BBC Radio Drama, 2010
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Full entries are gradually being added at the top of the page; author/title list for the whole year is at the bottom. So far this page lists afternoon plays, including Saturdays and Sundays, only.
Nigel Deacon
1 Jan 10 Big in Samoa
By Marcy Kahan. Dog walker Caleb's life is about to change - an album he cut in his twenties and forgot about has a huge online following. Caleb Swander ...... Tom Goodman-Hill, Rafe Swander ...... Hugh Bonneville, Lori Swander ...... Barbara Barnes, Theo Swander ...... Jack Crutch , Dina ...... Gbemisola Ikumelo, Jez ...... Sani Muliaumaseali'i , Molly ...... Janice Acquah, Guitarist ...... Louis Bamber. Original songs by Tarek Merchant; directed by Sally Avens.
2 Jan 10 Saturday Play - Private Lives
By Noel Coward. Divorced couple Amanda and Elyot meet again on their second honeymoons. Amanda ...... Helena Bonham Carter , Elyot ...... Bill Nighy , Sibyl ...... Andrea Riseborough , Victor ...... Paul Ritter , Louise ...... AnnaRose Cattanach. Pianist: Colin Guthrie; directed by Sally Avens.
3 Jan 10 Classic Serial - The Custom of the Country
1/3. When the beautiful Undine Spragg arrives in New York she sets her sights on Ralph Marvell. Dramatisation by Jane Rogers of Edith Wharton's 1913 satire of marriage and money in early 20th-century American society. Undine Spragg ...... Rebecca Night , Mrs Spragg ...... Barbara Barnes , Mrs Heeny ...... Lorelei King , Abner Spragg/Popple ...... Jonathan Keeble , Peter Van Degan ...... William Houston , Mr Dagonet ...... Paul McCleary , Laura Fairford ...... Provence Maydew , Elmer Moffatt ...... Tom Hollander , Ralph Marvell ...... Dan Stevens , Mabel Lipscombe ...... Tessa Nicholson. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
4 Jan 10 McLevy - Series 6, Jack O' Diamonds
3/4. Jean Brash plans revenge on a sadistic client but Caleb Grant is not to be crossed lightly. Series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective based on real-life Edinburgh policeman Inspector James McLevy. Jean Brash plans revenge on a sadistic client, but the malign Mr Caleb Grant has a finger in every criminal pie in Edinburgh and is not a man to cross lightly. McLevy ...... Brian Cox, Jean Brash ...... Siobhan Redmond, Mulholland ...... Michael Perceval-Maxwell, Roach ...... David Ashton, Hannah ...... Colette O'Neil, Caleb Grant ...... Graham Crowden, Donald McIver ...... Andrew Neil, Jack Brennan ...... Robin Laing, Nugent ...... Lewis Howden, Mary Rintoul ...... Molly Innes. Directed by Patrick Rayner.
5 Jan 10 ID
Dark thriller by Tajinder Singh Hayer about Asian identity in modern Britain. A confused Asian man walks into a Manchester police station and says he needs help because he thinks he's going to kill. He can't remember a thing, not even his name. An attention seeker? Maybe an amnesiac? Or is it something more complicated? Robert ...... Zubin Varla, Sonia ...... Shivani Ghai, Atkins ...... Andrew Westfield, Reena ...... Rina Mahoney, Steven ...... Luke Broughton, Mr Ali ...... Armand Beasley, Anne ...... Eileen O'Brien.
6 Jan 10 Life of Penguins
By Katie Hims. Merle's sister Beth has been abducted by aliens - not for the first time. (R) Merle is a penguin keeper at London Zoo. When her sister Beth fails to make a date at the cinema, she goes searching for her. She soon realises that Beth has been abducted by aliens - not for the first time. Merle ...... Abigail Davies, Linus ...... Matthew Wilson, Gina ...... Serena Bobowski, Frank ...... Dominic Hawksley, Beth ...... Madeleine Bowyer, Ania ...... Ania Tomaszewska, Chris ...... Chris Nelson. Directed by Boz Temple-Morris. A Boz Temple Morris production for BBC Radio 4.
7 Jan 10 The Killing of the TSR2
By Robin Brooks. The true story of the British-built fighter jet that never was.The true story of the struggle to build TSR2, the British-built world-beating fighter jet that never was. Years ahead of its time technologically, it was scrapped by the Labour government in 1965, after just one supersonic test flight. Wing Commander Roland Beamont/Harold Wilson ...... Ewan Bailey, Sir George Edwards ...... Bruce Alexander, Sir Malcolm/Harold Macmillan ...... Jon Glover, Davis ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole, Narrator ...... Piers Wehner. With Rhys Jennings, Nigel Hastings, John Biggins, Kate Layden and Emerald O'Hanrahan. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
8 Jan 10 Family Soup
By Elizabeth Lewis. Charlie's family decamp to Italy, leaving him with his father-in-law. Comedy by Elizabeth Lewis. Charlie's ability to write his weekly family newspaper column is sorely tested when his family decamp to Italy, leaving him with a hyperactive father-in-law and a tame rat. Charlie ...... Philip Jackson, Marmaduke ...... Howell Evans, Heulwen ...... Manon Edwards, Frank ...... Geoffrey Whitehead, Carys ...... Lynne Seymour. With original music by David Chilton. Directed by Gordon House.
9 Jan 10 Saturday Play (R) Just Between Ourselves
Alan Ayckbourn's celebrated 1977 bittersweet comedy about love, marriages and mothers. Adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's celebrated 1977 stage play, a bitter-sweet comedy about love, marriages and mothers. Dennis ...... Stephen Critchlow, Vera ...... Samantha Spiro, Marjorie ...... Auriol Smith, Neil ...... Chris Pavlo, Pam ...... Alison Pettitt. Music composed by David Chilton. Directed by Gordon House.
10 Jan 10 Classic Serial: The Custom of the Country
2/3. Undine travels to Paris where she meets a charming French aristocrat. Mrs Heeny ...... Lorelei King, Elmer Moffatt ...... Tom Hollander, Undine Spragg ...... Rebecca Night, Mrs Spragg ...... Barbara Barnes, Abner Spragg ...... Jonathan Keeble, Ralph Marvell ...... Dan Stevens, Clare Van Degen ...... Lucy Gaskell, Peter Van Degan ...... William Houston, Mabel Lipscombe ...... Tessa Nicholson, Laura Fairford/Princess Estradina ...... Provence Maydew, Raymond De Chelles ...... Joseph Kloska. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
11 Jan 10 McLevy - Series 6, Queen of Spades
4/4. The deadly battle with Caleb Grant has heartbreaking consequences for Jean Brash's household, and leads McLevy to a final reckoning on the windswept coast of Northumberland. McLevy ...... Brian Cox, Jean Brash ...... Siobhan Redmond, Mulholland ...... Michael Perceval-Maxwell, Roach ...... David Ashton, Hannah ...... Colette O'Neil, Caleb Grant ...... Graham Crowden, Donald McIver ...... Andrew Neil, Aidan ...... James Anthony Pearson, Patch Coltrane ...... Simon Donaldson, Emma Fairchild ...... Joanna Tope. Directed by Patrick Rayner.
12 Jan 10 My Romantic History
Poignant and witty drama by DC Jackson about love and memory. Charlie ...... Sandy Grierson, Amy ...... Cora Bissett, Sasha/Alison ...... Gabriel Quigley, Calvin/Jessie ...... Jordan Young, Mum/Receptionist ...... Juliet Cadzow. Directed by Kirsty Williams.
13 Jan 10 The Jonestown Letters
The true story of two sisters, Annie and Carolyn Moore, who died in the mass suicide at Jonestown in Guyana on November 18th 1978. Over 900 people died that day, followers of Peoples Temple and its leader, Jim Jones. This documentary drama is one family's experience of Peoples Temple, which began with the highest ideals. It's told through the actual letters between Carolyn & Annie and their parents back home. With contributions from their sister Rebecca Moore, and music performed by Peoples Temple Choir. The letters are abridged by Sarah Daniels. Annie Moore ...... Greta Clough, Carolyn Moore .... Jennifer Lee Jellicorse, John Moore ....... Nathan Osgood, Barbara Moore .... Laura Brook. Directed in Bristol by Beth O'Dea
14 Jan 10 Solace
By Andrea Earl. Maggie is a grandmother with a dependency on prescribed tranquilisers. Maggie ...... Frances Barber, Lucy ...... Deborah McAndrew, India ...... Hester Cox, Paul/Doctor/Neil ...... Robert Pickavance, Dr Linus/Chemist ...... Greg Wood, Helpline advisor ...... Kate Layden. Pianist: Jonathan Scott. Directed by Pauline Harris.
15 Jan 10 Maine Road
By Sarah McDonald Hughes. As the last game at Manchester City's Maine Road stadium approaches, a family in mourning for a grandmother face their own struggle to survive. Elaine ...... Siobhan Finneran, Jade ...... Sarah McDonald Hughes, Leo ...... Keaton Langley, Clive ...... Lee Boardman, Darren ...... John Catterall, Aaron ...... Thomas Rolinson. Directed by Susan Roberts. Produced by Charlotte Riches.
16 Jan 10 Saturday Play - Dover and The Sleeping Beauty
By Paul Mendelson. Comedy thriller set in the 1960s, featuring Scotland Yard's most unwanted man, Chief Inspector Wilfred Dover, and his long-suffering gofer, Sergeant McGregor. A young woman, Isabel Slatcher, has been in an irreversible coma for months after being shot outside her local church in a small northern town. Now she has been smothered - murdered. Who killed her? Chief Inspector Dover ...... Kenneth Cranham, Sergeant McGregor ...... Stuart McQuarrie, Chief Constable Muckle ...... Philip Whitchurch, Mrs Muckle ...... Colleen Prendergast, Reverend Bonnington ...... Shaun Prendergast, Mrs Horsley ...... Geraldine McNulty, Violet ...... Debbie Arnold, Freddie Gash ...... Ross Adams, Muckle ...... Cesca Bonetti. Other parts played by the cast. Directed by David Ian Neville.
17 Jan 10 Classic Serial
The Custom of the Country, Episode 3 3/3. Undine's plans move on apace, but will she ever find real happiness? Mrs Heeny ...... Lorelei King , Elmer Moffatt ...... Tom Hollander, Ralph Marvell ...... Dan Stevens, Undine Spragg ...... Rebecca Night, Marquise de Chelles ...... Olwen May, Raymond de Chelles ...... Joseph Kloska, Princess Estradina ...... Provence Maydew, Paul ...... Daniel Rogers. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
18 Jan 10 Some Secluded Glade
Psychological thriller by Hugh Costello. Following a fall and severe concussion, Tom Beaumont's grasp on reality begins to weaken, with terrifying results for his family. Tom Beaumont ...... Patrick Fitzsymons, Gail Beaumont ...... Cathy Belton, Toby Beaumont ...... Robbie Gilmore, Bruno ...... Sean Campion, Megan ...... Maggie Cronin, Dr Marriott ...... Melissa Advani, Sgt Osborne ...... Hugh Costello. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
19 Jan 10 The Lonely
Dramatisation of Paul Gallico's romantic novella set during the Second World War.Dramatisation by Rebecca Hughes. An American airforce lieutenant suffering from battle fatigue and a young English WAAF officer become lovers. But when he returns to America to break off his engagement, things get complicated. Jerry ...... Michael Goldsmith, Patches ...... Laura Rees, Harmon ...... Sam Dale, Helen ...... Tracy Wiles, Eagles ...... Piers Wehner. Directed by Kirsty Williams.
20 Jan 10 Carbon Cleansing
By Sophie Woolley. A wealthy, newly-pregnant ex-banker encounters a green activist. Tabitha ...... Doon Mackichan, Will ...... Joseph Kloska, Samantha ...... Gemma Saunders, Mary ...... Tessa Nicholson, Reporter ...... John Biggins. Directed by David Hunter.
21 Jan 10 Two-Pipe Problems, A Streetcar Named Revenge
1/2. William and Sandy are haunted by the return of two characters from the past. (R) Plays by Michael Chaplin, set in The Old Beeches, a retirement home for elderly thespians. Inmates William and Sandy once starred as Holmes and Watson in a 1960s television series. Sandy becomes amorously involved through the medium of a shared passion for crosswords. Sandy Boyle ...... Stanley Baxter, William Parnes ...... Richard Briers, Hatty Doran ...... Edna Dore, Angel Hosmer ...... Linda Broughton, Mary Winter ...... Jillie Meers, Edgar ...... David Shaw-Parker, Karen ...... Tracy Wiles, Ronnie Adair ...... Nickolas Grace, Marie Devine ...... Susan Wooldridge, Hugo Oberstein ...... Rad Lazar. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
22 Jan 10 Grace
Grace, a champion of atheism, is faced with the decision of son Tom to become a priest. (R) Intimate family drama by Mick Gordon and AC Grayling. Grace ...... Paola Dionisotti, Tom ...... Will Keen, Tony ...... Trevor Peacock, Ruth ...... Priyanga Burford, Michael ...... Nathan Osgood. Directed by Mick Gordon. A Ladbroke production for BBC Radio 4.
23 Jan 10 Saturday Play - Raven Black
Dramatisation by Iain Finlay MacLeod of the crime novel by Anne Cleeves, set in Shetland during midwinter. Detective Jimmy Perez, a native of Fair Isle, investigates when a teenage girl is found strangled. Jimmy Perez ...... Grant O'Rourke, Duncan Hunter ...... Kenny Blyth, Catherine Ross ...... Melody Grove, Robert Ibister ...... John Kielty, DI Taylor ...... Robin Laing, Euan Ross ...... Greg Powrie, Magnus Tait ...... John Shedden, Fran Hunter ...... Rosalind Sydney, Annie Perez ...... Sandra Voe, Sally Henry ...... Clare Yuille. Producer Kirsteen Cameron.
24 Jan 10 Classic Serial: The Complete Smiley: The Honourable Schoolboy, Part 1
1/3. George Smiley uncovers a trail of Russian money leading to a prominent Hong Kong citizen. Dramatisation of John le Carre's classic novel. Set against the backdrop of the war in Indochina in 1975, spymaster George Smiley uncovers a trail of Russian money leading to a prominent Hong Kong citizen. George Smiley ...... Simon Russell Beale, Jerry Westerby ...... Hugh Bonneville, Peter Guillam ...... Richard Dillane, Connie Sachs ...... Maggie Steed, Doc De Salis ...... Bruce Alexander, Sam Collins ...... Nicholas Boulton, Oliver Lacon ...... Anthony Calf, Enderby ...... James Laurenson, Craw ...... Philip Quast, Ann Smiley ...... Anna Chancellor, The Girl, Phoebe ...... Tessa Nicholson, Stubbs/Wilbrahim ...... Nigel Hastings, Frost ...... Piers Wehner, Drake Ko ...... David Yip, Tiu ...... Paul Courtenay Hyu. Directed by Marc Beeby.
25 Jan 10 Mr Larkin's Awkward Day
Chris Harrald's play takes a comic look at a chaotic day in the life of Philip Larkin. (R) One morning in September 1957, Philip Larkin receives a very official looking letter which sends him into a spin. Philip Larkin ...... Adrian Scarborough, Mrs Giddings ..... Anne Reid, Mrs C ...... Lynne Verrall, Inspector Clough ...... Alan Williams, Bob ...... Stephen Critchlow, Roger ...... John Rowe, Shopkeeper ...... Dan Starkey, Mary ...... Helen Longworth, Tom ...... Ben Crowe, Mr Stenning ...... Chris Pavlo.
26 Jan 10 The Ca'd'oro Cafe
Dark and moving comedy about love, money and desperation by Donna Franceschild. Melanie ...... Elspeth Brodie, Billy ...... Robin Laing, Tramp ...... John Kazek. Directed by Kirsty Williams.
27 Jan 10 The Journey
(No author credited in RT). Brother and sister are reunited with the father they cremated four years earlier. Stephen ...... Robert Glenister, Clare ...... Suranne Jones, Sophie ...... Joanne Mitchell, Alan ...... David Hargreaves, Nurse/Reporter/TV Reporter/Custody Sergeant/Mechanic ...... Terence Mann. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
28 Jan 10 Two-Pipe Problems, The Trusty Valet and the Crusty Butler
2/2. William and Sandy, accompanied by care assistant Karen, take on the world of celluloid. (R) Sandy Boyle ...... Stanley Baxter, William Parnes ...... Richard Briers, Inspector Bradstreet ...... David Shaw-Parker, Karen ...... Tracy Wiles, Laura Lyons ...... Ellie Beaven, Thaddeus Sholto ...... Lloyd Hutchinson, John Barrymore ...... Geoffrey Whitehead. Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
29 Jan 10 Higher
(R)Joyce Bryant's satire on tertiary education. Karen is the new head of the Geography Department - renamed Geographical Tourism - at Hayborough University, which isn't quite part of the elite Russell Group of top universities. In fact it ranks 132nd. It is open day for the department and Karen is keen that she attracts the right students. Karen ...... Sophie Thompson, David ...... Mark Heap, Jim ...... Jonathan Keeble, Barbara ...... Sue Ryding, Maura ...... Maggie Fox, Angela ...... Sue Kelly, Harry ...... Ben Hood. Directed by Gary Brown.
30 Jan 10 Saturday Play (R)
Dr Johnson's Dictionary of Crime: A for Assassin.(R) Comic thriller by David Ashton. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell tackle the teeming London underworld of 1781. How can a man who has shot another at point blank range be saved from the gallows, and how can the power and vested interest of a man highly placed in His Majesty's Government be defeated? Dr Johnson ...... Timothy West, James Boswell ...... Stuart McQuarrie, Hester Thrale ...... Joanna David, Lord Spencer ...... David Shaw-Parker, Capt John Porteous ...... Oliver Milburn, Tobias Boothroyd ...... Harry Myers, Caroline Spencer ...... Abigail Hollick, Lady Crewe ...... Teresa Gallagher, Serena Boothroyd ...... Cathy Sara, Silas Pike ...... Ron Cook. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4.
31 Jan 10 Classic Serial: The Honourable Schoolboy, Part 2
2/3. George Smiley's operation in Hong Kong becomes increasingly dangerous when the government and American Intelligence begin to take notice. George Smiley ...... Simon Russell Beale, Jerry Westerby ...... Hugh Bonneville, Peter Guillam ...... Richard Dillane, Connie Sachs ...... Maggie Steed, Sam Collins ...... Nicholas Boulton, Doc De Salis ...... Bruce Alexander, Craw ...... Philip Quast, Tiu ...... Paul Courtenay Hyu, Pelling ...... John Biggins, Mrs Pelling ...... Kate Layden, Liese Worth ...... Daisy Haggard, Hibbert ...... Ewan Hooper, Martello ...... John Guerrasio, Eckland ...... Rhys Jennings, Luke ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole. Directed by Marc Beeby.
1 Feb 10 The Ditch
By Paul Evans. Recorded on location, this chilling tale is written and narrated by Paul Evans. Tom Saunders, a wildlife sound recordist, goes missing, leaving only a collection of recordings and a notebook. These fall into the hands of his radio producer, who tries to piece together what has happened. His quest leads him back to the disturbing aural landscape of Slaughton Ditch, where an obsession with hidden sounds has frightening consequences. Tom Saunders ...... Jimmy Yuill, Narrator ...... Paul Evans, Other parts played by Christine Hall and Richard Angwin. Wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson. Directed by Sarah Blunt.
2 Feb 10 The Right Ingredients
By Pat Davis. Lisa resorts to using other people's shopping lists to structure her life. Lisa ...... Jasmine Hyde, Jake ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole, Ella ...... Helen Longworth, Mum ...... Kate Layde. Directed by Tracey Neale.
3 Feb 10 Listen to the Words
By Ed Hime. (R) Tim has a problem with empathy, and justifies tapping fellow student Sophie's phone as the only way to understand her. When it all goes wrong, he books the media room of the secure unit where he is being held and creates a broadcast for his college radio station. Tim ...... Joe Dempsie, Sophie ...... Lizzie Watts, Damon ...... Sam Crane, Stella ...... Lisa Stevenson, Derek ...... Nyasha Hatendi, Dr Susan ...... Helen Longworth, Bill Keyes ...... Ben Crowe, Clive ...... John Rowe, Zoe ...... Liz Sutherland, Lecturer ...... Stephen Critchlow, Toby ...... Dan Starkey. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
4 Feb 10 No Trampy Immigrants
By Eoin McNamee. Inspired by events which took place in Belfast in the summer of 2009, Eoin McNamee's play tells the story of a community reeling from a shocking racist attack. A riot takes place at the height of marching season, but not the type you might expect. Cyril ...... Adrian Dunbar, Valerie ...... Brid Brennan, Helen ...... Frances Tomelty , Davy ...... Gerard Jordan, Natasha ...... Cristina Catalina, Davy ...... Gerard Jordan. Directed by Heather Larmour.
5 Feb 10 Bad Faith, Bad Faith
1/4. By Peter Jukes. Police chaplain Jake Thorne has lost his faith and behaves appropriately. Starring Lenny Henry.(R)
6 Feb 10 Saturday Play (R)
The Small Back Room Richard Stevens' dramatisation of Nigel Balchin's tense Second World War thriller. (R) Sammy Rice is called in to try and solve the mystery of a series of unexploded bombs that are being scattered after German air raids. They lie dormant and then inexplicably explode on human contact. Holland/Brine ...... Paul Jesson , Sammy ...... Damian Lewis , Tilly ...... Dominc Rowan , Waring ...... Nick Rowe , Sue ...... Rebecca Saire , Mair ...... Christopher Benjamin, Stuart ...... Will Keen, Joe ...... Stuart Laing, Pinker/Strang ...... Sean Baker. A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4. Producer not named in RT.
7 Feb 10 Classic Serial: The Honourable Schoolboy, Part 3
3/3. Smiley's plans to get hold of Russian spy Nelson Ko are coming to a head. George Smiley ...... Simon Russell Beale, Jerry Westerby ...... Hugh Bonneville, Liese Worth ...... Daisy Haggard, Peter Guillam ...... Richard Dillane, Martello ...... John Guerrasio, Enderby ...... James Laurenson, Oliver Lacon ...... Anthony Calf, Connie Sachs ...... Maggie Steed, Sam Collins ...... Nicholas Boulton, Drake Ko ...... David Yip, Charlie Marshall ...... Paul Courtenay Hyu, Mickey ...... Angelo Paragoso, Ricardo ...... Chris Pavlo, Murphy ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole. Directed by Marc Beeby.
8 Feb 10 Raft to Bondi
Bittersweet comedy by Ian Kershaw. It's July 4th 1990 and the country is football crazy because England are playing West Germany in the semi final of the World Cup. Everyone is glued to the TV, except for 15-year-old Jim who's got other things on his mind. He's ripe for a bit of an adventure. Jim ...... Stephen Hoyle, Carol ...... Shannon Flynn, Dad ...... Mark Jordon, Kath ...... Naomi Radcliffe. Producer Gary Brown.
9 Feb 10 Buffalo Bill and Little Matty Dyer
By Peter Spafford. A boy's life is changed by the arrival of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Matty ...... Christian Foster, Buffalo Bill/Small Bear ...... Kerry Shale, John ...... Gerard Fletcher, McConnell ...... Andrew Westfield, Jess ...... Julia Malham, Wind in Face ...... Demetri Goritsas, Sid ...... Ryan Greaves, Street Shouter ...... Howard Chadwick. Producer Gary Brown.
10 Feb 10 Postcards From a Cataclysm
Nine short plays about global annihilation. As an asteroid hurtles towards earth, the planet's population prepares for the end of the world. Then the strangest things start to happen. By David Varela, Rommi Smith, Lizzie Nunnery, Josie Long, Tim Crouch, Carl Grose and The Factory. Performed by Piers Wehner, Tim Key, Kenneth Cranham, Emerald O'Hanrahan, Rhys Jennings, Joseph Cohen-Cole, Tessa Nicholson, Josie Long, Kate Layden, Ewan Hooper, Bruce Alexander and Melissa Advani. Sound Design by Zhe Wu and Caleb Knightley. Produced by James Robinson.
11 Feb 10 Say What You Want to Hear - The Startup
By Tim Wright. Erik and Mike set up a website for people to voice their secret thoughts. Erik ...... Stephen Tompkinson, Mike ...... Ewan Bailey, Scarlett ...... Keely Beresford, Stephen ...... John Biggins, Roseanne ...... Alison Pettit , Max ...... Nigel Hastings. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
12 Feb 10 Bad Faith, Vengeance Is Mine
2/4. Series of plays by Peter Jukes about Jake Thorne, a Methodist minister and police chaplain who is battling with his own demons at the same time as trying to resolve the problems of his parishioners. In this episode, Jake gets involved in a restorative justice programme which tries to reconcile a bereaved mother and the woman responsible for killing her daughter. Jake Thorne ...... Lenny Henry, Michael ...... Danny Sapani, Isaac Thorne ...... Oscar James, Suzanne Bloomberg ...... Tracy-Ann Oberman, Barry ....... Edward Clayton, Estelle ...... Lolita Chakrabarti, Stacey ...... Kerri Mclean, Tricia ...... Tessa Nicholson. Other parts by Kate Layden and Melissa Advani. Producer Steven Canny. Executive Producer Simon Elmes.
13 Feb 10 Saturday Play: Slaughterhouse 5 (R)
Dramatisation by Dave Sheasby of the anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim, who hops back and forth in time, relives various moments in his real and fantasy lives, as a prisoner of war, optometrist and time traveller. Narrator ...... John Guerassio, Billy Pilgrim ...... Andrew Scott, Bernard V O'Hare ...... Nathan Osgood, Mary ...... Joanne McQuinn, Montana ...... Annabelle Dowler, Barbara ...... Sarah Goldberg, Valencia ...... Madeleine Potter, Roland Weary ...... Simon Lee Philips, Mother ...... Liza Ross, Eliot Rosewater ...... Kerry Shale, Howard J Campbell Jnr ...... Stephen Hogan, Bertram Rumfoord ...... Peter Marinker, English Officer ...... Michael Mears, Cinderella ...... Philip Fox, Paul Lazarro ...... Gunnar Cauthery, Soldiers ...... Orlando James, Michael Shelford. Music by 65 Days of Static. Directed by David Hunter.
14 Feb 10 Classic Serial Plantagenet, What is A Man?
1/3.Series of plays by Mike Walker, inspired by Holinshed's Chronicles, about the early years of the Plantagenet dynasty. The first of the House of Anjou to be king of England, Henry II's long reign was finally beset by conflict with his sons. King Henry II ...... David Warner, Queen Eleanor ...... Jane Lapotaire, Prince Richard ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole, Prince Hal ...... Piers Wehner, Prince Geoffrey ...... Rhys Jennings, William Marshall ...... Stephen Hogan, Bertran de Bourne ...... Bruce Alexander, King Louis ...... Philip Fox, Courtier ...... John Biggins. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
15 Feb 10 Legsy Gets a Break
By Phil Gladwin. Legsy tries to find the brother he was separated from as a child. No other details in RT.
16 Feb 10 English in Afghanistan
By Ryan Craig. Modern-day fable by Ryan Craig, set against the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan. Two British soldiers embark on a perilous quest to retrieve a love letter. Lieutenant Will Carter ...... Ifan Meredith, Lieutenant Colonel Morton ...... Jonathan Coy, Khalid ...... Imran Khan, Kelly ...... Emily Beecham, Sergeant Dale Preston ...... Tom Meredith, Leyya ...... Sirine Saba. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
17 Feb 10 God Bless Our Love
Romantic comedy by Ray Connolly about a priest and a nun who fall in love and leave their orders to marry and begin a new life together. Michael ...... David Neilson, Eleanor ...... Alexandra Mathie, Jane ...... Fiona Clarke, Darrell ...... Joe Ransom, Fr Dermot ...... Stephen Tomlin, Suzy ..... Cherylee Houston. Produced by Charlotte Riches.
18 Feb 10 Addressee Unknown
Tim Dee's adaptation of the "Kressmann Taylor" novel, published in 1938. (R) Two old friends, former business associates in San Francisco, exchange letters. One is an American German Jew, the other an American German who, excited and energised by the new Germany of the 1930s, has gone home. Attitudes harden with the seemingly inexorable rise of Hitler, the Jew horrified by the change in his friend and his wholesale adoption of the rhetoric and ideology of Nazism. With Henry Goodman, Patrick Malahide.
19 Feb 10 Bad Faith, The Fire This Time
3/4. Jake takes on his arch rival and nemesis Bishop Elias Wright in a battle over the soul of a mentally unstable parishioner, fighting the good fight against homophobia and Islamophobia along the way. Jake Thorne ...... Lenny Henry, Michael ...... Danny Sapani, Ruth Thorne ...... Jenny Jules, Vincent Ngomwe ...... Jimmy Akingbola, Rev Elias Wright ...... Cyril Nri, Chief Supt Khan ...... Vincent Ebrahim, Firearms Officer ...... Melissa Advani, Radio Voice ...... Rhys Jennings. Producer Mary Peate. Executive Producer Simon Elmes.
20 Feb 10 Saturday Play - Murder in Samarkand
By David Hare. David Hare's witty portrait of an unlikely hero, based on the memoir by Craig Murray. Craig is proud to be sent as Ambassador to Uzbekistan, eager to work hard and also eager for fun. The combination takes him on a dangerous course both professionally and personally, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Craig Murray ...... David Tennant, Bax/Safayev ...... Jonathan Coy, Dill/French Ambassador ...... Richard Cordery, Foreign Secretary/Uzbek Judge ...... Simon Chandler, Prosecutor/Fazilov ...... Ian Gelder, Roy/Avazov ...... John Hollingworth, US Ambassador/Karimov ...... Paul Jesson, Dr Ableman/Uzbek Uncle ...... Bruce Myers, Angela ...... Flora Montgomery, Dilobar ...... Nadira Murray, Emily ...... Clara Neather, Nadira ...... Jemima Rooper, Serena/Kristina ...... Lucy Robinson, Ivo Sanderson/Quest ...... Malcolm Sinclair, Procurator ...... Sirojiddin Tolibov, Fiona ...... Lia Williams. Piano by Michael Webborn. Produced by Ann Scott. Directed by Clive Brill. A Greenpoint production for BBC Radio 4.
21 Feb 10 Classic Serial Plantagenet, Lionheart
2/3. Prince Richard has become heir apparent, but in the face of Henry II's refusal to acknowledge his position, he turns to the Crusades. Queen Eleanor ...... Jane Lapotaire, Richard ...... Ed Stoppard, King Henry II ...... David Warner, William Marshall ...... Stephen Hogan, King Philip ...... John Biggins, Saladin ...... Raad Rawi, El-adel ...... Khalid Laith, Baldwin ...... Ewan Hooper, Prince John ...... Neil Stuke, Hugh ...... Philip Fox, Robert of Champagne ...... Rhys Jennings, Conrad ...... Piers Wehner. With Bruce Alexander and Joseph Cohen-Cole. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
22 Feb 10 Torchwood, Lost Souls
1/4. By Joseph Lidster. (R) The Torchwood team go to Geneva, where former time-traveller Martha Jones is now working as a doctor at the world's biggest physics laboratory, CERN. Deep in an underground tunnel, a giant particle accelerator is about to be activated for the first time. But something strange is happening. Scientists are hearing voices and collapsing with a strange illness. Is something lurking in the tunnel? Do the dead ever really stay dead? Captain Jack Harkness ...... John Barrowman, Gwen Cooper ...... Eve Myles, Ianto Jones ...... Gareth David-Lloyd, Martha Jones ...... Freema Agyeman, Professor Johnson ...... Lucy Montgomery, Dr Oliver Harrington ...... Stephen Crichlow, Leon Foiret ...... Mark Meadows. Music by Murray Gold and Ben Foster. Directed by Kate McAll.
23 Feb 10 War Bride
By Nell Leyshon.(R) The Second World War is over and Eleanor and Clarence are on a ship, emigrating to Canada. Young Eleanor is running away from the farm she grew up on - and her parents don't know. When Eleanor discovers that her childhood sweetheart Frank is also on board, she starts to retreat from Clarence into the world of her imagination. Eleanor is vulnerable a long way from home. Who can she trust? Eleanor ...... Charlotte Emmerson, Clarence ...... Simon Lee Phillips, Frank ...... Joseph Kloska. Directed by Susan Roberts.
24 Feb Against the Grain
By Charlotte Greig. Young journalist Gemma is sent to interview a former restauranteur. Gemma ...... Jasmine Hyde, Milo ...... Robert Harper, Herve ...... Felix Callens, Ruth ...... Nickie Rainsford. Producer Kate McAll.
25 Feb 10 Edith's Story
By Robin Glendinning. The true story of Edith Scholem, 16-year-old daughter to the leader of Germany's communists, who in 1934 was forced to flee Berlin in a desperate attempt to find sanctuary for her family. Edith Scholem ...... Emerald O'Hanrahan, Emmy Scholem ...... Haydn Gwynne, Heinz Von Hackebeil ...... Michael Shelton, Headmaster ...... Nigel Hastings, Hackebeil's Niece ...... Tessa Nicholson, Von Hackebeil ...... Mark Lambert , Frau Von Hackebeil ...... Stella McCusker, Gestapo Officer ...... Miche Doherty. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
26 Feb 10 Bad Faith, Nothing Sacred
4/4. Jake counsels a policeman who has lost his memory of a fatal blaze, while Jake's father, Isaac, slipping into dementia, seems intent on wreaking revenge on the whole world, and particularly his own son. Jake Thorne ...... Lenny Henry, Michael ...... Danny Sapani, Ruth Thorne ...... Jenny Jules. Producer Mary Peate. Executive Producer Simon Elmes.
