Episodes
Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
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20040509 | Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Adapted for radio by Jeremy Howe With David Calder as Marlow Marlow, a sea captain, is ordered to sail up the Congo River to find out what has happened to Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader. The journey takes him into the heart of an unknowable darkness. A new version for radio of one of the 20th Century's greatest novels. Try to listen closely and undisturbed' Gillian Reynolds Marlow....David Calder Mr Kurtz....Bill Wallis The Disciple....Kris Marshall The Company Doctor....John Webb The Manager....John MacKay The Uncle....Jon Morrison Man with a Moustache....Jeremy Swift The Helmsman....Yemi Goodman Ajibade The Stoker....Willie Jonah Steamboat Captain....John Telfer The Accountant....Mark Buffery The Intended....Kate Byers The Solicitor....Stephen Perring Music composed by David Lord Produced in Bristol by Jeremy Howe and Iain Hunter. Marlow - David Calder Mr Kurtz - Bill Wallis The Disciple - Kris Marshall The Company Doctor - John Webb The Manager - John MacKay The Uncle - Jon Morrison Man with a Moustache - Jeremy Swift The Helmsman - Yemi Goodman Ajibade The Stoker - Willie Jonah Steamboat Captain - John Telfer The Accountant - Mark Buffery The Intended - Kate Byers The Solicitor - Stephen Perring | |||
20040516 | The Loneliest Road By Gregory Whitehead A pirate radio broadcast from the occluded heartland of the American Dream, haunted by dead poets, Marilyn Monroe, and an angel's solemn whisper. Candy Mintz....Karen Lee Terry Trenton....Thom Whaley Post-Mortem Narrator....Jeff Kent Una....Cynthia Atwood Ted Stebbins....Jon Swan Stu Berkowitz....Daniel Klein Oswald Norris....Gregory Whitehead Ava Ravenella....Anne Undeland Original Music composed and performed by Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto. Directed by Gregory Whitehead. Candy Mintz - Karen Lee Terry Trenton - Thom Whaley Post-Mortem Narrator - Jeff Kent Una - Cynthia Atwood Ted Stebbins - Jon Swan Stu Berkowitz - Daniel Klein Oswald Norris - Gregory Whitehead Ava Ravenella - Anne Undeland | |||
20040613 | 'Through a Glass Darkly: By Shelagh Stephenson. Martha Jardine obsesses over the diaries of renaissance man John Collingwood, but in the 18th century, Collingwood's family are discovering his secret.' | |||
20040627 | Uncle Varick By John Byrne. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Anton Chekhov, Radio 3 presents a new version of Uncle Vanya by acclaimed Scottish playwright John Byrne. The action takes place on an estate in the remote North East of Scotland in the mid-sixties. Uncle Varick and his niece Shona have been running the estate, farm and the brewery for the benefit of Varick's brother-in-law, the literary critic and TV pundit Sandy Sheridan. When Sandy decides to retire to the estate with his young wife Elaine, their presence throws the lives of the inhabitants into disarray. Uncle Varick is desperate having, he believes, surrendered his chance at life and love for the benefit of a man he now knows to be a charlatan. Deeply in love with Elaine, Varick's crisis drives the action to a darkly comic, tragic finale. Uncle Varick....Paul Young Sandy....Sandy Neilson Doctor....Richard Greenwood Estate Worker....Robert Jack Shona....Vicki Masson Elaine....Selina Boyack Mother....Sheila Donald Willie John Telfer....John Shedden Kirsty Morag....Anne Lacey Guitar arranged and performed by Kevin MacKenzie The production was first staged by the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Directed by Lu Kemp Uncle Varick .......... Paul Young Sandy .......... Sandy Neilson Doctor ......... Richard Greenwood Estate Worker ......... Robert Jack Shona ........... Vicki Masson Elaine ......... Selina Boyack Mother ......... Sheila Donald Willie John Telfer ......... John Shedden Kirsty Morag .......... Anne Lacey | |||
20040822 | 'The Mrichhakatikaa: A 5th-century Sanskrit play recorded on location in India, the story of a romance between an impoverished nobleman and a beautiful courtesan.' | |||
20040905 | The Don By Jeff Young. Inspired by Cervantes' Don Quixote, The Don is a gentle dreamer, disheveled and battered by too many years spent in life's shadows. Through the function suites, pubs and wedding dos of northern England, The Don, played by the incomparable Bill Nighy, staggers forever in pursuit of his imaginary lover Dulcie - his muse, his ideal 'lady', with his neighbour Sancho in tow. The Don....Bill Nighy Sancho....Danny Webb Priest....Sam Kelly Receptionist....Rosie Cavaliero Barber....Deka Walmsley Steve....Declan Wilson Landlady....Elizabeth Bell Lad....Oliver Jackson Dulcie....Clara Sanabras Music composed and performed by Harvey Brough Lyrics by Jeff Young Mike Outram (guitar) The Don - Bill Nighy Sancho - Danny Webb Priest - Sam Kelly Receptionist - Rosie Cavaliero Barber - Deka Walmsley Steve - Declan Wilson Landlady - Elizabeth Bell Lad - Oliver Jackson Dulcie - Clara Sanabras | |||
20040919 | Something Dark By Lemn Sissay. Fostered as a baby and brought up in care, Sissay spent most of his adult life searching for his family. This is a poetic retelling of his journey. | |||
20041010 | 'Mr Puntila and His Man Matti, by Bertolt Brecht. A drunken chaotic landowner leans heavily on his stoic chauffeur in a series of ever more outrageous escapades.' | |||
20041017 | The Moving and the Still By Howard Barker A monastery in 1450. A young scribe, the finest calligrapher of his generation, greater even than John of Damascus or Ionides of the Feathered Style, is passionately committed to his art. Then a printing press arrives in his scriptorium from Germany. Hoik....Chris Moran Slee....Neil Dudgeon Mother....Lesley Manville Tram....John Wood November....Anton Lesser Hergood/ Clerk....Damian Lynch Light....Declan Wilson Toonelhuis....John Rowe Signor/Confessor....Vincenzo Nicoli Directed by Peter Kavanagh. Hoik - Chris Moran Slee - Neil Dudgeon Mother - Lesley Manville Tram - John Wood November - Anton Lesser Hergood/ Clerk - Damian Lynch Light - Declan Wilson Toonelhuis - John Rowe Signor/Confessor - Vincenzo Nicoli | |||
20041031 | The Lovers of Viorne By Marguerite Duras Translated from the French by Barbara Bray. Adapted for radio by Bryony Lavery. A dismembered corpse scattered over a railway network and an unemotional confession leads a police interrogator to try and understand a woman's life and marriage in a provincial French town. The Interrogator....Roger Allam Pierre....Peter Bowles Other Voices....Andrew Hawkins Claire....Juliet Stevenson Director....Annie Castledine The Interrogator - Roger Allam Pierre - Peter Bowles Other Voices - Andrew Hawkins Claire ....... Juliet Stevenson Director - Annie Castledine | |||
20041107 | A Taste Of Honey By Shelagh Delaney Adapted and directed for radio by Polly Thomas. A new radio production of one of the great stage plays of the 20th century. The powerful story of a pregnant teenage girl and her feckless mother trading insults and repartee in 1950s Salford. Helen....Siobhan Finneran Jo....Beth Squires Peter....Charles Lawson Boy....Richard Mylan Geof....Andrew Sheridan Helen - Siobhan Finneran Jo - Beth Squires Peter - Charles Lawson Boy - Richard Mylan Geof - Andrew Sheridan | |||
20041114 | In Parenthesis By David Jones Private John Ball and his fellow Royal Welch Fusiliers embark for France in December 1915. Six months later, the majority of this band of comrades are killed or wounded at the Battle of the Somme. A new production of this unique prose-poem marks Remembrance Sunday and the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One. Adapted by Douglas Cleverdon. Action....Sian Phillips Thought....Sara McGaughey Memory....Manon Edwards Prologue....Dorien Thomas John Ball....Steven Meo Dai Evans....Oliver Ryan Crower....Thomas Arnold Jenkins....Rhodri Hugh Lewis....Iestyn Jones Snell....Simon Ludders Quilter....David Middleton Wastebottom....Matthew Morgan Clark....Carl Prekopp Watcyn....Aled Pugh Wyatt....Keiron Self Saunders....Nathan Sussex Original Music by John Hardy Directed by Alison Hindell Action - Sian Phillips Thought - Sara McGaughey Memory - Manon Edwards Prologue - Dorien Thomas John Ball - Steven Meo Dai Evans - Oliver Ryan Crower - Thomas Arnold Jenkins - Rhodri Hugh Lewis - Iestyn Jones Snell - Simon Ludders Quilter - David Middleton Wastebottom - Matthew Morgan Clark - Carl Prekopp Watcyn - Aled Pugh Wyatt - Keiron Self Saunders - Nathan Sussex | |||
20041121 | 'Daughter of the Air, by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, in a new version for radio by Sarah Woods produced in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.' | |||
20041128 | Pale Fire A dramatisation of Vladimir Nabokov's great novel by the Sony Award-winning playwright Robert Forrest. Published in 1962, Pale Fire ranks alongside James Joyce's Ulysses and Marcel Proust's À La Recherche du Temps Perdu as one of the masterpieces of twentieth century fiction. Comic, tragic, heartbreaking, Shakespearean in its almost infinite depth and beauty, it moves between leafy Appalachia and the mysterious far northern kingdom of Zembla, telling the story of a homely American poet and his regally demented neighbour. Charles Kinbote....Finlay Welsh John Shade....Angus MacInnes Sybil Shade....Joanna Tope Professor Hurley....Crawford Logan Odon....Richard Greenwood Disa....Gayanne Potter Directed by Patrick Rayner Charles Kinbote - Finlay Welsh John Shade - Angus MacInnes Sybil Shade - Joanna Tope Professor Hurley - Crawford Logan Odon - Richard Greenwood Disa - Gayanne Potter | |||
20041205 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? By Edward Albee A new production, recorded on location, of this classic American play where two married couples tear each other's lives apart in a drunken brawl after a university party. For the older couple, George and Martha, it is part of the ritual of their marriage but on this particular night things go too far... Martha....Juliet Stephenson George....Alex Jennings Honey....Anastasia Hille Nick....William Hope Directed by Cherry Cookson Martha - Juliet Stephenson George - Alex Jennings Honey - Anastasia Hille Nick - William Hope | |||
20050102 | Thinking Earth: Earth Mapping A nightmare journey from Kabul, a migration of birds in Greenland and a man lying on his back in a car park looking at the sky, while in Ireland Kevin tries to get lost in a wood in order to remember a day in his childhood when he first learned about mapping and why sometimes it is important to lose your way. A meditation on mapping with contributions from international artists, writers, environmentalists, composers and members of the public including: Lin Coghlan, Lyn Gardner, John Hull, Paul Heritage, Kazuko Hohki, Vivienne Jake, Silke Mansholt, Graeme Miller, David Qujaukitsoq, Shirazuddin Siddiqi, Karen Wimhurst and Paddy Woodworth. Thinking Earth is one of a trilogy of complementary programmes broadcast on Radio 4 (8.00pm January 1st) , BBC World Service (11.00pm January 1st) and Radio 3. Cleary....Jim Norton Kevin....Lloyd Hutchinson Younger Kevin....Daniel Price Music by Billy Cowie Produced by Pam Marshall Cleary - Jim Norton Kevin - Lloyd Hutchinson Younger Kevin - Daniel Price | |||
20050109 | A new play written especially for Radio 3, from one of Britain's greatest living dramatists Ted Whitehead, about a man returning to his home town and re-examining his relationship with his father. Tony....Jonathan Pryce Bridget....Sue Johnston Dominic....Tom Bell Written by Ted Whitehead Directed by Bruce Hyman Tony ......... Jonathan Pryce Bridget ........... Sue Johnston Dominic ............ Tom Bell | |||
20050116 | The Fire Raisers By Max Frisch. Translated by Michael Bullock. Adapted by Charles Wood. An intriguing, entertaining and provocative comedy, which has rightly become known as a classic of the European stage. The Biedermanns are a bourgeois family, paranoid about protecting their home. Yet when the homeless, sinister Schmitz seeks shelter, he manages to hoodwink his way into the house. Herr Biedermann....Jim Broadbent The Author....Simon McBurney Mrs Biedermann....Harriet Walter Eisenring....Phil Daniels Schmitz....Ralph Ineson Anna....Tamzin Griffin Herr Biedermann - Jim Broadbent The Author - Simon McBurney Mrs Biedermann - Harriet Walter Eisenring - Phil Daniels Schmitz - Ralph Ineson Anna - Tamzin Griffin | |||
20050123 | Embers By Sandor Marai. Adapted by Lou Stein. What is the true nature of the bonds of friendship? How deep are those bonds when challenged by betrayal, passion, and a thirst for revenge? Patrick Stewart stars in this drama, adapted by Lou Stein from Sandor Marai's recent best-selling novel. In a gripping battle of wills, two men meet after a gap of forty-one years to unlock the truth behind an act of betrayal which shattered both their lives. Set in a vast, perfectly preserved aristocratic Hungarian castle in 1940, a 75-year old career military man, Henrik (known simply as the General by his servants) patiently waits for a guest whom he has not seen for 41 years. When his great childhood friend, Konrad, does appear, the General invites his guest to dine with him at the table which was last used 41 years ago, the day he discovered Konrad's passionate relationship with his young wife, Krisztina and his best friend's plan to kill him. The moment has come for the General to take revenge on Konrad's betrayal of their friendship. The General....Patrick Stewart Nini....Sara Kestelman Konrad....David Horovitch Young General....Jamie Glover Young Konrad/Gamekeeper/Servant....Laurence Kennedy Krisztina....Jenny Agutter Translation by Carol Brown Janeway Original Music by Deirdre Gribbin Produced and directed by Lou Stein The General - Patrick Stewart Nini - Sara Kestelman Konrad - David Horovitch Young General - Jamie Glover Young Konrad/Gamekeeper/Servant - Laurence Kennedy Krisztina - Jenny Agutter | |||
20050130 | Something Dark Written and Performed by Lemn Sissay. Fostered as a baby and brought up in care from the age of 11, Lemn Sissay spent most of his adult life searching for his family. Something Dark is a poetic retelling of this dramatic journey. With music by Jim Parris. Produced by Shabina Aslam. | |||
20050206 | Red Razzmatazz By David Zane Mairowitz and Dominic Muldowney. A new radio opera set in Moscow, in 1949. With jazz more or less forbidden, a young and crazy unemployed musician - reputed to be the best saxophonist in Russia - imports an illegal saxophone into the Soviet Union. Crooked Jimmy....Nick Holder Rivka....Natalie Turner Jones Vinogradeff/ Chorus....Richard Morris Commissar/ Radio Voice....Stephen Boxer Chorus of comissars....Gordon Adams, Mary Carewe, Jonathan Williams Dominic Muldowney (composer) Written and directed by David Zane Mairowitz Crooked Jimmy ......... Nick Holder Rivka .......... Natalie Turner Jones Vinogradeff/ Chorus ......... Richard Morris Commissar/ Radio Voice .......... Stephen Boxer Chorus of comissars ........... Gordon Adams, Mary Carewe, Jonathan Williams | |||
20050213 | The Beaux' Stratagem George Farquhar's Restoration comedy in which two penniless beaux flee London society for the countryside and evolve a stratagem for each to ensnare a wife of fortune and beauty. Archer, a beau....Jasper Britton Aimwell, another beau....Alex Jennings Count Bellair....Anthony Jackson Boniface, a Landlord....Anthony Jackson Cherry, his daughter....Teresa Gallagher A countrywoman....Teresa Gallagher Squire Sullen....Mark Straker Scrub, his servant....Giles Fagan Mrs Sullen, his wife....Zoë Waites Gypsy, her servant....Frances Jeater Lady Bountiful....Frances Jeater Dorinda, her daughter....Sophie Thompson Foigard, a priest....Nigel Anthony Gibbet, a highwayman....Timothy Bentinck Sir Charles Freeman....Timothy Bentinck Adapted and directed by John Tydeman. Produced by Nicolas Soames. Archer, a beau - Jasper Britton Aimwell, another beau - Alex Jennings Count Bellair - Anthony Jackson Boniface, a Landlord - Anthony Jackson Cherry, his daughter - Teresa Gallagher A countrywoman - Teresa Gallagher Squire Sullen - Mark Straker Scrub, his servant - Giles Fagan Mrs Sullen, his wife - Zoë Waites Gypsy, her servant - Frances Jeater Lady Bountiful - Frances Jeater Dorinda, her daughter - Sophie Thompson Foigard, a priest - Nigel Anthony Gibbet, a highwayman - Timothy Bentinck Sir Charles Freeman - Timothy Bentinck | |||
20050220 | Losses at Sea Graham Reid's moving dramatisation of the sinking of The Princess Victoria. On the 31st of January, 1953 during the great storm that devasted coastal areas around the UK, the ferry between Stranraer and Larne sank off the County Down Coast. Up to 130 souls were lost, and a few remain unaccounted for. Losses at Sea is an imagined journey of two of these people told in tandem with the real stories of those who lost their lives that day. Dennis Walker....Richard Dormer Christine Bell....Valerie Lilley Sir Walter Smiles....Walter McMonagle Maynard Sinclair....Ian McIlhinney Sarah Cunningham....Julia Dearden Ronald McNeill....Stuart Graham Agnes McNeill....Nuala O'Neill Violet Dingle....Cathy Sara Eileen Prentice....Tara Lynne O'Neill Captain James Ferguson....David Bannerman Robert Burns....Mark Claney Roseann Baxter....Carol Moore Donnelly....Mark O'Shea Pat....Dan Gordon Brian....Miche Doherty James Carlin....John Hewitt Andrew....James Doran Directed by Stephen Wright. Dennis Walker - Richard Dormer Christine Bell - Valerie Lilley Sir Walter Smiles - Walter McMonagle Maynard Sinclair - Ian McIlhinney Sarah Cunningham - Julia Dearden Ronald McNeill - Stuart Graham Agnes McNeill - Nuala O'Neill Violet Dingle - Cathy Sara Eileen Prentice - Tara Lynne O'Neill Captain James Ferguson - David Bannerman Robert Burns - Mark Claney Roseann Baxter - Carol Moore Donnelly - Mark O'Shea Pat - Dan Gordon Brian - Miche Doherty James Carlin - John Hewitt Andrew - James Doran | |||
20050227 | The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene By Tom Kelly. Two stories of devotion, love and death set in Palestine 2000 years ago and Britain today. Based on the documentary evidence of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, published in 1955, this historic and domestic drama offers an alternative to the current pop mysticism. Mary Magdalene....Jane Lapotaire Ruth....Claire Skinner Matthew Levi....Peter Egan Simon Peter....David Schofield Mother....Polly James Thompson....Danny Webb Ruthie....Samantha Spiro Directed by Marina Caldarone Mary Magdalene - Jane Lapotaire Ruth - Claire Skinner Matthew Levi - Peter Egan Simon Peter - David Schofield Mother - Polly James Thompson - Danny Webb Ruthie - Samantha Spiro | |||
20050306 | A double bill of plays by August Strindberg: Playing With Fire An artist visits the home of a wealthy family and renews his romantic pursuit of his host's wife. Starring Fiona Shaw and Jonathan Coy. Directed by Peter Kavanagh The Pelican After the death of their father, two children discover disturbing truths about their mother. Starring Janet McTeer and Susan Jameson. Directed by Steven Canny. | |||
20050313 | Hotel Cristobel. By Caryl Phillips. A Caribbean island provides the setting for an intense and personal three-way struggle for control of a fading hotel. | |||
20050320 | Glengarry Glen Ross David Mamet?s radio adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama in which Chicago real-estate salesmen grind out a living in a never-ending scramble for their share of the American dream. Richard Roma....Alfred Molina George Aaronow....Stacy Keach Shelly Levene....Hector Elizondo James Lingk....Bruce Davison John Williamson....Richard Cox Dave Moss....Kristoffer Tabori Officer Baylen....Chris Hatfield Directed by Rosalind Ayres. Richard Roma ........ Alfred Molina George Aaronow ........ Stacy Keach Shelly Levene ....... Hector Elizondo James Lingk ......... Bruce Davison John Williamson ........... Richard Cox Dave Moss ......... Kristoffer Tabori Officer Baylen ......... Chris Hatfield | |||
20050327 | Faustus British Premiere of David Mamet?s new play Faustus. In a timeless setting Mamet directs his own working of the Faustian legend. Neglectful of his son on his birthday, Faustus is drawn into a deadly wager with the party 'entertainer' in which logic and reason are shown to be feeble weapons against the power of chance, mystery and magic. Will intellectual pride precede the ultimate fall of man? Faustus....Ed O?Neill The Friend....Ed Begley Jr The Magus....Ricky Jay Faustus? Wife....Rebecca Pidgeon The Child....C Mamet Faustus - Ed O?Neill The Friend - Ed Begley Jr The Magus - Ricky Jay Faustus? Wife - Rebecca Pidgeon The Child - C Mamet | |||
20050403 | The Don By Jeff Young. Inspired by Cervantes? Don Quixote, The Don is a gentle dreamer, dishevelled and battered by too many years spent in life?s shadows. Through the clubs and pubs of Northern England, The Don, played by Bill Nighy, staggers forever in pursuit of his imaginary lover Dulcie ? his muse, his ideal 'lady', with his neighbour Sancho in tow. The Don....Bill Nighy Sancho....Danny Webb Priest....Sam Kelly Receptionist....Rosie Cavaliero Barber....Deka Walmsley Steve....Declan Wilson Landlady....Elizabeth Bell Man....Oliver Jackson Music composed and performed by Harvey Brough, with lyrics by Jeff Young Dulcie voiced by Clara Sanabras Mike Outram (guitar) Directed by Kate Rowland. Snow By Orhan Pamuk. Ka, a poet and political exile, returns to Turkey to write an investigative piece about troubling events in the mysterious, snow shrouded city of Kars; a place haunted by the silences of its own history. Snow is a spectacular tour de force, evoking the spiritual fragility of the non -western world, its ambivalence about the godless West, and its fury. Orhan....Robert Glenister Ka....William Houston Ipek....Lia Wiliams Kadife....Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil....Philip Arditti Turgut Bey....Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim....Jak Klaff Funda Esser....Nina Wadia Director....Nadim Sawalha Blue....Michael Maloney Cavit/ Agent....Ben Crowe Z Demirkol....Stephen Critchlow Dramatised by James Friel Translated by Maureen Freely Additional music composed and performed by Melanie Pappenheim Directed by Marilyn Imrie Orhan ......... Robert Glenister Ka ............ William Houston Ipek ......... Lia Wiliams Kadife ..............Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil ......... Philip Arditti Turgut Bey ............ Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim ............. Jak Klaff Funda Esser ........... Nina Wadia Director ......... Nadim Sawalha Blue ........... Michael Maloney Cavit/ Agent ......... Ben Crowe Z Demirkol ............. Stephen Critchlow The Don ........... Bill Nighy Sancho ............. Danny Webb Priest ............ Sam Kelly Receptionist ............ Rosie Cavaliero Barber ........... Deka Walmsley Steve ............. Declan Wilson Landlady ............ Elizabeth Bell Man .............. Oliver Jackson | |||
20050417 | Volpone By Ben Jonson: In this classic satirical comedy of the English Renaissance, the wealthy Volpone pretends to be old and infirm, attracting greedy Venetians to his bedside. Volpone....Ian McDiarmid Mosca....Tom Hollander Celia....Olivia Williams Corvino....Malcolm Sinclair Voltore....Patrick Barlow Corbaccio....John Rowe Bonario....Chris Moran Androgyno....Declan Wilson Nano....David Thorpe Castrone....aimi Barbakoff Avoc 1....Ioan Meredith Avoc 2....Philip Fox Avoc 3....John Paul Ryan Music performed by Mia Soteriou and Steve Bentley-Klein Music by Mia Soteriou Directed by Peter Kavanagh Volpone ......... Ian McDiarmid Mosca .......... Tom Hollander Celia .......... Olivia Williams Corvino ........... Malcolm Sinclair Voltore .......... Patrick Barlow Corbaccio .......... John Rowe Bonario .......... Chris Moran Androgyno ........... Declan Wilson Nano ........... David Thorpe Castrone .......... aimi Barbakoff Avoc 1 .......... Ioan Meredith Avoc 2 ........... Philip Fox Avoc 3 ............ John Paul Ryan | |||
20050424 | Festen Director Rufus Norris introduces David Eldridge's multi-award winning adaptation of Festen - an uncompromising story of denial set over one weekend in a remote Danish mansion. The original West End cast have recreated their performances for Drama on 3. Actors include Jane Asher, Stephen Moore, Claire Rushbrook, Luke Mably and Patrick Robinson. This landmark production contains strong language and descriptions of sexual violence. Festen was originally a Dogme film and play by Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov and Bo hr. Hansen Christian....Luke Mably Michael....Rory Kinnear Helene....Claire Rushbrook Mette....Lisa Palfrey Helge....Stephen Moore Else....Jane Asher Helmut....Michael Thomas Poul....Sam Cox Grandfather....Sam Beazley Pia....Ruth Millar Kim....Andrew Frame Lars....Andrew Maude. Gbatokai....Patrick Robinson Music by Orlando Gough Directed by Rufus Norris. Christian ........ Luke Mably Michael ......... Rory Kinnear Helene .......... Claire Rushbrook Mette .......... Lisa Palfrey Helge .......... Stephen Moore Else ........ Jane Asher Helmut .......... Michael Thomas Poul .......... Sam Cox Grandfather ............ Sam Beazley Pia ............ Ruth Millar Kim ........... Andrew Frame Lars ........... Andrew Maude. Gbatokai ............ Patrick Robinson | |||
20050501 | Don Carlos By Friedrich Schiller. Derek Jacobi stars in the acclaimed Sheffield Theatre production of the play by Friedrich Schiller in a new translation by Mike Poulton. King Philip II of Spain holds on to power through the terror of the Inquisition and his spies at Court. His son Don Carlos seeks his father's trust yet hides his feelings for his father's wife, Elizabeth of France, to whom he was betrothed before Philip married her. The Court watches and listens. King Philip II....Derek Jacobi Don Carlos....Richard Coyle Queen Elizabeth....Claire Price Rodrigo Marquis of Posa....Elliot Cowan Duke of Alba....Ian Hogg Domingo....Michael Hadley Princess Eboli....Charlotte Randle Count Lerma....Roger Swaine Duchess of Olivarez....Una Stubbs The Grand Inquisitor....Peter Eyre Page to the Queen....Stuart Burt Duke of Medina Sidonia....Brian Poyser Count Cordua....Andrew McDonald Prince of Parma....Paul Keating Translation/Adaptation by Mike Poulton Original music by Adam Cork Directed by Michael Grandage and Andy Jordan. King Philip II - Derek Jacobi Don Carlos - Richard Coyle Queen Elizabeth - Claire Price Rodrigo Marquis of Posa - Elliot Cowan Duke of Alba - Ian Hogg Domingo - Michael Hadley Princess Eboli - Charlotte Randle Count Lerma - Roger Swaine Duchess of Olivarez - Una Stubbs The Grand Inquisitor - Peter Eyre Page to the Queen - Stuart Burt Duke of Medina Sidonia - Brian Poyser Count Cordua - Andrew McDonald Prince of Parma - Paul Keating | |||
20050508 | If Not Now, When? By Primo Levi. To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a radio version of this extraordinary play about a group of Jewish partisans making their way across war torn Europe, fighting their way west from Russia. Narrator....Corin Redgrave Mendel....Mark Meadows Gedaleh....Jonathan Tafler Dov/Captain Smirnov....Kenneth Collard Ulybin/Edek....Carl Prekopp Pavel....Chris MacDonnell Jozek/Chaim....Chris Donnelly Piotr....Nitzan Sharron Leonid....Jonathan Gunning Mottel....Chris Garner Line....Hayley Doherty Rokhele....Amy Clifton Original music composed by Gary Yershon and played by Graeme Taylor, Giles Broadbent and Gary Yershon. Adapted for radio by Jeremy Howe and produced by Iain Hunter and Jeremy Howe. Narrator - Corin Redgrave Mendel - Mark Meadows Gedaleh - Jonathan Tafler Dov/Captain Smirnov - Kenneth Collard Ulybin/Edek - Carl Prekopp Pavel - Chris MacDonnell Jozek/Chaim - Chris Donnelly Piotr - Nitzan Sharron Leonid - Jonathan Gunning Mottel - Chris Garner Line - Hayley Doherty Rokhele - Amy Clifton | |||
20050515 | Portugal By Zoltan Egressy, translated and adapted by Ryan Craig from a literal translation by Katalin Trencsenyi. In a pub in a rural village in Hungary, the regulars are looking forward to the annual funfair and the prospect of a visit by a famous football team - real diversions from the only constant one of alcohol. Instead Nick, a stranger from Budapest on his way to Portugal, appears and triggers mayhem, capturing the heart of the landlord's daughter and provoking intense jealousy in Turnip, her 'fianc?'. The little world of Ergacs is turned upside-down. Landlord....Alun Armstrong Ribbon....Sheridan Smith Turnip....Darryl Clark Peg....Pearce Quigley Woman/Wife....Sally Rogers Priest....Philip Fox Nick....Bertie Carvel Satan....Jon Glover Director....Anastasia Tolstoy In a pub in a rural village in Hungary, the regulars are looking forward to the annual funfair and the prospect of a visit by a famous football team - real diversions from the only constant one of alcohol. Instead Nick, a stranger from Budapest on his way to Portugal, appears and triggers mayhem, capturing the heart of the landlord's daughter and provoking intense jealousy in Turnip, her 'fiancé'. The little world of Ergacs is turned upside-down. Landlord - Alun Armstrong Ribbon - Sheridan Smith Turnip - Darryl Clark Peg - Pearce Quigley Woman/Wife - Sally Rogers Priest - Philip Fox Nick - Bertie Carvel Satan - Jon Glover Director - Anastasia Tolstoy | |||
20050529 | King Baabu By Wole Soyinka A comic and outlandish look at dictatorship. Nigerian Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka's play dramatises life under the brutal regime of General Sani Abacha, and is adapted for radio by the playwright for its British premiere. Maku Makubeti....Paterson Joseph Ma Makube....Susan Aderin Tikim....Wale Ojo Chaplain/Shoki....Patrice Naiambana Marabout/Kpoki....Marcia Hewitt Fatasimu/officers....Anthony Ofoegbu Drumming and Musical Director....Tunji Oyelana Trumpet/bugle....Tobias Sturmer Directed by Pauline Harris. Maku Makubeti - Paterson Joseph Ma Makube - Susan Aderin Tikim - Wale Ojo Chaplain/Shoki - Patrice Naiambana Marabout/Kpoki - Marcia Hewitt Fatasimu/officers - Anthony Ofoegbu Drumming and Musical Director - Tunji Oyelana Trumpet/bugle - Tobias Sturmer | |||
20050612 | The Maids By Jean Genet In a new translation for radio by Neil Bartlett, Genet's darkly disturbing play about suppressed hatred and oppression. Set in 1940s Paris, two sisters indulge in erotic and secret rituals of revenge against their wealthy employers - with fatal consequences. Claire....Victoria Hamilton Solange....Janet McTeer Madame....Rebecca Johnson Music composed by David Pickvance Directed by Gemma Jenkins Claire - Victoria Hamilton Solange - Janet McTeer Madame - Rebecca Johnson | |||
20050626 | The Lion Of Chechnya By Leila Aboulela. In the 19th century, the warrior Imam Shamyl united the tribes of the Caucasus to fight Russian colonial expansion. Shamyl became a legendary figure and attracted the support of Queen Victoria who feared Russia's increasing power would threaten Britain's interests in India. After an early military defeat, Shamyl was forced to hand over his eight-year-old son Jamal to the Russians. Jamal grew up devoted to Russia and the Tsar. Years later, in an attempt to win the release of his son, Shamyl kidnapped a Georgian princess. Shamyl....Raad Rawi Princess Anna....Katherine Igoe Prince David....Matthew Pidgeon Tsar....Michael Cochrane Madame Drancy....Caroline Loncq Alexander....Jordan Waller Jamal....Shiv Grewal Khazi....Ben Onwukwe Chouanette....Abigail Thaw Ameena....Sarah Ozeke Zaidette....Nina Wadia Jamaluddin....Renu Setna Lezgin....Harry Myers Cousin/Sergeant/Russian General....Richard Katz Producer/Director Bruce Young. Shamyl - Raad Rawi Princess Anna - Katherine Igoe Prince David - Matthew Pidgeon Tsar - Michael Cochrane Madame Drancy - Caroline Loncq Alexander - Jordan Waller Jamal - Shiv Grewal Khazi - Ben Onwukwe Chouanette - Abigail Thaw Ameena - Sarah Ozeke Zaidette - Nina Wadia Jamaluddin - Renu Setna Lezgin - Harry Myers Cousin/Sergeant/Russian General - Richard Katz | |||
20050703 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg This 1967 play by Peter Nicholls is a groundbreaking work that retains an undiminished capacity to disconcert - a brilliant, heartbreaking and comic drama about a couple's relationship as parents of a profoundly mentally disabled child. Brian....Christopher Eccleston Sheila....Kaye Wragg Joe....Chloe Pabst-Bohan Pam....Julia Rounthwaite Freddie....Michael Maloney Grace....Lynda Baron Produced, adapted and directed by Pauline Harris Brian - Christopher Eccleston Sheila - Kaye Wragg Joe - Chloe Pabst-Bohan Pam - Julia Rounthwaite Freddie - Michael Maloney Grace - Lynda Baron | |||
20050710 | Bloodlines A dynamic gathering of Black British spoken word artists exploring blood, lineage and Africa. It was recorded live at the Albany Theatre, Deptford as part of the Africa Lives on the BBC season and was developed in association with Apples and Snakes. Cast includes: Zena Edwards Malika Booker Charlie Dark Jan Blake Tuup Ebele Jason Grant Janine La Rosa Jay Bernard Marque Gilmore (composer) Shabina Aslam (producer) | |||
20050731 | Venus and Adonis By William Shakespeare. The Bard's exquisite retelling of a classical myth concerning desire and loss. Narrator....Nicholas Boulton Venus....Claire Skinner Adonis....Chris Moran Directed by Sara Benaim. Narrator - Nicholas Boulton Venus - Claire Skinner Adonis - Chris Moran | |||
20050814 | Arden of Faversham The first English murder thriller written by an unknown contemporary of Shakespeare (though he himself may have provided an authorial hand). It was based on true events of the period and mixes high drama with low comedy as class-envy, greed and passion drive the story to its tragic conclusion, despite many humorous pitfalls on the way. Alice, the young wife of well-to-do Arden, has fallen in love with Mosby, a one-time butcher with social aspirations. The solution is to murder Arden. Arden, a merchant....Michael Pennington Franklin, his friend....David Burke Alice, his wife....Emily Hamilton Michael, their servant....Giles Fagan Mosby, a steward....Michael Maloney Susan, his sister....Victoria Woodward Black Will, a rogue....Anthony Jackson Adapted and directed by John Tydeman. | |||
20050821 | Arden of Faversham The first English murder thriller written by an unknown contemporary of Shakespeare (though he himself may have provided an authorial hand). It was based on true events of the period and mixes high drama with low comedy as class-envy, greed and passion drive the story to its tragic conclusion, despite many humorous pitfalls on the way. Alice, the young wife of well-to-do Arden, has fallen in love with Mosby, a one-time butcher with social aspirations. The solution is to murder Arden. Arden, a merchant - Michael Pennington Franklin, his friend - David Burke Alice, his wife - Emily Hamilton Michael, their servant - Giles Fagan Mosby, a steward - Michael Maloney Susan, his sister - Victoria Woodward Black Will, a rogue - Anthony Jackson Adapted and directed by John Tydeman. | |||
20050828 | Women Beware Women Thomas Middleton's Jacobean classic in which the women are the worst betrayers. When Leantio's beautiful wife Bianca catches the eye of the Duke, the worldly Livia arranges an assignation, plunging Bianca into the vice and corruption of the court. Livia....Penny Downie Bianca....Beth Chalmers Leantio....John McAndrew Mother....Manon Edwards Guardiano....Bill Wallis Isabella....Sara McGaughey Hippolito....Andrew Wincott Fabritio....James Greene Duke....Nigel Terry Cardinal....Dorien Thomas Ward....Robert Harper Sordido....Simon Ludders Directed by Alison Hindell. Livia - Penny Downie Bianca - Beth Chalmers Leantio - John McAndrew Mother - Manon Edwards Guardiano - Bill Wallis Isabella - Sara McGaughey Hippolito - Andrew Wincott Fabritio - James Greene Duke - Nigel Terry Cardinal - Dorien Thomas Ward - Robert Harper Sordido - Simon Ludders | |||
20050911 | The Orchid Grower In 1964, KGB officer Yuri Nosenko defected to the USA in what should have been a major coup for the CIA. Sebastian Baczkiewicz tells the incredible story of Nosenko's four years of torture and imprisonment without trial as civil war raged within the CIA over his bona fides. A co-production with CBC, Canada, and based on an idea by journalist and Cold War expert Tom Mangold. Phil Kovacs (old)....Kenneth Welsh Phil Kovacs (young)....John Cleland James Angleton....Michael Murphy Yuri Nosenko....Leo Vernik Fran Kovacs....Emma Campbell Andy Dawson....Greg Ellwand Stan Forbes....Rod Wilson Frank Holmes....John Robinson Stacey....Tara Samuels Richard Helms....Chuck Shamata Dr Delamore....Michael Caruana Cal....Patrick McManus Bruce Solie....Barry Flatman Durand....Jonathan Higgins CIA Doctor....Gerry Mendicino Directed by Toby Swift Phil Kovacs (old) - Kenneth Welsh Phil Kovacs (young) - John Cleland James Angleton - Michael Murphy Yuri Nosenko - Leo Vernik Fran Kovacs - Emma Campbell Andy Dawson - Greg Ellwand Stan Forbes - Rod Wilson Frank Holmes - John Robinson Stacey - Tara Samuels Richard Helms - Chuck Shamata Dr Delamore - Michael Caruana Cal - Patrick McManus Bruce Solie - Barry Flatman Durand - Jonathan Higgins CIA Doctor - Gerry Mendicino | |||
20050918 | War with the Newts By Karel Capek. Dramatised by George Poles. When humanity encounters another race of intelligent bipeds sharing the Earth, what choice is there but to exploit it? When the existence of a group of speaking newts comes to the attention of ruthless GH Bondy and his Salamander Syndicate the newts find themselves turned into a commodity, and fought over by nations. At its heart, this joyously funny satire is a plea for decency and tolerance towards others, as relevant now as when it was first written in the 1930s. Capek....Dermot Crowley Olga....Sally Hawkins Van Toch....Henry Goodman Povondra....Geoffrey Beevers Mrs Povondra....Tina Gray GH Bondy....Adrian Scarborough Ensemble....Ben Crowe, Martin Hyder and Geoff McGivern Capek - Dermot Crowley Olga - Sally Hawkins Van Toch - Henry Goodman Povondra - Geoffrey Beevers Mrs Povondra - Tina Gray GH Bondy - Adrian Scarborough Ensemble - Ben Crowe, Martin Hyder and Geoff McGivern | |||
20050925 | The Rivals By Richard Brinsley Sheridan. 1775: The fashionable world descends on Bath, to take the waters and embroil themselves in a little romantic intrigue. Miss Lydia Languish, with a face and a fortune, is being wooed by no less than three rivals for her hand. Mrs Malaprop....Patricia Routledge Sir Anthony Absolute....Geoffrey Palmer Jack Absolute....Michael Maloney Lydia Languish....Sarah Crowe Faulkland....David Bamber Bob Acres....Peter Gunn Julia....Lucy Whybrow Sir Lucius O'Trigger....Sean Barrett Lucy....Clare Corbett Fag....Nick Fletcher David....Stephen Critchlow Thomas, the coachman....Barrie Jaimeson David Timson (adaptor/director) Mrs Malaprop - Patricia Routledge Sir Anthony Absolute - Geoffrey Palmer Jack Absolute - Michael Maloney Lydia Languish - Sarah Crowe Faulkland - David Bamber Bob Acres - Peter Gunn Julia - Lucy Whybrow Sir Lucius O'Trigger - Sean Barrett Lucy - Clare Corbett Fag - Nick Fletcher David - Stephen Critchlow Thomas, the coachman - Barrie Jaimeson | |||
20051002 | Days and Nights in Bedlam By Fred D'Aguiar. Set in a London mental hospital in the early 1980s. When Otis is taken to the closed ward, he is desperate to return to his Queen Penelope, and his Kingdom. While the staff diagnose him as delusional, fellow patients Larry and Harry plot to reach this Kingdom first - and take Otis' Queen as their own. Otis....Mo Sesay Gary....Don Gilet Deirdre....Daniela Nardini April....Alex Tregear Harry....Stephen Critchlow Larry....Carl Prekopp Penelope....Janice Acquah Carol Bayne (director/producer) Otis - Mo Sesay Gary - Don Gilet Deirdre - Daniela Nardini April - Alex Tregear Harry - Stephen Critchlow Larry - Carl Prekopp Penelope - Janice Acquah | |||
20051005 | Betrayal By Harold Pinter. Pinter himself plays Robert, Patricia Hodge is Emma, and Michael Gambon is Jerry in the 1990 production of the celebrated study of infidelity and friendship. With Christopher Good and Elizabeth Mansfield. Directed by Ned Chaillet. | |||
20051009 | The Radetzky March By Joseph Roth. Adapted by Mike Walker, from the English translation of the novel by Michael Hofmann. The story of the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, told through three generations of loyal servants to the Emperor - the men of the Trotta family. From the second half of the 19th Century when a Trotta saves the life of Franz Joseph on the battlefield, to the beginning of the 20th Century when world war and old age wipe the Trottas and their Empire from the map of Europe. Joseph Roth....Bill Wallis Emperor Franz Joseph....John Woodvine Joseph Trotta/Chojnicki/postman....Brian Pettifer Franz Trotta....Richard Bremmer Carl Joseph Trotta....Elliot Levey Moser/Wagner....Nicky Henson Jacques/Dr Skvoronnek....Clive Swift Frau Slama/Valli von Taussig....Eleanor Tremain With Paul Nicolson, Paul Dodgson, David Collins and Chris Garner. Music arranged and performed by Alexander Balanescu. Directed by Tim Dee. Joseph Roth - Bill Wallis Emperor Franz Joseph - John Woodvine Joseph Trotta/Chojnicki/postman - Brian Pettifer Franz Trotta - Richard Bremmer Carl Joseph Trotta - Elliot Levey Moser/Wagner - Nicky Henson Jacques/Dr Skvoronnek - Clive Swift Frau Slama/Valli von Taussig - Eleanor Tremain | |||
20051023 | Talking to Terrorists By Robin Soans. A play based on interviews with people involved in terrorism around the globe, and those seeking to counter it. The writer, director and actors involved carried out the interviews to try to discover what makes ordinary people do extreme things. Plus contributions from peacemakers, politicians, warriors, journalists, hostages and psychologists. The stories take us from Uganda, Israel, Turkey, Iraq and Ireland to the heart of the British establishment. An ex-member of the National Resistance Army, Uganda....Chip Chung An ex-member of the UVF....Jonathan Cullen Edward, a psychologist....Christopher Ettridge An ex-member of the Kurdish Workers' Party....Alexander Hanson An ex-member of the IRA....Lloyd Hutchinson Rima, a journalist....Catherine Russell The ex-head of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Bethlehem....Chris Ryman An ex-Secretary of State....June Watson Directed by Max Stafford-Clark. An ex-member of the National Resistance Army, Uganda - Chip Chung An ex-member of the UVF - Jonathan Cullen Edward, a psychologist - Christopher Ettridge An ex-member of the Kurdish Workers' Party - Alexander Hanson An ex-member of the IRA - Lloyd Hutchinson Rima, a journalist - Catherine Russell The ex-head of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Bethlehem - Chris Ryman An ex-Secretary of State - June Watson | |||
20051030 | Troilus and Cressida By William Shakespeare. Set during the Trojan War, Shakespeare's hugely powerful drama is both the story of doomed love and a representation of the futility of war. It is also an extraordinarily topical enquiry into ethics, value and the slippery nature of truth. This production is the first on radio for more than 20 years. Troilus....Paterson Joseph Pandarus....Derek Griffiths Aeneas....Jimmy Akingbola Cressida....Nikki Amuka-Bird Agamemnon....Gerard McDermott Menelaus....John Cummins Nestor....John Rowe Ajax....Harry Myers Thersites....Toby Jones Achilles....Neil Dudgeon Patroclus....Jim Sturgess Ulysses....Paul Rhys Diomedes....Jonathan Keeble Helen....Colleen Prendergast Hector....Ray Fearon Paris....Chu Omambala Cassandra....Gbemisola Ikumelo Priam....Burt Caesar Andromache....Ndidi Ama Directed by Marc Beeby. Troilus - Paterson Joseph Pandarus - Derek Griffiths Aeneas - Jimmy Akingbola Cressida - Nikki Amuka-Bird Agamemnon - Gerard McDermott Menelaus - John Cummins Nestor - John Rowe Ajax - Harry Myers Thersites - Toby Jones Achilles - Neil Dudgeon Patroclus - Jim Sturgess Ulysses - Paul Rhys Diomedes - Jonathan Keeble Helen - Colleen Prendergast Hector - Ray Fearon Paris - Chu Omambala Cassandra - Gbemisola Ikumelo Priam - Burt Caesar Andromache - Ndidi Ama | |||
