R4 Drama 2026
I'm typing these entries out, summarising them from RT, removing spoilers and editing / adding notes where necessary. Typos are gradually being removed. The page is generally updated at the end of each month.
To locate a play, use Control-F which will bring up a search box. The page lists afternoon dramas. .........ND
The Saturday and Sunday plays are labelled as such in the lists.
Plays made by independent production companies are indicated by 'Indie'.
1 Jan 2026 19:00 The Archers
It's panic stations in Ambridge, and one resident makes a heartbreaking discovery. Writer: Tim Stimpson.
1 Jan 2026 19:15 The Archers: Truth and Lies
By David Payne. A play written to mark the 75th anniversary of The Archers. Ambridge is in shock as a mysterious police detective arrives, determined to get answers to some challenging questions.
Sally Griffiths ..... Claire Skinner,
Emma Grundy ..... Emerald O’Hanrahan,
Brad Horrobin ..... Taylor Uttley,
Hannah Riley ..... Helen Longworth,
Lilian Bellamy ..... Sunny Ormonde,
Harrison Burns ..... James Cartwright,
Brian Aldridge ..... Charles Collingwood,
Clive Horrobin ..... Alex Jones.
Production coordinators ..... Nikita Berry and Morgan Westwood-Cooke.
Technical Producer ..... Vanessa Nuttall.
Sound designer ..... Andy Partington.
Director ..... Toby Swift.
Editor .... Jeremy Howe.
BBC Audio Birmingham.
2 Jan 2026 Spores, 2-2: Fool's Sickener
By Marietta Kirkbride. The research team in Canada brings in bonobo apes to test the mould. Meanwhile, someone in England makes a frightening discovery.
Cassie ….. Kate O’Flynn,
Bryn ….. Ben Skym,
Pascal ….. Emmanuel Berthelot,
Ola ..… Aggy K. Adams,
Helen ….. Laurel Lefkow,
Ethan ..... Philip Desmeules,
Josie ..... Cristina Wolfe,
Aditi Saklani ..... Amrita Acharia,
Conference attendees ..... Laila Alj, Liis Mikk.
Bonobo recordings from Prof. Zanna Clay of Durham University.
Production Manager: Eleanor Mein.
Production Assistant: Liis Mikk with Teresa Milewski.
Title music: Ioana Selaru and Melo-Zed.
Track laying: Andreina Gomez.
Sound design: Jon Nicholls and Adam Woodhams.
Produced by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
3 Jan: Saturday Play: Two on a Tower,1
Adapted by Anita Sullivan. Part 1 - The Astronomer. Viviette Constantine is isolated in a small village in England in the 1880’s. Her husband Sir Blount Constantine has been away for several years. Whilst out walking, she meets Swithin, a young astronomer who shows her the stars. They are stronly attracted. Then her husband is reported dead... Note that the adaptation is written the female point of view.
Lady Viviette Constantine - Olivia Poulet,
Swithin St Cleeve - Callum Scott Howells,
Louis Glanville - Tommy Sim’aan,
Tabitha Lark - Scarlett Courtney,
Bishop Helmsdale and Mr Cecil - Tony Turner,
Parson Torkingham - Keiron Self,
Haymoss and Sir Blount - Marc Danbury,
Mrs Martin and Mrs Poulter - Jane Slavin.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
4 Jan: Sunday afternoon: The Last of the Mohicans, 2
By J.F.Cooper, ad. Shahid Iqbal Khan. Uncas takes up the story, after he is also captured after a failed attempt to rescue Cora, Alice and Duncan from Magua and his men. As Chingachgook tries to find them, Magua takes his captives to the Delaware village, where he is determined to marry Cora. The great leader Tamenund is called on to decide the prisoners' fate.
Uncas ….. Jay Rincon,
Magua ….. Bradley Lewis,
Cora ….. Leonie Elliott,
Chingachgook ….. Jose Palma,
Alice ….. Robyn McIntyre,
Duncan Heyward ….. Thomas Dennis,
Hawkeye ….. Adam Bond,
Colonel Munro ..... Matthew Pidgeon,
Tamenund ..... Curtis Zunigha.
Sound Designer: Lucinda Mason Brown.
Production Manager: Darren Spruce.
Producer: Polly Thomas.
Indie (Thomas Carter Projects)
5 Jan: Disordered, 2-2
By Magnus Mackintosh. Episode title - Someone Like Me. 30m comedy drama slot. Hector has an extremely unusual first date with social-media obsessed Joy, followed by a surprise encounter at a Sexual Abuse Support Group. This, with some gentle persuasion from William, leads to a change in Hector’s life. The series is about a middle-aged single father with long-term mental health difficulties.
Hector - Jamie Sives,
Susan - Rosalind Sydney,
William - Raffi Philips,
Amanda - Gail Watson,
Joy – Alison O’Donnell,
Jeanine – Jenny Ryan,
Keith – David Kay,
Colin – Moray Hunter.
Studio Engineer and Editor - Lee McPhail.
Production Manager- Tayler Norris.
Produced by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy.
Indie (Absolutely). Recorded at Castlesound Studios, Pencaitland, East Lothian.