27 Feb 10 Saturday Play Othello
Northern Broadsides theatre company's version of Shakespeare's tragedy of love turned sour. Iago ...... Conrad Nelson, Roderigo ...... Matt Connor, Brabantio ...... Geoff Leesley, Othello ...... Lenny Henry, Cassio ...... Richard Standing, Duke/Gratiano ...... David Beckford, Senator/Lodovico ...... Simon Holland Roberts, Desdemona ...... Jessica Harris, Montano ...... Andy Cryer, Emilia ...... Sara Poyzer, Herald/Gentleman ...... Chris Pearse, Bianca ...... Victoria Gee. Directed by Barrie Rutter. Producer David Hunter.
28 Feb 10 Classic Serial - Plantagenet, John, By the Grace of God
3/3. The fourth son of Henry II never expected to succeed to the English throne. When he does, he reveals a talent for making enemies. Queen Eleanor ...... Jane Lapotaire, King Richard ...... Ed Stoppard, King John ...... Neil Stuke, William Marshall ...... Stephen Hogan, Prince Arthur ...... Ryan Watson, Queen Isabelle ...... Emerald O'Hanrahan, King Philip ...... John Biggins, Saladin ...... Raad Rawi, El-Adel ...... Khalid Laith, Doctor/Langton ...... Ewan Hooper, Girard ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole, De Roche ...... Bruce Alexander, Fitzwalter ...... Piers Wehner, Will Marshall ...... Rhys Jennings, Prince Henry ...... Bertie Gilbert. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
1 Mar 10 Ashes to Antarctica
By Jim Eldridge. Jill plans to scatter her husband's ashes on the ice of Antarctica. Jill ...... Carolyn Pickles, Liz ...... Deborah McAndrew, Emilie ...... Yolanda Vazquez, Geoffrey ...... Mark Carey. Directed by Peter Leslie Wild.
2 Mar 10 Pinkerton
By Ronald Frame. In the new immigrant community of 1840s America, Scotsman Allan Pinkerton turns detective when an influx of counterfeit dollars threatens the local economy. Allan Pinkerton ...... Forbes Masson, Joan Pinkerton ...... Rachel Ogilvy, John Craig ...... Sam Dale, Mrs O'Riordan/elderly Woman ...... Marcella Riordan, Nathan Madison/ Croupier/Elderly Man ...... Robert Jezek, Lisl ...... Alison Pettitt, Jack Paige/Police Officer ...... John Biggins, Wolf/Bank Teller/Dr Morgan ...... Bruce Alexander. Directed by David Ian Neville.
3 Mar 10 Shakespeare's Vortigern and Rowena
By Melissa Murray. Comedy by Melissa Murray. In 1796, at Drury Lane theatre, Richard Sheridan puts on a guaranteed hit: a production of a 'lost' Shakespeare play. What could possibly go wrong? Sheridan ...... Lorcan Cranitch , Kemble ...... Alex Jennings, Stage Hand ...... Ben Crowe, Henry ...... Rufus Wright , Samuel ...... Bruce Alexander , Mrs Powell ...... Joanna Monro , Mrs Jordan ...... Alison Pettitt , Actor ...... David Seddon. Producer Marc Beeby.
4 Mar Final Demands, A Call From The Coast
1/6. Series of plays by Frederic Raphael reuniting the characters from his novel The Glittering Prizes, which followed the fortunes of scholarship boy Adam Morris and his contemporaries at Cambridge University in the early 1950s. Decades have passed, and we now catch up with Adam and his friends (and enemies) in the days of John Major's government. Adam is now a successful novelist and screenwriter, and his daughter Rachel is living in California with his old classicist friend Bill Bourne. But Bill is now terminally ill, and Adam faces the prospect of a trip to Los Angeles that will turn out to have some unexpected consequences. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Mike Clode ...... Mark Wing-Davey, Jason Singer ...... Simon Greenall, Clifford Ayres ...... Colin Macfarlane, Samantha Sabatini ...... Laurence Bouvard, Joann ...... Lachele Carl, Frank Skipton ...... Kenneth Danziger, Mitchell Ambrose ...... Ben Onwukwe. Produced by Jo Wheeler. Directed by Pete Atkin. An Above the Title production for BBC Radio 4.
5 Mar 10 Final Demands, The Lesson of the Master
2/6. Back in Britain with Rachel's manuscript, Adam asks his old mentor for his opinion on it. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Mike Clode ...... Mark Wing-Davey, Alan Parks ...... Alistair McGowan, Gavin Pope ...... Malcolm Sinclair, Lars Waring ...... Ian Kelly, Patricia Reece ...... Annabel Leventon, Sheridan Reece ...... Julian Glover.
6 Mar 10 Saturday Play -
Vincent Price and The Horror of The English Blood Beast By Matthew Broughton. In 1967, Vincent Price came to the UK to make the horror movie Witchfinder General. It was the best performance of his career, and the worst few months of his life. This play takes a light-hearted look behind the scenes of the making of this classic British film. Vincent Price ...... Nickolas Grace, Tony Tenser ...... Kenneth Cranham, Michael Reeves ...... Blake Ritson , Philip Waddilove ...... Richard Nichols, Hilary Dwyer ...... Phoebe Waller Bridge, Ian Ogilvy ...... Gareth Pierce. Other parts played by Simon Ludders and Lynne Seymour. Produced and directed by Sam Hoyle.
7 Mar 10 Classic Serial - Of Mice and Men
Dramatisation by Donna Franceschild of John Steinbeck's 1937 novel about migrant workers in 1930s California who dream of one day owning a place of their own. George ...... David Tennant, Lennie ...... Liam Brennan, Carlson/Crooks ...... Jude Akuwudike, Lennie ...... Liam Brennan, Candy ...... Christopher Fairbank, Curley's Wife ...... Melody Grove, Slim ...... Neil McKinven, Curley's ...... Richard Madden, George ...... David Tennant. Directed by Kirsty Williams.
8 Mar 10 Unglued
By Nicholas Meiklejohn. Jonathan and Laura are celebrating their 30th anniversary with family and friends, but there is a shock in store when they announce to the guests that they are getting divorced. Is it possible to have a happy divorce? Laura ...... Tamara Kennedy, Jonathan ...... Andy Gray, Caroline ...... Carol Ann Crawford, Zack/Bill/Band Singer/Taxi Driver ...... John Kielty, Eve/Alice/Diane ...... Corinne Harris. Produced and directed by David Ian Neville.
9 Mar 10 Say What You Want to Hear - The Endgame
By Tim Wright. Continuing to follow the fortunes of dotcom entrepreneurs Erik and Mike. Erik ...... Stephen Tompkinson, Mike ...... Ewan Bailey, Scarlett ...... Keely Beresford, Jeannie ...... Alison Pettit , Jurgen ...... Bruce Alexander, Sylvie ...... Rachel Atkins. Directed by David Hunter.
10 Mar 10 Not Bobby
By Nick Warburton. Frank brings a rabbit home, who gets pride of place in the sitting room. Frank ...... Mackenzie Crook, Miss Bradfield ...... Emerald O'Hanrahan, Mum ...... Kate Layden, Sophie ...... Tessa Nicholson, Mr Vincent ...... Bruce Alexander. Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
11 Mar 10 Final Demands, Point Counterpoint
3/6. By Frederic Raphael.A publisher's launch party. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Joyce Hadleigh ...... Angela Down, Dan Bradley ...... Malcolm Stoddard, Samuel Marcus Cohen ...... Alistair McGowan, Terry Slater ...... Stephen Mangan, Innes Maclean ...... Struan Rodger, Connie Simpson ...... Lorelei King, Jason Singer ...... Simon Greenall, Tamara Singer ...... Georgina Rich, Tom Morris ...... Rupert Degas, Alexi Morris ...... Gene Goodman, Juliana Morris ...... Raquel Cassidy, Jonty Logan ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt. Produced by Jo Wheeler, directed by Pete Atkin; 'Above the Title' production.
12 Mar 10 Final Demands, ...And A Happy New Year
4/6. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Joyce Hadleigh ...... Angela Down, Juliana Morris ...... Raquel Cassidy, Mike Clode ...... Mark Wing-Davey, Denis Porson ...... Nigel Havers, Samuel Marcus Cohen ...... Alistair McGowan, Bruno Laszlo ...... Simon Greenall, Jill Tabard ...... Annabel Leventon, Jonty Logan ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt. Production details as before.
13 Mar Saturday Play - Confessions of a Medium
Comedy by AL Kennedy, set in 1870s London,based on a true story. Mr Parker is a sincere and kind man who, in search of a higher meaning to life, has moved from conventional religion to seances and spiritualism. He believes he has met his saviour in the guise of Mr Thomson, a charming, erudite and utterly mesmerising medium. Thomson ...... Bill Nighy, Parker ...... Robert Glenister, Morton/Mr Gordon/Gentleman/Wilson/Waiter ...... Jonathan Keeble, Mills/Butler ...... Andrew Westfield, Miss Foster/Mrs Gordon/Lady No.1 ...... Fiona Clarke, Miss Blackstone/Woman ...... Daryl Fishwick, Pianist ...... Daniel Browell. Directed by Pauline Harris.
14 Mar 10 Classic Serial - Clarissa: The History of a Young Lady, The Pursuit
1/4. Heiress Clarissa Harlowe is dangerously attracted by notorious libertine Robert Lovelace. Dramatisation by Hattie Naylor of the 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. Clarissa Harlowe ...... Zoe Waites, Robert Lovelace ...... Richard Armitage, James Harlowe ...... Oliver Milburn, Solmes ...... Stephen Critchlow, Bella Harlowe ...... Sophie Thompson, Lady Harlowe ...... Alison Steadman, Lord Harlowe ...... John Rowe, Mrs Norton ...... Deborah Findlay, Anna Howe ...... Cathy Sara. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
15 Mar 10 Hitched, Episode 1
1/2.First of two plays by Doug Lucie which satirise our obsession with weddings and happy-ever-afters.Betrothed couple Emma and Richard have done their best to keep their respective families apart, but as their wedding day approaches it is time for the in-laws-to-be to finally meet. Chas ...... William Gaunt, Ruby ...... Sylvia Sims, Emma ...... Lydia Leonard, Richard ...... Joe Armstrong, Max ...... Stephen Moore, Ellie ...... Frances Barber, Barry ...... Ian Reddington, Jenny ...... Cheryl Campbell, Peter ...... Guy Henry. Directed by Heather Larmour. 16 Mar 10 Hitched, Episode 2 2/2. Emma and Richard's wedding day arrives - will it go without the proverbial 'hitch'? Production details as yesterday.
17 Mar 11 Walking on Sunshine
Comedy by Leah Chillery. Why do you rarely see a black face in the country - apart from the sheep? Elijah is a black man who likes to go for lovely walks in the countryside. One day his girlfriend points out the obvious - that he was the only black face she saw all day. Elijah ...... Nicholas Bailey, Tina ...... Nadine Marshall , Vernon ...... Dermot Daly , Malachi ...... Marcus Hercules , Boasie ...... Marlon G Day , Frank ...... Lloyd Peters. Producer Gary Brown.
18 Mar 10 Final Demands, Black and White
5/6. An old friend invites Adam on to his radio programme to talk about his new book - and incidentally to make an uncharacteristic revelation. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Alan Parks ...... Alistair McGowan, Derek Morris ...... Adrian Lukis, Inspector Siddons ...... Ben Onwukwe, Josiah Idun ...... Kobna Holdbrook Smith, Leila ...... Georgina Rich. Produced by Jo Wheeler, directed by Pete Atkin, Above the Title production.
19 Mar 10 Final Demands, The Distinguished Thing
6/6. It's Adam's brother Derek who holds the key to how the story ends. Adam Morris ...... Tom Conti, Barbara Morris ...... Barbara Kellermann, Rachel Morris ...... Flora Montgomery, Alan Parks ...... Alistair McGowan, Derek Morris ...... Adrian Lukis, Mike Clode ...... Mark Wing-Davey, Lars Waring ...... Ian Kelly, Terry Slater ...... Stephen Mangan, Tom Morris ...... Rupert Degas, Bernice ...... Georgina Rich, Anna Cunningham ...... Emily Richard. Jo Wheeler/Pete Atkin; Above the Title.
20 Mar 10 Saturday Play Playing With Trains, Episode 1
1/2. Adaptation of Stephen Poliakoff's RSC play about an entrepreneurial engineer and his relationship with his son and daughter. After making his fortune in the gramophone industry in the 1960s, Bill Galpin becomes a champion of inventors and sets out to change the conservative attitude of British industry. His ambition and drive lead him into difficult waters with his talented daughter and son. Bill Galpin ...... Timothy Spall, Roxanna Galpin ...... Zoe Tapper, Danny Galpin ...... Geoffrey Streatfeild, Frances ...... Helen Longworth, Mick ...... Joseph Kloska, Gant ...... Michael Fenton Stevens , Vernon Boyce ...... Nigel Hastings. Produced and directed by Peter Leslie Wild.
21 Mar 10 Clarissa: The History of a Young Lady, The Flight
2/4. Dramatisation by Hattie Naylor of the 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. Clarissa has been persuaded to flee with the notorious libertine Lovelace, escaping an arranged marriage. In London she begins to learn of the darker side of Lovelace's character as he secures her lodgings in a brothel and begins to use lies, trickery and cruel delusions in an attempt to seduce her. Clarissa Harlowe ...... Zoe Waites, Robert Lovelace ...... Richard Armitage, Anna Howe ...... Cathy Sara, Mrs Sinclair ...... Miriam Margolyes, Dorcas ...... Lisa Hammond, Sally ...... Sophie Thompson, Belford ...... Adrian Scarborough, Tourville ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt, Captain Tomlinson ...... Stephen Critchlow. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production.
22 Mar 10 Listening to Time By Judith Somerville. Hans and Anna meet by chance when visiting one of the remote Aran Islands. Anna ...... Kate Buffery, Hans ...... David Troughton, Mrs O'Flaherty ...... Joanna Munro, German voices ...... Michael Shelford. Directed by Cherry Cookson.
23 Mar 10 Crime and Trial Rage on the Road
Documentary drama by John Taylor about a crime and trial. The headlines were dramatic: a desperate car chase along winding country lanes, a vicious attack on two innocent lovers and the brutal murder of a young man. But it soon became apparent that the killing of Lee Harvey outside Keeper's Cottage was an incident even more astonishing than it first appeared. Tracie Andrews ...... Sian Brooke, David Crigman QC ...... Kim Wall, DC Brian Russell ...... Michael Higgs, Superintendant Ian Johnstone ...... Roderick Smith, Pathologist ...... John Rowe, Sister Hadley ...... Penelope Freeman, Child witness ...... Brittany Skye-Parnaby. Produced and directed by Alan Hall and John Taylor.
24 Mar 10 The Sensitive - A Nobody
Alastair Jessiman's Glasgow psychic detective returns for a new and disturbing case. Thomas suffers a crisis of confidence when he is asked to investigate a potential serial killer. An old girlfriend, Kat, persuades him to take a break, but when they drive north for a few days, Thomas soon becomes convinced that they are being followed. Thomas ...... Robin Laing , Kat ...... Daniela Nardini, Young Man ...... Iain Robertson, Mrs Soutar ...... Sheila Donald, Crawford ...... Simon Tait, WPC ...... Suzanne Donaldson. Directed by Bruce Young.
25 Mar 10 Scummow - Things Washed Up by the Sea
By Annamaria Murphy. When a delirious Irishman arrives in a Cornish harbour, baker Mary Kneebone takes him in, and soon the sick and gullible are queuing at her door. Mary Kneebone ...... Mary Woodvine, Edna Lugg ...... Barbara Jefford, Declan Credan ...... Stephen Hogan, Virgin Mary ...... Alison Pettit, Eamon Credan ...... John O'Mahony, Davey Ellis ...... Charles Barnecut. Directed by Claire Grove.
26 Mar 10 No Place Like Home
By Robert Rigby and Nick Russell-Pavier. A householder confronts a burglar with his legally-owned shotgun. The Intruder ...... Alex Jennings, Jonathan ...... Toby Stephens, Police Officer/Matt Hughes/Colin ......Ben Crowe, Tom Robbins/Commander ...... Jonathan Oliver, Janet Robbins/WPC ...... Victoria Carling, Julie/Sophie ...... Zoe King. Produced by Nick Russell-Pavier. A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
27 Mar 10 Playing With Trains
2/2. Stephen Poliakoff's story continues into the 1980s, with Bill Galpin facing a major libel. The play tells the story of the rise and fall of Bill Galpin, a flambuoyant entrepreneur who pools his fortune into backing risky inventions which are concerned with safeguarding the environment, while at the same time having a tempestuous relationship with his two children Roxanna and Danny. Beginning in the late 1960s, Playing With Trains deals with the fact that Britain invents so much, yet manufactures so little. Galpin makes a fortune from a brilliant development in gramophone technology, and then turns himself into a self-appointed patron and champion of inventors and innovators everywhere, clashing with the establishment through the libel courts, speeches to captains of industry, Civil Service offices and even TV shows. His children develop in totally different ways; he doesn't approve of the lives of either of them. Playing With Trains is a drama set over two decades.It was originally staged at the RSC in 1989. Bill Galpin Timothy Spall, Roxanna Galpin Zoe Tapper, Danny Galpin Geoffrey Streatfield, Frances Helen Longworth, Mick Joseph Kloska, Gant Michael Fenton Stevens, QC Bruce Alexander, Judge Nigel Hastings. Producer/DirectorPeter Leslie Wild.
28 Mar 10 Clarissa: The History of a Young Lady, The Flight
3/4. Dramatisation by Hattie Naylor of the 1748 novel by Samuel Richardson. Production details as before.
29 Mar 10 Arabian Afternoons, The Casper Logue Affair
1/3. By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Diplomat Bob Goldacre loses the businessman he was looking after Thriller by Sebastian Baczkiewicz, set in Baghdad. The first of three Arabian Afternoons - contemporary plays inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights. Junior diplomat Bob Goldacre is in trouble: the American businessman he was looking after has vanished from a Baghdad street. As the suspects pile up, Goldacre is going to have his work cut out if he wants to save his career and make sure that justice is done. Shahrazad.........SIRINE SABA, Shahrayar..........KEVORK MALIKYAN, Aseera..............BETSABEH EMRAN, Rahim...............SARGON YELDA, Goldacre...........TREVOR WHITE, Hammond.........BRUCE ALEXANDER , Casper..............NATHAN OSGOOD, Kindermann.......RUFUS WRIGHT, Carlton.............JOHN BIGGINS, Charlene...........ALISON PETTIT. Directed by Abigail le Fleming.
The Story
The Casper Logue Affair is based on the story "The Hunchback", found in The Arabian Nights, which deals with the extraordinary events that take place after the death of the king's favourite fool.
The Writer
Sebastian Baczkiewicz is a radio writer of great range and experience. His work for Radio 4 includes 2000 Tales(an updating of the idea of The Canterbury Tales) and the New Metamorphoses (he wrote Semele). He also writes the series Pilgrim, based on the old myths and legends of Britain.
The Arabian Afternoons Series
A long time ago and far away, there was a king called Shahrayar. Betrayed in love himself, his custom was to enjoy his brides on their wedding night and then kill them at dawn. But one woman managed to survive, night after night, by telling the king stories. Her name was Shahrazad.
These three Afternoon Plays are framed by Shahrazad's voice as she describes rare and strange places for her husband, the murderous king. But these places are not the markets and deserts of medieval Arabia - with the help of some of our best radio writers, she conjures the Middle East of 2010, a landscape against which stories from the original 14th century "Thousand and One Nights" can breathe again.
The stakes are high: as each tale comes to a close, Shahrazad will learn whether it has earned her a night's reprieve. Each play is a tale within a tale - the stakes are also high for the storytellers Shahrazad introduces. Taken together, the plays reflect the humour, magic and savagery of the old tales.
The Other Plays in the Series:
Tuesday 30 March 2010: The Porter and the Three Ladies
Written by Rachel Joyce,directed by Tracey Neale. Shahrazad has one last night to tell a story before the King kills her in the morning. She chooses one about freedom: the adventures of an out of luck journalist, Joe, who has been sent by his ruthless editor to find the story that sells newspapers or he will lose his job. But what Joe discovers in Damascus are three beautiful women with a terrible secret.Can Joe win his job back with their story? Shahrazad ...SIRINE SABA, Shahrayar...KEVORK MALIKYAN, Joe..............STEPHEN TOMPKINSON, Margot.........JOANNA MONRO, Mira.............INDIRA VARMA , Affyah..........JASMINE JONES, Juliba...........MELISSA ADVANI.
"The Porter and the Three Ladies" is inspired by a tale of the same name in The Thousand and One Nights: The three beautiful and mysterious women who take the porter in have only one rule: never ask us questions. He resists, but when disguised dignitaries and one-eyed dervishes arrive and break the rule, they are all imprisoned and can only buy their freedom with stories.
Wednesday 31 March 2010: A Dish of Pomegranates
Written by Peter Jukes,directed by Mary Peate. Shared roots and scattered families in the melting pot of modern Jerusalem. Tired after a stressful trip, Ajib is stopped by security officers as he tries to fly out of Ben Gurion airport on his way home to the U.S. They don't think his story adds up. Can he make them believe him? And does he actually know the whole story himself? Shahrazad........SIRINE SABA, Shahrayar/Vardan...KEVORK MALIKYAN, Ajib.......WILLIAM EL-GARDI, Orit.....BETSABEH EMRAN, Rafi.......ZUBIN VARLA, Howard......ALLAN CORDUNER, Julia......KEELY BERESFORD, Cafe Owner......STEFAN KALIPHA, Tawfik/Trader 2....MOZAFFAR SHAFEIE, Flight Attendant/Trader 1....DAVID SEDDON Protestor......RUFUS WRIGHT.
A Dish of Pomegranates is loosely based on story "The Two Viziers": Two brothers have a terrible argument and one leaves home forever. Years later and miles away, their grandson is magically drawn to his long-lost father through the power of a pomegranate dish only his father can make, and the family is reunited.
Peter Jukes is an author and screenwriter who has written books, articles, radio and TV scripts, including Waking the Dead, Sea of Souls, In Deep (En immersion) and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Recent radio includes the very well received BAD FAITH starring Lenny Henry, SOUL MOTEL and SLAVERY: THE MAKING OF.
1 Apr 10 Last Family Standing
Paul Watson's play "Last Family Standing" is set in 1946 though many listeners might think it today. Britain, newly emerged from the shadow of war is in a time of austerity. Five million victorious men and women have returned from the war effort to a peacetime of few jobs. Money, food and decent housing are also scarce. The Government has failed to stem accumulating social problems. The jubilation of VE day has evaporated. Life is difficult. The party is over. Narrator ..... Paul Watson, Old Dorothy Truscott ..... Janet Amsden, Young Dorothy ..... Flora Newbigin, Dad"Charlie" ..... Jonathan Tafler, Mum "Marjorie" ..... Jacqui Sharpe, Frank ..... Tony Longhurst, Arthur ..... Michael James Ackerman, Estelle/Woman ..... Sara Stephens, Prostitueclient/Official ..... Peter Benedict, Mr Fentamann/Chemist ..... Russell Floyd, Nurse ..... Lucie Fitchett. Produced by Paul Watson; Pier Productions Limited.
2 Apr 10 I Love Stephen Fry
By Jon Canter. Jackie, a bored housewife, is in love with Stephen Fry. (R) Terry discovers his wife is in love with a man known only as 'Steve'. He's no idea who Steve is. Should he confront Steve? Or should he keep quiet and wait for his wife's affair with Steve to blow over. Stephen Fry ..... Himself, Jackie ..... Lesley Sharp, Terry ..... Phil Davis, Margaret ..... Carolyn Pickles, Ron ..... Ron Cook, Chloe ..... Sinead Matthews, Carl ..... Karl Theobald. Producer/Director Fiona McAlpine. An Allegra producton.
3 Apr 10 Goldfinger
By Ian Fleming. A dramatisation of the novel. When Bond begins his pursuit of a monstrous international criminal he discovers that a daring robbery is on the agenda - plus mass murder. Goldfinger ..... Ian McKellen , James Bond ..... Toby Stephens, 'M' ..... John Standing, Col. Smithers ..... Ian Ogilvy , Pussy Galore ..... Rosamund Pike , Tilly Masterton ..... Lisa Dillon , Du Pont ..... Henry Goodman , Hawker ..... Alistair McGowan , Helmut Springer ..... Hector Elizondo , Jill Masterton ..... Anna Louise Plowman , Johnny Solo ..... Tim Pigott-Smith, Mr Strap ..... Tom Hollander , Felix Leiter ..... Lloyd Owen, Jed Midnight ..... Nigel Anthony, Oddjob ..... Jon David Yu, Alfred ..... Alan Shearman, Nigel ..... Matthew Wolf , Fleming ..... Martin Jarvis, Doctors and Pilot ..... Kyle Stoller , Nurse ..... Tracy Pattin. Dramatised by Archie Scottney. Music composed by Mark Holden and Sam Barbour. Director Martin Jarvis. Producer Rosalind Ayres.Jarvis & Ayres Productions.
4 Apr 10 Classic Serial - Clarissa: The History of a Young Lady, Freedom Regained
4/4. Clarissa hopes for reconciliation with her family, while an unrepentant Lovelace seeks once again to find her and conquer her soul. Final episode. Production details - see last week's entry.
5 Apr 10 The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Marlbourne Point Mystery; 1/4. By Bert Coules. A disused lighthouse in Kent is the scene of a bizarre double death.Part 1 of 2.
6 Apr 10 Sherlock Holmes: The Marlbourne Point Mystery
2/4. In his accounts of the career of his friend Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson often makes passing reference to a mystery which his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, never wrote about in full. Bert Coules, the chief writer behind BBC Radio 4's celebrated dramatisations of the complete Sherlock Holmes canon of fifty-six short stories and four novels, once again takes up the pen where Sir Arthur left off. This brings to seventy-five the number of times Clive Merrison has played Sherlock Homes on BBC Radio 4. Cast: Sherlock Holmes ..... Clive Merrison, Dr John Watson ..... Andrew Sachs, Mycroft Holmes ..... James Laurenson, Constable Powell ..... Piers Wehner, Sir Charles Steele ..... Nigel Hastings , Mrs Chang ..... Pik-Sen Lim, Harold Jefferstone ..... Joseph Cohen-Cole, Mr Jefferstone ..... Bruce Alexander, Mr Lade ..... Richard Dillane, Elizabeth ..... Tessa Nicholson, Postmaster ..... Bert Coules. Violinists: Leonard Friedman and Ian Humphries. ProducerPatrick Rayner.
7 Apr 10 The Borrowers
1/2. (R) Adaptation of Mary Norton's children's classic. 14-year-old Arietty is getting impatient to escape the confines of her cosy home.
8 Apr 10 The Borrowers 2/2. Adaptation of Mary Norton's children's classic. Having emigrated to the field at the back of the house, the Clock family must find shelter before the sparrowhawks get them.
9 Apr 10 A Small Piece of Silence
By Katie Hims. Written for David Bower. Joe who has been Deaf since he was born, works in a council office . Every day he makes the same journey to work on the bus, seeing the same people . Then one day a young girl signs her name to him. A_N_G_E_L. The play examines how society deals with deafness through the character of Joe.
10 Apr 10 The Believers
Liverpool, 1963. The Merseybeat boom is about to take off. And with it, The Believers, a Christian pop band determined to spread the Word. If only they were all singing from the same hymn sheet. Comedy drama by Frank Cottrell Boyce. James..................................Ray Quinn, Debbie.................................Samantha Robinson, Billy.....................................Kieran Lynn, Warren..............................John Biggins, Reverend Michaels.............Rufus Wright, Elder Wardle......................Gary Bleasdale, Jenny................................Alison Pettitt. Other parts played by Joanna Monro, David Seddon, Laura Molyneux, Jill Cardo and Keely Beresford. Original music by Carl Hunter and Mel Bowen. Directed by Toby Swift. Music written by Carl Hunter (ex-bass player of The Farm) and Mel Bowen. It was performed by Dave Lovelady (drums/backing vocals), Billy Kinsley (bass/backing vocals), Dave Morgan (lead guitar/backing vocals), Chay Heney (rhythm guitar) and Beverley Keenan (backing vocals) with additional guitars from Carl Hunter and Mel Bowen. BIlly and Dave were in The Merseybeats and The Fourmost respectively, two bands which were part of the Merseybeat scene.
11 Apr 10 Classic Serial -Smiley's People
1/3. Part 1: At the end of 'The Honourable Schoolboy', in the mid-1970s, as a ruthless new broom swept through the secret corridors of Whitehall, spymaster George Smiley quietly left the Circus and vanished into private life. But a year or two later, when a veteran Russian emigre general is found dead on Hampstead Heath, Smiley is called out of retirement to exorcise some Cold War ghosts from his clandestine past. What follows is Smiley the human being at his most vulnerable, and Smiley the case officer at his most brilliant; and it takes to a thrilling conclusion his career-long, serpentine battle with the enigmatic and ruthless Russian spymaster Karla. Ann Smiley ..... Anna Chancellor, Oliver Lacon ..... Alex Jennings, Chief Superintendant ..... Stephen Critchlow , Lauder Strickland ..... David Bannerman , Mikhel ..... Nigel Anthony, Mostyn ..... David Seddon, Old woman ..... Joanna Monro, Postman ..... Michael Shelford, Girl ..... Keely Beresford, Stella ..... Alison Pettitt, William ..... Piers Wehner, Producer Patrick Rayner.
12 Apr 10 Homestead
By Francis Turnly. When Daniel Brennan is forced to sell up his city home and move to a small holding in the country he hopes it will be a new start and a chance to create a new home for his family. However their reception from the local village is far from warm and, as a campaign of intimidation is directed at the family, they begin to wonder whether they have made the right decision. Daniel ... Stuart Graham, Kate...Zara Turner, Cassie...Hannah R. Gordon, Sean.....Des McAleer, Eamon.....Ian Beattie, Declan....Shaun Blaney, Auctioneer / PSNI officer....Patrick Fitzsymons, Conor....Kieran Lagan, Dermot....Robert Taylor. Producer/Director - Heather Larmour.
13 Apr 10 Highgate Letters
Drama inspired by a true story - about life in Highgate, North London. Joe lives there but is originally from Liverpool, he's married with a six year old daughter, Megan. When Joe's daughter chalks on the pavement it nearly creates war. JOE............................. Conrad Nelson, SUZANNE.....................Sophie Thompson, MEGAN.........................Lauren Mote, MERVYN.......................Malcolm Raeburn, MARSHA.......................Maggie Fox, POSTMAN.....................Greg Wood, COP..............................Dermot Daly. Producer Pauline Harris.
14 Apr 10 Albert Speer's Walk Around the World
Michael Butt's play about the imaginary journeys of Albert Speer during his time in prison. Patrick Malahide stars as Albert Speer or Prisoner Number Five, as he was known throughout his twenty years in Spandau. Albert Speer ..... Patrick Malahide, Narrator/McCleod ..... Daniel Weyman, Kuryev ..... Basher Savage, Donitz ..... Nicholas Woodeson, Hess ..... Jack Klaff, Maria/ Margaret Hess ..... Mia Soteriou, Mr Young/ American tourist ..... Patrick Brennan. SM Peregrine Andrews, Director/Producer: Judith Kampfner Exec Producer: Jill Waters. A Waters Company production.
15 Apr 10 The Disappearance
Psychological thriller by Peter Whalley. Alice moves into a converted Victorian house and rents the top floor. The landlord lives below. Both tenant and landlord are not who they say they are, and as each discovers the truth, it's clear one of them is going to die. MARTIN.......................Lee Ingleby, ALICE.......................Joanne Froggatt, DENISE..........................Becky Hindley. Producer Pauline Harris.
16 Apr 10 Funeral Games By Joe Orton.(R) A black comedy on the subject of religious hypocrisy. A play that helped create the climate of change which would end the power of the official censor over British theatre productions. Caulfield.....Phil Daniels, Pringle.....Martin Jarvis, McCorquodale..Tony Rohr, Tessa.......Liza Sadovy, Policeman....Ben Crowe. Director: Peter Kavanagh.
17 Apr 10 Saturday Play - Scream
A crime story based on the theft of Edvard Munch's expressionist masterpiece from an Oslo museum in 2004. Oslo police are closing in on David Toska, the criminal mastermind behind an audacious cash robbery when two incompetent thieves burst into the Munch Museum in broad daylight and ask for directions to Norway's most famous painting. Amazingly, they emerge with two priceless paintings, The Scream and The Madonna. Kjell: Christian Rubeck, Inspector Steinbeck: JÃrgen Langhelle, Thomson: Mats EldÃen, Siegried: Henrik Horge, Petter: Stig-Henrik Hoff, Karl: Aksel Hennie, Elina: Ingrid Bolsà Berdal, Paal Enger and David Toska: Eric Madsen. Other parts were played by Siri Ingul, Catherine Gram, Lars Engebretsen, Endre Haukland, Josefine Coward, Bettina Fleischer and Axel Aubert. Sound and music by Alisdair McGregor and Howard Jacques. Written by Boz Temple-Morris and Kris Hollington; directed by Boz Temple-Morris A Holy Mountain production.
18 Apr 10 Classic Serial - Smiley's People
2/3. Smiley has glimpsed the possibility of bringing down his life-long Russian adversary Karla. He turns to former colleagues in the Circus for vital information before taking off alone into hostile territory. Ann Smiley ..... Anna Chancellor, Oliver Lacon ..... Alex Jennings, Ostrakova ..... Lindsay Duncan, Connie Sachs ..... Maggie Steed, Toby Esterhase ..... Sam Dale, Hilary ..... Alison Pettitt, Claus Kretzschmar ..... Bruce Alexander, Frau Kretzschmar ..... Joanna Monro, Girl ..... Keely Beresford, Walther ..... Nigel Hastings. Producer Patrick Rayner.