20051106 | Radio 3 marks the 400th anniversary of the plot to blow up King James I and his Parliament with a play that looks at how the Establishment deals with a terrorist threat. The Gunpowder Plot By Jonathan Davidson. Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, ruthlessly and efficiently conducts the hunt for the plotters - but his real target is Father Henry Garnet, leader of the Jesuits. Lord Salisbury....David Calder Lord Popham....Sean Arnold King James....Cal Macaninch Father Garnet....John Henshaw Father Oldcorn....Hugh Dickson Anne Vaux....Helen Longworth Nicholas Owen....Ben Crowe Thomas Bromley....Trevor Cuthbertson Carey....Gary McFarlane Adviser....Chris Moran Servant 1....Anthony Glennon Directed by David Hunter. Lord Salisbury - David Calder Lord Popham - Sean Arnold King James - Cal Macaninch Father Garnet - John Henshaw Father Oldcorn - Hugh Dickson Anne Vaux - Helen Longworth Nicholas Owen - Ben Crowe Thomas Bromley - Trevor Cuthbertson Carey - Gary McFarlane Adviser - Chris Moran Servant 1 - Anthony Glennon | |||
20051113 | Much Ado about Nothing Shakespeare's delightful comedy sparkles with the verbal sparring of our two reluctant lovers in a world where nothing is quite what it seems. David Tennant and Samantha Spiro star as Benedick and Beatrice, with an introduction by Sir Richard Eyre. Leonato....David Swift Beatrice....Samantha Spiro Hero....Emilia Fox Antonio/Sexton....Sean Baker Don Pedro....David Westhead Claudio....Chiwetel Ejiofor Benedick....David Tennant Don John....Julian Rhind-Tutt Borachio....Stephen Critchlow Conrade....Jonathan Keeble Dogberry....David Haig Verges....Peter Gunn Margaret....Maxine Peake Ursula....Helen Ayres Friar Francis....Dermot Crowley Original music written and performed Simon Oakes and Adam Wolters. Directed by Sally Avens. Leonato - David Swift Beatrice - Samantha Spiro Hero - Emilia Fox Antonio/Sexton - Sean Baker Don Pedro - David Westhead Claudio - Chiwetel Ejiofor Benedick - David Tennant Don John - Julian Rhind-Tutt Borachio ......Stephen Critchlow Conrade - Jonathan Keeble Dogberry - David Haig Verges - Peter Gunn Margaret - Maxine Peake Ursula - Helen Ayres Friar Francis - Dermot Crowley | |||
20051120 | Macbeth By William Shakespeare. Sir Richard Eyre made his radio directorial debut for this version of The Bard's tale of power and jealousy. Macbeth....Ken Stott Lady Macbeth/Third Witch....Phyllis Logan Macduff....Tom Mannion Banquo....Liam Brennan Duncan....Hugh Ross Malcolm....Alan Cox Lennox....Paul Higgins Ross....Alastair Galbraith Porter....Kenny Ireland Old Man....Graham Crowden Doctor....Ken Drury Seyton....Iain Stuart Robertson First Witch/Lady Macduff....Tracy Wiles Second Witch/Gentlewoman....Kathleen McGoldrick Macbeth - Ken Stott Lady Macbeth/Third Witch - Phyllis Logan Macduff - Tom Mannion Banquo - Liam Brennan Duncan - Hugh Ross Malcolm - Alan Cox Lennox - Paul Higgins Ross - Alastair Galbraith Porter - Kenny Ireland Old Man - Graham Crowden Doctor - Ken Drury Seyton - Iain Stuart Robertson First Witch/Lady Macduff - Tracy Wiles Second Witch/Gentlewoman - Kathleen McGoldrick | |||
20051204 | The Sicilian Expedition By John Fletcher. Almost 2500 years ago, a confident young general persuaded Athens to launch an attack on Sicily. Alcibiades was a member of the Athenian baby boomer generation, whose elders had fought to give their children a society of justice, wealth and education. The baby boomers explored every sexual avenue, took drugs to excess, and became the greatest consumers of the most exotic products in human history. Then it all went wrong. Within two years of the defeat in Sicily, imperial, democratic Athens, the pinnacle of human civilisation, lay in ruins. Yet, as the city endured its death agonies, something new and wonderful was born: the Socratic idea of universal love. Socrates....James Laurenson Alcibiades....Julian Rhind-Tutt Callias....Richard Nichols Theodote....Mia Soteriou Nicias....Jonathan Nibbs Taureas....Matthew Morgan Agathon....Richard Mitchley Spartan Soldier....Nathan Sussex Bagoas....Brendan Charleson Mantitheus....Jonathan Floyd Mother....Christine Pritchard Original Music by John Hardy. Directed by Kate McAll. Socrates - James Laurenson Alcibiades - Julian Rhind-Tutt Callias - Richard Nichols Theodote - Mia Soteriou Nicias - Jonathan Nibbs Taureas - Matthew Morgan Agathon - Richard Mitchley Spartan Soldier - Nathan Sussex Bagoas - Brendan Charleson Mantitheus - Jonathan Floyd Mother - Christine Pritchard | |||
20051211 | Andalus By Jason Webster, dramatised by Tina Pepler. A young English writer sets out to discover Spain's hidden Moorish past. He visits an enormous, plastic-sheeted farm and witnesses farmers terrorising the largely North African workforce. His life is threatened as he covertly tours this agricultural gulag, but is saved by an illegal immigrant. The unlikely pair of writer and desperado take off on a rollercoaster ride through Andalucía. Jason....Joe McFadden Zine....Omar Berdouni Lucia....Azucena Duran Salud, Carmen....Nuria Benet Mother, doctor....Montserrat Gili Amadeo, priest....Javier Marzan Pedro, Sergio....Luis Soto Old man....Nayef Rashed Produced by Steven Canny. Jason - Joe McFadden Zine - Omar Berdouni Lucia - Azucena Duran Salud, Carmen - Nuria Benet Mother, doctor - Montserrat Gili Amadeo, priest - Javier Marzan Pedro, Sergio - Luis Soto Old man - Nayef Rashed | |||
20051225 | Mr Fielding's Scandal Shop By Liz Kuti. In 1737, Henry Fielding, author of Tom Jones and scourge of Walpole's corrupt parliament, astonished the world by rejoining the Establishment. London's most infamous libertine became a magistrate - outlawing plays and players. But at what cost, to himself and to those who had loved and admired him? Henry Fielding....Richard McCabe Charlotte Charke....Lizzie McInnerny Robert Walpole....Ron Cook Richard Yates....Nickolas Grace Eliza Hayward....Frances Tomelty Mary Fielding....Alison Pettitt The Ale House maid....Amy Marston Mr Ravenhill....Christopher Adlington Colley Cibber....Robert Price Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan. Henry Fielding - Richard McCabe Charlotte Charke - Lizzie McInnerny Robert Walpole - Ron Cook Richard Yates - Nickolas Grace Eliza Hayward - Frances Tomelty Mary Fielding - Alison Pettitt The Ale House maid - Amy Marston Mr Ravenhill - Christopher Adlington Colley Cibber - Robert Price | |||
20060101 | The Club By Gregory Whitehead. At the height of the American 'Gilded Age', members of an elegant New England social and croquet club performed an elaborate if somewhat distasteful ritual. In 1915, sculptress Frieda Hopkins created Seven Feet With Four Toes in solid alabaster. Almost a century later the sculptures now act as iconic magnets for post-feminists and foot fetishists from around the globe. Queen of Clubs....Elizabeth Aspenlieder Genealogist....George Bergen The Curator....Hillary Deeley Mushroom Mike....Mike Dowling Marilyn Mathiessen....Marilyn Hunter Jacqui Rivers....Karen Lee Sarah Fitzgibbons....Sara Paul Mira....Anne Undeland Charles Dove....Jon Swan Brace Winter....Gregory Whitehead Songs composed and performed by Richard Busch. Queen of Clubs - Elizabeth Aspenlieder Genealogist - George Bergen The Curator - Hillary Deeley Mushroom Mike - Mike Dowling Marilyn Mathiessen - Marilyn Hunter Jacqui Rivers - Karen Lee Sarah Fitzgibbons - Sara Paul Mira - Anne Undeland Charles Dove - Jon Swan Brace Winter - Gregory Whitehead | |||
20060108 | Black Dirt By Nell Leyshon. Frank Lovell lies ill in bed, surrounded by his son who has learning difficulties, his daughter and son- in law. As the morphine enters his bloodstream, suppressed memories of a past tragedy resurface. Entwined with the story of the young Frank and his sister Iris are fables - Bible stories and the legends of Kings Arthur and Alfred. Amongst the portrait of a family and the secrets and lies that bind them together, is an examination of Englishness and a rural landscape which is fast disappearing. Father....Peter Hamilton Dyer Mother....Rosalind March Young Frank Lovell....Jack Thompson Rylance Iris....Carly Bawden Frank Lovell....Ewan Hopper Margaret Lovell....Helen Slesinger George Lovell....Alan Williams Brian....Robert Pickavance Directed in Manchester by Susan Roberts Father - Peter Hamilton Dyer Mother - Rosalind March Young Frank Lovell - Jack Thompson Rylance Iris - Carly Bawden Frank Lovell - Ewan Hopper Margaret Lovell - Helen Slesinger George Lovell - Alan Williams Brian - Robert Pickavance | |||
20060115 | 'Writing the City: New plays celebrating Leeds by Tajinder Hayer, Jodie Marshall, Alan Plater, Jane Rogers and Eamon Rooney; with Simon Armitage and Michelle Scally-Clarke performing new poems.' | |||
20060122 | Hold My Breath By Ryan Craig. The life of a young Black school teacher with a profound love of life, her students and Plato, is turned upside down by an unexpected and appalling accusation. This and the lack of support from her boyfriend is enough to set her off on an odyssey from her East London flat to a bizarre encounter in Oxford Circus with a man she meets over the internet. Tessa....Ayesha Antoine Russ....Nick Sayce Tony....Delroy Brown Sparks....John Cummins Sadie....Ella Smith Fran....Sophie Roberts Luke....Carl Prekopp Linda....Claire Louise Cordwell Norris....Philip Fox David Pickvance (original music) Produced by Steven Canny. Tessa - Ayesha Antoine Russ - Nick Sayce Tony - Delroy Brown Sparks - John Cummins Sadie - Ella Smith Fran - Sophie Roberts Luke - Carl Prekopp Linda - Claire Louise Cordwell Norris - Philip Fox | |||
20060129 | Pale Fire A dramatisation of Vladimir Nabokov's great novel by the Sony Award-winning playwright Robert Forrest. Published in 1962, Pale Fire ranks alongside James Joyce's Ulysses and Marcel Proust's À La Recherche du Temps Perdu as one of the masterpieces of 20th century fiction. Comic, tragic, heartbreaking, Shakespearean in its almost infinite depth and beauty, it moves between leafy Appalachia and the mysterious far northern kingdom of Zembla, telling the story of a homely American poet and his regally demented neighbour. Charles Kinbote....Finlay Welsh John Shade....Angus MacInnes Sybil Shade....Joanna Tope Professor Hurley....Crawford Logan Odon....Richard Greenwood Disa....Gayanne Potter Director Patrick Rayner. Charles Kinbote - Finlay Welsh John Shade - Angus MacInnes Sybil Shade - Joanna Tope Professor Hurley - Crawford Logan Odon - Richard Greenwood Disa - Gayanne Potter | |||
20060205 | Snow By Orhan Pamuk, dramatised by James Friel and translated by Maureen Freely. Ka, a poet and political exile, returns to Turkey to write an investigative piece about troubling events in the mysterious, snow-shrouded city of Kars - a place haunted by the silences of its own history. Orhan....Robert Glenister Ka....William Houston Ipek....Lia Williams Kadife....Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil....Philip Arditti Turgut Bey....Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim....Jack Klaff Funda Esser....Nina Wadia Director....Nadim Sawalha Blue....Michael Maloney Cavit/Agent....Ben Crowe Z Demirkol....Stephen Critchlow Director Marilyn Imrie. Orhan - Robert Glenister Ka - William Houston Ipek - Lia Williams Kadife - Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil - Philip Arditti Turgut Bey - Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim - Jack Klaff Funda Esser - Nina Wadia Director - Nadim Sawalha Blue - Michael Maloney Cavit/Agent - Ben Crowe Z Demirkol - Stephen Critchlow | |||
20060212 | I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Shout By Laurence Allan. Summertime Jones, an old time jazz enthusiast, sets off on a quest from Tiger Bay in Cardiff to the US. As Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, Summertime tries to reach his city of dreams. Buddy Bolden is one of the original greats of the American jazz scene and this musical road movie captures the spirit of Bolden. Summertime....Lennie James Buzz....Joanna Griffiths Cordelli....Kerry Shale Brady....Colin Stinton Lips....Ram John Holder Freddie....Jim Findley Elaine/Susan....Carolyn Pickles Dermot/Willy....Patrick Brennan Kid....Benjamin Mackenzie Original jazz music composed by Rob Smith. Claude Deppa (cornet/trumpet/flugel horn) Gareth Roberts (trombone) Rob Smith (saxophone, clarinet) Director Kate Rowland. Summertime - Lennie James Buzz - Joanna Griffiths Cordelli - Kerry Shale Brady - Colin Stinton Lips - Ram John Holder Freddie - Jim Findley Elaine/Susan - Carolyn Pickles Dermot/Willy - Patrick Brennan Kid - Benjamin Mackenzie | |||
20060219 | Revenge A production for radio of Michael Duke's acclaimed play for Tinderbox Theatre Company about lives shattered by tragic, violent loss during the conflict in Northern Ireland. Finding themselves left behind by the peace process, one family is suddenly faced with an agonising moral choice. It's Samhain, the Celtic festival of New Year, when during the hours of darkness the veil between the living and the dead is lifted. On this night, they can bring back to life those they lost and long for, but there will be a high price to pay. Old Woman....Barbara Adair Boy....Daniel McGrady Father....Lalor Roddy Mother....Marcella Riordan Grandfather....Al Logan Bride....Abigail McGibbon Woman 1....Libby Smyth Woman 2....Brigid Erin Bates Son/David....Michael Condron Peter....Packy Lee Mae....Gemma Burns Angela....Carol Moore Bomber....Richard Dormer Music composed by Neil Martin, and performed by Neil Martin, Colin Stark and Mary Dillon. Directed by Anna Newell. Old Woman - Barbara Adair Boy - Daniel McGrady Father - Lalor Roddy Mother - Marcella Riordan Grandfather - Al Logan Bride - Abigail McGibbon Woman 1 - Libby Smyth Woman 2 - Brigid Erin Bates Son/David - Michael Condron Peter - Packy Lee Mae - Gemma Burns Angela - Carol Moore Bomber - Richard Dormer | |||
20060226 | Lost in Liverpool Storylined by Val McDermid, written by Martin O'Brien, Christine Marshall, Barbara Phillips, Jonathan Larkin, Charlotte Allan and Paul Butler. A tense thriller recorded on location in the famous Williamson tunnels under Liverpool. Morgan McCarthy is missing; so is a priceless map of the Williamson tunnels. Why has she taken it? Who is after her? Why do they want the map so badly? Williamson....Stuart Richman Jerry/Anthony....Samuel James Hudson Morgan....Katy Cavanagh Radio reporter/Passenger 1/Slave....Danielle Henry Dermot....John McArdle Michael....Matthew Lewney Tommy....Paul Regan Mary/Jo....Ann Rye Producers Gary Brown and Polly Thomas. Williamson - Stuart Richman Jerry/Anthony - Samuel James Hudson Morgan - Katy Cavanagh Radio reporter/Passenger 1/Slave - Danielle Henry Dermot - John McArdle Michael - Matthew Lewney Tommy - Paul Regan Mary/Jo - Ann Rye | |||
20060305 | Shylock By Arnold Wesker. One of the foremost playwrights of his generation creates a startling new perspective on an age-old story. Shylock's close friend Antonio needs a loan, but 16th-century Venetian law discriminates against Jews. For Shylock's own protection, Antonio persuades him to agree a bond. They laugh as Shylock invents the absurd forfeit of a pound of flesh - but their mockery of the law may easily turn to tragedy. Shylock Kolner....Henry Goodman Antonio....Ronald Pickup Portia Contarini....Juliet Stevenson Nerissa....Noma Dumezweni Bassanio....Toby Stephens Rivka....Sheila Steafel Jessica....Lydia Leonard Tubal di Ponti....Jonathan Tafler Lorenzo....Geoffrey Streatfeild Graziano....Nicholas Boulton Rebecca da Mendes....Jennie Stoller The Doge/Solomon Usque....Geoffrey Beevers Roderigues da Cunha....Anthony Glennon Singer....Annette Ross Producer/Director David Hitchinson. Shylock Kolner - Henry Goodman Antonio - Ronald Pickup Portia Contarini - Juliet Stevenson Nerissa - Noma Dumezweni Bassanio - Toby Stephens Rivka - Sheila Steafel Jessica - Lydia Leonard Tubal di Ponti - Jonathan Tafler Lorenzo - Geoffrey Streatfeild Graziano - Nicholas Boulton Rebecca da Mendes - Jennie Stoller The Doge/Solomon Usque - Geoffrey Beevers Roderigues da Cunha - Anthony Glennon Singer - Annette Ross | |||
20060312 | The History Boys By Alan Bennett, adapted for radio by Richard Wortley from Nicholas Hytner's National Theatre production. More than three decades on from Forty Years On, Bennett turns his attention once more to education - encompassing both the tussles of staffroom rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence. Hector....Richard Griffiths Irwin....Geoffrey Streatfeild Mrs Lintott....Frances de la Tour The Headmaster....Clive Merrison Crowther....Samuel Anderson Posner....Samuel Barnett Dakin....Dominic Cooper Timms....James Corden Akthar....Sacha Dhawan Lockwood....Andrew Knott Scripps....Jamie Parker Rudge....Russell Tovey Samuel Barnett (singer) Jamie Parker, Tom Attwood (piano) Producer David Hunter. Swan Song By Anton Chekhov, translated by Michael Frayn. Following his final performance in a run-down provincial theatre, an elderly Russian actor confronts his ghosts. Did he ever really have talent? The actor....Paul Scofield The prompter....Alec McCowen Director Martin Jenkins. The actor - Paul Scofield The prompter - Alec McCowen Hector - Richard Griffiths Irwin - Geoffrey Streatfeild Mrs Lintott - Frances de la Tour The Headmaster - Clive Merrison Crowther - Samuel Anderson Posner - Samuel Barnett Dakin - Dominic Cooper Timms - James Corden Akthar - Sacha Dhawan Lockwood - Andrew Knott Scripps - Jamie Parker Rudge - Russell Tovey | |||
20060319 | When You Cure Me By Jack Thorne. Rachel and Peter are 17 and in love. It's love's young dream, but then Rachel gets ill - seriously ill. She doesn't want her mum to fuss. She doesn't want Alice to pretend she's her best friend, and she certainly doesn't want Alice's boyfriend telling bad jokes at her bedside. The only person she wants is Peter, but Peter doesn't know what he wants. Produced in association with The Bush Theatre, London. Rachel....Morven Christie Peter....Samuel Barnett James....Daniel Bayle Alice....Lisa McDonald Angela....Gwyneth Strong Producer Steven Canny. Rachel - Morven Christie Peter - Samuel Barnett James - Daniel Bayle Alice - Lisa McDonald Angela - Gwyneth Strong | |||
20060326 | Handprint By Debbie Tucker Green. Every tiny nuance is captured in an intense encounter between a man and a woman in a bar. Over the course of one evening, we discover what led them both here and what compels them to keep talking to each other. Woman....Nadine Marshall Man....Paterson Joseph Wife....Angela Wynter Narrator....Noma Dumezweni Sister....Jo Martin Dad....Ram John Holder Vocalist....Sharon D Clarke Director Mary Peate. Woman - Nadine Marshall Man - Paterson Joseph Wife - Angela Wynter Narrator - Noma Dumezweni Sister - Jo Martin Dad - Ram John Holder Vocalist - Sharon D Clarke | |||
20060416 | As part of Radio 3's Samuel Beckett season, a performance of his classic, Waiting for Godot. Two tramps wait on a lonely road for the elusive Godot. They pass the time with storytelling, and their everyday conversation takes on a universal significance. Vladimir....Sean Barrett Estragon....David Burke Lucky/narrator....Nigel Anthony Pozzo....Terence Rigby Boy....Zachary Fox Director John Tydeman. Vladimir - Sean Barrett Estragon - David Burke Lucky/narrator - Nigel Anthony Pozzo - Terence Rigby Boy - Zachary Fox | |||
20060430 | Billiards at Half Past Nine By Heinrich Böll. Dramatised by Claire Luckham. The action takes place in Germany in the summer of 1958 when the Faehmel family meet to celebrate Heinrich Faehmel's eightieth birthday. In the course of one day Böll reveals the crucial incidents in the past of a family of architects, from the Wilhelminian empire through Weimar and Hitler to the prosperous West Germany of the 1950s. Based on Böll's novel of the same name, it is a searing examination of the moral crises of post war Germany. Billiards at Half Past Nine is considered to be the novel which won Böll the Nobel Prize. Robert....Michael Maloney Jochen....Sam Beazley Schrella....Kenneth Cranham Nettlinger....Henry Goodman Ruth....Jasmine Hyde Joanna....Dilys Laye Heinrich....Geoffrey Palmer Hugo....Paul Ready Joseph....Daniel Weyman Young Heinrich....Oscar Fletcher Composer/Music Arranger....Orlando Gough Solo Songs....Melanie Pappenheim Choir....Christ Church, Knightsbridge German Speaking Church Choir Director....Roxana Silbert Robert - Michael Maloney Jochen - Sam Beazley Schrella - Kenneth Cranham Nettlinger - Henry Goodman Ruth - Jasmine Hyde Joanna - Dilys Laye Heinrich - Geoffrey Palmer Hugo - Paul Ready Joseph - Daniel Weyman Young Heinrich - Oscar Fletcher Composer/Music Arranger - Orlando Gough Solo Songs - Melanie Pappenheim Choir - Christ Church, Knightsbridge Director - Roxana Silbert | |||
20060507 | The Possessed By Lou Stein, from the book by Fyodor Dostoevsky. A group of dissidents and self-proclaimed revolutionaries are intent on causing chaos in a small town in 1870s Russia - spurred on by a demonic and manipulative ringleader. Govorov....John Sessions Varvara Petrovna....Susannah York Peter Verhovensky....Paul McGann Nikolai Stavrogin....Benedict Cumberbatch Liza/Marya....Anne-Marie Duff Virginsky/Kirillov....Dexter Fletcher Liputin/Stepan....Roger Lloyd Pack Shatov....Brian Bovell English translation by Tatiana Bazhenova. Original music by Deirdre Gribbin and produced by Lou Stein. Govorov - John Sessions Varvara Petrovna - Susannah York Peter Verhovensky...... Paul McGann Nikolai Stavrogin - Benedict Cumberbatch Liza/Marya - Anne-Marie Duff Virginsky/Kirillov - Dexter Fletcher Liputin/Stepan - Roger Lloyd Pack Shatov - Brian Bovell | |||
20060514 | The Maids By Jean Genet. In 1940s Paris, two sisters indulge in erotic and secret rituals of revenge against their wealthy employers - with fatal consequences. A new translation for radio by Neil Bartlett of Genet's darkly disturbing play about suppressed hatred and oppression. Claire....Victoria Hamilton Solange....Janet McTeer Madame....Rebecca Johnson Music composed by David Pickvance. Directed by Gemma Jenkins. Claire - Victoria Hamilton Solange - Janet McTeer Madame - Rebecca Johnson | |||
20060521 | The Pretenders By Henrik Ibsen, translated by Michael Meyer. In a bitter struggle for absolute power, three single minded and self-centred men drag their country into bloody civil war. Haakon....Michael Sheen Nicholas....Paul Scofield Skule....Gerard Murphy Ragnhild, his wife....Sarah Badel Margaret, his daughter....Jasmine Hyde Sigrid, his sister....Maureen O'Brien Dagfinn....David Bannerman Gregorious....John Evitts Paul Flida....Carl Prekopp Ivar Bodde....Ian Masters Peter....James D'Arcy Jatgheir....Ben Crowe Baard Bratte....David Collings Sigard....Sam Crane Director Martin Jenkins. Haakon - Michael Sheen Nicholas - Paul Scofield Skule - Gerard Murphy Ragnhild, his wife - Sarah Badel Margaret, his daughter - Jasmine Hyde Sigrid, his sister - Maureen O'Brien Dagfinn - David Bannerman Gregorious - John Evitts Paul Flida - Carl Prekopp Ivar Bodde - Ian Masters Peter - James D'Arcy Jatgheir - Ben Crowe Baard Bratte - David Collings Sigard - Sam Crane | |||
20060528 | The Lysistrata Project By Ryan Craig. A contemporary re-working of Aristophanes' classic play, developed with the help of young people living and studying in London. Lacy....Ayesha Antoine Lucas....Javone Prince Mike....Mohammed George Kelly....Gbemisola Ikumelo Colin....Carl Prekopp Maria/Tanya....Claire Louise Cordwell Jake/Dave....Mark Monero Director Marc Beeby. Lacy - Ayesha Antoine Lucas - Javone Prince Mike - Mohammed George Kelly - Gbemisola Ikumelo Colin - Carl Prekopp Maria/Tanya - Claire Louise Cordwell Jake/Dave - Mark Monero | |||
20060604 | Breakfast With Mugabe By Fraser Grace. The year is 2001. President Mugabe and his wife are holed up in the State House in Harare, in paranoid terror. He is being stalked by an ngozi or bitter spirit - the murderous ghost of a long-dead comrade. Fearing for his sanity, Mugabe turns to a white psychiatrist for help. Witty and provocative, Fraser Grace's new play imagines the combative relationship between the black president and his white psychiatrist. In a series of bruising encounters, Breakfast with Mugabe explores the conflict between despotism and liberalism in modern Zimbabwe. Grace Mugabe....Noma Dumezweni Robert Mugabe....Joseph Mydell Gabriel Marunda....Christopher Obi Andrew Peric....David Rintoul Director Antony Sher. Grace Mugabe - Noma Dumezweni Robert Mugabe - Joseph Mydell Gabriel Marunda - Christopher Obi Andrew Peric - David Rintoul | |||
20060611 | Gilgamesh A radio drama version of Gilgamesh, adapted by Jeremy Howe, from the English version by Stephen Mitchell. Music by Paul Dodgson. The epic of Gilgamesh was written in ancient Mesopotamia over 4000 years ago. Many people think it was the first story to be written down. It tells of the prowess of King Gilgamesh and his acquisition of a friend, Enkidu, and their adventures in the wilderness, battling monsters, in search of immortality. Gilgamesh....Joe Dixon Enkidu....Adam Levy Narrator....Kenneth Cranham Shamhat, Ishtar....Kananu Kirimi Lady Ninsun, Scorpion woman....Eve Matheson Prologue, Anu....Robert Gwilym Soldier, Utnapishtim....Bill Wallis Humbaba, Ninurta....David Collins Scorpion man; Ea....Chris Donnelly Urshanabi; Enlil....Paul Nicholson Producer Tim Dee. Gilgamesh - Joe Dixon Enkidu - Adam Levy Narrator - Kenneth Cranham Shamhat, Ishtar - Kananu Kirimi Lady Ninsun, Scorpion woman - Eve Matheson Prologue, Anu - Robert Gwilym Soldier, Utnapishtim - Bill Wallis Humbaba, Ninurta - David Collins Scorpion man; Ea - Chris Donnelly Urshanabi; Enlil - Paul Nicholson | |||
20060612 | Features Like Mine By Ted Whitehead. A man returns to his home town and re-examines his relationship with his father. Tony....Jonathan Pryce Bridget....Sue Johnston Dominic....Tom Bell Director Bruce Hyman. Producer Helen Chattwell. Tony - Jonathan Pryce Bridget - Sue Johnston Dominic - Tom Bell | |||
20060618 | Features Like Mine By Ted Whitehead. A man returns to his home town and re-examines his relationship with his father. Tony - Jonathan Pryce Bridget - Sue Johnston Dominic - Tom Bell Director Bruce Hyman. Producer Helen Chattwell. | |||
20060702 | The Lion of Chechnya In the middle of the 19th Century, Chechen leader Shamyl united the Muslim tribes of the Caucasus against the Russian empire. But, after an early military defeat, Shamyl was forced to hand over one of his sons to the Russian army. The boy grew up devoted to Russia and the tsar. Leila Aboulela's play focuses on Shamyl's fateful decision to kidnap a Georgian princess in retaliation for the loss of his son. Shamyl....Raad Rawi Princess Anna....Katherine Igoe Prince David....Matthew Pidgeon Tsar....Michael Cochrane Madame Drancy....Caroline Loncq Alexander....Jordan Waller Jamal....Shiv Grewal Khazi....Ben Onwukwe Chouanette....Abigail Thaw Ameena....Sarah Ozeke Zaidette....Nina Wadia Jamaluddin....Renu Setna Lezgin....Harry Myers Cousin/sergeant/Russian general....Richard Katz Producer/director Bruce Young. Shamyl - Raad Rawi Princess Anna - Katherine Igoe Prince David - Matthew Pidgeon Tsar - Michael Cochrane Madame Drancy - Caroline Loncq Alexander - Jordan Waller Jamal - Shiv Grewal Khazi - Ben Onwukwe Chouanette - Abigail Thaw Ameena - Sarah Ozeke Zaidette - Nina Wadia Jamaluddin - Renu Setna Lezgin - Harry Myers Cousin/sergeant/Russian general - Richard Katz | |||
20060709 | Hotel Cristobel By Caryl Phillips. Caribbean independence is re-imagined in a struggle for control of a fading hotel on a small and beautiful island. The English woman who has always managed and owned Hotel Cristobel cannot accept that her era is over and that her servant John and the mysterious visitor Mr Schultz from New York might take her hotel away. The play, recorded in New York, is a gripping drama of power, and perhaps love. Kathleen....Rosemary Harris John.... Michael Potts Schultz....Stephen Spinella Director Ned Chaillet. Kathleen - Rosemary Harris John - Michael Potts Schultz - Stephen Spinella | |||
20060723 | Doggies Nirvana By Jin Yun Original translation by Ying Ruocheng In a new version for radio by Kevin Wong Jin Yun's 1986 play for the Beijing People's Arts Theatre has become a modern classic of Chinese theatre: a broad, bitter comedy which takes a sideways look at Chinese history through the tortured relationship of one man and a patch of land. This new production for BBC Radio 3 marks the play's first ever performance in the UK. Doggie's a nobody. A peasant farmer, his simple desire for a harvest of his own condemns him to 40 years of chaos, as history takes him on a wild switchback of fortunes. Doggie....Duncan Preston Qi....Tony Haygarth Wang....Benedict Wong Shu....Paul Courtney-Hyu Jinhua....Su-Lin Looi Dahu....Daniel York Meng....Liz Sutherland Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting. Doggie - Duncan Preston Qi - Tony Haygarth Wang - Benedict Wong Shu - Paul Courtney-Hyu Jinhua - Su-Lin Looi Dahu - Daniel York Meng - Liz Sutherland | |||
20060730 | Salome A new version by Lizzie Hopley. The myth of Salome and the dance of the seven veils began as a brief reference in the bible. It was later popularised in Wilde's highly sexual rendering of the tale. This new version focuses on the tense family drama at the centre of the myth. Set on the brink of a new era - while a young carpenter is travelling across Israel propagating his new religion - this story revolves around a girl on the threshold of womanhood, who has been torn from her father and the world she knows, when her mother falls in love with Salome's Uncle, Herod Antipas. Pharisee....Ian Brooker Herod....Kenneth Cranham John The Baptist....Tony Curran Mannai/Saducee....Paul Dinnen Salome....Florence Hoath Joanna....Sally Hawkins Chuza....Karl Johnson Sejanus....Gerrard McArthur Herodias....Fenella Woolgar All other parts played by members of the cast. Directed by Lu Kemp Pharisee - Ian Brooker Herod - Kenneth Cranham John The Baptist - Tony Curran Mannai/Saducee - Paul Dinnen Salome - Florence Hoath Joanna - Sally Hawkins Chuza - Karl Johnson Sejanus - Gerrard McArthur Herodias - Fenella Woolgar | |||
20060806 | Mrs Warren's Profession By Bernard Shaw The issue of Victorian prostitution and double standards are examined in dramatic form as Mrs Warren reveals to her daughter the source of her income and admits her daughter's own parentage. Having completed her studies at Cambridge, Vivie Warren intends to become a lawyer. She has two suitors, Frank Gardiner, the son of the local rector and an older man-about-town, Sir George Croft. She is shocked when her mother reveals that the source of the family income is from European brothels, and that Croft is involved in the business. Vivie rejects Croft, who reveals that she cannot marry Frank Gardiner because he is her half-brother. Vivie rejects her mother and pursues an independent life. This is an important play - effectively banned by the Royal Chamberlain for 30 years because of its subject matter. It still raises issues of morality and fair trade, as well as the role of women in the workplace. Mrs Warren....Diana Quick Vivie....Claire Skinner Frank Gardner....Scott Handy Sir George Croft....Geoffrey Whitehead Praed....John Rowe Rev Samuel Gardner....Roger Hammond Adapted and directed by John Tydeman Produced by Nicolas Soames Mrs Warren - Diana Quick Vivie - Claire Skinner Frank Gardner - Scott Handy Sir George Croft - Geoffrey Whitehead Praed - John Rowe Rev Samuel Gardner - Roger Hammond | |||
20060813 | Mr Puntila and His Man Matti By Bertolt Brecht Adapted by Lee Hall One of Brecht's best comedies, adapted and updated by award winning writer Lee Hall. A drunken chaotic landowner leans heavily on his stoic chauffeur in a series of ever more outrageous escapades. A witty modern musical version of a comedy classic. Mr Puntila....Vincent Ebrahim Matti....Derek Riddell Judge....Robert Pickavance Eva/Milkmaid....Emma Cunniffe Attache....Mark Chatterton Moonshine....Emma Julia Rounthwaite Chemist's Assistant....Vashti Maclachlan Telephonist....Paula Sims Lawyer....Graeme Hawley Parson....Declan Wilson Mark Cresswell (ukelele) Sian Hicks (double bass) Chris Larner (composer/musical director) Director Polly Thomas. Mr Puntila - Vincent Ebrahim Matti - Derek Riddell Judge - Robert Pickavance Eva/Milkmaid - Emma Cunniffe Attache - Mark Chatterton Moonshine - Emma Julia Rounthwaite Chemist's Assistant - Vashti Maclachlan Telephonist - Paula Sims Lawyer - Graeme Hawley Parson - Declan Wilson | |||
20060910 | Hippomania By Snoo Wilson. With Laurence Olivier preparing to film the patriotic epic Henry V in neutral Ireland during the Second World War, and the poet John Betjeman attracting the suspicious attentions of the IRA, it is a heady time in Dublin. Snoo Wilson's astonishing fantasia that springs from real events in Betjeman's life conjures up Nazis, assassins and fairies - as the poet wanders blithely through seats of power, pubs and a cemetery. John Betjeman....Anthony Calf Penelope....Anastasia Hille Edna....Patricia Leventon Sir Oswald Mosley....Andrew Woodall Diana Mosley....Victoria Woodward Betterton/Lord Powerscourt....Ian Masters Officer, MI6/Sweeney....Owen Sharpe Susan Hilton....Katherine Igoe James Blair/Declan....Stephen Hogan Dannan....Renee Weldon Bridy....Aoife McMahon Titannicus....Gerard Murphy Eammon de Valera/MacNamara....John Rogan Laurence Olivier....Nicholas Boulton Olawalu....Jimmy Akingbola Princess Sobietska....Ndidi del Fatti Conor....Andrew Scott Guy Burgess....Tam Williams Evelyn Waugh....Snoo Wilson Music direction by Jay Owen. Director Ned Chaillet. John Betjeman - Anthony Calf Penelope - Anastasia Hille Edna - Patricia Leventon Sir Oswald Mosley - Andrew Woodall Diana Mosley - Victoria Woodward Betterton/Lord Powerscourt - Ian Masters Officer, MI6/Sweeney - Owen Sharpe Susan Hilton - Katherine Igoe James Blair/Declan - Stephen Hogan Dannan - Renee Weldon Bridy - Aoife McMahon Titannicus - Gerard Murphy Eammon de Valera/MacNamara - John Rogan Laurence Olivier - Nicholas Boulton Olawalu - Jimmy Akingbola Princess Sobietska - Ndidi del Fatti Conor - Andrew Scott Guy Burgess - Tam Williams Evelyn Waugh - Snoo Wilson | |||
20060917 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg By Peter Nichols, adapted by Pauline Harris. Comic drama about a couple's relationship as parents of a profoundly mentally disabled child. Written in 1967, Joe Egg is a groundbreaking work that retains an undiminished capacity to disconcert. Brian....Christopher Eccleston Sheila....Kaye Wragg Joe....Chloe Pabst-Bohan Pam....Julia Rounthwaite Freddie....Michael Maloney Grace....Lynda Baron Brian - Christopher Eccleston Sheila - Kaye Wragg Joe - Chloe Pabst-Bohan Pam - Julia Rounthwaite Freddie - Michael Maloney Grace - Lynda Baron | |||
20061001 | Let Me By Howard Barker. At the height of the Barbarian invasions, a Roman land owner finds his home surrounded by the invaders. The elderly patrician was never a warrior, but can he bring himself to surrender and betray centuries of tradition and culture? The drama - a new commission from Howard Barker (also born in 1946) - helps to mark the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Third Programme (the original name for Radio 3). Copolla....Edward Petherbridge Aphrodite....Barbara Jefford Euclid....Andrew Woodall Agricola....Sam Dale Barbarian child....Emma Noakes Producer/director Peter Kavanagh. Copolla - Edward Petherbridge Aphrodite...... Barbara Jefford Euclid - Andrew Woodall Agricola - Sam Dale Barbarian child - Emma Noakes | |||
20061008 | Hold My Breath By Ryan Craig. The life of an idealistic young black school teacher is turned upside down by an unexpected and appalling accusation. She sets off on a chaotic odyssey from her East London flat to a bizarre encounter in Oxford Circus with a man she meets in a chatroom. Tessa....Ayesha Antoine Russ....Nick Sayce Sparks....John Cummins Sadie....Ella Smith Fran....Sophie Roberts Tony....Delroy Brown Luke....Carl Prekopp Linda....Claire Louise Cordwell Norris....Philip Fox Original music by David Pickvance. Producer Steven Canny. Tessa - Ayesha Antoine Russ - Nick Sayce Sparks - John Cummins Sadie - Ella Smith Fran - Sophie Roberts Tony - Delroy Brown Luke - Carl Prekopp Linda - Claire Louise Cordwell Norris - Philip Fox | |||
20061015 | An Enemy of the People: Martin Lynch's version of Ibsen's classic drama is set in contemporary Belfast. The killing of a Catholic man leads to his own community struggling to come to terms with the truth. However, one woman is determined to get justice for her murdered brother-in-law. But at what cost? Moya McGovern....Susan Lynch Caroline McGovern....Seainin Brennan Sean Gillen....Charles Lawson Mr Gillen/Solicitor....Harry Towb Dominic/Frankie....Patrick O?Kane Manus....Lloyd Hutchinson Mrs McGovern....Eileen Pollock Director Roland Jaquarello Moya McGovern - Susan Lynch Caroline McGovern - Seainin Brennan Sean Gillen - Charles Lawson Mr Gillen/Solicitor - Harry Towb Dominic/Frankie - Patrick O?Kane Manus - Lloyd Hutchinson Mrs McGovern - Eileen Pollock | |||
20061022 | Days and Nights in Bedlam By Fred D'Aguiar. When Otis is taken to the closed ward of a London mental hospital, he is desperate to return to his Queen Penelope, and his Kingdom. Whilst the staff diagnose him as delusional, fellow patients Larry and Harry plot to reach this Kingdom first and take his queen for their own. Otis....Mo Sesay Gary....Don Gilet Deirdre....Daniela Nardini April....Alex Tregear Harry....Stephen Critchlow Larry....Carl Prekopp Penelope....Janice Acquah Music composed by David Pickvance. Director Carol Bayne Otis - Mo Sesay Gary - Don Gilet Deirdre - Daniela Nardini April - Alex Tregear Harry - Stephen Critchlow Larry - Carl Prekopp Penelope - Janice Acquah | |||
20061029 | Death and the Penguin By Andrei Kurkov Andrei Kurkov's memorable satire about an obituarist and his relationship with a penguin, set in post-Soviet Ukraine. Matt Thompson's adaptation was largely recorded on location in Kiev. Viktor....Paul Ewing Igor....James Bryce Sonya....Kate Bennett Nina....Katrina Bryan Sergey....Jimmy Harrison Pidpaly....John McKie Misha Non-Penguin....Stewart Potter Lyosha....Andrei Kurkov Music and effects by Joe Acheson. Translated by George Bird. Director Matt Thompson Viktor - Paul Ewing Igor - James Bryce Sonya - Kate Bennett Nina - Katrina Bryan Sergey - Jimmy Harrison Pidpaly - John McKie Misha Non-Penguin - Stewart Potter Lyosha - Andrei Kurkov | |||
20061112 | In Parenthesis By David Jones. Private John Ball and his fellow Royal Welch Fusiliers embark for France in December 1915. Six months later, the majority of this band of comrades are killed or wounded at the Battle of the Somme. A dramatisation of this unique prose-poem to mark Remembrance Sunday. Action....Sian Phillips Thought....Sara McGaughey Memory....Manon Edwards Prologue....Dorien Thomas John Ball....Steven Meo Dai Evans....Oliver Ryan Crower....Thomas Arnold Jenkins....Rhodri Hugh Lewis....Iestyn Jones Snell....Simon Ludders Quilter....David Middleton Wastebottom....Matthew Morgan Clark....Carl Prekopp Watcyn....Aled Pugh Wyatt....Keiron Self Saunders....Nathan Sussex Adapted by Douglas Cleverdon. Music by John Hardy. Director Alison Hindell Action - Sian Phillips Thought - Sara McGaughey Memory - Manon Edwards Prologue - Dorien Thomas John Ball - Steven Meo Dai Evans - Oliver Ryan Crower - Thomas Arnold Jenkins - Rhodri Hugh Lewis - Iestyn Jones Snell - Simon Ludders Quilter - David Middleton Wastebottom - Matthew Morgan Clark - Carl Prekopp Watcyn - Aled Pugh Wyatt - Keiron Self Saunders - Nathan Sussex | |||
20061119 | True West By Sam Shepard. Screenwriter Austin's work on a film script is disrupted by the arrival of his elder brother Lee. The differences between successful, creative professional Austin and brutish, desert-living Lee could not be more marked. Or could they? Lee....David Soul Austin....Richard Laing Saul....Kenneth Jay Mom....Liza Ross Director Peter Kavanagh. Lee - David Soul Austin - Richard Laing Saul - Kenneth Jay Mom - Liza Ross | |||
20061126 | The Violence of Silence, by Marida Chheang and Sotheavy At. A compelling, soul-searching drama documentary that explores the human cost of the genocide in Cambodia as the past and the present collide. Featuring personal testimonies from Khmer Rouge survivors recorded on location in Phnom Penh. Poetry by Simon Armitage, read by Mark Strong. Sophal....Kulikar Sotho Chhun....Sylyvann Borei Yin....Saveth Dy San....Sonak Kouv Thida....Rebecca Phouek Translated by Kunthy Sok. Directed by Kate Rowland. Sophal - Kulikar Sotho Chhun - Sylyvann Borei Yin - Saveth Dy San - Sonak Kouv Thida - Rebecca Phouek | |||
20061203 | Fuente Ovejuna. Lope de Vega's play is based on real events in 15th-century Spain, in which the people of a small village rose up against a tyrannical overlord and exacted a savage and brutal revenge for years of repression. When called to account by the reigning monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, the village stood together. Commander....Brian Cox Laurencia....Maxine Peake Esteban....Clive Swift Captain Flores....Jonathan Keeble Sergeant Ortuno....Martin George Grand Master Rodrigo....Oliver Le Sueur Pascuala....Alison Pettit Frondoso....Carl Prekopp Mengo....Stephen Critchlow Adapted for radio and directed by David Timson Commander - Brian Cox Laurencia - Maxine Peake Esteban - Clive Swift Captain Flores - Jonathan Keeble Sergeant Ortuno - Martin George Grand Master Rodrigo - Oliver Le Sueur Pascuala - Alison Pettit Frondoso - Carl Prekopp Mengo - Stephen Critchlow | |||
20061210 | The Thebans: Oedipus Tyrannos; Oedipus at Kolonos; Antigone. Timberlake Wertenbaker's translation of Sophocles's trilogy of three passionate and tragic tales of bloody deeds, family feuds, justice, power and fate. Oedipus....John Lynch Jocasta....Fiona Shaw Kreon....Michael Feast Teiresias....Kenneth Cranham Antigone....Nadine Marshal Ismene....Vinette Robinson Theseus....Jude Akuwudike Polyneikes....William Ash Haimon....Adrian Bower Messenger from Corinth ? Russell Dixon Chorus....Brigit Forsyth, Deborah McAndrew, James Nickerson, Sarah Parks, Stuart Richman and Declan Wilson Singer/oboist....Belinda Sykes Percussionist....Martin Allen Original music by Gary Yershon. Director Nadia Molinari. Oedipus - John Lynch Jocasta - Fiona Shaw Kreon - Michael Feast Teiresias - Kenneth Cranham Antigone - Nadine Marshal Ismene - Vinette Robinson Theseus - Jude Akuwudike Polyneikes - William Ash Haimon - Adrian Bower Messenger from Corinth ?... Russell Dixon Chorus - Brigit Forsyth, Deborah McAndrew, James Nickerson, Sarah Parks, Stuart Richman and Declan Wilson Singer/oboist - Belinda Sykes Percussionist - Martin Allen | |||
20061224 | For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio. WH Auden's postwar passion play is a modern mystery cycle which reinterprets faith for those exposed to the horrors of the Second World War. Narrator....Rufus Sewell Mary....Emma Noakes Joseph....John Dougall Gabriel....Saikat Ahamed Herod....Joseph Kloska Wise Man 1....John Rowe Wise Man 2....Rudolph Walker Wise Man 3....Peter Marinker Shepherd 1....Gerard McDermott Shepherd 2....Mark Straker Shepherd 3....Paul Richard Biggin Rachel....Bethan Walker Fugal-Chorus....Tracy Wiles Recitative....Damian Lynch Child....Grainne Hails Directed by Jessica Dromgoole, David Hunter and Conor Lennon. Narrator - Rufus Sewell Mary - Emma Noakes Joseph - John Dougall Gabriel - Saikat Ahamed Herod - Joseph Kloska Wise Man 1 - John Rowe Wise Man 2 - Rudolph Walker Wise Man 3 - Peter Marinker Shepherd 1 - Gerard McDermott Shepherd 2 - Mark Straker Shepherd 3 - Paul Richard Biggin Rachel - Bethan Walker Fugal-Chorus - Tracy Wiles Recitative - Damian Lynch Child - Grainne Hails | |||
