing in Britain. King Henry must reunite his country but how when even his own family is divided?
King Henry ..... Iain Glen,
Falstaff ..... Toby Jones,
Hal ..... Luke Thompson,
Hotspur ..... Tom Glynn-Carney,
Worcester .....Mark Bonnar,
Lady Percy .....Natalie Simpson,
Glendower ..... Steffan Rhodri,
Lady Mortimer ..... Bettrys Jones,
Westmoreland ..... Roger Ringrose,
Northumberland/Douglas ..... John Dougall,
Bardolph/ Sir Walter Blunt ..... John Lightbody,
Peto/Sherriff/Vernon ..... Sargon Yelda,
John/Mortimer ..... Chris Lew Kum Hoi,
Poins/Messenger ..... Hasan Dixon,
Mistress Quickly ..... Elizabeth Counsell.
Music composed by John Nicholls.
Adapted and produced by Sally Avens.
23 Apr 23 Henry IV, Part 2
By William Shakespeare, continued from last week. The king may have won the battle of Shrewsbury, but civil war still rages across a divided country and the royal family itself is at odds: Henry is ailing and remains uncertain of his son’s unruly ways. Introduced by Toby Jones.
Henry IV ..... James Purefoy,
Prince Harry .....Luke Thompson,
Falstaff .....Toby Jones,
Lord Chief Justice .....Peter Sullivan,
Justice Shallow.... James Fleet,
Archbishop / Feeble / Silence..... Dominic Coleman,
Northumberland/Fang/Westmoreland..... Gerard McDermott,
Doll Tearsheet / Lady Percy ..... Natalie Simpson,
Mistress Quickly/ Lady Northumberland..... Georgie Glen,
Pistol / Peto / First Groom ..... Lloyd Hutchinson,
Bardolph /Bullcalf/ Mowbray..... Ewan Bailey,
Colevile / Shadow ..... Tunji Kasim,
Hastings/Mouldy ..... Samuel James,
Warwick ..... Dominic Mafham,
Lancaster/Davy/ Messenger/ Wart... Will Kirk,
Poins/Second Groom/ Gower ..... Hasan Dixon,
Gloucester/ Page ..... Billy Jenkins,
Clarence / Servant ..... Connor Curren,
Music composed by Jon Nicholls.
SMs/Sound design by Keith Graham, Peter Ringrose and Ali Craig.
Adapted and produced by Sally Avens.
30 Apr 23 The Two Gentlemen of Verona
By William Shakespeare. 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...
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,
Adapted for radio by Sara Davies.
Sound design by David Thomas.
Produced by Celia de Wolff.
Indie (Pier)
7 May 23 She Stoops to Conquer
By Oliver Goldsmith, freely adapted by Barunka O’Shaughnessy. 250th anniversary. A play about class and clever women.
Kate Hardcastle.....Pippa Bennett-Warner,
Mr Hardcastle.....Robert Bathurst,
Mrs Hardcastle.....Lisa Palfrey,
Tony Lumpkin.....Ben McGregor,
Marlow.....Mathew Baynton,
Hastings.....Hugh Skinner,
Miss Neville.....Emily Burnett,
Diggory.....Joe Sims,
The Maid.....Katy Sobey,
Sir Charles.....Richard Elfyn.
Accordionist: Francesca Dimech; fiddle played by Thoby Davis.
Musical arrangements by Joseph Atkins; performed by soprano Sarah Gabriel, countertenor Andy Shen Liu and harpsichordist William Vann.
Production Coordinator....Eleri Sydney McAuliffe.
Sound Design.....Nigel Lewis.
Produced by Emma Harding.
BBC Wales.
14 May 23 Ian McEwan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra - NOT A DRAMA
A concert, with Ian McEwen reading extracts from his own works.
21 May 23 The Women of Troy
By Euripedes, re-imagined by Linda Marshall Griffiths. Troy is lost. The great city is in ruins. All its men are dead, and its women await their fate at the hands of the Greek victors. Among them is Hecuba whose sons have all been killed in battle, and whose daughters are in danger. In this version the the chorus of women is led by a female journalist Sappho, and the other voices are those of the women all over the city who are recording and broadcasting their testimonies on social media so that the world can witness what is happening to them.