19 Apr 10 How to Make Your First Billion
Part 1. By Matthew Solon. An entrepreneur and a technical whizz go into business together. The drama follows the pair as they attempt to get the business off the ground, attracting investment and dealing with the trials and tribulations of trying to build a business. Recorded on location in Silicon Valley. Real life entrepreneurs feature in the drama including Gideon Yu - Khosla Ventures, ex Chief Financial Officer of Facebook and YouTube, Michael Arrington - founder of Techcrunch, Jerry Yang - co-founder of Yahoo, David Filo - co-founder of Yahoo, Ron Conway - an early investor in Google, Ask Jeeves and PayPal, Susan Wojcicki - Google's first marketing manager, Biz Stone - co-founder of Twitter, David Weekly - founder of PBWorks, James NcNiven, Bucks Restaurant where the idea for Netscape was conceived. Cast: Jake Armstrong - Thomas Lazur, Subash Chakrabati - Zafar Karachiwala, Meg Gleeson - Katie Rubin, Nathan Ross - Cassidy Brown, Brett Berger - Tim Kniffin , Magnus McGinty - Gabriel Marin, Jefferson Adams - Peter Matthews, Ogie - Ogie Zulueta,, Uncle Ned - Kip Baldwin, Shane McGowan - Julia Brothers, Tony Lo - Brian Rivera, Stacey James - Lindsey Gates, Vera Cox - Julia Brothers, Beth Colochi - Arwen Anderson. Executive Producer - Jeremy Skeet. Writer - Matthew Solon. Director/Producer - John Dryden. Goldhawk Essential Production for World Service and R4.
20 Apr 10 How to Make Your First Billion,
part 2.
21 Apr 10 The Six Loves of Billy Binns
By Richard Lumsden. Tom Courtenay stars as 110 year old Billy. As a teacup falls from Billy's hand he realises he will be dead by the time it hits the floor, but has he time to remember what love feels like one last time before he dies. Into his memory come his past loves. Mrs Coggins, the mother of his mate Gilley, who took his virginity. Evie, the love he left and lived to regret. Alice, his wife of 32 years. Vera, who he adored, as they worked the buses together during the Blitz and Dotty who taught him a new kind of love in his later years. Billy Binns........Tom Courtenay, Evie.................Alison Pettitt, Alice................Tanya Franks, Vera................Ella Smith, Dotty...............Joanna Monro, Mrs Coggins....Keeley Beresford, Sylvie..............Gbemisola Ikumelo, Boy.................Walter Lumsden. Director...........Sally Avens.
22 Apr 10 A Man in Pieces
Conor volunteers to test a new medical sonic scanner which records the sounds inside the body. From this recording an analysis of the patients health is drawn. The Goldberg Scanner could revolutionise medical science. But Conor finds he's being searched so deeply that he's losing his identity. Conor.....Graeme Hawley , Jen.....Gillian Kearney , Doppelganger.....Clive Russell , Margaret.....Sue Jenkins , Matthew.....Malcolm Raeburn. With specially composed music by John Harle Directed in Manchester by Susan Roberts.
23 Apr 10 Nyama
David Pownall's tale about an entrepreneur who transports a pickled whale from the Cape of Good Hope round Southern Africa and makes a fortune. HUDSON...............VINCENT EBRAHIM, SILAS...................JUDE AKUWUDIKE, ARLENE...............JOANNA MONRO, BUSH HERMIT......JOSEPH MARCELL, DOCTOR CASS....BRUCE ALEXANDER, DE SOTO.............NIGEL HASTINGS, CULT LEADER......RUFUS WRIGHT, WOMAN...............PAMELA NOMVETE. Other parts played by Alison Pettitt, John Biggins, David Seddon, Michael Shelford and Keeley Beresford. Music composed and performed by Russell Taylor and Steve Cooke. Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
24 Apr 10 Saturday Play - The Tennis Court
By Jonathan Smith - a love story set in England and India during WWII. (R) Sam and Arthur Greenwood confide in each other about everything. But in 1943 Sam is posted to India with the 14th Army while his brother, a haemophiliac, remains at home in Kent. In April 1944 the Japanese Army surround the British forces in the small hilltop town of Kohima and, as the two sides face each other across the tennis court at the back of the Deputy District Commissioner's bungalow, Sam is haunted by a secret he has not shared with Arthur. Sam ..... Dan Stevens, Arthur ..... Jot Davies, Mother ..... Celia Imrie, Lettie ..... Jasmine Hyde, Pearce ..... Thomas Arnold, Penny ..... Cressida Trew, Tom ..... Martin T. Sherman. Producer/director: Bruce Young.
25 Apr 10 Classic Serial- Smiley's People
3/3. Smiley is ready to spring the trap on his life-long Russian adversary Karla. With Toby Esterhase watching his back, he now moves the operation to Berne in Switzerland. Ann ..... Anna Chancellor, Ostrakova ..... Lindsay Duncan, Peter Guillam ..... Richard Dillane, Saul Enderby ..... James Laurenson, Inspector Mendel ..... Kenneth Cranham, Toby Esterhase ..... Sam Dale, Grigoriev ..... Finlay Welsh,, Night Registrar/Sister ..... Joanna Monro Karla ..... Philip Fox, Tatiana ..... Alison Pettitt. Producer Patrick Rayner. This production continues BBC Radio 4's dramatising of the eight novels featuring George Smiley.
26 Apr 10 Lifecoach
By Nick Walker. Nicola Walker and Stephen Tompkinson star in Nick Walker's real-time drama about a life coach who gets the job of a lifetime. But is she up to it? Derby ..... Nicola Walker, Jack ..... Stephen Tompkinson, Secretary General ..... Patrice Naiambana, Other Parts ..... Paul Panting. Produced by Karen Rose. Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4.
27 Apr 10 Mercy
WW1 drama about one of the first major operations by the Red Cross. In 1916, soldiers who had been living in German POW camps were taken to Chateau d'Oex, a holiday resort in Switzerland, to be nursed back to health. Based on newspaper reports of events at the time, Frances Byrnes' play follows two fictional soldiers: number 2301, an angry young sergeant who is ashamed to have been captured and won't reveal his identity, and Havildar Gurung, a young Ghurka who is going blind and longs for the hills of home. 2301.....Carl Prekopp, Nurse.....Siriol Jenkins, Special Correspondent.....Richard Mitchley, Gurung.....Muzz Khan, Officer.....Gareth Pierce. BBC/Cymru Wales Production directed by Kate McAll.
28 Apr 10 Brief Lives
Series 3. 1/4. Frank Twist and his bunch of legal reps return for another series of adventures on the mean -ish streets of Manchester. Frank's best mate Mickey has finally met a young Russian woman who will put up with him, his music and his socks. But is she just using him? Frank.......David Schofield, Debbie........Emma Atkins, Sarah..........Tracey- Ann Oberman, Doug.......Eric Potts, Micky.......Deka Walmsley, Simon........Andonis James Anthony, Burnett......Becky Hindley, Magda........Miranda Keeling, Registrar.....Beatrice Kelley. Producer Gary Brown. Original music by Carl Harms.
29 Apr 10 Bette and Joan and Baby Jane
Comedy by Tracy-Ann Oberman about the ongoing feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. On 23 July 1961, filming started on "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" at the Producers Studio, Hollywood. It was a film that industry insiders thought would never be made, as its two female stars had an ongoing feud. Tracy-Ann's first radio play tells the story of the making of a legendary film, of the creation of two iconic stars and of the origins of a deep seated hatred that spanned five decades. Bette Davis .....Catherine Tate, Joan Crawford ..... Tracy-Ann Oberman , Billy Miller ..... Matt Addis , Hedda Hopper ..... Lorelei King. Producer: Liz Anstee. A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.
30 Apr 10 The Weighing Room
By Justin Hopper. Noel is a jump jockey anxious to get his career back on track after a spell on the sidelines. Just what does it take to survive in the demanding and dangerous world of National Hunt racing? Noel............Lloyd Hutchinson, Sean...........Michael Legge, Wrighty..........James Weaver, Wozzer..........Paul Rider, Degsy............David Seddon, Fiona Markham.......Alison Pettitt, Consultant.........Nigel Hastings, Steward..........Joanna Monro, Owner...........Bruce Alexander, Brian..........Michael Shelford, Mandy...........Keely Beresford. Directed by Toby Swift.
1 May 10 Saturday Play - The Indian in the Cupboard
By Lynne Reid Banks, dram. Jane Purcell. Eleven year old Omri gets a birthday present from his friend Patrick, a plastic Native American Indian figure.That night Omri puts it in the cupboard for safe keeping, and locks the door. In the morning he's woken by noises from inside the cupboard .... Like that other story of little people, The Borrowers, this story explores human nature and moral and ethical issues as Omri realises the power he has over Little Bull. Omri ..... Dominic Herman-Day, Patrick ..... George Sanderson, Little Bull ..... Ben Crowe, Tommy Atkins ..... Tom Andrews, Adiel ..... Luke Banasiewicz, Gillon ..... Sam Harris. Producer Chris Wallis; Autolycus production for R4.
2 May 10 Classic Serial - Cider with Rosie
1/2. The Lee family arrive in their new home.(R) Tim McInnerny plays Laurie and Niamh Cusack his mother, in this production recorded on location in and around the Slad valley. In the first of two episodes dramatised by Nick Darke, the Lee family arrive in their new home. Laurie........Tim McInnerny, Mother.......Niamh Cusack, Young Loll..Sunny Leworthy,with Jennifer Compton, Paul Currier, Briony Fforde, Daniel Clifford, Lisa Kay, Laura Strachan, Jed Blacklock, David Goodland, Constance Chapman, Val Lorraine, Chris Grimes, June Barrie, James Lawton, Pupils of Rodborough Primary School.. Music by Paul Burgess. Directed by Viv Beeby and Jeremy Howe.
3 May 10 Barbershopera!
Comedy musical by Rob Castell and Tom Sadler. John Sessions narrates this comedy musical set in the world of barbershop singing. When star tenor Tony decides to quit his barbershop group on the eve of the Euro Barbershop Competition final, a replacement must be found... Old Fabiano........John Sessions, Toni Soprano.......Lara Stubbs, Al Legro..............Pete Sorel-Cameron, Frank Sonata......Rob Castell , Hugh B. Doo.......Tom Sadler , Young Fabiano....Sam Spedding, Jean-Claude........John Evanson, Gunther..............Jeremy Limb, Gangrenus..........Ian Aitkenhead. Director...........Ben Walker.
4 May 10 Gentleman Jim
Gentleman Jim is Raymond Briggs' own dramatisation of his graphic novel of the same title. It is the story of Jim Bloggs, a toilet attendant who dreams of a better life for him and his beloved wife Hilda. Ruminating over the jobs in the paper, Jim's imagination leaps into action as he seeks adventure and excitement. He sets out to turn his dreams into reality, but soon discovers that things aren't so straightforward. Jim ..... David Haig, Hilda ..... Jan Ravens, other characters ..... John Sessions, Adrian Schiller and Sara Markland. Producer Celia de Wolff; Pier productions for R4.
5 May 10 Brief Lives
2/4. Debby is representing a posh, middle aged good time girl who has been held at the airport on suspected drugs charges. She says she has friends in high places. But will they help her? Frank ..... David Schofield, Debbie ..... Emma Atkins, Sarah .....Tracey- Ann Oberman, Rebecca ..... Jessica Blake, Caroline ..... Kathryn Hunt, Sumner ..... Malcolm Raeburn, Alex ..... Jake Norton, O'Brien ..... David Corden. Producer Gary Brown. Original music by Carl Harms.
6 May 10 Can't Live Without You
Psychological thriller by Kellie Smith about a man's craving for control in his marriage. When Greg's partner Anna becomes ill and needs constant care, Greg flourishes as her carer and becomes intoxicated by her dependency. Greg's apparent overwhelming love for his partner, his deepening desire to feel needed takes him to the limit in their relationship. Greg......Bryan Dick, Anna..... Sarah Smart, Neil........Dean Smith, Nurse.....Emma Hartley-Miller. Produced by Pauline Harris.
7 May 10 Confessions
By Charlotte Grieg. Play about an art-dealing scam. No cast details.
8 May 10 An English Tragedy
By Ronald Harwood. The true story of Second World War traitor John Amery. Based on actual events at the end of World War Two. May 1945: victory in Europe, and a Labour landslide. English traitor John Amery is arrested in Italy and brought back to London for trial. If convicted, he faces the death penalty. But his father is a senior politician; surely the Establishment will look after its own... John Amery ..... Geoffrey Streatfield, Leopold Amery ..... Derek Jacobi, Bryddie Amery ..... Isla Blair, Warder/ Sergant ..... Christopher Knott, The Major / Judge ..... Pip Donaghy, Dr Rosemary Pimlott ..... Melanie Jessop. Written by Ronald Harwood. Adapted for Radio by Bert Coules. Directed by Philip Franks. The producer is Frank Stirling; a Unique production for R4.
9 May 10 Classic Serial - Cider with Rosie
2/2. Young Loll experiences his first taste of the adult world.(R) Dramatised by Nick Darke. Laurie.................Tim McInnerny, Mother................Niamh Cusack, Young Loll...........Sunny Leworthy, Rosie..................Emily Parrish, with Jennifer Compton, Paul Currier, Lisa Kay, Briony Fforde, Daniel Clifford, Jed Blacklock, David Goodland, Bill Wallis, Paul Dodgson, June Barrie, Chris Grimes, Megan Melish, Laura Beckett, Luke Glastonbury-Cole, Buster Reece, Alex Smith, Leanne French, Villagers of Slad and Rodborough. Music by Paul Burgess. Directed by Viv Beeby and Jeremy Howe.
10 May 10 Peter Lorre vs Peter Lorre
(R) By Michael Butt. Towards the end of his unique career, movie star Peter Lorre found himself at the centre of a strange legal case. Incorporating extracts from the court transcripts, Michael Butt's play wonders what was going through Lorre's troubled mind as he fought to protect his name. Peter Lorre.........Stephen Greif, Lester Salkow.......Peter Marinker, Helen Hafner.........Helen Longworth, Eugene Weingand.....Kenneth Collard, Jack Paar/Barclay.....Nathan Osgood, Judge Burnett Wolfson..John Rowe, Robert Shutan......Kerry Shale, Curtis Gemmil......John Chancer. Director: Toby Swift.
11 May 10 Sunday
A dramatisation by Ronald Frame of Georges Simenon's novel about a chef who decides to kill his wife. The story is set in 1957, and takes place on a single day, in and around a modest auberge in the untamed wooded hills above Nice. Émile ..... Grant O'Rourke, Berthe ..... Emma Currie, Ada ..... Melody Grove, Nancy ..... Francesca Dymond, Doctor ..... Michael Mackenzie, Waiter ..... Simon Tait, Mme Harnaud ..... Joanna Tope. Produced by Patrick Rayner.
12 May 10 Brief Lives
3/4. Continuing the legal drama set in Manchester. Sarah is called to an army base to deal with a violent incident between two female soldiers. Who is telling the truth? And Doug goes to bat for Frank's son Louis when he's accused of being a serial biter in the nursery. Frank ..... David Schofield, Debbie ..... Emma Atkins, Sarah ..... Tracey- Ann Oberman, Doug ..... Eric Potts, Jane ..... Beth Palmer, Norton ..... Jonathan Oliver, April ..... Lisa Allen, Barratt ..... James Quinn, Louis ..... Isaac Whitmore. Producer Gary Brown. Original music by Carl Harms.
13 May 10 So You Want to Disappear
By Mark Wheatley. Fraser once tracked clients who jumped bail. Then he added a little twist to the business by helping people disappear instead, which is why Kathryn gives him a call. Kathryn ..... Lia Williams, Fraser ..... Neil Pearson, Ali ..... Tessa Nicholson, Mitch ..... Michael Shelford, Kyle ..... Miche Doherty. Producer: Eoin O'Callaghan.
14 May 10 Can You Tell Me the Name of The Prime Minister?
By Martin Jameson. A week after the election, psychiatrist Liz De Souza is called to examine a patient at a secure government research facility. Disorientated and confused, he is convinced that Tony Blair is still Prime Minister. A Science Fiction mystery. Liz De Souza...........Amita Dhiri , Sarah De Souza........Suzanna Hamilton , Mal ......................Jude Akuwudike, Greer.....................Tony Bell , Thorpe..................David Seddon, Debbie Campbell......Christine Kavanagh. Director: Jeremy Mortimer.
15 May 10 Saturday Play - The Jubilee Singers
Writer Adrian Mitchell's drama about the extraordinary Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, Tennessee, who in the years immediately after slavery brought their great Sorrow Songs from the plantations to Europe. The late Adrian Mitchell, who died suddenly last year, was a much loved and revered poet, playwright and human rights campaigner. He was inspired to write this musical play by the true story of the Welsh journalist who toured with the black American Jubilee singers in their first European tour in the late nineteenth century.This is the play's premiere, adapted for radio under the guidance of Adrian's widow Celia Mitchell. Cast: Adjoa Andoh, Felix Dexter, Bonnie Greer, Nadine Marshall, Alibe Parsons, Clive Rowe, Ray Shell, Jonathan Pryce. The play stars a London black gospel choir, with musical directors Felix Cross and Allyson Devenish. Producer Marilyn Imrie. A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
16 May 10 Classic Serial - Now, Voyager
(R) A dowdy, frustrated spinster from a wealthy New England family, living with her overpowering mother in the stiflingly repressive Boston of the inter-war years, suffers a nervous breakdown after an unhappy love affair. Partially restored under the wise guidance of a psychiatrist, she is urged by her fashionably elegant sister-in-law to have a beauty makeover and to undertake a Mediterranean cruise. Physically transformed, she meets on board an architect, Jerry Durrance, with whom slowly, as she gains confidence in her new image, she falls in love. But he is married with children he loves, and the affair cannot have a happy ending. Charlotte ..... Sarah Lancashire, Jerry ..... Anthony Head , Mother ..... Joan Plowright, Lisa ..... Lysette Anthony, Jaquith ..... John Rowe , Dora ..... Debora Weston, Mack ..... Sam Douglas , Giuseppe ..... Nunzio Caponio , Tina ..... Elisha Mansuroglu , Miss Trask ..... Joanna McCallum , Lloyd ..... Jon Glover, Hilda ..... Alice Hart. Based on the novel by Olive Higgins Prouty. Dramatised by Neville Teller. Directed by Andy Jordan.
17 May 10 The End of the World
It's 1983: the Cold War is raging; Thatcher is in goverment; Britain is in recession and seventeen year old Simon Miller, living in the shadow of Sellafield is haunted by fears of nuclear holocaust. When he falls in love with Tasha, a beautiful anti-nuclear activist, he sees his chance to make a difference. Simon............. Bryan Dick, Tasha..............Olivia Hallinan, Jo-Jo...............Jake Norton, Kenneth..........Neil Dudgeon, Liz................. Jacqueline Leonard, Mickey........... Aidan Parsons, Iain................ John Catterall, Tina................Emma Hartley-Miller, Teacher... .......Balvinder Sopal, Sergeant.........Russell Richardson. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
18 May 10 The Recordist
By Sean Grundy. Stuart is a freelance surveillance expert who teaches covert 'information gathering' to new Intelligence recruits. As part of his work he 'bugs' friends & family, including his wife, Penny. When he discovers that she's having an affair with a man called Neil, his work colleague, Ren, offers her own skills in 'enhanced interview techniques' to help, but Stuart declines. He realises that the secret affair could make an engaging teaching aid. Initially, his students are slightly unsettled but very intrigued. The affair becomes the main focus of the curriculum, and the group study how to 'bug' all manner of difficult situations... 'The Recordist' is a dark, offbeat comedy, looking at the price love pays for clear acoustics in Dolby NR. Stuart - John Gordon Sinclair, Penny - Sharon Horgan, Ren - Gemma Jones, Neil - Ed Weeks, Reese - Fergus Craig, Munro - Nick Mohammed, Penny's Mum - Phyllida Nash. Produced by Alison Crawford.
19 May 10 Brief Lives
4/4.Last in the current series of legal dramas set in Manchester. Frank is chipper; he's finally got his own parking space at the local nick. Life doesn't get any better. Frank .....David Schofield, Debbie ..... Emma Atkins, Sarah ..... Tracey - Ann Oberman, Doug ..... Eric Potts, Lilah ..... Pavla Beier, Kyle ..... Greg Wood, Policeman ..... Robert Garrett. Producer Gary Brown. Original music by Carl Harms.
20 May 10 Cinders
Comedy by Ali Taylor. Emma discovers a brilliant new talent in the unsolicited pile. A pacy comedy lifting the lid on the ethics of publishing war-torn misery memoirs. Emma Collins ..... Claudie Blakley , Jason Barkley ..... Michael Shelford, Mariam Zohab ..... Vineeta Rishi , Holly Owen ..... Lizzy Watts , Rory Stevenson ..... Sam Dale , Claire Porter ..... Alison Pettitt , Ahmad Wali ..... Imran Khan , Robin Wright ..... David Seddon. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
21 May 10 Left at Marrakech
By Richard Stevens. In 1943, a B-17 takes off from Florida on its way to active service in England, embarking on a flight via Puerto Rico, Dakar and Marrakech. Joining the American crew are two British hitchhikers, who need a lift home. One of them, an attractive WAAF, seems to be a good omen - she looks like the painted figure on their fuselage. But each leg of the journey is beset with increasing difficulty and danger. Albie ...... Will Keen, Draper ....... Jonathan Cullen, Charlie ...... Clare Corbett, Levitt ...... Alan Cox, Conroy ...... Nicholas Rowe, Stickley ...... Ben Lewis. Directed by Fiona McAlpine.
22 May 10 Saturday Play - Sacred Statues
By William Trevor.(R) Gifted Sculptor Corry is struggling to make ends meet for his pregnant wife Nuala and their children. He may be left with no choice but to sacrifice his beautiful statue carving and take a labouring job. Surely, Nuala reckons, there must be a way to safeguard his talent? She must find a way... Nuala ..... Eileen Walsh, Corry ..... Gary Lydon , Mrs Falloway ..... Judy Parfitt , Etty ..... Ger Ryan , Mr Renne ..... Kieran Lagan , Boys ..... Adam Maul and Davis Best. No details of producer - can anyone help?
23 May 10 Classic Serial slot - The Snow Goose
Paul Gallico's tale of a man and a wounded bird who play a vital role at Dunkirk. by Paul Gallico, dramatised by Nick Warburton. Introduced by Michael Morpurgo. A wounded bird brings together a disfigured artist and a young girl and helps in a courageous act of bravery in World War II. Philip Rhayader ..... Steven Mackintosh, Fritha ..... Georgia Groome, Mrs Farnes ..... Deborah Findlay, Storyteller ..... Sam Dale, Private Potton ..... Michael Shelford, Commander Brill-Oudener ..... Malcolm Tierney, Jock ..... David Seddon. Composer ..... Roger Goula, Director ..... Sally Avens.
24 May 10 Lennon: A Week in the Life
By Dick Clement and Ian la Frenais, adapted by Lizzie Nunnery.December 1980. When just forty people turn up to John Lennon's memorial service in Liverpool, his old friend and promoter Sam Leach is forced to act.The play draws together fragments of reportage from the time, interviews with Lennon himself, the true story of Sam Leach, the Beatles' first promoter, some of the greatest music of the twentieth century, with the fictional stories of two lost young people whose lives were transformed by the concert, and Liverpool's own Billy Butler, recreating his earlier self, to create a joyous celebration of life, music and community. Sam Leach ..... Tony Maudsley, Joan Leach ..... Joanna Monro, Debbie Leach ..... Lauren O'Neil, Janine Hobday ..... Laura dos Santos, Morris Tate ..... Bruce Alexander, Clive Inch ..... Craige Els, Kenny Stratton ..... John Shortell, Carol Stratton ..... Alison Pettitt, Billy Butler ..... Billy Butler, Traynor ..... John Biggins, Jonesy ..... David Seddon, Homeless man ..... Rufus Wright, Wooldridge ..... Nigel Hastings. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
25 May 10 Scorched
Nicola Jones's tense, fast-moving thriller follows a man trying to re-interpret his memories of the long hot summer of 1976, when Mike's sixteen year old sister, Evie, walked out of the house and never came back. Now Mike is in his forties, his Mum is dead and a rare visit to his home town provides him with an opportunity to investigate the events of that scorching summer and reinterpret them from an adult perspective. Written by Nicola Jones,who has written one previous radio play, "Angels in Disguise" for Radio 7's Man in Black series. Mike - Tom Roberts, Bern - Kim Wall, Young Mike - Gabriel Towell, Evie - Chandeep Uppal , Sylvia - Bharti Patel, Jason - Robert Wilkinson, Taxi driver - Sean Connolly. Produced and directed by Peter Leslie Wild.
26 May 10 The Line
By Kris Kenway. Taline is a young Turkish student fleeing an assassination attempt and seeking asylum in the UK. But, first she has to get through her screening interview with Carl. Carl ..... Toby Jones, Taline ..... Marina Koem, Directed by James Robinson.
27 May 10 Waves Breaking on a Shore, part 1
Period drama by Michael Eaton and Neil Brand. At the turn of the twentieth century two vaudevillians are trying to achieve success as Music Hall double act Cohen and Cohan, when they find themselves bitten by the bug of cinematography at the birth of film.Though their act is popular in the East End, they have their sights set on the big time. A chance meeting leads them down a path of new technology, performing their act for the new Edison phonograph, recording comic turns and melodramatic scenes. Manny Cohen ..... Simon Schatzberger, Danny Cohan ..... Andrew Scott, Nettie Truman ..... Hayley Atwell, Uncle Max ..... Jonathan Tafler, Eugene ..... Jim Norton, Barraclough ..... Sean Chapman, Thief ..... Jason Maza. Music composed and performed by Neil Brand. Directed by John Burgess. Produced by Nicholas Newton. Independent 'Promenade' production for R4.
28 May 10 Waves Breaking on a Shore
Part 2. By Michael Eaton and Neil Brand. The vaudevillian double act Cohen and Cohan have made the leap from East End Music Halls into the new world of film. Their first foray ends badly, but with their eyes opened to the possibility of film, Manny and Danny quickly realise that in this new high-risk world the returns can be bountiful.Manny Cohen ..... Simon Schatzberger, Danny Cohan ..... Andrew Scott, Nettie Truman ..... Hayley Atwell, Uncle Max ..... Jonathan Tafler, Eugene ..... Jim Norton, Barraclough/Colonel Truman ..... Sean Chapman. Music composed and performed by Neil Brand. Directed by John Burgess. Produced by Nicholas Newton. A Promenade production for BBC Radio 4.
29 May 10 An Inspector Calls
By JB Priestley. The Birlings are celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila when a police Inspector calls. Each member of the family is questioned about their relationship with a young woman, Eva Smith. And they each have to face up to their role in her tragic story. Inspector Goole ..... Toby Jones, Arthur Birling.......David Calder, Sibyl Birling......Frances Barber, Sheila Birling ...... Morvern Christie, Eric Birling ...... Sam Alexander, Gerald Croft ......Geoffrey Streatfeild, Edna......... Vineeta Rishi. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
30 May 10 Classic Serial - Bright Day,
1/2. By JB Priestley. Disillusioned scriptwriter Gregory Dawson is staying at a hotel in Cornwall, finishing a script. A chance encounter in the bar sends him back to the lost world of his youth before the slaughter of the First World War when he was a 18-year old in Bruddersford, Yorkshire: Through rediscovering his past Dawson realises where his life took a wrong turn and where he must make amends if he is to start afresh. There is a glow of magic in poignant rediscovery. Gregory Dawson/Narrator.. Jack Shepherd, Elizabeth Earl... Liza Sadovy , Young Gregory... Dean Smith, Joan Alington.. Sarah Smart, Bridget Alington... Sarah Churm, Eva Alington.. Lowri Evans, Jock / Harfner.... Conrad Nelson, Malcolm Nixey... Fred Ridgeway, Eleanor Nixey... Janice Mckenzie, Mr Alington... David Fleeshman, Mr Ackworth..... Fine Time Fontayne, Brent / Stanley Mervin... Seamus O'Neill, Ben Kerry... Steve Marsh. Dramatised by Diana Griffiths. Producer/Director - Pauline Harris.
31 May 10 Pilgrim: He Who Would Valiant Be
1/4. Pilgrim is summoned to help retrieve an egg stolen from a huge, powerful dragon. (R) By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Pilgrim is summoned to help retrieve an egg stolen from the Lady Ursula - a huge, powerful dragon. The egg has been stolen by the outlaw Faerie, Puck, who has holed up in a house in a small town on the outskirts of Birmingham. Puck has recruited a bunch of feral 'estate lads' to his army. Indeed, he has bewitched the whole town. Pilgrim must retrieve the egg before Ursula exacts a terrible retribution. Pilgrim ..... Paul Hilton, Mervyn/Puck ..... Jamie Foreman, Vic ..... Paul Rider, Ursula ..... Noma Dumezweni, Veronica ..... Janice Acquah, Wayne ..... Lloyd Thomas, MT ..... Inam Mirza, Grevis ..... Chris Pavlo, Landers ..... Stephen Critchlow, Girl ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Marc Beeby.
1 Jun 10 Norman Birkett and the Case of the Coleford Poisoner
By Caroline and David Stafford. Birkett defends a woman accused of murdering her husband. A true story from the casebook of Norman Birkett, the most celebrated advocate of the inter-war years. Birkett....David Haig, Edgar Bowker.......Trystan Gravelle, Billy .........Alison Pettitt, Elton Pace.......Michael Shelford, Annie Pace/Leslie Pace....Clare Corbett, Dr du Pre....Sam Dale, Judge Horridge/Vicar.....Bruce Alexander, Mrs Elizabeth Porter......Joanna Monro, Other parts were played by John Biggins and Nigel Hastings. Directed by Marc Beeby.
2 Jun 10 Harry and the Angels
A very personal story about death, love and friendship. Award winning writer Bernard Kops guides us through London's East End in an impressionistic, idiosyncratic journey of lost love, kite flying, angels and tube station tragedy. Harry ..... Stephen Greif, Leonard ..... Bernard Kops, Mr Todd / Copper ..... Harry Myers, Phoebe ..... Louise Brealey, Young Harry / Actor ..... Alan Morrissey, Nun / Mother / Woman ..... Christine Kavanagh. Director - David Hunter.
3 Jun 10 Six Impossible Things
By Glen Neath. Peter Hardy doesn't fit the psychological profile of a double murderer. There's something vulnerable about him, according to Dr. Kennedy as he makes his assessment after a violent bank robbery. Could it be that Hardy is a victim of 'mind control' and was acting under a hypnotic trance? As the evidence mounts this bizarre theory becomes impossible to ignore. The play was inspired by events which took place in Denmark in the 1950s and whilst the production is updated for 2010, the facts of the case are unchanged. Peter Hardy ..... Simon Kane, Dr Kennedy ..... James Lailey, Bjorn Newbold ..... Phil Wright, DI Grimes ..... Madeleine Bowyer, DS Mulholland ..... Bill Nash, Auntie Elsie / Barbara Hardy ..... Esther Coles. Other parts played by Rhona Foulis and Dominic Hawksley. Research by Dominic Streatfeild. Sound and music by Alisdair McGregor and Howard Jacques. Director: Boz Temple-Morris A Holy Mountain production for R4.
4 Jun 10 The Last Witch Trial
By Melissa Murray. A love story woven around real, unusual, events that took place in 1944. Exhausted by the war, many people are turning to spiritualism for comfort.Morale is very fragile. There's been too much death and destruction. Everyone has lost someone. It's unbearable. Surely there must be some way to make contact, to be reassured that the dead are happy in the afterlife. Many find comfort in conventional religion but almost as many turn to spiritualism. Meanwhile D-Day is fast approaching and the Allies are in an advanced state of paranoia. They are terrified that the Germans might get hold of their plans. So terrified they look in the strangest places for potential spies... Lucy ..... Indira Varma, Margo ..... Lyndsey Marshal, Helen ..... Joanna Monro, June ..... Vineeta Rishi, Prosecutor ...... Sam Dale, Cousin ..... Michael Shelford, Woman ..... Keely Beresford. Directed by Marc Beeby.
5 Jun 10 Saturday Play - The Iceman
D.I. Burdett is used to death; he's seen it all on the London streets of 1860. But the murder of young women always shocks him. His current case of three murdered girls is offering no leads and the coroner can't tell him a thing other than they had traces of ice in their mouths. And ice, cut from the now frozen canals and stored in pits, is used by hundreds of businesses.(R) D.I. Burdett ..... Anthony Howell, Mogg ..... Ben Crowe, Malpacket ..... Stephen Greif, Parnell ..... Sam Dale, Massimo ..... Vincenzo Nicoli, Letheby ..... Anthony Glennon, Scraton .... Simon Treves, Brodie ..... Jot Davies, Sadie Weston ..... Jasmine Callan. Directed by Marc Beeby.
6 Jun 10 Classic Serial - Bright Day
2/2. By JB Priestley. Disillusioned scriptwriter Gregory Dawson is remembering his youth in 1912, before the slaughter of the First World War when he was an 18-year old in Bruddersford, Yorkshire: Now in 1946, encounters with the same characters from his past unlock secret events, buried yearnings and give potential for the future. Gregory Dawson/Narrator.. Jack Shepherd, Elizabeth Earl... Liza Sadovy, Young Gregory... Dean Smith, Joan Alington.. Sarah Smart, Bridget Alington... Sarah Churm, Eva Alington.. Lowri Evans, Jock / Harfner.... Conrad Nelson, Malcolm Nixey... Fred Ridgeway, Eleanor Nixey... Janice Mckenzie, Mr Alington... David Fleeshman, Mr Ackworth..... Fine Time Fontayne, Brent / Stanley Mervin... Seamus O'Neill, Ben Kerry... Steve Marsh, Laura Blackshaw..Megan Winnard, Mrs Childs.. Olwen May, Hinchcliff... Jake Norton. Dramatised by Diana Griffiths. Producer/Director - Pauline Harris.