6 Jan: Almonds and Raisins, 2-2
By Adam Usden; ad. from Maisie Mosco's novel. After David sacrificed his freedom to save his brother by taking his place in the army, he and Miriam are finally reunited. As they recount their experiences they realise that their time apart has reshaped them in ways neither could have imagined.
David, Harry and Ibrahim.....Ashley Margolis,
Miriam, Selima and Clara .....Lilit Lesser,
The Pharoah, Lt. Abbott and Doctor...Ziad Abaza.
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes.
Technical Producers: Andrew Garratt, Sam Dickinson.
Assistant Technical Producer: Amritleen Randhawa.
Production Co-ordinator: Ben Hollands.
Casting Manager: Alex Curran.
BBC.
7 Jan: Faith, Hope and Glory, 1-2: Clement & Gloria
By Rex Obano; rpt. from a few years ago. It's 1948; two years since Clement and Gloria rescued an abandoned child in Tilbury Dock, and completed their unusual family. Now they pursue their separate lives until their daughter Joy makes them admit what is most valuable to them.
Gloria ..... Pippa Bennett Warner,
Clement ..... Stefan Adegbola,
Hope ..... Danielle Vitalis,
Neville ..... Chris Jack,
Olubuki ..... Rex Obano,
Martina ..... Clare Perkins,
Ida ..... Emma Handy,
Gerard ..... Hasan Dixon,
Stephens ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Post Mistress ..... Jane Whittenshaw,
Sallow ..... Roger Ringrose.
Director: Jessica Dromgoole.
Producer, Mary Peate.
8 Jan: The Goblin King and Me
By Paul Magrs. A story about a real-life encounter with David Bowie, marking ten years since his death. Daniel is a quiet kid. He's bullied at school and lives with his grandparents, who don't understand why he can't be tougher. Then one day Daniel wins a competition to go to a special screening of a children's fantasy film: Labyrinth, starring David Bowie as the Goblin King.He sets off to London with his gran. When and when the trip goes wrong, Daniel's journey becomes a fantasy quest in which reality and Daniel's inner fantasy life begin to merge. Can he make it to the centre of the labyrinth, to meet the Goblin King? [a close friend of the author told him how he once met David as a child, and how DB gave him some life-changing advice.]
Daniel: Frankie Treadaway,
David Bowie: Jon Culshaw
Gran: Susan Jameson,
Grandad: James Bolam,
Grown-up Daniel: David Judge,
Newsagent and Policeman: Dan Starkey,
Paul and Mr Simeon: Kieran O’Brien,
Boys: Tom Barnard, Jorge Roberts-Lee and William Stevens.
Sound design by Benji Clifford.
Original score by Sophie Cotton.
Produced by Simon Barnard.
Directed by Ken Bentley.
Indie (Bafflegab)
9 Jan: Spores: 2-4: Devil's Agent
By Marietta Kirkbride.
When spores erupt at a care home in Wales, Cassie’s son Bryn and 30 residents are exposed to infection. But how could this have happened when just days earlier the building was declared mould-free by the inspector?
Bryn thinks that not everyone who claims to see the mould can be trusted. But why would the inspector lie?
Cassie ….. Kate O’Flynn,
Bryn ….. Ben Skym,
Pascal ….. Emmanuel Berthelot,
Ola ..… Aggy K. Adams,
Helen ….. Laurel Lefkow,
Ethan ..... Philip Desmeules,
Josie ..... Cristina Wolfe,
Layla Wolf ..... Laila Alj.
Other voices played by the cast.
Production Manager: Eleanor Mein.
Production Assistant: Liis Mikk with Teresa Milewski.
Executive Producer: Sara Davies.
Sound design: Jon Nicholls and Adam Woodhams.
Produced by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
10 Jan: Saturday Play - Two on a Tower, 2: Marriage
By Anita Sullivan; Hardy adaptation. A story of a wedding in spite of barriers of class and age. Note also that it's written from a female point of view. Rpt. from 2021..... With the death of Sir Blount in Southern Africa, Viviette and Swithin are finally able to marry. They do so in secret, waiting for Swithin to make his name as an astronomer and for Viviette to observe a period of mourning. Unfortunately, Blount's death has been mis-reported.
Lady Viviette Constantine - Olivia Poulet,
Swithin St Cleeve - Callum Scott Howells,
Louis Glanville - Tommy Sim’aan,
Tabitha Lark - Scarlett Courtney,
Bishop Helmsdale and Mr Cecil - Tony Turner,
Parson Torkingham - Keiron Self,
Haymoss and Sir Blount - Marc Danbury,
Mrs Martin and Mrs Poulter - Jane Slavin.
Produced by John Norton.
BBC Wales.
11 Jan: Sunday afternoon - 1776, ep. 1
A two-part play with music, adapted and directed by Martin Jarvis, from work by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards. It marks 250 years of American Independence - the American colonies' struggle to break from British rule. Delegates, risking hanging for treason, carve out the Declaration of Independence - the basis of American democracy for 250 years. It has a US-based cast including Alfred Molina, Ioan Gruffudd, Steven Weber, Josh Stamberg, Gregory Harrison and Erin Bennett.
