Книги издательства «BBC Audio»

The collected BBC radio productions of the internationally renowned playwright Tom Stoppard.

One of the giants of British theatre, Sir Tom Stoppard has been writing for the stage and screen for over 50 years. Full of wit, verbal brilliance and big ideas, his plays appeal to critics and audiences alike and are among the most studied works of the last century.

Our collection contains the masterpiece, Arcadia, which won him an Olivier Award for Best Play and transferred to radio with the cast of the award-winning National Theatre production. It is followed by two of his most famous and best-loved dramas: the hilarious spoof whodunnit The Real Inspector Hound and the play that made Stoppard's name, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Also included is the bittersweet drama Dalliance, based on Arthur Schnitzler's play Liebelei.

The troubled history of Stoppard's home country, Czechoslovakia, is explored in two thought-provoking plays. Rock 'n' Roll, about love, loyalty, compromise and music, was specially adapted for radio by Stoppard himself, with a new final scene and a soundtrack featuring artists such as, U2, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground. Its themes of resistance to totalitarianism are echoed in Professional Foul, dramatised by Stoppard from his award-winning BBC TV play and set in communist Prague.

Stoppard also wrote numerous original radio plays, eight of which are featured here including; The Prix Italia-winning Albert's Bridge, In the Native State (later adapted as the stage play Indian Ink) and Darkside, based on the themes of Pink Floyd's classic album The Dark Side of the Moon.

Among the multitude of stars in these dazzling dramas are Hugh Grant, Rufus Sewell, Bill Nighy, Felicity Kendal, Harriet Walter, Amaka Okafor, Emma Fielding, Bill Paterson, John Hurt, Bertie Carvel, Toby Jones, Penelope Keith, John Le Mesurier, Penny Downie, Anna Massey, Ron Cook, Ronny Jhutti, Mathew Baynton, Peggy Ashcroft and Timothy West.

The collected BBC radio productions of the internationally renowned playwright Tom Stoppard.

One of the giants of British theatre, Sir Tom Stoppard has been writing for the…

Harold Pinter's acclaimed drama about a love affair and the intricate nature of deceit, starring Olivia Coleman and Andrew Scott.For seven years, Emma and Jerry had an affair and spent time together in a secret flat they kept just for the two of them. Jerry thinks that no-one else knew, but now it turns out that isn't the case.The story of an affair told in reverse time, from its poignant ending to its thrilling first kiss, Betrayal is one of Pinter's most celebrated dramatic works.

Harold Pinter's acclaimed drama about a love affair and the intricate nature of deceit, starring Olivia Coleman and Andrew Scott.For seven years, Emma and Jerry had an affair and…

Timothy West stars as Rumpole in these four fantastic radio dramas

Rumpole and the Teenage Werewolf
Rumpole heads to the Home Counties to defend Ben, a teenager accused of sending emails deemed to be sexually harassing, and of an actual physical attack on a girl.

Rumpole and the Right to Privacy
Rumpole leaves the Old Bailey to defend a civil case: an editor of a local newspaper who is accused of breaching a successful businessman's right to privacy.

Truth Makes All Things Plain
If one man can be counted on to fight injustice and insist on a fair trial for everyone, whatever their circumstances, it is Horace Rumpole. So when the beautiful Tiffany Khan learns that her husband has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism, she calls for his help right away.

The Past Catches up with us All
As he struggles to win justice for his client, Rumpole finds that his marriage to She Who Must Be
Obeyed is, rather like his waistcoat, straining at the seams.

Timothy West stars as Rumpole and Prunella Scales as Hilda, with Matt Smith as Ben, Nigel Anthony as Claude Erskine-Brown and Michael Cochrane as ‘Soapy Sam’ Ballard.

Timothy West stars as Rumpole in these four fantastic radio dramas

Rumpole and the Teenage Werewolf
Rumpole heads to the Home Counties to defend Ben, a teenager accused of…

The complete fourth and fifth series of Alexander McCall Smith’s radio dramas based on his much-loved novels about the residents of an Edinburgh tenement building.

Set in Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, these two BBC radio series follow the quirky adventures and ‘goings-on’ of the various inhabitants of 44 Scotland Street, where life and love are full of surprises.

Little Bertie Pollock is at the centre of it all, and in Series 4, Edinburgh’s most hot-housed seven-year-old receives a rare respite from his weekly Italian, yoga and psychotherapy sessions when his ambitious mother, Irene, goes travelling. There’s also constitutional trouble brewing at the Association of Scottish Nudists, and café owner Big Lou’s romantic life is in danger of hitting a discordant note.

