Douglas Livingstone

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Road To Ferrara

20190919

20211014 (BBC7)
20211015 (BBC7)
20211123 (R4)

Raymond has long since divorced, but is still not resigned to his single status. When his mother dies, he looks to her carer for help of a different sort.

An invitation to go with her to Ferrara to witness the oldest Palio in Italy seems to open up the possibility of romance, but Ferrara is a city with a history of lust, betrayal and revenge - and Raymond's visit there has unexpected echoes of the past.

Drama inspired by extensive recordings made at the 2019 Palio at Ferrara.

Raymond.....Peter Wight

Lucia.....Rebecca Lee

Martha.....Joanna McCallum

Marco.....Sebastiano Kiniger

Maid.....Emma Noakes

Restaurant Owner.....Jane Bertish

Maria......Flaminia Cinque

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019.

From 1425 to 2019, two ill-starred love triangles, set at the oldest horse race in Italy.

Road To Lautrec

20171130

20211012 (BBC7)
20211013 (BBC7)
20191230 (R4)

The hilltop community in the medieval village of Lautrec is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It holds a festival to celebrate the harvest of their distinctive pink garlic.

This two day event on the first weekend of August, attracts thousands of visitors with its bewildering array of garlic twining competitions, garlic sculptures, dancing, processions, elaborate church services, markets, culinary contests, a vast dole of free garlic soup and a huge communal dinner held under the stars.

Three oddly assorted people from a London cookery course take advantage of an offer to visit the fete, staying with a local ex-pat.

What follows is a comic romance of gastronomy, lost love and prodigious amounts of garlic and rose wine, played out in a truly extraordinary place in the shadow of Brexit.

Mary - Cheryl Campbell

Colin... ..Robin Ellis

Harry..... Nigel Anthony

Susanna..... Emma Cunniffe

Young Mary..... Bronte Tadman

Philippe.....Pierre Elliott

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2017.

Romance set at a garlic festival in Lautrec. With Cheryl Campbell and Robin Ellis.

Road To Lisbon

20181015

20211013 (BBC7)
20211014 (BBC7)
20200106 (R4)

Patron saint of lovers and lost things, St. Anthony presides over days of celebrations.

There's fado - the wonderful songs of melancholy and longing peculiar to the Portuguese capital - there are nights of street parties, with sardines and sausages hissing on grills at every corner; there are dance competitions, parades and a mass wedding in the cathedral.

But this is more than a story of sardines and sangria - we learn about life under the dictatorship of Dr. Salazar and the effect that the curiously named Carnation Revolution had on one man. 45 years ago Tony's father was one of the Returnados'.

After the fall of the Portuguese fascists, he was forced to leave his home and business in colonial Mozambique and found himself equally unwelcome in his native Lisbon. He made a new life in England and it's only on his death that his son discovers a clue to the secret that Paulo thought he had taken with him to the grave.

Series using a specially recorded soundtrack of major festivals to create new stories - this drama using 2018's joyous summer festival of St. Anthony in Lisbon.

Tony - Carl Prekopp

Sharmila - Carlyss Peer

Joan - Elizabeth Rider

Paulo - David Westhead

Receptionist/Afonso - Andre Flynn

American Tourist - Julie Fitzpatrick

Azra - Cleo Sylvestre

Fernando - Malcolm Sinclair

A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2018.

St Anthony's Festival this year is the setting for the story of a 40-year old secret.

Road To Lisdoonvarna

19940903

20211009 (BBC7)
20211010 (BBC7)

Most people who go to the match-making fair in County Clare protest that they're just there for a good time.

But things happen when hopeless romantic Maggie meets nerdy Derek...

Starring Frances Barber and James Fleet.

Maggie - Frances Barber

Derek - James Fleet

Danny - Conleth Hill

Dad - John Hollis

O'Brien - Mark Lambert

Susan - Dervla Kirwan

Fergus - Dominic Letts

Pearce - John Rogan

Bookie - James Hayes

Bookie - Stephen Tompkinson

With Sam Dale, Shay Gorman, James Greene, Deborah Berlin and Marcella Riordan

Maggie and Derek plunge into the match-making fair in County Clare. Stars Frances Barber.