Benjamin Franklin…Alfred Molina,
John Adams...Ioan Gruffudd,
Rutledge…Steven Weber,
Dickinson…Josh Stamberg,
Jefferson…Chase Fein,
Hancock…Andre Sogliuzzo,
Thomson…Gregory Harrison,
Henry Lee…Richard Leacock,
McNair…JD Cullum,
Hopkins…William Calvert,
McKean…Matthew Wolf,
Courier…Jack Stuhley,
Abigail Adams…Erin Bennett,
Martha Jefferson…Janine Barris,
Delegates: Henri Lubatti, Darren Richardson, Alan Shearman, Mark Jude Sullivan and members of the company.
Congress Singers: Sebastian Guerrero, Tyler Ledon, Drew Tablak, Loren Smith, Ken White.
Keyboard: Noriko Olling Wright.
Music director: Jason Currie.
Sound Design: Neil Wogenson and Charles Carroll.
Production associate: Tracy Pattin.
Producers: Mark Holden and Rosalind Ayres.
Directed by Martin Jarvis.
Musicians: Chad Wright, Josh Brown, Mike Edwards, Taryn Spink, Jenni Asher.
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres)
12 Jan: Disordered, 2-3: Chaos out of Order
By Magnus Mackintosh. Hector and Susan are now an item and all is going well, until the appearance on the scene of an ex-boyfriend and a new friend for Hector raise problems of trust. Then Hector gets a surprise visitor from his past . 30m. comedy drama.
Hector - Jamie Sives,
Susan - Rosalind Sydney,
William - Raffi Philips,
Amanda - Gail Watson,
Sally – Amy Conachan,
Waiter and Assessor – Steven McNicoll,
Simon – Gordon Kennedy,
Dad – Peter Mullan.
Studio Engineer and Editor - Lee McPhail.
Production Manager - Tayler Norris.
Produced and directed by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy.
Recoded in Scotland; usual place. Indie (Absolutely).
13 Jan: Almonds and Raisins, 2-3
By Adam Usden / Maisie Mosco. After his separation from Miriam, a sad David throws himself into his work. It earns him respect from Isaac and draws Bessie’s attention.
David.....Ashley Margolis,
Miriam.....Lilit Lesser,
Sammy.....Alastair Michael,
Sarah.....Emma Leah Golding,
Rachel.....Leah Marks,
Sigmund.....Jack Wagman,
Isaac and Dr. Smolensky...Richard Katz,
Bessie.....Helen Reuben.
Produced by Nadia Molinari.
Sound design by Sharon Hughes.
Technical Producers: Andrew Garratt, Sam Dickinson.
Assistant Technical Producer: Amritleen Rhandhawa.
Production co-ordinator: Ben Hollands.
Casting Manager: Alex Curran.
BBC.
14 Jan: Faith, Hope and Glory, 1-7: Hope and Jim
By Roy Williams. It's 1948, and Hope and Jim are stuck in Britain, ashamed to go home, and still suffering the loss of their baby two years earlier.
Jim ...... Martins Imhangbe,
Hope ...... Danielle Vitalis,
Lorraine ...... Lizzy Watts,
Dennis ...... Hasan Dixon,
Bert ...... Ben Crowe,
Matron ...... Emma Handy,
Gloria ...... Pippa Bennett Warner,
Clement ...... Stefan Adegebola,
Johnnie ...... Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Neighbour ...... Roger Ringrose.
Producer, Mary Peate.
Director, Jessica Dromgoole.
15 Jan: Took Nothing Left Nothing
By Katie Bonna. When Sam takes his ex-stepdaughter Flo on a treasure hunt in the woods, he hopes to rebuild their lost bond. But the discovery of a bizarre series of love letters throws a disturbing light on Flo's current relationship.
Sam …. Shane Zaza,
Flo …. Rowan Robinson,
Ava …. Mia Haynes-French,
Petra …. Katie Bonna.
Original music by Maz O’Connor.
Producer …. Anne Isger.
Sound …. Keith Graham and Sam Dickinson.
Production Co-ordinator ….. Kate Gray.
16 Jan: Spores, 2-5: Dark Healer
By Marietta Kirkbride. Final episode. 30m.
Cassie ….. Kate O’Flynn,
Bryn ….. Ben Skym,
Pascal ….. Emmanuel Berthelot,
Ola ..… Aggy K. Adams,
Helen ….. Laurel Lefkow,
Ethan ..... Philip Desmeules,
Josie ..... Cristina Wolfe,
Layla Wolf ..... Laila Alj,
Thugs ..... Théo Marceau and Félix Marceau.
Bonobo handler ..... George Williams.
Other voices played by the cast.
Production Manager: Eleanor Mein.
Production Assistant: Liis Mikk with Teresa Milewski.
Executive Producer: Sara Davies.
Sound design: Jon Nicholls and Adam Woodhams.
Produced by Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica)
17 Jan: Saturday Play slot: An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love
By Hannah Silva. An experimental drama where Hannah Silva collaborates with a machine-learning algorithm to create an audio guide to love. The algorithm produces poems and stories in response to the writer’s poems and stories. It answers the writer’s questions and it asks her questions. The piece was developed through OKRE Experimental Stories.