20061231 | The History Boys By Alan Bennett. Adapted for radio by Richard Wortley from Nicholas Hytner's National Theatre production. More than three decades on from Forty Years On, Alan Bennett turns his attention once more to education, encompassing both the tussles of staffroom rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence. Hector....Richard Griffiths Irwin....Geoffrey Streatfeild Mrs Lintott....Frances de la Tour The Headmaster....Clive Merrison Crowther....Samuel Anderson Posner....Samuel Barnett Dakin....Dominic Cooper Timms....James Corden Akthar....Sacha Dhawan Lockwood....Andrew Knott Scripps....Jamie Parker Rudge....Russell Tovey Solo singer....Samuel Barnett Pianists....Jamie Parker and Tom Attwood Produced by David Hunter. Musical arrangement by Richard Sissons. Director Richard Wortley. Hector - Richard Griffiths Irwin - Geoffrey Streatfeild Mrs Lintott - Frances de la Tour The Headmaster - Clive Merrison Crowther - Samuel Anderson Posner - Samuel Barnett Dakin - Dominic Cooper Timms - James Corden Akthar - Sacha Dhawan Lockwood - Andrew Knott Scripps - Jamie Parker Rudge - Russell Tovey Solo singer - Samuel Barnett Pianists - Jamie Parker and Tom Attwood | |||
20070107 | King Lear Shakespeare's classic tale of treachery and betrayal illustrates the consequences of evil triumphing over truth and the vanity of old age. King Lear....Corin Redgrave Duke of Kent....David Troughton Duke of Gloucester....John Carlisle Goneril....Geraldine James Regan....Kika Markham Cordelia....Justine Waddell Edmund....William Houston Edgar....Robert Glenister Duke of Albany....John Rowe Duke of Cornwall....Clive Francis Fool....Paul Copley Oswald....Struan Rodger King of France....Sean Baker Old Man/Gentleman....Gavin Muir Music specially composed by Elizabeth Parker. Directed by Cherry Cookson. King Lear - Corin Redgrave Duke of Kent - David Troughton Duke of Gloucester - John Carlisle Goneril - Geraldine James Regan - Kika Markham Cordelia - Justine Waddell Edmund - William Houston Edgar - Robert Glenister Duke of Albany - John Rowe Duke of Cornwall - Clive Francis Fool - Paul Copley Oswald - Struan Rodger King of France - Sean Baker Old Man/Gentleman - Gavin Muir | |||
20070114 | Regime Change Peter Straughan's wickedly dark comedy is inspired by Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and produced in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In a run-down apartment block in Istanbul, Lutz is in hiding. He is preparing to seize power in his former state, just as soon as he is allowed to. Lutz....Henry Goodman Coiler....Joseph Alessi Dreyer....David Rubin Jean....Golda Rosheuvel Vlas....Julian Bleach Ahmet....John Hopkins Natascha....Mariah Gale Umit....Ali Barisik Music composed by Adrian Lee, performed by Adrian Lee and George Hadjineophytou. Director Jonquil Panting. Lutz - Henry Goodman Coiler - Joseph Alessi Dreyer - David Rubin Jean - Golda Rosheuvel Vlas - Julian Bleach Ahmet - John Hopkins Natascha - Mariah Gale Umit - Ali Barisik | |||
20070121 | Three Japanese Gothic Tales by Izumi Kyoka, dramatised by Georgia Pritchett. 1. The Holy Man of Mount Koya Sakagami....Simon Russell Beale Monk....Adrian Scarborough Wanderer....Paul Rhys Peddler....Iain Robertson Farmer....Neil Dudgeon Woman....Lia Williams Old Man....Geoffrey Palmer 2. A Tale of Three who were Blind Blind Man....Toby Jones Older Blind Man....Geoffrey Palmer Blind Woman....Lia Williams 3. One Day in Spring Tamawaki Mio....Mairead McKinley Priest....Neil Dudgeon Man....Iain Robertson Lion Boy....Oscar Fletcher Director Roxana Silbert. Composer Howard Davidson. Sakagami - Simon Russell Beale Monk - Adrian Scarborough Wanderer - Paul Rhys Peddler - Iain Robertson Farmer - Neil Dudgeon Woman - Lia Williams Old Man - Geoffrey Palmer Blind Man - Toby Jones Older Blind Man - Geoffrey Palmer Blind Woman - Lia Williams Tamawaki Mio - Mairead McKinley Priest - Neil Dudgeon Man - Iain Robertson Lion Boy - Oscar Fletcher Director Roxana Silbert . | |||
20070128 | Professor Bernhardi, by Arthur Schnitzler. In Vienna in 1900, a distinguished Jewish doctor prevents a Catholic priest from administering last rites to a dying patient. His actions provoke a political witch-hunt, leading to the professor's trial and imprisonment. This new version of a play which had been unseen in London for over 70 years was produced for the stage by Dumbfounded Theatre Company in 2005 by National Theatre playwright Samuel Adamson. | |||
20070204 | Two Men from Delft By Stephen Wakelam. In 1675, at the time of the death of his close friend Johannes Vermeer, Antony Van Leeuwenhoek made an astonishing discovery. He was the first person to identity bacteria. Antony Van Leeuwenhooek....Stephen Tompkinson Christiaan Huygens....Alex Jennings Maria Van Leeuwenhoek....Emma Noakes Elisabeth Vermeer....Alex Tregear Music by Sylvia Hallett. Viol played by Vanessa Coode. Directed and produced by Jeremy Mortimer. Antony Van Leeuwenhooek - Stephen Tompkinson Christiaan Huygens - Alex Jennings Maria Van Leeuwenhoek - Emma Noakes Elisabeth Vermeer - Alex Tregear | |||
20070218 | Hooligan Nights The brutal world of London gangland in the 1890s is brought vividly to life in an innovative new musical created by writer Mike Walker and composer Mike Woolmans. Loosely based on the book by Clarence Rook, it recounts the criminal career of Alf, a self-styled Lambeth hooligan. Alf....James Daley Ally....Pamela Banks P.C. 91....Stephen Greif Harry....Carl Prekopp Billy the Snide/Patrick Hooligan....Gerard Horan Frenchy....Freddy White Shop Assistant/Izzy/Judge....Gerard McDermott Young Alf....Jamie Borthwick The Great Reboundo....David O'Dell Referee/Barman....Sam Dale Alf's Ma....Bethan Walker Other parts played by Paul Richard Biggin, Joseph Kloska, Emma Noakes and Saikat Ahamed. Director Toby Swift. Alf - James Daley Ally - Pamela Banks P.C. 91...... Stephen Greif Harry - Carl Prekopp Billy the Snide/Patrick Hooligan - Gerard Horan Frenchy - Freddy White Shop Assistant/Izzy/Judge - Gerard McDermott Young Alf - Jamie Borthwick The Great Reboundo - David O'Dell Referee/Barman - Sam Dale Alf's Ma - Bethan Walker | |||
20070225 | Love and Money By Dennis Kelly. A radio adaptation of the Young Vic/Royal Exchange co-production of Kelly's funny and heart-wrenching exploration of the devastating impact of debt and desire in the modern world. Jess, who is in love with David, believes that happiness can be bought - but in a world of easy credit, it doesn't come cheap. Jess....Kellie Bright David....John Kirk Mother....Joanna Bacon Father/Duncan....Paul Moriarty Val/Debbie....Claudie Blakley Paul/Doctor....Graeme Hawley Original Music by Olly Fox. Sound Design by Ian Dickinson. Directed by Matthew Dunster and produced by Nadia Molinari. Jess - Kellie Bright David - John Kirk Mother - Joanna Bacon Father/Duncan - Paul Moriarty Val/Debbie - Claudie Blakley Paul/Doctor - Graeme Hawley | |||
20070304 | The Fiery World In this Radio 3 special commission, Peter Ackroyd dramatises the life of William Blake. In 1805, with England at war and in constant fear of invasion, radicalism was the equivalent of treason. Blake was never afraid of speaking his mind, but as a poet and visionary he was at odds with the spirit of his age - so much so that his life was in danger. William Blake....Robert Glenister James Deville....David Warner Catherine Blake....Miriam Margolyes Kedges....David Timson Mrs Deville....Alison Pettitt Samuel Rose....Sean Barrett Billy Cosway....Hugh Ross Scofield....Mark Gillis Armitage....Brian Croucher Boy....Deo Simcox Directed by Roy McMillan. William Blake - Robert Glenister James Deville - David Warner Catherine Blake - Miriam Margolyes Kedges - David Timson Mrs Deville - Alison Pettitt Samuel Rose - Sean Barrett Billy Cosway - Hugh Ross Scofield - Mark Gillis Armitage - Brian Croucher Boy - Deo Simcox | |||
20070318 | The Homecoming By Harold Pinter. A new production for BBC Radio 3 of Pinter's play that sees the playwright himself heading up a star cast in the role of Max, the head of the Hackney family to which a professor and his wife return one night from America. Max, a man of 70....Harold Pinter Lenny, a man in his early 30s....Samuel West Sam, a man of 63....Michael Gambon Joey, a man in his middle 20s....James Alexandrou Teddy, a man in his middle 30s....Rupert Graves Ruth, a woman in her early 30s....Gina McKee Director Thea Sharrock. Max, a man of 70 - Harold Pinter Lenny, a man in his early 30s - Samuel West Sam, a man of 63 - Michael Gambon Joey, a man in his middle 20s - James Alexandrou Teddy, a man in his middle 30s - Rupert Graves Ruth, a woman in her early 30s - Gina McKee | |||
20070325 | 'The Lamplighters, by Jackie Kay: The lyrical drama explores the heart of enslavement through the experiences of four women, Constance, Mary, Black Harriot and The Lamplighter.' | |||
20070401 | War with The Newts By Karel Capek, dramatised by George Poles. When humanity encounters another race of intelligent bipeds sharing the Earth, what choice is there but to exploit it? When the existence of a group of speaking newts comes to the attention of the ruthless GH Bondy and his Salamander Syndicate, they find themselves turned into a commodity as the nations fight over them. At its heart, this joyously funny satire is a plea for decency and tolerance towards others, as relevant now as when it was first written in the 1930s. Capek....Dermot Crowley Olga....Sally Hawkins Van Toch....Henry Goodman Povondra....Geoffrey Beevers Mrs Povondra....Tina Gray GH Bondy....Adrian Scarborough Ensemble....Ben Crowe; Martin Hyder; Geoff McGivern Howard Davidson (composer) Elizabeth Freestone (director) Capek - Dermot Crowley Olga - Sally Hawkins Van Toch - Henry Goodman Povondra - Geoffrey Beevers Mrs Povondra - Tina Gray GH Bondy - Adrian Scarborough Ensemble - Ben Crowe; Martin Hyder; Geoff McGivern | |||
20070408 | Breakfast With Mugabe By Fraser Grace. The year is 2001. President Mugabe and his wife are holed up in the State House in Harare, with Mugabe in paranoid terror. He is being stalked by an ngozi or bitter spirit, the murderous ghost of a long-dead comrade. Fearing for his sanity, Mugabe turns to a white psychiatrist for help. Witty and provocative, Fraser Grace's new play imagines the combative relationship between the black president and his white psychiatrist. In a series of bruising encounters, Breakfast with Mugabe explores the conflict between despotism and liberalism in modern Zimbabwe. Grace Mugabe....Noma Dumezweni Robert Mugabe....Joseph Mydell Gabriel Marunda....Christopher Obi Andrew Peric....David Rintoul Music composed by Chartwell Dutiro and played by Chartwell Dutiro and James Jones. Directed by Antony Sher. Grace Mugabe - Noma Dumezweni Robert Mugabe - Joseph Mydell Gabriel Marunda - Christopher Obi Andrew Peric - David Rintoul | |||
20070415 | Entertaining Mr Sloane By Joe Orton. The first radio production of this notoriously successful play, first staged in 1964. Sloane, an ambiguously sexually attractive young man, comes in search of lodgings and is seduced by the landlady and desired by her homosexual brother. Meanwhile, their father has justified suspicion that Sloane has committed a murder. The scene is set for an unexpected denouement. Mr Sloane....Daniel Evans Kath....Geraldine James Ed....Clive Francis Kemp....Dudley Sutton Director John Tydeman. Mr Sloane - Daniel Evans Kath - Geraldine James Ed - Clive Francis Kemp - Dudley Sutton | |||
20070422 | The Radetzky March By Joseph Roth. Adapted by Mike Walker from the English translation of the novel by Michael Hofmann. The story of the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is told through the men of the Trotta family, three generations of servants loyal to their emperor. The story starts at the second half of the 19th century when a Trotta saves the life of Franz Joseph on the battlefield, to the beginning of the 20th when world war and old age wipes the Trottas and their Empire from the map, but not the memory, of Europe. Joseph Roth....Bill Wallis Emperor Franz Joseph....John Woodvine Joseph Trotta/Chojnicki/Postman....Brian Pettifer Franz Trotta....Richard Bremmer Carl Joseph Trotta....Elliot Levey Moser/Wagner....Nicky Henson Jacques/Dr Skvoronnek....Clive Swift Frau Slama/Valli von Taussig....Eleanor Tremain With Paul Nicolson, Paul Dodgson, David Collins and Chris Garner. Music arranged and performed by Alexander Balanescu. Director Tim Dee. Joseph Roth - Bill Wallis Emperor Franz Joseph - John Woodvine Joseph Trotta/Chojnicki/Postman - Brian Pettifer Franz Trotta - Richard Bremmer Carl Joseph Trotta - Elliot Levey Moser/Wagner - Nicky Henson Jacques/Dr Skvoronnek - Clive Swift Frau Slama/Valli von Taussig - Eleanor Tremain | |||
20070429 | The Overwhelming By JT Rogers. A gripping story of a country on the brink of genocide. Seizing the opportunity to research a book, Jack Exley uproots his family from Illinois to Rwanda in early 1994. Alarmingly out of his depth, Jack begins a fervent search for a dear and missing friend while his wife and teenage son find trouble of their own. As Jack involves himself in the local politics, he discovers a pattern of brutality and beliefs that jeopardizes the lives of everyone around him. Jack Exley....Matthew Marsh Geoffrey....Andrew Garfield Linda....Tanya Moodie Joseph Gasana....Jude Akuwudike Woolsey/Zimbabwean Doctor....Miles Anderson Jean-Claude/Verbeek....Nick Fletcher Gerard....Babou Ceesay Mizinga....Danny Sapani Elise/Rwandan Doctor....Chipo Chung Bangladeshi Major/Man in Embassy....Lucian Msamati Woman in club/Market woman....Adura Onashile Director Max Stafford-Clark. Jack Exley - Matthew Marsh Geoffrey - Andrew Garfield Linda - Tanya Moodie Joseph Gasana - Jude Akuwudike Woolsey/Zimbabwean Doctor - Miles Anderson Jean-Claude/Verbeek - Nick Fletcher Gerard - Babou Ceesay Mizinga - Danny Sapani Elise/Rwandan Doctor - Chipo Chung Bangladeshi Major/Man in Embassy - Lucian Msamati Woman in club/Market woman - Adura Onashile | |||
20070506 | Blindness By Jose Saramago, translated by Giovanni Pontiero. A driver waiting at the traffic lights goes blind: patient zero in a contagion of blindness that sweeps through a city. The authorities isolate the blind in a mental asylum. Blind thugs take over. When all are blind, all the rules change. What it is to be human must also change. | |||
20070513 | The Sicilian Expedition By John Fletcher. Almost 2,500 years ago, a confident young general persuaded Athens to launch an attack on Sicily. Alcibiades was a member of the Athenian baby boomer generation, whose elders had fought to give their children a society of justice, wealth and education. The baby boomers explored every sexual avenue, took drugs to excess and became great consumers of highly exotic products. Then it all went wrong. Within two years of the defeat in Sicily, democratic Athens, the pinnacle of human civilisation, lay in ruins. Yet, as the city endured its death agonies, something new and wonderful was born: the Socratic idea of universal love. Socrates....James Laurenson Alcibiades....Julian Rhind-Tutt Callias....Richard Nichols Theodote....Mia Soteriou Nicias....Jonathan Nibbs Taureas....Matthew Morgan Agathon....Richard Mitchley Spartan Soldier....Nathan Sussex Bagoas....Brendan Charleson Mantitheus....Jonathan Floyd Mother....Christine Pritchard Music by John Hardy Director Kate McAll. Socrates - James Laurenson Alcibiades - Julian Rhind-Tutt Callias - Richard Nichols Theodote - Mia Soteriou Nicias - Jonathan Nibbs Taureas - Matthew Morgan Agathon - Richard Mitchley Spartan Soldier - Nathan Sussex Bagoas - Brendan Charleson Mantitheus - Jonathan Floyd Mother - Christine Pritchard | |||
20070520 | The Wild Duck By Henrik Ibsen, translated by Inga-Stina Ewbank and Peter Hall. One of Ibsen's most powerful dramas, which explores the tragic impact on the lives of a young girl and her family when an old friend insists on family secrets being told. Featuring Paterson Joseph and Michael Maloney. | |||
20070603 | Elgar's Rondo By David Pownall. The reaction to his Second Symphony, and the Rondo in particular, only heightened the doubts and fears which plagued Elgar for much of his creative life. Later, while struggling to express in music the horror of the First World War, his family and admirers endeavour to help him re-ignite his creative spark. Elgar....David Horovitch Alice....Sarah Badel Jaegar/George V....Robert Glenister Windflower....Emma Fielding Schuster....Ian Masters Carice/Mother/Cellist....Clare Corbett Bernard Shaw....Gerard Murphy Mark/Father....Harry Myers Father John....Carl Prekopp Bandmaster....John Evitts Paul Hooker....Robert Lister Directed by Martin Jenkins. Elgar - David Horovitch Alice - Sarah Badel Jaegar/George V - Robert Glenister Windflower - Emma Fielding Schuster - Ian Masters Carice/Mother/Cellist - Clare Corbett Bernard Shaw - Gerard Murphy Mark/Father - Harry Myers Father John - Carl Prekopp Bandmaster - John Evitts Paul Hooker - Robert Lister | |||
20070610 | Black Watch By Gregory Burke. A radio version of the National Theatre of Scotland's award-winning theatre production, Black Watch is based on interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in Iraq. Hurtling from a pool room in Fife, to an armoured wagon in Iraq, the action is viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, and reveals what it means to be part of this legendary Scottish regiment, and the war on terror. This play contains very strong language. Stewarty....Ali Craig Fraz....Emun Elliott Granty....Paul Rattray Cammy....Brian Ferguson Kenzie....Ryan Fletcher Officer....Peter Forbes Sergeant/Writer....Paul Higgins Rossco....Jordan Young Original music composed by Davey Anderson Directed by John Tiffany Stewarty - Ali Craig Fraz - Emun Elliott Granty - Paul Rattray Cammy - Brian Ferguson Kenzie - Ryan Fletcher Officer - Peter Forbes Sergeant/Writer - Paul Higgins Rossco - Jordan Young | |||
20070617 | An Ideal Husband By Oscar Wilde. The unprincipled Mrs Cheveley threatens to reveal Sir Robert Chiltern's secret past unless he agrees to give his support in Parliament to a questionable Argentinian venture. Faced with ruin in the eyes of the country and his wife, he seems to have no alternative. Wildean wit and the elegance of English society is woven into this classic drama. The Earl of Caversham....Geoffrey Palmer Viscount Goring....Jasper Britton Sir Robert Chiltern....Alex Jennings Lady Chiltern....Emma Fielding Lady Markby....Sara Kestelman Miss Mabel Chiltern....Joanna Page Mrs Cheveley....Janet McTeer Vicomte De Nanjac....Oliver de Sueur Mrs Marchmont....Patience Tomlinson Countess of Basildon....Lucy Whybrow Mr Montford/James....John Cummins Phipps....Hugh Dickson Mason....Derek Beard Directed by David Timson. The Earl of Caversham - Geoffrey Palmer Viscount Goring - Jasper Britton Sir Robert Chiltern - Alex Jennings Lady Chiltern - Emma Fielding Lady Markby - Sara Kestelman Miss Mabel Chiltern - Joanna Page Mrs Cheveley - Janet McTeer Vicomte De Nanjac - Oliver de Sueur Mrs Marchmont - Patience Tomlinson Countess of Basildon - Lucy Whybrow Mr Montford/James - John Cummins Phipps - Hugh Dickson Mason - Derek Beard | |||
20070624 | Splendour By Abi Morgan. On the eve of revolution, four women wait in the Presidential palace. They talk, eat, admire each other's shoes, and carve out their place in the history of the country. Micheleine....Sian Phillips Genevieve....Anna Massey Gilma....Sophie Stanton Kathryn....Kate Isitt Directed by Jessica Dromgoole. Micheleine - Sian Phillips Genevieve - Anna Massey Gilma - Sophie Stanton Kathryn - Kate Isitt | |||
20070701 | Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in ancient Mesopotamia over 4,000 years ago and is believed by many to be the first story to be written down. It tells of the disheartened King Gilgamesh and his friend, Enkidu, and their quests together into the wilderness, battling monsters and searching for the secret of immortality. This version was adapted by Jeremy Howe from the English version by Stephen Mitchell. With music by Paul Dodgson. Gilgamesh....Joe Dixon Enkidu....Adam Levy Narrator....Kenneth Cranham Shamhat, Ishtar....Kananu Kirimi Lady Ninsun, Scorpion woman....Eve Matheson Prologue, Anu....Robert Gwilym Soldier, Utnapishtim....Bill Wallis Humbaba, Ninurta....David Collins Scorpion man, Ea....Chris Donnelly Urshanabi, Enlil....Paul Nicholson Gilgamesh - Joe Dixon Enkidu - Adam Levy Narrator - Kenneth Cranham Shamhat, Ishtar - Kananu Kirimi Lady Ninsun, Scorpion woman - Eve Matheson Prologue, Anu - Robert Gwilym Soldier, Utnapishtim - Bill Wallis Humbaba, Ninurta - David Collins Scorpion man, Ea - Chris Donnelly Urshanabi, Enlil - Paul Nicholson | |||
20070708 | Rock 'n' Roll By Tom Stoppard Stoppard's new play about loyalty, compromise, love and music is given its first radio production as part of BBC Radio's celebration of his work. In 1968, Czech student Jan returns home 'to protect rock 'n' roll' from the Soviet tanks crushing the Prague Spring. Max, a Communist don in Cambridge, watches his ideology collapse until the Velvet revolution of 1990 allows student and master to meet again. The politics and music have changed, but have the people? Max....Bill Paterson Jan....Daniel Evans Eleanor....Penny Downie Esme....Amanda Root Ferdinand....Bertie Carvel Young Esme....Jaimi Barbakoff Alice....Jasmine Hyde Nigel....Ron Cook Lenka....Britta Gartner Stephen....Joseph Kloska Milan....John Dougall Candida....Liza Sadovy Gillian....Jasmine Callan Directed by Alison Hindell. Max - Bill Paterson Jan - Daniel Evans Eleanor - Penny Downie Esme - Amanda Root Ferdinand - Bertie Carvel Young Esme - Jaimi Barbakoff Alice - Jasmine Hyde Nigel - Ron Cook Lenka - Britta Gartner Stephen - Joseph Kloska Milan - John Dougall Candida - Liza Sadovy Gillian - Jasmine Callan | |||
20070715 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead By Tom Stoppard. As part of BBC Radio's celebration of the playwright's 70th birthday, Andrew Lincoln and Danny Webb star in Stoppard's adaptation of his celebrated play. Two minor characters from Hamlet are suddenly thrown centre stage amid the plottings and intrigue of Elsinore. Rosencrantz....Danny Webb Guildenstern....Andrew Lincoln Player....Desmond Barrit Polonius....John Rowe Ophelia....Abigail Hollick Gertrude....Liza Sadovy Claudius....Simon Treves Hamlet....John Dougall Ambassador....Jot Davies Horatio....Anthony Glennon With original music composed and realised by Nicolai Abrahamsen. Director Peter Kavanagh. Rosencrantz - Danny Webb Guildenstern - Andrew Lincoln Player - Desmond Barrit Polonius - John Rowe Ophelia - Abigail Hollick Gertrude - Liza Sadovy Claudius - Simon Treves Hamlet - John Dougall Ambassador - Jot Davies Horatio - Anthony Glennon | |||
20070729 | The Two Gentlemen of Valasna By William Shakespeare. Adapted for radio by Roger Elsgood and Willi Richards. Shakespeare's early romantic comedy is set in two Indian princely states in the weeks leading up to the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Recorded entirely on location in Maharashtra, India. Vishvadev....Nadir Khan Parminder....Arghya Lahiri Syoni....Anu Menon Jumaana....Avantika Akerkar The Maharaja....Sohrab Ardishir Thaqib....Zafar Karachiwala Sparsh....Kunaal Roy Kapoor Lehk....Joy Sengupta Lavanya....Suchitra Pillai Babu....Farid Currim Arabinder....Jayant Kripalani Pramathesh and Ekanjeet....Vikrant Chaturvedi The Dacoits....Advait Zen Hazarat, Siddhant Pinto and Ali Fazal Vishvadev......Nadir Khan Parminder......Arghya Lahiri Syoni......Anu Menon Jumaana......Avantika Akerkar The Maharaja......Sohrab Ardishir Thaqib......Zafar Karachiwala Sparsh......Kunaal Roy Kapoor Lehk......Joy Sengupta Lavanya......Suchitra Pillai Babu......Farid Currim Arabinder......Jayant Kripalani Pramathesh and Ekanjeet......Vikrant Chaturvedi The Dacoits......Advait Zen Hazarat, Siddhant Pinto and Ali Fazal | |||
20070805 | Fuente Ovejuna By Lope de Vega. Adapted by Adrian Mitchell with Brian Cox, Maxine Peake and Clive Swift. Based on real events in the 15th-century Spain of Ferdinand and Isabella, a village takes its destiny into its own hands against a tyrannical overlord, despite the consequences. | |||
20070819 | Bora Bistrah Five international writers penned stories about members of one family, descended from the same maternal grandmother, who crossed the border from India into Pakistan in 1947. They now live across the globe - the USA, Nairobi, Karachi, Shanghai and Bradford. The individual stories are linked by original music from Arun Ghosh and singer Ebere. Firoze....Bhasker Patel Bilal....Damian Asher Aneeqa....Melanie Bond Receptionist....Rachel Bavidge Idris....Lucian Msamati Kimani....Connie M'Gadzah Urshad....Shiv Grewal Nisha....Pooja Ghai Safeih....Chetna Pandya Danish....Amarjit Bassan Ling....Liz Sutherland Ling's Mother....Pik-Sen Lim Bony....Nitin Ganatra Arif....Shane Zaza Mother....Indira Joshi Police....Anthony Glennon Directed by Shabina Aslam. Part of the India and Pakistan '07 season. Firoze - Bhasker Patel Bilal - Damian Asher Aneeqa - Melanie Bond Receptionist - Rachel Bavidge Idris - Lucian Msamati Kimani - Connie M'Gadzah Urshad - Shiv Grewal Nisha - Pooja Ghai Safeih - Chetna Pandya Danish - Amarjit Bassan Ling - Liz Sutherland Ling's Mother - Pik-Sen Lim Bony - Nitin Ganatra Arif - Shane Zaza Mother - Indira Joshi Police - Anthony Glennon | |||
20070902 | Don Carlos By Friedrich Schiller. The acclaimed Sheffield Theatre's production of Schiller's play, starring Derek Jacobi in a new translation by Mike Poulton. King Philip II of Spain holds on to power through the terror of the Inquisition and his spies at Court. His son Don Carlos seeks his father's trust, yet hides his feelings for his father's wife, Elizabeth of France, to whom he was betrothed before Philip married her. The Court watches and listens. King Philip II....Derek Jacobi Don Carlos....Richard Coyle Queen Elizabeth....Claire Price Rodrigo Marquis of Posa....Elliot Cowan Duke of Alba....Ian Hogg Domingo....Michael Hadley Princess Eboli....Charlotte Randle Count Lerma....Roger Swaine Duchess of Olivarez....Una Stubbs The Grand Inquisitor....Peter Eyre Page to the Queen....Stuart Burt Duke of Medina Sidonia....Brian Poyser Count Cordua....Andrew McDonald Prince of Parma....Paul Keating Original music by Adam Cork. Directed by Michael Grandage and Andy Jordan. King Philip II - Derek Jacobi Don Carlos - Richard Coyle Queen Elizabeth - Claire Price Rodrigo Marquis of Posa - Elliot Cowan Duke of Alba - Ian Hogg Domingo - Michael Hadley Princess Eboli - Charlotte Randle Count Lerma - Roger Swaine Duchess of Olivarez - Una Stubbs The Grand Inquisitor - Peter Eyre Page to the Queen - Stuart Burt Duke of Medina Sidonia - Brian Poyser Count Cordua - Andrew McDonald Prince of Parma - Paul Keating | |||
20070909 | Seven Wonders of the Divided World By Sultan Raev, DJ Britton, Rory Kilalea, Thomas Crowe, Natalia Power, Anson Jae and Peter G Morgan. As Europe's borders become ever more porous, elsewhere the contractors are busy. Seven writers living near artifical political barriers around the world create an anthology of division. | |||
20070916 | After the Quake By Haruki Murakami. Translated by Jay Rubin and adapted for radio by Simon McBurney. These elegant, touching stories take a surprising look at the lives of people affected by the Kobe earthquake of 1995. Komura and Super Frog....Benedict Wong Sasaki....Sadao Ueda Keiko....Cheryl Ko Shimao....Haruka Kuroda Junpei....Tom Wu Sala....Asuka McRobbie Sayoko....Nina Fog Takatsuki....Jonathan Chan-Pensley Katagiri....Eiji Kusuhara Satsuki....Liz Sutherland Nimit....Suthas Bhoopongsa Thai Woman....Su Bhoopongsa David Rappaport....Simon Treves Komura and Super Frog - Benedict Wong Sasaki - Sadao Ueda Keiko - Cheryl Ko Shimao - Haruka Kuroda Junpei - Tom Wu Sala - Asuka McRobbie Sayoko - Nina Fog Takatsuki - Jonathan Chan-Pensley Katagiri - Eiji Kusuhara Satsuki - Liz Sutherland Nimit - Suthas Bhoopongsa Thai Woman - Su Bhoopongsa David Rappaport - Simon Treves | |||
20070923 | Doctor Faustus By Christopher Marlowe. The classic play written in 1604 about a man who defies the authority of God by selling his soul to the Devil in return for 24 years of knowledge and power on Earth. Faustus....Paterson Joseph Mephistopheles....Ray Fearon Wagner....Toby Jones Evil Angel....Janet McTeer Good Angel/Duchess....Tanya Moodie Lucifer....Julian Bleach Old Man....David Bradley Robin....Nicholas Burns Rafe....Iain Robertson Valdes/Pope....David Bamber Cornelius....Paul Bazely Emperor....Anton Lesser Scholar/Horse-Courser....John Lloyd Fillingham Scholar/Knight....Don Gilet Scholar/Duke....Derek Riddell Original music composed by Olly Fox. Faustus - Paterson Joseph Mephistopheles - Ray Fearon Wagner - Toby Jones Evil Angel - Janet McTeer Good Angel/Duchess - Tanya Moodie Lucifer - Julian Bleach Old Man - David Bradley Robin - Nicholas Burns Rafe - Iain Robertson Valdes/Pope - David Bamber Cornelius - Paul Bazely Emperor - Anton Lesser Scholar/Horse-Courser - John Lloyd Fillingham Scholar/Knight - Don Gilet Scholar/Duke - Derek Riddell | |||
20070930 | Babel's Tower By Mike Walker Walker's play imagines the Jewish-Russian writer Isaac Babel being interrogated after his arrest by the Soviet secret police in 1939. As Stalin's henchmen beat and bully Babel, scenes from his two great collections of stories come to him: the Jewish gangsters fighting over Odessa, Babel's hometown, and the Red Cavalry, with which he had ridden as a war correspondent, slaughtering Poles at the edge of the new Soviet Union. Babel....Antony Sher Rudin/Trunov....Robert Glenister Sverdlov/Benya....Stephen Noonan Also with Christopher Staines, Karl Theobald, Roland Oliver, Lucy Black, Rachel Atkins and Sandra Voe. Music by Jon Nicholls. Babel - Antony Sher Rudin/Trunov - Robert Glenister Sverdlov/Benya - Stephen Noonan | |||
20071007 | The Lamplighters By Jackie Kay. A lyrical drama that explores the heart of enslavement through the experiences of four women, Constance, Mary, Black Harriot and The Lamplighter. The Lamplighter....Clare Perkins Mary....Mona Hammond Constance....Martina Laird Black Harriot....Aicha Kossoko MacBean....John Dougall Anniwaa....Jordan Loughran Singer....Gweneth-Ann Jeffers Music composed by Dominique Le Gendre. Director: Pam Fraser-Solomon. The Lamplighter - Clare Perkins Mary - Mona Hammond Constance - Martina Laird Black Harriot - Aicha Kossoko MacBean - John Dougall Anniwaa - Jordan Loughran Singer - Gweneth-Ann Jeffers | |||
20071014 | Salome In a new version by Lizzie Hopley. The myth of Salome and the dance of the seven veils began as a brief reference in the Bible and was later popularised in Wilde's highly sexual rendering of the tale. Hopley's new version focuses on the tense family drama at the centre of the myth. Set on the brink of a new era - while a young carpenter is travelling across Israel propagating his new religion - the story revolves around a young girl on the threshold of womanhood, who has been torn apart from her father and the world she knows when her mother falls in love with Salome's uncle Herod Antipas. Pharisee....Ian Brooker Herod....Kenneth Cranham John the Baptist....Tony Curran Mannai/Saducee....Paul Dinnen Salome....Florence Hoath Joanna....Sally Hawkins Chuza....Karl Johnson Sejanus....Gerrard Mcarthur Herodias....Fenella Woolgar All other parts played by members of the cast. Director Lu Kemp. Pharisee - Ian Brooker Herod - Kenneth Cranham John the Baptist - Tony Curran Mannai/Saducee - Paul Dinnen Salome - Florence Hoath Joanna - Sally Hawkins Chuza - Karl Johnson Sejanus - Gerrard Mcarthur Herodias - Fenella Woolgar | |||
20071028 | Glengarry Glen Ross By David Mamet. Another chance to hear the broadcast premiere of David Mamet's adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, in which Chicago real estate salesmen grind out a living in a never-ending scramble for their share of the American dream. This specially recorded production features an all-star cast. Richard Roma....Alfred Molina George Aaronow....Stacy Keach Shelly Levene....Hector Elizondo James Lingk....Bruce Davison John Williamson....Richard Cox Dave Moss....Kristoffer Tabori Officer Baylen....Chris Hatfield Directed by Rosalind Ayres. Richard Roma - Alfred Molina George Aaronow - Stacy Keach Shelly Levene - Hector Elizondo James Lingk - Bruce Davison John Williamson - Richard Cox Dave Moss - Kristoffer Tabori Officer Baylen - Chris Hatfield | |||
20071104 | Seeing It Through By Neil Brand. Imagine if Alastair Campbell had recruited Tom Stoppard, JK Rowling, Ian McEwan and Jeanette Winterson to write patriotic literature supporting the war in Iraq. In 1914 Charles Masterman used the literary and artistic elite to unite the nation. Masterman....Michael Maloney Jean....Clare Corbett Lloyd George....Robert Pugh H G WELLS....Sam Dale Frances Stevenson....Honeysuckle Weeks Frank....Sam Pamphilon Dwyer....Ben Crowe Robert Donald....John Dougall Arnold Bennett....Simon Treves Thomas Hardy....Peter Marinker Directed by David Hunter. Masterman - Michael Maloney Jean - Clare Corbett Lloyd George - Robert Pugh H G WELLS - Sam Dale Frances Stevenson - Honeysuckle Weeks Frank - Sam Pamphilon Dwyer - Ben Crowe Robert Donald - John Dougall Arnold Bennett - Simon Treves Thomas Hardy - Peter Marinker | |||
20071118 | Mrs Warren's Profession By George Bernard Shaw. The issue of Victorian prostitution and double standards are examined in dramatic form as Mrs Warren reveals to her daughter the source of her income and admits her daughter's own parentage. Mrs Warren....Diana Quick Vivie....Claire Skinner Frank Gardner....Scott Handy Sir George Crofts....Geoffrey Whitehead Praed....John Rowe Rvd Samuel Gardner....Roger Hammond Adapted and directed by John Tydeman. Mrs Warren - Diana Quick Vivie - Claire Skinner Frank Gardner - Scott Handy Sir George Crofts - Geoffrey Whitehead Praed - John Rowe Rvd Samuel Gardner - Roger Hammond | |||
20071125 | Blood Wedding By Federico Garcia Lorca. An evocative meditation on fate, war, tradition, passion and repression, inspired by the true story of a fatal feud between two families in the Almeria province, high in the mountains of rural Spain. A version by Ted Hughes. | |||
20071202 | Soldiers in the Sun By Michael Symmons Roberts. A drama documentary looking at the psychological consequences of war. Captain Rob Shepperton, serving in Afghanistan in the medical corps, is out on a routine patrol when he comes across a sight that will change his life. Captain Rob Shepperton....Adrian Bower Doctor....Deborah McAndrew Matt....Thomas Morrison Sol....Tom Attwood Samsour....Nikhil Parmar Girl....Emily Armitage With music played and composed by John Harle. Captain Rob Shepperton - Adrian Bower Doctor - Deborah McAndrew Matt - Thomas Morrison Sol - Tom Attwood Samsour - Nikhil Parmar Girl - Emily Armitage | |||
20071209 | The Homecoming By Harold Pinter. Electrifying audiences when it was first performed in 1965, The Homecoming has quickly established itself as a modern classic. In this production for BBC Radio, Pinter himself takes on the role of Max, the head of the Hackney family to which a professor and his wife return one night from America. There, amongst the shadows of the past and the realities of the present, a compelling drama unfolds. Max, a man of seventy....Harold Pinter Lenny, a man in his early thirties....Samuel West Sam, a man of sixty-three....Michael Gambon Joey, a man in his middle twenties....James Alexandrou Teddy, a man in his middle thirties....Rupert Graves Ruth, a woman in her early thirties....Gina McKee Max, a man of seventy - Harold Pinter Lenny, a man in his early thirties - Samuel West Sam, a man of sixty-three - Michael Gambon Joey, a man in his middle twenties - James Alexandrou Teddy, a man in his middle thirties - Rupert Graves Ruth, a woman in her early thirties - Gina McKee | |||
20071216 | The Rivals By Richard Brinsley Sheridan It's 1775 and the fashionable world descends on Bath, to take the waters and embroil themselves in a little romantic intrigue as three suitors fight for the hand of Miss Lydia Languish. Mrs Malaprop....Patricia Routledge Sir Anthony Absolute....Geoffrey Palmer Jack Absolute....Michael Maloney Lydia Languish....Sarah Crowe Faulkland....David Bamber Bob Acres....Peter Gunn Julia....Lucy Whybrow Sir Lucius O'Trigger....Sean Barrett Lucy....Clare Corbett Fag....Nick Fletcher David....Stephen Critchlow Thomas, the Coachman....Barrie Jaimeson Adapted and directed by David Timson. Music by Malcolm McKee. Mrs Malaprop - Patricia Routledge Sir Anthony Absolute - Geoffrey Palmer Jack Absolute - Michael Maloney Lydia Languish - Sarah Crowe Faulkland - David Bamber Bob Acres - Peter Gunn Julia - Lucy Whybrow Sir Lucius O'Trigger - Sean Barrett Lucy - Clare Corbett Fag - Nick Fletcher David - Stephen Critchlow Thomas, the Coachman - Barrie Jaimeson | |||
20071223 | The Pitmen Painters By Lee Hall. Inspired by the book by William Feaver, Billy Elliott writer Lee Hall questions why the arts seem to belong to the privileged few. Seventy years ago, in an old army hut in Ashington, Northumberland, a group of miners met to talk about art. They wanted their visiting lecturer to explain the secret of a remote world, but he did better than that, he got them painting and put that world in their hands. George Brown....Deka Walmsley Oliver Kilbourn....Christopher Connel Jimmy Floyd....David Whitaker Young lad, Ben Nicholson....Brian Lonsdale Harry Wilson....Michael Hodgson Robert Lyon....Ian Kelly Susan Parks....Lisa McGrillis Helen Sutherland, Vera Brown....Phillippa Wilson Directed for radio by Kate Rowland. George Brown - Deka Walmsley Oliver Kilbourn - Christopher Connel Jimmy Floyd - David Whitaker Young lad, Ben Nicholson - Brian Lonsdale Harry Wilson - Michael Hodgson Robert Lyon - Ian Kelly Susan Parks - Lisa McGrillis Helen Sutherland, Vera Brown - Phillippa Wilson | |||
20071230 | All's Well That Ends Well By William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's play, which opens in France at the estate of the Countess of Rousillon, tells of the extraordinary lengths a young woman will go to to win the hand of the young man she loves. Helena, a waiting woman and ward of the Countess, has set her sights on Bertram, the Countess's son. Helena....Emma Fielding Countess....Sian Phillips Widow....Miriam Margolyes King....Richard Griffiths Lafew....George Baker Parolles....Simon Russell Beale Duke....David Timson Bertram....Carl Prekopp Steward/2nd soldier....Ian Masters Clown/Second Lord....Ewan Bailey Diana....Helen Longworth Mariana....Emma Field-Rayner First Lord....Iwan Thomas Gent....Gerard McDermott 1st Soldier/1st Gent....Ben Onwukwe 2nd Gent/4th Lord....Peter Darney Music written and performed by Neil Brand. Directed by Peter Kavanagh. Helena - Emma Fielding Countess - Sian Phillips Widow - Miriam Margolyes King - Richard Griffiths Lafew - George Baker Parolles - Simon Russell Beale Duke - David Timson Bertram - Carl Prekopp Steward/2nd soldier - Ian Masters Clown/Second Lord - Ewan Bailey Diana - Helen Longworth Mariana - Emma Field-Rayner First Lord - Iwan Thomas Gent - Gerard McDermott 1st Soldier/1st Gent - Ben Onwukwe 2nd Gent/4th Lord - Peter Darney | |||
20080106 | The Picture Man By David Eldridge Neil decides he has been pushed too far by the uncaring and often callous behaviour he sees around him. But when he begins to intervene in incidents by taking pictures on his mobile phone, it has disastrous consequences. Introduced by the writer, David Eldridge. Neil....Martin Freeman Janine....Heather Craney Hussein....Emil Marwa George....Peter Marinker Man on Tube....Jake Harders Polish Prostitute....Ania Sowinkski Freddie....Bailey Pepper Teenage Boy....Joseph Tremain With Anna Bengo, Laura Molyneux, Alex Lanipekun and Ben Crowe. Directed by Sally Avens. | |||
20080113 | Donation By Sean Buckley An innovative production from the Radio Drama department, devised through a series of workshops and recorded on location across London. Donation is a play about our bodies, the medical and spiritual implications of organ donation, what we wish for and what survives of us. Lisa....Laura Molyneux Rachel....Joannah Tincey Stella....Anna Bengo Jacob....Alex Lanipekun Paul....Sam Pamphilon Natha....Lloyd Thomas Jim....Peter Harding Janitor....Leon Lissek Lisa - Laura Molyneux Rachel - Joannah Tincey Stella - Anna Bengo Jacob - Alex Lanipekun Paul - Sam Pamphilon Natha - Lloyd Thomas Jim - Peter Harding Janitor - Leon Lissek | |||
20080127 | All the Colours of Love By Pat McCabe. When Redmond is left by his wife and child, he resolves to get them back - whatever the cost. A dark tale of isolation and violence by the author of The Butcher Boy. Redmond....Dermot Crowley Ned Strange....TP McKenna Catherine....Karen Ardiff Imogen....Sarah Dillon Announcer....Mark Lambert Piper Alpha....Kieran Lagan Shop Assistant....Stella McCusker Neighbour....Aine McCartney Michael....Johnny Brennan Fiddle music arranged and performed by Cathal Hayden. Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan. Redmond - Dermot Crowley Ned Strange - TP McKenna Catherine - Karen Ardiff Imogen - Sarah Dillon Announcer - Mark Lambert Piper Alpha - Kieran Lagan Shop Assistant - Stella McCusker Neighbour - Aine McCartney Michael - Johnny Brennan | |||
20080203 | The Devil Was Here Yesterday By Colin Teevan. Will civil servant Simon deliver the report the evidence appears to support or the report the minister seems to want the evidence to support? Inspired by a visit to South America last year, Colin Teevan's new play explores the political landscape of a country undergoing an oil-fuelled revolution. Simon....Owen Teale Elisabet....Haydn Gwynne The Minister....Greg Hicks Hector/Profesor....Stephen Greif Victoria/Firmina....Clare Higgins La Guacha....Rufus Wright Angel....Alex Lanipekun Gregoria....Nadine Marshall Willoughby/Woker....Martin Hyder Linda/Gloria....Nancy Crane Waitress....Laura Molyneux Original music by Nikola Kodjabashia. Directed by Toby Swift. Simon - Owen Teale Elisabet - Haydn Gwynne The Minister - Greg Hicks Hector/Profesor - Stephen Greif Victoria/Firmina - Clare Higgins La Guacha - Rufus Wright Angel - Alex Lanipekun Gregoria - Nadine Marshall Willoughby/Woker - Martin Hyder Linda/Gloria - Nancy Crane Waitress - Laura Molyneux | |||
20080210 | The Trial and Death of Socrates By Sebastian Baczkiewicz. A play focusing on the mystery surrounding Socrates's trial and subsequent execution, the reasons for which have long puzzled historians. Socrates has been found guilty of blasphemy and corrupting the youth of the city. On the eve of his execution his chief accuser Meletus is murdered. Josias, newly returned to Athens, is given the task of investigating the murder. Socrates....Joss Ackland Thrasybulis....Michael Feast Josias....Greg Hicks Crito....David Calder Anytus....Tim McInnerny Meletus....Joseph Kloska Xanthippe....Cait Davis Almathea....Liza Sadovy Euthyphro....Peter Marinker Kastor....Trevor Allan Davies Announcer....Ben Onwukwe Lysander....Ben Crowe Guard/Official....Chris Pavlo Woman....Liz Sutherland Directed by Jeremy Mortimer Socrates - Joss Ackland Thrasybulis - Michael Feast Josias - Greg Hicks Crito - David Calder Anytus - Tim McInnerny Meletus - Joseph Kloska Xanthippe - Cait Davis Almathea - Liza Sadovy Euthyphro - Peter Marinker Kastor - Trevor Allan Davies Announcer - Ben Onwukwe Lysander - Ben Crowe Guard/Official - Chris Pavlo Woman - Liz Sutherland | |||