Hecuba.....Maxine Peake,
Sappho.....Christine Bottomley,
Cassandra.....Sade Malone,
Andromache....Anneika Rose,
Helen.....Ntombizodwa Ndlovu,
Menelaus.....Tachia Newall,
Talthybius.....Rupert Hill,
Poseidon / Journalist ......Andonis Anthony,
Athena .....Jenny Platt,
Protester ....Sacha Parkinson.
Chorus of Women ....Jessica Bellamy, Helena Braithwaite, Phoebe Licorish, Sacha Parkinson, Jenny Platt, Anneika Rose and members of the Royal Exchange Young Company: Linnae Yllane Abraham, Ellie Banton, Alicia Deighton, Kiara Kiandra, Liliana Newsom-Smith, Obesi Osi-Iyere, Urmila Patel, Sharvi Rana, Jack So.
Soldiers....Andonis Anthony, Rupert Hill, Tachia Newall, Harvey Weedon.
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes.
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
BBC Drama North.
28 May 23 Black Water
A new play from International Arts: (translated from the Czech version 'Cerna Voda' which aired at the 2019 International Radio Drama Festival ); Radio 3. Produced by Melanie Nock & Jonathan Banatvala. The play was adapted to make it suitable for the longer 90m time slot. Its structure is very like that of a musical fugue.
'Either this place belongs to everyone. Or no-one', says pretty Leyla.. The play tells the story of two groups of very different young people. One is a group of the children of Turkish migrant workers, the other a group of young middle class Germans. They live in different parts of the city; from different backgrounds; young people with vastly different expectations of what adult life will bring. Their paths have never crossed. But one warm summer night, they all climb the fence of a forbidden swimming pool. An initial hostility melts into the sensory pleasures of the night. They enjoy the feel of the water, the sight of the stars, the warmth of the night and the unaccustomed intimacy with strangers.
The play interweaves the stories of Frank, Leyla, Cynthia, Freddie, Murat, Mehmet and Karim; Ollie, Aishe and Kerstin. Memories of the night in the black water at the swimming pool are intertwined with snapshots of their lives twenty years later, when Frank is about to become the youngest Government minister; Aishe will save the life of Kerstin and Cynthia is the head teacher of the school Karim’s child attends.
Chorus performed by Shyko Amos, Chloe Sommer, Amanda Bright, Joshua Riley, Razak Osman and Cavin Cornwall.
Kerstin ..... Chloe Sommer, Cynthia ..... Amanda Bright, Olli ..... Jack Benc, Freddie ..... Razak Osman, Frank ..... Joshua Riley, Mehmet ..... Atilla Akinci, Leyla ..... Danusia Samal, Murat ..... Omer Cem Cultu, Aishe ..... Ada Burke, Karim ..... Hemi Yeroham, Frank’s father ..... John Peters, Frank’s mother ..... Abigail McKern, Murat’s father ..... Jem Kai Olsen, Leyla’s father ..... Nej Adamson. Sound Design, David Thomas. Produced by Jonathan Banatvala and Melanie Nock; directed by JB. Indie (An International Arts Production)
4 Jun 23 Doctor Faustus
By Christopher Marlowe. Faustus sells his soul to the devil in exchange for 24 years of knowledge, power and pleasure. Adapted and produced by Emma Harding.
Faustus/Mephistopheles.....John Heffernan,
Wagner.....Pearl Mackie,
Good Angel.....Frances Tomelty,
Evil Angel/Wrath.....Rafferty Railton,
Cornelius/Emperor Charles V/Covetousness.....Tim McMullan,
Valdes/Belzebub/Knight.....Simon Ludders,
First Scholar/Gluttony.....Gerard McDermott,
Second Scholar/Ralph/Pride.....Leo Wan,
Robin/ Sloth.....Joseph Ayre,
Lucifer.....Shaun Mason,
Helen.....Debra Baker.
Music composed and directed by Joseph Howard, performed by The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments: William Lyons, Louise Duggan, Emilia Benjamin and Clare Salaman.
Production co-ordinator.....Maggie Olgiati.
Sound design.....Peter Ringrose.