Algorithm .…. Fiona Shaw,
Writer ….. Yusra Warsama,
Woman ….. Jane Slavin,
Man ….. Neil Bell.
Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies.
Production Manager ….. Anna de Wolff Evans.
Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams.
Mix …… Steve Bond.
Music …… Ioana Selaru.
.Producer ….. Nicolas Jackson.
Indie (Afonica).
18 Jan: Sunday Afternoon drama slot: 1776, episode 2
A play with music, based on a conception of Sherman Edwards from the book by Peter Stone. Adapted and directed by Martin Jarvis, celebrating the American colonies' struggle to break from British rule. Delegates, risking hanging for treason, write the Declaration of Independence - the basis of American democracy for 250 years. It's June 1776 and Jefferson is congratulated on writing the Declaration. Conservative Edward Rutledge of South Carolina objects to a clause condemning the slave trade. He accuses the northern colonies of hypocrisy because they also prosper from slavery.
Ben Franklin…Alfred Molina,
John Adam...Ioan Gruffudd,
Dickinson…Josh Stamberg,
Rutledge…Steven Weber,
Jefferson…Chase Fein,
Hancock…Andre Sogliuzzo,
Thomson…Gregory Harrison,
Henry Lee…Richard Leacock,
McNair…JD Cullum,
Hopkins…William Calvert,
McKean…Matthew Wolf,
Courier…Jack Stuhley,
Abigail Adams…Erin Bennett,
Delegates: Henri Lubatti, Darren Richardson, Alan Shearman, Mark Jude Sullivan and members of the company.
Keyboard: Noriko Olling Wright.
Music Director: Jason Currie.
Sound Design: Neil Wogenson and Charles Carroll.
Production Associate: Tracy Pattin.
Producers: Mark Holden and Rosalind Ayres.
Musicians: Chad Wright, Josh Brown, Mike Edwards, Taryn Spink, Jenni Asher.
Indie (Jarvis & Ayres).
19 Jan: Disordered, 2-4: Fathers, Urinal Cakes and Decisions
By Magnus Mackintosh. 30m. comedy drama. Hector faces up to his dad, with William acting as a buffer between them. Then he gets an unexpected romantic offer.
Hector - Jamie Sives,
Susan - Rosalind Sydney,
William - Raffi Philips,
Amanda - Gail Watson,
Dad – Peter Mullan,
Sally – Amy Conachan,
Peter Krysler – Kal Sabir,
Simon – Gordon Kennedy,
Police Officer – Moray Hunter.
Studio Engineer and Editor - Lee McPhail.
Production Manager - Tayler Norris.
Title Music - Just Breathe by Police Dog Hogan.
Produced by Moray Hunter and Gordon Kennedy.
Recorded in Scotland. Indie (Absolutely).
20 Jan: The Golden Key
By Chris Dolan. The play looks at the early days of the Home Rule movement in Scotland through the eyes of three of the 20th century’s most compelling political figures – Keir Hardie, James Connolly and R.B. Cunninghame Graham. It's 1916 and Cunninghame has just heard the news of Connolly’s imminent execution by the British Government.
R.B. Cunninghame Graham….…..David Robb,
Keir Hardie…….Robert Jack,
Gabriella Cunnninghame Graham……Melody Grove,
James Connolly……Martin Quinn.
Producer/director: Bruce Young.
21 Jan: Faith, Hope and Glory, 1-8, rpt: Faith and Trevor
By Winsome Pinnock. It's 1948. Two years ago, Faith lost her best friend's baby. Having encouraged her to run away, Trevor is now struggling to make her do the opposite. .
Faith ...... Shiloh Coke,
Trevor ...... Gary Beadle,
Millie ...... Jane Whittenshaw,
Ag ...... Emma Handy,
Hope ...... Danielle Vitalis,
Jim ...... Martins Imhangbe,
Caleb ...... Dermot Daly,
Waiter ...... Stefan Adegbola,
Florist ...... Ian Dunnett Jnr,
Parent ...... Cecilia Appiah,
Musician ...... Hasan Dixon.
Musical Director, Peter Ringrose.
Producer, Mary Peate.
Director, Jessica Dromgoole.
22 Jan: Tinsel Girl and the Problem Parent
By Lou Ramsden, based on the experiences of Cherylee Houston, the actress who plays Izzy Armstrong in Coronation Street. Comedy drama about the life, friendships and misadventures of wheelchair user Maz.
Maz has finally found her vocation running a community centre. She's got funding for a new youth theatre. Then Dad shows up.
Maz ..... Cherylee Houston,
Jim ..... James Quinn,
Tom ..... Zak Ford-Williams,
Rachel ..... Kathryn Pemberton,
Joanne/Doctor ..... Jane Slavin.
Directed by Jessica Mitic.
Co-Produced by Nadia Molinari & Jessica Mitic.
Sound by Tony Wass & Vanessa Nuttall.
Sound design by Sharon Hughes.
Production co-ordination by Vicky Moseley.
BBC Drama North. Singing by 'Absolute Belters' choir, Altrincham.