20080217 | The Cool Bag Baby By Katie Hims. A coolbag containing a baby is left outside a cafe in the hope that owner will provide it with a loving home. But unexpectedly the cafe stays closed, with the result that the baby is undiscovered and lives across London begin to fall apart. Katie Hims' new drama is an investigation, a love story as well as a cry for help. Carol....Sophie Stanton Joan....Rachel Davies Stuart....David Schofield Phil....Nicholas Gleaves Jana....Larissa Kouznetsova DI....Andrew Tiernan Ted/PC....Mark Monero Mehmet....Hemi Yeroham Jack....Jamie F Glover Carol - Sophie Stanton Joan - Rachel Davies Stuart - David Schofield Phil - Nicholas Gleaves Jana - Larissa Kouznetsova DI - Andrew Tiernan Ted/PC - Mark Monero Mehmet - Hemi Yeroham Jack - Jamie F Glover | |||
20080224 | Girlfriend in a Coma, by Douglas Coupland The first radio adaptation of a book by Douglas Coupland, author of Generation X and Microserfs, dramatised by Sony award-nominated Dan Rebellato. The date is 15 December 1979. Karen Ann McNeill goes into a deep coma after a teen party and remains in it until 1997. When she wakes up, the voices in her head keep telling her the world is about to end, but Karen doesn't believe them. Jared....Florian Hutter Karen....Rayisa Kondracki Wendy....Maggie Blake Richard....Jason Durran Hamilton....Simon Lee Phillips Pamela....Heather Dann Doctor....Peter Marinker Megan....Julia Summer Gloria....Buffy Davis Music composed by Alice Trueman Jared - Florian Hutter Karen - Rayisa Kondracki Wendy - Maggie Blake Richard - Jason Durran Hamilton - Simon Lee Phillips Pamela - Heather Dann Doctor - Peter Marinker Megan - Julia Summer Gloria - Buffy Davis | |||
20080302 | The Adding Machine, by Elmer Rice A work from 1923 by Pullitzer Prize-winning playwright Elmer Rice and considered to be an Expressionist classic. Mr Zero has spent the last 25 years adding up columns of figures and dreaming of advancement. But when the boss finally calls him into his office, Zero doesn't get the promotion he was expecting. Mr Zero....Nathan Osgood Mrs Zero....Rebecca Front Daisy....Gina Bellman Shrdlu....John Rogan Charles/The Head....Danny Sapani One/Boss....Peter Marinker Mrs One....Liza Sadovy Two/Joe....Chris Pavlo Mrs Two/Judy....Liz Sutherland Young Man/Policeman....Ben Crowe Mr Zero - Nathan Osgood Mrs Zero - Rebecca Front Daisy - Gina Bellman Shrdlu - John Rogan Charles/The Head - Danny Sapani One/Boss - Peter Marinker Mrs One - Liza Sadovy Two/Joe - Chris Pavlo Mrs Two/Judy - Liz Sutherland Young Man/Policeman - Ben Crowe | |||
20080309 | An Enemy Of The People By Martin Lynch and based on the play by Henrik Ibsen. A drama is set in contemporary Belfast, where the killing of a Catholic man leads to his own community struggling to come to terms with the truth. But one woman, Moya McGovern, is determined to get justice for her murdered brother-in-law - though at what cost? Moya McGovern....Susan Lynch Caroline McGovern....Seainin Brennan Sean Gillen....Charles Lawson Mr Gillen/Solicitor....Harry Towb Dominic/Frankie....Patrick O'Kane Manus....Lloyd Hutchinson Mrs McGovern....Eileen Pollock Director: Roland Jaquarello. Moya McGovern ....... Susan Lynch Caroline McGovern - Seainin Brennan Sean Gillen - Charles Lawson Mr Gillen/Solicitor - Harry Towb Dominic/Frankie - Patrick O'Kane Manus - Lloyd Hutchinson Mrs McGovern - Eileen Pollock | |||
20080316 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof By Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of Tennessee Williams's classic 1950s drama set in the plantations of the American Deep South. Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a dysfunctional family as they fight over a dying patriarch's millions. Big Daddy....Joss Ackland Big Mama....Gemma Jones Margaret....Elizabeth McGovern Brick....Marcus D'Amico Mae....Alison Steadman Gooper....Clive Carter Rev Tooker....Roy Dotrice Dr Baugh....Kenneth Jay Lacey....Ben Onwukwe With Polly Dartford, Christopher Earley, Zara Mandel, Tristan Pegg as the children. Director: Andy Jordan. Big Daddy - Joss Ackland Big Mama - Gemma Jones Margaret - Elizabeth McGovern Brick - Marcus D'Amico Mae - Alison Steadman Gooper - Clive Carter Rev Tooker - Roy Dotrice Dr Baugh - Kenneth Jay Lacey - Ben Onwukwe | |||
20080323 | Cyrano de Bergerac By Edmond Rostand and translated from the French by Anthony Burgess. Set in 17th century France, Rostand's play features the eponymous poet-swordsman with a misshapen nose who falls in love with the beautiful Roxane. She loves the dashing Gascon soldier Christian de Neuvillette and Cyrano finds himself writing love poems on his behalf. Cyrano....Kenneth Branagh Roxane....Jodhi May De Guiche....John Shrapnel Christian....Tom Hiddleston Rageuneau....Jimmy Yuill Montfleury....Stephen Critchlow Bellerose/Capuc....Hugh Dickson Le Bret....Gerard Horan Carbon/Cuigy....John McAndrew Ligniere....Steve Hodson Duenna/Marthe....Frances Jeater Mother Superior....Susan Jamieson Sister Claire....Joannah Tincey Valvert....Oliver le Sueur Director: David Timson. Cyrano - Kenneth Branagh Roxane - Jodhi May De Guiche - John Shrapnel Christian - Tom Hiddleston Rageuneau - Jimmy Yuill Montfleury - Stephen Critchlow Bellerose/Capuc - Hugh Dickson Le Bret - Gerard Horan Carbon/Cuigy - John McAndrew Ligniere - Steve Hodson Duenna/Marthe - Frances Jeater Mother Superior - Susan Jamieson Sister Claire - Joannah Tincey Valvert - Oliver le Sueur | |||
20080330 | A Long Way from Home, by Caryl Phillips Caryl Phillips' original drama imagines the conflicting forces in the iconic singer Marvin Gaye's life, including family, stardom, love, sex and drugs. The story focuses on his final years, when he was offered a lifeline in the unlikely setting of Ostend in Belgium, where he composed the song Sexual Healing before he returned America and was murdered by his own father. Marvin Gaye....O-T Fagbenle Freddy Cousaert/Marvin Gaye Senior....Kerry Shale Alberta Gay/Kimona....Alibe Parson Beatrice/Karen....Rhea Bailey Liliane....Rachel Atkins Mitchell/Jimmy....Damian Lynch Sam/Stu....Ben Onwukwe P K....Major Wiley Directed by Ned Chaillet. Marvin Gaye - O-T Fagbenle Freddy Cousaert/Marvin Gaye Senior - Kerry Shale Alberta Gay/Kimona - Alibe Parson Beatrice/Karen - Rhea Bailey Liliane - Rachel Atkins Mitchell/Jimmy - Damian Lynch Sam/Stu - Ben Onwukwe P K - Major Wiley | |||
20080406 | Swan Song By Anton Chekhov and translated by Michael Frayn. As a tribute to the late Paul Scofield, another opportunity to hear his noted performance in this 2006 production. Following his final performance in a dingy provincial theatre, an elderly Russian actor confronts his ghosts. Did he ever really have 'talent'? The actor....Paul Scofield The prompter....Alec McCowen Directed by Martin Jenkins. Rudolpho's Zest By Tanika Gupta. Rudolpho has a remarkable secret: although born in 1815, his body never ages beyond mid-life and at times has regenerated to youth. But when Rudolpho tells Mel about his immortality, he suddenly finds, at the age of 192, that his body begins to age rapidly and his zest for life is disappearing. Mel is desperate to find an answer to this conundrum before it's too late. Rudolpho....Ray Panthaki Mel....Lyndsey Marshal Susan....Adjoa Andoh Sita....Manjinder Virk Firoz....Paul Bhattacharjee Mahesh....Paul Bazely Charles Darwin....Geoffrey Whitehead Alice....Clare Corbett Ghandi....Sam Dastor Nasreen....Sakuntala Ramanee Lord Williams....Robert Maskell Colonel Fitzherbert....Peter Marinker Charles....Ben Onwukwe Maid....Liz Sutherland Babulal....Gagan Sharma Young Rudolpho....Alex Miller Rudolpho - Ray Panthaki Mel - Lyndsey Marshal Susan - Adjoa Andoh Sita - Manjinder Virk Firoz - Paul Bhattacharjee Mahesh - Paul Bazely Charles Darwin - Geoffrey Whitehead Alice - Clare Corbett Ghandi - Sam Dastor Nasreen - Sakuntala Ramanee Lord Williams - Robert Maskell Colonel Fitzherbert - Peter Marinker Charles - Ben Onwukwe Maid - Liz Sutherland Babulal - Gagan Sharma Young Rudolpho - Alex Miller The actor - Paul Scofield The prompter - Alec McCowen | |||
20080413 | The Country Wife By William Wycherley. Considered too obscene to be staged in its original form for nearly 200 years, William Wycherley's raunchy Restoration comedy tells the tale of Mr Horner - a notorious rake who spreads the false rumour that he is impotent in order to gain free access to other men's wives. Horner....Ben Miller Pinchwife....Geoffrey Whitehead Mrs Margery Pinchwife....Clare Corbett Sir Jasper Fidget....Nigel Anthony Lady Fidget....Celia Imrie Harcourt....Jonathan Keeble Alithea....Rachel Atkins Sparkish....Mark Williams Dorilant....Dale Rapley Mrs Dainty Fidget....Sara Markland Mrs Squeamish....Joan Walker Old Lady Squeamish....Elizabeth Morgan Lucy....Emma Kilbey Quack....John Evitts Boy....James Joyce Adapted and directed by David Blount. Horner - Ben Miller Pinchwife - Geoffrey Whitehead Mrs Margery Pinchwife - Clare Corbett Sir Jasper Fidget - Nigel Anthony Lady Fidget - Celia Imrie Harcourt - Jonathan Keeble Alithea - Rachel Atkins Sparkish - Mark Williams Dorilant - Dale Rapley Mrs Dainty Fidget - Sara Markland Mrs Squeamish - Joan Walker Old Lady Squeamish - Elizabeth Morgan Lucy - Emma Kilbey Quack - John Evitts Boy - James Joyce | |||
20080420 | Yesterday an Incident Occurred By Mark Ravenhill. Originally performed as part of the Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat cycle of plays at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007 and then re-imagined for a special commission for BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival 2007. After an unprovoked attack takes place in a shopping centre, no one comes forward as a witness. How can justice be done? Performed and recorded with an audience at the Victorian Civil Court of St George's Hall, Liverpool. One....Ian Puleston-Davies A....Kathryn Hunt B....Sam Kelly C....Gerard Kearns Marion....Carla Henry Directed by Kate Rowland. One - Ian Puleston-Davies A - Kathryn Hunt B - Sam Kelly C - Gerard Kearns Marion - Carla Henry | |||
20080427 | Professor Bernhardi By Arthur Schnitzler. In Vienna in 1900, a distinguished Jewish doctor prevents a Catholic priest from administering last rites to a dying patient. His actions provoke a political witch-hunt, leading to the professor's trial and imprisonment. Adapted by National Theatre playwright Samuel Adamson, this new version of Schnitzler's play about prejudice in sophisticated society had been unseen in London for over 70 years and was produced for the stage by Dumbfounded Theatre Company in 2005. Prof Bernhardi....Christopher Godwin Prof Ebenwald....Dale Rapley Prof Pflugfelder....John Stahl Minister Flint/Defence....Andrew Woodall Prof Tugendvetter/Dr Lowenstein/Prosecution/Waiter - ball....John Dougall Mr Hochroitzpointer/Kulka (journalist)/Questioner....Justin Salinger Father Reder/Dr Schreimann....Andrew Havill Dr Adler/Privy Councillor Winkler/Speaker....Mark Lockyer Dr Oskar Bernhardi/Dr Feuermann/Waiter - restaurant/Foreman....Tom Godwin Prof Cyprian/Bermann....David Horovitch Prof Filitz/Judge....Geoffrey Beevers Philomena/Housekeeper/Secretary (Ministry of Education)....Sophie Roberts Frau Filitz/Nurse/Secretary (Elisabeth Institute)....Rachel Atkins Crowd/Members of Parliament....Cast Prof Bernhardi - Christopher Godwin Prof Ebenwald - Dale Rapley Prof Pflugfelder - John Stahl Minister Flint/Defence - Andrew Woodall Prof Tugendvetter/Dr Lowenstein/Prosecution/Waiter - ball - John Dougall Mr Hochroitzpointer/Kulka (journalist)/Questioner - Justin Salinger Father Reder/Dr Schreimann - Andrew Havill Dr Adler/Privy Councillor Winkler/Speaker - Mark Lockyer Dr Oskar Bernhardi/Dr Feuermann/Waiter - restaurant/Foreman - Tom Godwin Prof Cyprian/Bermann - David Horovitch Prof Filitz/Judge - Geoffrey Beevers Philomena/Housekeeper/Secretary (Ministry of Education) - Sophie Roberts Frau Filitz/Nurse/Secretary (Elisabeth Institute) - Rachel Atkins Crowd/Members of Parliament - Cast | |||
20080504 | Othello By William Shakespeare. A production from London's Donmar Warehouse, featuring an award-winning performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor in the title role as the jealous Moor Othello, alongside Ewan McGregor as the scheming Iago. When the esteemed general Othello promotes Cassio to be his personal lieutenant, Iago, Cassio's bitter rival and friend of Othello, is envious and plots revenge. Iago manipulates and enrages Othello, making him suspicious of his wife Desdemona, ultimately bringing events to a tragic conclusion. Roderigo....Edward Bennett Iago....Ewan McGregor Brabantio/Gratiano....James Laurenson Othello....Chiwetel Ejiofor Cassio....Tom Hiddleston First Officer/Messenger/First Cyprus Gentlemen....Alastair Sims First Senator/Second Cyprus Gentleman....David Mara Duke of Venice/Lodovico....Michael Hadley Desdemona....Kelly Reilly Montano....Michael Jenn Emilia....Michelle Fairley Bianca....Martina Laird Music: Adam Cork Director: Michael Grandage Roderigo - Edward Bennett Iago - Ewan McGregor Brabantio/Gratiano - James Laurenson Othello - Chiwetel Ejiofor Cassio - Tom Hiddleston First Officer/Messenger/First Cyprus Gentlemen - Alastair Sims First Senator/Second Cyprus Gentleman - David Mara Duke of Venice/Lodovico - Michael Hadley Desdemona - Kelly Reilly Montano - Michael Jenn Emilia - Michelle Fairley Bianca - Martina Laird | |||
20080511 | The Leopard By Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, and adapted for radio by Michael Hastings. Don Fabrizio, a member of the old Italian aristocracy, contemplates his obsolescence amidst the great social changes during the Risorgimento of the 19th century. The head of an opulent household in Sicily, he reflects nostalgically on the past as his family grows to maturity and Garibaldi's republican movement puts an end to the feudal system and the traditions of the old bourgeoisie. Don Fabrizio....Stanley Townsend Princess Stella/Concetta at 70....Julie Legrand Concetta....Claire Price Angelica....Hayley Atwell Ciccio/Pallavicino/Priest....Joseph Alessi Father Pirrone....James Hayes Francesco/Carlo....Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Tancredi....Tom Hiddleston Calogero/Chevalley....Anthony O'Donnell Giovanni....Harry McEntire Angelica at 70....Claire Nielson Director: Lucy Bailey. Don Fabrizio - Stanley Townsend Princess Stella/Concetta at 70 - Julie Legrand Concetta - Claire Price Angelica - Hayley Atwell Ciccio/Pallavicino/Priest - Joseph Alessi Father Pirrone - James Hayes Francesco/Carlo - Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Tancredi - Tom Hiddleston Calogero/Chevalley - Anthony O'Donnell Giovanni - Harry McEntire Angelica at 70 - Claire Nielson | |||
20080525 | The Vertical Hour By David Hare. Nadia, an American war reporter-turned-academic, lives a settled life with her English boyfriend, but when she visits his home and meets his womanising father for the first time, her political opinions and her relationship come under great strain. Dennis Dutton....Joseph Kloska Oliver Lucas....Anton Lesser Terri Scholes....Wunmi Mosaku Philip Lucas....Tom Riley Nadia Blye....Indira Varma Original music composed by Nick Powell Director: Jeremy Herrin Dennis Dutton - Joseph Kloska Oliver Lucas - Anton Lesser Terri Scholes - Wunmi Mosaku Philip Lucas - Tom Riley Nadia Blye - Indira Varma | |||
20080601 | Shylock By Arnold Wesker. A new perspective on an age-old story by one of the foremost playwrights of his generation. Shylock's close friend Antonio needs a loan, but 16th century Venetian law discriminates against Jews. For Shylock's own protection, Antonio persuades him to agree a bond. They laugh as Shylock invents the absurd forfeit of a pound of flesh - but their mockery of the law may easily turn to tragedy. Shylock Kolner....Henry Goodman Antonio....Ronald Pickup Portia Contarini....Juliet Stevenson Nerissa....Noma Dumezweni Bassanio....Toby Stephens Rivka....Sheila Steafel Jessica....Lydia Leonard Tubal di Ponti....Jonathan Tafler Lorenzo....Geoffrey Streatfeild Graziano....Nicholas Boulton Rebecca da Mendes....Jennie Stoller The Doge/Solomon Usque....Geoffrey Beevers Roderigues da Cunha....Anthony Glennon Singer....Annette Ross Producer/Director: David Hitchinson. Shylock Kolner - Henry Goodman Antonio - Ronald Pickup Portia Contarini - Juliet Stevenson Nerissa - Noma Dumezweni Bassanio - Toby Stephens Rivka - Sheila Steafel Jessica - Lydia Leonard Tubal di Ponti - Jonathan Tafler Lorenzo - Geoffrey Streatfeild Graziano - Nicholas Boulton Rebecca da Mendes - Jennie Stoller The Doge/Solomon Usque - Geoffrey Beevers Roderigues da Cunha - Anthony Glennon Singer - Annette Ross | |||
20080608 | True West By Sam Shepard. Screenwriter Austin's work on a film script is disrupted by the arrival of his elder brother Lee. The differences between successful, creative professional Austin and brutish, desert-living Lee could not be more marked. Or could they? Lee - David Soul Austin - Richard Laing Saul - Kenneth Jay Mom - Liza Ross Director Peter Kavanagh. | |||
20080615 | Doctor Faustus By Christopher Marlowe. The classic play written in 1604 about a man who defies the authority of God by selling his soul to the Devil in return for 24 years of knowledge and power on Earth. Faustus - Paterson Joseph Mephistopheles - Ray Fearon Wagner - Toby Jones Evil Angel - Janet McTeer Good Angel/Duchess - Tanya Moodie Lucifer - Julian Bleach Old Man - David Bradley Robin - Nicholas Burns Rafe - Iain Robertson Valdes/Pope - David Bamber Cornelius - Paul Bazely Emperor - Anton Lesser Scholar/Horse-Courser - John Lloyd Fillingham Scholar/Knight - Don Gilet Scholar/Duke - Derek Riddell Original music composed by Olly Fox. | |||
20080622 | Bazajet By Jean Racine. In far-off Byzantium, in a harem deep within the Sultan's palace, Bazajet is told by the Emperor's wife that he must marry her or die. However, matters are complicated by the fact that he is already engaged to Atalide. Acomat....Michael Pennington Osmin....Jonathan Christie Roxane....Victoria Hamilton Atalide....Claire Price Zaire....Sophie Scott Bajazet....Bertie Carvel Zatime....Valerie Sarruf Translated by Alan Hollinghurst. Directed by Jane Morgan. Acomat - Michael Pennington Osmin - Jonathan Christie Roxane - Victoria Hamilton Atalide - Claire Price Zaire - Sophie Scott Bajazet - Bertie Carvel Zatime - Valerie Sarruf | |||
20080629 | The Wild Duck By Henrik Ibsen, translated by Inga-Stina Ewbank and Peter Hall. One of Ibsen's most powerful dramas, the play explores the tragic impact on the lives of a young girl and her family when an old friend insists on family secrets being told. Hialmar....Paterson Joseph Gregers....Michael Maloney Hedvig....Katie Griffiths Mrs Sorby....Alexandra Mathie Mr Werle....Russell Dixon Old Ekdal....Gordon Langford-Rowe Gina....Siobhan Finneran Relling....Glenn Cunningham Jenson....Malcolm Raeburn Hialmar - Paterson Joseph Gregers - Michael Maloney Hedvig - Katie Griffiths Mrs Sorby - Alexandra Mathie Mr Werle - Russell Dixon Old Ekdal - Gordon Langford-Rowe Gina - Siobhan Finneran Relling - Glenn Cunningham Jenson - Malcolm Raeburn | |||
20080706 | Piper Alpha By Stephen Phelps. On 6 July 1988, a North Sea oil rig was destroyed by a series of explosions and a massive fire, resulting in the death of 167 men. Based on Lord Cullen's Public Inquiry, the play chronicles the disaster minute-by-minute as it happened exactly 20 years ago. Performed by Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts, Kenny Blyth, Mark Bonnar, Liam Brennan, Stephen Critchlow, Ben Crowe, Nyasha Hatendi, Chris Pavlo, Roshan R Rohatgi, John Rowe, Dan Starkey, John Kay Steel and Joan Walker. Produced and directed by Toby Swift. | |||
20080713 | Blood Wedding By Federico Garcia Lorca. An evocative meditation on fate, war, tradition, passion and repression, inspired by the true story of a fatal feud between two families in the Almeria province, high in the mountains of rural Spain. A version by Ted Hughes. Mother of Bridegroom....Barbara Flynn Bridegroom/Woodcutter....Carl Prekopp Bride....Sarah Smart Leonardo....William Ash Leonardo's Wife/Girl....Andrea Riseborough Father of Bride....David Fleeshman Beggar Woman/Neighbour....Mary Cunningham Servant/Mother-in-Law....Ellie Haddington Moon....Claire Benedict Girls....Liz Carter Woodcutter....Sam Curtis Woodcutter....Chris Hannon Littler Girl....Daisy Jones Directed by Pauline Harris. Mother of Bridegroom - Barbara Flynn Bridegroom/Woodcutter - Carl Prekopp Bride - Sarah Smart Leonardo - William Ash Leonardo's Wife/Girl - Andrea Riseborough Father of Bride - David Fleeshman Beggar Woman/Neighbour - Mary Cunningham Servant/Mother-in-Law - Ellie Haddington Moon - Claire Benedict Girls - Liz Carter Woodcutter - Sam Curtis Woodcutter - Chris Hannon Littler Girl - Daisy Jones | |||
20080727 | Two Men from Delft By Stephen Wakelam. In 1675, at the time of the death of his close friend Johannes Vermeer, Antony Van Leeuwenhoek made an astonishing discovery. He was the first person to identity bacteria. Antony Van Leeuwenhooek - Stephen Tompkinson Christiaan Huygens - Alex Jennings Maria Van Leeuwenhoek - Emma Noakes Elisabeth Vermeer - Alex Tregear Music by Sylvia Hallett. Viol played by Vanessa Coode. Directed and produced by Jeremy Mortimer. | |||
20080831 | Your Only Man By Annie Caulfield. Brian O'Nolan was an Irish writer, columnist and civil servant who wrote novels such as The Third Policeman under the pen name of Flann O'Brien and popular satirical newspaper columns as Myles na gCopaleen, while at the same time working as a civil servant in Dublin under his real name. This play imagines what might have happened had the three of them got together on the day when O'Nolan was asked to leave his civil service post. Brian O'Nolan....Ardal O'Hanlon Flann O'Brien....Dermot Crowley Myles na gCopaleen....Dara O'Briain Evelyn O'Nolan/Miss Fahy....Pauline McLynn Eddie Fahy, the policeman and everyone else....Lloyd Hutchinson Directed by Marilyn Imrie. Brian O'Nolan - Ardal O'Hanlon Flann O'Brien - Dermot Crowley Myles na gCopaleen - Dara O'Briain Evelyn O'Nolan/Miss Fahy - Pauline McLynn Eddie Fahy, the policeman and everyone else - Lloyd Hutchinson | |||
20080921 | A Disappearing Number Adapted for radio by Simon McBurney and Ben Power. Based on the stage play by the theatre company Complicite. An award-winning production exploring our relentless compulsion to understand, and which is a provocative meditation on the beauty of mathematics and the nature of creativity. It was inspired by the story of the collaboration between two of the 20th century's most notable pure mathematicians, Srinivasa Ramanujan, a poor Brahmin from South India, and Cambridge professor GH Hardy. Performed by David Annen, Firdous Bamji, Paul Bhattacharjee, Divya Kasturi, Chetna Pandya, Saskia Reeves and Shane Shambhu. With Mick Barnfather, Tamzin Griffin, Tim McMullan and Clive Mendus. | |||
20081005 | Tulips in Winter An exploration of the life of the enigmatic 17th century philosopher Baruch Spinoza, whose ideas still influence present day thinkers. Michelene Wandor's play, inspired by various paintings and etchings, imagines a world in which Spinoza appears in Rembrandt's Night Watch and is courted by one of Cromwell's spies. Angel....Angela Pleasence Baruch Spinoza....Ben Meyjes Miguel Spinoza....Gabriel Woolf Rebecca....Jasmine Hyde Cromwell....Struan Rodger Downing....John McAndrew Rembrandt....Timothy Spall Menasseh....Philip Voss De Witt....Grant Gillespie Morteira....David Horovitch Da Costa....Nicholas Boulton Joseph Prado....Thomas Howes Directed by Jane Morgan. Angel - Angela Pleasence Baruch Spinoza - Ben Meyjes Miguel Spinoza - Gabriel Woolf Rebecca - Jasmine Hyde Cromwell - Struan Rodger Downing - John McAndrew Rembrandt - Timothy Spall Menasseh - Philip Voss De Witt - Grant Gillespie Morteira - David Horovitch Da Costa - Nicholas Boulton Joseph Prado - Thomas Howes | |||
20081012 | The Duchess of Malfi By John Webster. The Duchess of Malfi is one of the great Jacobean plays, and this new production focuses on the personal tragedies of a powerful family rent by lust and betrayal. When the widowed Duchess marries her steward Antonio, the choice challenges the accepted social order and established lines of power. It also brings her into direct conflict with her powerful brothers, the Duke Ferdinand and the scheming Cardinal, and tragedy ensues. The dark tale is enhanced by dark music written especially for the play. Duchess....Sophie Okonedo Antonio....Rory Kinnear Ferdinand....Jonathan Slinger Bosola....Bertie Carvel Cardinal....Oliver Senton Delio....Oliver Le Sueur Cariola....Becky Hindley Julia....Rachel Davidge Doctor....Michael Griffiths Pescara....Paul Panting Roderigo/Executioner....Nicholas Gadd Grisolan/Servant....Francis Middleditch Music by Arthur Ka Wai Jenkins. Adapted for radio and directed by Roy McMillan. Duchess - Sophie Okonedo Antonio - Rory Kinnear Ferdinand - Jonathan Slinger Bosola - Bertie Carvel Cardinal - Oliver Senton Delio - Oliver Le Sueur Cariola - Becky Hindley Julia - Rachel Davidge Doctor - Michael Griffiths Pescara - Paul Panting Roderigo/Executioner - Nicholas Gadd Grisolan/Servant - Francis Middleditch | |||
20081019 | Black Watch By Gregory Burke. A radio version of the National Theatre of Scotland's award-winning theatre production, Black Watch is based on interviews conducted by Gregory Burke with former soldiers who served in the second war in Iraq. Hurtling from a pool room in Fife to an armoured wagon in Iraq, the action is viewed through the eyes of those on the ground and reveals what it means to be part of this venerable Scottish regiment and the war on terror. The play contains very strong language. Stewarty....Ali Craig Fraz....Emun Elliott Granty....Paul Rattray Cammy....Brian Ferguson Kenzie....Ryan Fletcher Officer....Peter Forbes Sergeant/Writer....Paul Higgins Rossco....Jordan Young Original music composed by Davey Anderson. Directed by John Tiffany Stewarty - Ali Craig Fraz - Emun Elliott Granty - Paul Rattray Cammy - Brian Ferguson Kenzie - Ryan Fletcher Officer - Peter Forbes Sergeant/Writer - Paul Higgins Rossco - Jordan Young | |||
20081026 | Caligari By Amanda Dalton. Adapted from the 1919 film Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari, written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, and directed by Robert Wiene. Amanda Dalton's adaptation builds on the film's themes: the madness of society, the inner workings of the human mind and the paranoia of a country in the aftermath of a war. The story centres on Francis, who recounts the story of mesmerist Dr Caligari and his somnambulist slave Cesare, who appear to be responsible for a series of murders in Holstenwall. Franzis....Tom Ferguson Allan....Luke Treadaway Frau Beckmann....Eileen O'Brien Jacob Straat....Peter Hamilton Dyer Jane....Sarah McDonald Hughes Dr Olfens....Malcolm Raeburn The Police Inspector....James Quinn Town clerk....Terence Mann Cesare....Robin Blaze (countertenor) Music composed by Olly Fox and performed by Kate St John, Genevieve Wilkins, Sarah Homer and David Coulter. Directed by Susan Roberts. Franzis - Tom Ferguson Allan - Luke Treadaway Frau Beckmann - Eileen O'Brien Jacob Straat - Peter Hamilton Dyer Jane - Sarah McDonald Hughes Dr Olfens - Malcolm Raeburn The Police Inspector - James Quinn Town clerk - Terence Mann Cesare - Robin Blaze (countertenor) | |||
20081109 | All Quiet on the Western Front Written by Erich Maria Remarque and dramatised by Dave Sheasby. Considered one of the greatest war novels of all time, it is the haunting, comic, lyrical and desperate story of a group of young German soldiers enduring and coming to terms with the realities of the First World War. Paul Baumer....Robert Lonsdale Kropp....Simon Trinder Muller....Gunnar Cauthary Leer....Llyod Thomas Tjaden....Joseph Arkley Katczinsky....Stephen Critchlow Cook....Malcolm Tierney Westhaus....Stuart McLoughlin Captain Bertinck....Dan Starkey Kemmerich....Luke Walker Himmelstoss....Tim Treloar Detering....Nick Sayce Mother....Janice Acquah French girl....Donnla Hughes Erna....Jill Cardo Mrs Kemmerich....Carolyn Pickles Orderly....Inam Mirza Mittlestaedt....Paul Rider Major....Chris Pavlo Nurse....Manjeet Mann Directed by David Hunter. Paul Baumer - Robert Lonsdale Kropp - Simon Trinder Muller - Gunnar Cauthary Leer - Llyod Thomas Tjaden - Joseph Arkley Katczinsky - Stephen Critchlow Cook - Malcolm Tierney Westhaus - Stuart McLoughlin Captain Bertinck - Dan Starkey Kemmerich - Luke Walker Himmelstoss - Tim Treloar Detering - Nick Sayce Mother - Janice Acquah French girl - Donnla Hughes Erna - Jill Cardo Mrs Kemmerich - Carolyn Pickles Orderly - Inam Mirza Mittlestaedt - Paul Rider Major - Chris Pavlo Nurse - Manjeet Mann | |||
20081116 | Tamburlaine: Shadow of God By John Fletcher. As war swirls around them, three of the most important figures in the history of the Middle and Near East are brought together in fierce debate: how can a successful society be built, and what does it need to do to endure? Ibn Khaldun....John Rowe Tamburlaine....Jeffery Kissoon Hafez....Conleth Hill Mulk....Jonathan Taffler Jahongir....Inam Mirza Hosni....Stephen Critchlow Vizier....Dan Starkey Wife....Donnla Hughes Other parts played by Chris Pavlo, Gunnar Cauthery and Robert Lonsdale. Directed by Marc Beeby Ibn Khaldun - John Rowe Tamburlaine - Jeffery Kissoon Hafez - Conleth Hill Mulk - Jonathan Taffler Jahongir - Inam Mirza Hosni - Stephen Critchlow Vizier - Dan Starkey Wife - Donnla Hughes | |||
20100117 | ||||
20170924 | Kenneth Cranham's portrayal of a man suffering from dementia in this darkly funny drama. Kenneth Cranham's moving portrayal of a man suffering from dementia in Florian Zeller's award-winning stage play, translated by Christopher Hampton. This darkly funny drama tells the story of 80-year-old Andr退's declining mental powers and the efforts of his daughter Anne (Claire Skinner) to balance caring for him with the demands of her own life. A Theatre Royal Bath/Ustinov Studio/Tricyle Theatre production directed by James Macdonald. Winner of the 2014 Moli耀re award for France's best play, The Father by Florian Zeller received five star reviews across the board in the UK. Andr退....Kenneth Cranham Anne....CLAIRE SKINNER Pierre....Nicholas Gleaves Laura....Kirsty Oswald Man....Jim Sturgeon Woman....Rebecca Charles Sound Design, Christopher Shutt Director, James Macdonald Producer, Mary Peate Andr退 - Kenneth Cranham Anne - Claire Skinner Pierre - Nicholas Gleaves Laura - Kirsty Oswald Man - Jim Sturgeon Woman - Rebecca Charles | |||
20171022 | Drama. Three wars. Three causes. Three teenagers with nothing to lose but their lives. Jonathan Holloway's new play for radio focuses on the child soldiers used as cannon fodder in ideological wars over the centuries. Three teenagers fall into the clutches of the mysterious and chameleon-like Teacher as the story cuts between the People's Crusade of 1096, the days of the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany and the streets of south-west London in 2007. Hilda/Ilda/Hibat Allah....Ayesha Antoine Mikkel/Michel/Mykal....Jerome Holder Andreas/Andre/Amir....Daniel Ezra The Teacher....Nicholas Woodeson The Proselyte....Charlie Clements Sound design by Caleb Knightley Directed by Toby Swift. Jonathan Holloway's challenging new play for radio focuses on the child soldiers used as cannon fodder in ideological wars over the centuries. Three teenagers fall into the clutches of the mysterious and chameleon-like Teacher as the story cuts between the People's Crusade of 1096, the days of the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany and the streets of south-west London in 2007. Hilda/Ilda/Hibat Allah - Ayesha Antoine Mikkel/Michel/Mykal - Jerome Holder Andreas/Andre/Amir - Daniel Ezra The Teacher - Nicholas Woodeson The Proselyte - Charlie Clements | |||
A Clockwork Orange | 20171001 | New version of dystopian classic with music recorded live in Hull. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Alex and his vicious gang of 'droogs' revel in horrific violence. They run riot and communicate in 'Nadsat' their own hybridisation of Russian and English slang. When a drug fuelled night of fun ends in murder Alex is arrested. He is given a choice, be brainwashed into a good citizen, or face a lifetime in prison. A dramatisation of the controversial dystopian classic about crime and punishment using an original score composed by author Anthony Burgess with new orchestration by Iain Farrington. Performed live with the BBC Philharmonic as part of 'Contains Strong Language'. A season of poetry and performance from Hull. Musical Arranger/Musical Director Iain Farrington. ALEX....Samuel Edward-Cook DIM / WARDER / COMEDIAN....Edward Leigh ALEXANDER / GOVERNOR....Ian Bartholomew DELTOID / MINISTER....S退van Stephan WIFE /BRANOM....Sue Jenkins CHAPLAIN / JOE....Jonathan Keeble BRODSKY / BILLYBOY....Paul Barnhill PETE / RICK....Wesley Charles GEORGIE / JOJOHN....Robbie Fallon MARTY /NURSE....Ibinabo Jack Orchestra Conductor Gergely Madaras Director/Producer Gary Brown Executive Producer Susan Roberts. ALEX...................................................Samuel Edward-Cook DIM / WARDER / COMEDIAN..............Edward Leigh ALEXANDER / GOVERNOR ...............Ian Bartholomew DELTOID / MINISTER ........................S退van Stephan WIFE /BRANOM .................................Sue Jenkins CHAPLAIN / JOE .................................Jonathan Keeble BRODSKY / BILLYBOY .........................Paul Barnhill PETE / RICK...................................Wesley Charles GEORGIE / JOJOHN............................Robbie Fallon MARTY /NURSE ..............................Ibinabo Jack | ||
A Man's World | 20120212 | is a compelling new drama following the lives of four violent male offenders thrown together on a six-month rehabilitation course. If they pass, they get a community service order. If they fail, they have to serve their jail sentence. Written by Waking The Dead writer, Adrian Mead. Attendance is compulsory at The Men's Group as all the participants have recently been convicted of a serious violent crime. This pioneering course works to challenge and radically alter the participants' behaviour by forcing them to confront and recognise why aggression and violence shapes their lives. At stake is their freedom. Upon completion of the twenty-five-week course the courts ask the tutor, the central character Angela (played by Siobhan Redmond), to recommend either a community sentence or a jail term. In the group there is nowhere to hide. Many participants in the real life course have stated that if they had known what they were expected to face, they would have opted for a jail sentence instead - 'In your head you're sayin', what are they going to think of me if I really tell them everything? But the other guys see it, and they push you further, to the really dark stuff you never tell no one.' The drama captures the terror of facing up to your past and finding new ways to behave, or going to jail. Getting in touch with your feelings doesn't come easily to guys like this, but it is their only way out of jail, and is a hugely important issue for Britain today. Directed by Turan Ali A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 3.v. Drama following four violent male offenders on a six-month rehabilitation course. A Man's World is a compelling new drama following the lives of four violent male offenders thrown together on a six-month rehabilitation course. If they pass, they get a community service order. If they fail, they have to serve their jail sentence. Written by Waking The Dead writer, Adrian Mead. | ||
A Midsummer Night's Dream | 20110911 | The play revolves around the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The story takes place in Midsummer and is a complex farce featuring Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Their romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon King of the fairies and his queen Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom, the Weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute, the amateur dramatists who want to rehearse their terrible but hilarious version of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. Recorded this summer on location in 22 acres of Sussex woodland, this production has an all star cast. Director: Celia de Wolff Music by Stephanie Nunn Titania....Lesley Sharp Oberon....Toby Stephens Peter Quince....Robert Pugh Nick Bottom....Roger Allam Puck....Freddie Fox Theseus....Nicholas Farrell Hippolyta....Emma Fielding Lysander....Joseph Timms Demetrius....Ferdinand Kingsley Hermia....Emerald O'Hanrahan Helena....Anna Madeley Egeus / Starveling....David Collings Philostrate / Snug....Nicholas Boulton Fairy....Sara Markland Francis Flute....Sam Alexander Tom Snout....Sam Dale Peaseblossom....Jessica Sian Cobweb....Jay Carter Moth....Tressa Brooks Mustardseed....Stuart Walker. Adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy centring on the adventures of four young lovers. Titania - Lesley Sharp Oberon - Toby Stephens Peter Quince - Robert Pugh Nick Bottom - Roger Allam Puck - Freddie Fox Theseus - Nicholas Farrell Hippolyta - Emma Fielding Lysander - Joseph Timms Demetrius - Ferdinand Kingsley Hermia - Emerald O'Hanrahan Helena - Anna Madeley Egeus / Starveling - David Collings Philostrate / Snug - Nicholas Boulton Fairy - Sara Markland Francis Flute - Sam Alexander Tom Snout - Sam Dale Peaseblossom - Jessica Sian Cobweb - Jay Carter Moth - Tressa Brooks Mustardseed - Stuart Walker. | ||
A Midsummer Night's Dream | 20180617 | Adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy centring on the adventures of four young lovers. In midsummer week, Radio 3 enters one of the most potent sources of the human imagination. 'Into the Forest' explores the enchantment, escape and magical danger of the forest in summer, with slow radio moments featuring the sounds of the forest, allowing time out from today's often frenetic world. and another chance to hear this summer production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play revolves around the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The story takes place in Midsummer and is a complex farce featuring Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Their romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon King of the fairies and his queen Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom, the Weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute, the amateur dramatists who want to rehearse their terrible but hilarious version of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. Recorded on location in 22 acres of Sussex woodland, this production has an all-star cast. Director: Celia de Wolff Music by Stephanie Nunn Titania....Lesley Sharp Oberon....Toby Stephens Peter Quince....Robert Pugh Nick Bottom....Roger Allam Puck....Freddie Fox Theseus....Nicholas Farrell Hippolyta....Emma Fielding Lysander....Joseph Timms Demetrius....Ferdinand Kingsley Hermia....Emerald O'Hanrahan Helena....Anna Madeley Egeus / Starveling....David Collings Philostrate / Snug....Nicholas Boulton Fairy....Sara Markland Francis Flute....Sam Alexander Tom Snout....Sam Dale Peaseblossom....Jessica Sian Cobweb....Jay Carter Moth....Tressa Brooks Mustardseed....Stuart Walker. | ||
A Play For The Heart: The Death Of Shakespeare | 20180225 | ' Playwright Nick Warburton imaginatively recreates what might have happened on Shakespeare's last day, with a series of encounters filtered through his fevered imagination. What do his many visitors want? Who is the pale boy? And the man with bloody hands? Recorded entirely on location in Mary Arden's farm and touching on all aspects of his life, it's a play about memory and regret, life and art, fidelity and legacy and it gives new insights into the inner life of the greatest writer of all time. William Shakespeare....Robert Lindsay John Fletcher....Oliver Chris William Harvey....Gwilym Lee Unnamed gentleman....James Lailey Ann....Susan Jameson Susanna Hall....Nicola Ferguson John Hall....Nick Underwood Hamnet....Sam Bough Voice....Brian Protheroe Produced and directed by Marion Nancarrow. Robert Lindsay and Oliver Chris star in a dramatic re-imagining of Shakespeare's last day. | ||
A Raisin In The Sun | 20170611 | Drama about dreams and conflicts within three generations of an African American family. by Lorraine Hansberry This ground-breaking play, set on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s, revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of an Afro-American working-class family. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. In this production for radio, rarely produced scenes from the original play, which were cut from the original film and stage and subsequent contemporary stage productions, have been reinstated. A Raisin In the Sun has been hailed as a 'pivotal play in the history of the American Black theatre'. The Broadway production opened in 1959 and starred Sidney Poitier and was winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award as Best Play of the Year. Hansberry was the first black playwright and the youngest ever American to win the award. The film version of A Raisin In the Sun was released in 1961, and honoured with a special award at the Cannes Film Festival. All experiences in this play echo a lawsuit to which the playwright Lorraine Hansberry's family was party when they fought to have their day in court because a previous class action about racially motivated restrictive covenants was similar to the case at hand. By portraying a black family with a greater realism and complexity than ever before, the 28-year-old Hansberry forced both blacks and whites to re-examine the deferred dreams of black America and changed the American theatre for ever. Lorraine Vivian Hansberry (19 May 1930 - 12 January 1965) inspired Nina Simone's song 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black'. | ||
A Small Family Business | 20090412 | |||
A Thousand Kisses | 20110410 | Frederic Raphael's new play A Thousand Kisses is based on the life and work of the Roman poet Gaius Catullus. Catullus was one of the the greatest Roman lyric poets - who lived fast and died young. Prized by some for his sincerity and chastised by others for crudeness he has influenced generations of writes and thinkers from Ovid, Horace and Virgil to Thornton Wilder and Louis MacNiece. In this new play, Catullus's mysterious world is brought to life, drawing on a series of love poems at the centre of his oeuvre - based on evidence that the woman in the poems ('Lesbia') was Claudia Metelli, the sister of the notorious senator Publius Clodius Pulcher, and one of the most notorious and attractive women in Rome. A Thousand Kisses features Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as the spirited young poet who moves to Rome in search of the high life and falls for the beautiful and sophisticated Clodia (Raquel Cassidy), the wife of a powerful Roman aristocrat. Narrated by Geoffrey Palmer and weaving Raphael's own translations of Catullus's poetry into the drama, A Thousand Kisses imagines the complex love affair and Catullus's life as a rebellious young poet in the late Roman Republic of Cicero, Pompey and Caesar (Malcolm Sinclair). CAST Dan Stevens - Gaius Catullus Raqual Cassidy - Clodia Metelli Geoffrey Palmer - Narrator Ian Kelly - Caelius Malcolm Sinclair - Caesar Tom Goodman-Hill - Clodius Stephen Critchlow - Valerius Rupert Degas - Lucius/Calvus Frederic Raphael - Cicero Chloe Lewis - Melissa Noah St Bean - Young Gaius Music by Clive Bell Producer, Jo Wheeler Director, Pete Atkin Freewheel Productions. Frederic Raphael's new play exploring the life and work of Roman poet Catullus. Dan Stevens....Gaius Catullus Raqual Cassidy....Clodia Metelli Geoffrey Palmer....Narrator Ian Kelly....Caelius Malcolm Sinclair....Caesar Tom Goodman-Hill....Clodius Stephen Critchlow....Valerius Rupert Degas....Lucius/Calvus Frederic Raphael....Cicero Chloe Lewis....Melissa Noah St Bean....Young Gaius | ||