7 Jun 10 Pilgrim: Then Fancies Flee Away
2/4. By Sebastian Baczkiewicz.(R) Travelling through Yorkshire, Pilgrim meets Noreen, whose son has been in a strange coma for the past seven years. He lies in his bed, surrounded by a huge growth of thorns. How can the enchantment be broken? As Pilgrim investigates, he is drawn inexorably towards the darkness beneath the mysterious Round Barrow of Willy Howe. Pilgrim ..... Paul Hilton, Noreen ..... Tricia Kelly, Darren ..... Robert Lonsdale, Tina ..... Jill Cardo, Joey ..... Benjamin Askew, Jaggs ..... Malcolm Tierney, Les / Mulvahey ..... Paul Rider, Girl ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
8 Jun 10 Last Days of Grace
By Nick Warburton.(R) Easter Monday, 1908. And there's snow on the ground. An ageing icon, W.G. Grace, contemplates another day in his life-long cricketing obsession. He arrives at the Oval and can't quite bear to sit in the clubhouse to meet the usual people. Instead he trudges out in to the cold to face a different type of questioning. W.G.Grace ..... Kenneth Cranham, GF ..... Benedict Cumberbatch, Voice of Cricket ..... Christopher Martin-Jenkins. Produced by Steven Canny.
9 Jun 10 Prospero, Ariel, Reith and Gill
Gary Brown's comedy about artist Eric Gill's clash with the BBC over his famous sculpture of Prospero and Ariel. The argument was caused by the size of Ariel's genitals, believe it or not. No matter that you actually need a telescope to see the sculpture clearly...this even provoked a question in the House of Commons. Gill became quite a celebrity as he carved the statue in situ on scaffolding in front of Broadcasting House. In his trademark smock and beret, he drew the attention of the tabloid papers and became known as the "Married Monk". The play imagines conversations between Sir John and the artist as he passes him on his way into Broadcasting House each morning. It also looks at how Gill, the artist, struggled with reconciling his unusual beliefs and lifestyle with a major commission from the heart of the Establishment. Eric Gill . . . . . Anton Lesser, John Reith . . . . . Tim McInnerny, Newsreel Reporter . . . . . Jon Glover, Lady Snowden . . . . . Tina Gray, Charlie . . . . . David Seddon, Father Sean . . . . . Stephen Darcy, Nanny . . . . . Alison Pettitt, Producer/Director . . . . . Peter Leslie Wild.
10 Jun 10 High Hopes
By Rob Kinsman. When he was a child, Charlie was kidnapped and held to ransom. He never knew who was behind it nor why he was picked. When another child goes missing, many years later, he has a chance to discover the truth. Charlie ..... Jack Ryder, Sammy ..... Peter Wight, Zoe ..... Sarah Solemani, Roy ..... Tony Bell, Mel ..... Alison Pettitt, Charlotte ..... Vineeta Rishi, Anthony ... David Seddon. Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.
11 Jun 10 Philip and Sydney
By Alan Pollock. In 1937, Philip Larkin's father took him on holiday to Germany. Sydney was Coventry's City Treasurer and had a keen interest in the Nazi regime. It was a holiday that Philip never spoke of. But, taking inspiration from Sydney's diaries, Philip and Sydney imagines what might have happened during their trip. Alan Pollock is a playwright, translator and screenwriter. Plays include One Night in November, Pigs, and All Tomorrow's Parties. Philip Larkin..........Pip Carter, Sydney Larkin.......Tim McInnerny , Liesl..........Melody Grove , Hotel Keeper/Drinker...John Rowe, Herr Hinck.......Sam Dale , Hans and all other parts...Gunnar Cauthery. Director: Kirsty Williams.
12 Jun 10 Bloody Sunday: Scenes from the Saville Inquiry
(R) Bloody Sunday remains one of the most controversial issues in Northern Ireland; it is over 12 years since Tony Blair announced an inquiry into the events of that day. Lord Saville's Report will be published on Tuesday the 15th June. The play is a dramatisation based on the testimony of civilians and soldiers who were there. The transcripts are edited but not re-written and the sequence of the evidence has not been altered. Adapted from The Tricycle Theatre production. Introduction - Mark Penfold , Lord Saville - Alan Parnaby , Eilis McDermott QC - Rita Hamill , General Sir Robert Ford - Michael Cochrane , Christopher Clarke QC - Thomas Wheatley , Michael Mansfield QC - Terrence Hardiman , Major General Andrew MacLellan - John Castle , Colonel Derek Wilford - William Hoyland , Edwin Glasgow QC - James Woolley , Soldier S - David Beames , Barry MacDonald QC - Gerard O'Hare , Soldier F - Michael Wilson , Reg Tester - Michael Cochrane. Introduction and Radio Adaptation by Richard Norton Taylor. Directed by Nicolas Kent. Produced by Stephen Wright.
13 Jun 10 Classic Serial - The Secret Pilgrim
1/3. Smiley dines at the Sarratt training school with the Circus's latest intake. Simon Russell Beale stars as the intelligence officer George Smiley and Patrick Malahide as Ned in a three-part dramatisation by Robert Forrest of John le Carre's novel. Bill Haydon ..... Michael Feast, Toby Esterhase ..... Sam Dale, Stephanie ..... Ruth Gemmell, Ben Cavendish .... Dan Stevens, Personnel ..... Nigel Hastings, Bella ..... Keely Beresford. Producer Patrick Rayner.
14 Jun 10 Pilgrim: No Foes Shall Stay His Might
3/4.(R) By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Haddonfield is a powerful City banker. More powerful than he has any right to be. But perhaps that's because he's also a collector of the occult and has some very potent items in his collection. He's recently captured that rarest of things - a young girl who is also a werewolf. Now, he's after Pilgrim himself. Pilgrim ..... Paul Hilton, Haddonfield ..... Adrian Lukis, Freya ..... Alex Tregear, Doris ..... Susan Engel, Mirabella ..... Janice Acquah, Macadam ..... Dudley Sutton, Trent ..... Gunnar Cauthery, Wilson ..... Donnla Hughes, Guide / Guard ..... Inam Mirza, Girl ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Marc Beeby.
15 Jun 10 Nuclear Reactions
By Adam Ganz. At the end of the war, Germany's most talented nuclear physicists were brought to England to discover exactly what they knew about the atomic bomb. Major Rittner - Nick Dunning , Anton - Michael Shelford , Fee - Alison Pettitt , Werner Heisenberg - Chris McHallem , Otto Hahn- Nickolas Grace , Max Von Laue - Richard Howard , Kurt Diebner - Sam Dale , Friedrich Von Weizsacker - Michael Shelford, Professor Blackett/Reader - Ian McElhinney. Pianist - Mark McGrath. Producer / Director - Eoin O'Callaghan.
16 Jun 10 Listening to the Generals
(R)During World War Two, German generals were imprisoned in Trent Park in North London. Unknown to them, their conversations were recorded and transcribed by German Jews, forced to flee from the Nazis. This provided invaluable information to the allied war effort, but placed a heavy burden on the listeners who transcribed details they often couldn't bear to hear. However, it was 1943, and everything was recorded and transcribed - for use as evidence at what was to become the trials at Nuremburg. One of the listeners was Peter ganz, the author's father. HELEN: REBECCA SAIRE, PURFLEET: MALCOLM TIERNEY, ANTON: MATT ADDIS, CHARLES: BENJAMIN ASKEW, VON THOMAS: NICK DUNNING, CRUWELL (CREWVELL): SAM DALE, BOES (BURRS): PAUL RIDER, MAYER (MAIER): JONATHAN TAFLER, HARDT: PHILIP FOX, THE SINGER: DAVID REVELS. Produced in Belfast by Eoin O'Callaghan.
17 Jun 10 Country Life
By Shelagh Delaney, writer of A Taste of Honey. Set on a small holding during the Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001, Country Life brings together three people who all want to change the world but don't know how. Rose has lived in far flung rural Yorkshire for years, alone apart from her beloved sheep. Childless, she has a close bond with her nephew, Boris, a restless teenager with great musical talent but no idea what to do with it; nor does he know how to cope with his actor father Eddie's newfound fame in Hollywood. Rose...Barbara Marten, Boris...Thomas Sangster, Eddie...Nicholas Sidi, Jim....Richard Oldham. Piano played by Steven Reynolds. Producer Polly Thomas. BBC Radio Drama North.
18 Jun 10 Whoopi Goldberg's Country Life
By Shelagh Delaney. Rose lives alone on a smallholding. When Poppy, her embittered ex sister in law visits for the weekend, the peace is shattered. Things get worse when they learn that Boris, Poppy's 20 year old son, has gone missing. Old wounds and grievances are aired - then Boris turns up out of the blue. Rose...Barbara Marten, Poppy...Nicola Gardner, Boris...Tachia Newall. Pianist..Jonathan Scott. Director...Polly Thomas.
19 Jun 10 Mountain of Light
Simon Bovey's story of a daring jewel robbery set during London's Great Exhibition of 1851. John.......Carl Prekopp, Emily.......Lizzy Watts, Hawkesworth....Ben Crowe, Rilke.......Harry Myers, Hobbs....Sam Dale, Galloway......Michael Shelford, Cobbet.....David Seddon, Wyatt.....Nigel Hastings. Directed by Marc Beeby.
20 Jun 10 Classic Serial - The Secret Pilgrim
2/3. Ned's search for meaning in his thirty-five year career as an intelligence officer takes him back to the killing fields of Cambodia and to a torturer's cellar in Gdansk. Colonel Jerzy ..... Alexander Morton, Hansen ..... Angus Wright, Saul Enderby ..... James Laurenson, Rumbelow ..... Jamie Newall, Henry ..... Paul Courtenay Hyu, Marie ..... Alisa Anderson, Aid Worker ..... Alison Pettitt, Student ..... Angelo Paragoso. Producer Patrick Rayner.
21 Jun 10 Pilgrim: 'Gainst All Disaster
4/4. (R) Pilgrim's toughest adventure. Joseph of Arimethea, guardian of the sleeping Knights who will wake only in Britain's hour of greatest need, is being held captive by Malachai Styler - a malevolent angel. Styler is bent on the destruction of the Greyfolk, the Knights and the balance between the worlds. Pilgrim ..... Paul Hilton, Styler ..... Paul Rider, Joseph ..... David Calder, Sylvie ..... Anna Wing, Doris ..... Susan Engel, Freya ..... Alex Tregear, Arianhad ..... Helen Schlesinger, Guard ..... Gunnar Cauthery, Girl ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
22 Jun 10 Afternoon Play
Two Pipe Problem 2010, Right Old Charlie 1/2. Karen fancies odd job man Geordie, and comic Charlie's joke book vanishes. Written by Michael Chaplin. The story is spiced up with a classic stand up routine from Radio 4's comedian Barry Cryer. William Parnes ..... Richard Briers, Sandy Boyle ..... Stanley Baxter , Charlie Fisher ..... Barry Cryer , Karen ..... Teresa Gallagher , Hatty Doran ..... Edna Dore , Mary Winter (Matron) ..... Jillie Meers, Edgar ..... David Shaw-Parker , Geordie ..... Joe Caffrey. Director: Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey Production for BBC Radio 4.
23 Jun 10 - Two Pipe Problem -The Memory Man Forgets
Billy Small (played by David Holt) is a rare talent; one of the few surviving "Memory Men" Music Hall variety acts who had total recall of a huge range of entertaining facts. Billy is 85, and after a trip home to his native Yorkshire, he returns to The Old Beeches totally devoid of any memory of who he is or of any of the amazing facts he used to be so proud to display. William Parnes ..... Richard Briers , Sandy Boyle ..... Stanley Baxter , Billy Small ..... David Holt, Karen/Shelley ..... Teresa Gallagher , Railway Man/Harry ..... Geoffrey Whitehead, Myra ..... Julia Ford, Rose ..... Anne Reid. Director: Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey Production for BBC Radio 4.
24 Jun 10 I Am I Said
By Paul Mendelson. After a stroke a proud Scotsman starts speaking with an English accent. (R) Paul Mendelson's plays for Radio 4 include: I Can't Be Ill, I'm A Hypochondriac; A Meeting In Seville; and Fireworks At The Villa Lucia. His television credits include the series: May To December; My Hero; and the drama, Losing It. Sandy Morrison ..... Alexander Morton, Kirstie Newton ..... Cathleen McCarron, Laura Morrison ..... Siobhan Redmond, Gourlay/Father/Specialist ..... Sean Scanlan, Struan ..... Richard Madden, Mrs. Gemmell/Aileen McCormick ..... Carolyn Bonnyman. Directed by David Ian Neville.
25 Jun 10 Bell in the Ball
Comedy drama by Lloyd Peters about blind cricket. Danny was blinded in a fight on New Year's Eve 2008. He's angry about it - in fact he's angry about everything. So his long suffering girlfriend suggests he joins a blind cricket team. It's surprisingly competitive and skilful. There's only one problem - Danny hates cricket. Comedy drama by Lloyd Peters. Danny......Jason Done, Beth......Victoria Brazier, Floyd.......Julia Rounthwaite, Brian.......Robert Hudson, Derek...David Acton, Roger......Greg Wood. Producer Gary Brown.
26 Jun 10 Saturday Play - The Pianist
(R)From Szpilman's novel, transferred from the 2007 Manchester International Festival. A duet for piano and voice, charting one man's remarkable story of courage and survival in a Warsaw Ghetto during Nazi Occupation. Read by actor Peter Guinness, with the music of Chopin, from concert pianist Mikhail Rudy. Wladyslaw Szpilman...Peter Guinness, Pianist...Mikhail Rudy, Directed by Justine Potter.
27 Jun 10 Classic Serial - The Secret Pilgrim, Episode 3
Ned's routine vetting of a cypher clerk takes a remarkable turn, and George Smiley bids his final farewell. Ann ..... Anna Chancellor, Frewin ..... Toby Jones, Serg. Hawthorne ..... Sam Dale, Ken Hawthorne ..... Michael Shelford, Leonard Burr ..... Nigel Hastings , Sir Anthony Bradshaw ..... Rupert Vansittart. Producer Patrick Rayner.
28 Jun 10 Black and White Riot
By Edson Burton. It's April 2nd 1980. Inside the notorious Black and White Cafe in St Paul's, Bristol, local hustler Reagan is drinking whisky and playing dominoes with his friend Carlos. The St Paul's Riots in Bristol were the first in a series of infamous inner-city confrontations between police and mainly Black communities in Britain in the 1980s. Edson Burton brings a new perspective to the conventional explanations of police racism, white oppression and poverty as factors in why people rioted that day in Bristol. He tells the story of the Black criminals busy exploiting their own people: the rioters struck out against them too. And many people recall a carnival atmosphere as the police retreated and the looting began. Levi.....Alex Lanipekun, Marla.....Endy McKay, Danny.....Marcus Smith, Carlos.....Ricky Fearon, Ross.....Tyra Allen, Reagan.....Jude Akuwideke, Narrator.....Nadia Williams, Police Officer.....Mark Meadows. Written by Edson Burton. Directed by Mary Ward-Lowery.
29 Jun 10 The Art of Balance
A modern and magical fable by Rachel Joyce. Two women, a young man and a tightrope in the middle of an empty field. It is the art of balance and the transforming powers of the places that lie in the middle. Sylvia .... Deborah Findlay, Celeste ..... Niamh Cusack, The Young Man & Narrator ... Joesph Kloska. Directed By Tracey Neale.
30 Jun 10 Boom Boom
By Emily Steel, a new Welsh radio writer, currently under commission to the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. In her first radio play, developed through BBC writersroom, she takes an unusual approach to romance in later life and the consequences of passion. Unhappily married Nicola whose reclusive writer husband has little time for her or her work has settled into her existence as a cafÃ(c) cum gallery owner. David is a teenager whom she hires as a summer help. Little by little, she finds herself drawn to him, and they become friends. When he falls in love with a girl his own age, she finds to her horror that she is jealous - friendship is in fact love. Nicola ..... Sara MacGaughey, Stephen ..... Steffan Rhodri, David ..... Gareth Aled, Jess ..... Anya Murphy, Adam ..... Scott Arthur, Paramedic ..... Gareth Pierce, Policewoman ..... Lynne Seymour. A BBC Cymru/Wales production directed by Polly Thomas.
1 Jul 10 The Confessions
Charlotte Grieg's play is a contemporary thriller about an art scam. When Luke cons an unknowing client into selling him a valuable artwork at a cut price rate, he knows he stands to make a killing - but he can't pull off his plan without the help of his girlfriend Catrin. Luke ..... Clive Standen, Catrin ..... Lynne Seymour, Heinrich ..... John Castle, Simone .....Sara McGaughey. Produced and Directed by Kate McAll.
2 Jul 10 Silent Nights
By David Nobbs. Gordon's hatred of noise is threatening his marriage. (R) Will his attempts to foist silence on the world make matters worse? A comic obsessive from the creator of Reginald Perrin. Gordon Flitch ..... Jonathan Coy, Alison Flitch ..... Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Pelt ..... Stephen Critchlow, Vicky ..... Helen Longworth, Esterhazy ..... John Rowe, Shopkeeper ..... Dan Starkey. Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
3 Jul 10 Saturday Play - Avoid London...Area closed...Turn on Radio
Mike Walker's drama focuses on how a family coped with the terrible events of 7/7. (R) The family, typical of so many, has the usual preoccupations; wayward children and aged parents, retirement and overwork, the near impossibility of life in the city, when suddenly a series of explosions throws everything into extreme and brutal perspective. Though fictional, this is all our stories and how we did or didn't manage to cope with those awful events. The title - an ominous portent which caused many travellers to suspect the worst - refers to the many motorway signs which greeted commuters as they ground their way into central London on the morning of 7th July. Cast includes: David Calder, Margot Leicester, Elizabeth Spriggs, Leanne Rowe. Director - Eoin O'Callaghan.
4 Jul 10 Classic Serial - Summer Lightning
1/2. Dramatisation of PG Wodehouse's timeless comic classic of romance, scandal and pig-napping. Affably absent-minded Earl of Emsworth, preparing his prize-winning pig Empress of Blandings for the Shropshire Agricultural Show, is afraid that rival pig-owner Sir Gregory Parsloe is planning to nobble his precious Empress. Parsloe fears that Emsworth's brother Galahad's memoirs contain scurrilous stories about their younger days in the naughty 1890s - particularly a racy story involving some prawns. He plans to hire private detective Percy Pilbeam to purloin the manuscript. Emsworth's sister Lady Constance, equally desperate to stop publication, also has a secret plan. All is set for midsummer mayhem. Galahad Threepwood ..... Charles Dance, Lady Constance ..... Patricia Hodge, Beach ..... Tim Pigott-Smith, Percy Pilbeam ..... Matt Lucas , Lord Emsworth ..... Martin Jarvis, Hugo Carmody ..... Samuel West, Sue Brown ..... Lisa Dillon, Ronnie Fish ..... Matthew Wolf, Millicent ..... Rachael Stirling, Rupert Baxter ..... Jared Harris, Sir Gregory Parsloe ..... Michael Jayston, Stage Doorman/Second Waiter ..... David Weston, Commissionaire/First Waiter ..... Jon Glover, Pagegirl ..... Anna Moore, Voice of Wodehouse ..... Ian Ogilvy. Dramatised by Archie Scottney. Director: Martin Jarvis. Producer: Rosalind Ayres. A Jarvis & Ayres production.
5 Jul 10 Badfellas
Comedy drama by Andy Lynch. Two wheeler-dealer brothers get into trouble in Las Vegas. Danny Brewer and his long suffering fiance Jan go to Las Vegas to get married, after many years of failed attempts. But it isn't long before they've lost all their money and the wedding looks doomed again. Danny's brother Bernie attracts the eye of a gay Elvis impersonator, who could be the salvation they desperately need. Bernie ..... Johnny Vegas, Danny ..... Ricky Tomlinson, Jan ..... Nicola Stephenson, Elvis Impersonator/Salvatore ..... Rupert Degas, Lulla Belle/Serena ..... Lorelie King, De Ricco/Henchman ..... Michael Roberts, Marge ..... DeNica Fairman. Directed by Dirk Maggs. Produced by David Morley.
6 Jul 10 Mr Anwar's Farewell to Stornoway
By Iain Finlay MacLeod. Mr Anwar has lived for four decades on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Indian by birth, and a tailor to trade, he came to the UK to make his fortune. Heading north, away from London's cramped confines, he built a successful clothing business from scratch: selling men's trousers and ladies underwear from two suitcases balanced on the back of a bicycle. The suitcases were soon exchanged for a busy shop in Stornoway. He brought his wife to the island and the pair raised their family in the community. And yet, across the decades, Mr Anwar clung onto a fervid dream of his youth: to make a fortune and retire in style to India. Now, five months into retirement, things are not going quite as he had planned. Mr Anwar ... Vincent Ebrahim, Nadia ... Shelley King, Tormod ... Matthew Zajac, Isobel ... Anne Lacey. Mr Anwar's pipe tune composed and performed by Iain MacInnes. Directed by Kirsteen Cameron.
7 Jul 10 Betsy Coleman
By Katie Hims. Betsy Coleman signs up to do memory research for a bit of extra cash, but she finds that her memories are so vivid that revisiting her past becomes compulsive, particularly when she gets to spend some virtual time with her late Mother. Betsy .... Maxine Peake, David ..... Benedict Wong, Young Betsy ..... Shannon Flynn, Mick ..... Ralph Ineson, Carla ..... Alison Pettit, Des ..... Tony Bell, Julie ..... Christine Kavanagh. Written by Katie Hims. Directed by Mary Peate.
8 Jul 10 Gerontius
Stephen Wyatt's play explores why Cardinal Newman and another priest were buried together.Destined to be the first English saint for centuries, the great theologian, poet and Catholic convert Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-90) insisted in his will that he was to be buried in the same grave as fellow convert Fr Ambrose St John, whom he had known for over thirty years. The play explores the relationship between Newman and Ambrose, the concerns aroused at the time and the controversy surrounding the recent decision to exhume their bodies. It also draws on some of the themes in Dream of Gerontius (music by Edward Elgar). Cardinal Newman ..... Derek Jacobi, Fr Ambrose St John ..... Nicholas Boulton , Fr Faber ..... Geoffrey Whitehead , Angel ..... Karl Davies, Demon ..... Michael Jayston , Reporter ..... Ben Warwick, Lecturer ..... Jane Whittenshaw. Directed by Martin Jenkins. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
9 Jul 10 A Chaos of Wealth and Want
The play focuses on an episode in the career of the great chronicler of London life and pioneer of oral history, Henry Mayhew. In the 1850s, Mayhew spent his days gathering verbatim testimonies from the city's poor for his 'London Labour and the London Poor'. No moralising do-gooder, he believed he could talk to such people on equal terms. It took his challenging friendship with Jack, a sharp-witted teenage coster (market trader) and his over-trusting attempt to assist Mouse, a drunken child-runaway with a winning smile, to teach him where the borders lie. At the heart of the story is Mayhew himself: a vigorous, humorous, volatile, improvident, totally engaging, totally exasperating man. No wonder he sees similarities between himself and the street people he interviews; no wonder he drives his wife to distraction. Henry Mayhew ... David Haig, Jane Mayhew .... Alison Pettit, Jack........ Steven Webb, Mouse....... Sam Alexander, Sal.......... Joanna Monroe, Arthur ........ Sam Dale, With Keely Beresford, Michael Shelford, Vineeta Rishi. Written by Penny Gold. Director Jeremy Mortimer.
10 Jul 10 Saturday Play - Going to Ground
World War II drama by Simon Passmore.1940, Kent. England is on full alert in anticipation of a German invasion. As church bells sound the alarm, a secret resistance unit springs into action. Whatever happens, none of them expects to see their families again. Shrubb ..... Ivan Kaye, Turle ..... Anthony Flanagan, Pye ..... Rupert Evans, Jarvis ..... Guy Henry, Davie ..... Joshua Jenkin, Ann ..... Alison Pettitt, Lucy Pye ..... Christine Kavanagh, Station Master ..... Sam Dale. Directed by Toby Swift.
11 Jul 11 Classic Serial - Summer Lightning
2/2. Will peace and harmony be restored to Blandings? Rupert Baxter has been recalled to Blandings by Lady Constance to steal the incriminating maunscript on her behalf. Emsworth's beloved pig, the Empress, has disappeared. Hugo and Millicent's secret engagement has been broken off. In an attempt to assuage Ronnie's mistaken anger over a nightclub encounter, Sue is now masquerading as an American heiress.Detective Percy Pilbeam, also ensconced in the castle, plots to steal Galahad's racy memoirs. Beach the butler is nervous about his part in the stolen pig plot. Will these dilemmas be happily resolved, restoring peace and harmony to Blandings? Hon. Galahad Threepwood ... Charles Dance, Lady Constance ... Patricia Hodge, Beach ..... Tim Pigott-Smith, Percy Pilbeam ... Matt Lucas, Lord Emsworth ... Martin Jarvis, Hugo Carmody ... Samuel West, Sue Brown ... Lisa Dillon, Ronnie Fish ... Matthew Wolf, Millicent ... Rachael Stirling, Rupert Baxter ... Jared Harris, Mrs Rundle ... Joanna David, Voice of Wodehouse ... Ian Ogilvy. Dramatised by Archie Scottney. Director: Martin Jarvis. Producer: Rosalind Ayres. A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
12 Jul 10 The Understanding
(R)By P G Morgan. A young woman is urgently admitted to hospital and prepared to deliver her baby by Caesarian section. If she's not operated on, she will probably die. But she is a Jehovah's witness, and she has not agreed to an operation. Will the doctor keep to his Hippocratic Oath, or will he refrain from operating because there's no signed consent form? Vic...........Philip Fox, Jessie.........Katy Cavanagh, Alison.........Golda Rosheuvel, Alan...........Sam Dale, Carmel.........Gbemisola Ikumelo, Judith.........Caroline Guthrie. Producer Jonquil Panting and Steven Canny. Director David Hunter. Produced in association with The Open University.
13 Jul 10 The Reluctant Millionaire
Wendy Oberman's play stars Lizzy McInnerny as Annie Marriott, a self employed hairdresser, who whilst facing bankruptcy, finds a winning lottery ticket. She and her husband face an agonizing moral dilemma, made worse when they discover their newest friend is claiming the ticket is his. Annie Marriot - Lizzy McInnerny, Dave Marriott - Tony Bell , Mick Fletcher - Lloyd Thomas, The Bank Manager - Michael Shelford , The Landlord - Chris McHallem, Sally Flethcher - Julia Dearden, Jeff Fletcher- Richard Howard. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan. Written by Wendy Oberman.
14 Jul 10 Troll
Adult cares mix with childhood fears, in this comic twisted fairytale. In the middle of a family crisis, Olivia discovers a troll under her mother's kitchen sink. A troll to whom, in the magic days of childhood, she once promised herself as a meal. Olivia ..... Rosie Cavaliero, James ..... Ewan Bailey, Troll ..... Jack Klaff, Mum ..... Marcia Warren, Matt ..... Michael Shelford. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
15 Jul 10 The Diabolical Gourmet
By Alex Shearer. Death by fine dining: the true story of Pere Gourier and his string of perfectly legal murders in the finest restaurants of 1790s Paris. Bored with his wife and homelife, the well-off land-owner begins to amuse himself by taking hard-up acquaintances every day to the best restaurants in Paris and dining them to death. Everyone knows about it but - as he isn't doing anything against the law - no one can stop him. Dealing with a succulent batch of topics - food, wine, fine dining, the effects of over-indulgence, a loophole in the law and a murderer who can't be stopped - this true story unfolds from the perspective of Ameline, the executioner's assistant who volunteers to take on the murdering bon vivant Gourier at his own game in the richest restaurants in Paris. Ameline ..... Mark Benton, Gourier ..... Ian McNeice, Chavette ..... Royce Mills, Gaston/Bayard/Antoine/Victor/Hubert/Henri/Charles ..... Jon Glover, Widow/Magdalene/Madame Cambertin ..... Rachel Atkins. Director: Neil Cargill. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
16 Jul 10 SE8
By Janice Okoh. A 17 year old girl is shot in a South London nightclub called SE8. The club is filled with witnesses. Rita is positive that the police will find her daughter's murderer but they are met by a wall of silence. Donna, 17, was there. She saw the shooter. Donna also knows who the gang members are. She went to school with some of them. The drama is intercut with recreated interviews with ex-gang members. SE8 was inspired by the deaths of Birmingham teenagers Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare in 2003 and Magda Pniewskain 2007. Anonymous witnesses were used to secure both convictions. Currently a judge can direct the jury to discount anonymous witness statements if, for example, they have a relationship to the accused e.g,. knew each other at school. SE8 is not only about individual courage but also about the shaky legal framework that is supposed to protect it. The writer, Janice Okoh grew up in South London. She has written two plays for Radio 4: A Short Ride to Dusseldorf and From Lagos with Love. Cast: Rita Hayes - Julia Ford, Donna Brissett - Ashley Madekwe, John Hayes- Tony Bell, Mark Atkinson - Michael Shelford, Tyrell Deakins - Darren Hart, Dave Roberts - Lloyd Thomas. Directed by Claire Grove.
17 Jul 10 The Moscow Prodigal
Thriller by Michael Butt. This is the first of three plays in the mini-season 'Russia Actualnyi' which sets out to explore life in Russia now.Vasily returns to Moscow after ten years in England. His attempts to build a new life there have not been a success - he has been eking out an existence as a minicab driver. At the airport he is met by his childhood friend, Andrei, who now works for the Minister of the Interior. Andrei's expansive manner and expensive air of money and power seem to hint at a more thuggish way of climbing the ladder. Written by Michael Butt based on an original idea by Vitaly Yerenkov. Vasily ... Yasen Peyankov, Olga ... Anne Bobby, Irina ... Angelique Doudnikova, Marco ... Michael Levi Harris, Sasha ... Stass Klassen, Andrei ... Moti Margolin, Anna ... Nicole Rosengurt, Gryzlov ... Peter Von Berg, Mama ... Tatyana Zbirovskaya. All other parts were played by members of the cast. Technical production by Scott Lehrer, Grammy winner and Tony winner for Broadway theatre sound design. Music specially composed by Gene Pritzker. Directed by Judith Kampfner A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
18 Jul 10 Classic Serial - The Glass Bead Game
1/2. Dramatisation of Hermann Hesse's classic novel set in a futuristic, utopian society. Starring Derek Jacobi. Joseph Knecht is a rising star in the Castalian Order, a band of elite intellectuals who live a closeted life of study and Glass Bead Game playing. But Joseph's elevation to one of the highest and most respected ranks of the Order coincides with a crisis of conscience, as his ever deepening doubts about this idealistic and sanitised society threaten to topple its very foundations. Biographer...Derek Jacobi, Joseph Knecht...Tom Ferguson, Young Joseph...Aidan Parsons, Music Master...Malcolm Raeburn, Teacher/Van Der Trave...Terence Mann, Plinio...David Seddon, Fritz...Toby Hadoke, Father Jacobus...David Fleeshman, Elder Brother/Bertram...Jonathan Keeble. String Player...Kevin Flynn. Dramatised by Lavinia Greenlaw. Producer: Charlotte Riches. Director: Susan Roberts.
19 Jul 10 Hive Mind
By Simon Bovey. 2019; the honeybee is now officially extinct. Farmer Sam Clark struggles to raise a mediocre crop. But man has adapted. Every spring an army of migrant workers, led by foreman Amra Walczak, descends on Sam's farm to pollinate by hand. It is a laborious process but it works.... This spring, however, science offers a new solution, Honeybots, tiny robots that are effectively crawling bees, and Sam has put his farm forward for a trial. Sam ..... Tony Bell, Amra ..... Ania Sowinski, Jackson ..... Michael Shelford, Olivia ..... Alison Pettitt, Patek ..... David Seddon, Jan ..... Lloyd Thomas. Directed by Marc Beeby.
20 Jul 10 Gift
Richard has been on haemodialysis for almost three years as a result of end stage kidney disease, and his son Martin has offered to donate his own kidney to help his father. But there's more to this gift than either father or son wish to let on. Richard ..... Philip Jackson, Martin ..... Ashley Kumar, Helena ..... Eloise Secker, Jeremy Flynn ..... David Seddon, Claire Glover ..... Daniela Nardini, Maire Kennedy ..... Alison Pettitt, David ..... Michael Shelford, Psychologist ..... Tony Bell, Paramedic ..... Jude Akuwudike, Scientist ..... Lloyd Thomas. Director - Sasha Yevtushenko.
21 Jul 10 Circus Train
Margarita Sharapova's tale, based on working in a Russian circus, is adapted by Louis Nowra....While their train is waiting at a remote rural station, animal trainer Orest and his assistant Alex take the dog out to relieve herself and their long circus train leaves without them. With no papers or money and not knowing where they are, they embark on a madcap journey, hopping goods trains and hiding away in carriages. Some are full of contraband, others have stowaways and one clattering goods train is carrying mysterious chemicals. Alex and Orest encounter a host of eccentric characters who are finding new and often desperate ways to survive. Recorded by a Russian-speaking repertory cast. Orest Anderlect ... Yasen Peyankov, Alex/Alyona ... Anne Bobby, Nastya ... Angelique Doudnikova, Berg ... Michael Levi Harris, Gorlogryzov ... Stass Klassen, Bruskov ... Moti Margolin, Hayk ... Peter Von Berg, Train Dispatcher ... Tatyana Zbirovskaya. All other parts were played by members of the cast. Music composed by Gene Pritsker. Sound design by Peregrine Andrews. Producer: Judith Kampfner A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
22 Jul 10 The Target Audience
By Igor Simonov. A Russian oil billionaire gets grilled on TV. Glitz and glamour are the trademarks of a hugely successful TV show where Russia's famous, powerful and rich are interviewed by a trio of canny and beautiful young women. But tonight's guest, Yuri Tseitlin, is faced with a dilemma whereby his oil empire may just slip out of his fingers. Before he deals with his offscreen problems he has some tough questions to answer. Yuri Tseitlin ... Yasen Peyankov, Nastya ... Anne Bobby, Katya ... Angelique Doudnikova, Director ... Michael Levi Harris, Vadim ... Stass Klassen, Alexei ... Moti Margolin, Announcer ... Doug Shapiro, Michael ... Peter Von Berg, Marina ... Tatyana Zbirovskaya. Other parts played by members of the cast. Technical production by Scott Lehrer, Grammy winner and Tony winner for Broadway. Music specially composed by Gene Pritzker. Consultant: Noah Birksted-Breen of Sputnik Theatre. Director: Judith Kampfner. A Waters Company Production for BBC Radio 4.
