Modern Morality Tales [Drama On 3]

Rebecca Front plays Eve in five stories about modern attitudes towards morality.

In medieval times, allegorical plays such as 'Mankind' and 'Everyman' were used to warn audiences that how they lived in the present would affect their afterlife - whether they would end up in Hell, Purgatory or Heaven. But in a secular age how do we deal with the nature of sins and virtues? Our attitude to good and evil is certainly less black and white. Is it bad to be proud - don't we deserve respect? Can't anger be used to promote change for the better, and isn't envy what drives our materialistic lifestyle? These five tales by some of radio's most talented playwrights explore our attitudes to these questions through the character of 'Eve', a 21st-century Everywoman played by Rebecca Front, to see how contemporary attitudes to morality have changed.

The five plays are introduced by Dr Sue Niebrzydowski, Senior Lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Bangor University, and directed by Sally Avens.

1. Moderation

by Lin Coghlan. A comic look at our attitude towards Moderation as Eve comes face to face with her Spiritual Estate Agent after her car crashes into a canal.

Eve - Rebecca Front

Isobel - Anastasia Hille

Ana - Scarlett Brookes

Jerome - Ewan Bailey

2. Pride

Al Smith takes a look at the most venous of sins, Pride. Mrs Eve is the head of an exclusive public school instilling pride and ambition in their pupils, but her lack of respect for one of her former charges is the basis of a shaming encounter.

Mrs Eve - Rebecca Front

Tom - Tom Hughes

3. Envy

by Duncan MacMillan and Effie Woods. Invidia has gone for a job interview at her old school, but her nemesis, Helen Polidora, is interviewing for the same role. Helen who always beats her at everything. Will this time be different?

Eve/Invidia - Rebecca Front

Jonathan - Alex Lowe

Headteacher - Susan Jameson

Helen - Adie Allen

4. Wrath

by Roy Williams. Eve finds herself overcome with anger on the day that she is made redundant, but does her anger necessarily have to have a destructive end?

Samson - Steve Toussaint

Supervisor - Nick Underwood

Bus announcements - Adie Allen

5. Justice

by Lizzie Nunnery. Can justice act fairly in a world of the haves and have nots?

Managing Director - Nick Underwood

Wrath - Adie Allen

Spite - Scarlett Brookes

Mirth - Ewan Bailey

Mercy - Susan Jameson

Rebecca Front is a BAFTA winning actress best known for her comedy work in The Thick of It, Alan Partridge, Grandma's House and Psychobitches.

Rebecca can currently be seen in BBC1's War and Peace.

Lin Coghlan is the winner of the Dennis Potter and the Peggy Ramsay Awards. She writes extensively for radio, television, theatre and film.

She is currently adapting the Forsytes for BBC Radio 4.

Al Smith is the winner of the Sunday Times Playwriting Award. His most recent play, Harrogate, won rave reviews and will be seen later this year in London.

Duncan MacMillan's most recent play, People, Places and Things, is transferring from a sold-out run at the National Theatre to the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End in March. He writes here with his wife, actress and writer Effie Woods. They have previously written an Afternoon Drama together for Radio 4, The Golden Record.

Roy Williams OBE has won both the George Devine Award and the Evening Standard Award for most promising playwright. His many plays include Fallout, Sucker Punch and Clubland. His new play, Soul, about the final days of Marvin Gaye will open in May at the Derngate, Northampton, before transferring to the Hackney Empire.

Lizzie Nunnery is currently under commission for both the National Theatre and the Liverpool Everyman.