11 Jun 23 One Summer in Luka
By Viv Groskop. Set in 1993 and 2023 in Ukraine. Vanya and Misha, two young men, are hosting a group of Westerners on exchange. They both fall in love with the same woman. Then in 2022, war breaks out. Nikki, who lived with Vanya’s family as an exchange student in 1993 - tries to trace her two friends thirty years on and find out what has become of them.
Nikki ..... Emma Fielding,
Sarah ..... Jane Slavin,
Raisa ..... Barbara Flynn,
Vanya ..... Julian Rhind-Tutt,
Misha ..... Tom Glenister,
Darya ..... Viv Groskop.
Producer/Director: Eoin O’Callaghan.
Indie (Big Fish).
18 Jun 23 No drama - Proms
25 Jun 23 Life is a Radio in the Dark
Toby Jones stars in Pulitzer nominee Will Eno's play. Davey Maskelyne is a key witness to a crime but suffers from memory loss. Can an experimental sonic therapy restore his past?
Davey Maskelyne ..... Toby Jones,
Dr. Baines ..... Colin Stinton,
Sgt. Castor ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Maud ..... Cecilia Appiah,
Gallery Director ..... Kenneth Collard,
Jennifer ..... Clare Corbett,
Jesse ..... Luke Nunn,
Courtney ..... Charlotte East,
Audio Guide ..... Roger Ringrose,
Park Woman ..... Emma Handy,
Jim ..... Carl Prekopp,
Granddaughter ..... Alejandra Howard.
Producer Sally Avens.
2 Jul 23 Emperor and Galilean. Part 1: Young Julian
By Henrik Ibsen, ad. Ben Power.It is set in the 4th century AD and tells the story of Julian the Apostate and his attempt to abolish Christianity in the Roman Empire.
Julian ..... Freddie Fox,
Maxima ..... Siân Phillips,
Peter ..... Jonathan Forbes,
Gregory ..... Samuel James,
Agathon ..... Nye Occomore,
Helena ..... Gabrielle Brooks,
Constantius ..... Gerard McDermott,
Ursulus ..... Ewan Bailey,
Jovian ..... Joshua Manning,
Ammian ..... Will Kirk,
Myhhra ..... Kymberley Cochrane,
Varro ..... Hasan Dixon.
Production Coordinator ..... Jonathan Powell.
Sound Design ..... Peter Ringrose, Caleb Knightley, Alison Craig, Keith Graham.
Directed by Carl Prekopp.
BBC.
9 Jul 23 Emperor and Galilean, 2: Emperor Julian
Continued from last Sunday.
Julian ..... Freddie Fox,
Maxima ..... Siân Phillips,
Peter ..... Jonathan Forbes,
Gregory ..... Samuel James,
Agathon ..... Nye Occomore,
Eutherius ..... Gerard McDermott,
Ursulus ..... Ewan Bailey,
Jovian ..... Joshua Manning,
Ammian ..... Will Kirk,
Myhhra ..... Kymberley Cochrane,
Publia ..... Leah Marks.
Production team - as before.
16 Jul 23 No drama - Proms
23 Jul 23 No drama
30 Jul 23 No drama
5 Aug 23 No drama
9 Sep: He Do The Waste Land in Different Voices
By T.S.Eliot. Not really a drama - it's The Waste Land. An early title for the poem was He Do The Police in Different Voices. It was taken from Dickens and refers to a character who read the newspaper out loud in - different voices. Tom Eliot was not to write drama for another ten years but the first glimmers of the writer as dramatist are here in The Waste Land. It has been described as a radio play written before such a thing existed.
16 Sep SUN 19:30 The Son
By Florian Zeller, trans Christopher Hampton. A play about parenthood, exploring the impact of mental illness on an already-fractured family.
Nicolas ….. Laurie Kynaston,
Pierre ….. Joseph Millson,
Anne ….. Nicola Walker,
Sofia ….. Cecilia Appiah,
Doctor ….. Carl Prekopp,
Nurse ….. Ian Dunnett Jnr.
Produced by Gemma Jenkins.
Introduced by Christopher Hampton.
23 Sep Come Closer Now
By Katie Hims. A love letter to radio drama as the form celebrates its centenary. Annie is writing a radio play about a hundred years of radio plays, and it’s also, curiously, the story of her own family. As she writes she unearths the myths, half-truths and lies that have been woven into her family’s fabric for generations.