23 Jan: Wolf Valley, 1
By Charlotte Melen, in the Limelight series. A thriller from Norway. A young activist investigating environmental crimes goes missing. And nobody has seen anything. Criminal investigator Lena Ekström returns to Wolf Valley, a fjord town, where she has to try to find the activist whose tent lies abandoned in the middle of nowhere.
Lena - Amrita Acharia,
Magnus - Eirik Knutsvik,
Annette - Sarah Whitehouse,
Henrik - Oystein Lode,
Jasper - Raj Ghatak,
Sara - Ronja Haugholt,
Vidar - Sigurd Myhre,
Shopkeeper - Christopher Dane,
Lena's mum - Ingvild Lakou,
Young Lena - Mackensie Sutherland.
Other parts played by the cast.
Composer - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg,
Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange,
Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick & Steve Bond,
Director - Charlotte Melen.
Producer - Eleanor Mein.
Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur.
Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen.
Development Producer - Saskia Black.
Executive Producers - Charlotte Melen, Celia de Wolff.
Indie (Almost Tangible).
24 Jan: Saturday Play: Dedication, 1
By Nick Dear. After 60 years of production The Nuffield Theatre in Southampton closed for good. We mark the Nuffield Theatre's contribution to regional theatre with a production of Nick Dear’s Dedication, which he wrote for the Theatre in 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Nick grew up in the city. Shakespeare’s relationship with the Earl of Southampton has been the centre of much debate. Was he Shakespeare’s lover? Shakespeare dedicated his poems The Rape of Lucrece and Venus and Adonis to the Earl, and perhaps he is the fair youth of the Sonnets. Nick puts Shakespeare on trial, where he is questioned about his relationship with the Earl.
William Shakespeare.......Alfred Enoch,
Harry, Earl of Southampton.......Tom Glenister,
Lord Chief Justice.......Sam Dale.
Other roles played by Nick Armfield, Tallulah Bond, Declan Mason and Finlay Paul. Producer: Celia de Wolff. 55m.
Sound Designer: Lucinda Mason Brown.
Broadcast Assistant: Anna de wolff Evans.
Indie (Pier).
25 Jan: Sunday afternoon: The Legand of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irvine's ghost story about a headless horseman. Adapted for radio in a new version by Sami Ibrahim. Ichabod Crane who unleashes malevolent forces when his new-fangled ideas disrupt the traditional way of life in Sleepy Hollow. [I don't know the story so don't know how true it is to the original - ND].
Jonathan/Diedrich…..Gilles Geary,
Aletta…..Alix Wilton Regan,
Ichabod…..Calam Lynch,
Brom Bones…..Victor Alli,
Katrina…..Sasha McCabe,
Baltus Van Tassel…..Clive Hayward,
Van Ripper…..Django Bevan,
Bartender…..Jasmine Hyde.
Produced by Gemma Jenkins.
Production Co-ordinator: Kate Gray.
Casting Manager: Alex Curran.
Sound Design: Keith Graham and Andy Garratt.
BBC Production.
26 Jan: Relativity, 4-1
By Richard Herring. 30m comedy slot. Newly single Jane is trying out online dating. Pete, despairing at the failure of his marriage, has turned to drink. Margaret is enforcing the two metres social distancing rule with absolutely rigidity, while Ian tries to self diagnose his enlarged testicle. (The medical side of this episode is based on Richard's experience)
Margaret ..... Alison Steadman,
Ken ..... Phil Davis,
Jane ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Simon ..... Danny Kirrane,
Ian ..... Richard Herring,
Chloe ..... Emily Berrington,
Pete ..... Gordon Kennedy,
Holly ..... Tia Bannon,
Mark ..... Fred Haig,
Nick ..... Harrison Knights,
Donny ..... Rafael Solomon.
Director Polly Thomas.
Sound Design Eloise Whitmore.
Producer Daisy Knight.
Indie (Avalon Television).
27 Jan: Dedication, conclusion
Continued from Saturday. 45m.
William Shakespeare.........Alfred Enoch,
Harry, Earl of Southampton.........Tom Glenister,
Lord Chief Justice.........Sam Dale.
Other roles played by Nick Armfield, Tallulah Bond, Declan Mason and Finlay Paul. Production team - as on Saturday. Indie (Pier).
28 Jan: 7 Ghosts
By Dan Rebellato. A contemporary ghost story which uses the supernatural to explore human relationships and connections. The seven ghosts in the drama are all different; some are funny, some are sad. Some intervene in the world of the living; some are unable to make contact and simply watch. The drama starts with a man going to bed on his own. Suddenly a woman is there. It’s his wife, but how did she get in? It’s impossible.He can’t believe he can see her again. Rpt. from March 2023.
David…...Kobna Holdbrook Smith,
Sarah….... Ani Nelson,
Sir William….....David Annen,
Lord Havers and Ejikeme…….Don Gilet,
Charlotte and Caroline Tobin……Sarah Berger,
Robert and Elliot…....Max Runham,
Florence and Isabelle…… Fanta Barrie.
Producer …….....Polly Thomas.
Trainee Producer……Jelena Budimir.
Sound Designer……..Eloise Whitmore.
Original music……..Jeremy Walmsley.
Production Manager……..Darren Spruce.
Executive Producer……Eloise Whitmore.