A View From The Bridge | 20170514 | Martin Jarvis directs Miller's 1955 drama. An all-star cast is led by Alfred Molina. Martin Jarvis directs Arthur Miller's 1955 award-winning masterpiece. Recorded in the US for Drama On 3. Alfred Molina won the BBC Drama Awards Best Actor accolade as Eddie Carbone. He leads an all-star American cast. Universal themes: family, guilt, loyalty, sexual attraction, jealousy - and love. A timeless reminder as immigrants from Syria, Eritrea, Libya currently seek new lives, new dreams. Here, it's the American one. Setting. An Italian-American neighbourhood near the Brooklyn Bridge, New York. 1950s. Lawyer Alfieri (our narrator) confides to listeners there are cases where he can only watch as they run their bloody course. Longshoreman Eddie Carbone lives with his wife Beatrice and her orphaned niece, Catherine, in a Brooklyn tenement. He has a love of, almost an obsession with, 17 year-old Catherine. Beatrice's Italian cousins are being smuggled into the country. The family hide the illegal immigrants, Marco and Rodolpho, while they work on the docks. Eddie's increasing suspicion and jealousy of Rodolpho's developing relationship with Catherine eventually leads to betrayal and a tragic confrontation. Sound design: Wesley Dewberry and Mark Holden A Jarvis and Ayres Production. | ||
A Whistle In The Dark | 20091220 | |||
Alone Together | 20090322 | by Neil McKay. Poet, priest, birdwatcher, scourge of the English, the ogre of Wales ... Who was R.S. Thomas, and why did his artist wife Elsi settle for a life of obscurity in increasingly remote Welsh parishes? A portrait of a curious marriage which captures that essence of all marriages - a sense of shared space but separate lives. Thomas was an unpublished poet when he met Elsi Eldridge, but she already had the makings of a successful artist. After winning the Royal College of Art's Prix de Rome scholarship and selling several paintings at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, she abandoned this to retreat with him to a small cottage in a remote part of North Wales. RS Thomas - Jonathan Pryce Elsi Eldridge - Kate Fahy Gwydion - Ian Puleston-Davies Mrs Hackett - Kathryn Hunt Colonel Pugh, Dilwyn - Dick Bradnum Music by Peter Gregson. Directed and Produced by Melanie Harris. A portrait of the lives of poet RS Thomas and his wife artist Elsi Eldridge. Poet, priest, birdwatcher, scourge of the English, the ogre of Wales... Who was R.S. Thomas, and why did his artist wife Elsi settle for a life of obscurity in increasingly remote Welsh parishes? A portrait of a curious marriage which captures that essence of all marriages - a sense of shared space but separate lives. RS Thomas....Jonathan Pryce Elsi Eldridge....Kate Fahy Gwydion....Ian Puleston-Davies Mrs Hackett....Kathryn Hunt Colonel Pugh, Dilwyn....Dick Bradnum | ||
Amadeus | Peter Shaffer's award-winning play combines fiction and history to detail the final years of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Antonio Salieri, an older composer, propelled by jealousy, plots the tragic downfall of his brilliant rival. Sir Peter Hall's production, first broadcast in 1983 and recorded with the original National Theatre cast, is being repeated as part of Radio 3's 'Genius of Mozart' season. Antonio Salieri - Paul Scofield Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Simon Callow Constanze Mozart - Felicity Kendall Joseph II - John Normington Gottfried Baron Van Sweiten - Nicholas Selby Count Franz Orsini Rosenberg - Willoughby Goddard Johann Killian Von Strack - Basil Henson Venticelli - Donald Gee, Dermot Crawley Citizens of Vienna - Nigel Bellairs, Susan Gilmore, Peggy Marshall, Robin Meredith, Anne Sedgwick, William Sleigh, Glenn Williams Directed by Peter Hall Producer David Spenser. Peter Hall's 1983 version of Peter Shaffer's award-winning play Amadeus. Antonio Salieri....Paul Scofield Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....Simon Callow Constanze Mozart....Felicity Kendall Joseph II....John Normington Gottfried Baron Van Sweiten....Nicholas Selby Count Franz Orsini Rosenberg....Willoughby Goddard Johann Killian Von Strack....Basil Henson Venticelli....Donald Gee, Dermot Crawley Citizens of Vienna....Nigel Bellairs, Susan Gilmore, Peggy Marshall, Robin Meredith, Anne Sedgwick, William Sleigh, Glenn Williams | |||
Amazonia | 20100207 | by Garry Lyons. Years before he found fame with Swallows and Amazons, Arthur Ransome was swept up in the dramatic events of the Russian Revolution, living a dangerous double life as a journalist and agent for both the Bolsheviks and the Foreign Office. War, revolution, espionage and romance feature in this biographical portrait of one of our best-loved children's authors. Arthur Ransome - Rory Kinnear Evgenia Shelepina - Michelle Dockery Ivy - Katie Collier Foreign Office Minister, Lenin - Gordon Mounsey Lockhart, Trotsky - Mark Chatterton Russian Officer, Soldier - Joe Hughes Tabitha - Emily Herbert Young Arthur - George Herbert Soldier - Christopher Anderton Soldier - Christopher Arley Directed and produced by Melanie Harris. A portrait of Arthur Ransome before he found fame, when he lived a dangerous double life. Arthur Ransome....Rory Kinnear Evgenia Shelepina....Michelle Dockery Ivy....Katie Collier Foreign Office Minister, Lenin....Gordon Mounsey Lockhart, Trotsky....Mark Chatterton Russian Officer, Soldier....Joe Hughes Tabitha....Emily Herbert Young Arthur....George Herbert Soldier....Christopher Anderton Soldier....Christopher Arley | ||
An Evening With Angela Carter | 20180923 | New productions of two of Angela Carter's iconic radio plays from the 1970s. Two iconic radio plays, first produced in the 1970s, now given brand new productions. Introduced by Fiona Shaw as Angela Carter. VAMPIRELLA A young Englishman, travelling by bicycle through Transylvania, finds himself at the mercy of a 'lovely lady vampire' and her governess. THE COUNTESS... Jessica Raine THE COUNT... Anton Lesser HERO... Oliver Chris MRS BEANE... Doon Mackichan SAWNEY/GATEKEEPER/PRIEST... Kevin McMonagle BOY... William Gidney YOUNG COUNTESS... Tilly Meeson VILLAGERS/PEASANTS... Pip Williams, Rose Reade, Lucy Mangan, Tr退 Gordon Director/Producer - Fiona McAlpine Sound Design - Wilfredo Acosta COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS Carter's hallucinatory documentary drama about the murderous Victorian painter, Richard Dadd. CARTER... Fiona Shaw RICHARD DADD... James Anthony Rose SIR THOMAS PHILLIPS... Pip Torrens FRITH... Keith Hill OBERON... Robert Pugh TITANIA... Monica Dolan PUCK/ROBERT DADD... Tom Forrister SHOPKEEPER/FAIRY FELLER... Noof McEwan CRAZY JANE... Jasmine Jones LANDLADY... Tilly Vosburgh DOCTOR/HOWARD... Nicholas Murchie Violinist - Madeleine Brooks Director - Robin Brooks Radio 3 presents new interpretations of two radio scripts by Angela Carter, originally written and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in the 1970s. Both these scripts embody the combination of stylistic daring, playful wit, dazzling language, and high intellectual seriousness which is a hallmark of Carter's best work. These productions will be introduced by Fiona Shaw, playing Carter, so that she may explain in her own words how she came to write them, and why she felt so strongly attracted to Radio drama as a medium. VAMPIRELLA, Angela Carter's first radio play was produced by Glyn Dearman, and broadcast in July 1976. As Carter describes it: the 'lovely lady vampire' skulks in her Transylvanian castle, 'bored with the endless deaths and resurrections', and caged by 'hereditary appetites that she found both compulsive and loathsome'. A young British officer arrives, who kills her with the innocence of his kiss, and then goes off to die in a war 'far more hideous than any of our fearful superstitious imaginings'. COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS tells the story of the painter Richard Dadd, who murdered his father and was confined to Broadmoor, where he created the Fairy paintings for which he is now famous. Carter uses the story, and animates the fairy figures themselves, in order to explore how 'the distorted style of the paintings of Dadd's madness, together with his archetypical crime of parricide, seems to be expressions of the dislocation of the real relations of humankind to itself, during Britain's great period of high capitalism and imperialist triumph. | ||
An Ideal Husband | ||||
And So Say All Of Us | 20100502 | |||
Arden Of Faversham | 20190120 | In 1551 in Tudor England, Alice and her lover Mosby conspire with hired killers to murder Alice's husband Arden. This anonymous play is the first example of a brutal true crime story on the English stage and resonates with our contemporary fascination with all things 'noir'. Based closely on Holinshed's detailed account of the murder, it was first published in 1592. Arden....Ewan Bailey Alice....Amaka Okafor Mosby....Samuel James Michael....Tom Forrister Greene....Simon Ludders Franklin....Philip Fox Black Will....Ben Crowe Shakebag....Sion Pritchard Clarke....Ryan Whittle Lord Cheiny....John Telfer Bradshaw....John Norton Susan....Olivia Marcus Original music composed by Lucy Rivers Musicians: James Ifan, Hannah McPake, Dan Messore, Mark O'Connor, Elin Phillips, Lucy Rivers & Aidan Thorne Adapted and directed by Alison Hindell BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC Radio 3 True crime in Tudor England as Alice and her lover Mosby plot to murder her husband Arden | ||
Arms And The Man | 20100321 | |||
Artist Descending A Staircase | 20171008 | Tom Stoppard's comic tragedy about the meaning and purpose of life and art. Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase is both very much written for, and a tribute to, the medium of radio - the medium for which Tom Stoppard first started writing drama. Originally written for radio in 1972, this will be the first new production to be heard on the airwaves for 43 years. Taking its title from Duchamp's painting Nude Descending a Staircase No 2, Tom Stoppard's 1972 radio play is both a funny and moving exploration of the meaning and purpose of art and the constantly shifting uncertainties of so-called 'reality'. It is also a tragic love story. It begins in classic murder-mystery mode. Donner, an elderly artist, lies dead at the bottom of the staircase. His last moments of life - ambiguous fragments of sounds and words - have been captured by the tape recorder, which his housemate Beauchamp uses to make 'tonal art'. But the meaning of these aural clues (which are replayed and re-examined nearly as assiduously as the tape in Coppola's film The Conversation), depends entirely on the radio listener's interpretation of them. Beauchamp and the third artist, Martello, assume - quite understandably - that the recorded clues can only mean that one or other of them is a murderer. But Stoppard aficionados will know that reality is never quite what it seems, and that there is a characteristic coup de th退 tre (or coup de radio) awaiting them in the last scene of this beguiling drama. Martello (older)....Geoffrey Whitehead Beauchamp (older)....Derek Jacobi Donner (older)....Ian McDiarmid Sophie....Pippa Nixon Martello....Joshua McGuire Beauchamp....Blake Ritson Donner....Hugh Skinner Sound Design and Original Music: David Chilton Writer: Tom Stoppard Director: Gordon House A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 3 First broadcast January 2016. Martello (older) - Geoffrey Whitehead Beauchamp (older) - Derek Jacobi Donner (older) - Ian McDiarmid Sophie - Pippa Nixon Martello - Joshua McGuire Beauchamp - Blake Ritson Donner - Hugh Skinner | ||
Autumn Journal | 20161204 | 20181202 (R3) | Colin Morgan reads Louis MacNeice's poetic testament of life in 1938, written against the turbulent backdrop of the Munich Agreement, the fall of Barcelona and Britain's preparations for an inevitable war. Introduced by poet Colette Bryce and interwoven with archive news reports from the era. Part of Radio 3's 70th season, marking the anniversary of the creation of the Third Programme, Radio 3's predecessor in 1946, where MacNeice worked as a producer and writer. Produced by EMMA HARDING Colin Morgan reads Louis MacNeice's poetic testament of living through the late 1930s. | |
Babel's Tower, By Mike Walker | ||||
Becket Or The Honour Of God | 20091004 | |||
Beware The Kids | 20091025 | |||
Beyond Words | 20081228 | 'Three short symbolist plays by Maurice Maeterlinck, adapted by Katie Hims.' | ||
Brand | 20111016 | As part of Radio 3's Conviction series, Henrik Ibsen's study of a religious zealot who refuses to compromise, leading him to risk catastrophe for himself and his family. Faced with possible tragedy for his loved ones, will he persist with his absolutism? Brand....Gerard Murphy Agnes....Morven Christie Mayor....Jeremy Swift Mother/Voice....Ann Mitchell Ejnar....Carl Prekopp Gerd, Son, Woman....Alex Tregear Doctor....Alan Cox Provost....Mark Tandy Guide, Man....James Lailey Crazed Woman....Susie Riddell Gipsy, Woman....Elaine Claxton Sexton, Man....Reg Stewart Schoolmaster, Man....Gerard McDermott Man....Simon Bubb Music composed and performed by Nicolai Abrahamsen. Directed by Peter Kavanagh. Henrik Ibsen's play about a religious zealot who refuses all compromise. Brand - Gerard Murphy Agnes - Morven Christie Mayor - Jeremy Swift Mother/Voice - Ann Mitchell Ejnar - Carl Prekopp Gerd, Son, Woman - Alex Tregear Doctor - Alan Cox Provost - Mark Tandy Guide, Man - James Lailey Crazed Woman - Susie Riddell Gipsy, Woman - Elaine Claxton Sexton, Man - Reg Stewart Schoolmaster, Man - Gerard McDermott Man - Simon Bubb | ||
Bring Me The Head Of Philip K Dick | 20090308 | |||
Byzantium | 20180304 | By Robin Brooks Poison, intrigue, rebellion, torture, eunuch armies, black magic, political and sexual intrigue: this fast-moving historical epic tells the story of the Empress Zoe. Soft-hearted and politically naive, she nevertheless has the strongest claim to the throne of Constantinople, and lives for several eventful decades at the centre of vicious power struggles for control of the Byzantine Empire. It is a true story, based on contemporary histories of the 11th Century. Empress Zoe....Catherine Shepherd Psellus....Adrian Scarborough Constans/Nicholas....Julian Wadham Romanus....Raad Rawi John, the Orphan Master....Jasper Britton Michael....Alex Waldmann Justin....Noof McEwan Abbess/Witch....Gilian Cally Alexios, the Patriarch....Sagar Arya Theodora/Wife....Rose Reade Other parts played by members of the company. Producer/Director, Fiona McAlpine Sound Design, Lucinda Mason Brown An Allegra Production for BBC Radio 3. by Robin Brooks. Poison, rebellion, torture, eunuch armies, and black magic. | ||
Chowringhee | 20120311 | Mani Shankar Mukerji's 'Chowringhee' is a gentle comedy of life in a grand Calcutta hotel in the late 1950s adapted for radio by Roger James Elsgood from a translation from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha. The story tells of the events that befall a bright but naive young Bengali when he is unexpectedly given a job behind the reception counter in 'The Shahjahan', Calcutta's finest hotel. He becomes entangled in the rocky romantic life of the manager, Marco Polo, he is caught in the crossfire of a diva of the silver screen and her possessive husband and witnesses the tragedy that befalls the beautiful but vulnerable resident hostess. These stories are played out against the backdrop of a newly independent India in a time of austerity and social unrest. The role of Sankar is played by Bollywood actor Joy Sengupta. The production was recorded entirely on location in Calcutta with a cast of Bengali actors. The sound recordist was Ross Adams. Chowringhee was directed by Willi Richards. The Producer is Roger James Elsgood. Mani Shankar Mukerji's gentle comedy set in a grand Calcutta hotel in the late 1950s. | ||
Cock | 20111120 | The Royal Court Theatre production of Mike Bartlett's acclaimed and uncompromising play. On a break from his boyfriend, John accidentally falls for a woman, causing pain all round and exploding John's conceptions of his relationship, his sexuality and his identity. Cock was first presented by the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre in 2009, directed by James Macdonald. Cast: John....Ben Whishaw M....Andrew Scott W....Katherine Parkinson F....Paul Jesson Produced by Mary Peate. A Royal Court Theatre production of Mike Bartlett's play about sexual identity. John - Ben Whishaw M - Andrew Scott W - Katherine Parkinson F - Paul Jesson | ||
Crossing The Bar | ||||
Cyrano De Bergerac | ||||
Danton's Death | 20110213 | Launching Radio 3's week-long focus on Buchner, Georg Buchner's radical retelling of the fallout of the French Revolution adapted by Simon Scardifield. It's 1794, and a new France is being born from the reign of terror that characterised the worst of the Revolution. Charismatic hedonist Danton, still tormented by his role in the killing of 1400 aristocrats in a single night, is losing his grip on power, and he is so tired. His political rival, the sober and focused Robespierre, is in the ascendant, and - with his efficient sidekick St Just - has power now over Danton's fate. But can Danton care enough to fight the terror that he himself set in motion? Cast Georges DANTON - Joseph Millson Maximilien ROBESPIERRE - Khalid Abdalla CAMILLE Desmoulins - Patrick Kennedy MARION - Claire Harry HERAULT-SECHELLES - Laurence Mitchell HERRMAN - Adeel Akhtar Thomas PAYNE - Sean Baker LACROIX - David Seddon LEGENDRE - Lloyd Thomas JULIE - Leah Brotherhead ST JUST - Iain Batchelor Directed by Jessica Dromgoole NOTES Georg Buchner died in 1837 at the age of 23, by which time he had had only one play published, and none produced. His small legacy of work, remaining unproduced for nearly sixty years after his death, has come to represent some of the most exciting and radical theatre writing in the European Theatre canon. This production is partnered with a special 'Sunday Feature' and a new Woyzeck for Drama on 3 on 20 February. Georg Buchner's radical retelling of the fall-out from the French Revolution. Georges DANTON....Joseph Millson Maximilien ROBESPIERRE....Khalid Abdalla CAMILLE Desmoulins....Patrick Kennedy MARION....Claire Harry HERAULT-SECHELLES....Laurence Mitchell HERRMAN....Adeel Akhtar Thomas PAYNE....Sean Baker LACROIX....David Seddon LEGENDRE....Lloyd Thomas JULIE....Leah Brotherhead ST JUST....Iain Batchelor | ||
Darger And The Detective | 20090621 | |||
Death Of A Salesman, By Arthur Miller | 20171126 | David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker star in Arthur Miller's 1949 play about the American dream. David Suchet, Zo뀀 Wanamaker and director Howard Davies, who all won awards for the sell-out production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons in the West End in 2010, reunite to create a new production for Radio 3 of Miller's 1949 classic about the American dream and his second big Broadway success. The original won The Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award and Critics' Circle Award for Best Play. This new radio production is part of the celebrations across BBC Radio 3, 4 and 4 Extra to mark the centenary of the birth of one of the most important American playwrights of the twentieth century. Willy Loman is a 63-year-old travelling salesman worn out by a life on the road. His wife Linda has supported him throughout and borne him two sons, Biff and Happy. Biff is working away and has returned home for the first time in years, so the whole family are reunited. But there is a secret between Willy and Biff, which has destroyed what was a mutual hero-worshipping relationship when Biff was a star athlete in High School, and still haunts them both. Penny whistle, Wilf Dalton Technical presentation, Eloise Whitmore A Watershed production for BBC Radio 3. | ||
Don Quixote, By Thomas D'urfey | ||||
Dreams And Censorship | It is 1610, and the translation of James I's new bible is at last complete. However, assured by Shakespeare, that to allow the inclusion of The Dream of St John will lead to bloody revolution, James travels to Oxford, determined to excise it from the sacred text. Originally broadcast in 1993. Written by David Pownall and starring Robert Stephens. Cast list: Shakespeare - Edward Petherbridge Prince Charlie - Gary King Stage Manager - David Learner Saville - Eric Allan St John The Divine - Robert Stephens Montague - John Church James I - Hugh Ross Robin - Melanie Hudson Marbellus - Robert Mcintosh Thompson - Michael Tudor Barnes Stanley - Peter Penry-Jones Abbot - Hugh Dickson Hutten - Garard Green Ravis - John Webb Queen Anne - Siriol Jenkins Produced by Eoin O'Callaghan. David Pownall's play about Shakespeare's reaction to the King James Bible. Shakespeare....Edward Petherbridge Prince Charlie....Gary King Stage Manager....David Learner Saville....Eric Allan St John The Divine....Robert Stephens Montague....John Church James I....Hugh Ross Robin....Melanie Hudson Marbellus....Robert Mcintosh Thompson....Michael Tudor Barnes Stanley....Peter Penry-Jones Abbot....Hugh Dickson Hutten....Garard Green Ravis....John Webb Queen Anne....Siriol Jenkins | |||
Edward The Second | 20090913 | |||
El Cid | 20170521 | Version of Moliere's Le Cid, seeing the 11th-century Spanish hero before his rise to fame. Pierre Corneille was one of France's three outstanding Classical dramatists, alongside Racine and Moliere. The Cid is his most famous - but in Britain too little-performed - play. The distinguished translator Ranjit Bolt's refashioning tells the story of the younger Cid, a self-indulgent, love-smitten courtier in 11th-century Spain who when duty calls rises to the occasion to become Spain's greatest hero. The star-studded cast includes James Purefoy as the Cid, with Indira Varma as Ximena, Gina McKee as the Princess, and features Eleanor Bron and David Calder. Rodrigo is a charming young courtier who plans to marry Ximena. But when her father, the chief general in the King's army, insults Rodrigo's father, he finds himself challenged by Rodrigo to a duel. The young, un-warlike suitor knows that if he loses he dies, but also that if he wins he loses Ximena. Pierre Corneille's landmark play examines the ethical and emotional dilemmas faced by the legendary champion-to-be, and his intended. It is a tale of love, honour and might, but in the great tradition of Racine and their other contemporary writers of tragedy, Corneille focuses on romantic dilemma, to show how lovers act under intense duress, and what choices - and perhaps compromises - they then make. Bolt's translation is at once daring and faithful. He has observed the conventions of 17th century French Drama (rules imposed on his select group of writers by the infamous Cardinal Richelieu, intent on restoring classical virtues). But Bolt in customary fashion has dynamised the language and style. | ||
Embers | ||||
Fall | 20090628 | |||
Fathers And Sons, By Brian Friel | 20171105 | Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres direct a dynamic dramatisation of Turgenev's novel. Fathers and Sons' by Brian Friel, after the novel by Ivan Turgenev. Fathers: Charles Dance, James Fleet. Sons: Edward Bennett, George Blagden. In Turgenev's prescient 1859 story of generational collision, both young heroes seem, at first, passionate revolutionaries, believing the old Russia should be swept away. But they're unsure what they'd replace it with. This clash of values is dramatic, funny and recognisably up-to-date, with Julia McKenzie as a batty princess, Lisa Dillon a self-searching widow, Gabrielle Lloyd a loving mother and Martin Jarvis as odd-ball Uncle Pavel. Turgenev's darkly observant human comedy examines a particular period in Russian history which, in this epic production, foregrounds the eventual political struggle. And Friel, with benefit of hindsight, allows a glimpse of the future. Movingly, the play reminds us that it's the eternal values of love, friendship, loyalty and devotion that will, ultimately - hopefully - survive. Nikolai Kirsanov James Fleet Arkady George Blagden Vassily Bazarov Charles Dance Yevgeny Edward Bennett Princess Olga Julia McKenzie Anna Sergeevna Lisa Dillon Pavel Martin Jarvis Arina Gabrielle Lloyd Fenichka Lucy Phelps Dunyasha Joanna Cassidy Katya Matilda Wickham Piotr Kieran Hodgeson Fedka Darren Richardson Prokofyich and Timofeich Nigel Anthony Musicians: Michael Lan, Stavros Dritsas, Louis Baily, Djordje Gajic, Richard Sisson Music advisers: Lucy Parham, Richard Sisson Sound design: Mark Holden Produced and directed by Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres A Jarvis and Ayres Production for BBC Radio 3. | ||
Faust | 20100919 | By Johann Wolfgang Goethe, translated by John R. Williams, with Samuel West as Faust, Toby Jones as Mephistopheles, Anna Maxwell Martin as Gretchen and Derek Jacobi as The Lord. Adapted and directed by David Timson, with music composed by Roger Marsh. Goethe's Faust, one of the pillars of Western literature, is presented in a dramatisation by David Timson. In Part 1, following an agreement between Mephistopheles and The Lord, the scholar Faust is tempted into a contract with the Devil. His life is changed and he plunges into the enjoyment of sensuality until his emotions are stirred by a meeting with Gretchen, leading to a tragic outcome. Part 2, written much later in Goethe's life, presents a series of episodic scenes in which the poet places his eponymous hero in a variety of surprising circumstances reflecting the predicament of humanity. Funny, reflective and moving, this dramatisation shows why Goethe's Faust had such a massive influence on Western culture. Faust - Samuel West Mephistopheles - Toby Jones Gretchen - Anna Maxwell Martin The Lord - Derek Jacobi Wagner (Faust's assistant) - Stephen Critchlow Martha - Joannah Tincey Valentin (Gretchen's brother) - Peter Kenny Helen - Emily Raymond The Emperor - Gunnar Cauthery The Earth Spirit and Thales - Sean Barrett Lord Chancellor and Anaxagoras - Hugh Dickson Homunculus - Anne-Marie Piazza Nereus - Gerard Horan Chiron and Proteus - Gunnar Cauthery Manto and Panthalis - Auriol Smith Lynceus - Peter Kenny Care - Emily Raymond Euphorion - Daniel Mair Music by Roger Marsh Musicians: The 24, directed by the composer with Peyee Chen (soprano) Georgina Wells (harp) and Mark Hutchinson (oboe) Sound Design and Additional Music by Norman Goodman. Adapted and Directed by David Timson. Producer: Nicolas Soames. An Ukemi Production for Radio 3. With Samuel West and Toby Jones. Goethe's epic reflection on the predicament of humanity. Chiron and Proteus....Gunnar Cauthery Lynceus....Peter Kenny Care....Emily Raymond | ||
Fences | 20100110 | |||
Finlandia | 20170528 | The psyche of Jean Sibelius, his music and a Finnish epic, starring Tim Pigott-Smith. Tim Pigott-Smith who died earlier this year stars as Jean Sibelius in Stephen Wyatt's psychological drama, woven around a Finnish epic and the composer's music. It is 1945. Sibelius, national hero, then aged eighty, is about to burn his Eighth Symphony despite the protests of his wife, Aino. He had had nothing new completed or performed for over twenty years, so why would he do this now? Finland had come to regret its devil's bargain with Nazi Germany: it had warded off Russia, but at what cost? And for how long? In 1899 Sibelius had written Finlandia, expressing defiance of Russian hegemony and a belief in an independent future. Finland is once again struggling for its identity. Could Sibelius do it again with his Eighth Symphony? Closely bound with the Finnish identity he had helped to create, he now finds himself in a moment of creative and national despair. The fate of his long anticipated Eighth Symphony is in the balance. Finlandia interweaves an intense conflict between husband and wife about burning the manuscripts, with scenes from The Kalevala, the national epic of Finland. The Kalevala morphs in Sibelius's agitated mind until it embodies his internal conflicts and the historical forces at work on Finland. The excerpts from The Kalevala weave in and out of the drama to imaginatively shine a light into the composer's mind and they are underscored with the music The Kalevala inspired Sibelius to write. The argument between Aino and Sibelius illuminates parts of Sibelius's past and his attitude towards his work and his country, but at its heart the play is an examination of the psyche of Sibelius - artist, national symbol, husband and father - at a crucial juncture in his life and that of his country. | ||
Flare Path | 20110605 | is a play by Terence Rattigan, written in 1941 and first staged in 1942. Set in a hotel near an RAF Bomber Command airbase during the Second World War, the story involves a love triangle between a pilot, his actress wife and a famous film star. The title of the play refers to the flares that were used to light runways to allow planes to take off and land but the flare paths were also used by the Germans to target the RAF planes. In writing the play, Terence Rattigan drew on his experiences as a tail gunner in the RAF Coastal Command. Cast Peter Kyle....Rupert Penry Jones Patricia Graham....Ruth Wilson Teddy Graham....Rory Kinnear Doris Skriczevinsky....Monica Dolan Mrs Oakes....Una Stubbs Count Skriczevinsky....Tom Goodman-Hill Dusty Miller....Justin Salinger Swanson....Julian Wadham Percy....David Hartley Maudie Miller....Kelly Shirley. Exec Producer: Catherine Bailey Directed by Jeremy Herrin (Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court) For Catherine Bailey Ltd. Terence Rattigan's 1941 love-triangle drama between a pilot, his wife and a film star. Flare Path is a play by Terence Rattigan, written in 1941 and first staged in 1942. Set in a hotel near an RAF Bomber Command airbase during the Second World War, the story involves a love triangle between a pilot, his actress wife and a famous film star. Peter Kyle - Rupert Penry Jones Patricia Graham - Ruth Wilson Teddy Graham - Rory Kinnear Doris Skriczevinsky - Monica Dolan Mrs Oakes - Una Stubbs Count Skriczevinsky - Tom Goodman-Hill Dusty Miller - Justin Salinger Swanson - Julian Wadham Percy - David Hartley Maudie Miller - Kelly Shirley. | ||
Free Thinking 2010, Vultures | 20101107 | Sean wants to prove that he is more than' just one of the Bishop's', that his anger has a point. That he does matter and that just this once he can make everyone, particularly Yvette, listen to him. Sean Bishop has something to say. BAFTA Award-winning Roy Williams is one of Britain's finest contemporary playwrights, often putting on stage in gritty and eloquent dialogue stories set on the fringes and amongst the underclass of our society. Vultures is a new work specially written for Free Thinking. Yvette - Nadine Marshall Sean - Sean Gallagher Brian... Bill Fellows Helen... Victoria Elliot Directed by Kate Rowland Recorded in front of an audience at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Play about an angry white working-class man with a grievance against society. Yvette....Nadine Marshall Sean....Sean Gallagher | ||
Free Thinking Festival: Suffrage Dramas | 20180311 | From a factory worker who mistakenly goes to an anti-suffrage meeting and can't stop herself speaking out, to a titled lady seeking her friend's help in writing an anti-suffrage speech, only to be constantly interrupted by a stream of highly qualified and articulate women, this specially recorded programme presents a selection of Suffrage dramas hosted by Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough and performed by actors local to the area in front of an audience at the Free Thinking Festival in St Mary's Church, Gateshead. There were over 400 women playwrights in Britain from 1900- 1920 and, in 1908, the Actresses' Franchise League and Women Writers' Suffrage League were both formed specifically to help the campaign for votes for women. The background to the plays will be discussed by Naomi Paxton, a researcher for 'What Difference Did the War Make? World War One and Votes for Women', which is part of Parliament's Vote 100 project. She's also a New Generation Thinker who has edited the Methuen Drama book of Suffrage Plays. They are joined by Diane Atkinson, historian, biographer and author of 'Rise up, Women!: The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes'. The plays are: A Pageant of Great Women by Cecily Hamilton Lady Geraldine's Speech by Beatrice Harradan Tradition by George Middleton The Mother's Meeting by Mrs Harlow Philbbs 10 Clowning Street by Joan Dugdale Which by Evelyn Glover The cast is Phillippa Wilson Christopher Connel Karen Traynor Rosie Stancliffe Sarah Lewis Obuba Producers: Marion Nancarrow and Fiona McLean. The little-known plays written by activists to help in the campaign for votes for women. | ||
Gilead | 20101212 | by Marilynne Robinson adapted for radio by Mike Kenny Reverend John Ames (Roger Allam) is nearing the end of a long life. His son is still a young boy, the product of a late flowering love. Ames knows he will never see his son grow to be a man and, given that he owns nothing and lives in a tied church house, all he can pass on is what he knows and the life he has lived. So, the letter he writes to his son is both a memoir of a life lived, and the journal of the present in which it is being written. The tale is set in the 1950s, but takes us back through generations of preachers as far as the American Civil war, and projects into a future in which we now live. Into Ames's life comes Jack Boughton, (Elliot Cowan) the wayward son of his best friend (Colin Stinton). Jack was baptised by Ames, and named after him. He feels a particular responsibility for this prodigal, but has never been able to like him. A charmer, Jack appears to woo both Ames wife, Lila (Elizabeth McGovern) and son John, and the old man struggles with the feelings stirred by the younger man. His very presence makes him feel his age. We witness a good man wrestle with bad thoughts. It makes for an experience that is both surprising and deeply satisfying without leaving the few streets of a sleepy Midwest town. Ames - Roger Allam Lila - Elizabeth McGovern Boy - Taran Stanzler Glory - Nancy Crane Boughton - Colin Stinton Jack - Elliot Cowan Directed by Annie Castledine A CATHERINE BAILEY PRODUCTION. Adaptation of Marilynne Robinson's novel about a minister facing death. Ames....Roger Allam Lila....Elizabeth McGovern Boy....Taran Stanzler Glory....Nancy Crane Boughton....Colin Stinton Jack....Elliot Cowan | ||
Giovanni's Room | 20100905 | James Baldwin's classic novel in its world premiere radio production, set in Paris, 1954. When handsome blond American David meets the stunning Giovanni in a 'bohemian' Parisian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But David's fiancé, Hella, returns to Paris and, unable to admit the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened, with calamitous results for all three, especially for Giovanni, whose life descends into murderous tragedy. Dramatised for radio and directed by leading theatre director Neil Bartlett. CAST David - Damian Lewis Father - John Lithgow Hella - Greta Scacchi Guillaume - Derek Jacobi Jacques - Michael Feast Giovanni - Antonio Magro Directed by Neil Bartlett A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 3. James Baldwin's classic novel set in Paris in 1954 in its world premiere radio production. James Baldwin's classic novel in its world premiere radio production, set in Paris, 1954. When handsome blond American David meets the stunning Giovanni in a 'bohemian' Parisian bar, he is swept into a passionate love affair. But David's fianc?, Hella, returns to Paris and, unable to admit the truth, David pretends the liaison never happened, with calamitous results for all three, especially for Giovanni, whose life descends into murderous tragedy. David....Damian Lewis Father....John Lithgow Hella....Greta Scacchi Guillaume....Derek Jacobi Jacques....Michael Feast Giovanni....Antonio Magro | ||
Girlfriend In A Coma | ||||
Glass Chair Chair Glass | 20110918 | Russ Abbott, Harriet Walter, Emily Bruni, Hugh Ross and Allan Corduner star in a play that imagines a day when Tommy Cooper met absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco. It could have happened. It's a sunny morning in Paris, 1975, and in the throes of a paranoia laced drunken spree, Tommy Cooper may not be in the best place to enter Eugene Ionesco's world, where events have the logic of a dream, where people don't tell the truth or even know what it is and where mysterious and brutal threats are always close. Survivor of Nazis and Stalinists, in permanent exile from his native Romania, Ionesco was always drawn to anarchic comedy as the only way to express the world. His plays generate emotion rather than obvious meaning because he felt life was too unstable to mean very much. Ionesco and Tommy Cooper's world views collide with surprising results, concluding that laughter is often the only real revolution we have left. A play that waltzes us through thoughts about the state of the world, how to make a salt pot disappear, and how to travel on imaginary motorbikes, as Cooper and Ionesco ask the question; Is comedy just business, escapism or is it for the soul? Tommy Cooper....Russ Abbott Gwen Cooper/Concierge....Harriet Walter Eugene Ionesco.... Allan Corduner The Actress....Emily Bruni Miff Ferrie....Hugh Ross Written by Annie Caulfield. Directed by Marilyn Imrie Produced by Gordon Kennedy for Absolutely Productions. A comedy about what might have happened if Tommy Cooper had met Eugene Ionesco. Tommy Cooper - Russ Abbott Gwen Cooper/Concierge - Harriet Walter Eugene Ionesco - Allan Corduner The Actress - Emily Bruni Miff Ferrie - Hugh Ross | ||
Gone | 20100314 | |||
Goodnight To Flamboro' | 20110903 20110904 | DOUGLAS HODGE stars as composer William Baines, who died at 23, in his most prolific stage DOUGLAS HODGE stars as composer William Baines, who died at 23. The story traces the most prolific period of his short life. | ||
Harold Pinter Double Bill | 20090215 | Another chance to hear two plays by HAROLD PINTER, in tribute to the playwright who died in 2008. 8.00pm music by elizabeth parker 8.55pm first performed in 1993, this radio production of pinter's play was recorded to mark his 70th birthday. andy, a middle aged civil servant, lies in his bed, dying. his wife tries desperately to bring his estranged adult sons to his side. bridging these two worlds is the haunting presence of the daughter they have lost. andy....harold pinter one of pinter's last dramatic works, this was first broadcast in 2005. some of the tormentors and the tormented so potently etched in pinter's later plays are brought together with a musical setting by the composer james clarke. voices: harry burton, anastasia hille, andy de la tour, douglas hodge, gabrielle hamilton, roger lloyd-pack, gawn grainger, harold pinter and indira varma. music: apartment house; eileen aagaard; prometheus ensemble; rolande van der paal; etienne siebens; BBC symphony orchestra conducted by martyn brabbins and david porcelijn; fatma mehralieva. a tribute to harold pinter, with his 1993 play moonlight and his 2005 radio piece voices | ||
Helen | 20110227 | Don Taylor's translation of the savage tragicomedy by Euripides about a war in the Middle East fought for the flimsiest of reasons. The Trojan War is over and the Greek forces are making their way home. Meanwhile, in Egypt, Helen of Troy is protesting to anyone who will listen that she is innocent, that she never went to Troy, and the whole war was fought under false pretences. When her husband Menelaus is shipwrecked on the shore where Helen has been taking sanctuary, she not only has a lot of explaining to do, but also an escape to plan. This story of a war in the Middle East fought over dubious claims now has contemporary resonance. Frances Barber stars as Helen, James Purefoy as her husband, and Paul Ritter as King Theoclymenus. Helen - Frances Barber Menelaus - James Purefoy Theoclymenus - Paul Ritter Theonoe/Chorus - Anna Francolini Concierge/Chorus - Catherine Russell Slave/Chorus - Laura Rees Teucer - Gus Brown Sailor/Messenger - Richard Galazka Heavenly Twins - Max Digby Music composed and performed by Derek Bourgeois Adapted and Directed by Ellen Dryden An independent production by First Writes Radio. Don Taylor's translation of Euripides's tragicomedy. With Frances Barber. Helen....Frances Barber Menelaus....James Purefoy Theoclymenus....Paul Ritter Theonoe/Chorus....Anna Francolini Concierge/Chorus....Catherine Russell Slave/Chorus....Laura Rees Teucer....Gus Brown Sailor/Messenger....Richard Galazka Heavenly Twins....Max Digby | ||
Henry Viii | 20090419 | |||
Himmler's Boy| | 20041024 | A new play by Adam Thorpe, one of our leading contemporary writers. In 1931, in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, art history student Klaus Bessel meets and falls in love with the clever and vivacious Anya Goldberger. But Anya is a Polish Jew, and in a few short years Klaus will be a member of a special SS unit, personally charged by Reichsführer Himmler to plunder occupied Poland of its priceless art. Klaus....Thomas Arnold Anya....Lesley Hart Liesl....Vicki Liddelle Himmler....Richard Greenwood Schaefer....Paul Young Muhlmann....Michael Perceval-Maxwell Aunt Maryla....Joanna Tope Directed by Patrick Rayner. Klaus - Thomas Arnold Anya - Lesley Hart Liesl - Vicki Liddelle Himmler - Richard Greenwood Schaefer - Paul Young Muhlmann - Michael Perceval-Maxwell Aunt Maryla - Joanna Tope | ||
Home, By David Storey | A poignant, often darkly funny play which looks at the lives of five people. 'A poignant, often darkly funny play which looks at the lives of five people.' | |||
Hum | 20090517 | |||
Hyde Park-on-hudson | 20090607 | |||
In The Absence Of Geoff | 20090104 | Adam Godley stars in a wry contemporary comedy by the award-winning Charlotte Jones. | ||
Iphigenia In Crimea | 20170423 | For Tony Harrison's 80th birthday, the premiere of his new verse drama, after Euripides. To mark Tony Harrison's 80th birthday, a world premiere of his new verse drama, after Euripides. Sebastapol, 1854, the Crimean War. A Classics-loving Lieutenant persuades a company of British soldiers to stage an all-male production of Iphigenia in Tauris. Starring Blake Ritson as Iphigenia and Robert Emms as Orestes. Music performed by Peter Ringrose (trumpet), Detta Danford (flute), Howard McGill (clarinet), Jon Banks (accordion) and Matt Sharp (cello). Music composed and directed by Jon Nicholls. | ||
Is Your Love Better Than Life? | 20140216 | 20180401 (R3) | Could an Archbishop become an enemy of the state? An original drama by FRANCES BYRNES. Could an Archbishop become an enemy of the state? Inspired partially by Eliot's classic verse drama Murder in the Cathedral, Is Your Love Better than Life explores a futuristic scenario in which senior figures in the Church and Government discover they have irreconcilable differences, so that it becomes for them a matter of life and death. What beliefs will we die for? Or kill for? It's about telling the truth. O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. For your love is better than life.' (Psalm 63) The writer FRANCES BYRNES is a Sony award winning radio producer and dramatist. Her adaptation of L P Hartley's The Go-Between for BBC Radio 3 was shortlisted in the 2013 Writers Guild Awards. With thanks to Graham Hunter, St John's Church, Hoxton, Ed West and Canon Alan Billings Sound design, ELOISE WHITMORE. | |