From gathering around the wireless to listening on-demand on headphones, radio drama has transformed over the century. But despite the changes, it’s probably the most visual medium there is.
Annie ….. Rebekah Staton,
Farley ….. Joseph Kloska,
Connie and Jane ….. Rhiannon Neads,
Older Jane ….. Jessica Turner,
Younger Jane ….. Maisie Avis,
Dan ….. Don Gilet,
Joe ….. Tyler Cameron,
Michael ….. Josh Bryant-Jones,
Nora ….. Kitty O’Sullivan,
The Boy ….. Milton Dighton.
Produced by Anne Isger.
Sound by Ali Craig and Andy Garrett.
Production Co-ordination by Jenny Mendez.
BBC.
30 Sep The Brummie Iliad
By Roderick Smith, ad. Robin Brooks. Dramatisation of Homer’s epic poem. It tells the story of the Trojan War from the death of Patroclus to Achilles’ revenge and its aftermath. With a cast of Brummie voices. Music from Birmingham's own heavy metal rock gods, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.
Homer ..... Roderick Smith,
Achilles ..... John Light,
Zeus ..... Kevin McNally,
Thetis ..... Annette Badland,
Patroclus / Polydamas / Agamemnon ..... Nicolas Tennant,
Hector ..... Joe Dixon,
Priam / Ajax / Odysseus ..... Mark Spalding,
Iris / Andromache..... Flora Spencer-Longhurst,
Athena / Cassandra ..... Helen Adie,
Pyraechmes / Glaucus / Hephaestus ..... Pushpinder Chani,
Apollo / Menelaus / Xanthus ..... Jack Loxton,
Antilochus / Sarpedon ..... Simeon Blake-Hall
Chorus 1 / Hecuba ..... Doña Croll,
Chorus 2 / Hera ..... Susie Riddell,
Chorus 3 / Hermes ..... Chris Nayak.
Produced by Fiona McAlpine.
Sound by Lucinda Mason Brown.
Indie (Allegra).
7 Oct The Miser
By Moliere. A comedy of secrets, lies and greed.
Harpagon, the Miser…..Toby Jones,
Élise, his daughter…..Holli Dempsey,
Cléante, his son….. François Pandolfo,
Valère …..Mathew Baynton,
La Flèche …..Keiron Self,
Frosine…..Cecilia Noble,
Marianne…..Grace Cooper Milton,
Jacques…..Don Gilet,
Madame Simon…..Jasmine Hyde,
Police Officer…..Michael Begley,
Anselme…..Neil McCaul,
Soprano…..Sarah Gabriel,
Harpischordist…..William Vann.
Musical arrangements by Joe Atkins.
Sound design by Nigel Lewis.
Produced by Emma Harding.
BBC Wales.
14 Oct The Tempest
Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Antonio, Prospero's treacherous brother. Original Scottish music composed by Pippa Murphy interweaves throughout.
Prospero ..... Ian McDiarmid,
Caliban ..... Joseph Arkley,
Sebastian ..... Maggie Bain,
Gonzalo ..... Maureen Beattie,
Stefano ..... Sandy Grierson,
Antonio/Boatswain ..... John MacKay,
Alonso ..... Forbes Masson,
Ferdinand ..... Noof Ousellam,
Trinculo ..... Owen Whitelaw,
Miranda ..... Helena Wilson,
Ariel ..... Madeleine Worrall,
and Julia Daramy-Williams as Ceres.
Sound Designer Eloise Whitmore.
Producer: Gaynor Macfarlane.
21 Oct This Little Relic
By Karla Marie Sweet, in collaboration with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. In an abandoned pub in Coventry a rebellion is rising. Reggie Sims is determined to produce the perfect version of Ira Aldridge’s play The Black Doctor, but dogged by violent nightmares, Sims knows his dream for a pop-up community theatre in the pub is under threat. Recorded live in front of an audience in the theatre.
Alex.....Aimee Powell
Mr. Sims.....Delroy Brown
Ajay.....Qasim Mahmood
Ira.....Tijan Sarr
Jen.....Emma Cunniffe
Prabhleen.....Manjeet Mann
Mark/Laurence.....James Mitchell
Songs created and performed by Una May Olomolaiye and members of Belgrade Black Youth Theatre Choir: Joelle Ikwa, Kimberley Musa, Esther Olagunju, Ifeolu Olomolaiye, Seyi Olomolaiye, Femi Themen, Esther Tshisuaka, Kisanet Yacob.