Road To Oxford

20161130

20211011 (BBC7)
20211012 (BBC7)

David is the first of his family to go to university. The young student goes up to Oxford full of hope and with his parents bursting with pride, but finds that it's not all plain sailing.

Matters come to a crisis during the chaotic festivities of May Day.

The production team went to Oxford to record the overnight festivities and shivered with the rest of them, town and gown, but managed to avoid the temptation of a warming nip of alcohol - a temptation which quite a few other people succumbed to.

A number of the actors are making their radio debuts and are graduates of the Oxford School of Drama or from The University of Oxford itself.

Students advised on the setting for the recordings and storylines have been suggested by a number of Oxford graduates, who contributed their thoughts on their time in the city of dreaming spires.

Bernard

Bernard - .John McAndrew

David - .Michael Gilbert

Shirley - Annabel Smith

Mary - Jane Whittenshaw

Julian - Jordan Metcalfe

Christopher - Charlie Bateman

Porter - Christopher Benjamin

Senior Tutor - Frank Stirling

Guide - Ella Road

Police Officer - Christopher Royle

A Unique production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2016.

The story of a missing student set against the rowdy May Day celebrations in Oxford.

Road To Rocio

19830516

20260321 (BBC7)
20260322 (BBC7)

**** This programme was suggested by Ursula Stone as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's All Request Weekend ****

What was Rocio all about?

Religion, booze, sex, macho men, brotherhood, singing and dancing - all those things came into it.

But for the four English people who went on the pilgrimage to this tiny place in the South of Spain, it was difficult to find out why it meant so much to the Spaniards.

Perhaps it was something to do with a face.

Dianne ... Sara Kestelman

Brian ... James Bolam

Richard ... Michael Kitchen

Pauline ... Christine Absalom

Federico ... Carlos Douglas

Sylvia ... Jane Wenham

Air Hostess ... Jean Trend

Carlos ... Trader Faulkner

Jose ... Clive Panto

Spanish TV man ... John Bull

Directed by Jane Morgan

**** To nominate a programme from the archives that you would like to hear again, please email radio4extra@BBC.co.uk ****

Four mismatched companions travel to a Spanish festival to create a radio drama.

