Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 20220131 | A ground-breaking series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five short works by writers from across the UK, and each programme responds to a different theme. In this episode - Rewinding.
Chorlton cum Hardy - an interview with Wyllie Longmore
Sound design by Jon Nicholls.
Penrhos, Anglesey
Written by Ness Owen and performed by Ness Owen, Sian Miriam and Owen Arwyn
Holywood
Written and performed by Lata Sharma
Dunfermline
Written by Jane Livingstone
Cromer
Written by James McDermott
Programme illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
Curated by Celia de Wolff for Pier Productions, BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland and Naked Productions for BBC Radio 4
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. | |
| Falling | 20220110 | A ground-breaking new series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five short works by five writers from across the UK, and each episode responds to a different theme.
FALLING
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
Written and performed by Anne Odeke
ST WOOLOS
Written by Connor Allen
WHALSAY
Written by Chloe Irvine
ORANGEFIELD
Written by Caitlin Magnall-Kearns
SCAR TOP
Written by Naomi Sumner Chan
Programme illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Fearing | 20210830 | A groundbreaking five-part series from exciting new writers celebrating and revealing life across the United Kingdoms in short, sharp drama, comedy, news reports, song and poetic monologue. Stories, lives and voices making a kaleidoscope of now. Each episode features five short dramas by different writers - a total of 50 writers and 100 actors have been brought together, showcasing new writing and performing talent from every corner of the United Kingdom. Episode 1: Fearing - a moving and powerful look at 21st Century United Kingdoms. MUSSELBURGH - An exhausted woman retires to bed for three days and reflects on her failings, only to realise they are a key to hope not fear. ERYRI, SNOWDONIA - A narrative song that explores how a child overcomes their fear about fitting in to a Welsh-speaking community. Sound Design by Nigel Lewis RANDALSTOWN, COUNTY ANTRIM - A conversational poetic monologue that discusses how fear uses semantics as camouflage and a place to hide in, as though fear is a spirit that inhabits words and is loosed into our neural pathways as a result.? UNTHANK - A surreal comedy about your life shrinking, literally. Ivy is learning to live with her wheelchair, but fear of change has a dramatic effect on her Cumbrian farmhouse. TANKERTON - When house-mates leave and your zero hours contract ends, where else is there to turn in lockdown, if not home? But home is no place for the in-between, the non-conforming, so they pitch their tent on the edge of the sea and allow the waves, the sky and land to be home. Musselburgh written by Hannah Lavery Performed by Nalini Chetty Produced by Kirsty Williams Eryri written by Lisa Jꀀn Brown Performed by Lisa Jꀀn brown and Martin Hoyland Produced by Martin Hoyland and James Robinson Randalstown written and performed by Clare Dwyer Hogg Sound Design Lucinda Mason Brown Produced by Celia de Wolff Unthank written by Karen Featherstone Performed by Cherylee Houston (Ivy), Kerry Willison-Parry (Reporter) and Lekhani Chirwa (Rose) Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore Co-Produced by Polly Thomas and Dermot Daly Original Music composed by Niroshini Thanbar Tankerton written by Shelley Silas Performed by Tigger Blaze Sound Design by Lucinda Mason Brown Programme Illustration by Eleanor Hibbert Episode Sound Designers: Lucinda Mason Brown and David Chilton, Essential Music Ltd Curated by Celia de Wolff for Pier Productions and BBC Northern Ireland for BBC Radio 4 A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Flying | 20220124 | United Kingdoms: Flying
A ground-breaking new series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five short works by five writers from across the UK, and each episode responds to a different theme.
BALLYNHINCH
DYFI VALLEY
GOVANHILL
LEEDS
HEADINGTON
Original music composed by Niroshini Thambar
Flying was curated by Gaynor Macfarlane for BBC Scotland. It is a co-production with Naked Productions, BBC Cymru Wales, Pier Productions and BBC Northern Ireland.
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Hoping | 20210913 | A ground breaking five part series from exciting new writers celebrating and revealing life across the United Kingdoms in short, sharp drama, comedy, news reports, song and poetic monologue. Stories, lives and voices making a kaleidoscope of now.
Each episode features five short dramas by different writers - a total of 50 writers and 100 actors have been brought together, showcasing new writing and performing talent from every corner of the United Kingdom.
Episode 3: Hoping - an optimistic, sometimes unexpected look at 21st century United Kingdoms
CORYTON - That moment when you just want to speak to someone.
KEIGHLEY - Jyoti, a successful West Yorkshire businesswoman, resists when Tara, her daughter, pushes for a more environmentally friendly business. South Asian tappay, call and response rhyming couplets accompanied by the Dholki drum, help them to resolve their differences.
LISBURN - Fat Frida is in an Abba tribute band and being Frida is her passion in life - nothing feels like being Frida. It feels like being her best self.
BARGEDDIE - A disabled parent's imaginary conversation with his toddler twins in which they think about their abilities and his.
COLCHESTER - Victim and Perpetrator, two sides of a stabbing, based on a true story.
Credits
Keighley written by Anjum Malik
Lisburn written by Shirley-Anne Mcmillan
Bargeddie written by Robert Softley Gayle
Colchester written and performed by Dan Whitlam
Original music composed by Niroshini Thambar
Curated by Polly Thomas and Dermot Daly for Naked Productions, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, Pier Productions, and BBC Cymru-Wales for BBC Radio 4
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Laughing | 20220103 | A ground-breaking series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five short works by writers from across the UK, and each episode responds to a different theme. In this episode - Laughing.