23 Jul 10 The Orchestra
An improvised play based on interviews with orchestral players, conductors and managers. Devised, directed and produced by Rosie Boulton. David Adams is halfway through a five year contract as Principal Conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra when things start to go wrong. A row with the brass section leads to a dressing down by the Board. Suddenly David is experiencing a deep crisis of confidence. The intention of this drama is to be as accurate and true to the orchestral experience as possible and it was conceived using frank and revealing interviews with those currently working in orchestras. Cast includes Colin Metters, Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. Principal Conductor: David Adams - Philip Franks, Conductor's Wife: Kate Adams - Christine Kavanagh, Leader of the Orchestra: Patrick Hardy - Julian Rhind-Tutt, Principal Horn: Marie Cherrington - Hayley Doherty, 2nd Trumpet: Sean Jackson - George Irving, Conductor's advisor: Harry Bennett - Colin Metters, Guest conductor: Marc Altschuler - Rumon Gamba, Actuality of rehearsal provided by BBC Philharmonic, conductor Rumon Gamba.
24 Jul 10 Saturday Play - The White Chameleon
Christopher Hampton's play about his childhood in Alexandria in the 1950s, in the years up to and during the Suez invasion. It is about his father, in Egypt working for Cable and Wireless, his mother, also from a Cable and Wireless family, and Ibrahim, the Egyptian servant who has been running the house for 20 years and who helps 10-year-old Chris, the future playwright, make up dramas for homework. Alex Jennings plays Chris's father, Amanda Root his mother and Mido Hamada Ibrahim. Narrator ... Christopher Hampton, Father ... Alex Jennings, Ibrahim ... Mido Hamada, Mother ... Amanda Root, Chris ... Harvey O'Neil, Guard/Fouad/Basso/Stockman/Shoes-shine ,man/Egyptian boy ... Ayman Hamdouchi, Albert ... David Annen , Edward ... Harrison Charles, Paul ... Harry Manton, Schoolboy ... Josef Lindsay. Egyptian singers: Tony Kandel , Yazid Eid , Robert Hannouch, Pianist: Michael Webborn. Director: Polly Thomas. Producer: Ann Scott. A Greenpoint production for BBC Radio 4.
25 Jul 10 Classic Serial - The Glass Bead Game
2/2. Dramatisation of Hermann Hesse's classic novel set in a futuristic, utopian society. Joseph Knecht is a rising star in the Castalian Order, a band of elite intellectuals who live a closeted life of study and Glass Bead Game playing. But Joseph's elevation to one of the highest and most respected ranks of the Order coincides with a crisis of conscience, as his ever deepening doubts about this idealistic and sanitised society threaten to topple its foundations. Biographer...Derek Jacobi, Joseph Knecht...Tom Ferguson, Fritz...Toby Hadoke, Music Master...Malcolm Raeburn, Plinio...David Seddon, Helena...Olwen May, Tito...Oliver Gomm. Dramatised by Lavinia Greenlaw. Producer: Charlotte Riches. Director: Susan Roberts.
26 Jul 10 A Bridge to the Stars
Henning Mankell's tale of an imaginative boy growing up in an icy northern Swedish town. No other details.
27 Jul 10 Humanly Possible
Sarah Daniels's play follows two babies through a day in a neonatal intensive care unit Their cases are different and unrelated, until the feelings and decisions of one set of parents begin to irrevocably affect the other. Jasmine ..... Farzana dua Elahe, Sebastian ..... Michael Shelford, Dominic ..... Ewan Bailey, Sophie ..... Zita Sattar, Brigid ..... Joanna Monro, Lucy ..... Federay Holmes , Ben ..... Tony Bell. The other plays in the series are 'The Understanding' by P G Morgan, and 'Gift' by Philip Palmer.
28 Jul 10 A Helping Hand
Comedy by Mike Stott. A drunken football supporter has been murdered on the Leeds to Manchester train, and Dave "Fat Boy" Davis is charged with solving the crime. When a strange pink letter arrives at the station, WPC Djamila Khan is asked to bring in its author, Molly Pickles. Molly Pickles ..... Anne Reid, Djamila Kahn ..... Shobna Gulati, DS Dave Davis ..... John Lightbody, Darren Butterworth ..... Mark Rice Oxley, Quentin-Mann Rogers ..... Rupert Degas. Director: Lissa Evans. Producer: Jo Wheeler. An Above The Title production.
29 Jul 10 Terremoto
Daniel is running across the Chilean desert. Ayelen is speeding across it in the opposite direction. When the earthquake hits, they become reluctant travelling companions, in a desperate bid to find out if Ayelen's family have survived. He is reluctant to break his meticulously planned run - but you can't abandon a human being in a place like this. Their subsequent journey across the desert is a life changing experience for both of them. Terremoto is written by Catrin Clarke, an experienced television and radio writer, and based on her knowledge of Chile and running the desert. Daniel ....Sule Rimi Ayelen.....Clare Isaac Guy Marchant.Richard Harrington Chilean driver...Ernesto Cantu Acoustic guitar and folksong performed by Héctor Daniel Saez Cárdenas. Director Polly Thomas for BBC Cymru/Wales.
30 Jul 10 Depth Charge
Submarines, debt and deception in Fiona Mackie's play.Den, a retired submariner, is short on cash and short on dreams until Joe enters his life and promises him the chance to breathe again. Den ..... David Calder, Irene ..... Susan Brown, Joe ..... Ben Crowe, Shiner ..... Sam Dale, Funeral Plan Agent ..... Christine Kavanagh, Director ..... Sally Avens.
31 Jul 10 Saturday Play - Writing on Wigan Pier
David Pownall's play has strong resonance for today. In 1936, George Orwell embarked on a visit to Wigan, a typical coal-mining town in industrial Lancashire in order to write a book about the people, their experiences and their struggle to cope with the effects of the Depression. Determined not to be dismissed as a privileged observer, he resolves to spend time living with and amongst the people. However, he brings with him his self-guilt, his obsession with the English class system, his fiercely-held preconceptions of the working-class and his remarkable cut-glass voice, of which he is all too painfully aware. The visit is both revealing and humorous. He stays in an appalling doss-house above a tripe shop, tries to work down a pit, stays with a family, makes a pass at the wife, upsets the local Women's Institute and meets a priest escaping from fascism in Spain. Whilst most who meet him take him for who and what he is, for Orwell the experience develops into a journey of self-discovery. Orwell .... Adrian Scarborough , Neil .... Karl Davies, Helen .... Helen Longworth , Grandad .... Bernard Cribbins, Mrs Brooker/Country Lady .... Thelma Barlow , Gollancz .... Keith Drinkel , Arnold .... Anthony Glennon, Meade/Ignatius .... Tom Bevan. Directed by Martin Jenkins. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
1 Aug 10 Classic Serial - The Wings of the Dove
1/3. Henry James's story of love and money. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths. Kate Croy is in love with Merton Densher; a poor writer. Her rich aunt Maud disapproves. Maud has offered Kate a wealthy existence but if Kate chooses to marry Merton she risks losing it all. When American Heiress Milly Theale steps into her London society, Kate sees a way out. Kate.....Lyndsey Marshal, Merton.....Blake Ritson, Maud.....Clare Higgins , Lord Mark.....Toby Jones, Milly.....Anna Maxwell Martin, Susie.....Barbara Barnes, Croy.....Jonathan Keeble , Marian.....Deborah McAndrew. Directed by Nadia Molinari..
2 Aug 10 "Higher" - Partners
(R) The first of two plays chronicling the comic chaos of the Geography department at Hayborough University - ranked 132nd in the academic league table. When neurotic and emotionally stunted lecturer David Poll is delegated the task of finding partners in industry he blunders into a scheme which doesn't quite benefit the department. By Joyce Bryant. Karen..............Sophie Thompson, David..............Robert Daws, Jim...............Jonathan Keeble, Alannah.............Kathryn Hunt, Fiona...............Lisa Allen, Joselyn.... .Natasha Byrne. Producer Gary Brown.
3 Aug 10 "Higher" - Inspection
The Geography department at Hayborough University, where if you have a pulse you can have a degree. In these straightened times there have to be cuts. So it does seem a bit of a coincidence that when David Poll is earmarked for disciplinary measures leading to possible dismissal the Quality Assurance Inspectorate turns up. Karen.....Sophie Thompson, David......Robert Daws, Jim......Jonathan Keeble, Maura.......Maggie Fox, Sadie.....Fiona Clarke, Dick......Malcolm Raeburn. Produced by Gary Brown.
4 Aug 10 Rescue Me
By Tanika Gupta. Rukhsana is a successful lawyer in her late 20s, living in London where she shares a house with Arif, who, like her, is British Bengali. When her mother has a heart attack, Rukshana returns to Dhaka to be with her family. Then she calls Arif. Her parents have taken her mobile and her passport. And they won't let her leave the house. She's very scared. Arif ...Richard Sumitro, James ...Tony Bell, Rukhsana ...Nisha Nayar, Munera ...Nina Wadia, Shaqueeb ...Shiv Grewal , Mother/Nurse ...Shobu Kapur, Cabbie/ Priest ...Bhasker Patel. Written by Tanika Gupta. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
5 Aug 10 The Barber and the Ark
By Marcia Layne. Issachar has been given an ultimatum by Yvonne, either the dreadlocks go or she does. But the veteran barber he visits has other ideas. Over a bottle of his 'special ingredient roots tonic' the barber shares his dream of discovering the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia. A dream that will change Isaachar's life. Issachar ..... Everal A.Walsh, Errol ..... Ram John Holder, Yvonne ..... Kay Purcell, Malachi ..... Tachia Newall, Abdullah ..... Faz Singhateh. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
6 Aug 10 Tetherdown
Scott Cherry and Gregory Evans' play revisits a Victorian crime. The year: 1896. In the well-heeled suburb of Muswell Hill, Henry Smith, a retired engineer, is found tied-up and beaten to death in his own home. Scotland Yard detectives are on the scene within the hour, but their investigations are hampered by judges and politicians, who refuse to recognise the latest breakthrough in forensic science, fingerprints. "The British policeman," says a high court judge," must depend on his customary tenacity and ingenuity." As the detectives identify suspects, and launch a nationwide manhunt, news of the crimes goes global, with reports in newspapers as far apart as the USA and New Zealand. Tetherdown (the name of the road where the murder took place) is a fast-moving play by Scott Cherry and Gregory Evans which views these tragic events of over a century ago through the prism of 2010. Every character is based on a real person connected to the case. DC Burrell ..... Nicholas Woodeson, Inspector Marshall ..... Sean Baker, Nutkins ..... Ben Crowe, Emily ..... Alison Pettitt, Milsom ..... Tony Bell, Fowler ..... Jude Akuwudike, Judge ..... Ian Masters. Director: Marion Nancarrow.
7 Aug 10 Saturday Play - Rebus: Strip Jack, part 1
Ian Rankin's detective, Inspector Rebus, investigates the disappearance of an MP's wife. Ron Donachie stars in a new two-part dramatisation by Chris Dolan set in Edinburgh and the Highlands in 1992. D.I. Rebus .....RON DONACHIE, D.S. Holmes ....... ANDY CLARK, WPC Moffat.... LISA GARDNER, Gregor Jack.... GAVIN KEAN, C.S. Watson..... DOUGLAS RUSSELL, Ronald Steele.... ROBIN LAING, Helen/Cathy ..... EMMA CURRIE, Costello/Rab ..... LEWIS HOWDEN, Patience...... MONICA GIBB, Kemp..... LAURIE BROWN, Vanessa.... MARYAM HAMIDI. Other parts played by the cast. Producer/director Bruce Young.
8 Aug 10 Classic Serial - The Wings of the Dove
2/3. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths. Milly confides in Kate that she believes herself to be gravely ill and Kate begins to see a way for her and Merton to have a future. Milly.....Anna Maxwell Martin, Lord Mark.....Toby Jones, Maud.....Clare Higgins, Susie.....Barbara Barnes, Kate.....Lyndsey Marshal, Merton.....Blake Ritson, Lord Strett...Sam Dale, Lady Aldershaw...Alison Pettitt. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
9 Aug 10 Rumpole and the Family Pride
By John Mortimer. Dramatised by Richard Stoneman. We rejoin Rumpole and Hilda in the late 1950s, when they have been married for a year or two. Rumpole mingles with a branch of Yorkshire aristocracy remotely connected to Hilda's family when he represents a Lord in the Coroner's Court. Hilda's first cousin (once removed), Rosemary, lives with her husband, Richard, the 17th Baron Sackbut, in Sackbut Castle and Hilda and Rumpole are invited to Yorkshire when a body is found in the grounds of the castle. Older Rumpole/Mr Cursitor ..... Timothy West, Young Rumpole ..... Benedict Cumberbatch, Hilda ..... Cathy Sara , Liz Probert/Helen Yarrowby ..... Elaine Claxton, Lord Richard Sackbut ..... Julian Wadham, Rosemary Sackbut/Pippa Bastion ..... Sophie Thompson, Jonathan Sackbut/Young Man ..... Joshua McGuire, "Plunger" Plumstead/Tarquin Yarrowby/Mr Saggers ..... Stephen Critchlow, Mrs Percier ..... Susan Wooldridge, Dr Malkin/Castle Guide/Policeman ..... Geoffrey Whitehead, Dr Swabey/Gavin Bastion ..... Adrian Scarborough. Music: The sax quartet version of Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away From Me" was arranged by Julie Hodge and performed by "Sax" who are Luiza Beddoes, Kate Mylnar, Janine Ng and Julie Hodge. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
10 Aug 10 Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle
Dramatised by Richard Stoneman.When Rumpole and Hilda attend a concert performed by The Casterini Trio, Rumpole is surprised to be approached by Elizabeth Casterini - the trio's beautiful violinist. Rumpole falls for her charms. But then, the Trio's cellist, Tom Randall is murdered. Elizabeth's husband Desmond was supposedly suspicious of Randall's feelings for Elizabeth. And, since he owned the gun that was found by the body, Desmond is arrested. Flattered by Elizabeth's seductive pleas, Rumpole agrees to defend Desmond at the Old Bailey. But there, Rumpole's admiration for Elizabeth rapidly begins to wane. Older Rumpole ..... Timothy West, Young Rumpole ..... Benedict Cumberbatch, Hilda/Dorothy Clapton ..... Cathy Sara, Elizabeth Casterini ..... Faye Castelow, Desmond Casterini/Henry ..... Adrian Scarborough, Bonny Bernard/Peter Matheson ..... Matthew Morgan, Claude Erskine-Brown/DS Straw ..... Nigel Anthony, Sam Ballard ..... Michael Cochrane, Oliver Oliphant/Barman ..... Geoffrey Whitehead, Christopher Peek/Waiter/Usher/Alfred ..... Stephen Critchlow. Directed by Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
11 Aug 10 Stannie and Jim
By Simon Littlefield. Fictional exploration of James Joyce's relationship with his brother. Trieste, 1914. Stannie ..... Andrew Scott, James ..... Aidan Mcardle, Beatrice ..... Alison Pettit, Nora ..... Tessa Nicholson, Baron Ralli ..... Michael Shelford, Captain ..... David Seddon, Dr Silvestri ..... Sam Dale, Irredentist ..... Tony Bell. Director ..... Sally Avens.
12 Aug 10 The Judgement Test
By Michael Butt. Officers in the armed units of the Police have a dangerous job - both physically and psychologically. We ask them to face death and to make life and death decisions. But when it comes to the crunch, what kind of decisions does Constable John Woolf make? And how are they affecting him? In Michael Butt's play, a probing journalist asks some difficult questions and gets some very unexpected answers. John Woolf ..... Ian Hart, Paul ..... Jay Simpson, Linda ..... Claire Price, Gerry Lawson ..... Alistair Danson, Mr Taylor ..... Peter Sproule, Mrs Taylor ..... Caroline Gruber Armourer ..... Ian Barnes, Counsellor ..... Andrew Branch. Director: Penny Gold. A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
13 Aug 10 Tall Stories
(BBC blurb does not give id of writer...possibly Samina Baig?) Samina's life is a whirl of work and worry about her single status until a family crisis stops her in her tracks. Both her parents are admitted into separate hospitals forcing her to come to terms with their sudden entry into old age. Between hospital visits, emergency phone calls and cookery lessons, she attempts to finally grow up and preserve the fading family memories that connect her to her roots. But then things take a turn for the worse... Samina ..... Nina Wadia, Mum ..... Indira Joshi, Dad ..... Madhav Sharma, Radiographer, Miriam ..... Christine Kavanagh, Taxi Driver ..... Michael Shelford, Peter ..... Sean Baker, Doctor/Patient ..... David Seddon, Nurse 1 ..... Alison Pettitt, Nurse 2 ..... Samina Zehra. Directed by Mary Peate.
14 Aug 10 Saturday Play - Rebus: Strip Jack
2/2. Inspector Rebus investigates the disappearance of an MP's wife. Final part of Ian Rankin's crime thriller as Inspector Rebus investigates the death of an MP's wife. Ron Donachie stars in this two-part dramatisation by Chris Dolan set in Edinburgh and the Highlands in 1992. D.I. Rebus ..... Ron Donachie, D.S. Holmes ....... Andy Clark, WPC Moffat.... Lisa Gardner, Gregor Jack.... Gavin Kean, McMillan....Liam Brennan, C.S. Watson..... Douglas Russell, Ronald Steele.... Robin Laing, Helen/Cathy ..... Emma Currie, Costello/Rab ..... Lewis Howden, Patience...... Monica Gibb, Kemp..... Laurie Brown, Other parts played by the cast. Producer/director Bruce Young.
15 Aug 10 Classic Serial - The Wings of the Dove
3/3. In Venice, Kate's plan to bring Merton and Milly together gains pace. Merton.....Blake Ritson, Milly.....Anna Maxwell Martin, Kate.....Lyndsey Marshal, Maud.....Clare Higgins, Susie.....Barbara Barnes, Lord Mark.....Toby Jones, Eugenio.....Sam Dale. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
16 Aug 10 The Patience of Mr Job
Comedy by Justin Butcher about globalisation and climate change. Mr Job is an African farmer with an unshakeable faith in the benevolence of the West. There's a flurry of excitement in the village. Mr Kismet, from the World Development Agency, has sent a letter offering rich rewards if the region sells its timber and moves to cut-flower production. Mr Job obeys the WDA scrupulously, even when the instructions prove extremely inconvenient, but as they wait for Mr Kismet's arrival, a series of disasters strike. Mr Job...Jude Akuwudike, Mrs Job...Adjoa Andoh, Mr Eliphaz...Danny Sapani, Mr Bildad...Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Mr Achebe...Lloyd Thomas, Mr Lucy...Paul Courtney Hyu. Directed by Claire Grove.
17 Aug 10 Unauthorised History: The Killing
In May 1593, the playwright Christopher Marlowe was killed. Apparently, it was because of an argument over a bill. Michael Butt's innovative drama dons the cloak of documentary to re-examine the unsolved case. Narrator . . . . . Paul Rhys, Thomas Walsingham . . . . . Blake Ritson, Thomas Kyd . . . . . Harry Lloyd, Robert Poley . . . . . Burn Gorman, Lord Cecil . . . . . Tim McMullan, Mrs Bull . . . . . Christine Kavanagh, Ingram Frizer . . . . . Tony Bell, Richard Baines . . . . . Sam Dale, Cambridge Porter . . . . . Sean Baker, Drew Woodleff . . . . . Lloyd Thomas. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
18 Aug 10 HMS Surprise
1/3. Captain Jack Aubrey engages the Spanish and the French but falls victim to enemies at home (R). By Patrick O'Brian, set in 1804-5 in England, India and on the high seas. Captain Jack Aubrey engages the Spanish at sea and the French on land - but falls victim to enemies at home. Starring David Robb as Aubrey.
19 Aug 10 HMS Surprise
2/3. Captain Jack Aubrey is ordered to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. (R) Dramatised by Roger Danes. Jack Aubrey is ordered to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies - but in Bombay Stephen Maturin meets Diana Villiers, the one woman Jack would avoid at any cost. Starring David Robb as Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Maturin.
20 Aug 10 HMS Surprise
3/3. Tragedy halts the ship's journey to the East Indies. Stephen makes a proposal of marriage. (R) Tragedy halts the ship's mission to the East Indies. In Calcutta Stephen makes a proposal of marriage and takes part in a duel.
21 Aug 10 Saturday Play - Bora Bora By Lynne Truss. A painting holiday organised by an art historian is rudely disturbed. (R) Sir Derek Jacobi takes on the role of Alec in a play specially written for him. Cast: Alec Bosanquet ..... Derek Jacobi, Tony Bosanquet ..... Corin Redgrave, Margaret ..... Cheryl Campbell, Charlie ..... Adrian Bower, Rosa ..... Eve Pearce, Jean ..... Jill Johnson, With Stephen Critchlow and Rachel Atkins. Producer/Director: Ned Chaillet. A Watershed Production for Radio 4.
22 Aug 10 Classic Serial - No Highway
1/2. Dramatisation of Nevil Shute's 1948 tale of transatlantic aviation in post-WWII Britain. Dennis Scott ..... William Beck, Shirley ..... Alison Pettitt, Honey ..... Paul Ritter, Marjorie Corder ..... Naomi Frederick, Monica Teesdale ..... Fenella Woolgar, Elspeth ..... Lauren Mote, The Director ..... Tony Bell, Ferguson ..... Jude Akuwudike, Samuelson ..... Sam Dale, Dobson ..... Michael Shelford, Miss Learoyd ..... Christine Kavanagh. Directed by Toby Swift.
23 Aug 10 Miss Balcombe's Orchard
A drama-documentary by Jonathan Davidson set and recorded in an apple orchard. Miss Balcombe is getting on but she is determined to keep her apple trees. Her workers don't much care but there is a trespasser among her russets. With Susan Engel as Miss Balcombe, Richard Bremmer as Claud, Sonia Ritter as Barbara, and Hayley Doherty as Sophie; and featuring Barrie Juniper, author of The Story of the Apple. Recorded on location in Oxfordshire. Producer: Tim Dee.
24 Aug 10 The Rain Maker
By Matthew Broughton. When a father takes his son on a trip to a cabin in the woods, he has no idea what terrible horror is to come. A sinister story about the demons that lurk in the dark forest of the mind. Father ..... Kenneth Cranham, Son ..... Joe Dempsie. Directed by James Robinson.
25 Aug 10 The Gallery
(R) A second chance to hear Alan Plater's final play for radio. The opening night of a new Tyneside art gallery is thrown into jeopardy by the well-meaning but ill-trained staff. Dodgy wiring, an over-zealous cleaner and a retired greyhound add to the comic mix. Trevor ... Joe Caffrey, Liz ... Janice Acquah, Michael ... Deka Walmsley, Heather ... Caroline Guthrie, Julie ... Phillippa Wilson, Neville ... Chris Connel, Chris ... Benjamin Askew, Norma ... Tracey Wilkinson, Susie ... Lizzy Watts, Sammy ... Lisa McGrillis, Tomlin ... Malcolm Tierney. Director ... Alison Hindell.
26 Aug 10 Quirks
Comedy by Simon Brett about a couple living - or perhaps imprisoned - on the Costa del Sol. David Troughton and Tracy-Ann Oberman star as Joey and Bianca in this taut black comedy. Written by Simon Brett, the crime novelist and creator for radio of After Henry, No Commitments and - more recently - People in Cars. Producer: Liz Anstee. A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.
27 Aug 10 Elephant and Castle Romantic comedy by Robin Baker. (R) It's Ian's 35th birthday and we're in the middle of a row with his girlfriend from which there's no going back. Fast rewind 9 months to the Tibetan cafe where they meet. In a series of short scenes the play follows the full trajectory of their relationship. Ian......Rory Kinnear, Kat.......Lyndsey Marshal, Jude.......Olivia Colman, Janet.....Carolyn Pickles, Other parts played by Manjeet Mann, Jill Cardo and Gunnar Cauthery. Producer Steven Canny.
28 Aug 10 Boscobel
Historical thriller that follows the future Charles II after his father's execution. (R) Ian Curteis is a prolific writer for radio and television. His most well known play is The Falklands Play, the story of how Margaret Thatcher's government went to war with Argentina, which was first broadcast on both Radio 4 and BBC 4 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Falklands War. Cast: Charles II ..... Simon Woods, Derby/John Penderel ..... Kevin Eldon, Wilmot ..... Chris Larkin, George Penderel/Whitgreave ..... Simon Treves, Gifford/Woolf ..... Malcolm Brown, Carlis/Colonel ..... Stephen Carlile, Betty/Jane ..... Kate Sachs, Mrs Woolf/Cook ..... Jill Shilling. Director: Dirk Maggs. Writer: Ian Curteis. Producer: Rebecca Pinfield. An Above The Title production for BBC Radio 4.
29 Aug 10 Classic Serial - No Highway
2/2 1948. The future of Britain's transatlantic aviation industry looks grim following the crash of a new Rutland Reindeer airliner. Lives and careers are on the line as a government scientist tries to convince the authorities that he knows why. Dramatised by Mike Walker. Dennis Scott ..... William Beck, Shirley ..... Alison Pettitt, Honey ..... Paul Ritter, Marjorie Corder ..... Naomi Frederick, Monica Teesdale ..... Fenella Woolgar, Elspeth ..... Lauren Moat, The Director ..... Tony Bell, Prendergast/Russell ..... William Hope, Ferguson ..... Jude Akuwudike, Sir David Moon ..... Sean Baker, Morgan ..... Sam Dale, Hennessey ..... David Seddon, Miss Learoyd ..... Christine Kavanagh. Directed by Toby Swift.
30 Aug 10 Caesar Price our Lord
By Fin Kennedy. Illusionist Caesar Price has reproduced nearly all of the miracles of Jesus and built a massive cult following but is he prepared for what will happen when he decides to stage the crucifixion? Caesar.....Lee Ingleby, Sam.....Aidan Parsons, Lois.....Emma Cunniffe, Mum.....Joanne Mitchell, Dad/Ben.....Conrad Nelson, Alan/Pastor.....Robert Pickavance, Barry.....David Fleeshman, Judy.....Carla Henry. Original music by Jon Nicholls. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
31 Aug Pilgrim, series 2, The Drowned Church
1/4.By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Pilgrim comes to Skaymer, a seaside town in Norfolk, to investigate the strange appearance of a young man believed drowned in the great flood of 1757. William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton , Helen ..... Claire Price, Doris ..... Judy Parfitt, Zach ..... William Gaunt , Aaron ..... Luke Treadaway, Freya ..... Rachael Spence, Mr Hazelbury ..... Sean Baker , Hendry ..... Jude Akuwudike , Mrs Squires ..... Sally Orrock, Legend ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Marc Beeby.
1 Sep 10 The Great Swim
By Gavin Mortimer. Gertrude Ederle, a brilliant young swimmer, was the 19-year-old daughter of a German migrant to the United States. Her father Henry Ederle ran a successful butcher's business in New York. Ederle's cross-channel swim was sponsored by the New York Daily News. The News sent a crime reporter, Julia Harpman, to accompany the swimmer and cover the story and this drama is told through Julia's eyes. Cast: Julia Harpman ..... Madeleine Potter, Trudy Ederle ..... Emily Bruni, Lillian Cannon ..... Samantha Dakin, Bill Burgess/Rutherford ..... Philip Jackson, Arthur Sorensen ..... Nathan Nolan, Joe Costa/Frank Pegler/Williams ..... Sam Dale, Henry "Pop" Ederle/Abbot ..... Nathan Osgood. Producer: Karen Rose. A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
2 Sep 10 Swimming Around Ireland
By Martin Meenan. A physiotherapist comes up with an unusual plan to motivate her patient. (R) Steven ..... Michael Colgan , Caet..... Dawn Bradfield , Mike..... Kieran Lagan, Porter .....John Hewitt. Tin whistle played by John Toal. Voices: Bill Maul, Patrick Watson, Chandrika Nayar, Itsareeya Johnston, Henryk Pieknik, Camilla Carroll and Fiona Woods.
3 Sep 12 Big Pies
Two lonely people, one night school and a lot of lying. Romantic comedy by Gill Adams.
4 Sep 12 Saturday Play Translations
Brian Friel's play about language and power, set in a village in 1830s Donegal. Cast: Yolland.....Samuel Barnett, Lancey......Mark Bazeley, Doalty......John Paul Connolly, Jimmy Jack......Dermot Crowley, Sarah........Roisin Gallagher, Manus......David Ireland, Bridget.....Aoife McMahon , Hugh........Gerard McSorley, Owen......Eugene O'Hare , Maire......Eileen Walsh. Director: Kirsty Williams.
5 Sep 12 My Family and Other Animals
1/2. My Family and Other Animals is Gerald Durrell's comic gem of a book, the classic story of his upper-class English eccentric family, whose antics persist on disrupting his enthralling natural history escapades on the sunny, pre-package holiday Greek island of 1930s Corfu. Recounted with immense humour and charm, this is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood. Episode 1: Meet the family...plus a few animals. Gerry.....Adam Usden, Adult.....GerryWill Tacey, Mother.....Celia Imrie, Larry.....Toby Jones, Margo.....Anna Kirke, Leslie.....Paul Hunter, Spiro.....Andreas Markos, Dr Androuchelli/Dr Stephanides.....Graeme Hawley, Lugaretzia.....Katia David. Directed in Manchester by Polly Thomas.
6 Sep 12 The Cracks
By Rob Evans. Two worlds collide in a dark drama set in the heart of Soho's gay scene. Michael and David's worlds are about to collide as each wanders Soho on a quest that will change them forever. Cast: Michael......James Anthony Pearson, David..........Liam Brennan, Greg......Paul Thomas Hickey. Director: Kirsty Williams.
7 Sep 12 Pilgrim, series 2, The Lost Hotel
2/4. Pilgrim has to return a changeling child to his rightful father, the King of the Greyfolk. By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. In this latest adventure, Pilgrim has to return a changeling child - Ray Norris - to his rightful father, the King of the Greyfolk. Ray, meanwhile, is beginning to feel the benefits of his faerie lineage, with remarkable success on the stock market. Cast: William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton, Ray ..... Stuart McLoughlin, Croft ..... Sam Alexander, Doris ..... Judy Parfitt , Penny ..... Eliza Caitlin Parkes, Mr Winstanley ..... Iain Batchelor , Jack ..... Sam Dale, Mary ..... Christine Kavanagh , Mr Hazelbury ..... Sean Baker , Legend ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
8 Sep 10 Stopgap
By Julie Mayhew. New graduate Max takes a temp job while on her way to bigger things. She considers her colleague Emma to be a victim of dull office life, but Emma's secret postcards tell a very different story. Emma ..... Liz White, Max...... Claire Harry, Ian..... Iain Batchelor. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer..... Stopgap was recorded on location in the Radio Drama Offices in Bush House. Liz White, who plays Emma, is best known for playing WPC Annie Cartwright in Life on Mars. This is Julie's first play for radio. She grew up in Peterborough, studied Journalism at Bournemouth University and trained as an actress at Drama Studio London. She still acts, mostly for BBC Radio 4 comedy, and her previous jobs include being a radio traffic reporter and a pregnant model. Julie lives in Berkhamsted with her husband and two young sons.
9 Sep 10 What the Bishops Knew
This play fictionally explores an accusation of child abuse by a Catholic Priest in Ireland and how over several decades this was allegedly covered up within the hierarchy of the Church in an attempt to protect its reputation. Mary Dowdall - Brid Brennan, Bob McCabe - Mark Lambert, Barry Glynn - Patrick Fitzsymons, Barry, aged 10 - Peter Gilmore, Fr Brand - Kevin Flood, Monsignor Milligan - Pat Laffan, Professor McGovern - Niall Cusack, Bishop Culleton - Gerard Murphy, Cardinal Finnerty - Des Nealon, Director Eoin O'Callaghan...... Hugh Costello is a screenwriter as well as a radio writer. He is loth to see himself as the scourge of the Catholic Church but his interest in it has lead him to write plays about the Vatican: including Conclave and My Dear Children of the Whole World.
10 Sep 10 What the Nun Discovered
By Harriet O'Carroll. Sr. MaryJo returns home to Ireland after 25 years as a missionary in Uganda, to a disillusioned public and a Church which has lost so much of its moral authority. But with an honesty and simplicity learned in another continent she sets in train a quiet but radical revolution. MaryJo - Marcella Riordan, Fr Paul - Pat Laffan, Sr Frances - Lise-Ann McLaughlin, Sr Agnes - Julia Dearden , Sr Bernadette - Stella McCusker, Cathy - Ali White , The Mayor - Des Nealon. Director Eoin O'Callaghan.