Dramaturg (Literary Manager) .....Ola Animashawun.
Assistant Director.....Joelle Ikwa.
Facilitator Black Youth Theatre.....Leon Phillips.
Director..... Justine Themen.
Producer.....Nadia Molinari. BBC Drama North, collaborating with BTC.
28 Oct Hamlet Noir
Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy in a new adaptation which interweaves the original text with a detective narrative. With a Scandinavian cast, set in present-day Denmark. Prince Hamlet, torn between madness and grief, is on a relentless quest to avenge his father’s murder. The detective, Eva, investigates the suspicious deaths at the Danish Court.
Recorded on location in Denmark, with the opening scenes recorded at Kronborg Castle, Elsinore.
Adapted by Charlotte Melen.
SHAKESPEARE CAST:
Hamlet - Hjalte Ilsøe Gustavussen,
Gertrude - Iben Hjejle,
Claudius - Morten Burian,
Ophelia - Gina Marchwinski,
Polonius - Henrik Birch,
Laertes - Ari Alexander,
Horatio - Tue Lunding,
Marcellus - Cyron Melville,
Rosencrantz - Jakob Femerling,
Guildenstern - Anders Heinrichsen,
Yorick - Thomas Magnussen,
Fortinbras - Sven Henriksen;
CRIME DRAMA CAST:
Eva - Charlotte Melen,
Lars - Simon Sears,
Trine - Lisa Riesner,
Mogens (Chief) - Thomas Gabrielson,
Mille - My Thurmer,
Morten - Morten Holst
Henriette/Lone - Laura Allen Muller,
Mette/Marie - Emmeli Stjarnfeldt,
Newsreader - Christopher Dane,
Call Handler - Tue Lunding,
Doctor - Carl Prekopp.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Producers - Charlotte Melén, Saskia Black,
Director - Carl Prekopp,
Dramaturg - Mette Kruse,
Sound Recordist - Weronika Andersen,
Sound Design - David Chilton, Lucinda Mason Brown, Matt Bainbridge,
Production Runner - Eyob Knudsen,
Exec Producer - Lucinda Mason Brown.
With special thanks to Kronborg Castle, Gilleleje Strand Hotel, and Cafe Vaabengaard.
Indie (Almost Tangible).
4 Nov - Hamlette
A radical re-imagining of the story of Hamlet by Tamsin Oglesby. Rising political star Harriet wants to avenge the rape of her sister.
Harriet.....Jeany Spark,
Gus.....Jasper Britton,
Trudy.....Natasha Little,
Paul.....Richard Elfyn,
Llyr.....Mathew Gravelle,
Ofydd.....Steffan Cennydd,
Rachel.....Nadia Williams,
Rosie Gill.....Katy Sobey,
Player Queen/Gemma.....Maia Watkins.
Production co-ordinator Eleri Sydney McAuliffe,
Sound design by Nigel Lewis.
Produced by Emma Harding.
BBC Wales.
11 Nov The Spanish Tragedy
By Thomas Kyd. Abridged and adapted by Pauline Harris and Emma Smith.
Spain is in the middle of a peace treaty with Portugal, when Marshall Hieronimo is forced down a brutal path of vengeance.
Hieronimo - Robert Glenister,
Lorenzo - Sandy Grierson,
Bel-Imperia - Joanna Vanderham,
King of Spain/Bazardo - Michael Birtenshaw,
Duke of Castille/Viceroy of Portugal - Jonathan Keeble,
Ghost of Andrea/The Executioner/Portuguese Ambassador - John Lightbody,
Revenge/Maid to Isabella - Jessica Turner,
Isabella - Emma Cunniffe,
Horatio - Will Kirk,
Pedringano - Don Gilet,
Balthazar - Josh Bryant-Jones,
Alexandro/Paige - Tom Kiteley,
Requim song composed and performed by Jules Maxwell, Lina Rodriques, and James Chapman.
Production co-ordinator - Jonathan Powell.
Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford.
Sound by Keith Graham and Alison Craig.
Produced by Pauline Harris.