Llanelli
Written by Julie Ma
Hereford
Written by 1990s Chris
Coleraine
Written by Rachel Wilkinson
Caputh
Written and performed by Jim Smith
Digbeth
Written and performed by RTKal
Programme illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
Curated by Celia de Wolff for Pier Productions, BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, and Naked Productions for BBC Radio 4
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Raging - United Kingdoms | 20220117 | A groundbreaking five part series celebrating and revealing life across the United Kingdoms in short, sharp dramas from exciting new writers.
This ambitious State of the Nations series about life outside London offers the audience a myriad of images through drama, comedy, interviews, song and poetic monologue. These are the stories, the lives and the voices we don't often hear.
The dramas are being made by production teams from Northern Ireland, Southern England, Scotland, Northern England and Wales. Each episode features five short dramas by different writers, bringing together a total of 50 writers and 100 actors.
Episode 3: Raging
Downhill
Written by Shannon Yee
Treorchy
Written and performed by Samuel Bees
Slough
Iravat wouldn't describe herself as a particularly angry person. That is, until he walks onto the bus.
Written by Priyanka Jha
Avoch
Written by Luke Sutherland
Burnley
Written by Clare Shaw
Original music composed by Niroshini Thambar
Curated by Polly Thomas and Yusra Warsama for Naked Productions, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, Pier Productions, and BBC Cymru-Wales for BBC Radio 4
What is life really like in 21st-century United Kingdoms? Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Reflecting | 20210927 | A ground breaking five part series from exciting new writers celebrating and revealing life across the United Kingdoms in short, sharp drama, comedy, news reports, song and poetic monologue. Stories, lives and voices making a kaleidoscope of now.
Each episode features five short dramas by different writers - a total of 50 writers and 100 actors have been brought together, showcasing new writing and performing talent from every corner of the United Kingdom.
Belfast - A reflection on a long-ago conversation between the writer's parents about her brother's first birthday party, the 12th July Orange Day Parade, and a strange meeting in the park. Then the phone rings and, without warning, her mother's world is turned upside down.
Cardiff Gate - Going back to work with a stoma is no joke. In this surreal comedy, Greg Glover reflects on his real-life experiences of coming to terms with an ileostomy.
Leith - Jo reflects back on her life as a father and grandmother.
Sparkhill - I (Roland Gift) went back to Sparkhill and, for the first time since leaving town, I spent the night in a house of a friend on the road where I was born. Since then, nothing in my world has been the same.
Nottingham - Falling can feel like floating if the conditions are right. Contextualising a dream and rooting it in reality allows for progress to be made.
Belfast written by Zarina Yousuf-Bonass
Cardiff Gate written by Greg Glover
Leith written by Jo Clifford
Sparkhill written by Roland Gift
Nottingham written by Ravelle-Sad退 Fairman
Programme Illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
Episode Sound Designers: Lucinda Mason Brown and David Chilton, Essential Music Ltd
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Sheltering | 20210906 | A groundbreaking new series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five shorts works by five writers from across the parts of the UK and each episode responds to a different theme.
Episode 2: Sheltering
BRANDLESHOLME
When Greta gets her first visit from her local befriending service, the person who turns up really isn't what she expected.
Written by Shahid Iqbal Khan
COUNTY DOWN
A busker working an underpass takes in the months and years of his life making music for passing crowds.
Written by Stephen Sexton
GORBALS
Iain lives for Sunday afternoons. That's when he goes to his local Toolshed - a place to create and to talk, a place to escape to. But when he finds out it's going to be shut down, Iain's past begins to haunt his every thought.
Written by Andy Edwards
WRECSAM
A young woman waits at the village bus stop, taking in the world around her when she realises she's standing next to someone from her past.
Written and performed by Rachel Harper
SEAFORD
Poetic and moving meditation on living through a pandemic.
Written by Danusia Samal
Programme Illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
Sheltering was curated by Kirsty Williams for BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, Pier Productions, Naked Productions and BBC Cymru-Wales for BBC Radio 4.
Short-form dramas, monologues and poetic reflections on contemporary life. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |
| Survival | 20210920 | United Kingdoms: Survival
A ground-breaking new series capturing contemporary life across the UK with bitesize dramas, monologues, poetry and song. Each episode features five short works by five writers from across the UK, and each episode responds to a different theme.
NEW BRIGHTON
On New Brighton Promenade, the New Years Eve sky radio' sings with a voice from long ago. Liz, with her trusty solid state tape recorder, realise that this voice and the feelings it elicits don't need to hold her back.
Written by Jeff Young
CARRICK-A-REDE
Bridges - a perfect metaphor for mental health or a perfectionist's worst nightmare? An anxious overachiever struggles to stop surviving and start living.
Written by Claire Sullivan
NEWPORT
Emily is running late for her holiday with Bae, but dodgy trains aren't the only obstacle to their flying away together. What happens when your favourite AI just doesn't want to be dumped?
Written by Darragh Mortell
SKYE
When the daughter decides to bury her mother in the lawn of their family estate, a story of reparations and land rights unfolds.
Written by Iain Finlay MacLeod
CAMBORNE
In a world of tourists hurrying to return to normal and grab what staycations they can, what of Nan and her attempts to survive the pandemic? How long will spinach grown in the bath and a sherry with the neighbours enjoyed from the safety of the poly-tunnel sustain her? A tale of everyday hope, fear and daytime telly from Cornwall's often over-looked heartland.
Written by Rebecca Mordan
Programme illustration by Eleanor Hibbert
Survival was curated by John Norton for BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, Pier Productions and Naked Productions for BBC Radio 4
A bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. Bold series of short dramas reflecting life across the UK. |