11 Sep 10 Spitfire!
Drama by Mike Walker about the most famous British fighter aircraft in history, marking the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Framed by recollections from veteran Geoffrey Wellum, the play features specially-made recordings of RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfires, including the only Spitfire still flying today to have fought in the Battle. Inspired by real people and real events, the play traces RJ Mitchell's design from creation to legend and the fortunes of two young pilots who join a frontline Spitfire squadron just as the Battle of Britain begins. It stars Samuel West, Samuel Barnett, Rory Kinnear and Ruth Wilson. Many factors were important in the Battle, but it was the excellence of the Spitfire which most famously evened the odds in the fight against the Luftwaffe. Mike Walker's play takes us close to this magnificent aircraft and gives us a feeling of what it was like to fly the legendary plane which became, in test pilot Jeffrey Quill's words, 'a symbol of defiance and victory'. Pirate ..... Rory Kinnear , Ted ..... Joe Coen, RJ Mitchell ..... Samuel West, Tony ..... Samuel Barnett, Stanley Baldwin ..... David Horovitch, Air Marshal Dowding ..... David Troughton, Squadron Commander ..... Stephen Critchlow , Newsreel Announcer ..... Ben Crowe , Sammy ..... Lucas Motion , Alice ..... Abigail Thaw , Daphne ..... Ruth Wilson. Technical Advisor: Patrick Bishop. Original music/sound design: David Chilton Producer/Director: Amber Barnfather. Goldhawk Essential for BBC Radio 4.
12 Sep 10 Classic Serial - My Family and Other Animals
2/2. Gerry's animal collection causes the Christmas party to get out of hand. True story of an upper-class eccentric English family on the sunny, pre-package holiday Greek island of 1930s Corfu. An account of a rare, magical childhood. Gerry.....Adam Usden, Adult.....GerryWill Tacey, Mother.....Celia Imrie, Larry.....Toby Jones, Margo.....Anna Kirke, Leslie.....Paul Hunter, Spiro.....Andreas Markos, Dr Androuchelli/Dr Stephanides.....Graeme Hawley, Lugaretzia.....Katia David. Directed in Manchester by Polly Thomas.
13 Sep 10 Staring into the Fridge
By Annie McCartney. Kitchen comedy staring James Nesbitt as a talking fridge. With two twenty-something children and a dubious boyfriend eating her out of house and home, Maggie, (Annie McCartney) is beginning to lose the will to live. She feels she has no one to talk to or listen. But all that is about to change when she hears a voice speaking to her from the corner of the kitchen. Fridge.....James Nesbitt , Maggie.....Annie McCartney, Flora.....Marcella Riordan, Ben.....Mark Lambert, Xanthe.....Katy Gleadhill, Tom.....Jonathan Harden, Repair man.....Richard Orr. Director: Eoin O'Callaghan.
14 Sep 10 Pilgrim, series 2, The Lady in the Lake
3/4. By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. In search of runaway ward, Freya, Pilgrim goes to Hollisale Well and discovers a small community dedicated to the memory of a woman lured into the water seven years ago by a magical being. Cast: William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton, Freya ..... Rachael Spence , Becker ..... Adeel Akhtar, Gordy ..... Henry Devas, Charity ..... Claire Price, Gudrun ..... Claire Harry , Legend ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Marc Beeby.
15 Sep 10 Pythonesque
By Roy Smiles. The story of Graham Chapman's history with the Monty Python team; how he met and started writing with John Cleese, his rise through the ranks writing The Frost Report, the glory, glory years with the Pythons and his struggle to overcome his considerable drinking demons. And how the collective kindness of Messrs Cleese, Jones, Idle, Palin and Gilliam saved him from oblivion and gave him the lead in the two funniest British films of all time: Monty Python And The Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life Of Brian. Apparently Chapman was recruited into the RAF at birth and flew bombing missions over Germany in a pram; Cleese got into the Footlights by doing a rather peculiar walk; Chapman had to take a test to become an alcoholic; Cleese returned to a pet shop to sing the praises of a recently purchased budgie and Chapman discovered on his last day on earth that Death likes Spam and drives a Ford Anglia. Written by Roy Smiles, Pythonesque is an affectionate tribute to a troubled, brilliant, kind man who was part of the funniest comedy team ever. Cast: Eric Idle/Terry Gilliam ..... James Lance Terry Jones/Michael Palin ..... Matt Addis, John Cleese ..... Mark Oosterveen , Graham Chapman ..... Chris Polick. Producer: Liz Anstee. A CPL Production for BBC Radio 4.
16 Sep 10 Men of Hope
By Paul Watson. Set in the Man of Hope, a pub draped in the ephemera of patriotism, Paul Watson's play 'Men of Hope' explores sensitive male issues, difficult lives and the sexual relationships of its regulars. Gathered together in high expectation of an English World Cup win the mood of the men blackens as our football team are out played by the old enemy, Germany. Interweaving the games intense moments with the emotional drinkers 'Men of Hope' exposes a variety of revealing outbursts from those watching: a culture of hopelessness, an inability to cope with relationships and the everyday needs of being a man. Cast: Dean ..... Barry Aird, Colin ..... Robert Longden, John ..... Peter Benedict, Dave ..... James Allen, Gerry ..... Mark Kempner, Lola ..... Tilly Vosburgh, Andrea ..... Louise Jameson, Julie ..... Jacqui Sharpe , Joe ..... Mike Anfield, Jonathan ..... Michael Fenton Stevens, Gareth ..... Gareth Abel, Wayne ..... Rhys Swinburn, Young Max ..... Matt Field, Older Max ..... Fred Wheadon, Narrator ..... Paul Watson. Producer: Paul Watson. A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
17 Sep 10 Tiny
Quirky comedy by Ben Lewis about a teenager becomes an internet phenomenon. A nervous young man lives at the dead end of a dead-end town. On his eighteenth birthday he comes into his inheritance. With a little help from an old teacher, he finds it equips him to broadcast over the internet. Living in a house where rolling news is a constant presence, he does what comes naturally - he fires up his computer and presents the news. But his news is different. It puts a spring in its audience's step. That is, until his grandma starts to grow suspicious about what this boy is getting up to, nightly in his bedroom. Cast: Boy..........Joshua Jenkins, Grandma.......Julia McKenzie, Sir.......Mark Heap , Grandad......Peter Marinker, Newsreader...Alison Pettitt. Director: Kirsty Williams.
18 Sep 10 Saturday Play The White Man's Burden
A radio adaptation of Paul Theroux's stage play about the young Rudyard Kipling's humiliating final months as an American resident. The great English writer plans to settle in Vermont with his American wife, but a clash with his brother-in-law results in death threats, a court case and public scandal. Will Kipling manage to keep his head when all about are losing theirs? Rudyard Kipling ..... Nicholas Boulton, Carrie Kipling ..... Teresa Gallagher, Beatty Balestier ..... Nathan Osgood, Mary Hackett ..... Sasha Pick, Howard/ Hitt ..... David Rintoul, Conland/ Judge Newton ..... Peter Marinker, Fitts ..... John Guerrasio. Written by Paul Theroux. Adapted and directed by Emma Harding.
19 Sep 10 Classic Serial - The Ladies' Delight
1/2. Dramatised by Carine Adler from a story by Zola. When innocent provincial girl Denise arrives in Paris, she quickly catches the eye of the notorious seducer of women, Octave Mouret. Despite her uncle's disapproval, Denise accepts a job at Mouret's ever expanding department store The Ladies' Delight. NARRATOR ... David Hargreaves , DENISE ... Georgia King, MOURET ... Lee Williams , BOURDONCLE ... Conrad Nelson , BAUDU ... Nicholas Blane , OLD BOURRAS/BARON/VINCARD ... Will Tacey, JEAN/BAUGE ... Stephen Hoyle, DELOCHE/COLOMBAN ... Michael Hugo, MME AURELIE/MME BAUDU ... Clare Beck , MME DESFORGES ... Melissa Jane Sinden , MME MARTY/PAULINE ... Maeve Larkin, CLARA ... Chantelle Dean, GENEVIEVE/MARGUERITTE/MME DE BOVES ... Polly Lister. Written by Emile Zola. Directed by Stefan Escreet. Producer: Charlotte Riches.
20 Sep 10 The Last Tudor
A reality show contestant decides that he has a greater claim to the tHRone than the current Royal Family. This improvised drama, told in a documentary format, charts his rise and fall, in a satire on celebrity, delusion and spin. The story is based on a true story of Anthony Hall, a former policeman who in 1931 started to give public speeches claiming that he was the descendant of an illegitimate son of Henry VIII and therefore the last Tudor. Documents released by the National Archives show that his threats to the Royal Family started to alarm the police and Home Office, and that George V lobbied to have him quietly declared insane and put away without trial. Initially the case of Murray Gray is simply one story in a history documentary about royal pretenders, but as Murray gets more and more successful in the Fame Factor, events, and the documentary, spiral out of control. ....The "documentary" is presented by real life presenter and producer Jolyon Jenkins, who also devised the drama with Abigail Youngman. Murray Gray is played by Jonathan Alden and his girlfriend Chantelle by Nadia Williams. Murray's PR agent Memphis Garfield is played by real life music promoter Conal Dodds.
21 Sep 10 Pilgrim, series 2, Hope Springs
4/4. By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Pilgrim is the most reluctant father of the bride. He struggles to balance the prospect of being the quarry in a savage hunt forever and a day with seeing his daughter Doris condemned to an eternity married to Puck. Cast: William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton, Dexter ..... Lloyd Thomas, Hilda ..... Anna Wing, Doris ..... Judy Parfitt , Puck ..... Jamie Foreman, Mr Hazelbury ..... Sean Baker, Mrs Marsden ..... Leah Brotherhead, Legend ..... Agnes Bateman. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
22 Sep 10 For Ever England
By Tom Green. Now living abroad, Steve discovers his estranged son Matt has been killed serving in Afghanistan. He returns to England anxious to do the right thing. But how do you begin to grieve for a child you never really knew? Steve ..... Gerard Horan, Amber ..... Claire Harry, Holly ..... Tracie Bennett, Karla ..... Alison Pettitt, Jason ..... Carl Rice. Directed by Toby Swift.
23 Sep 10 The Second Mr Bailey
John is a young gay man living in Edinburgh in 1967. Homosexuality is about to be legalised in England, but not in Scotland. When John takes up lodgings with the enigmatic Mrs Margaret Bailey, he begins to experience what life as a conventional straight man could be like. But Margaret is no ordinary house-wife; she's slowly turning John into a replica of her husband. And John's beginning to like it. Haunting drama by Andrew Doyle. Cast: Young John...... Sam Swann, Older John ...... Richard Greenwood, Brian................ Owen Whitelaw, Margaret..... Gerda Stevenson, Hilary........ Gabriel Quigley, Policeman...... James Bryce. Producer: Kirsty Williams. Director: Lu Kemp.
24 Sep 10 We Happened to be Passing
By David Nobbs. It is a quiet Saturday morning in the Hinchcliffe home. Tony and Sal, tired after a week of work, have time on their hands. Then the doorbell rings. It is an American couple - Monty and Janey - a rather loud duo they stayed with in Delaware years ago. They said "If ever you happened to be passing...". Well, the Americans are passing and they have no hotel booked. To Tony's horror Sal invites them to stay..... Older readers may remember that David Nobbs wrote 'Reginald Perrin' many years ago......cast for the radio play as follows: Tony.....James Nickerson, Monty.....Kerry Shale, Jan.....Malcolm Raeburn, Sal.....Olwen May, Hilda.....Maggie Fox, Janey.....Melissa Jane Sinden, Collette.....Szilvi Naray-Davey, Pierre/French Chef.....Hugo Chandor. Directed by Gary Brown.
25 Sep 10 Saturday Play - Walter Now
By David Cook. (R) In November 1982, a Channel 4 launched with "Walter" by David Cook, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Ian McKellen as a man with learning difficulties. 25 years later award-winning writer David Cook brings us up to date with Walter's life in 'Walter Now' and Sir Ian McKellen recreates his extraordinary performance........Walter is now a pensioner. Following the death of his mother Walter spent many years living in a psychiatric hospital. When that was closed down he moved to hostel accommodation where he is isolated and lonely. When his support worker hears of a house share with three others he suggests Walter. But Walter is twice the age of the rest. Will they accept him? Walter.....Ian McKellen, Steph.....Becky Hindley, Mr Herd.....Malcolm Tierney, Mary.....Anna-Marie Heslop, Bernard.....Robert Londsdale, Terry.....Gunnar Cauthery, Tom.....Edmund Davies, Mrs Hall.....Jill Cardo, Boy.....Ceallach Spellman. Director Claire Grove.
26 Sep 10 Classic Serial -The Ladies' Delight
2/2. After her dismissal from The Ladies' Delight, Denise is determined to find other work. Dramatised by Carine Adler, from Zola's love story. Narrator.....David Hargreaves , Denise.....Georgia King, Mouret.....Lee Williams , Bourdoncle.....Conrad Nelson , Baudu.....Nicholas Blane , Old Bourras/Baron/Vincard.....Will Tacey, Jean/Bauge.....Stephen Hoyle, Deloche/Colomban.....Michael Hugo, Mme Aurelie/Mme Baudu.....Clare Beck , Mme Desforges.....Melissa Jane Sinden , Mme Marty/Pauline.....Maeve Larkin, Clara.....Chantelle Dean, Genevieve/Margueritte/Mme Boves.....Polly Lister. Written by Emile Zola. Adapted by Carine Adler. Directed by Stefan Escreet. Producer: Charlotte Riches.
27 Sep 10 The Conspiracy of the Illuminati
Historical mystery by Nigel Baldwin, proposing occult origins for the French Revolution. Cast: Simone Felix ..... Siobhan Redmond, Marcel Laroche ..... Sean Baker , The Advocate ..... John Dougall , Emile Fleury ..... Iain Batchelor , The Apothecary ..... Tony Bell , The General ..... Henry Devas , Woman ..... Claire Harry. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
28 Sep 10 On The Field: On Leave
Annie Caulfield's comedy drama returns with a third episode in the On The Field series. Mahmoud the barber has exchanged Basra for Istanbul where his old friend Sergeant - now Captain - Billy has ended up as Miltary Attache. After witnessing a traumatic attack on duty in Kabul, squaddies Kev and Damon opt for a bit of escapism. Damon fancies himself as a secret agent and is obsessed with James Bond. He persuades his mate to join him in visiting Istanbul's famous "From Russia With Love" film locations. First stop: Electra King's house. Cast: Mahmoud.....Paul Chahidi , Billy.....Paul Mundell , Kev.....Carl Prekopp, Damon.....Osi Okerafor, Yusuf.....Sal Osbay, Inspector Guler.....Hakan Silahsiz, Director: Mary Ward Lowery.
29 Sep 10 Stone: The Deserved Dead
1/3. DCI John Stone and his team investigate a brutal murder. Detective series created and written by Danny Brocklehurst. DCI John Stone and his team shake up the Bridgeton Estate when they embark upon an investigation into the brutal murder of a known sex offender. Stone must act quickly when he realises that someone is taking it upon themselves to clean up the Estate. Stone.....Hugo Speer, Tanner.....Craig Cheetham, Sue.....Deborah McAndrew, Fisher.....Conrad Nelson, McCaffrey.....Russell Dixon, Sweet.....William Ash, Morrison.....Warren Brown, Aaron.....Tachia Newall, Ken.....Terence Mann. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
30 Sep 10 A Nice Little Holiday
By Sarah Wooley.1961. The South of France. On holiday with his mistress, Jocelyn Rickards, John Osborne has embarked on a passionate affair with his future third wife while, in London, Osborne's current wife gives birth to a son. From the idyllic French farmhouse, Osborne penned his infamous 'Damn you, England' letter which caused such a furore back home that they found themselves under siege and their nice little holiday turned into a nightmare -with Osborne only just escaping alive. Jocelyn Rickards ... Tracy Wiles, John Osborne ... Robin Laing, Tony Richardson ... Tobias Menzies, Christopher Isherwood .. Richard Greenwood, Don Bachardy ... James Anthony Pearson, Major ... Matthew Zajac. Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane.
1 Oct 10 Owls
A fictional story written and narrated by Paul Evans and based on an island legend about a brother and sister who were bound by a wish sworn on a barn owl feather, which in turn became a curse that proved fatal. Recorded on location in Scotland; isolation, human desire and the supernatural are explored in this unsettling drama about the relationship between hope and desire, Man and Nature. Old man / young boy .. Jimmy Yuill / David McLellan, Old sister / young girl .. Alyth McCormack / Michaela Sweeney, WILDLIFE SOUND RECORDIST: Chris Watson, SOUND ENGINEER : Michael Burgess, PRODUCER / DIRECTOR: Sarah Blunt.
2 Oct 10 Saturday Play -The Kane Conspriacy
By Jonathan Holloway. In 1941 Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane, now regularly voted top in critics' and audience polls, picked up nine Oscar nominations and was already being spoken of as a work of genius. But there were powerful forces lobbying hard against it, not least among them William Randolph Hearst, the media mogul on whom the story is based, and FBI supremo J Edgar Hoover. The characters in the drama are real people; only the character of Agent Wood is imagined, although he is based on a documented but shadowy figure mentioned in the FBI archives. And it is Wood who finally confronts Welles with the uncomfortable truth about the film: in hijacking Hearst's life for Citizen Kane, Welles has replaced it with his own. Orson Welles.........Jeff Harding, J. Edgar Hoover........Toby Jones, Herman Mankiewicz.....John Guerrasio, William Randolph Hearst...Peter Marinker, George Schaefer.......Garrick Hagon, Agent Wood..........Val Jobara, Radio Interviewer.......Paul Mundell. Producer: Sara Davies.
3 Oct 10 Classic Serial - Goodbye to Berlin
1/2. Isherwood's dramatic eyewitness account of Berlin in the early 30s, from the book which inspired the film 'Cabaret'. Dramatized by Tina Pepler. Living in Berlin as a young man, Isherwood encountered a range of vibrant characters both ordinary and extraordinary whose daily lives reflect a city and its people at a very particular time in history. He observed at first hand how ordinary people, at every level of society, became sucked into the new era of Hitler and his kind. Recorded on location in East Berlin, the play has a documentary feel which vividly evokes the feel of the city and the lives of its inhabitants as the Nazi party slowly gains credence and ultimate power in the early 1930s. Cast: Christopher Isherwood ..... James Norton , Natalia Landauer ..... Nicola Schoessler , Fraulein Schroder/Sally Bowles ..... Leslie Malton, Fraulein Mayr ..... Julia Reznik, Herr Landauer ..... Matthias Horn , Bernhard Landauer ..... Andre Kaczmarczyk , Otto Nowak ..... Tilmar Kuhn. Sound design: Eloise Whitmore. Pianist: Paulette Marla Schmidt. Producer/Director: Polly Thomas. A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.
4 Oct 10 Mandrake
By Anita Sullivan. Irene, an old woman, threatens her new neighbour with a scythe when he suggests cutting down a tree which is on his land. Irene claims that her husband is buried under the tree, but the tree is around a hundred years old. Ruth, a social worker is called in to assess Irene's mental health and ability to look after herself. But as she gets to know Irene she is drawn into a strange and magical tale that will change her life forever. Cast: Irene ..... Sara Kestelman Ruth ......Martina Laird Poppy .......Kate Aspinall Aiden ..... Hugh Ross Nick ...... Nicholas Boulton Written and directed by Anita Sullivan Music by Sara Harrison Producer: Karen Rose A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
5 Oct 10 The Pursuit
By Matt Hartley. When a road accident ends in tragedy, the police officer involved sets out to discover who was to blame. But is he prepared to accept the findings? Paul . . . . . Don Gilet, Clare . . . . . Claire Price, Simon . . . . . Adeel Akhtar, Cormac . . . . . Sean Baker, Alison . . . . . Sally Orrock, Thomas . . . . . Rielly Newbold. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
6 Oct 10 Stone, Collateral Damage
2/4. Series created by Danny Brocklehurst. Written by Martin Jameson. Stone is forced to open up an investigation into the death of Gary Taylor, a veteran of the Iraq War suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The theory that he died from a self-inflicted drug overdose is turned on its head when one of his ex-army mates accuses Gary's grieving widow of having murdered him. Stone.....Hugo Speer, Sue.....Deborah McAndrew, Tanner.....Craig Cheetham, Copsey.....Paul Oldham, Carol.....Becky Hindley, Lisa.....Suranne Jones, Jason.....Johann Myers, Steve.....Andrew Westfield, Waleria.....Vivienne Harvey. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
7 Oct 10 Visitors
Peter Tinniswoood's final (never-performed) play, written just before his death in 2003. Set on a misty Thames embankment over the course of several evenings, the play recounts the meetings of two hospital "visitors", Shacklock and the much younger Stella, whose relationship - strange, erotic and yet seemingly entirely innocent, is the bedrock of this hauntingly sad and beautiful drama about the shortness of life and the frailty of love. We are in archetypal Tinniswood territory, where nothing is straightforward, where words take on a surreal existence of their own. Our two characters' lives, while providing humour and some sexual frisson, are essentially brief and unfulfilling. Cast: Shacklock ..... Roy Hudd , Stella ..... Emma Fielding, Music ..... David Chilton, Abridger ..... Liz Goulding, Producer ..... Gordon House.
8 Oct 10 Maidens' Trip
Lively WWII drama. First published in 1948, this adaptation of Emma Smith's fictionalised memoir opens in 1943 and relates the adventures of three eighteen-year-old girls who'd signed on with the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company to replace workers drafted overseas. Cast: Tilly.......... Greta Scacchi, Emma...... Emily Wachter, Charity..... Emerald O'Hanrahan, Nanette.... Georgia Groome, Wilfred..... Rufus Wright, Mr Silver... Sean Baker , Eli Silver... Lloyd Thomas. Director.... Kirsteen Cameron.
9 Oct 10 Theremin
Leon Theremin, inventor and reluctant spy, is forced to find a way to bug the US Embassy in London. Now he has to save himself and his former lover from both the CIA and the KGB. Theremin: Tom Hollander, Alex: Kate Ashfield, Olga: Ania Sowinski, Will: Trystan Gravelle, Sergei/Ambassador: Stephen Critchlow, Boss: Malcolm Tierney, Ambassador's wife/Waitress: Janice Acquah , Bart: Jonathan Tafler , News seller/Man 2: Chris Pavlo , Bellboy/Man 1: Dan Starkey. Directed by Marc Beeby.
10 Oct 10 Classic Serial - Goodbye to Berlin
2/2. 1931 and Berlin is changing fast. Isherwood finds his old friends struggling with the hardships of poverty and the new restrictions that the Nazis impose on society. Cast: Christopher Isherwood ..... James Norton , Natalia Landauer ..... Nicola Schoessler , Fraulein Schroder/Sally Bowles ..... Leslie Malton, Fraulein Mayr ..... Julia Reznik , Herr Landauer ..... Matthias Horn , Bernhard Landauer ..... Andre Kaczmarczyk , Otto Nowak ..... Tilmar Kuhn. Sound design: Eloise Whitmore. Pianist: Paulette Marla Schmidt. Contributions from Peter Leonhard Braun and Radio Berlin-Brandenburg. Producer/Director: Polly Thomas. A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.
11 Oct 10 Till Jihad do us Part
By Shai Hussain; his first drama for radio 4. Meena is not an over-observant Muslim. She enjoys bacon butties, gets a little tipsy from time to time and has had her fair share of boyfriends. But she's nearly 30 and the pressure is on to settle down. With her mother demanding grandchildren and her younger sister's wedding looming, she decides it's time to tone down the partying and a find a good steady man. Enter Sarwar, charming, mysterious, sophisticated and newly arrived from Kashmir. Cast: Meena Khatoon ..... Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi , Sarwar Hussain ..... Sagar Arya , Mrs Khatoon .... Nina Wadia , Jamil ..... Perveen Hussain , Kaleem .... Kulvinder Ghir , Frederick ..... Conor Alexander. Sound design by Eloise Whitmore. Producer: Melanie Harris. A Crosslab Production for BBC Radio 4.
12 Oct 10 Swings and Roundabouts
By Dana Fainaru and James O'Neill. Comedy drama about first-time parenthood. Abi has been taken hostage - by her baby. But neither her husband nor the other shell-shocked parents in the playground seem to have noticed. Abi ..... Lucy Liemann, David ..... Mark Bonnar, Niamh/Lucy ..... Tessa Nicholson, Eleanor ..... Tina Gray, Julie ..... Christine Kavanagh, Sam ..... Leah Brotherhead, Jordan ..... Lloyd Thomas, Peter ..... Tony Bell. Directed by Abigail le Fleming.
13 Oct 10 Stone, The Bridge
3/4. Detective series created by Danny Brocklehurst. Written by Cath Staincliffe. When university student Matt falls to his death from a railway bridge DCI Stone and his team embark on a murder investigation. Matt's best friend Liam and ex-girlfriend Holly are distraught. But when Liam's flat is set on fire and he subsequently goes missing, Stone if forced to consider whether these events might be linked. Stone.....Hugo Speer, Sue.....Deborah McAndrew, Tanner.....Craig Cheetham, Alan.....David Fleeshman, Liam.....Oliver Lee, Holly.....Jemima ....? Varney.....Nick Moss. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
14 Oct 10 This Repulsive Woman
(R) By Christopher Reason. The first of two linked dramas about a fictional high profile court case. Deborah Hurst has been tried and convicted of an offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978. For the general public, hanging would be too good for her. She is awaiting sentence and is now considered the most notorious woman in the country. In this real-time drama a probation officer conducts his assessment of 'This Repulsive Woman'. Deborah Hurst.....Maxine Peake, Tony Jukes.....Neil Dudgeon, Directed by Stefan Escreet.
15 Oct 10 Every Child Matters
By Christopher Reason. The second linked drama dealing with the fall out of the case of Debbie Hurst who was vilified as the most repulsive woman in Britain for allowing her ten year old daughter to dance semi-naked on the internet for paedophiles. It is six months since the case exploded on to the red tops and Joanne was the social worker who took the flak. She feels as though she was hung out to dry and wants to know why. Joanne.....Sarah Lancashire, David.....George Costigan, Producer Gary Brown.
16 Oct 10 Saturday Play - Utz
By Bruce Chatwin. A British academic travels to 1960s Prague to research the art collection of Rudolf II. A historian friend introduces him to the eccentric and utterly dogged porcelain collector, Kaspar Joachim Utz. From this encounter an extraordinary story of obsession and survival emerges: for Utz has protected his vast collection of Meissen figurines from Nazis, Stalinist ideologues and the demands of Communist museum curators. After the Soviet invasion of 1968, all contact between the men ceases and Utz dies. In the last part of the play, our narrator returns to Prague in the late 1980s- as the Communist system is in its death-throes- to learn what became of Utz's collection. Cast: Utz/Janitor ..... Jack Klaff, Marta ..... Pam Ferris , Dr Orlik/Curator ..... Sam Kelly , Narrator ..... Daniel Weyman , Oxford Don/Man/ Head Waiter ..... Gregory Norminton , Elena/Teresa Kryl ..... Michaela Stonisova , Ana/Photographer ..... Dolya Gavanski. Producer: Marilyn Imrie. A Corporation for Independent Media production for BBC Radio 4.
17 Oct 10 Classic Serial - Moby Dick
1/2. By Herman Melville, dramatised by Stef Penney, author of The Tenderness of Wolves. Moby Dick is a story, she says, that gets its hooks into you, even though it's one of the strangest books you'll ever read. It has very little narrative, no character development to speak of, and there's no dramatic conflict for over five hundred pages. And yet it's completely compelling, like a fevered dream or a horror film. Captain Ahab is all our darknesses personified; not an evil figure, but a decent, intelligent, could-have-been-ordinary man who gives in to the tyranny of an obsessive dream, or in this case, nightmare. Ishmael ..... Trevor White, Young Ishmael ..... PJ Brennan, Captain Ahab ..... Garrick Hagon, Peter Coffin ..... Howell Evans, Queequeg ..... Sani Muliaumaseali'i, Peleg ..... Mark Meadows, Elijahh/Captain Mayhew ..... Dorian Thomas, Starbuck ..... Richard Laing, Stubb ..... Simon Lee Phillips, Archy ..... Adam Redmayne, Daggoo ..... Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Specially composed music by Stuart Gordon. Directed at BBC/Cymru Wales by Kate McAll.
18 Oct 10 Wind, Sand and Stars
The autobiographical tale of Antoine de Exupery's plane crash in the Libyan desert in 1936 and his miraculous survival, dramatised by Rod Wooden. When Antoine his co-pilot crash in the Libyan Desert while attempting to break the record for the Paris-Saigon flight in 1936 the odds are stacked against them. Miraculously they survive the impact - and while the plane doesn't catch fire or explode the fuel and water tanks are ruptured and supplies are only minimal. With only half a litre of coffee, a little white wine, a few grapes and an orange they only know they are stranded somewhere in a square of inhospitable desert whose sides measure 400km. Exupery ..... Paul Rhys, Prevot ..... Adeel Akhtar, Bedouin ..... Sean Baker. Director: David Hunter.
19 Oct 10 My Own Private Gondolier
In Bethan Roberts' first play for radio, Peggy Guggenheim's troubled daughter, Pegeen, leaves her three children behind when she travels to Venice to spend the summer with her mother. Pegeen is in retreat from a marriage that has failed. She is determined to be an artist, and she shuts herself up in the dank basement, trying to paint. Peggy Guggenheim..Fiona Shaw, Pegeen HÃ(c)lion.........Hattie Morahan, Jack Vernon............Brendan Charleson, Gianni.....................Francois Pandolfo, Nurse......................Laurel Lefkow. The music is Vedro con mio diletto from Vivaldi's Giustino, sung by Philippe Jaroussky. Producer: Kate McAll, BBC Cymru Wales.
20 Oct 10 Stone, The Night
4/4.Detective series created by Danny Brocklehurst. Written by James Rye. DCI John Stone investigates the sexual assault of the wife of one of his team and uncovers a dark secret. Stone.....Hugo Speer, Tanner.....Craig Cheetham, Sue.....Deborah McAndrew, Karen.....Kaye Wragg, Louisa.....Eva Pope, Gould.....Greg Wood, Sammy.....Kevin Harvey. Directed by Nadia Molinari.
21 Oct 10 Ivan and the Dogs
By Hattie Naylor. (R) Of all the (true) stories which came out of Russia during perestroika this is one of the strangest. Ivan Mishukov walked out of his drunken, arguing parents flat aged 4 and went to live on the streets of Moscow. There he was adopted by a pack of wild dogs and with them he spent two winters on the streets. When the play begins Ivan is now 11 and has never told anyone of his time with the dogs until one night his foster mother promises another dog if he will tell his story.......The story takes us though the backstreets of Moscow at a time when the idea of life itself was being devalued and where we meet glue-sniffing children who fight for their territory in underground sewers and drunks who will freeze to death in the winter. Amidst this human catastrophe Ivan learns that only his dogs can really be trusted and embarks on an extraordinary relationship of mutual need. Credits: Ivan: Tom Glenister, Cellist: Sarah Moody. Producer/Director: Paul Dodgson. A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
22 Oct 10 The Road Wife By Eoin McNamee. Edward Coyle is a truck driver. Delivering a cargo of fish on a new route in Ireland he comes across a woman who lives her life and makes her living on the road, moving from one truck to another. The Road Wife. Cast includes STUART GRAHAM (Hunger, Omagh), SU-LIN LOOI (Bugs, Holby), ALISON MCKENNA (The Actors, The Ambassador), GERARD MCSORLEY (Veronica Guerin, The Constant Gardener, Omagh) and SAMANTHA HEANEY (soon to be seen in Pumpgirl, 2009)
23 Oct 10 Saturday Play - Beat the Dog in His Own Kennel
By Gary Brown. In recently released secret documents it was revealed there was a plot initiated in the Middle East to kill the British Foreign Secretary just after the Second World War. In this fictionalised account, East End market trader Harry becomes caught up in these events and quickly finds himself out of his depth as he comes under the spell of a mysterious visitor from Palestine. Harry - Jonathan Tafler, Dov - Richard Katz, Thompson - Robert Lister, Sarah - Amy Shindler, Joey - Dan Crow, Avi - Stephen Greif, Len - Ben Crowe. DirectorPeter Leslie Wild.
24 Oct 10 Classic Serial - Moby Dick
2/2. Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of the white whale reaches its tragic climax. Cast: Ishmael ..... Trevor White, Young Ishmael ..... PJ Brennan, Captain Ahab ..... Garrick Hagon, Peter Coffin ..... Howell Evans, Queequeg ..... Sani Muliaumaseali'i, Captain Boomer ..... Mark Meadows, Captain Mayhew ..... Dorian Thomas, Starbuck/Gabriel ..... Richard Laing, Stubb ..... Simon Lee Phillips, Archy ..... Adam Redmayne, Daggoo ..... Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Specially composed music by Stuart Gordon. Produced and Directed at BBC/Cymru Wales by Kate McAll.