Joe Orton Double-bill | 20170702 | A double-bill of Joe Orton plays to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. A special Orton evening, comprising two new productions of Orton's plays The Erpingham Camp and The Ruffian on the Stair, plus an interview with Orton's friend, actor Kenneth Cranham, recorded live at the BBC's radio theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Orton's untimely death at the hands of his lover, Kenneth Halliwell. The Erpingham Camp: Erpingham....Robert Daws Riley....Jonjo O'Neill Lou....Kerry Gooderson Ted....Samuel James Kenny....Charlie Clements Eileen....Sarah Ridgeway W.E. Harrison....Tom Forrister Jessie Mason....Sanchia McCormack Padre....Simon Ludders Accordion Player....Colin Guthrie The Ruffian On The Stair: Mike....Gerard Horan Joyce....Sophie Thompson Wilson....Jack Rowan Producer....Mary Peate Joe Orton shocked and entertained audiences with his scandalous black comedies which poked fun at the hypocrisy, double standards and corruption at the heart of British society, but his life was cut short when his lover Kenneth Halliwell beat him to death before himself taking a fatal overdose, 50 years ago this summer. Matthew Sweet interviews Kenneth Cranham. This production is part of the BBC's Gay Britannia season. Erpingham - Robert Daws Riley - Jonjo O'Neill Lou - Kerry Gooderson Ted - Samuel James Kenny - Charlie Clements Eileen - Sarah Ridgeway W.E. Harrison - Tom Forrister Jessie Mason - Sanchia McCormack Padre - Simon Ludders Accordion Player - Colin Guthrie Mike - Gerard Horan Joyce - Sophie Thompson Wilson - Jack Rowan Producer - Mary Peate | ||
Juno And The Paycock | 20141116 | 20180527 (R3) | Sean O'Casey's comedy masterpiece. An impoverished Dublin family comes into an inheritance Sean O'Casey's hilarious tragic-comedy, set in a working-class Dublin tenement during the Irish Civil War, is now considered one of the finest Irish plays of the last century. Will a surprise inheritance improve life for the Boyle family? Juno Boyle....Sorcha Cusack Captain Boyle....Stanley Townsend Joxer Daly....John Kavanagh Mary Boyle....Beth Cooke Johnny Boyle....Rory Fleck Byrne Charles Bentham....Ruari Conaghan Maisie Madigan....Michele Moran Mrs Tancred....Marcella Riordan Needle' Nugent....Stephen Hogan Furniture Man....David Cann Neighbour....Craig Els Neighbour....Scarlett Brookes Adapted and directed by Peter Kavanagh. | |
Kafka The Musical | 20110424 | Another chance to hear the magnetic performance that won David Tennant 'Best Actor' at this year's inaugural BBC Audio Drama Awards for his part as Franz Kafka. Murray Gold's new play starts from the suitably Kafkaesque premise that Franz Kafka finds he has to play himself in a musical about his own life. The play - or is it the musical? - introduces Kafka and the audience to some of the key characters in his life, Milena Jesenska, Dora Diamant and Felice Bauer. Franz Kafka - David Tennant Father - David Fleeshman Mother - Joanna Monro Milena - Naomi Frederick Felice - Jessica Raine Dora - Emerald O'Hanrahan Barman / Singer / Doctor - Trevor Allan Davies Newspaper Seller / Man - Brian Bowles Music by Murray Gold Directed by Jeremy Mortimer Murray Gold's first radio play Electricity won the Richard Imison award for best new play after its broadcast on Radio 3 in 2001. It subsequently transferred to the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2004 and was performed with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Other plays include 50 Revolutions performed by the Oxford Stage Company at the Whitehall Theatre, London in 2000 and Resolution at Battersea Arts Centre in 1994, and Little Joe and His Struggle Against the World (Radio 3 2005). Murray Gold has been nominated for a BAFTA four times in the category Best Original Television Music, for Vanity Fair (1999), Queer as Folk (2000), Casanova (2006) and Doctor Who (2008). He wrote the theme tune for the Channel 4 series Shameless and scored the period drama The Devil's Whore. More recently Murray Gold scored another David Tennant series, BBC1's Single Father. By Murray Gold. David Tennant plays Kafka, trapped in a musical about his life. Franz Kafka....David Tennant Father....David Fleeshman Mother....Joanna Monro Milena....Naomi Frederick Felice....Jessica Raine Dora....Emerald O'Hanrahan Barman / Singer / Doctor....Trevor Allan Davies Newspaper Seller / Man....Brian Bowles | ||
Krapp's Last Tape | ||||
Lady Windermere's Fan | 20180415 | MARTIN JARVIS directs Wilde's thrilling drama. Mira Sorvino leads an outstanding cast. A fresh look at Wilde's masterpiece of secrets, lies and betrayal. His subtitle: 'A play about a good woman'. Produced by award-winning Jarvis and Ayres Productions. MARTIN JARVIS directs a star cast: Mira Sorvino, Susannah Fielding, Jonathan Cake, JAMES CALLIS, Ian Ogilvy, ROSALIND AYRES, Peter Woodward. Social outsider Mrs Erlynne and respectable Lord Windermere share a secret. Are they having an affair? Confronted by young wife Margaret, her husband denies it. Unconvinced, she decides to leave him. A roller-coaster examination of 'good' and 'bad'. Deceit. Infidelity. Love. The tell-tale fan becomes a vital clue as the truth finally becomes clear. But who actually is the 'good' woman? Masterly thriller - its timelessness reflected in specially composed music. Drawing-room-comedy turned on its head in Wilde's amazingly up-to-date study of hypocrisy. Mrs Erlynne....Mira Sorvino Lady Windermere....Susannah Fielding Lord Windermere....JAMES CALLIS Lord Darlington....Jonathan Cake Duchess of Berwick....ROSALIND AYRES Lord Lorton....Ian Ogilvy Mr Dumby....Peter Woodward Cecil Graham....MATTHEW WOLF Mr Hopper....Darren Keefe Parker....Darren Richardson Agatha/Lady Stutfield....Elizabeth Knowelden Lady Plymdale/Rosalie....Edita Brychta Lady Jedburgh....Jean Gilpin Sound Design: Mark Holden Specially composed music: A-Mnemonic Director: MARTIN JARVIS A Jarvis and Ayres Production. | ||
Largo Desolato | Theatre critic Michael Billington introduces a classic play from the archives by Czech playwright and President, Vaclav Havel, to mark Havel's death in December last year. When the death of the former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel was announced last year, Europe lost one of its great dissident voices. From the 1960s to the 1980s, BBC radio broadcast many new productions of Havel's plays - plays that were usually banned in his then-Communist homeland because of the way they mocked and interrogated the absurd nature of totalitarian rule. Michael Billington, theatre-critic for the Guardian for much of this period, introduces another chance to hear a 1987 Havel black comedy called Largo Desolato in an English version by Tom Stoppard, himself born in Czechoslovakia. Richard Briers stars as Leopold, a philosopher who has offended the authorities in an unnamed country. He has written a certain philosophical essay and anxiously each day awaits the knock on the door. His friends, of course, expect him to act like a hero.... Professor Leopold Nettles.......................Richard Briers Edward.................................................Paul Gregory Suzanna............................................Jennifer Piercey First Sidney.........................................Philip Jackson Second Sidney........................................David Goodland Lucy...................................................Belinda Lang Bertram................................................John Moffatt First Chap..........................................Anthony Jackson Second Chap............................................Ian Thompson Marguerite..............................................Sue Broomfield Produced by Matthew Walters. Richard Briers stars in a black comedy by Czech playwright and President Vaclav Havel. Richard Briers stars as Leopold, a philosopher who has offended the authorities in an unnamed country. He has written a certain philosophical essay and anxiously each day awaits the knock on the door. His friends, of course, expect him to act like a hero - Professor Leopold Nettles....Richard Briers Edward....Paul Gregory Suzanna....Jennifer Piercey First Sidney....Philip Jackson Second Sidney....David Goodland Lucy....Belinda Lang Bertram....John Moffatt First Chap....Anthony Jackson Second Chap....Ian Thompson Marguerite....Sue Broomfield | |||
Laughter In The Dark | 20040815 | by Vladimir Nabokov Dramatised by Craig Higginson. Set in Berlin, in a period moving inexorably towards World War II, this is the story of the downfall of a middle-aged married man who becomes infatuated with a young woman he meets in the cinema. She uses him with startling callousness and ultimately destroys him. This darkly erotic dramatisation comes to vivid life as events unfold in the mind of a man who becomes blind and can only guess at the gross betrayals inflicted on him by a younger and more ruthless generation. Albert Albinus....Roger Allam Margot Peters....Claire Price Axel Rex....Alan Cox Elizabeth....Geraldine Alexander Irma....Lauren Bird Frieda....Sarah Badel Otto....Dale Rapley Karl Schwarz....Ewan Bailey Doctor....David Shaw-Parker Chambermaid....Tracy Wiles Composer: Howard Davidson Directed by Maria Aitken Albert Albinus - Roger Allam Margot Peters - Claire Price Axel Rex - Alan Cox Elizabeth - Geraldine Alexander Irma - Lauren Bird Frieda - Sarah Badel Otto - Dale Rapley Karl Schwarz - Ewan Bailey Doctor - David Shaw-Parker Chambermaid - Tracy Wiles | ||
Living With Princes | 20110123 | In 1588, the essayist and landowner Michel de Montaigne, set out on a journey round the troubled kingdom of France. He was on a mission - to reconcile the Valois King Henri the Third, a Catholic, with his likely successor, the Bourbon King of Navarre, a Protestant. It's high stakes: intensified Civil War the consequence of failure. Michel de Montaigne - Roger Allam Peslier - James Norton Catherine de Medici - Jane Lapotaire Henri Navarre - Elliot Levey Henri Valois - Sam Dale Francoise de Montaigne - Sally Orrock Marie de Gournay - Leah Brotherhead Sergeant Soumillon - Adeel Akhtar Captain Guyon - Lloyd Thomas Courtier - Henry Devas Directed by Jeremy Mortimer Stephen Wakelam is a playwright, working first mainly in TV and now in radio. His TV work includes over twenty original films and plays, drama documentaries and adaptations. Amongst his recent radio plays are: the biographical What I Think of My Husband about the second Mrs Thomas Hardy (BBC Radio 4); The Pattern of Painful Adventures about Shakespeare (Radio 3); and A Dose of Fame about E.M. Forster (Radio 4). Other radio plays include: Answered Prayers; Two Men from Delft; and The Adulteries of a Provincial Wife. Stephen is the author of three stage plays, two of which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. Play in which essayist Michel de Montaigne is sent on a diplomatic mission around France. By Stephen Wakelam. Stephen Wakelam is a playwright, working first mainly in TV and now in radio. His TV work includes over twenty original films and plays, drama documentaries and adaptations. Amongst his recent radio plays are: the biographical What I Think of My Husband about the second Mrs Thomas Hardy (BBC Radio 4); The Pattern of Painful Adventures about Shakespeare (Radio 3); and A Dose of Fame about E.M. Forster (Radio 4). A further three radio plays can be heard via his website: Answered Prayers with Kenneth Cranham; Two Men from Delft with Alex Jennings and Stephen Tompkinson; and The Adulteries of a Provincial Wife with Robert Glenister, Daniel Evans and Anastasia Hille. Stephen is the author of three stage plays, two at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. Michel de Montaigne....Roger Allam Peslier....James Norton Catherine de Medici....Jane Lapotaire Henri Navarre....Elliot Levey Henri Valois....Sam Dale Francoise de Montaigne....Sally Orrock Marie de Gournay....Leah Brotherhead Sergeant Soumillon....Adeel Akhtar Captain Guyon....Lloyd Thomas Courtier....Henry Devas | ||
Long Day's Journey Into Night, By Eugene O'neill | 20170625 | Eugene O'Neill's drama focusing one devastating day in the lives of a Connecticut family. Long Day's Journey Into Night is the story of one devastating day in the Tyrone family, the Great American Family at its worst. The play depicts the family members' downward spiral into addiction, disease, and their own haunted pasts. Awarded a Pulitzer Prize posthumously for this play, it is generally regarded as Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece. With a cast including Robert Glenister, Anastasia Hille and Rupert Evans. Set in August 1912 in the Summer House of The Tyrones by the sea in Connecticut, the four main characters are considered to be the semi-autobiographical representations of O'Neill himself, his older brother, and their parents. James Tyrone is a tight fisted ageing actor whose miserliness has been the ruin of his family. His wife, Mary, has been a morphine addict since the birth of their youngest son, Edmund. Their eldest son, Jamie, is an alcoholic, unable and unwilling to find work on his own, he has been 'forced' to take up his father's profession. Edmund, who has been away as a sailor has returned home sick and awaits the doctor's diagnosis of consumption. They are all so wrapped up in their own despair that they struggle to confront the truth. A Pier Production. | ||
Love Is Not New In This Country | 20180204 | Intrepid actors stage a production of Shakespeare's Love's Labours Lost in Kabul in 2005. By Samantha Ellis. Introduced by Qais Akbar Omar. In Kabul in 2005, after the defeat of the Taliban, German-Syrian actress and director Corinne Jaber worked hard to achieve what many thought was an impossible task: to bring together a company of Afghan actors to stage a Dari production of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost. Revolutionary things happen in rehearsal - male and female actors appear on the same stage, make eye contact, become friends, and even talk frankly about love, but are plagued by fears that Afghanistan hasn't really changed that much. The Taliban are making death threats against the actresses. Could this one production really, as one actor vowed, 'challenge the whole country'? Based on the book 'A Night in the Emperor's Garden' by Stephen Landrigan and Qais Akbar Omar. Corinne....Amita Dhiri Qais....Nima Taleghani Nabi....Philip Arditti Parwin....Nathalie Armin Breshna....G退hane Strehler Marina....Sarah Agha Kabir....Paul Chahidi Shahla....Jumaan Short Tawab....Mustafa Aryan Music by Milad Yousofi Sound design by Alisdair McGregor Directed by Jeremy Mortimer Executive Producer Joby Waldman A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3. | ||
Macbeth | 20170430 | A new production of Shakespeare's dark tragedy about ambition for power. | ||
Manfred | 20170108 | 20181021 (R3) | Manfred by Lord Byron This haunting, poetic drama stars Joseph Millson. Manfred, living isolated, high in the mountains, tortured and haunted by a dark crime, invokes spirits in search of solace but finds no peace. Singers: Rhiain Taylor, Caroline Lock, Michael Gibson, Fionnuala Dorrity, Conrad Nelson, Connor Baiano and Katharine Longworth. Original music composed and performed by Olly Fox. Introduction with Gregory Paul Tate, University of St. Andrews Research consultant, Professor Jane Stabler, University St. Andrews Manfred, haunted by a dark crime, invokes spirits in search of solace but finds no peace. | |
Mary Rose | 20161023 | 20180624 (R3) | JM Barrie's haunting play about a sinister Scottish island and a girl who never grows up. JM Barrie's haunting play about a sinister Scottish island and a girl who never grows up. A soldier sits staring into the fire in an empty, dark house while an unsettling and tragic history unfolds before him. Written in the aftermath of the First World War, Barrie's play about loss and the mystery of life is by turns comic, eerie and heartbreaking. Original music is composed and performed by singer cellist Laura Moody. JM Barrie....Bill Paterson Mary Rose....Bryony Hannah Simon....Oliver Chris Mr. Morland....James Fleet Mrs. Morland....Pippa Haywood Harry....Finlay Robertson Mrs. Otery....Alison Belbin Cameron....Mark Prendergast Writer, JM Barrie Composer/performer, Laura Moody Adapter, Abigail le Fleming Director, Abigail le Fleming. | |
Massistonia | 20110206 | Colin Teevan's play is loosely based on his own ill-fated trip to Macedonia to direct a major theatre production. Jason has high hopes for his international version of 'Alcmaeon in Corinth'. He embarks on the project with little idea of the forces about to be unleashed against him. Jason - Darren Boyd Aleksandar - Nikola Kodjabashia Castor/Mayor - Ewan Bailey Dragan/Aco - Sasha C. Damjanovski Kaliopi - Dolya Gavanski Todor/Consul - Ivan Marevich Dionysos - Iain Batchelor Afrodita - Leah Brotherhead Original music by Nikola Kodjabashia Director: Toby Swift ******************************* Colin Teevan's new play is a timely tale of Western hubris and Eastern European manipulation of the system. Inspired by Colin's own ill-fated trip to work with the National Theatre of Macedonia in 2008, 'Massistonia' follows an English director and his creative team as they try to mount an international touring production of 'Alcmaeon in Corinth'. Colin Teevan is a prolific writer for theatre and radio. Former writer-in-residence at Queens University, Belfast, he has also been ScreenEast Writing Fellow at University of East Anglia and Literary Fellow to the Universities of Durham and Newcastle. His work is regularly performed all over the world, including in this country at the National Theatre, the Young Vic and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Colin has been a regular contributor to the Verb on BBC Radio 3. One of his plays for 'Drama on 3', the acclaimed 'How Many Miles to Basra', was subsequently re-worked for the stage, winning a Clarion Award in 2007. Colin Teevan's play based on his own trip to Macedonia to direct a theatre production. Jason....Darren Boyd Aleksandar....Nikola Kodjabashia Castor/Mayor....Ewan Bailey Dragan/Aco....Sasha C. Damjanovski Kaliopi....Dolya Gavanski Todor/Consul....Ivan Marevich Dionysos.... Iain Batchelor Afrodita.... Leah Brotherhead | ||
Measure For Measure | 20180429 | Paul Higgins and Nicola Ferguson star in Shakespeare's last and perhaps strangest comedy. by William Shakespeare Women? Help Heaven! men their creation mar In profiting by them. Shakespeare's last and perhaps strangest comedy - a play about religion, surveillance, coercion, sex and power. The Duke....Paul Higgins Isabella....Nicola Ferguson Angelo....Robert Jack Escalus....Maureen Beattie Lucio and Froth....Finn den Hertog The Provost....Michael Nardone Mariana....Maggie Serivce Claudio / Friar Peter....Owen Whitelaw Pompey....Sandy Grierson Mistress Overdone and Francisca....Georgie Glen Juliet....Olivia Morgan Elbow / Abhorson / Friar Thomas....Kevin Mains Introduced by Professor Julie Sanders Sound design and music by Gary C Newman Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane. | ||
Mendelssohn Weekend, A Midsummer Night's Dream | 20090510 | |||
Migrant Mother | 20101128 | Migrant Mother by Michael Symmons Roberts A lyrical drama inspired by the events which led to Dorothea Lange's iconic photograph of Florence Owens Thompson. California 1936. Florence Owens Thompson and her family have joined the thousands of migrant workers flocking across America in search of work. Homeless, desperately hungry and faced with the threat of mob violence, her hopeful resolution is quickly fading. Photographer Dorothea is following the migrants to their make-shift refugee camps, desperate to find the image which will capture the extent of their hardship, to bring about a change in American policy and hearts. A chance meeting with Florence could bring about the image she is looking for. Although inspired by a true story, certain events and characters have been created or changed for dramatic effect. Dorothea .....Teresa Gallagher Paul - Ian Porter Florence - Anne Wittman Jim - Kerry Shale Henry - Allen Lidkey Troy - Oliver Lee Receptionist - Kathryn Hunt Music by Pat Mo Sheeran Written by Michael Symmons Roberts Directed by Susan Roberts Producer: Charlotte Riches. Drama inspired by Dorothea Lange's iconic photograph of Florence Owens Thompson. Dorothea....Teresa Gallagher Paul....Ian Porter Florence....Anne Wittman Jim....Kerry Shale Henry....Allen Lidkey Troy....Oliver Lee Receptionist....Kathryn Hunt | ||
Mincemeat | 20111113 | Adapted for radio by Adrian Jackson and Farhana Sheikh, from their hit play for Cardboard Citizens. Cardboard Citizens has worked with homeless people and the marginalised for 20 years, marrying personal stories and historical subjects into an epic theatre that challenges public perceptions of social exclusion. In this award-winning production, the company unravel a thrilling wartime tale of deception and hidden identity, in an entertaining, multi-layered, time-hopping journey which goes to heart of what it means to have no home, and no name. Mincemeat is based on the extraordinary true story of a second-world-war deception, through which the Allies made the Germans believe that they would open a second front in Europe in 1943 through Sardinia. The deception involved a corpse whose identity was a state secret, known only to the originator of the operation, who took the secret to his grave. It was only in 1997 that the true identity of the corpse came to light. Mincemeat reveals the story of the mission and its final revelation, through the eyes of that corpse, and discovers a secret war which never made the history books. The play contains some strong language. Major Martin/Glyndwr Michael....Ifan Meredith Charlie....Robert Gillespie Head Angel....Ester Escolano Pam....Jo Galbraith Lieutenant Commander Montagu....Nick Khan Squadron Leader Cholmondeley....Jake Goode Churchill....Neil Boorman Fred Shrieve....Patrick Onione The Body....Dave Rogers The Foreman....Ben Smithies Maureen....Sylvia Larry with the voice of Ivor Leverton. Original music by David Baird, sound design by Pete Ringrose. Produced by Jonquil Panting. Directed by Adrian Jackson. Cardboard Citizens would like to dedicate this production to the memory of Linda Dobell, who was a member of the original cast. Adrian Jackson and Farhana Sheikh's wartime tale of deception and hidden identity. Major Martin/Glyndwr Michael - Ifan Meredith Charlie - Robert Gillespie Head Angel - Ester Escolano Pam - Jo Galbraith Lieutenant Commander Montagu - Nick Khan Squadron Leader Cholmondeley - Jake Goode Churchill - Neil Boorman Fred Shrieve - Patrick Onione The Body - Dave Rogers The Foreman - Ben Smithies Maureen - Sylvia Larry | ||
Mogadishu | 20111023 | Vivienne Franzmann's cutting-edge play explores the consequences of an assault on a white female teacher by a troubled black student and her well-meaning but misguided attempt to protect him. Mogadishu was originally produced at the Manchester Royal Exchange in 2011 and won both the Bruntwood Award for Writing and The George Devine Prize for 'Most Promising Playwright'. The critics called it 'A startling debut', 'A tough, gripping spectacle', 'The play of the year? Quite possibly'. As the school investigates an allegation of physical and racial abuse, the teacher becomes entangled in a mesh of legal requirements and formal processes that threaten her family stability and her career. Franzmann - a former teacher herself - has adapted the play for radio and uses multiple perspectives on the incident to show how formal procedure and protocol can override common sense and professional judgement. Mogadishu unfolds in a series of actions, reversals and counter-reversals with sharp dialogue and fast-pacing. The language of contemporary teenagers is presented with considerable authenticity revealing them to be complex, dysfunctional, funny and vulnerable. Amanda....Candida Benson, Jason....Malachi Kirby, Chris....Jonathan Guy Lewis, Becky....Shannon Tarbett, Saif....Farshid Rokey, Chuggs....Tendayi Jambere, Dee....Chereen Buckley, Firat....Michael Karim, Peter....Ashley Campbell, Ben....Darren Saul. Sound by Ross Adams. Directed by Willi Richards. Produced by Roger James Elsgood. Mogadishu is an Art and Adventure production for the BBC. Vivienne Franzmann's play exploring race, abuse and power in a London secondary school. Amanda - Candida Benson, Jason - Malachi Kirby, Chris - Jonathan Guy Lewis, Becky - Shannon Tarbett, Saif - Farshid Rokey, Chuggs - Tendayi Jambere, Dee - Chereen Buckley, Firat - Michael Karim, Peter - Ashley Campbell, Ben - Darren Saul. | ||
Money | 20110619 | Samuel West makes his radio directorial debut with a new adaptation by Kate Clanchy of Edward Bulwer-Lytton's vibrant and good-hearted satirical comedy. Part of the BBC Radio 3 Money Talks season. The play was recorded on location at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, the stately home of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, which he inherited in 1843 shortly after writing 'Money'. Stars Roger Allam, Celia Imrie and Ian McDiarmid. The music, specially recorded for the play, is performed by the Endellion String Quartet. Kate Clanchy's adaptation re-fashions the action around one grand house, modernises the heroine, Clara, and sets the action just before the 1832 Reform Act to accentuate the political plot. Money' was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in 1840. It was an instant success and the play's social commentary, genteel comedy and high romance still resonate and charm today. Alfred Evelyn....Blake Ritson Clara Douglas....Laura Rees Sir John Vesey....Ian McDiarmid Lady Franklin....Celia Imrie Henry Graves....Roger Allam Georgina Vesey....Phoebe Waller-Bridge Sir Frederick Blount....Bertie Carvel Benjamin Stout....Richard Cordery Captain Dudley Smooth....Tom Goodman-Hill Flash....Nicholas Boulton Music performed by the Endellion String Quartet Sound Design: David Chilton Director: Samuel West Producer: Amber Barnfather A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 3. Samuel West directs Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 19th century satirical comedy Money. Alfred Evelyn - Blake Ritson Clara Douglas - Laura Rees Sir John Vesey - Ian McDiarmid Lady Franklin - Celia Imrie Henry Graves - Roger Allam Georgina Vesey - Phoebe Waller-Bridge Sir Frederick Blount - Bertie Carvel Benjamin Stout - Richard Cordery Captain Dudley Smooth - Tom Goodman-Hill Flash - Nicholas Boulton | ||
My Brother God And The Ban Yan Tree | 20090503 | |||
My Generation | 20120205 | is a family saga covering four decades. Set in the counter culture, it offers a window onto the drug- and pop-fuelled protest movement. A story of flawed attempts to make a better world. In a time of job cuts, rising unemployment and the re-structuring of the benefits system, this play examines the effectiveness of the protest movement to change lives through the stories of four characters from one family over four decades. Mum Cath - 1970's, 80's for Dad - Mick, 90's for son Ben, and 00's - daughter Emma. The play opens against the backdrop of the Ripper murders. This radicallised feminisim in Leeds at the time. Mick's involvement in the Miners' Strike holds the arc of the second part and in the third, son Ben turns his back on the politics of his parents, escaping into the rave scene. Daughter Emma's story brings us up to date with the current occupy movement. Alice Nutter's own direct experience of the protest movement over three decades gives My Generation an authenticity and strongly authored feel. As part of the band Chumbawamba, Alice lived in a squat in Leeds for many years. Chumbawamba were initially inspired musically by bands as diverse as The Fall, PiL, Wire, and Adam and the Ants and politically by the anarchist stance of Crass. By the end of 1982, the band had expanded to include Alice Nutter (of Ouch, My Hair's on Fire but no-one's bothered) and Dunstan Bruce (of Men in a Suitcase) and were living in a squat in Armley, Leeds, with Harry 'Daz' Hamer and Dave 'Mavis' Dillon. Harry Hamer has composed original music for My Generation which is used alongside contemporary recordings and pop cultural references, mixing personal and political history with the music that transformed Britain's youth. Full of pop and passion, this is not a bleak drama; it's the story of a family who are caught up in the times. CAST: Cath....Jo Hartley Mick....Jason Done Young Emma....Aimee Leigh Foster Susie/Older Emma....Emma Rydall Young Ben....Harvey Chaisty Freya/Carmel....Carla Henry Helen/Sky....Rachel Austin Valley....Alun Raglan Bug/Ty....William Ash Richie/Biker Bernard/Phil....Graeme Hawley Ben....John Catterall. Original Music by Harry Hamer. Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts. A family saga set in Leeds covering four decades of the protest movement. My Generation is a family saga covering four decades. Set in the counter culture, it offers a window onto the drug- and pop-fuelled protest movement. A story of flawed attempts to make a better world. Cath - Jo Hartley Mick - Jason Done Young Emma - Aimee Leigh Foster Susie/Older Emma - Emma Rydall Young Ben - Harvey Chaisty Freya/Carmel - Carla Henry Helen/Sky - Rachel Austin Valley - Alun Raglan Bug/Ty - William Ash Richie/Biker Bernard/Phil - Graeme Hawley Ben - John Catterall. | ||
My Heart's A Suitcase | 20110710 | David Edgar introduces a new production of 'My Heart's a Suitcase' by Clare McIntyre. McIntyre was one of the new generation of women playwrights who emerged with huge impact in the 1980s and this was one of her best-known plays from 1990. Two young women take a weekend break in Brighton but find that you can never really escape from your feelings, fear, money and the lack of it. Chris and Hannah are close friends and they decide to take up an offer of a weekend in Brighton, staying in a large but empty, seafront flat. Although they are close friends, they are very different, Hannah has MS but is accepting of her lot, her glass is always half full, Chris on the other hand is healthy but wishes she had more of everything and finds life hard to accept, her glass is always half empty! Over the weekend they encounter Elliot, a down on his luck homeless man who has been squatting in the flat and Tunis, the wealthy wife of the owner of the flat, who is and has everything Chris and Hannah are and have not! It is a weekend of visitations and attempts to confront the truth and with help, lighten and enlighten the load. David Edgar was a colleague of Clare McIntrye's, who died in 2009. Music by Stephanie Nunn Cast: Chris....Charlotte Emmerson Hannah....Poppy Miller Elliot....Sean Baker Luggage....sylvestra le touzel Pest....Sid Mitchell Tunis....Paloma Baeza Director: Celia de Wolff. Play about two young women on holiday in Brighton confronting the truth about their lives. Chris - Charlotte Emmerson Hannah - Poppy Miller Elliot - Sean Baker Luggage - Sylvestra le Touzel Pest - Sid Mitchell Tunis - Paloma Baeza | ||
Natural Born Caretakers | 20101024 | A new play by award winning writer Sarah Daniels that takes us behind the headlines about social work in 21st century Britain. The writer spent months talking to social workers and a week shadowing a London social work team. The resulting drama reflects current concerns, workloads and aspirations for social work teams at all levels. David Ashton is on the edge of retiring from his hectic job as a social work team manager; his wife Ann is about to leave him, and he is not sure what his teenage son Oliver does on a daily basis. Karen his colleague is beginning to doubt her reasons for leaving a successful business career in order to follow what she thought was her vocation. When Sue, their Team leader, calls them to her office first thing, they know it won't be good news. Ashley, a 4 year old boy on Karen's patch, has been rushed to hospital unconscious in the middle of the night. His mother, Nicole, has no coherent explanation for his injuries. When drugs are found on the premises and the police inform the social work team that a man was in the house, Karen and the team have to protect Sophie, Ashley's younger sister; find out what really went on; field press interest; and prepare a detailed report for their superiors. Sarah Daniels is a prolific writer for stage, screen and audio, putting current issues and social concerns at the heart of her dramas. She has won many awards for her work. David........Michael Garner Ann.........Deborah Findlay Karen.........Nadine Marshall Sue.........Emma Fielding Doris........Pamela Miles Dr Harvey......Philip Bretherton Ricki........Derek Riddell Dr Omosoto......Angela Wynter Oliver/Lucas.....Will Payne Ashley.........Ray Dowland Sophie......... Mala Yorke Dramatist........Sarah Daniels Sound design........ Eloise Whitmore Producer/director......Polly Thomas A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 3. A new, darkly humorous drama focusing on a day in the life of a social worker. David....Michael Garner Ann....Deborah Findlay Karen....Nadine Marshall Sue....Emma Fielding Doris....Pamela Miles Dr Harvey....Philip Bretherton Ricki....Derek Riddell Dr Omosoto....Angela Wynter Oliver/Lucas....Will Payne Ashley....Ray Dowland Sophie....Mala Yorke Dramatist....Sarah Daniels Sound design....Eloise Whitmore Producer/director....Polly Thomas | ||
New Mystery Plays | 20110417 | by Sean Buckley, Lin Coghlan, J Parkes, Katie Hims and Roy Williams. Five Old Testament stories revisited and set in present day London - Creation in the mind of a coma victim, The Flood in a DIY warehouse, Exodus in an Old Folks Home, Samson and Delilah in a hairdressers, David and Goliath in the world of young gang warfare. CREATION by Sean Buckley JO....ALEX TREGEAR NURSE....JONATHAN FORBES DAD....SEAN BAKER YOUNG JO....HARPER BONE THE FLOOD by Lin Coghlan GIBBONS....Sally Orrock KEVIN....Stuart McLoughlin LORD....Sean Baker LAURA....Lizzy Watts MUM....Joanna Monro BOB....Sam Dale BOOTSEY....Nyasha Hatendi SUZANNE....Alex Tregear EXODUS by J Parkes MO....Sally Orrock MIRIAM....Sue Porrett FAY....Joanna Monro HELEN....Jane Whittenshaw ELISA....Sandra Voe SAMSON AND DELILAH by Katie Hims SAMSON....James Alexandrou DELILAH....Katie Angelou TRACEY....Claire Rushbrook PHIL....Stuart Mcloughlin ANGEL....Sean Baker MARIE....Joanna Monro TEACHER....Jane Whittenshaw GARY....Nyasha Hatendi DAVID AND GOLIATH by Roy Williams DAVID....Jerome Holder MOE....Anthony Welsh JASE....Nyasha Hatendi ASHER....Osy Ikhile Sound... Pete Ringrose Director... Jessica Dromgoole. Old Testament stories revisited: Creation; The Flood; Exodus; Samson; David and Goliath. JO - ALEX TREGEAR NURSE - JONATHAN FORBES DAD - SEAN BAKER YOUNG JO - HARPER BONE GIBBONS - Sally Orrock KEVIN - Stuart McLoughlin LORD - Sean Baker LAURA - Lizzy Watts MUM - Joanna Monro BOB - Sam Dale BOOTSEY - Nyasha Hatendi SUZANNE - Alex Tregear MO - Sally Orrock MIRIAM - Sue Porrett FAY - Joanna Monro HELEN - Jane Whittenshaw ELISA - Sandra Voe SAMSON - James Alexandrou DELILAH - Katie Angelou TRACEY - Claire Rushbrook PHIL - Stuart Mcloughlin ANGEL - Sean Baker MARIE - Joanna Monro TEACHER - Jane Whittenshaw GARY - Nyasha Hatendi DAVID - Jerome Holder MOE - Anthony Welsh JASE - Nyasha Hatendi ASHER - Osy Ikhile Sound ... Pete Ringrose Director ... Jessica Dromgoole. | ||
Nordic Voices | 20171217 | A celebration of contemporary Nordic writing in three new short plays. by Anna Bro, Arne Lygre and Jonas Gardell First broadcast in 2015 as part of Radio 3's Northern Lights season, three short plays explore contemporary life in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The first play, An Emergency by Anna Bro, is set at a Danish summerhouse. A mother (Deborah Findlay) and father (Tim McInnerny) have laid out a birthday spread for their daughter and anticipate her imminent arrival from the ferry port. However, nerves are frayed. This will be the first time they will have seen their daughter since her breakdown and both parents are desperately worried about the reunion. So when a group of teenagers, armed with a crate of beer and a stereo, choose to loiter on the beach directly in front of their summerhouse, anxiety levels go through the roof. Ana Bro's drama explores parent-child dynamics within Danish family life, and themes which are instantly recognisable. Anna Bro is an award-winning Danish playwright. Cast: Mum....Deborah Findlay Dad....Tim McInnerny Lisbeth....Susan Jameson Daughter....Rebecca Hamilton Girl....Katie Redford Girl....Evie Killip Boy....George Watkins Boy....Leo Wan Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz from a literal translation by Anders Lundorph Director: Sasha Yevtushenko The second play, Nothing of Me by Arne Lygre, is an innovative and moving play for voices, which follows a woman's (Amanda Hale) grieving process over a year. It explores identity, and how much we are defined by what other people think about us. Arne Lygre is a leading Norwegian playwright, and former writer-in-residence at Oslo's National Theatre. Her....Amanda Hale Him....Joel MacCormack His Mother....Susan Jameson Her Mother....Deborah Findlay Her Son....Alexander Arnold Adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz from a literal translation by May-Brit Akerholt Director: Anders Lundorph The final play, Wild Is The Wind by Jonas Gardell, tells the story of an interview between a religious young man and the Pastor from his local church. The young man describes a recent intimate encounter with another young man, and struggles to reconcile the church's doctrines with his own feelings. As with much of Jonas Gardell's work, the play explores homosexuality and the church, and challenges the perception of Sweden's liberalism surrounding LGBT rights. Jonas Gardell is an extremely popular playwright, author, comedian in Sweden. He wrote the internationally renowned trilogy Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves about the impact of AIDS in the homosexual community in the early 1980s. Pastor....Tim McInnerny David....Matthew Tennyson Youth Leader....Chris Pavlo Tomas....Alexander Arnold Translated by Nichola Smalley from a literal translation by Anders Lundorph produced by Anders Lundorph and Sasha Yevtushenko. | ||
Of A Lifetime | 20180916 | Two young women travel round Europe, when a painful past tests their friendship. Part of Radio 3's showcase of new audio plays at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Recorded with an audience at the BBC's newly created pop-up drama studio at the Summerhall arts venue. What makes a true friendship? What do women in their mid 20s really think about each other? In an era of increasing identity politics and the coming of age of the #MeToo generation, Lulu Raczka's bold new drama is an exciting and insightful exploration of two young women's bonds. Whilst on a trip across Europe, Kaela and Georgia look back at their younger selves and how their friendship has changed. Eventually, Georgia reveals an incident of sexual violence that at the time, Kaela was unable to fully understand. With hindsight, the two women are able to acknowledge the impact of the incident on them both and move forward. With moments of warmth, humour and honesty, Of a Lifetime offers a unique and touching portrait of a younger generation of women, and the strength they draw from female friendship. Lulu Raczka is an award-winning young playwright and Company Director of Barrel Organ Theatre, with whom she worked on her first play Nothing'. Nothing' was awarded The Sunday Times Playwriting Award as well as the National Student Drama Festival Award for Creative Risk. Lulu's new play A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar)' was first produced West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2017 and has just been produced at the New Diorama Theatre. She is currently writing an episode of Frank Spotnitz's new series Medici: Masters of Florence', starring Dustin Hoffman and Richard Madden, for Lux Vide and Netflix. Lyn Gardner has described Lulu as A voice so distinctive and fully formed it's hard to believe she's so young'. Georgia... Dani Heron Kaela... Lois Chimimba Co-producer, Polly Thomas Sound Designer and Executive Producer, Eloise Whitmore Writer, Lulu Raczka A Naked Production for BBC Radio 3. | ||
Orlando | 20190224 | Virginia Woolf's Orlando re-imagined by five poets An exhilarating, inventive, comedic odyssey spanning four centuries. A journey of self-discovery and transformation, unravelling gender expectations, identity and sexuality. Chapter 1 & 6: by Amanda Dalton Chapter 2: by Caroline Bird Chapter 3: by Zena Edwards Chapter 4: by Karen McCarthy Woolf Chapter 5: by Hannah Silva ORLANDO....Emma Frankland OAK TREE....Claire Benedict QUEEN ELIZABETH I / THE BLACKAMOOR....Nina Sosanya MRS GRIMSDITCH....Kate Rutter EUPHROSYNE / SASHA / MAID....Natalie Grady NICHOLAS GREEN / CAPTAIN....Rupert Hill GRACE....Leonie Elliott RUSTUM / NARRATOR....Stephen Marzella SHELMERDINE/ BOW STREET RUNNER....Cesare Taurasi Directed by Nadia Molinari A bold and inventive re-imagining of the Virginia Woolf classic. | ||
Pericles | An adventure full of tyrants, incest, murder, knights, a great hero and the goddess Diana. 'An adventure full of tyrants, incest, murder, knights, a great hero and the goddess Diana.' | |||
Perpetual Light | 20101205 | When William Hellier dies, his wife creates an avatar of him and has it uploaded onto a cyberspace memorial site. But is he software? Or is his soul trapped in the machine? By Melissa Murray Rachel - Claire Price Barbara - Sian Thomas Jas - Khalid Abdalla William - Sam Dale Castleford - Adeel Akhtar Leader - Sean Baker George - Tony Bell Counter/Sat Nav - Claire Harry Fee - Leah Brotherhead Maken 1 - Iain Batchelor Maken 2 - Henry Devas Directed by Marc Beeby It is the very near future. A new way to remember the dead has been developed. The Maken Corporation can construct an interactive avatar - a perfectly realistic representation of the deceased - in cyberspace, using all the data available on an individual. At first, this appears to be a huge comfort for the bereaved. They can see and speak to their dead. The pain of mourning is eased. But it's a controversial issue. One that divides society and divides families. When William Hellier dies suddenly his wife Barbara and daughter Rachel, not for the first time in their lives, come into conflict. Barbara goes to Maken and has an avatar of her dead husband created. But as she begins to spend more time with William - and more money at Maken - Rachel begins to believe that the corporation is preying on the grief of the vulnerable. Her cousin Jas, also has reasons to distrust Maken. He believes they have imprisoned William Hellier's soul. Can Jas persuade Rachel to destroy her father's avatar? And if he can, will Rachel go through with it once she comes face to face with the man she loved? A corporation finds a way of making interactive avatars of the dead. By Melissa Murray. Rachel....Claire Price Barbara....Sian Thomas Jas....Khalid Abdalla William....Sam Dale Castleford....Adeel Akhtar Leader....Sean Baker George....Tony Bell Counter/Sat Nav....Claire Harry Fee....Leah Brotherhead Maken 1....Iain Batchelor Maken 2....Henry Devas | ||
Pornography | 20090125 | |||
Remorse, Or, The Sorrows Of Samuel Taylor Coleridge | 20160612 | 20180520 (R3) | By Robin Brooks. Drama about Coleridge's ill-fated friendship with Wordsworth. Samuel Taylor Coleridge promised to be the genius of his generation, but his creative achievement was contaminated by chronic procrastination, addiction and hallucination. Robin Brooks's inventive play tells the story of Coleridge's ill-fated friendship with William Wordsworth and his infatuation with Sara Hutchinson. At the crisis of a major breakdown, and suffering from a massive laudanum overdose, Coleridge is forced to review the train-wreck of his life. In an opium nightmare his crimes rise up to accuse him, and a court of friends and enemies is assembled to review the experiences that have brought him to this pass. Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor An Allegra Production for BBC Radio 3. | |