They have the sounds, but can radio producer Brian capture the true meaning of a Spanish fiesta? Starring James Bolam.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
Road To Ferrara	20190919	20211014 (BBC7) 20211015 (BBC7) 20211123 (R4)	Raymond has long since divorced, but is still not resigned to his single status. When his mother dies, he looks to her carer for help of a different sort. An invitation to go with her to Ferrara to witness the oldest Palio in Italy seems to open up the possibility of romance, but Ferrara is a city with a history of lust, betrayal and revenge - and Raymond's visit there has unexpected echoes of the past. Drama inspired by extensive recordings made at the 2019 Palio at Ferrara. Raymond.....Peter Wight Lucia.....Rebecca Lee Martha.....Joanna McCallum Marco.....Sebastiano Kiniger Maid.....Emma Noakes Restaurant Owner.....Jane Bertish Maria......Flaminia Cinque A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019. From 1425 to 2019, two ill-starred love triangles, set at the oldest horse race in Italy.
Road To Lautrec	20171130	20211012 (BBC7) 20211013 (BBC7) 20191230 (R4)	The hilltop community in the medieval village of Lautrec is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It holds a festival to celebrate the harvest of their distinctive pink garlic. This two day event on the first weekend of August, attracts thousands of visitors with its bewildering array of garlic twining competitions, garlic sculptures, dancing, processions, elaborate church services, markets, culinary contests, a vast dole of free garlic soup and a huge communal dinner held under the stars. Three oddly assorted people from a London cookery course take advantage of an offer to visit the fete, staying with a local ex-pat. What follows is a comic romance of gastronomy, lost love and prodigious amounts of garlic and rose wine, played out in a truly extraordinary place in the shadow of Brexit. Mary - Cheryl Campbell Colin... ..Robin Ellis Harry..... Nigel Anthony Susanna..... Emma Cunniffe Young Mary..... Bronte Tadman Philippe.....Pierre Elliott A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2017. Romance set at a garlic festival in Lautrec. With Cheryl Campbell and Robin Ellis.
Road To Lisbon	20181015	20211013 (BBC7) 20211014 (BBC7) 20200106 (R4)	Patron saint of lovers and lost things, St. Anthony presides over days of celebrations. There's fado - the wonderful songs of melancholy and longing peculiar to the Portuguese capital - there are nights of street parties, with sardines and sausages hissing on grills at every corner; there are dance competitions, parades and a mass wedding in the cathedral. But this is more than a story of sardines and sangria - we learn about life under the dictatorship of Dr. Salazar and the effect that the curiously named Carnation Revolution had on one man. 45 years ago Tony's father was one of the Returnados'. After the fall of the Portuguese fascists, he was forced to leave his home and business in colonial Mozambique and found himself equally unwelcome in his native Lisbon. He made a new life in England and it's only on his death that his son discovers a clue to the secret that Paulo thought he had taken with him to the grave. Series using a specially recorded soundtrack of major festivals to create new stories - this drama using 2018's joyous summer festival of St. Anthony in Lisbon. Tony - Carl Prekopp Sharmila - Carlyss Peer Joan - Elizabeth Rider Paulo - David Westhead Receptionist/Afonso - Andre Flynn American Tourist - Julie Fitzpatrick Azra - Cleo Sylvestre Fernando - Malcolm Sinclair A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2018. St Anthony's Festival this year is the setting for the story of a 40-year old secret.
Road To Lisdoonvarna	19940903	20211009 (BBC7) 20211010 (BBC7)	Most people who go to the match-making fair in County Clare protest that they're just there for a good time. But things happen when hopeless romantic Maggie meets nerdy Derek... Starring Frances Barber and James Fleet. Maggie - Frances Barber Derek - James Fleet Danny - Conleth Hill Dad - John Hollis O'Brien - Mark Lambert Susan - Dervla Kirwan Fergus - Dominic Letts Pearce - John Rogan Bookie - James Hayes Bookie - Stephen Tompkinson With Sam Dale, Shay Gorman, James Greene, Deborah Berlin and Marcella Riordan Maggie and Derek plunge into the match-making fair in County Clare. Stars Frances Barber.
Road To Oxford	20161130	20211011 (BBC7) 20211012 (BBC7)	David is the first of his family to go to university. The young student goes up to Oxford full of hope and with his parents bursting with pride, but finds that it's not all plain sailing. Matters come to a crisis during the chaotic festivities of May Day. The production team went to Oxford to record the overnight festivities and shivered with the rest of them, town and gown, but managed to avoid the temptation of a warming nip of alcohol - a temptation which quite a few other people succumbed to. A number of the actors are making their radio debuts and are graduates of the Oxford School of Drama or from The University of Oxford itself. Students advised on the setting for the recordings and storylines have been suggested by a number of Oxford graduates, who contributed their thoughts on their time in the city of dreaming spires. Bernard Bernard - .John McAndrew David - .Michael Gilbert Shirley - Annabel Smith Mary - Jane Whittenshaw Julian - Jordan Metcalfe Christopher - Charlie Bateman Porter - Christopher Benjamin Senior Tutor - Frank Stirling Guide - Ella Road Police Officer - Christopher Royle A Unique production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2016. The story of a missing student set against the rowdy May Day celebrations in Oxford.
Road To Rocio	19830516	20260321 (BBC7) 20260322 (BBC7)	** This programme was suggested by Ursula Stone as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's All Request Weekend What was Rocio all about? Religion, booze, sex, macho men, brotherhood, singing and dancing - all those things came into it. But for the four English people who went on the pilgrimage to this tiny place in the South of Spain, it was difficult to find out why it meant so much to the Spaniards. Perhaps it was something to do with a face. Dianne ... Sara Kestelman Brian ... James Bolam Richard ... Michael Kitchen Pauline ... Christine Absalom Federico ... Carlos Douglas Sylvia ... Jane Wenham Air Hostess ... Jean Trend Carlos ... Trader Faulkner Jose ... Clive Panto Spanish TV man ... John Bull Directed by Jane Morgan To nominate a programme from the archives that you would like to hear again, please email radio4extra@BBC.co.uk ** Four mismatched companions travel to a Spanish festival to create a radio drama. They have the sounds, but can radio producer Brian capture the true meaning of a Spanish fiesta? Starring James Bolam. [LISTEN NOW]