19 Nov I Am the Wind
By Jon Fosse. Two men on a boat with only themselves and the sea for company. The stage play was commissioned for the Bergen International Festival in 2007 and this English version was written by Simon Stephens, who introduces the production.
The One ….. Lee Ingleby,
The Other ….. Shaun Dooley.
Produced by Toby Swift.
26 Nov The Saga of Burnt Njal
By Hattie Naylor. An adaptation of Iceland’s most famous saga with an introduction by saga specialist, Dr BrynjaThorgeirsdottir. It is the tale of two rival families, a long-running blood feud and its outcome.
Five storytellers gather. This troupe is made up of renegades, outlaws and outsiders who live on the edges of society. They see this as an opportunity to engage and pass judgement on a world that chooses not to see them.
Teller 1/Hallgerd ….. Lisa Hammond,
Teller 2/Gunnar ….. Justice Ritchie,
Teller 3/Bergthora ….. Christine Kavanagh,
Teller 4/Njal ….. Justin Salinger,
Teller 5/Mord ….. Jasmine Hyde,
Voice of the Saga ….. Salomé Gunnarsdottir.
Translations by Benjamin Danielsson.
Produced by Gemma Jenkins.
3 Dec Angela
By Mark Ravenhill. Written during lockdown for radio. The play centres on his mother, Angela, at the age of 84 and suffering with dementia, looking back across her life. This production was originally created for Sound Stage, by the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in association with Indie company Naked Productions. In Mark's words: “With the death of my mum in 2019, I was drawn for the first time to write an autobiographical play. I was particularly interested to explore the way culture high and low had impacted on Mum's life and our lives as a family. As I thought about a form that could move swiftly in time and location and between inner thought and outer action, I realised that this was best written as a radio play. I feel it's the most 'radio' of the radio plays that I've written…”. The drama intercuts between Angela in her old age and the varied experiences of the earlier part of her life.
Older Angela ..... Pam Ferris,
Young Angela ..... Matti Houghton,
Ted ..... Toby Jones,
Older Mark ..... Joseph Millson,
Young Mark ..... Jackson Laing,
Angela’s mum, Ballet teacher, Nurse 2 and Ivy ..... Alexandra Mathie,
Julie, Nurse 1 and Plummy woman ..... Nadia Albina,
The Fox and Doctor Carter ..... Olivier Huband,
Doctor Adetiba, and the Director ..... Dermot Daly,
Social Worker, Ballet woman and Nurse 3 ..... Kirsty Stuart,
Doctor Mansoor and Plummy man ..... Raj Ghatak.
The production team:
Director/Producer, Polly Thomas,
Assistant director, Emma Lynne Harley,
Composer, Alexandra Faye Braithwaite,
Recording engineer, Louis Blatherwick,
Sound designer, John Scott,
Executive Producer, Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Naked ProductionS0
10 Dec All I Was When I Wasn't Anyone
By Owen Sheers. 1935. The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa lies on his deathbed in a Lisbon hospital, surrounded by three of his literary creations, the poets Alberto Caeiro, Alvaro de Campos and Ricardo Reis..
After Pessoa’s death these three imaginary writers embark on a quest through Lisbon and the past to investigate their creator. Recorded on location in Porto with the sounds and music of Portugal, including fado. The song 'All I Was When I Wasn’t Anyone' was by Owen Sheers.
Fernando Pessoa … João Luís Barreto Guimarães,
Alberto Caeiro … Jaime Monsanto,
Álvaro de Campos … Pedro Manana,
Ricardo Reis …. Rui Maria Pêgo,
Maria … Sofia Espírito Santo,
Ophélia … Joana Brito Silva,
Young Pessoa … Nuno Orrego,
Other characters played by members of the cast.
In Porto: Special thanks to Mosteiro de São Bento de Vitória / Teatro Nacional São João, Térmita, Typographia and Ideal Clube de Fado. Thanks also to Mercado de Bolhão, Museu do Carro Eléctrico, Nicola Golightly, Palácio do Comércio, Taberna de São Pedro, Torre de Clerigos, Velurb.
Translation consultant, Angela Azevedo. Sound recording by Jon Nicholls, with additional recordings by Ricardo Salazar Gomes. With special thanks to Richard Zenith and his biography of Fernando Pessoa.
17 Dec No Drama
24 Dec No Drama
31 Dec No Drama
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