Richard Ii | 20170416 | 20190210 (R3) | Richard II was the first king to insist on being called 'Majesty' and believed in the divine right of kings. In Shakespeare's lyrical play, Richard's folly and the delusion of autocracy bring about his own downfall. When he banishes Bolingbroke and then confiscates his land and wealth despite warnings, he triggers a chain of events that led to his overthrow and the accession of Bolingbroke as King Henry IV. This is the first recording of a Shakespeare play to be broadcast in binaural sound. The production has been recorded using a pioneering 3D microphone set-up: listen with headphones for an enhanced experience which highlights Richard II's subjective world view. When Shakespeare's Richard II banishes Bolingbroke he brings about his own downfall. | |
Romeo And Juliet In Southwark| | 20040912 | By Georgia Finch. A play written in collaboration with the Globe Theatre Education Department and the pupils from an inner-London school, this is the story of two ordinary London teenagers, their lives, and the very special day they share. Based on real events. Stephen....Mohammed George Jessica....Petra Letang Francis....Mark Monero Jessica's Mum....Janice Acquah Bola....Troy Glasgow Mel....Medhavi Patel Jade....Aml Ameen Slick....Tyronne Lewis Driver....Nick Boulton Narrator....Georgia Fitch Directed by Marc Beeby. Stephen - Mohammed George Jessica - Petra Letang Francis - Mark Monero Jessica's Mum - Janice Acquah Bola - Troy Glasgow Mel - Medhavi Patel Jade - Aml Ameen Slick - Tyronne Lewis Driver - Nick Boulton Narrator - Georgia Fitch | ||
Ropewalk House | 20190113 | A daring new site-specific theatre piece set in a derelict rope factory. Written by ANITA SULLIVAN. Featuring members of the Shunt Collective. On the first day of rehearsals the cast arrives to begin devising a new work, based loosely around the minotaur myth. The director, Jarek, is known for creating bold, immersive theatre productions. The warehouse once boasted the world's longest `ropewalk??, the narrow corridor stretching the length of the building, and supplied rope to the Royal Navy. Jarek's cast includes old friends alongside aspiring young actors. As they explore the venue they discover it has unpredictable physical properties, with disturbing consequences. Recorded on location at the Fish Factory Studios. Jarek - Nigel Barrett Sarah - Hannah Ringham Gabe - Rob Heaps Nell - Gbemisola Ikumelo Mike - CARL PREKOPP Music by Ben and Max Ringham Sound design by Alisdair McGregor Directed by Joby Waldman Executive Producer Jeremy Mortimer A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 3. By ANITA SULLIVAN. A daring site-specific theatre piece set in a derelict rope factory. | ||
Rosmersholm | 20170115 | 20190127 (R3) | Rebekka West, the visionary, passionate heroine of 'Rosmersholm' inspired the English novelist to adopt that name. Ibsen's most complex play sees a society in turmoil through the lens of pastor John Rosmer and Rebekka, his social-revolutionary companion. Rosmer is recovering from the suicide of his unstable wife, Beata. Now Rebekka, replacing her in his affections, urges him to surrender his privileged place in conservative Norwegian society. A local elite plot to make him hold to the status quo. Can Rebekka prevail? Translated by Frank McGuinness and featuring music by Norwegian composer Marius Munthe-Kaas. Music composed and arranged by Marius Munthe-Kaas Music supervisor, Giles Perring Gro Hole Austgulen (violin), Elin Kleppa Michalsen (violin), Anna Cecilia Johansson (viola), Olav Stener Olsen (cello) Adapted and directed by Peter Kavanagh Rosmersholm' premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 1987. Ibsen's play about a man rejecting society's conservative values. Will his peers let him? | |
Rotterdam | 20180701 | Jon Brittain's Olivier-winning comedy about gender, sexuality and transitioning. | ||
Saint Joan, By Bernard Shaw | 20111009 | A Chronicle Play in Six Scenes and an Epilogue by Bernard Shaw It would be unthinkable not to include a new production of Saint Joan in Radio 3's Conviction season, which features new plays and classic drama about people with unwavering and uncompromising beliefs - and the consequences for those around them. Shaw's Saint Joan is the embodiment of absolute conviction. Given, as she believes, a divine mission to lead the French to victory and nationhood, she is also divinely forbidden to shed a single drop of blood. Her only weapon is her belief, and the courage it puts into those around her. In Joan, Shaw presents us with a character of remarkable talent and unshakeable faith - but no grace - and reveals her fate at the hands of normal men and women who, as Shaw notes, do what they find they must do, in spite of their best intentions. Joan's convictions are contagious. They make her an unstoppable force. They also lead her to destruction. 'There were only two opinions about her', Shaw observes in his preface to the play, 'One that she was miraculous: the other that she was unbearable. Joan of Arc was canonised in 1920, a fact which galvanised Shaw to complete the play with which he had long been toying. A humane masterpiece, full of comedy, outrage, satire and anger, it examines the seismic changes in medieval society of which Joan was a precursor, for an audience themselves struggling with a shocking new post-war order. An immediate success, the play restored Shaw to universal popularity, helping him to the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925, as the Academy observed, 'for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty'. Joan ('The Maid')....Lyndsey Marshal Robert de Baudricourt/The Chaplain (John de Stogumber)....Paul Ritter The Archbishop of Rheims....Anton Lesser The Duke of Tremouille/The Inquisitor....Sean Baker Charles, the Dauphin (later Charles VII)....Blake Ritson Bluebeard (Gilles de Rais)/Brother Martin Ladvenu....Nyasha Hatendi Captain La Hire/Canon John d'Estivet....Daniel Rabin Count of Dunois, Bastard of Orleans/Bertrand de Poulengey....Trystan Gravelle The Earl of Warwick....Jonathan Coy Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais....Paul Hilton Thomas de Courcelles....Stuart McLoughlin de Baudricourt's Steward/The Executioner....Brian Bowles Dunois' Page....Ryan Watson Adapted, Produced and Directed by Jonquil Panting The music is taken from 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace', by Karl Jenkins. Lyndsey Marshal stars in a new production of George Bernard Shaw's masterpiece. Joan ('The Maid') - Lyndsey Marshal Robert de Baudricourt/The Chaplain (John de Stogumber) - Paul Ritter The Archbishop of Rheims - Anton Lesser The Duke of Tremouille/The Inquisitor - Sean Baker Charles, the Dauphin (later Charles VII) - Blake Ritson Bluebeard (Gilles de Rais)/Brother Martin Ladvenu - Nyasha Hatendi Captain La Hire/Canon John d'Estivet - Daniel Rabin Count of Dunois, Bastard of Orleans/Bertrand de Poulengey - Trystan Gravelle The Earl of Warwick - Jonathan Coy Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais - Paul Hilton Thomas de Courcelles - Stuart McLoughlin de Baudricourt's Steward/The Executioner - Brian Bowles Dunois' Page - Ryan Watson | ||
Samson Agonistes | 20081214 | |||
Scandinavian Dreams | ||||
Sea Change | 20120129 | By John Fletcher. This is the story of the battle between appeasers and anti-appeasers in the period before - and just after - the start of the Second World War, and the formation of a coalition which, like the election of 2010, abruptly ruptured all previous political alignments. New political alliances and social organizations - which had first arisen in the Bridgwater by-election of 1938, but which had been ignored by the London-based political and media establishments - united in their fight against appeasement. Suddenly and dramatically, in May of that year, this new united front rose against the government and, in the space of only three days, overthrew it. Somewhat surprisingly, the magnificent story behind this overthrow is little known. It is a story of ferocious loyalty and betrayal, outrageous media manipulation, blackmail, prejudice - and not a little courage. The appeasers are principally represented by Neville Chamberlain and his ruthless, over-protective spin doctor Joseph Ball - a man who would have eaten Alistair Campbell for breakfast. The anti-appeasers, battling through various foreign policy crises, are a disparate group: an Australian, Rex Leeper, the Foreign Office's press officer, constantly - and largely unsuccessfully - countering Ball's pro-appeasement spin from Number 10; Harold Nicolson MP, bravely opposing appeasement amid the innuendos of fellow backbenchers and Ball's press smears; Vernon Bartlett, a radical foreign correspondent for the News Chronicle, who is asked to stand as the anti-appeasement candidate in the Bridgwater by-election; and Guy Burgess, anti-appeasement patriot, communist and BBC political producer, who is blackmailed over his homosexuality by Ball into couriering secret messages between Chamberlain and the dictators. The fascinating and little known story of the struggle to establish the coalition government of 1940 - a story of idealism, blackmail, and political skulduggery. Based on real events. Harold Nicolson....Charles Edwards Joseph Ball.... Kim Wall Neville Chamberlain....John Rowe Rex Leeper....Richard Dillane Guy Burgess....Carl Prekopp Vernon Bartlett....Adam Billington Rev. Cresswell Webb....Gerard McDermott Metford Bown....James Lailey Queen Elizabeth....Adjoa Andoh Other parts played by Christopher Webster and Rikki Lawton Directed by Marc Beeby. By John Fletcher. The dark story behind the creation of the coalition government of 1940. Harold Nicolson - Charles Edwards Joseph Ball - Kim Wall Neville Chamberlain - John Rowe Rex Leeper - Richard Dillane Guy Burgess - Carl Prekopp Vernon Bartlett - Adam Billington Rev. Cresswell Webb - Gerard McDermott Metford Bown - James Lailey Queen Elizabeth - Adjoa Andoh | ||
Sea Longing | 20181223 | By Elizabeth Kuti With music by Philip Selway As a renowned folklore expert, Robert Whyman has spent his life getting secrets out of other people; and his recordings of selkie stories and folktales are legendary. Now, with time running out for Whyman, the tables are turned as he gives an interview of his own, excavating his own mythology in a journey that takes him to some unexpectedly dark and secret places. This drama explores the world of selkie and seal stories, and how their engagement with some of the darker sides of love, longing, taboo and conflict, makes them an extraordinary source of strength and insight for the generations of people who have told and listened to them. Starring award-winning actor Stephen Dillane as Robert Whyman. Cast also includes Anastasia Hille, Jo McInnes, Lee Ross, Kiki May, Mairi Hawthorn, Eva Traynor, Nicholas Boulton, Anya Ashton and Paolo Ashton Directed by Jo McInnes Sound design by David Thomas Producer Karen Rose for Sweet Talk Productions Philip Selway is an English musician and songwriter best known as the drummer of Radiohead. Philip's most recent release is a soundtrack album to the film drama Let Me Go; a story about mothers and daughters. Elizabeth Kuti has written award-winning stage plays including; The Sugar Wife and Treehouses. Her radio work includes, for Radio 4, Dear Spectator and Maychild, and for Radio 3, Maychild (R4) Mr Fielding's Scandal Shop. Jo McInnes has worked extensively as an actress and in 2003 co-founded A.P.E. Theatre Company. In 2006, Jo held the position of Artistic Director of New Writing South and she has directed workshops and rehearsed readings of new work for, amongst others, the Royal Court, The Old Vic and Hampstead Theatre. Karen Rose is a multi award-winning drama producer and co-director of Sweet Talk. Drama exploring the mythic world of selkie and seal stories. Stars Stephan Dillane. | ||
Skyvers | 20111211 | by Barry Reckord 1960s London. A group of lads spends the last few days at their sink London comprehensive. What will become of the would-be footballer, the ambitious chancer or the boy on probation? Cast: Cragge....Danny Worters Brook....Jason Maza Colman....Abdul Salis Adams....Rikki Lawton Jordan....Theo Barklem-Biggs Helen....Joan Iyiola Sylvia....Shannon Tarbet Freeman....Carl Prekopp Webster....Gerard McDermott Headmaster....Paul Moriarty Directed by Mary Peate First produced at The Royal Court Theatre in 1963. Director Pam Brighton, to whom the play belongs, according to Reckord, says ' When I first came across Skyvers in 1970, it struck me as a powerful, relevant and hugely articulate work...How had Barry, a Jamaican teacher in a London comprehensive, described so accurately the alienation and rage of South London boys? The entrapment of both boys and girls bounded by sex, violence and either dull dead-end jobs or crime was described so perfectly by Barry. Playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah has curated new radio productions of three 20th Century plays for Radio 3's Drama on 3 and Skyvers is the last in the series. The three plays are introduced by Kwei-Armah, who describes how each of the writers influenced his own development as an actor and playwright. Kwame is currently based in Baltimore where he is Artistic Director of Center Stage Theater. Michael Billington on Skyvers in The Guardian: Other dramatists such as Nigel Williams in Class Enemy went on to explore the failure of the system to cope with those at the bottom of the heap. But Reckord got there first and while it is tempting to say times have changed, new figures show that up to 16million adults today have the reading and writing skils of primary schoolchildren... a piece that proves that the best drama offers vital social evidence.'. By Barry Reckord. The last days of school for a group of boys at a sink 60s comprehensive. Cragge - Danny Worters Brook - Jason Maza Colman - Abdul Salis Adams - Rikki Lawton Jordan - Theo Barklem-Biggs Helen - Joan Iyiola Sylvia - Shannon Tarbet Freeman - Carl Prekopp Webster - Gerard McDermott Headmaster - Paul Moriarty | ||
Slaughterhouse 5 | 20090920 | |||
Snow | 20050410 | Snow By Orhan Pamuk. Ka, a poet and political exile, returns to Turkey to write an investigative piece about troubling events in the mysterious, snow shrouded city of Kars; a place haunted by the silences of its own history. Snow is a spectacular tour de force, evoking the spiritual fragility of the non -western world, its ambivalence about the godless West, and its fury. Orhan....Robert Glenister Ka....William Houston Ipek....Lia Wiliams Kadife....Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil....Philip Arditti Turgut Bey....Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim....Jak Klaff Funda Esser....Nina Wadia Director....Nadim Sawalha Blue....Michael Maloney Cavit/ Agent....Ben Crowe Z Demirkol....Stephen Critchlow Dramatised by James Friel Translated by Maureen Freely Additional music composed and performed by Melanie Pappenheim Directed by Marilyn Imrie Orhan ......... Robert Glenister Ka ............ William Houston Ipek ......... Lia Wiliams Kadife ..............Jasmine Hyde Necip/Fazil ......... Philip Arditti Turgut Bey ............ Philip Jackson Sunay Zaim ............. Jak Klaff Funda Esser ........... Nina Wadia Director ......... Nadim Sawalha Blue ........... Michael Maloney Cavit/ Agent ......... Ben Crowe Z Demirkol ............. Stephen Critchlow | ||
Spring Storm, By Tennessee Williams | 20110306 | By Tennessee Williams. A radio adaptation of the Royal and Derngate, Northampton production, broadcast to mark the centenary of the playwright's birth. Heavenly Critchfield has almost everything a young woman could desire, but when she's forced to decide between respectable suitor Arthur and handsome, wild lover Dick, her actions cause a chain of consequences that tear their lives apart. Heavenly Critchfield - Liz White Arthur Shannon - Michael Malarkey Dick Miles - Michael Thomson Hertha Neilson - Anna Tolputt Esmeralda Critchfield - Jacqueline King Aunt Lila - Joanna Bacon Mrs Lamphrey/Birdie Schlagmann - Janice McKenzie Henry Adams - Gavin Harrison Oliver Critchfield - James Jordan Ralph - Steven France Mabel - Ailish Symons Music by Jon Nicholls Directed by Laurie Sansom Produced by Jeremy Mortimer Tennessee Williams was born on 26th March, 1911. 'Spring Storm', one of his first plays, was written in 1937, when he was twenty-six. It didn't receive its first production until 1995 in Berkeley. The European Premier took place at the Royal and Derngate Northampton on 15 October 2009, running alongside Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neill. Both productions subsequently transferred to the Royal National Theatre in 2010 to the Cottesloe Theatre. Adaptation of Tennessee WIlliams's play, starring Liz White and Michael Malarkey. Heavenly Critchfield....Liz White Arthur Shannon....Michael Malarkey Dick Miles....Michael Thomson Hertha Neilson....Anna Tolputt Esmeralda Critchfield....Jacqueline King Aunt Lila....Joanna Bacon Mrs Lamphrey/Birdie Schlagmann....Janice McKenzie Henry Adams....Gavin Harrison Oliver Critchfield....James Jordan Ralph....Steven France Mabel....Ailish Symons | ||
Sunset | 20120219 | Russia,1984. Andrei Demidov, an internationally-acclaimed - and controversial - novelist has just been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Outspoken and notoriously critical of the Soviet authorities, Demidov's novel 'Sunset', an exploration of the realities of the Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan, has been banned in his homeland, but thanks to the actions of Andrei's English publisher, Michael, has qualified and been awarded literature's most prestigious honour. Living under a restricted movement order in the countryside outside Moscow with his wife Alexandra, Andrei is faced with a difficult decision. The Soviet Authorities are not about to let one of their most vociferous critics travel to make an acceptance speech in Sweden denouncing the regime to an international audience. They might permit him to leave the country and live out the rest of his days as an exile, never to return to his beloved Russia. Or, he could acquiesce with the authorities, refuse the award, and in doing so ensure the freedom of his estranged son Nikolai. But in a world where everyone is manipulating everyone else for their own private or political ends, how much autonomy does Andrei really have? Is he master of his own fate, or a pawn in a game with greater stakes than he might imagine? The history of the Nobel Prize for Literature is no stranger to such controversies. From Boris Pasternak - who was awarded and then rejected the prize for 'Doctor Zhivago' - to Harold Pinter, who used his Nobel acceptance speech to denounce American foreign policy regarding the war in Iraq, the prize has frequently brought into focus the polemics of that eternal triumvirate which Pinter himself addressed in his speech: 'Art, Truth and Politics'. How far should art and artists engage in politics? Is personal veracity more important than utilitarianism? At what price does artistic integrity come? In this new drama for Radio 3, Doug Lucie pits such ideals against that of 'family' as Andrei's own future and that of his wife and son hang in the balance. For Andrei and his family, the prospect of freedom becomes as much of a prize as the award itself - but what exactly is freedom anyway? Cast Andrei Demidov....Julian Glover Alexandra....Stella Gonet Nikolai....Leo Bill Michael....David Bamber Yuri....Nicholas Woodeson Sergei....Jason Watkins Joe....Jim Norton Marina....Tracy Wiles Producer....Heather Larmour. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, Andrei Demidov must make an impossible decision. Andrei Demidov.............Julian Glover Alexandra.....................Stella Gonet Nikolai .........................Leo Bill Michael........................David Bamber Yuri............................Nicholas Woodeson Sergei.........................Jason Watkins Joe.............................Jim Norton Marina........................Tracy Wiles Producer.......................Heather Larmour. | ||
Synge: 100 Years On | 20090315 | |||
Tartuffe | 20090705 | |||
The Adding Machine | 20090905 | |||
The Blackwood | 20180916 | Drama from Edinburgh's Summerhall: The Blackwood by Jacob Polley with music by John Alder the house of rain has sixty rooms The Blackwood', a new drama born out of Jacob Polley's award-winning book Jackself, grows a new branch of the story of boyhood friends in a world both recognisably modern as well as starkly folkloric and weird. It recounts the journey of two boys through spaces real and rumoured, through the great forest of Blackwood, where voices and music weave alternative histories of boyhood, troubled friendship and the north of England. As well as a moving drama, The Blackwood is a haunting landscape in noise', created by musician and sound designer John Alder. Narrator... Jacob Polley Jeremy Wren... Ashley Margolis Jackself... Kyle Gardiner With music composed and played by John Alder. Directed by Susan Roberts. Part of Radio 3's showcase of new audio plays at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Recorded with an audience at the BBC's newly created pop-up drama studio at the Summerhall arts venue. | ||
The Carhullan Army | 20100411 | By Sarah Hall Adapted by Sarah Hall and Dominic Power Since her second novel 'The Electric Michaelangelo' was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2004, Sarah Hall has been regarded as one of the most original and exciting voices in contemporary British fiction. 'The Carhullan Army', her third novel, was published in 2007 to acclaim and won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. A serious political novel that convincingly explores the mindset of fascism, and a haunting story of how far we will go to be free, it's also a kind of Cumbrian western, peopled with heroic personalities out of an all-female version of 'The Iliad'. It's a blistering achievement: darkly violent, funny, tender and gripping, 'The Carhullan Army' is like nothing else. In an unspecified near-future, life in Britain has become unrecognisable: the floodwaters have risen, food and fuel are scarce, and the country is run by the sinister Authority. All women are forced to wear contraceptive devices. Sister, as the book's narrator calls herself, escapes this repressive world and heads for a mysterious, quasi-mythical commune of women high in the Cumbrian fells, led by the legendary Jackie Nixon. The journey is a challenge but arrival is only the beginning of Sister's struggle. Anne-Marie Duff ('Nowhere Boy', 'Margot', 'Shameless') heads the cast as Sister, while Geraldine James takes the role of guerrilla messiah Jackie Nixon. Sorcha Cusack plays the sympathetic Lorrie, and 'the Army' is made up of newer talents Zawe Ashton, Sally Bretton and Jo Hartley. Novelist Sarah Hall teams up with radio dramatist Dominic Power ('Riddley Walker', 'Northanger Abbey', 'Joseph Andrews') to create the mayhem of a future Britain where society is poised on the edge, where - for a time at least - the only civilised solution appears to be to run to the hills. Sister - Anne-Marie Duff Jackie - Geraldine James Nicola - Jane Whittenshaw Lorrie - Sorcha Cusack Shruti - Zawe Ashton Corky - Sally Bretton Megan - Eliza Caitlin Parkes Chloe - Jo Hartley Fowler/Martin - Neil Dudgeon Jones - Andrew Dunn Calum/Terry - Edward MacLiam Directed by Lawrence Jackson Produced by Frank Stirling Unique. An adaptation by Sarah Hall and Dominic Power of Hall's third novel The Carhullan Army. Sister....Anne-Marie Duff Jackie....Geraldine James Nicola....Jane Whittenshaw Lorrie....Sorcha Cusack Shruti....Zawe Ashton Corky....Sally Bretton Megan....Eliza Caitlin Parkes Chloe....Jo Hartley Fowler/Martin....Neil Dudgeon Jones....Andrew Dunn Calum/Terry....Edward MacLiam | ||
The Chalk Garden | 20110313 | It is the mid-1950s. In a Sussex country house, the elderly Mrs St Maugham lives with her unruly granddaughter Laurel. Though without references, Miss Madrigal becomes the paid companion to Laurel. Only when The Judge visits does the truth unravel. The production is introduced by the director, Michael Grandage. Mrs St Maugham - Margaret Tyzack Miss Madrigal - Penelope Wilton Laurel - Felicity Jones The Judge - Clifford Rose Maitland - Jamie Glover Olivia - Suzanne Burden Second Applicant - Steph Bramwell Nurse and Third Applicant - Una Stubbs Written by Enid Bagnold Director: Michael Grandage Composer and sound design: Adam Cork Radio production: Penny Leicester and Wilfredo Acosta Producer: Nicolas Soames An Ukemi Productions Ltd production for Radio 3. Drama set in a country house, when the arrival of a judge reveals shocking secrets. Mrs St Maugham....Margaret Tyzack Miss Madrigal....Penelope Wilton Laurel....Felicity Jones The Judge....Clifford Rose Maitland....Jamie Glover Olivia....Suzanne Burden Second Applicant....Steph Bramwell Nurse and Third Applicant....Una Stubbs | ||
The Cherry Orchard | 20081221 | Anton Chekhov's tale of a Russian family forced to sell their house and cherry orchard. | ||
The Cherry Orchard | 20181118 | Chekhov's celebrated stage play is given a new version by writer/composer duo, Katherine Tozer and John Chambers. Ranyevskya returns to the family estate after 5 years in Paris to face seemingly insurmountable debts. Local businessman Lopakhin is keen to offer her a way out but there'll be a price to pay. Ranyevskya....Emma Fielding Lopakhin....Neil Dudgeon Anya....Lucy Doyle Varya....Joan Iyiola Gayev....Dominic Coleman Peter....Nicholas Prasad Pishchik....Tony Turner Charlotte....Alexandra Constantinidi Yepikhodov....Matthew Wilson Dunyasha....Saffron Coomber Yasha....Liam Lau Fernandez Firs....Sean Murray The Tramp....Lewis Bray Music composed by John Chambers Directed by Toby Swift Katherine Tozer and John Chambers work as writer and composer respectively for PALIMPSEST, the innovative multi-media theatre company. Palimpsest have created bespoke work for Leighton House, Dr. Johnson's House and William Morris's Red House. Actor and writer Katherine Tozer has acted for the RSC, the Almeida, the Donmar and the Young Vic, in the West End, nationally and internationally in new work by Churchill, Brenton and Wertenbaker, in roles ranging from Phaedra to Blanche du Bois, for which she was nominated for a TMA award. She founded Palimpsest in 2013. John Chambers is a composer and sound designer. He studied at Trinity College of Music, winning the John Halford, Daryl Runswick, and Chappell composition prizes. For over a decade he has created music for theatre, including writer/director Steven Berkoff's premiere production of Oedipus. Composition highlights include a fanfare for Her Majesty the Queen (Royal Observatory, Greenwich 2007), a fanfare for the Olympic Torch Relay (Trafalgar Square 2008) and High Flight for Baritone Voice and String Quartet (performed by the Finzi Quartet). Chekhov's classic play in a new version with music. It's 1903 and revolution is in the air | ||
The Comic Illusion | 20110925 | Ranjit Bolt's reworking of Pierre Corneille's classic comedy. An old man seeks his estranged son with the help of a wizard. The magician shows the grieving father the boy's recent life in the form of an action-packed comedy adventure. Matamore....John Sessions Alcandre....Richard Johnson Clindor....Michael Maloney Isabelle....Hattie Morahan G?ronte....Benjamin Whitrow Adraste....Pip Torrens Lyse....Rosie Fellner Pridamant....Paul Moriarty Dorante....Simon Bubb Jailer....James Lailey Page....Jonathan Forbes Empress, Queen....Victoria Inez-Hardy Original music composed and performed by Russell Taylor and Steve Cooke Director: Peter Kavanagh Although Pierre Corneille was a contemporary of Moliere and Racine in the 17th century golden age of French drama, he is much less known to us than are they. In France however, his plays, including Le Cid and this work, are staple fare, regularly cropping up on education syllabuses and frequently produced by La Comedie Francaise. Under Alcandre's magic spell we meet the runaway Clindor, now a penniless servant. He is working as go-between, wooing the lovely Isabelle on behalf of his employer, the mad braggart Matamore. But Clindor and Isabelle have fallen in love with each other, so Clindor now wooes on his own behalf! A concatenation of events leads to Clindor's imprisonment for murder. But in true comic fashion he escapes, and he, Isabelle, and two friends flee to Paris. And there the illusory scene shifts to a mysterious higher plain, as, in one of the first and great theatrical coups, Corneille raises the action yet another level - that of play within play within play - before all is finally revealed. Seldom has the magic of theatre received a more moving and entertaining tribute than in this renowned and much admired masterpiece. Ranjit Bolt is one of Britain's leading translators for the stage, with numerous acclaimed transformations of European classics - among them: The Liar with Jonathan Miller (Old Vic), The Venetian Twins (RSC 1993); The School For Wives, West End 1996 (dir Peter Hall); Tartuffe, starring Martin Clunes, at the National Theatre in 2002. Ranjit Bolt's version of Corneille's classic French comedy. Matamore - John Sessions Alcandre - Richard Johnson Clindor - Michael Maloney Isabelle - Hattie Morahan Géronte - Benjamin Whitrow Adraste - Pip Torrens Lyse - Rosie Fellner Pridamant - Paul Moriarty Dorante - Simon Bubb Jailer - James Lailey Page - Jonathan Forbes Empress, Queen - Victoria Inez-Hardy | ||
The Contingency Plan | 20091213 | |||
The Dark Tower | 20171029 | A new production of Louis MacNeice's play 'The Dark Tower' with music by Benjamin Britten. Louis MacNeice's iconic verse drama, widely acknowledged to be the finest of his many works for radio and one of the most critically acclaimed radio plays of the 20th century. The play is inspired by the mythical quest in Robert Browning's mysterious poem 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came', but includes strong autobiographical and even satirical elements. At its core is original music by Benjamin Britten, to whom MacNeice dedicated the published script. Performed on 27th October 2017, in front of an audience at Orford Church, Suffolk, with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Roland....Harry Lloyd Gavin....Matthew Tennyson Sergeant-Trumpeter....Jude Akuwudike Mother....Lucy Robinson Tutor/Steward....Adrian Scarborough Soak....Jonjo O'Neill Blind Peter....Nicholas Murchie Sylvie....Manjinder Virk Priest/Officer/Stentor....Sam Dale Neaera....Hannah Genesius Barmaid/Clock Voice....Georgie Glen Young Roland....William Gidney BBC Concert Orchestra, conductor Robert Ziegler Director, Robin Brooks Producer, Fiona McAlpine. | ||
The Effect | 20180128 | Award-winning chemical romance by Lucy Prebble set during a clinical trial. by Lucy Prebble. Starring Jessie Buckley, Christine Entwisle, Damien Molony and SAMUEL WEST. 'I can tell the difference between who I am and a side effect.' Award-winning chemical romance. Connie (Jessie Buckley - 'The Last Post', 'Taboo') and Tristan (Damien Molony - 'Crashing', 'Being Human') are taking part in a clinical trial for a new psychoactive drug. So when they start to feel attracted to each other, can they really trust how they feel? A profound, and funny, play about love, depression and selfhood, winner of the Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play when it was performed at the National Theatre in 2012. Dr Lorna James.... Christine Entwisle Connie.... Jessie Buckley Tristan.... Damien Molony Dr Toby Sealey.... SAMUEL WEST Composer, Richard Hammarton Writer, Lucy Prebble Director, Abigail le Fleming THE WRITER Lucy Prebble is a writer for film, television, games and theatre. Before THE EFFECT she wrote the hugely successful ENRON (2010). Her first play, THE SUGAR SYNDROME (2003), won her the George Devine Award and was performed at the Royal Court. Lucy is an Associate Artist at the Old Vic Theatre. For television, she is the creator of the TV series SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL. She is Co-Executive Producer and writer on HBO's media mogul drama, SUCCESSION. THE COMPOSER Richard Hammarton is a composer and sound designer for Theatre, TV and Film. His work has been heard throughout the UK and Internationally. He was part of the design team that won the Manchester Evening News 'Best Design' award for DR FAUSTUS in 2010 and was Sound Designer for the Olivier Award winning play, THE MOUNTAINTOP. He also worked on the IVOR NOVELLO winning RIPPER STREET for TV. | ||
The Gambler | 20090614 | |||
The Glass Menagerie | 20180708 | Tennessee Williams's breakthrough play about a family in crisis in 1930s St. Louis. By Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie was Tennessee Williams' first big success when it opened on Broadway in 1945, and has remained the most touching, tender and painful of his works. Closely based on the playwright's own life and family in St Louis in the 1930s, Williams breaks away from naturalism to create a dream-like atmosphere. The narrator Tom conjures up recollections of the cramped and claustrophobic tenement home he shares with his often over-bearing mother Amanda, and his painfully shy sister, Laura. The play simmers with frustration as each character is trapped in their own unhappy situation. Tom (also Williams' birth name) works in a warehouse but dreams of being a poet and escaping his mundane life supporting his mother and sister. Laura hides at home lacking the confidence to engage meaningfully with the outside world, preferring instead to get lose herself in her collection of fragile glass animals. Amanda sells magazine subscriptions over the phone and commits herself to finding a match for her daughter. One day, Tom succumbs to his mother's pressure and brings home a gentleman caller to visit his sister, and their quiet existence is shattered. The programme is introduced by John Lahr, author of the acclaimed biography Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh. Amanda....Anastasia Hille Tom....George MacKay Laura....Patsy Ferran Jim....Sope Dirisu Music for violin arranged and performed by Bogdan Vacarescu. Director: SASHA YEVTUSHENKO. | ||
The Government Inspector | 20090329 | |||
The Great Game | 20101010 | A sequence of four plays tracing the history of the war in Afghanistan from the 1840s to the present day, introduced by Robin Lustig. Produced by Jeremy Mortimer Bugles at the Gates of Jalalabad' by Stephen Jeffreys In January 1842 a contingent of British soldiers, 16000 strong, retreated from Kabul. Only a few stragglers were left alive in the British Army's worst defeat in history. The General's wife, Lady Sale, documents the battles in the Hindu Kush; whilst four buglers sound the advance at the gates of Jalalabad as a signal to any survivors. Lady Sale - Jemma Redgrave McCann - Daniel Betts Dickensen - Tom McKay Hendrick - Rick Warden Winterflood - Karl Davies Afzal - Nabil Elouahabi Directed by Indhu Rubasingham. Miniskirts of Kabul' by David Greig The Taliban are closing in on Kabul: shells and rockets are exploding around the capital. A woman is interviewing President Najibullah, who has sought refuge in the UN compound. He talks about fashion, communism, torture and whisky, but time is running out. Writer - Jemma Redgrave Najibullah - Daniel Rabin Honey' by Ben Ockrent While civil war rages, a lone CIA agent realises the dangers of American disengagement. He's found an 'in' to persuade Commander Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir, to help them get back into the game. But with the Taliban closing in on Kabul, will it be enough? Masood Khalili - Vincent Ebrahim Robin Raphel - Jemma Redgrave Gary Schroen - Michael Cochrane Ahmad Shah Massoud - Daniel Rabin Reporter - Danny Rahim Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko Canopy of Stars' by Simon Stephens In a bunker guarding the Kajaki Dam, two soldiers talk of chips and gravy, football, women and whether the British should start to negotiate with the Taliban insurgents. A searing insight into soldiers at war, and what happens when they go home. Sergeant Jay Watkins - Tom McKay Private Richard Kendall - Karl Davies Lloyd - Lloyd Thomas Murray - Danny Rahim Cutty/Voice on Radio - Rick Warden Cheryl/Medic - Cloudia Swann Directed by Jessica Dromgoole. What a day, what a theatre, what a company. This is theatre to be proud of.' Sir Tom Stoppard Its scope is unparallelled. It's a fine achievement.' The Times Robin Lustig introduces four plays tracing the history of war in Afghanistan. Lady Sale....Jemma Redgrave McCann....Daniel Betts Dickensen....Tom McKay Hendrick....Rick Warden Winterflood....Karl Davies Afzal....Nabil Elouahabi Writer....Jemma Redgrave Najibullah....Daniel Rabin Masood Khalili....Vincent Ebrahim Robin Raphel....Jemma Redgrave Gary Schroen....Michael Cochrane Ahmad Shah Massoud....Daniel Rabin Reporter....Danny Rahim Sergeant Jay Watkins....Tom McKay Private Richard Kendall....Karl Davies Lloyd....Lloyd Thomas Murray....Danny Rahim Cutty/Voice on Radio....Rick Warden Cheryl/Medic....Cloudia Swann | ||
The Hairy Ape | 20091206 | Classic American expressionist drama from 1921. The play tells the tragic tale of Yank, a stoker whose whole world is turned upside down when a young heiress ventures into the engine room of a transatlantic ocean liner. Yank - Dominic West Long - Shaun Dingwall Paddy - Jim Norton Mildred - Sasha Pick Aunt - Annabelle Dowler I.W.W. Secretary - John Guerrasio Other parts played by John Kay Steel, Joe Montana, Matt Addis, David Hargreaves, Stephen Hogan, Benjamin Askew and Philip Fox. Directed by Toby Swift. Eugene O'Neill's classic American expressionist drama starring Dominic West as Yank. Yank....Dominic West Long....Shaun Dingwall Paddy....Jim Norton Mildred....Sasha Pick Aunt....Annabelle Dowler I.W.W. Secretary....John Guerrasio | ||
The Hybernaculum | 20090823 | |||
The Idylls Of The King | 20090712 | |||
The Lady From The Sea | 20091101 | |||
The Last Of The Volsungs | 20180218 | ' Drawn from one of the best known Icelandic sagas, a powerful new dramatisation of the tragic story of Sigurd Volsung and Brynhild, the woman he loves, With an introduction by the author. By MELISSA MURRAY Sigurd....David Sturzaker Regin....DAVID SCHOFIELD Gunnar....CARL PREKOPP Hod....Gerard McDermott Gudrun....LYNDSEY MARSHAL Brynhild....Abbie Andrews Sadhbh....Isabella Inchbald Arvid....Clive Hayward Alf....Rupert Holliday-Evans Hjordis....Kath Weare Warriors....Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, Gary Duncan, PHILIP BRETHERTON Directed by MARC BEEBY The Last of the Volsungs is based, at times loosely, on part of the 13th century Icelandic Volsunga Saga. The sagas are an extraordinary rich and varied cultural treasury. In style they can be domestic, historical, heroic, funny and tragic and can claim with a lot of justification to be the earliest European novels or at least the precursors to them. The Volsung saga falls within the heroic tradition and it has been the inspiration for many - William Morris, Tolkien and of course Wagner. At the bedrock of the heroic saga is the idea of Ragnarok, the doom of the Gods. At the end of time the Gods go out and fight a last battle with their enemies, the Frost Giants and their allies, and in the conflict the universe is destroyed. The Gods die. This is not a Last Judgement; there are no morally justified winners and damned sinners. It's just the end - the inevitable, organic end of everything. What's deemed admirable - although post apocalypse there's actually no one left to admire it - is the stoicism, the courage of the warriors as they rally round Odin All Father facing certain annihilation in that final battle. It's a stark enough philosophy. It leads to a warrior class more than half in love with bloody death, their own as much as their enemies. | ||
The Leopard | ||||
The Light Of Darkness | 20100801 | When Leslie Davis suddenly takes up a diplomatic posting in Harput, a remote province of Turkey, he is determined to find commercial opportunities for America. Instead, soon after his arrival, Turkey enters World War One on Germany's side. Davis finds himself playing poker to save the lives of his young secretary, his interpreter and many other Armenians. Later he wrote up the account of his Harput experience in a book called Slaughterhouse Province. Louis Nowra is a playwright who has researched Davis's life and work and the history of Harput. He is based in Australia and was drawn to this story by way of his admiration for the music of the Armenian composer Komitas, which features in the play. Consul Leslie Davis - John Guerrasio Garabed Bergosian - Wiliam El Gardi Sushan Krikorian - Betsabeh Emran The Governor, Sabit Bey - Jack Klaff The Chief of Police, Rachid Bey - Basher Savage Dr Atkinson - Scott Handy Mrs Balakian - Tamara Hinchco Other parts were played by members of the cast as well as Rita, Elise and Maral Ovanessoff Gokman Gubener Abdullah Tercanli and Haydar Koyel Technical Production by Peregrine Andrews Director/Producer: Judith Kampfner. A Waters Company production. As Turkey enters the war in 1915, the American consul is playing a diplomatic poker game. Consul Leslie Davis....John Guerrasio Garabed Bergosian....Wiliam El Gardi Sushan Krikorian....Betsabeh Emran The Governor, Sabit Bey....Jack Klaff The Chief of Police, Rachid Bey....Basher Savage Dr Atkinson....Scott Handy Mrs Balakian....Tamara Hinchco | ||
The Marriage Of Figaro | 20101226 | As a prelude to The Genius of Mozart, Radio 3's major new season in the new year, a rare chance to hear Beaumarchais' original play. Bristling with social and political conflict, behind the comic intrigues of da Ponte's libretto lies a drama that was considered too dangerous to be allowed to be performed in its own time. It is edgy, political, dealing with class and stroppy servants sensing the smell of Revolution in the air. The author, Beaumarchais, led a life as colourful as the world of his plays. At the height of the French Revolution, as he had been a royal servant, he was brought before the Revolutionary council. His life was spared when he declared in his defence that he was the creator of Figaro. This character epitomised the underdog striving to be free and was hugely popular with the revolutionaries. Napoleon realised its power when he declared it to be 'the Revolution in action'. Cast: Figaro - Rupert Degas; Count - Nicholas Rowe; Suzanne - Joannah Tincey; Countess - Clare Wille; Antonio/Double-Main - Sean Barrett; Marceline - Frances Jeater; Bazile/Pedrillo - Hugh Dickson; Brid'oison - Stephen Thorne; Bartholo - Anton Lesser; Fanchette - Gina Bramhill; Cherubin/Gripe-Soleil - Charlie Morton. Adapted and directed for Radio 3 by David Timson. Produced by Nicolas Soames. A rare chance to hear Beaumarchais' original play, on which Mozart's opera was based. Figaro....Rupert Degas; Count....Nicholas Rowe; Suzanne....Joannah Tincey; Countess....Clare Wille; Antonio/Double-Main....Sean Barrett; Marceline....Frances Jeater; Bazile/Pedrillo....Hugh Dickson; Brid'oison....Stephen Thorne; Bartholo....Anton Lesser; Fanchette....Gina Bramhill; Cherubin/Gripe-Soleil....Charlie Morton. | ||