25 Oct 10 Number 10
1/5. Jonathan Myerson's political drama set at the heart of Downing Street. Simon Laity- the new Tory PM - is trying to enforce across-the-board spending cuts but his ministers have all gone native. Then it's leaked that he has commissioned a report which calculates the gain to be made by slashing the armed services budget in half. And then there's a British woman now married to a suspected senior Al-Qaeda terrorist who has just entered the country. She turns out to be here for an NHS kidney transplant. The hospital goes on strike. Cast: Simon Laity ..... Damian Lewis, Connie ..... Haydn Gwynne, Nathan ..... Mike Sengelow, Hugo ..... Julian Glover, Amjad ..... Arsher Ali, Lord Copple ..... Ruper Vansittart, Coffee Exec ..... Grant Gillespie, Staff Nurse Melford ..... Rebecca Saire, Zamyad ...... Ayman Hamdouchi. Producer/Director: Clive Brill. A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
26 Oct 10 The Climb
By Andrea Earl. Frankie, John and Bud are ready. But this is not a mountain, nor a great hill they are preparing to climb tonight - it's Blackpool Tower. Frankie has Down's syndrome, John is blind and Bud is only 3'6". It was Frankie's idea as he wants to follow in the footsteps of his hero Sherpa Tensing. The men are forced to pull together as a team in a race against time in an attempt to reach the top as the police try to intercept them. Frankie ........... Tommy Jessop, Bud ........... Warwick Davis, John ....... Liam O'Carroll, Frankie's Mum ......Olwen May, Policeman ........ Gerard Fletcher. Producer/Director - Pauline Harris
27 Oct 10 Severed Threads, God's Clothing Firm
1/3. By John Dryden. Three lives on three continents connected by one event... Jim Nostrand, proprietor of Cheap Threads, a church-owned clothing firm in Minnesota, becomes the scapegoat when news-reports implicate the company in a child-labour scandal. Four thousand miles away, in a boarding school in the British countryside, troubled twelve-year-old loner Ben, seems obsessed with school-shootings and vengeance. In India, British/Asian journalist Prem Sharma is making a radio documentary for the BBC about children working in factories. But after rescuing a young boy and taking him back to his village, the reception he gets there is not what he expected. Over three episodes, these three stories interweave and revolve around each other revealing connections and layers as they build to one climatic resolution. Cast: Jim ..... Brian d'Arcy James, Prem ..... Ameet Chana, Ben ..... Hugo Docking. US Cast: Ruth ..... Marsha Dietlein, Faith ..... Amanda Scot Ellis, Pastor McGiven ..... Tom Tammi, Kyle ..... Matt Bennett, Sheila ..... Janet Foster, News Anchor ..... John Leonard Thompson, Billy ..... Jacob Knoll, Harry ..... Craig Bockhorn, Casey/Waitress ..... Felicity Jones, Prison Priest ..... Miles Chapin. India Cast: Rahul ..... Ankur Vikal, Amit .....Vijay Yadav, Amit's mother ..... Ayesha Raza, Amit's brother ..... Sagar Shinde, Welfare Officers ..... Veruschka Menon, Pushan Kripalani, Dr Khunna ...... Shaikh Sami Usman , Factory Owner ..... Kenneth Desai, Factory Workers ..... Rupa Kasbe, Jyoti Reddy, Shabana Sheikh, Rita John, Neeta Chavan, Eisy T. John, Pramod Yedke and children from the Akanksa Foundation, Mumbai. UK Cast: Fiona .... Natasha Little, Timms ..... Henry Goodman, Elgood ..... Francois Testory, Jones ..... Gethin Anthony, Psychologist ..... Kate Fitzgerald, Travel Agent ..... Joanne Ferguson, Heyward ..... Daniel Bridle, Boy .....Callum Francis. Production Team: India Line Producer ..... Nadir Khan, Assistant Director ..... Tasneem Fatehi, India Sound ..... Ayush Ahuja. US Producer ..... David Rapkin, US Line Producer ..... Kim Moarefi, US Casting ..... Janet Foster, US Sound ..... Frederick Greenhaigh. UK Broadcast Assistant ..... Sarah Tombling, UK Production Assistant ..... Lucy Howe, Music ..... Sacha Puttnam. Written and Directed by John Dryden. A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
28 Oct 10 Severed Threads: If Thy Hand Offend Thee
2/3. Three lives on three continents connected by one event.
29 Oct 10 Severed Threads: The Reckoning
3/3. Three lives on three continents connected by one event.
30 Oct 10 Saturday Play: The Vanishing
Tim Krabbe's novella dramatised by Oliver Emanuel. Rex and Saskia stop at a petrol station. Saskia goes in to buy drinks and is never seen again. A chilling love story that takes us to the heart of the perfect crime. Cast: Rex ... Samuel West , Saskia ... Melody Grove, Lieneke ... Ruth Gemmell , Lemorne ... Liam Brennan, Denise...Natasha Watson, Cashier/Woman ... Claire Knight, Jean-Pierre Gallo/Manager ... Robin Laing. Directed by Kirsty Williams.
31 Oct 10 Classic Serial - The Ramayana
1/2. The ancient Indian epic The Ramayana is one of the world's most popular love stories. The separation and reunion of two lovers gives it perennial appeal but Rama's jealousy and Sita 's metamorphosis into a strong independent woman gives the story a contemporary feel. Rama is an interestingly flawed character, driven by powerful emotions in a world where monkeys can be gods, and gods can be as fallible as humans. Amber Lone's modern version dramatisation is scheduled to coincide with Divali, the festival of Lights, which celebrates Rama and Sita's return to their kingdom. Sita...Manjinder Virk, Rama...Lloyd Thomas, Lakshman...Adeel Aktar, Ravan...Paul Bhattacharjee, Surparnaka...Sasha Behar, Dasarath...Jude Akuwudike, Sister...Deeivya Meir, Bharat...Saikat Ahamed. Music composed by Niraj Chag. Directed by Claire Grove.
1 Nov 10 Number 10
2/5. The PM has to fight it out with the Sheriff of Essex. Written by Jonathan Myerson. A leaked consultation document has the PM suggesting the armed forces budget should be cut in half. The Chief of General Staff declares war on the PM. Cast: PM (Simon Laity) .....Damian Lewis, Nathan ..... Mike Sengelow, Hugo ..... Julian Glover, Georgie ..... Gina Mckee, Amjad ..... Arsher Ali, Whitman ..... Christian Rodska, Alan ..... John Hollingworth, Sally Tyler..... Jane Slavin, Sheriff ..... Hannah Waddingham, Whitecross ..... Theo Fraser Steele, Thief ..... Harry Smith, Journalists ..... Theo Fraser Steele, Kate Gilbert, Kate Lamb. Produced and Directed by Clive Brill. A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
2 Nov 10 Setting a Glass
Mike is summoned to a hospital where his elderly mother is fading away. He arrives in the middle of the night and is unable to sit with her; he walks through empty corridors looking for a coffee machine. He gets talking to an auxiliary nurse, a disgruntled but determined young woman whose life is starting, just as his mother's is ending. As he tells this complete stranger about his mother's uneventful life, her small achievements, he comes to understand some of the mechanisms at play in his strange inability to sit by her. Mike ..... James Fleet, Ellie ..... Hannah Pierce. Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
3 Nov 10 Miss St Andrews
By Mike Bartlett. Old grudges resurface as Miss St Andrews 1961 meets her old rival 50 years on. Cast: Young Robert ...... Joe McFadden, Jenny ...... Ellie Haddington, Young Jenny ...... Tracy Wiles, Robert ...... Tom Mannion, Judy ...... Sandy Walsh, Holly ...... Caroline Guthrie. Directed by Claire Grove.
4 Nov 10 Boniface and Me
By Gillian Plowman. A recently divorced woman begins to write to an African child she met on a trip to Zimbabwe. Soon, she is corresponding with several children and their grateful headmaster. In a series of beautifully observed and accurately captured letters, she finds more love, support and wisdom from their friendship than she does from her own materialistic and egregious offspring. Cast: Nell Porter ..... Harriet Walter, Boniface Katambo ..... Jude Akuwudike, Enock ..... Tonderai Munyevu, Tawanda ..... Denver Issac, Wilson ..... Denton Chikura, Portia ..... Diane Findlay, Pertunia ..... Gracy Goldman. Director: Annie Castledine Producer: Catherine Bailey. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
5 Nov 10 Gracey and Me
Kate returns to South Africa to meet Gracey, the woman she betrayed twenty-five years ago when she was a ten year old staying with her godparents in a luxury suburb of Johannesburg during the height of apartheid. The repercussions of that betrayal have profoundly affected both women, psychologically and physically. The play takes Kate on a journey into her past. She has hired a private detective to track down Gracey who she betrayed as a child. She meets him in Johannesburg and they set out to find her. Kate ..... Harriet Walter, Gracey ..... Jenny Jules, Peter van Tonder ..... Henry Goodman, Katie ..... Lauren Mote, Beauty ..... Lakechia Jeanne, Godmother ..... Hannah Boyde, Stanley ..... Denton Chikura. Directed by Annie Castledine. Producer: Catherine Bailey. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
6 Nov 10 Saturday Play - Five Days in May
Written by Matthew Solon. Play telling the story of the tense negotiation that followed the 2010 general election leading to the country's first post-war coalition. Based on interviews with those who were at the meetings, political journalists and on published material - and using actors to play all the key characters - this is a compelling account of those five momentous days in May. Under extreme pressure and suffering from lack of sleep, the politicians argued and negotiated. There was nothing inevitable about a Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition. Revealing key moments of the negotiations, the drama unpicks what went on behind closed doors and shows how an alliance between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat gradually formed, and how it withstood the resignation of Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister who all but bankrupted the nation. Cast: David Cameron ..... Samuel West, Nick Clegg ..... Nicholas Boulton, Gordon Brown ..... Gerard Kelly, Peter Mandelson ..... Henry Goodman, Ed Balls ..... John Sessions, William Hague ..... Philip Jackson, Douglas Alexander ..... Emun Elliot, David Laws ..... Anthony Calf, Chris Huhne ..... Rupert Frazer, George Osborne ..... Ian Hughes. Other parts are played by Charlotte Longfield, Wilf Gilmour and members of the cast. Producer/Director: John Dryden A Goldhawk Essential Production for BBC Radio 4.
7 Nov 10 Classic Serial - The Ramayana
2/2. Sita has been abducted by a ruthless warlord. Rama attempts to rescue her. Sita...Manjinder Virk, Rama...Lloyd Thomas, Lakshman...Adeel Aktar, Ravan...Paul Bhattacharjee, Surparnaka...Sasha Behar, Hanuman...Kulvinder Ghir, Sugreeva...Jude Akuwudike, Mandodari...Deeivya Meir, Kush...Omar Kent, Lava...Neil Reynolds. Music composed by Niraj Chag. Directed by Claire Grove.
8 Nov 11 Number 10
3/5. Written by Jonathan Myerson. The PM has recalled Hugo - his secret task is to open negotiations with the Lib Dems to form a permanent alliance. Hugo isn't keen. Meanwhile the Scottish Parliament is bringing in a ban on burqas and Number 10 wants the Prince of Wales to soften the blow by bringing Islam into his all-Faith Conference. But a Muslim millionaire announces he will pay all anti-burqa fines. And Nathan is proposing a universal DNA database.. Cast: PM (Simon Laity) .....Damian Lewis, Nathan ..... Mike Sengelow, Connie ..... Haydn Gwynne, Hugo ..... Julian Glover, Georgie ..... Gina Mckee, Amjad ..... Arsher Ali, Sir Giles/Mahmoud ..... Nick Woodeson, Lord Marris ..... Nigel Cooke, Home Secretary ..... Mathew Marsh, Sally Tyler ..... Jane Slavin, Princess Eleanor ..... Beth Cooke, Student ..... Helena Rice, Journalists ..... Theo Fraser Steele, Kate Gilbert, Kate Lamb. Produced and Directed by Clive Brill. A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
9 Nov 10 The Thali Revolution
Bettina Gracias's play The Thali Revolution focuses on India in the late 1970s. The local women are finding it harder and harder to feed their families. The country is rife with food shortages, financial difficulty and civil unrest. Young mother, Gurinder, is desperate to provide for her children and argues nightly with her husband who is unable to find work. Taking a stand against the government feels like the only option open to her. Gurinder decides to stand outside her house banging her thali dish in protest and before long, all the women in her village are doing the same. Meanwhile, the leader of the country, Indira Gandhi, is getting more and more desperate too: she's losing support within congress, wondering how she can win back her opposition and her country's support. She's beginning to hear thali tins banging in her head at night. Cast details: Gurinder- Goldy Notay, Haresh- Saikat Ahamed , Paravati- Vineeta Rishi, Indira Gandhi- Shaheen Khan, Sanjay Gandhi- Christopher Simpson. Other roles are played by Adeel Akhtar and Deeivya Meir. Directed and produced by Lucy Collingwood.
10 Nov 10 The Trenches Trip
In Jonathan Smith's new play unexpected conflicts emerge within a group of teachers and sixth-formers as they walk through the WWI trenches, tunnels and cemeteries of Flanders, trying to step into the boots of those who died there. Martin .....Christian Rodska, Nick.....Max Dowler, Laura.....Tamzin Merchant, Rachel.....Leah Brotherhead, Connor.....Pip Carter, Ollie.....Sam Swann, Terry.....Tony Bell. Producer/director: Bruce Young.
11Nov 10 The Man Who Jumped From Space The real life story of Captain Joe Kittinger and Project Excelsior. As jet planes flew higher and faster in the 1950s, the USAF became increasingly worried about the safety of flight crew who had to eject at high altitude. So Project Excelsior was initiated to perfect a parachute system that would allow a safe, controlled descent after a high-altitude ejection. Francis Beaupre, a technician at Wright Field, Ohio (today Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), devised a multi-stage parachute system to facilitate manned tests. To test the system, staff at Wright Field built a 200 ft high helium balloon with a capacity of nearly 3 million cubic feet (85,000 m³) which could lift an open gondola plus pilot into the stratosphere. Joe Kittinger, who was test director for the project, made three ascents and test jumps. This is the story of the three jumps. Joe Kittinger.....Simon Lee Phillips, Beau.....David Fleeshman, Stapp.....Garrick Hagon, Bobby.....Kerry Shale, Grubitz.....Andrew Westfield, Technician.....Hamilton Berstock. Producer Gary Brown.
12 Nov 10 Women of an Uncertain Age
By Rony Robinson and Sally Goldsmith. When a mutual friend dies, Clare, Heather and Kat throw caution to the winds and pursue what they really want in their middle age, as opposed to what they think they should want. A funny, touching play about what it is really like to survive the menopause. Cast: Heather ..Deborah Findlay, Clare...Alwyne Taylor, Kat ..Gaynor Faye, Clare's Mother..June Broughton, Greg...Chris Jack. Piano played by Paul Janes. Producer Pauline Harris. Director Polly Thomas.
13 Nov 10 Saturday Play - And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie's famous detective story without a detective, adapted by Joy Wilkinson. Ten guests are separately invited to an island by a person none of them knows very well, if at-all. When they arrive, it seems they have all been invited for different reasons. Nothing quite adds up. An anonymous voice accuses each of them of having murdered someone. By the end of the first night, one of the guests is dead. Who is the killer? Is it one of them? Cast in order of appearance: Vera Claythorne ..... Lyndsey Marshal, Cyril ..... Harry Child, Captain Lombard ..... Alex Wyndham, Emily Brent ..... Joanna Monro, Dr. Armstrong ..... Sean Baker, Mr. Justice Wargrave .... Geoffrey Whitehead, Anthony Marston ..... Lloyd Thomas, Mr. Blore ..... Sam Dale, Narracott ..... Adeel Akhtar, General Macarthur ..... John Rowe, Mr. Rogers ..... Wayne Foskett, Mrs. Rogers ..... Sally Orrock, Hugo ..... Henry Devas, Gramophone Voice ..... Jude Akuwudike. Directed by Mary Peate.
14 Nov 10 Classic Serial - Alone in Berlin 1/2. From the Novel by Hans Fallada. Dramatised for radio by Shelagh Stephenson. Primo Levi's declaration that Alone in Berlin is "the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis" is bold and unequivocal. English readers have had to wait 60 years to explore the 1947 novel in which Otto Quangel, a factory foreman (Ron Cook) and his wife Anna (Margot Leicester) believe themselves morally obliged to take on the full might of the Nazis. When their son is killed "for Fuhrer and Fatherland", the Quangels begin to write anonymous postcards, denouncing the war and the regime, and leave them on the stairwells of public buildings in Berlin. Over two years, the cards become their life. Alone in Berlin is a grim but heroic story told with laconic determination by a man who lived through the war in Berlin. It is about the quiet moral triumph of a seemingly inconsequential couple. Cast: Otto Quangel ..... Ron Cook, Anna Quangel ..... Margot Leicester, Escherich ..... Tim McInnerny, Trudel Bauman ..... Jasmine Hyde, Eva Kluge ..... Christine Kavanagh, Enno Kluge ..... Ian Bartholomew, Emil Borkhausen ..... Richard McCabe, Frau Rosenthal ..... Joanna Munroe, Inspector Rusch ..... John McAndrew, Judge Fromm ..... Andrew Sachs, Inspector Zott ..... Nickolas Grace, Inspector Prall ..... Sam Dale. Director: Eoin O'Callaghan.
15 Nov 10 Number 10 4/5.Written by Jonathan Myerson. Simon was due to meet the US National Security Advisor in a room at Heathrow as they both crossed planes. Simon is on his way to a European budget crisis conference. But now Simon has to travel out to the plane because Buckley, the NSA is jumpy because an arrest warrant has been issued against him - alleging war crimes...
16 Nov 10 Chatterton: The Allington Solution
By Peter Ackroyd. For over two hundred years, everyone thought that Chatterton committed suicide. Everyone, that is, except Jeremy Allington, a literary historian, who thinks the prevailing wisdom is nonsense. Only he isn't quite as polite as that ...close to losing his job and his partner, Allington is determined to prove that history is not as simple as some historians would have us believe. Set in both the present day and the 18th century, Chatterton: The Allington Solution is the first play for Radio 4 by Peter Ackroyd. Cast: Thomas Chatterton ..... Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Allington ..... Adrian Scarborough, Ruth ..... Rachel Bavidge, Partridge ..... David Timson, Sam Beaumont ..... Glen McCready, Mrs Angel ..... Liza Sadovy, Jackman ..... Hugh Ross, Mr Crane ..... Jonathan Keeble, Coroner ..... Hugh Dickson, Mark Lawson ..... Himself. Producer: Nicolas Soames. A Ukemi Production for BBC Radio 4.
17 Nov 10 Children in Need: Everything
By Oliver Emanuel. One of two special Radio 4 Afternoon Plays, commissioned with BBC Children in Need, 'Everything' tells the story of a fourteen-year-old girl who spends 7 days in a refuge for runaways. Earlier this year, playwright Oliver Emanuel worked with ROC - Running Other Choices, part of the Aberlour Child Care Trust, a 'Children in Need' supported project. Under Scottish law, any young person under the age of sixteen is allowed to stay in ROC's refuge for up to seven days without parental notification. This is one of only two refuges for runaways in the UK. Oliver worked with young people who had either been involved with ROC in the past or were currently staying at the refuge. In July 2010, the group spent a week at Pacific Quay (BBC Scotland) writing, acting, playing games and talking about what it means to be a runaway. Informed by this experience, Oliver wrote 'Everything'. Girl: Natasha Watson, Sam: Sandy Grierson, Beth: Meg Fraser. Directed by Lu Kemp.
18 Nov 10 Children in Need: All the Blood in My Veins
One of two special Radio 4 Afternoon Plays, commissioned with BBC Children in Need. Earlier this year, award-winning playwright Katie Hims worked with Carers Lewisham, a 'Children in Need'-supported project, to create the story of Viola, a fourteen year old girl, with responsibilities beyond her age. The play was then recorded with a mix of professional cast and the carers themselves. Cast: Mum ..... Elaine Lordan, Viola ..... Shannon Tarbet, Paolo ..... Tyger Drew-Honey, Elly ..... Katie Angelou, Jack ..... Alfie Browne-Sykes, Teacher ..... Jude Akuwidike, Phil ..... Lloyd Thomas, Lauren ..... Deeivya Meir, Kelly ..... Shirena Watt. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
19 Nov 10 An Unchoreographed World
By Frances Byrnes. One of the truly great dancers of our time, 'An Unchoreographed World' explores a dramatic formative event in the life of the young Margot Fonteyn. It's May 10th 1940, and she is trapped in Holland during the German invasion with her older lover, the composer Constant Lambert, and the fledgling Sadler's Wells Ballet. Frances Byrnes' drama draws on contemporary accounts to evoke a time when, her life threatened, Fonteyn discovers who she really is, and what her destiny might cost her. Margot Fonteyn - Sophie Jerrold Constant Lambert - Richard McCabe Ninette de Valois - Kate Littlewood Robert Helpmann - Oliver Millingham Chorus - Anne-Marie Piazza, Maria Askew, Ffion Jolly, Ben Ashton and Coen de Groot.
20 Nov 10 Saturday Play - A Month in the Country By J. L. Carr, dramatised by Dave Sheasby. WW1 survivor Tom Birkin spends a summer uncovering a medieval mural in the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby. Here he discovers treasures, riches he thought the war had blown away for ever. Shortly before his death in February of this year Dave Sheasby sat in a hospice bed with a borrowed laptop and completed this dramatisation - a project long in the planning and dear to his heart. It follows on from well-received dramatisations of Erich Maria Remarque's novel ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and Kurt Vonnegut's iconic novel SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 (both Radio 3 and both exceptional in having a repeat on Radio 4) -adding to an already impressive list of original plays and comedies including APPLE BLOSSOM AFTERNOON (Giles Cooper Award 1988) and THE BLACKBURN FILES over several decades. Cast..... BIRKIN ..... RUPERT EVANS, ALICE ..... HATTIE MORAHAN, KEACH ..... STEPHEN CRITCHLOW, MOON ..... BLAKE RITSON, KATHY ..... LEAH BROTHERHEAD, STATION MASTER ..... TONY BELL. Produced by David Hunter.
21 Nov 10 Alone in Berlin 2/2. From the Novel by Hans Fallada. Dramatised for radio by Shelagh Stephenson. Primo Levi's declaration that Alone in Berlin is "the greatest book ever written about German resistance to the Nazis" is bold and unequivocal. English readers have had to wait 60 years to explore the 1947 novel in which Otto Quangel, a factory foreman (Ron Cook) and his wife Anna (Margot Leicester) believe themselves morally obliged to take on the full might of the Nazis. Cast: Otto Quangel ..... Ron Cook , Anna Quangel ..... Margot Leicester , Escherich ..... Tim McInnerny, Trudel Bauman ..... Jasmine Hyde, Eva Kluge ..... Christine Kavanagh, Enno Kluge ..... Ian Bartholomew , Emil Borkhausen ..... Richard McCabe, Frau Rosenthal ..... Joanna Munroe, Inspector Rusch ..... John McAndrew, Judge Fromm ..... Andrew Sachs , Inspector Zott ..... Nickolas Grace, Inspector Prall ..... Sam Dale. Director: Eoin O'Callaghan.
22 Nov 10 Number 10
5/5. On a walkabout of a Coventry estate, Amjad the PM's aide ends up punching a man. Written by Jonathan Myerson. Meanwhile the Lib Dem alliance partners want state funding for political parties but can't get Labour to agree. And the Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems has made a speech in the House blaming Simon for the suicide of an asylum seeker. PM - Simon Laity ..... Damian Lewis, Nathan ..... Mike Sengelow, Hugo ..... Julian Glover, Georgie ..... Gina Mckee, Amjad ..... Arsher Ali, Mike Glancey ..... Joseph Kloska, Louise Ryan ..... Niamh Cusack, Tim Keegan ..... Nicholas Rowe, Alan ..... John Hollingworth, Emyr Rhys/Lender ..... Steve Speirs, Jennifer Sands ..... Perdita Avery, Journalists ...... Theo Fraser Steele, Kate Gilbert, Kate Lamb. Produced and Directed by Clive Brill. A Pacificus Production for BBC Radio 4.
23 Nov 10 Atching Tan
By Dan Allum. Ambition and culture clash in the Traveller community. Recorded on location on a Traveller site, with all Traveller parts cast from the Traveller community. Lovvie ..... Candis Nergaard, Nelius ..... Damian Le Bas, John ..... Brodie Ross, Norah ..... Maryanne Loveridge, Aggie ..... Sharon Loveridge, Jim ..... Dean Loveridge. Music by Howard Jacques. Producer: Charlotte Riches. Director: Fiona Kelcher.
24 Nov 10 Signs, Horizon
1/2. Comic thriller by Steve May. The first of two gripping stories about how technology might determine our lives in these interlocking plays by two of radio's most thought-provoking playwrights. A horizon scanner foresees financial meltdown. Cassie...Devon Black, Frank...Paul Clayton, Mark...Mark Meadows, Reg...Carl Prekopp, Lesley...Marlene Sidaway, Bank Manager...Stephen Critchlow. Director...Mary Ward-Lowery.
25 Nov 10 Signs, Perfect Day
2/2. By Hattie Naylor. Adam uses technology to find perfection, but there's a price. Romantic drama. (R) The second of two stories about the way technology determines our lives, in interlocking plays by two of radio's most thought-provoking playwrights. Adam signs up to Perfect Day, a company which offers such specialised services, based on access to - and control over - information. The company promises to take away what is unpredictable, ugly or frustrating and ensure that a particular experience or life choice goes smoothly for their clients. No more traffic jams, no lost deals, no rained-off holidays, no bad food, no accidental encounters with difficult people. At first Adam uses the company to arrange evenings out, holidays, small life experiences. But his taste for perfection grows and soon he signs up to one of their most expensive and successful services: the location of a perfect life-partner. Vicky....Joanne Froggatt, Adam....Paul Mundell, Evie....Jane Godber, Sarah....Lisa Coleman, Jim...David Hounslow. Director...Mary Ward-Lowery.
26 Nov 10 Moeran's Last Symphony
Written by Martyn Wade. A dramatic portrait of the last weeks in the life of the English composer Jack (E.J.) Moeran [1894-1950]. After the triumphant reception of his first Symphony he was commissioned by the prestigious Halle Orchestra to write a second. Tortured by the end of his marriage to the cellist Peers Coetmore and in constant pain from injuries sustained during the Great War which had driven him to drink, he retreated to Kenmare in Ireland, a place of previous inspiration, hoping this would provide the right setting for creativity. (Martin Wade has also written about other English composers - William Baines and Percy Grainger (see Martyn's page). Cast: Moeran .....Tim McInnerny, Mrs O'Donnell .....Kate Binchy, Patrick ..... Sean Froudist Walsh, Peers ..... Geraldine Fitzgerald, Peter Warlock ..... Nicholas Boulton, Tomlinson ..... Geoffrey Whitehead. Producer: Cherry Cookson. A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
27 Nov 10 Saturday Play - The Caretaker
By Harold Pinter. Aston (Tony Bell) rescues Davies (David Warner) an elderly, homeless man from a fight in a café and brings him home to recover. The tramp tells of the hiding he would have had from one of the café staff if Aston hadn't intervened.....
28 Nov 10 Classic Serial - I, Claudius Augustus
1/6. It is about 25 years since "I, Claudius" was dramatised for radio by the BBC. Now we have a new dramatisation by Robin Brooks of Robert Graves' histories of Roman political vice. Young Claudius grows up in the turbulent household of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, and Livia, the wife who matched his achievements with her ambition. The Imperial Couple disregard their young grandson as they inch towards absolute power. But that won't save Claudius from heartbreak. Claudius ..... Tom Goodman-Hill, Augustus ..... Derek Jacobi, Livia ..... Harriet Walter, Tiberius ..... Tim McInnerny, Julia ..... Alison Pettitt, Athenodorus ..... Sam Dale, Cato ..... Jude Akuwudike, Thrasyllus ..... Sean Baker, Young Claudius ..... Harvey Allpress, Young Herod ..... Felix Zadek-Ewing, Young Germanicus ..... Harry Child, Camilla ..... Lauren Mote, Young Postumus ..... Ryan Watson, Young Livilla ..... Holly Gibbs, Other parts played by Adeel Akhtar, Tony Bell, Christine Kavanagh, and Sally Orrock. Specially composed music by David Pickvance. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
29 Nov 10 Blue Eyed Boy
By Helen Cross. A documentary-drama by Helen Cross, which tells the true story of her father, Lawrence, the evacuee who never went home. Told through improvised interviews and re-created actuality, the play is constructed as a documentary, as if it were happening now. In 1944, when he was five years old, Lawrence Duncomb (Albie D'Urso) was evacuated from Blitz-torn London to Willerby, a village on the outskirts of Hull, and taken in by a childless couple. Lawrence had never eaten at a table before, never said prayers, never slept alone in a bed or had to mind his manners. Lilian (Jane Godber) is determined to raise him as a well-mannered Christian. She wants this substitute-child to accept and be grateful for all that she's offering. Her husband (John Godber) also knows she's desperate at the thought of the boy leaving her after the war. Soon Lilian starts to dream of ways of keeping him, even against his will. The play concludes with an interview with the real Lawrence. He says he never stopped missing his mother and when he finally tracked her down as an adult, her first words were: 'I've been waiting for you to call.' Director...Mary Ward-Lowery, Violet...Lindsey Coulson, Lilian...Jane Godber, Dick...John Godber, Ronnie...Rasmus Hardiker, Lawrence...Albie D'Urso, Headteacher...Sean Baker.
30 Nov 10 The Babington Plot
Documentary-style drama by Michael Butt that tells the story of the 1586 plot to assassinate Elizabeth I and return England to Catholic rule under Mary, Queen of Scots. The story is told from the perspective of several of the conspirators - some genuine, some governemnt spies that had infiltrated the group. Presenter ...... Stephen Greif, Robert Poley ...... Burn Gorman, Thomas Salisbury ...... Sam Barnett, Aloysius Skeres ...... Chris Pavlo, Thomas Phelippes ...... Jonathan Tafler, Robert Bull ...... Stephen Critchlow, Gilbert Gifford ...... Inam Mirza, Don Mendoza ...... Malcolm Tierney, Mistress Bellamy ...... Marlene Sidaway, Jane Tichbourne ...... Janice Acquah, Agnes Lauren ...... Jill Cardo, Shepherd ...... Dan Starkey, Casey ...... Paul Rider. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.
1 Dec 10 The End of the Alphabet
Juliet Stevenson and David Haig star in an adaption of C S Richardson's The End of the Alphabet, a charming and thought provoking debut novel short-listed for the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize. "Those who knew him described Ambrose Zephyr as a better man than some. Wanting a few minor adjustments, they would admit, but didn't we all. His wife described him as the only man she had loved. Without adjustment." Ambrose Zephyr and Zappora Ashkenzai (known as Zipper) live contentedly in London, their world one of work, friends and their abiding love for each other, their routines settled and certain. Until the day, sometime around his 50th birthday, that Ambrose learns that he has only one month to live. In response he makes frantic plans to travel the globe, alphabetically, from Amsterdam to Zanzibar, with his beloved wife at his side. And if he wants to travel at this time, she will go, wherever the journey takes them and whatever her own feelings may be. Juliet Stevenson .... Zipper, David Haig .... Ambrose, Adam Godley .... the Narrator/Freddie, Carolyn Pickles .... Kitts/Pru. Philip Fox .... Doctor/Mr Umtata , Adaptor .... Penny Leicester, Director .... Di Speirs.
2 Dec 10 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: An Exceptionally Wicked Lady
1/2. Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi face an old adversary. The first of two plays adapted from Alexander McCall Smith's enormously successful and popular series set in Botswana. Mma Ramotswe ..... Janice Acquah, Mma Makutsi ..... Nadine Marshall, Mr J L B Matekoni ..... Ben Onwukwe, Oliver Maxwell ..... Sam Dale, Mr Gaefale ..... Jude Akuwudike, Mr Kereleng ..... Maynard Eziashi, Violet Sephotho ..... Anna Bengo, Aunt ..... Noma Dumezweni, Mma Potokwani ..... Adjoa Andoh, Reverend ..... Babou Ceesay, Joe Bosilong ..... Nyasha Hatendi. Director: Gaynor Macfarlane.
3 Dec 10 No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
2/2. Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have to face the dangers of crocodiles, hippos and a tiny canoe as their case takes them to the Okovango Delta to trace a safari guide. There is also the problem of Phuti's aunt to solve, as well as the necessity of confronting their old adversary, Violet Sepotho. Mma Ramotswe ..... Janice Acquah, Mma Makutsi ..... Nadine Marshall, Mr J L B Matekoni ..... Ben Onwukwe, Hansi ..... Maynard Eziashi, Boatman ..... Nyasha Hatendi, Mighty ..... Obi Abili, Tebogo ..... Chuk Iwuji, Moripe/Phuti ..... Jude Akuwudike, Violet Sephotho ..... Anna Bengo, Aunt ..... Noma Dumezweni, Mma Potokwani ..... Adjoa Andoh. Director: Gaynor Macfarlane.
4 Dec 10 Saturday Play - The Gambler
A new version of Dostoevsky's 'The Gambler' written by poet Glyn Maxwell. Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1866, in serious debt, addicted to roulette and rejected by several women, spun these sad materials into 'The Gambler', a brilliant tragicomic novella written in a feverish few weeks to stave off ruin. Set in Roulettenburg, a fictional spa town in the Alps, the novel tells how Alexei Ivanovich, servant to a bankrupt family, falls madly in love twice- first with the lovely unobtainable Polina, then with the forbidden thrill of the Casino. As Polina demands ever more slavish and reckless obedience from him, Alexei finds liberation in his enslavement, and their relationship starts to mutate into something altogether richer and stranger. Cast: Alexei Ivanovich ..... Sam Crane, General Zagorski ..... Nicholas le Prevost, Granny ..... Patricia Routledge, Polina Alexandrovna ..... Siobhan Hewlett , De Grieux ..... David Westhead, Astley ..... Robert Portal, Blanche de Cominges ..... Charlotte Randle. Written by Glyn Maxwell. Director: Guy Retallack. Producer: Frank Stirling. A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
5 Dec 10 Classic Serial - I, Claudius, Tiberius
2/6. Claudius learns his grandmother Livia's true ambition. Dramatisation by Robin Brooks. Growing up amid the intrigues of the Imperial family, Claudius learns his grandmother Livia's true ambition - and finds himself and his brother Germanicus in danger. Claudius ..... Tom Goodman-Hill, Augustus ..... Derek Jacobi, Livia ..... Harriet Walter, Tiberius ..... Tim McInnerny, Pollio ..... Trevor Peacock, Germanicus ..... Joseph Kloska, Agrippina ..... Hattie Morahan, Sejanus ..... Sam Dale, Herod Agrippa ..... Zubin Varla, Postumus ..... Henry Devas, Livilla ..... Leah Brotherhead, Cassius Chaerea ..... Jude Akuwudike, Pomponius ..... Sean Baker, Antonia ..... Christine Kavanagh, Castor ..... Iain Batchelor, Piso ..... Tony Bell, Pallas ..... Lloyd Thomas, Young Caligula ..... James Warner. Specially composed music by David Pickvance. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
6 Dec 10 On Mardle Fen - Bird in Hand
By Nick Warburton. The 'closed environment' of rural Norfolk provides a great setting for these ingenious tales. Series 3; 1/4. Warwick is out on the Fen, taking in the atmosphere, when he thinks he spots a rare bird. With Trevor Peacock, John Rowe.