Indie (Naked Productions)
29 Jan: Silent Tide
By Lucia Haynes, crime writer. On the windswept shore of a remote Scottish island, the body of young backpacker and surfer, Santiago, is found washed up by the tide. The local police say it was an accident. But his sister, Mariana – a detective in Buenos Aires, doesn't believe it. She goes to Scotland to find out what's happened. According to my information, repeat of recent broadcast (16 Dec 2025).
Fay – Dawn Steele,
Mariana – Zannie Benfield,
Tom – Sam James Smith,
Alice – Eubha Akilade,
Davey / DS Gillies – Jack Stewart.
Produced by Luke Fresle.
Script Executive: Katie Dow.
Sound Design by Adam Wood at Serious Facilities.
Indie (Black Camel Pictures).
30 Jan: Wolf Valley, 2
By Charlotte Melen. The body of a young woman, Rose Smith, lies in the icy waters of the fjord. Who put her there? Forensics suggest a brutal killing. Lena works with Oslo detective Aksel Karlin to investigate the death.
Lena - Amrita Acharia,
Magnus - Eirik Knutsvik,
Henrik - Oystein Lode,
Ingrid - Eva Eklof,
Aksel- David Menkin,
Annette - Sarah Whitehouse,
Eva - Ingvild Lakou,
Dinseh - Raj Ghatak,
Pia - Charlotte Melen,
Vidar - Sigurd Myhre,
Sara - Ronja Haugholt,
Rose - Stephanie MacGaraidh,
Bengt - Christopher Dane,
James Addington - Peter F Gardiner,
Lena's Mum - Ingvild Lakou,
Young Lena - Mackensie Sutherland,
Other parts played by the cast.
Composer - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg.
Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange.
Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick, Steve Bond.
Director - Charlotte Melen.
Producer - Eleanor Mein.
Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur.
Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen.
Development Producer - Saskia Black.
Indie (Almost Tangible). 30m.
31 Jan: Bacon in Moscow
By Stephen Wakelam, based on the memoir by James Birch. 90m. How Francis Bacon became the first major Western artist to have a solo exhibition in the Soviet Union. In 1986, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and his advisers had adopted glasnost (openness) as a political slogan, together with the terms perestroika (restructuring or regrouping) and demokratizatsiya (democratisation). Glasnost reflected a commitment of the Gorbachev administration to allowing Soviet citizens to discuss publicly the problems of their system and to explore potential solutions. On the 22nd September 1988 an exhibition of Francis Bacon's work opened at the Central House of Artists in Moscow: the result of a complex and convoluted negotiation by London gallerist James Birch. Birch had known Bacon since childhood. The play is about his struggle to make the exhibition happen.
Francis Bacon …Timothy Spall,
James Birch … Luke Norris,
Sergei Klokov … Simonas Mozura,
Elena Khudiakova/ Valerie Beston/ TV Interviewer … Amrita Acharia,
Johnny Stuart/ John Edwards … John Hopkins,
Bob Chenciner/ British Council/ Taxi Driver … Al Barclay,
Russian Official/ Guard/ Vasili … Michael Tcherepashenets.
Sound design by Markus Andreas and Alisdair McGregor.
Directed and produced by Jeremy Mortimer.
Production coordinator Annie Keates Thorpe.
Executive Producer Joby Waldman.
Indie (Reduced Listening). Rpt. from R3, 14 Jan 2024.
1 Feb: Sunday afternoon - Walden
By Henry Thoreau; his account of his year living in a cabin in the woods next to Walden Pond in Massachusetts, dram. Paul Farley. An evocative dramatisation of an attempt to live lightly on the earth, in tune with the rhythms of the natural world and to pay attention to the local and immediate.
Henry.....Matthew Needham,
The Hostess.....Antonia Bernath,
Sceptical Diners.....Nathan Osgood and Adam Silver,
Railway Workers.....Jonathan Forbes and Jos Vantyler,
Mrs Field.....Aisha Lawal,
Sam Staples.....Clive Haywood,
The Poet.....Django Bevan,
Fenda Freeman.....Lorna Lowe
William Taylor.....Kel Matsena.
Sound design was by Catherine Robinson.
BBC Wales, prod. Emma Harding.
2 Feb: Relativity, 4-2
30m comedy drama slot; by Richard Herring.
Ian’s visit to the doctor leads to uncertainty about his health. Ken tries to bring Jane and Ian back together in a surprise meeting. The grandchildren are surprised to find that Margaret and Ken have been watching Naked Attraction. (Is that a TV show? - ND)
Margaret ..... Alison Steadman,
Ken ..... Phil Davis,
Jane ..... .Fenella Woolgar,
Ian ..... Richard Herring,
Chloe ..... Emily Berrington,
Pete ..... Gordon Kennedy,
Holly ..... Tia Bannon,
Mark ..... Fred Haig,
Nick ..... Harrison Knights,
Dr Kulkarni ..... Ahir Shah,
Donny ..... Rafael Solomon.
Director - Polly Thomas.
Sound Design - Eloise Whitmore.
Producer Daisy Knight.
Executive Producers Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner.
Indie (Avalon Television).