The Merchant Of Venice | 20180422 | Andrew Scott stars in Shakespeare's play of debt, greed and prejudice, transposed to 2008. Andrew Scott, Ray Fearon, Hayley Atwell and Colin Morgan star in Shakespeare's ever-topical story of over-confident traders, a debt-ridden country dependent on credit, and a society suspicious of religious difference, transposed to the City of London and the 2008 financial crisis. Introduced by the BBC's Business Editor, Simon Jack. Adapted and directed by Emma Harding Antonio....Ray Fearon Bassanio....Colin Morgan Portia....Hayley Atwell Shylock....Andrew Scott Salarino....Ryan Whittle Salanio....Neerja Naik Gratiano....Ryan Early Lorenzo....Chris Lew Kum Hoi Jessica....Lauren Cornelius Launcelot Gobbo....Luke Bailey Nerissa....Kerry Gooderson Morocco....Stefan Adegbola Arragon....Javier Marzan The Duke....Neil McCaul Tubal....Clive Hayward Balthasar....Rupert Holliday-Evans Musical setting of 'Where is fancy bred? composed by Emma Harding, performed by Kerry Gooderson and Peter Ringrose. | ||
The Moors Of England | 20181104 | By Rex Obano England is divided as never before. The country has turned its back on Europe. Not Britain today but the 16th Century. The story of Sir Robert Cecil and his black Muslim servant Fortunatus. Fortunatus....Ray Fearon Sir Robert Cecil....John Heffernan Beaupere....Sope Dirisu Casper Van Senden....Tristan Sturrock Duque de Sessa....Youseff Kerkour Queen Elizabeth....Elizabeth Counsell Sir Edward Coke....Philip Bretherton Sir Thomas Sherley....Sean Murray Mae Mice....Lucy Doyle Frances Cecil....Ella Glendinning Lady Frances....Emma Handy Watchman....Cameron Percival Director: David Hunter London, 1600. Fortunatus, a black Muslim refugee, takes drastic action to change history. | ||
The Mother | 20170917 | Gina McKee stars in Florian Zeller's award-winning companion piece to The Father. Florian Zeller's 'The Father' was a West-End - indeed world-wide - hit. This companion piece is just as devastating and equally funny. In the place of a snarling patriarch's growing dementia we now have a mother coming to terms with the 'empty nest' effect, soon after the departure of her two children who have found partners and new lives for themselves. Translated by Christopher Hampton Featuring music by Philip Glass, Christopher Hampton's regular collaborator. Told in an original and ingeniously fractured style, the play charts - like The Father, in a surprisingly entertaining way - the woman's descent into a world of imagination and make-believe. Can we trust anything she or the other characters say? Are their appearances indeed figments of her imagination? Christopher Hampton is surely our foremost translator (Art, God of Carnage) as well as outstanding playwright (Liaisons Dangereuses, The Philanthropist etc) again translates with effortless skill and comic timing. Gina McKee (Our Friends from the North / Wonderland / Notting Hill / Atonement) reprises her stage role from Bath and London's Tricycle Theatre, as the troubled matriarch, relying too heavily on white wine and pills. In scaldingly comical exchanges she accuses her husband (Tom Goodman-Hill) of seeing a mistress when he claims to be at conferences or working late. She trains her - sadly oppressive - attention on their son (Jonathan Bailey) who can't reciprocate her affection: he's obsessing about his girlfriend (Kesiah Joseph) with whom he's just had a blazing row. Will the Mother's attempts to stoke the flames of antagonism between them succeed? Tom Goodman-Hill has appeared in Everest (2015), The Imitation Game (2014) and Humans (2016) as well as Mr Selfridge. Jonathan Bailey was nominated for the award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in David Hare's South Downs. Roles include the young Leonardo da Vinci in BBC's Leonardo, and the musical American Psycho at London's Almeida Theatre. | ||
The Name | 20180211 | Jon Fosse's Ibsen Prize-winning stage play is the story of a young woman's return home. Norwegian Jon Fosse, winner of the prestigious International Ibsen Prize in 2010, is one of the world's most performed playwrights. His breakthrough came with Namnet ('The Name'), written in 1995, and it remains one of his most widely produced plays. It tells the story of a pregnant young woman's return to the claustrophobia of family home with the reluctant father-to-be in tow. Translated by Gregory Motton. The Girl....Norah Lopez Holden The Boy....Joseph Ayre The Mother....Ellie Darvill The Father....Philip Bretherton The Sister....Isabella Inchbald Bjarne....Nikhil Parmar Directed by Toby Swift British playwright Simon Stephens introduces the drama. His adaptation of Fosse's play I AM THE WIND was performed at the Young Vic in 2011. | ||
The News From Home | 20171119 | Nick Dear's play, which was written for the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. The News from Home was written by Nick Dear to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising in Dublin. The play views the events of Easter Week 1916 and its aftermath through the eyes of Kitty and Nora, maidservants of an English country house, tucked away in the New Forest. Kitty and Nora come from Roscrea, Tipperary, and have always thought of themselves as British citizens, but their views change as they learn that there has been an armed insurrection in their homeland, and for a few days, as news trickles in, it seems just possible that the nascent Irish Republic may succeed. Overnight the girls become thought of as Irish, not British, and potentially in league with the German enemy. Kitty.. Clare Dunne Nora.. Charlene McKenna Ilsa.. Geraldine Somerville Blanche.. Nelly Harker Scammell.. Sam Dale Cook.. Serena Evans Archie.. Sam Troughton Ken.. Ferdinand Kingsley Directed by Celia de Wolff A Pier Production for BBC Radio 3. | ||
The Pattern Of Painful Adventures | 20081123 | Antony Sher plays William Shakespeare in a play about the Bard's life. The Pattern of Painful Adventures, by Stephen Wakelam A new play in which Antony Sher portrays William Shakespeare. Business is going well, but the playwright urgently needs a collaborator for his latest work. His daughter is getting married, while his brother has a sick child and is in need of a job. It is 1607 and Shakespeare's life is at a turning point. William Shakespeare....Antony Sher Jack Robinson....Will Keen John Marston....Stephen Critchlow George Wilkins....Chris Pavlo Susannah Shakespeare....Helen Longworth Richard Burbage....John Rowe William Ostler/Robert Johnson....Robert Lonsdale Edmund Shakespeare....Joseph Kloska Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer. William Shakespeare - Antony Sher Jack Robinson - Will Keen John Marston - Stephen Critchlow George Wilkins - Chris Pavlo Susannah Shakespeare - Helen Longworth Richard Burbage - John Rowe William Ostler/Robert Johnson - Robert Lonsdale Edmund Shakespeare - Joseph Kloska | ||
The Piano Lesson | 20111127 | In August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play set in Pittsburgh in 1936, an ancient upright piano carved with African faces dominates the parlour of Doaker Charles. Boy Willie and his partner Lymon have come up from the south to sell watermelons. Boy Willie has just got out of prison and he wants to buy the land his ancestors once worked as slaves but his sister is not about to sell the piano. Boy Willie...John Earl Jelks Berniece...Roslyn Ruff Doaker...Stephen McKinley Henderson Lymon...Chris Chalk Wining Boy...Anthony Chisholm Grace...Marsha Stephanie Blake Avery...Leland Gantt Maretha...Zadshire Dupuis Creative consultant Ricardo Khan, Pianist Ernie Scott Director Claire Grove Playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah has curated new radio productions of three 20th Century plays for Radio 3's Drama on 3, The Piano Lesson is the first in the series and will be followed by The Plough and the Stars by Sean O'Casey on December 4th and: Skyvers by Barry Reckord on December 11th. The three broadcasts will be introduced by Kwame Kwei-Armah, who will talk about how each of the writers, and the plays, influenced his own development as an actor and playwright. Kwame is currently based in Baltimore where he is Artistic Director of Center Stage Theater. The glow accompanying August Wilson's place in contemporary American theatre is fixed.' Toni Morrison. August Wilson (1945 - 2005) is America's foremost black playwright. This production was recorded at Tony Award winning Crossroads Theatre New Brunswick, New Jersey, with the support of August Wilson's widow, and an outstanding cast which includes actors like Stephen Henderson and Anthony Chisholm who worked extensively with August Wilson. Anthony and Stephen were both in the Olivier award winning production of Jitney which took London by storm ten years ago and Stephen and Chris Chalk were both in the Broadway Tony award winning production of August Wilson's Fences starring Denzel Washington. Stephen Henderson has just finished working on Spike Lee's new film which will be released next year and he is currently working on a new film with Steven Spielberg. The Piano Lesson is the fourth of August Wilson's cycle of ten plays about the African American experience in the twentieth century. It opened at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1987 and in 1990 on Broadway it won a Pulitzer Prize , a Drama Desk Award and New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. The play was inspired by Romare Bearden's painting of the same name. August Wilson saw its scene of a teacher and student as an allegory for how African Americans must learn to negotiate their history. August Wilson's play about a brother and sister and a piano carved with African faces. The glow accompanying August Wilson's place in contemporary American theatre is fixed.' Toni Morrison . | ||
The Plough And The Stars | 20111204 | Sean O'Casey's classic play set in the midst of the Easter Rising of 1916. The impact of events is viewed through the eyes of ordinary people inhabiting a Dublin tenement. O'Casey's masterpiece paints a vivid portrait of a city and a nation in turmoil. The Plough and the Stars is the second in a three-part series of classic plays chosen for Drama on 3 by the playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah. Kwame also introduces this new production of the play. NORA....Elaine Cassidy JACK....Padraic Delaney BESSIE....Gabrielle Reidy FLUTHER....Finbar Lynch PETER....Stephen Hogan THE COVEY....Jonathan Forbes MRS GOGAN....Fiona Clarke MOLLSER....Rebecca Gleeson ROSIE....Jane McGrath CAPT BRENNAN....Matthew McNulty LIEUT. LANGAN....Sam Smith Musical Director....Conrad Nelson Directed by Nadia Molinari. NORA - Elaine Cassidy JACK - Padraic Delaney BESSIE - Gabrielle Reidy FLUTHER - Finbar Lynch PETER - Stephen Hogan THE COVEY - Jonathan Forbes MRS GOGAN - Fiona Clarke MOLLSER - Rebecca Gleeson ROSIE - Jane McGrath CAPT BRENNAN - Matthew McNulty LIEUT. LANGAN - Sam Smith Musical Director - Conrad Nelson | ||
The Present Experiment | 20160929 | 20180909 (R3) | Robin Brooks's comedy celebrating the birth of the Third Programme. Robin Brooks' deliciously lyrical comedy romps through the first hours of the pioneering Third Programme, in fact and fantasy. 1946. A new government and the NHS. The first Festival of British contemporary music. Peter Grimes. De-mobbed servicemen and young working-class beneficiaries of the Butler Act are crowding into university. And in a Blitz-battered Broadcasting House, chosen head George Barnes (1st in History, Kings) and his Director-General William Hayley (no university education) meet to discuss a new arts network, Programme C, (after A - Light - and B - Home) to pull up the cultural life of the nation by its bootstraps. Inspired by the disruptive geniuses of early contributors Louis MacNeice, Dylan Thomas and Benjamin Britten, the story of the network's dreams and fears begins to unwind in a fantastical verse adventure through the corridors of Broadcasting House. Meanwhile in the wry BBC realpolitik of W1A 1946, staff producer Guy Burgess is being consulted about how to stop the Russians invading the frequency with weird interruptions from Riga Station. Katherine, the Herald....Pippa Bennett-Warner George Barnes....Pip Torrens Gwylim Jones....Trystan Gravelle Lawrence O'Neill....Jonjo O'Neill Lord Reith....Christopher Godwin Roland Givens....Tim Potter Guy Burgess....Gunnar Cauthery William Hayley....Michael Bertenshaw Rex Hardcastle....Adrian Scarborough Virginia, the Sorceress....Carolyn Pickles Heidi O'Neill....Catriona McFarlane Ethel McRea....Natasha Cowley with Nicholas Murchie and John Dougall Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting | |
The Promise | 20091108 | |||
The Reality Tunnel | 20180916 | A comedy about the philosophy of sound. Do we all hear things the same way? A new comedy by Karen Laws about the philosophy of sound. Do we all hear things the same way? Can we be tricked into hearing what isn't there? And will sound engineer Ben get trespasser Isla out of his studio, or will she bring him to his senses? Ben is appalled to find an intruder working his desk in the studio he's hired by the hour. She needs to go! But Isla is a free spirit, breaking in where she can to mix her pieces of sound art. Ben questions her right to be there: Isla questions Ben's right to own' sound. When she plays him something, have they really heard the same thing? Are our senses objective or do we hear what we want through our own reality tunnels? Come and join award-winner Sarah Miele as Isla and Sam Newton as Ben (Toast, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) and explore your very own reality tunnel. Isla... Sarah Miele Ben... Sam Newton Writer, Karen Laws Director, Mel Harris Sound Designer, Eloise Whitmore Exec Producer, Polly Thomas Part of Radio 3's showcase of new audio plays at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Recorded with an audience at the BBC's newly created pop-up drama studio at the Summerhall arts venue. | ||
The Recruiting Officer | 20111218 | George Farquhar's popular Restoration Comedy, broadcast in combination with Our Country's Good (this weekend's Radio 4 Saturday Play). During a lull in the War of the Spanish Succession, Captain Plume comes to Shrewsbury, to seduce soldiers into the army, and - if possible - recruit Silvia into marriage. Captain Plume....Paul Higgins Silvia....Lisa Dillon Sergeant Kite....Ralph Ineson Mr Worthy....Adam James Melinda....Kate Fleetwood Captain Brazen....Elliot Levey Rose....Alex Tregear Bullock....Simon Bubb Justice Balance....Jonathan Forbes Lucy....Adjoa Andoh Appletree....James Lailey Pearman....Adam Billington Bridewell....Rikki Lawton Justice Scale....Paul Moriarty Justice Scruple....Gerard McDermott Directed by Jessica Dromgoole The Recruiting Officer enjoyed enormous success and popular acclaim during the eighteenth century, when it was produced more often than any other play, outstripping its nearest rival, Hamlet, by a wide margin. The play also holds the honour of being the first piece of theatre ever to be produced in Australia, with a cast of convicts and officers, an event described by Thomas Keneally in his book The Playmaker, and then dramatised by Timberlake Wertenbaker in her play, Our Country's Good. A double bill of the two plays was staged in repertory to great acclaim at The Royal Court in 1988, with a common cast. This new pair of radio productions reproduces the enterprise. Farquhar's 1709 Restoration comedy, where wives are recruited while soldiers are wooed. Captain Plume - Paul Higgins Silvia - Lisa Dillon Sergeant Kite - Ralph Ineson Mr Worthy - Adam James Melinda - Kate Fleetwood Captain Brazen - Elliot Levey Rose - Alex Tregear Bullock - Simon Bubb Justice Balance - Jonathan Forbes Lucy - Adjoa Andoh Appletree - James Lailey Pearman - Adam Billington Bridewell - Rikki Lawton Justice Scale - Paul Moriarty Justice Scruple - Gerard McDermott | ||
The Researches Of Herodotus | 20091011 | |||
The Royal Game | 20101219 | The Viennese writer Stefan Zweig, most famous for Beware of Pity, wrote the original Schachnovelle or Chess Novel in 1942. The translator is Anthea Bell. It is the story of Dr. Berg (Paul Rhys) a well to do German banker who is interrogated by the Gestapo who want to find out where influential members of the Clergy and aristocrats have hidden their money. They hold him in a deserted hotel in solitary confinement in order to break him down. But he steals a book of chess puzzles from a guard and this keeps his mind active. Unfortunately after learning to play games in his head Dr. Berg goes mad. Dr. Berg - Paul Rhys The Interrogator - Rupert Young The Writer - Kevin Trainor Katz - Allan Corduner McConnor - Hamish Clark Centovic/Bennett - Sandy Grierson Servant /Nurse - Madeleine Brolly This original adaptation for radio is by Yolanda Pupo-Thompson who also wrote The Hybernaculuum which was a day in the life of the naturalist the Rev Gilbert White. The play was recorded on location in a deserted mansion in Belgrave Square by the sound designer Joe Acheson. Music is from Carl Orff's Schulwerk Director Matt Thompson. Adaptation of Stefan Zweig's novella about chess madness. Dr. Berg....Paul Rhys The Interrogator....Rupert Young The Writer....Kevin Trainor Katz....Allan Corduner McConnor....Hamish Clark Centovic/Bennett....Sandy Grierson Servant /Nurse....Madeleine Brolly | ||
The Seagull | 20100131 | |||
The Secret Grief | 20110320 | by David Eldridge Nigel is bored. But then he meets the glamorous Liv and Tony and becomes part of their beautiful world; a beauty that hides a disturbing secret. Nigel - Paul Chequer Liv - Frances Barber Tony - David Schofield Roger - Struan Rodger Kelly - Alex Tregear Igor - Stuart McLoughlin Stowaway - Nyasha Hatendi David Eldridge is one of Britain's most exciting playwrights. His adaptations of 'Festen' and 'The Wild Duck' won huge acclaim and his original writing includes 'Under The Blue Sky' and 'Market Boy'. His new play 'The Knot of The Heart' is currently playing at The Almeida. In this commission for Radio 3 he explores the idea of a fascism of the mind. David Eldridge's play in which a young man take up with a couple of mysterious strangers. Nigel....Paul Chequer Liv....Frances Barber Tony....David Schofield Roger....Struan Rodger Kelly....Alex Tregear Igor....Stuart McLoughlin Stowaway....Nyasha Hatendi | ||
The Shadow Of A Doubt | 20181028 | World premiere of a newly discovered play by Edith Wharton from 1901, starring Phoebe Fox, Francesca Annis, Paul Ready, David Horovitch and Don Gilet. Introduced by Laura Rattray, Reader in American Studies, University of Glasgow Adapted for radio by Melissa Murray Directed by Emma Harding Long before she achieved fame with her novel, 'The Age of Innocence', Edith Wharton wrote a number of plays. But they were all believed lost until two academics, Laura Rattray and Mary Chinery, discovered the complete manuscript of 'The Shadow of a Doubt' in 2017. Wharton's play - which pivots on the issue of assisted suicide - was about to be staged in New York in early 1901, before the production was abandoned for unknown reasons. Kate, a former nurse, has recently married above her class to John Derwent, whose first wife Kate had nursed following an horrific accident. But others are suspicious of Kate's social ascent. And others have knowledge that could destroy her. Kate Derwent....Phoebe Fox John Derwent....Paul Ready Sylvia Derwent....Rosie Boore Lord Osterleigh....David Horovitch Lady Uske....Francesca Annis Dr Carruthers....Don Gilet Clodagh Nevil....Alexandra Constantinidi Bobby Mazaret....Cameron Percival Footman....Lewis Bray Mrs Fullerton....Emma Handy Phoebe Fox stars in a world premiere of a newly discovered play by Edith Wharton from 1901 | ||
The Steps, By Mike Bartlett | 20090208 | |||
The Threepenny Opera | 20091018 | |||
The Tidebreak | 20161211 | 20180603 (R3) | Three lyrical, linked tales set on the sea defences of Morecambe Bay. | |
The Trial And Death Of Socrates | ||||
The Twyborn Affair | 20090927 | Eadie was no good as a mother: raising eyebrows in Edwardian Sydney society was more exciting and anyway her child kept running away. Now in her old age she hopes to rekindle family affections. As the London Blitz begins, the Twyborns reveal their unconventional choices in this dramatisation of Nobel Prize-winner Patrick White's provocative tale of sexual identity. Eddie - Julian Rhind-Tutt Eadie - Penny Downie Joan - Hattie Morahan Don - Philip Quast Marcia - Leigh Funnelle Angelos/Rod - John Rowe Curly/Greg - David Henry Peggy/Ada - Manon Edwards Driver - Piers Wehner Bridie - Emerald O'Hanrahan Philip - Joseph Cohen-Cole Dramatised by D.J.Britton Director: Alison Hindell. An adaptation of Patrick White's provocative and mysterious novel about sexual identity. Eddie....Julian Rhind-Tutt Eadie....Penny Downie Joan....Hattie Morahan Don....Philip Quast Marcia....Leigh Funnelle Angelos/Rod....John Rowe Curly/Greg....David Henry Peggy/Ada....Manon Edwards Driver....Piers Wehner Bridie....Emerald O'Hanrahan Philip....Joseph Cohen-Cole | ||
The White Devil | 20100815 | By John Webster Flamineo....Patrick Kennedy Vittoria....Anna Maxwell Martin Brachiano....Shaun Dingwall Francisco....Peter Wight Monticelso....Sean Baker Ludovico....Harry Myers Isabella....Christine Kavanagh Gasparo....David Seddon Camillo....Sam Dale Cornelia....Frances de la Tour Marcello....Michael Shelford Giovanni....Lloyd Thomas Hortensio....Tony Bell Zanche....Pippa Bennett Warner Dr Julio....Jude Akuwudike Adapted and directed by Marc Beeby The wealthy Brachiano conceives a violent passion for the married Vittoria Corombona. Her brother Flamineo, Brachiano's secretary, plots to bring his sister and his master together, in the hope of advancing his own career. Their plans are impeded by the return to Rome of Isabella - Brachiano's wife, and sister to the powerful Francisco. Desperate for Vittoria, Brachiano arranges to have both Isabella and Vittoria's husband murdered. And in so doing makes an implacable enemy of the deadly Francisco... The play was first performed in 1612, but this production sets the action in a murky underworld of the 1950s - a world that seeks to hide its shifting alliances, betrayals and sudden violence beneath a flaky veneer of honour and respectability. A new production of John Webster's classic play of murder and revenge, set in the 1950s. Flamineo - Patrick Kennedy Vittoria - Anna Maxwell Martin Brachiano - Shaun Dingwall Francisco - Peter Wight Monticelso - Sean Baker Ludovico - Harry Myers Isabella - Christine Kavanagh Gasparo - David Seddon Camillo - Sam Dale Cornelia - Frances de la Tour Marcello - Michael Shelford Giovanni - Lloyd Thomas Hortensio - Tony Bell Zanche - Pippa Bennett Warner Dr Julio - Jude Akuwudike | ||
The Wolf In The Water | 20180114 | Drama exploring what happened to Jessica, Shylock's daughter in The Merchant of Venice. What happened to Jessica, Shylock's daughter in The Merchant of Venice? In the original Shakespeare, Jessica is a minor but fascinating character, Shylock's only daughter, who leaves him to convert to Christianity and marry Lorenzo. We are left rather uncertain about how that marriage is going to work out. It's also implicit that the conversion isn't going to be easy on either party.... The Wolf in the Water by Naomi Alderman is an imaginative response to The Merchant of Venice, in which we meet an older Jessica in 1615, secretly still practising her Jewish faith in a turbulent Venice that is increasingly hostile to Jews. A murder, twenty innocent Jews facing death - Jessica becomes embroiled in a mystery that challenges her apparently settled life and reconnects her with her identity. The year may be 1615, but the themes are universal and relevant. What drives one group to persecute another? What shameful deeds are done by those to whom we entrust our money? Can we ever be cosmopolitans - citizens of all nations and none - or will our ethnicity, our religion, even the ineradicable traces of God, always draw us back, perhaps to doom ourselves? Cast Jessica....Pippa Bennett-Warner Lorenzo....Scott Arthur Anna....Jennifer Tan Augusta....Tracy-Ann Oberman Tubal....Vincent Ebrahim Thief 1....Philip Nightingale Thief 2....Philip Jennings Producer, Polly Thomas Sound designer, Elosie Whitmore Additional Venice sound, Enrico Coniglio Development producer, Russell Finch Naomi Alderman is an award-winning writer, writing her first BBC Radio 3 drama commission, after establishing herself at the cutting edge of new fiction and audio gaming. The Wolf in the Water cast includes actors from the regular cast of Zombies, Run! the global phenomenon that Naomi co-created and now has over 1 million players. A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 3 - first broadcast in 2016 as part of the BBC's Shakespeare Festival and also marking the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Venice ghetto. | ||
These Are The Times: The Life Of Thomas Paine | 20100307 | 'class='blq-clearfix'>' | ||
Transformations | 20180121 | Love, passion and change. Five stories dramatised from tales told in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Love, passion and change. Five stories from tales told in Ovid's Metamorphoses brought vividly to life in a new dramatisation. With a special introduction by Sir Jonathan Bate Dramatised by Lucy Catherine Ceyx and Alcyone Ovid....Jim Norton Alcyone....Clare Corbett Ceyx....Philip Bretherton Somnus....Neil McCaul Juno....Isabella Inchbald Captain....Tayla Kovacevi-Ebong Pygmalion Pygmalion....Rupert Holliday Evans Theras....Gary Duncan Orpheus and Euridice Orpheus....Tom Forrister Eurydice....Madeline Hatt Charon....Neil McCaul Pluto....Philip Bretherton Proserpina....Isabella Inchbald Priest....Clive Hayward Byblis and Cannus Byblis....Abbie Andrews Cannus....Adam Fitzgerald Servant....Isabella Inchbald Mother....Ellie Darvill Woman....Kath Weare Baucis and Philemon Baucis....Sheila Reid Philemon....John Rowe Strangers....Clive Hayward and Tayla Kovacevi-Ebong Directed by Marc Beeby. | ||
Victim | 20170709 | 20190106 (R3) | Play about the making of Victim, the first British film to address homosexuality seriously by Sarah Wooley. A drama about the making of 'Victim', the first British film to seriously address homosexuality. This programme is part of Gay Britannia, a season across the BBC marking the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act 1967. The 1961 film, starring matinee idol Dirk Bogarde in the gamble of his career, is often credited with helping to change public attitudes to homosexuality. This fast-moving drama follows the extraordinary mixture of bravery and pragmatism involved in getting this groundbreaking enterprise off the ground, providing a fascinating glimpse of Britain at a tipping point of social change. THE WRITER Sarah Wooley has written many plays for the radio including FIFTEEN MINUTES about Andy Warhol, MOVING MUSIC about Philip Glass and Steve Reich, PLANNING PERMISSION about the Brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger and A NICE LITTLE HOLIDAY about playwright John Osborne. Her last play for Radio 4 was 1977, about the scoring of the film 'Watership Down' and the story of trans composer Angela Morley. Her stage plays are published by Oberon and include the sell-out hit OLD MONEY, which ran at Hampstead Theatre main stage in 2012 and starred Maureen Lipman. The 1961 film, starring matinee idol DIRK BOGARDE in the gamble of his career, is often credited with helping to change public attitudes to homosexuality. This fast-moving drama follows the extraordinary mixture of bravery and pragmatism involved in getting this ground-breaking enterprise off the ground, providing a fascinating glimpse of Britain at a tipping point of social change. Clip from Peeping Tom (c) Michael Powell (Theatre)/Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors/Michael Powell Her stage plays include the sell-out hit OLD MONEY (Hampstead Theatre, 2012) starring MAUREEN LIPMAN. The story of Victim, the first British film to address homosexuality seriously. A drama about the making of 'Victim', the first British film to seriously address homosexuality. Part of Gay Britannia, a season across the BBC marking the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act 1967. | |
Vieux Carre| | 20041003 | Tennessee Williams's disturbing but often funny play set in a seedy boarding house in New Orleans run by a half-mad landlady. | ||
Widowers' Houses | 20110703 | Martin Jarvis directs Ian McKellen, Charles Dance, Tim Pigott-Smith and an impressive cast in Bernard Shaw's first play - the latest drama in Radio 3's 'Money Talks' series which brings together 150 years of dramatists tackling the question of money. What happens if an Englishman, decent enough in private, shuts his eyes and conscience to the monstrous abuses of the poor by slum landlords, especially if the remedy might affect his own financial security? The theme has resonated down the years. Written Widower's Houses 1892 it became an immediate success and remains astonishingly relevant in the present property investment world. Funny, observant, incisive in examining moral dilemmas and business ethics. Slum-landlords - a comedy? Shaw was already turning the tradition of Victorian drama on its head, understanding that social and political points are best made via human comedy Cast: Mr Sartorius....Ian McKellen William Cokane....Charles Dance Lickcheese....Tim Pigott-Smith Harry Trench....Dan Stevens Blanche Sartorius....Honeysuckle Weeks Jessie....Siobhan Hughes The Waiter....Jon Glover Music specially composed by Mark Holden and Michael Lopez Director: Martin Jarvis Producer: Rosalind Ayres A Jarvis and Ayres Production for BBC Radio 3. Martin Jarvis directs Ian McKellen in George Bernard Shaw's play about slum landlords. Mr Sartorius - Ian McKellen William Cokane - Charles Dance Lickcheese - Tim Pigott-Smith Harry Trench - Dan Stevens Blanche Sartorius - Honeysuckle Weeks Jessie - Siobhan Hughes The Waiter - Jon Glover | ||
Woyzeck | 20110220 | By George Buchner. Translated by Gregory Motton. Franz Woyzeck, a lowly soldier stationed in a provincial German town, is the father of an illegitimate child by his mistress Marie. He earns extra money for his family by performing menial jobs for his captain and agreeing to take part in medical experiments conducted by the regimental doctor. But then an act of betrayal shatters his brittle life. Written in 1837 but not performed until the early twentieth century, this shard-like unfinished play is now recognised as a major work, perhaps the first modern play, in that it argues that our lives are determined by social circumstance. Woyzeck - Lee Ingleby Marie - Deborah McAndrew Drum Major - Derek Riddell Andres - Gerard Fletcher Margret - Becky Hindley Captain - Rob Pickavance Doctor - Jonathan Keeble Child - Perveen Hamilton Original Music by Tom Lingard Produced by Gary Brown Buchner was a political radical and an academic in natural sciences; he set out to write a political play in that he placed the common man as the central character. The script evolved in tandem with Büchner's research on the nervous system and cerebral lesions, together with his annotations of Spinoza, which he pursued to the day of his early death. But the play is more than a test case. It is a pyscho-drama that abolishes the hierarchy of suffering. The anti-hero may be inarticulate and he commits the most heinous crime but he is presented as a victim whose actions demand to be examined and understood. It has been claimed by both naturalists and expressionists. Seminal 19th-century expressionist play based on a real life murder case. Woyzeck....Lee Ingleby Marie....Deborah McAndrew Drum Major....Derek Riddell Andres....Gerard Fletcher Margret....Becky Hindley Captain....Rob Pickavance Doctor....Jonathan Keeble Child....Perveen Hamilton | ||
Wuthering Heights | 20110327 | A new adaptation by Jonathan Holloway of Emily Bronte's great novel of violent obsession. Heathcliff and Catherine have entered the world's imagination as great lovers. Yet they kiss once only. Dante Gabriel Rossetti described the story: 'A fiend of a book. The action is laid in Hell - only it seems places and people have English names there.' There is extraordinary cruelty and madness in the story and yet its extremes grip us and each generation since the book was first published in 1847 has made what it will of the lovers and their disasters. With Carl Prekopp as Heathcliff, Natalie Press as Catherine (and Cathy), Janine Duvitski as Ellen, Samuel Barnett as Edgar, David Birrell as Mr Lockwood, Hayley Doherty as Isabella and Russell Boulter as Hindley. | ||
Yerma | 20100926 | Yerma by Federico Garcia Lorca in a translation by Michael Dewell and Carmen Zapata The tragic tale of a woman's desperate yearning for a child that leads her to murder. Infused with poetic imagery and song this is one of Lorca's best known plays. Yerma - Emma Cunniffe Juan - Conrad Nelson Victor - Declan Wilson Maria - Rebecca Callard Pagan Old Woman - Annette Badland Dolores - Clare Benedict Dolores' Neighbour - Kate Layden Washerwoman - Debbie McAndrew Washerwoman - Fionnuala Dorrity Washerwoman/Girl 1 - Liz Carter Female at the Pilgrimage - Helen Longworth Male at the Pilgrimage - Kevin Harvey Spanish Voice - Anna Castineiras Composer, Tayo Akinbode Musicians, Tayo Akinbode, Richard Arthurs, Chris Cruiks Singers, Members of the cast and Leslie Pratt Directed by Pauline Harris Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 - 1936) is, with Cervantes, the best known figure in Spanish literature. Blood Wedding, Yerma and The House of Bernada Alba are often referred to as a 'rural trilogy', and are Lorca's most mature and characteristic works. Lorca's classic tale of a woman's desperate yearning for a child that leads to murder. Yerma....Emma Cunniffe Juan....Conrad Nelson Victor....Declan Wilson Maria....Rebecca Callard Pagan Old Woman....Annette Badland Dolores....Clare Benedict Dolores' Neighbour....Kate Layden Washerwoman....Debbie McAndrew Washerwoman....Fionnuala Dorrity Washerwoman/Girl 1....Liz Carter Female at the Pilgrimage....Helen Longworth Male at the Pilgrimage....Kevin Harvey Spanish Voice....Anna Castineiras | ||
Your Only Man | 20091227 | |||
01 | Shakespeare On 3, Twelfth Night | 20120422 | or What You Will, by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. A comedy of misrule and a trenchant attack on puritanism as disguise and deceit leads to misadventure, madness and mistaken love in one of Shakespeare's happiest plays. Orsino loves Olivia but she loves Cesario who really does love Orsino for Cesario is actually Viola. But Malvolio believes his mistress Olivia loves him as he is a victim of a trick played on him by those who would make him mad. Shakespeare unravels a comic knot and fashions a masterpiece. Drama on 3 is featuring new productions of Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest as part of the BBC's Shakespeare Unlocked season. The first two plays, which reflect upon Shakespeare and love are performed by a company of actors including DAVID TENNANT and ROSIE CAVALIERO who won best actor and best actress respectively at the recent Audio Drama Awards. Essays on Shakespeare and Love can be heard all next week on Radio 3 at 2245 Viola/Cesario....Naomi Frederick. Sebastian....Trystan Gravelle. Sea Captain....Gerard McDermott. Orsino....Paul Ready. Valentine....HARRY LIVINGSTONE. Maria....ROSIE CAVALIERO. Sir Toby Belch....RON COOK. Sir Andrew Aguecheek....ADAM JAMES. Olivia....Vanessa Kirby. Feste....JAMES LAILEY. Malvolio.... DAVID TENNANT. Fabian....DON GILET. Antonio....PETER HAMILTON DYER. Music composed by Roger Goula. Directed by SALLY AVENS. Shakespeare's comedy of disguise, madness and love, with DAVID TENNANT as Malvolio. Viola/Cesario - Naomi Frederick. Sebastian - Trystan Gravelle. Sea Captain - Gerard McDermott. Orsino - Paul Ready. Valentine - HARRY LIVINGSTONE. Maria - ROSIE CAVALIERO. Sir Toby Belch - RON COOK. Sir Andrew Aguecheek - ADAM JAMES. Olivia - Vanessa Kirby. Feste - JAMES LAILEY. Malvolio - DAVID TENNANT. Fabian - DON GILET. Antonio - PETER HAMILTON DYER. | |
02 | Shakespeare On 3, Romeo And Juliet | 20120429 | Shakespeare's quick witted summer tragedy, recorded with the same company as Twelfth Night, his melancholic winter comedy, which was the first in this Drama on 3 Shakespeare and Love season. In a town full of hatred, where the streets ring with the Capulet Montague feud, and swords are too easily drawn, Romeo and Juliet find each other, and love, and never let go. Cast Romeo....Trystan Gravelle Juliet....Vanessa Kirby Nurse....ROSIE CAVALIERO Friar Laurence....RON COOK Prince Escalus....DAVID TENNANT Mercutio....Paul Ready Benvolio....ADAM JAMES Tybalt....CARL PREKOPP Paris....Johnny Flynn Capulet....JAMES LAILEY Lady Capulet....Naomi Frederick Montague....PETER HAMILTON DYER Balthasar....DON GILET Apothecary... CHRISTINE ABSALOM Gregory....HARRY LIVINGSTONE Sampson....Joe Sims Prologue....TRACY WILES Music....Roger Goula Sound Design....COLIN GUTHRIE Directed by JESSICA DROMGOOLE The second of Drama on 3's season, featuring new productions of Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest, the first plays aired in the pan-BBC Shakespeare Unlocked celebration. The first two plays, which reflect upon Shakespeare and Love are performed by a single company of actors including DAVID TENNANT and ROSIE CAVALIERO both of whom won best actor and best actress at the recent Audio Drama Awards. Shakespeare's tragic love story, with Trystan Gravelle and Vanessa Kirby as the lovers. Romeo - Trystan Gravelle Juliet - Vanessa Kirby Nurse - ROSIE CAVALIERO Friar Laurence - RON COOK Prince Escalus - DAVID TENNANT Mercutio - Paul Ready Benvolio - ADAM JAMES Tybalt - CARL PREKOPP Paris - Johnny Flynn Capulet - JAMES LAILEY Lady Capulet - Naomi Frederick Montague - PETER HAMILTON DYER Balthasar - DON GILET Apothecary ... CHRISTINE ABSALOM Gregory - HARRY LIVINGSTONE Sampson - Joe Sims Prologue - TRACY WILES Music - Roger Goula Sound Design - COLIN GUTHRIE | |
03 | Curated, By Harriet Walter, A Human Being Died That Night | ' Harriet Walter introduces an acclaimed theatre production from the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town and later seen in London and New York. Based on Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela's book, Nicholas Wright's play explores the relationship between the psychologist and Eugene de Kock, the apartheid regime's most notorious assassin. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela....Noma Dumezweni Eugene de Kock....Matthew Marsh Sound design by Christopher Shutt Directed by Jonathan Munby Produced for the Fugard Theatre by Eric Abraham Produced for radio by Toby Swift 1997. Pretoria Central Prison, South Africa. Psychologist Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela prepares to sit opposite the notorious Eugene de Kock, nicknamed 'Prime Evil', the head of the apartheid regime's death squads. A member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Madizikela questions de Kock who is serving a 212 year sentence for crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, and fraud. She is determined to try to understand what motivated de Kock's actions. One is reminded of European writer and philosopher Hannah Arendt's endeavour to understand the nature of evil when she wrote about the Nazi holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann's trial in Israel in 1961. A Human Being Died That Night' is based on Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madizikela's best-selling book of the same name and explores, through her extraordinary prison interviews with de Kock, how a fundamentally moral person could become a mass murderer. South African born Nicholas Wright is one of Britain's foremost playwrights and has written regularly for the National Theatre. His plays include 'Vincent in Brixton' (Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play 2003), 'The Last of the Duchess' (2011), 'Travelling Light' (2012) and recently a dramatisation of Pat Barker's 'Regeneration' (2014). | ||
05 | Faith Healer | 20100912 | FAITH HEALER by Brian Friel Frank.....Owen Roe Grace.....Lia Williams Teddy......Phil Daniels Directed by Peter Kavanagh A magisterial study of the torments of creative genius and the healing power of love. In one of the great classic plays in the modern Irish canon, a faith healer returns to his native Ireland to a potentially terrible fate. When fortune smiles, Frances Hardy's gifts are prodigious. Otherwise his devoted wife, Grace, can only watch on as he wages a drunken 'feud between himself and his talent'. Grace has given up a privileged background and a career in law to join Frank and his engaging wide-boy manager Teddy, touring remote corners of Scotland and Wales in a battered van. But now Frank senses that a return to his native land may be the only way to restore his waning powers. And so the fateful crossing is made, in a homecoming that will change the lives of all three forever. The play, now considered a modern masterpiece and a formative influence on subsequent Irish writing (its monologue structure prefigures Conor Mc Pherson's The Weir, and Port Authority among other) ran to only twenty performances in its New York in 1979 . It was with the 1994 production and Donal Mc Cann as the eponymous healer - alongside Judy Geeson and Ron Cook - that the play truly made its mark on Broadway, Dublin, and London West End audiences, and worldwide. A recent production originating at the Gate Theatre with Ralph Fiennes in the role won Ian Mc Diarmid a Tony for best supporting actor. This new production for radio features Owen Roe, who performed the title role in Dublin and Edinburgh last year. Newcomers to the play are Lia Williams as Grace and Phil Daniels as Teddy. PHIL DANIELS became famous at a young age with the cult film Quadrophenia, subsequently with Blur in their single Parklife and lately has been television detective DCS Frank Paterson and Inspector Hardcastle in 'Poirot 'The Clocks' and is familiar as a regular in Eastenders. LIA WILLIAMS, apart from many television and film roles, has appeared on the West End in numerous plays, including David Mamet's Oleanna directed by Harold Pinter, KIng Lear and As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Eccentricities Of A Nightingale, and Mappa Mundi at the Royal National Theatre. Brian Friel's classic play about a failed Irish faith healer returning to his native land. | |
20040418 | Embers By Sandor Marai What is the true nature of the bonds of friendship? How deep are those bonds when challenged by betrayal, passion, and a thirst for revenge? Patrick Stewart stars in this drama, adapted by Lou Stein from Sandor Marai's recent best-selling novel. Set in a vast, perfectly preserved aristocratic Hungarian castle in 1940, a 75-year old career military man, Henrik (known simply as the General by his servants) patiently waits for a guest whom he has not seen for 41 years. When his great childhood friend, Konrad, does appear, the General invites his guest to dine with him at the table which was last used 41 years ago, the day he discovered Konrad's passionate relationship with his young wife, Krisztina and his best friend's plan to kill him. The moment has come for the General to take revenge on Konrad's betrayal of their friendship. The General....Patrick Stewart Nini....Sara Kestelman Konrad....David Horovitch Young General....Jamie Glover Young Konrad/Gamekeeper/Servant....Laurence Kennedy Krisztina....Jenny Agutter Adapted by Lou Stein, from the book by Sandor Marai Translation by Carol Brown Janeway Original Music by Deirdre Gribbin Directed by Lou Stein The General - Patrick Stewart Nini - Sara Kestelman Konrad - David Horovitch Young General - Jamie Glover Young Konrad/Gamekeeper/Servant - Laurence Kennedy Krisztina - Jenny Agutter |