7 Dec 10 Eight Feet High and Rising
By Ali Taylor. Giant. Upstairs. Ten quid a look. A story about the awkwardness of being misshapen, and the misery of not fitting in. Liam ..... James Alexandrou, Ethel ..... Candassaie Liburd, Pat ..... Marcella Riordan, Sarah-Jane ..... Julia Deakin, Diane ..... Sophie Pemberton , Sandra ..... Manjeet Mann, Teacher ..... Inam Mirza, Crowd ..... Members of the National Youth Theatre. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
8 Dec 10 Selfless By Anita Sullivan. Drew is brought into A&E by a car-driver who saw him come off his motorbike. He is concussed and has broken his ankle. But that's not all. Drew can't remember who he is or where he lives. He isn't carrying a phone and all he has in his wallet is a bank-card and a video-shop membership. Owen, the driver, offers to put him up for the night. Owen is the perfect host and the flat is beautiful but it is on the third floor and the injured Drew starts to feel trapped. The only things he can remember are a phone number and a name. A psychological thriller locked in a claustrophobic space. Drew .........Adrian Bower, Owen ......... Mark Meadows, Elspeth ....... Nisha Nayar, Nurse ..........Rebecca Harries. Produced and Directed by Kate McAll.
9 Dec 10 The People's Princess
(R) By Shelagh Stephenson. Facing financial ruin, George, Prince of Wales was obliged to marry his first cousin Princess Caroline of Brunswick. But if he had been expecting a docile partner with whom he could maintain appearances, George had underestimated his wife-to-be. George IV ...... Alex Jennings, Caroline of Brunswick ...... Rebecca Saire, Henry Brougham ...... Julian Rhind Tutt, Lord Sidmouth ...... Chris McHallem, Lord Liverpool ...... Richard Howard , Sir Robert Gifford ...... Mark Lambert, Lady Jersey ...... Jill Cardo, Mr Majoucci ...... Nial Cusack. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
10 Dec 10 Sky High
The clock is ticking away in this cat and mouse game of twists, turns and subterfuge by Guy Meredith...it is the early hours of a new day and in a tall office block in London there is a woman working. She thinks she is alone but then she hears the lift doors open .... Emma...................Claire Harry, Mark.....................Chris Pavlo, Charlie...................Lloyd Thomas. Directed by Tracey Neale.
11 Dec 10 On the Ceiling
By Nigel Planer. Two fresco plasterers in the Sistine Chapel wait for Michelangelo. On the Ceiling is not about great artists; it is about those people whose names don't go down in history: the ones who do the essential drudge work, their frustration at their lack of genius and their pride in their own technical expertise. In this version of events, low elements combine to make high art. Lapo ..... Phil Daniels, Loti ..... Bryan Dick, Pope Julius ..... Gary Waldhorn, Cardinal Alidosi ..... Roger Lloyd Pack. Composer ..... Adam Cork. Directed by Mary Peate.
12 Dec 10 Classic Serial - I, Claudius, Sejanus
3/6. Dramatisation by Robin Brooks. As he struggles to keep his throne, the Emperor Tiberius finds his Commander of the Guard, Sejanus, an invaluable aide against treason. And Sejanus finds Claudius an unwilling collaborator in his rise to power. Cast- see last week.
13 Dec 10 On Mardle Fen - The Dream Insists
By Nick Warburton. 2/4. Warwick has a recurring dream featuring a ramshackle hut out on the Cambridgeshire Fens.
14 Dec 10 Wodehouse in Hollywood
In 1929 MGM shipped PG Wodehouse out West and thrust $104,000 into his hand - in return for zilch; a bit like being a chief executive in certain banks.... The stories and novels that Wodehouse created out of his Hollywood experience were his satiric riposte to those that had made a dishonest man out of him. Comedy combining Wodehouse's own writing with dramatised fictional scenes by Tony Staveacre. PG Wodehouse......Tim McInnerny, Ethel Wodehouse.....Fenella Woolgar, Sam Marx......Rowe David McClelland, Dorothy......Fiona Clarke, Clarence......Declan Wilson, Thalberg/Bobby......Paul Ryder. Directed by Stefan Escreet.
15 Dec 10 How To Be An Internee With No Previous Experience
By Colin Shindler. In 1944, PG Wodehouse, the creator of Jeeves and Wooster, was questioned by MI5 after broadcasting to America from a German internment camp. One of the interrogators was an up and coming journalist called Malcolm Muggeridge. The other was Major EJP Cussen, who later became a high court judge. The stakes were high: one of Britain's best loved authors was facing the possibility of the death penalty. Wodehouse - Tim McInnerny, Muggeridge - Alex Jennings, Cussen - Anton Lesser, Connor - Stephen Critchlow, Flannery - Gunnar Cauthery. Producer/Director Peter Leslie Wild.
16 Dec 10 Chequebook and Pen
Written by Andrew Lynch and Johnny Vegas. Johnny Vegas pays tribute to the legendary Les Dawson in a comic flight of fancy. Les has a way with words but is northern, rather crumpled, a little shambolic and an unknown quantity, and delightfully unpredictable when he is faced with representing a national institution. Nicholas Parsons is Farson, a resplendent foil for Dawson. Farson embraces and embodies the hammiest forces of the 'traditional BBC'. A nemesis to Les and all he stands for and aims to subvert. This homage is a pure joyous farce, taking full artistic license in imagining how the BBC might have engaged the iconic Les to become the game show great in its eighties flagship, Blankety Blank. Cast: Les ..... Johnny Vegas, Farson ..... Nicholas Parsons, Helen ..... Shobna Gulati, Dave Parkins ..... Mick Miller, BBC Executive ..... Mark Chatterton, Number Two ...... Paul Foot, Doris (Barmaid) ..... Catherine Kinsella, Other parts ..... Peter Slater (and cast). Directed by Jim Poyser. Producer: Sally Harrison A Woolyback Production for BBC Radio 4.
17 Dec 10 The Other Simenon: Striptease
Dram. Ronald Frame. Georges Simenon is best known for Maigret but he published scores of other novels - many of them tough, gripping and psychologically-penetrating dissections of small lives confounded by fate and circumstance. The play is set in a night club in Cannes in 1958. Celita is the mistress of the club owner - but she faces a younger rival for her lover's affections when he hires a sensational new dancer.
18 Dec 10 Shirley Valentine
Written by Willy Russell. Shirley Valentine is a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who reveals her innermost thoughts and fears in a manner that is both insouciant and poignant. Once an incorrigible anti-establishment rebel, Shirley now chafes under the plodding insensitivity of her husband, Joe and the stultifying pace of her suburban routine. Her life enters a new and exciting phase when, after her best friend, Jane, wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece, Shirley is given the opportunity to travel to faraway places without her husband; she begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light. Stars Meera Syal. After a run at the Menier Chocolate Factory the stage play version transferred to The Trafalgar studio. Finishing in theatre on October 30th Meeraimmediately recorded the play (which is a monologue) for Radio 4. Based on the original Menier Theatre production directed by Glen Walford. Producer: Clive Brill. A Pacificus production for BBC Radio 4.
19 Dec 10 I, Claudius, Caligula
Dramatisation by Robin Brooks. When the Emperor Tiberius dies, the young and popular Caligula succeeds his Uncle. Claudius will be the first to learn his secret. Claudius ..... Tom Goodman-Hill, Tiberius ..... Tim McInnerny, Caligula ..... Samuel Barnett, Herod Agrippa ..... Zubin Varla, Antonia ..... Christine Kavanagh, Calpurnia ..... Sally Orrock, Drusilla ..... Deeivya Meir, Macro ..... Tony Bell, Agrippinilla ..... Claire Harry, Thrasyllus ..... Sean Baker, Doctor ..... Adeel Akhtar, Gaoler ..... Iain Batchelor, Senator ..... Lloyd Thomas. Specially composed music by David Pickvance. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
20 Dec 10 On Mardle Fen - Pitiless Storm
By Nick Warburton. 3/4. Warwick is in buoyant mood, which is unsettling. It means he's up to something. With Trevor Peacock, John Rowe.
21 Dec 10 What Do You Know?
By Mark Lawson; another first-class play. When Natasha Lonsdale, loving mother and respected businesswoman goes missing, neither her husband, her family or her lover have any idea why. It appears Natasha had a secret life; a life which is now starting to unfold in both the newspapers and on the worldwide web with devastating results. Do any of us ever really know who any one else is - even after 20 years of marriage? Mark Lawson's, 'What do you Know?', suggests not. Cast: DCI Parsons - Roger Allam, Natasha Lonsdale - Rebecca Saire, Barbara - Margot Leicester, Desmond - Andrew Sachs, Dan - John McAndrew, Nick - Richard Dormer, Peter - Nick Dunning. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan.
22 Dec 10 Shakespeare a la Carte
One of the highlights of the 2008 Brighton Festival has been turned into an Afternoon Play (R) for BBC Radio 4. Shakespeare A La Carte took the public by storm when it offered audiences the chance to order their favourite bits of Shakespeare, together with coffee and croissant. Pippa Smith, Head of Education at the Brighton Festival had the idea after a disappointing encounter at the Edinburgh Festival. "I saw a flyer advertising Shakespeare for breakfast. But breakfast turned out to be stewed tea in polystyrene cups and the Shakespeare was a lame production of 'Love Labour's Lost.' I came away with an entire show in my head. I knew I could create something much classier than this - the bards best bits performed by leading talent from the RSC and National." Pippa approached Richard Hahlo, Jonathan Cullen and Fiona Dunn, who form the theatre company Hydrocracker. They devised a show where the actors, masquerading as waiters in a Pizza Restaurant, take over the performance when they hear that the real actors have been delayed driving down from Stratford. For the radio adaptation two extra characters played by Sian Webber and Richard Attlee, have been created. Says Richard Hahlo: "They frame the action for those listening at home. It's good that we will record it live, because what you get are big chunks of Shakespeare interwoven into the to-ing and fro-ing of these waiters trying to get these speeches organised." Cast: Peter Quince ..... Richard Hahlo, Nick Bottom ..... Jonathan Cullen, Frances Flute ...... Fiona Dunn, Hermione ..... San Webber, Crispin ......Richard Attlee. Producer: Karen Rose. A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
23 Dec 10 Devil in the Fog
1/2. Two-part dramatisation of Leon Garfield's thrilling 18th century mystery adventure. Highwaymen, duels, swirling fogs, escaped convicts - Leon Garfield's classic 18th C. mystery adventure. Dramatised by Martin Jameson. Mr Treet ..... Tim McMullan , George ..... Joe Dempsie , Lady Dexter ..... Juliet Aubrey , Sir John ..... Sam Dale , Joseph ..... Sean Baker , Dr Newby ..... Iain Batchelor , Mrs Montague ..... Joanna Monro , Captain Richard ..... Ben Crowe , Hotspur ..... Raymond Karimi Taheri , Jane ..... Lauren Mote , Edward ..... Hugo Docking , Rose ..... Fern Deacon. Directed by Marc Beeby.
24 Dec 10 Devil in the Fog
Part 2. George ..... Joe Dempsie, Mr Treet ..... Tim McMullan, Captain Richard ..... Ben Crowe, Sir John ..... Sam Dale, Joseph/The Stranger ..... Sean Baker, Mrs Montague ..... Joanna Monro, Lady Dexter ..... Juliet Aubrey, Bertram ..... George Sanderson, Aunt Dexter ..... Claire Harry, Hotspur ..... Raymond Karimi Taheri, Rose ..... Fern Deacon , Edward ..... Hugo Docking, Jane ..... Lauren Mote, Highwayman ..... Henry Devas. Directed by Marc Beeby.
25 Dec 10 Pat and Margaret
Victoria Wood's bitter-sweet comedy about two sisters reluctantly reunited on a TV show. (no other information)
26 Dec 10 I, Claudius, Claudius
5/6. How the Sibyl's prophecy came true for the most unwilling Emperor of them all. Claudius ..... Tom Goodman-Hill, Caligula ..... Samuel Barnett, Herod Agrippa ..... Zubin Varla, Messalina ..... Jessica Raine, Calpurnia ..... Sally Orrock, Cassius Chaerea ..... Jude Akuwudike, Gratus ..... Sam Dale, Cornelius ..... Iain Batchelor, Bassus ..... Lloyd Thomas, Asiaticus ..... Sean Baker, Lupus ..... Henry Devas, Sentius ..... Tony Bell, The Executioner ..... Adeel Akhtar. Specially composed music by David Pickvance. Directed by Jonquil Panting.
27 Dec 10 On Mardle Fen
The Dancing Stone. 4/4. By Nick Warburton. Comedy drama starring Trevor Peacock as an inspirational chef.
28 Dec 10 The Darkness of Wallis Simpson
By Rose Tremain. A play imagining the last days of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, the woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne of England in 1936. Wallis is now 79 years old. Edward has been dead for fourteen years. She lies bedridden in her house in Paris. A lawyer friend, Maitre Suzanne Blum has taken charge of her care. But, believing that Wallis has deliberately chosen to forget her "role in history", Blum is determined to force her to remember this vital bit of the past, before she dies. Cast: Wallis Simpson ..... Elizabeth McGovern, Maitre Blum/ Grandmother..... Miriam Margolyes , Ernest Simpson ..... Joseph Kloska, Wallis' Mother ..... Barbara Barnes, Cecil Beaton ..... Nigel Anthony, Win Spencer ..... John Chancer. Original Music by David Chilton Producer: Gordon House. A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
29 Dec 10 Hong Kong by Night
Locked out of her apartment, Poppy is invited by Arthur to explore Hong Kong by night. (R) By In-Sook Chappell... A love story about loneliness and belonging. Arthur ..... Oliver Williams, Poppy ..... Liz Sutherland, Alice/Waitress ..... Nina Kwok. Director: Abigail le Fleming.
30 Dec 10 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders
Old Unhappy Far-Off Things. 1/2.It is the 1950s; Horace Rumpole defends a young man accused of a double murder. (R) By John Mortimer.
31 Dec 10 Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders
Conclusion. Elder Horace Rumpole ..... Timothy West, Young Horace Rumpole ..... Benedict Cumberbatch , C.H. Wystan ..... Geoffrey Whitehead, Albert ..... Andy De La Tour, Simon Jerold ..... Ewan Bailey, Daisy ...... Emma Fielding , Hilda Wystan ...... Jasmine Hyde, Reggie Proudfoot ..... Stephen Critchlow, Bonny Bernard ..... Matthew Morgan , Judge Cookson ..... Karl Johnson , Lord Jessop ..... David Shaw- Parker. Adapted by Richard Stoneman. Producer/Director ..... Marilyn Imrie. A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
Date, Title, Author
01 jan lamia john keats
02 jan private lives noel coward helena bonham carter bill nighy
03 jan the custom of the country cs
04 jan mclevy 3 jack o'diamonds
05 jan id by tajinder singh hayer
06 jan life of penguins author nk
07 jan the killing of the tsr2 robin brooks
08 jan family soup elezabeth lewis
09 jan just between ourselves ayckbourn 1977 dir gordon house
10 jan the custom of the country cs dram jane rogers edith wharton
11 jan mclevy 4 queen of spades david ashton
12 jan my romantic history d.c.jackson
13 jan the jonestown letters mass suicide guyana 1978 sarah daniels
14 jan solace andrea earl
15 jan maine road sarah mcdonald hughes
15 jan fp deep cut philip ralph soldier barracks play drama doc
16 jan dover and the sleeping beauty paul mandelson
17 jan the custom of the country cs dram jane rogers
18 jan some secluded glade hugh costello psychological thriller
19 jan the lonely paul gallico dram rebecca hughes
20 jan carbon cleansing sophie wooley
21 jan two-pipe problems michael chaplin
22 jan grace mick gordon a.c.grayling
22 jan fp the accountant of solyanka square sebastian baczkiewicz russia's recent past
23 jan raven black anne cleeves dram iain finlay macleod
24 jan the honourable schoolboy le carre 1 cs
25 jan mr larkin's awkward day chris harrald philip larkin
26 jan the ca'd'oro cafe donna franceschild
27 jan the journey richard monks
28 jan two pipe problems michael chaplin
29 jan higher joyce bryant
29 jan fp let's murder vivaldi david mercer
30 jan dr johnsons dictionary of crime david ashton
31 jan the honourable schoolboy le carre 2 cs
01 feb the ditch paul evans fenland play
02 feb the right ingredients pat davis bereavement
03 feb listen to the words ed hime
04 feb no trampy immigrants eoin mcnamee
05 feb bad faith ep 1 lenny henry by peter jukes
06 feb the small back room nigel balchin dram richard stevens ww2
07 feb the honourable schoolboy le carre 3 cs
08 feb raft to bondi ian kershaw
09 feb buffalo bill and little mattie dyer peter spafford
10 feb postcards from a cataclysm nine short plays various writers
11 feb swywth tim wright 1 say what you want to hear experimental
12 feb bad faith-vengeance is mine 2 peter jukes
13 feb slaughterhouse five kurt vonnegut dave sheasby 90m
14 feb plantagenet mike walker after holinshead 1 cs
15 feb legsy gets a break phil gladwin
16 feb english in afghanistan ryan craig
17 feb god bless our love ray connolly
18 feb addressee unknown anne karpf ad. tim dee rpt
19 feb bad faith -the fire this time lenny henry
20 feb murder in samarkand craig murray 105min
21 feb plantagenet mike walker after holinshead 2 cs
22 feb torchwood lost souls joseph lidster
23 feb war bride nell leyshon ww2
24 feb against the grain charlotte greig
25 feb edith's story robin glendenning edith schloem 1934 factual
26 feb bad faith-nothing scared peter jukes lenny henry
27 feb othello shakespeare with lenny henry 120min
28 feb plantagenet mike walker after holinshead 3 cs
01 mar ashes to antarctica jim eldridge
02 mar pinkerton ronald frame america 1840s
03 mar shakespeare's vortigern and rowena - melissa murray lost play by shakespeare
04 mar final demands fred raphael 1
05 mar final demands fred raphael 2
06 mar vincent price and the horror of the english bloodbeast 'witchfinder general' play matthew broughton
07 mar of mice and men john steinbeck cs
08 mar unglued nicholas meiklejohn
09 mar swywth part 2 tim wright
10 mar not bobby nick warburton education satire
11 mar final demands fred raphael 3
12 mar final demands fred raphael 4
13 mar confessions of a medium a.l.kennedy
14 mar clarissa samuel richardson 1 cs
15 mar hitched doug lucie part 1
16 mar hitched doug lucie part 2
17 mar walking on sunshine leah chillery
18 mar final demands fred raphael 5
19 mar final demands fred raphael 6
20 mar playing with trains stephen polikoff part 1
21 mar clarissa samuel richardson cs
22 mar listening to time judith somerville aran islands dir cherry cookson
23 mar rage on the road crime story john taylor drama-doc
24 mar the sensitive-a nobody alastair jessiman
25 mar scummow-things washed up by the sea annamaria murphy
26 mar no place like home robert rigby nick russell-pavier
27 mar playing with trains part 2 stephen poliakoff
28 mar clarissa samuel richardson cs
29 mar arabian afternoons the casper logue affair sebastian baczkiewicz
30 mar arabian afternoons the porter and the three ladies by s.b.
31 mar arabian afternoons a dish of pomegranates by s.b.
01 apr last family standing paul watson postwar austerity ww2
02 apr i love stephen fry jon canter
03 apr goldfinger james bond ian fleming 90m
04 apr clarissa samuel richardson cs
05 apr sherlock holmes bert coules mystery part 1
06 apr bert coules mystery part 2
07 apr the borrowers mary norton part 1 dram sarah woods
08 apr the borrowers part 2
09 apr a small piece of silence katie hims for deaf actor david bower
10 apr the believers christian pop group 1963 frank cottrrell boyce
11 apr smileys people le carre 1 cs
12 apr homestead francis turnley
13 apr highgate letters jeff young
14 apr albert speer's walk around the world michael butt
15 apr the disappearance psy thriller peter whalley
16 apr funeral games joe orton
16 apr they have oak trees in north carolina sarah wooley rpt fp
17 apr scream edvard munch theft boz temple-morris kris hollington
18 apr smileys people le carre 2 cs
19 apr how to make your first billion matthew solon drama doc silicon valley/yahoo/twitter etc, part 1
20 apr how to make your first billion, part 2
21 apr the six loves of billy binns richard lumsden
22 apr a man in pieces michael symmons sci fi
23 apr nyama david pownall pickled whale
23 apr we outnumber you ed hime fp zoo opening goes wrong
24 apr the tennis court jonathan smith
25 apr smileys people john le carre 3 cs
26 apr lifecoach nick walker 43min59
27 apr mercy ww1 drama frances byrne
28 apr brief lives tom fry sharon kelly
29 apr bette and joan and baby jane catherine tate bette davis joan crawford
30 apr the weighing room justin hopper jockey play
30 apr the birds hitchcock - melissa murray fp
01 may the indian in the cupboard lynne reid banks dram jane purcell
02 may cider with rosie laurie lee cs
03 may barbershopera rob castell et al
04 may gentleman jim raymond briggs toilet attendant
05 may brief lives tom fry sharon kelly
06 may can't live without you psych thriller kellie smith
07 may the confessions charlotte greig art dealer scam
07 may rip boy neil mckay prison drama fp
08 may an english tragedy ronald harwood ww2 john amery treason
09 may cider with rosie laurie lee cs
10 may peter lorre v peter lorre michael butt
11 may sunday georges simenon dram ronald frame
12 may brief lives series tom fry sharon kelly
13 may so you want to disappear mark wheatley
14 may can you tell me the name of the prime minister martin jameson
14 may greed all about it ian hislop nick newman play about wapping and eddie shah fp
15 may the jubilee singers adrian mitchell,ad celia hewitt negro spirituals just after slavery abolished; true story
16 may now voyager o higgins prouty dram neville teller rpt cs
17 may the end of the world danny brocklehurst. 1983 play involving sellafield, cold war
18 may the recordist sean grundy adultery and acoustics
19 may brief lives tom fry and sharon kelly legal drama 4
20 may cinders ali taylor
21 may left at marrakesh richard stevens set in 1943; a tricky plane journey with a possible jonah on board
22 may sacred statues william trevor
23 may the snow goose paul gallico cs dram nick warburton dunkirk story
24 may lennon-a week in the life dick le clement & ian le frenais ad lizzie nunnery
25 may scorched nicola jones hot summer 1976
26 may the line kris kenway immigration asylum seeker story
27 may waves breaking on a shore michael eaton / neil brand part 1 music hall double act
28 may ditto part 2
29 may an inspector calls j.b.priestley
30 may bright day j.b.priestley 1 cs dram diana griffiths
31 may pilgrim 1 sebastian baczkiewicz
01 jun norman birkett and the coleford poisoner davic/caroline stafford
02 jun harry and the angels bernard kops bethnal green tube disaster 1943
03 jun six impossible things glen neath bank robbery case based on events from 1950s denmark
04 jun the last witch trial melissa murray story taking place in 1944
05 jun the iceman simon bovey
06 jun bright day diana griffiths cs
07 jun pilgrim 2 sebastian baczkiewicz
08 jun advertised play SE8 about a teenage shooting was not broadcast; they put out 'last days of grace' by nick warburton instead
09 jun prospero, ariel, reaith and gill - gary brown. fictionalised account of argument between the artist eric gill and the appearance of his sculpture 'prospero and ariel' for broadcasting house
10 high hopes rob kinsman
11 jun philip and sydney alan pollock -philip larkin and his father and the nazis in 1937 germany
12 jun bloody sunday ad. richard norton taylor
13 jun smiley-the secret pilgrim 1 cs
14 jun pilgrim 3 sebastian baczkiewicz
15 jun nuclear reactions adam ganz german nuclear physicists brought to britain after ww2
16 jun listening to the generals adam ganz german generals imprisoned in london ww2
17 jun country life shelagh delaney foot-and-mouth 2001
18 jun whoopi goldberg's country life shelagh delaney
19 jun mountain of light simon bovey-the great exhibition, london, 1851
20 jun smiley the secret pilgrim 2 cs
21 jun pilgrim 4 - gainst all disaster sebastian baczkiewicz
22 jun two pipe problem-1-right old charlie richard briers stanley baxter
23 jun two pipe problem-2-the memory man forgets
24 jun i am i said paul mandelson foreign accent syndrome
25 jun bell in the ball blind cricket lloyd peters
26 jun the pianist wladyslaw szpilman warsaw ghetto nazi occupation
27 jun smiley-the secret pilgrim ep 3 cs
28 jun black and white riot edson burton st paul's riots bristol 1980
29 jun the art of balance rachel joyce
30 jun boom boom emily steel
01 jul the confessions charlotte greig
02 jul silent nights david nobbs
03 jul avoid london-area-closed-mike walker
04 jul summer lightning pgwodehouse ep 1 of 2 cs
05 jul badfellas andy lynch johnny vegas and ricky tomlinson
06 jul mr. anwar's farewell to stornoway iain finlay macleod
07 jul betsy coleman katie hims memory research virtual reality
08 jul gerontius stephen wyatt cardinal newman
09 jul a chaos of wealth and want penny gold about henry mayhew 1850s london
10 jul going to ground ww2 drama simion passmore
11 jul summer lightning pgwodehouse ep 2 of 2 cs
12 jul the understanding peter morgan jehovahs witness blood transplant
13 jul the reluctant millionaire wendy oberman
14 jul troll ed harris
15 jul the diabolical gourmet alex shearer
16 jul se8 janice okoh teenage shooting
17 jul the moscow prodigal
18 jul the glass bead game cs
19 jul hive mind
20 jul gift
21 jul 'afternoon play' title nk
22 jul the target audience
23 jul the orchestra improvised play rosie boulton
24 jul the white chameleon christopher hampton
25 jul the glass bead game herman hesse cs dram lavinia greenlaw
26 jul a bridge to the stars joel retallack
27 jul humanly possible sarah daniels neonatal intensive care unit
28 jul a helping hand mike stott football supporter murder
29 jul terremoto (earthquake in chile) catrin clarke
30 jul depth charge fiona mackie
31 jul writing on wigan pier david pownall george orwell-related
01 aug the wings of the dove henry james cs
02 aug higher-partners joyce bryant higher eduction satire
03 aug higher-inspection sequel to previous play joyce bryant
04 aug rescue me tanika gupta illegal forced marriage
05 aug the barber and the ark marcia layne
06 aug tetherdown scott cherry and gregory evans 1896 muswell hill murder
07 aug rebus strip jack ian rankin part 1 sat play
08 aug the wings of the dove henry james cs adap l.m.griffiths
09 aug rumpole and the family pride ep 1
10 aug rumpole another ep john mortimer
11 aug stannie and jim simon littlefield about james joyce fictional
12 aug the judgement test michael butt police and journalists
13 aug tall stories no author credited - dir mary peate
14 aug rebus strip jack ian rankin part 2 sat play
15 aug the wings of the dove cs henry james adap l.m.griffiths
16 aug the patience of mr job justin butcher
17 aug the killing michael butt death of christopher marlowe
18 aug hms surprise patrick o'brien dram roger danes
19 aug ditto part 2
20 aug ditto part 3
21 aug bora bora lynne truss
22 aug no highway neville shute cs
23 aug miss balcombe's orchard jonathan davidson barrie juniper
24 aug the rain maker matthew broughton
25 aug the gallery alan plater
26 aug quirks simon brett
27 aug elephant and castle robin baker
28 aug boscobel ian curteis
29 aug no highway neville shute cs
30 aug caesar price our lord fin kennedy
31 aug pilgrim - the drowned church sebastian baczkiewicz
01 sep the great swim gavin mortimer - about gertrude ederle
02 sep swimming around ireland martin meehan
03 sep big pies gill adams
04 sep translations michael duke / brian friel
05 sep my family and other animals -gerald durrell cs
06 sep the cracks rob evans
07 sep pilgrim-the lost hotel sebastian baczkiewicz
08 sep stopgap julie mayhew
09 sep what the bishops knew hugh costello
10 sep what the nun discovered harriet o'carroll
11 sep spitfire mike walker
12 sep my family and other animals gerald durrell cs
13 sep staring into the fridge annie mccartney
14 sep pilgrim the lady in the lake sebastian baczkiewicz
15 sep pythonesque roy smiles
16 sep men of hope paul watson
17 sep tiny ben lewis
18 sep the white man's burden paul theroux about rudyard kipling
19 sep the ladies' delight carine adler / zola cs
20 sep the last tudor jolyon jenkins / abigail youngman
21 sep pilgrim hope springs sebastian baczkiewicz
22 sep for ever england tom green afghanistan soldier death
23 sep the second mr. bailey by andrew doyle homosexuality illegal scotland 1960s
24 sep we happened to be passing david nobbs
25 sep walter now david cook
26 sep the ladies' delight carine adler / zola cs
27 sep the conspiracy of the illuminati nigel baldwin
28 sep on the field - on leave annie caulfield soldiers in afghanistan
29 sep stone-the deserved dead danny brocklehurst
30 sep a nice little holiday sarah wooley about john osborne / jocelyn rickards
01 oct owls paul evans
02 oct the kane conspiracy jonathan holloway about citizen kane
03 oct goodbye to berlin tina pepler / isherwood cs
04 oct mandrake anita sullivan
05 oct the pursuit matt hartley
06 oct stone-collateral damage danny brocklehurst
07 oct visitors peter tinniswood final play
08 oct maidens' trip david ashton grand union canal ww2
09 oct theramin melissa murray
10 oct goodbye to berlin tina pepler cs
11 oct till jihad do us part shai hussain
12 oct swings and roundabouts dana fainaru and james o'neill
13 oct stone-the bridge cath staincliffe/danny brocklehurst
14 oct this repulsive woman christopher reason
15 oct every child matters christopher reason
16 oct utz bruce chatwin /gregory norminton porcelain collector 1960s prague
17 oct moby dick herman melville / stef penney cs
18 oct wind sand and stars antoine st-exupery plane crash 1935
19 oct my own private gondolier bethan roberts
20 oct stone-the night cath staincliffe / danny brocklehurst
21 oct ivan and the dogs hattie naylor tinniswood award winner repeat
22 oct the road wife eoin mcnamee imison award winner repeat
23 oct beat the dog in his own kennel gary brown
24 oct moby dick cs 2
25 oct number ten jonathan myerson
26 oct the climb author nk
27 oct severed threads goldhawk essential, john dryden ep 1
28 oct severed threads 2
29 oct severed threads 3
30 oct the vanishing tim krabbe oliver emanuel
31 oct the ramanaya cs
01 nov number ten jonathan myerson
02 nov setting a glass nick warburton
03 nov miss st andrews mike bartlett
04 nov boniface and me gillian plowman rpt
05 nov gracie and me gillian plowman sequel
06 nov five days in may matthew solon
07 nov the ramanaya cs
08 nov number ten jonathan myerson
09 nov the thali revolution bettina gracias
10 nov the trenches trip jonathan smith
11 nov the man who jumped from space andy walker
12 nov women of an uncertain age rony robinson sally goldsmith
13 nov and then there were none agatha christie /joy wilkinson
14 nov alone in berlin shelagh stevenson cs
15 nov number ten jonathan myerson
16 nov chatterton the allington solution peter ackroyd
17 nov children in need-everything oliver emanuel
18 nov children in need-all the blood in my veins
19 nov an unchoreographed world frances byrne constant lambert/margot fonteyn
20 nov a month in the country j.l.carr adap dave sheasby
21 nov alone in berlin shelagh stevenson cs
22 nov number ten jonathan myerson
23 nov atching tan dan allum
24 nov horizon steve may
25 nov perfect day hattie naylor
26 nov moeran's last symphony martyn wade
27 nov the caretaker harold pinter
28 nov i claudius cs
29 nov blue eyed boy helen cross - wartime evacuees
30 nov the babington plot michael butt
01 dec the end of the alphabet
02 dec the no 1 ladies' detective agency alexander mccall smith
03 dec the no 1 ladies' detective agency alexander mccall smith
04 dec the gambler dostoyevsky
05 dec i claudius cs
06 dec on mardle fen nick warburton
07 dec eight feet high and rising ali taylor
08 dec selfless anita sullivan
09 dec the people's princess shelagh stevenson
10 dec sky high guy meredith
11 dec on the ceiling nigel planer frescoes, sistene chapel
12 dec i claudius graves / robin brooks cs
13 dec on mardle fen nick warburton
14 dec wodehouse in hollywood colin shindler
15 dec how to be an internee..... wodehouse, shindler
16 dec chequebook & pen nicholas parsons johnny vegas
17 dec striptease ronald frame / simenon
18 dec shirley valentine willy russell monologue
19 dec i claudius cs
20 dec on mardle fen nick warburton
21 dec what do you know mark lawson
22 dec shakespeare a la carte pippa smith
23 dec devil in the fog leon garfield / martin jameson
24 dec ditto, second half
25 dec pat and margaret victoria wood 90m
26 dec i claudius cs
27 dec on mardle fen nick warburton
28 dec the darkness of wallis simpson rose tremain
29 dec hong kong by night in-sook chappell
30 dec rumpole penge bungalow murders john mortimer
31 dec rumpole part 2, excellent plays but with irritating musical jingle throughout
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