3 Feb: This Thing of Darkness, 4-1: Admission
By Frances Poet with monologues by Eileen Horne. A new 5-part series, where Alex Bridges takes us into the world of secure units, explores the relationship between mothers and daughters and the impact of fatal violence on the lives it affects.
Alex ….. Lolita Chakrabarti,
Kathleen ….. Maureen Beattie,
Lindsay ….. Helen Mackay,
Abi ….. Anna Russell-Martin,
Daniel ….. Nicholas Karimi,
Sandra ….. Lucianne McEvoy,
Lewis/solicitor/ambulance operator:….. Lee Hughes,
D.C.Ingles/security guard/nurse... Kenny Blyth,
Sound recording : Andy Hay and Fraser Jackson,
Sound Design: Fraser Jackson.
Series Consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead.
Series format created by Lucia Haynes, Audrey Gillan, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.
Produced by Kirsty Williams. BBC Scotland.
4 Feb: Deacon - A Reckoning
By Edson Burton. The enigmatic drifter is back to help a troubled soul. James Persad has lost his wife Mavis, and he too seems lost. Can Deacon help? New supernatural drama.
Deacon - Don Warrington,
James Persad - Ram John Holder,
Mavis - Sutara Gayle,
Michael - Lee Mengo,
Ryan - Tristan Slowley,
Youth - Hasan Dixon.
Sound Design - Nigel Lewis.
Producer - John Norton.
BBC Wales.
5 Feb: Wild Woman of the North
By Esther Wilson. Inspired by a 'Wild Living' Community in Wales, a family moves to the countryside to try a new way of life that is closer to nature. They are recovering from a family tragedy.
Laura........Gillian Kearney,
Mark........Lee Ingleby,
Arlo.......Tareq Al-Jeddal.
Production Co-ordinator - Pippa Day.
Tech Team - Tony Wass & Vanessa Nuttall.
Sound Design - Sue Stonestreet.
Producer/Director - Gary Brown & Pauline Harris.
A BBC Audio Drama North Production.
6 Feb: Wolf Valley, 3
By Charlotte Mein. Rose was witness to a dark Norse ritual the night before she died. Lena Ekström’s investigation widens as Lars’ story starts to unravel, revealing rituals, runes and the unsettling culture behind Valborg Academy. Meanwhile, a resurfacing trauma threatens Lena’s composure just as the case takes a sharp turn. When she and Aksel track a lead to a secluded cabin, they make a shocking discovery.
Lena - Amrita Acharia,
Aksel - David Menkin,
Magnus - Eirik Knutsvik,
Henrik - Oystein Lode,
Headmaster - Christopher Dane,
Vinny - Alex Farrell,
Paul - Raj Ghatak,
Eva - Ingvild Lakou,
Lars - Laurits Bjerrum,
Susanna - Ingrid Werner.
Annette - Sarah Whitehouse,
Waitress - Ronja Haugholt,
Oskar - Raife Sutherland,
Lena's Mum - Ingvild Lakou,
Young Lena - Mackensie Sutherland,
Other parts played by the cast.
Music - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg,
Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange,
Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick, Steve Bond.
Director - Charlotte Melen.
Producer - Eleanor Mein.
Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur.
Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen.
Development Producer - Saskia Black.
Indie (Almost Tangible).
7 Feb: Saturday Play - Transcendental Wild Oats
By Louisa May Alcott, ad. Edward Rowett. The writer of 'Little Women' tells the story of her parents, and her father’s attempt to found a Utopia, Fruitlands, on a farm in the New England wilderness. Accompanied by an Englishman, Charles Lane, and a band of eccentrics, they believed Eden could be returned to Earth through veganism, celibacy and organic farming. This adaptation combines Louisa’s original short story with historical record, drawing on the letters and diaries of the people involved, to tell the full story of Fruitlands.
Louisa May Alcott and Louy Alcott - Louisa Harland,
Bronson Alcott - Alistair Petrie,
Abigail Alcott - Rebekah Staton,
Charles Lane - Mathew Baynton.
Christopher Godwin as Joseph Palmer,
Tom Moores as Samuel Bower,
Edward Rowett as Abraham Wood
Patricia Rodriguez as Ann Page
Jason Barnett as Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Victoria Rigby as Anna Alcott.
Production Manager - Sarah Tombling,
Studio Engineer, Sound Design and Editing - Wilfredo Acosta,
Directed by Gordon Kennedy and Edward Rowett.
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios, London.
Indie (Absolutely).
8 Feb: Sunday afternoon- Gone with the Wind
By Margaret Mitchell, dram. Rachel Joyce from the novel, set during the American Civil War. It is about the collapse of the old Southern order, and centres on the fiercely determined Scarlett O’Hara.
Scarlett ..... Samantha Dakin,
Rhett ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd,
Ashley ..... Joseph May,
Melanie ..... Rebekah Murrell,
Prissy ..... Madeline Charlemagne,
Sam ..... Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong,
Aunt Pitty ..... Laurel Lefkow,
Peter ..... David Webber,
Dr Meade ...... Sam Dale,
Pork ..... Richard Pepple,
Frank Kennedy ..... Finlay Robertson,
Ellen/Belle ..... Clare Corbett,
The Tarleton Twins ..... Joe Jameson,
Narrator and Mary ..... Clare Perkins.
Producer and Director: Tracey Neale.
Script Consultant: Beverly Andrews.
Sound Design: Keith Graham, Peter Ringrose, Sam Dickinson and Cole Colbert. BBC studio.
Production Co-Ordinators: Luke MacGregor and Amy Woods.
9 Feb: Relativity, 4-5
By Richard Herring; comedy-drama 30m involving four generations of the same family. This series is set during Covid (China virus) lockdown. , set during the first year of lockdown. In this episode Ian has a series of medical tests. He and Chloe have to face up to the fact that he may have cancer.
Ken ..... Phil Davis,
Ian ..... Richard Herring,
Chloe ..... Emily Berrington,
Dr Harper ..... Fenella Woolgar,
Technician ..... Harrison Knights,
Doctor Kulkarni ..... Ahir Shah,
Nurse Amani ..... Rani Fatania,
Donny ..... Rafael Solomon.
Director Polly Thomas.
Sound Design - Eloise Whitmore.
Producer - Daisy Knight.
Indie (Avalon Television).
10 Feb: This Thing of Darkness, 4-2: The Unsaid
By Frances Poet, with monologues by Eileen Horne.
Lindsay has agreed to take part in family therapy in the secure unit where Kathleen is being held. Unanswered questions and long-held resentments surface as Lindsay struggles to understand her mother's actions.
Alex ….. Lolita Chakrabarti,
Kathleen ….. Maureen Beattie,
Lindsay ….. Helen Mackay,
Daniel ….. Nicholas Karimi.
Production Coordinators: Rosalind Gibson and Ellie Marsh.
Sound recording : Andy Hay and Fraser Jackson.
Sound Design: Fraser Jackson.
Series Consultant: Dr Gwen Adshead.
Series format created by Lucia Haynes, Audrey Gillan, Eileen Horne, Gaynor Macfarlane, Anita Vettesse and Kirsty Williams.
BBC Scotland. Produced by Kirsty Williams and directed by Gaynor Macfarlane.
11 Feb: Rays of Darkness
By Gwyneth Lewis, the former National Poet of Wales; the play is about how her experience of chronic migraine led her to seek the companionship of a long-dead writer, Margiad Evans. Evans' memoirs, A Ray of Darkness and The Nightingale Silenced formed the first serious portrayal of epilepsy since Dostoevsky's The Idiot, and offer an invaluable insight into the condition.
The drama shows two writers, in different circumstances, working in the shadow of their respective illnesses.
G.....Eiry Thomas,
Migraine.....Sharon Morgan,
Margiad.....Clare Corbett,
Leighton.....Richard Elfyn,
Dr Golla.....Sam Dale,
Doctor.....Sam Swann.
Poems read by Gwyneth Lewis and published by Bloodaxe.
Production Co-ordinator.....Eleri McAuliffe.
Sound Designer.....Rhys Morris.
Produced by Emma Harding for BBC Wales.
12 Feb: Good People - 1. The Great Reset
By Steve Waters; part 1 of 6.
Four young idealists fall under the spell of charismatic thinker Faith Abbott at university and channel her ideas into a bold political experiment: Project Hope. In 2020 they start a new political group. But nearly a decade on, Britain stands divided, and the group has splintered. When Sonia discovers Faith has denounced Project Hope from beyond the grave, she needs to have a re-think.This is fiction - looking at the rise of populism and the perceived failure of politicians to listen to the views of ordinary people.
Sonia ..... Natalie Simpson,
Faith ..... Anastasia Hille,
Kieran ..... Nicholas Armfield,
Indigo ..... Alby Baldwin,
Ayad ..... Ikky Kabir,
Philip ..... Clive Hayward,
Gabe ..... Django Bevan,
Abbie ..... Iona Champain,
Sound ..... Andy Garratt, Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson.
Casting Manager ..... Alex Curran.
Script Development ..... Abigail Le Fleming.
Production Co-ordinator ..... Kate Gray.
Assistant Producer ..... Luke MacGregor.
Producer ..... Anne Isger. BBC studio.
13 Feb: Wolf Valley, 4
By Charlotte Melen. Asgaard’s founder Tor Martinsen’s death sends shockwaves through Wolf Valley but Lena is not convinced it was suicide. And Rose’s recovered GoPro camera deepens the mystery. Then ten-year-old Oscar Vikstad disappears.
Lena - Amrita Acharia,
Aksel - David Menkin,
Magnus - Eirik Knutsvik,
Paul - Raj Ghatak,
Ingrid - Eva Eklof,
Henrik - Oystein Lode,
Eva - Ingvild Lakou,
RoseStephanie MacGaraidh,
Susanna - Ingrid Werner,
Annette - Sarah Whitehouse,
Vidar's mum - Eva Eklof,
Sara - Ronja Haugholt,
Lena's mum - Ingvild Lakou,
Young Lena - Mackensie Sutherland.
Other parts played by the cast.
Composer - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg.
Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange.
Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick, Steve Bond.
Director - Charlotte Melen.
Producer - Eleanor Mein.
Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur.
Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen.
Development Producer - Saskia Black.
Iindie (Almost Tangible) 30m.
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