In series 5, Bertie is up for the role of Macbeth in the school play. Meanwhile his father, Stuart, meets a young poet who may just turn his head. Also suffering the pangs of love is young surveyor Bruce, who is smitten by an adventurous Australian girl - but is she all she seems? All this, and more, is observed by portrait painter Angus Lordie and his dog, Cyril, the only canine in Scotland with a gold tooth.

Crawford Logan, Carol Ann Crawford, Anita Vettesse and Emma Currie are among the stars of these delightful dramas, adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his own hugely popular books.

The complete fourth and fifth series of Alexander McCall Smith’s radio dramas based on his much-loved novels about the residents of an Edinburgh tenement building.

Set in…

Now a much-loved modern classic, The Country Girls Trilogy was fiercely controversial when first published in the 1960s. Banned by the Irish censors and burned by the Church, the books nonetheless achieved widespread acclaim and international success, and launched Edna O’Brien’s literary career.

These three BBC radio adaptations follow the lives and loves of best friends Kate and Baba, two teenage girls growing up in repressive rural Ireland in the years before the sexual revolution. The Country Girls sees the duo leaving their small country village for convent school – but the bright lights of Dublin beckon, promising glamour, adventure and romance. In The Lonely Girl, dreamy Kate longs for love, while worldly-wise Baba makes the most of the opportunities the big city offers. Girls in Their Married Bliss finds the two friends living across the sea in London, where both have found husbands – but will marriage and motherhood bring happiness or heartbreak?

Funny, moving and painfully honest, these evocative dramas are a passionate affirmation of female friendship and desire, and a vivid portrait of a country struggling to throw off the shackles of prudishness, misogyny and religious conservatism. Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley) stars as Kate, with Aoibhinn McGinnity (Resistance, Nightflyers) as Baba.

Edna O'Brien is the much acclaimed author of The Country Girls Trilogy. She recently won the David Cohen Prize for Literature for having “broken down social and sexual barriers for women in Ireland and beyond and moved mountains both politically and lyrically through her writing”.

Now a much-loved modern classic, The Country Girls Trilogy was fiercely controversial when first published in the 1960s. Banned by the Irish censors and burned by the Church, the…

Neil Gaiman's delightfully quirky story, in which Mrs Whitaker discovers the Holy Grail in a charity shop.

Mrs Whitaker just wants to have a chat with her dear friend Mrs Greenberg over homemade macaroons. But her charity shop find soon makes her the focal point of a most important quest when a handsome young man - who says he's called Galaad - comes asking for the Grail.

This sound designed, multi-voiced reading is an extended cut, including material not heard in the radio broadcast, and is introduced by an exclusive interview with Neil Gaiman.

Starring Glenda Jackson as the Narrator and Mrs Whitaker, and Kit Harington as Sir Galaad.

Neil Gaiman's delightfully quirky story, in which Mrs Whitaker discovers the Holy Grail in a charity shop.

Mrs Whitaker just wants to have a chat with her dear friend Mrs…

A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Ian Serraillier’s classic wartime story.

When the Germans march into Poland in 1941, the Balickis’ happy family life is shattered. With their parents taken away by Nazis, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are forced to fend for themselves in the dangerous, war-ravaged city of Warsaw.

When Edek is captured too, the girls are desperate. Then they meet orphaned street urchin Jan, who carries with him a talisman of hope: a silver sword paperknife that they recognise as having belonged to their mother.

Realising that their parents may still be alive, Ruth and Bronia set off on an epic journey to Switzerland to search for them. With Jan by their side, they are determined to reunite the family – and their first step is to find Edek. But the road ahead is full of danger and hardship, and they will facemany challenges along the way...

This moving story of friendship, courage and solidarity brings to life the reality of a Europe laid waste by war.

Cast:
Ruth - Sarah McDonald Hughes
Edek - Stephen Hoyle
Bronia - Hester Cox
Jan - Aqib Khan
Margaret/Irka/Mrs Wolff - Maggie Fox
Joseph/German 1/Mr Wolff - Malcolm Raeburn
Ivan - David Fleeshman
Soldier/American GI - Andrew Blake
Doctor - Lloyd Peters
Cook/Mrs Borowicz - Szilvi Naray Davey
The Burgomaster/Captain Malinowski - Jonathan Keeble

Adapted by Chris Wallis.
Produced and directed by Charlotte Riches.

A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Ian Serraillier’s classic wartime story.

When the Germans march into Poland in 1941, the Balickis’ happy family life is shattered. With…

After a lifetime spent in public relations, one-woman dynamo Agatha Raisin struggles to adapt to life in a quiet country village – but she soon finds that there is murder and mayhem aplenty to keep her busy.

Agatha Raisin – sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-pc – Anne Robinson

If there is one thing better than watching Penelope Keith, it is listening to her - The Times

Among the cases she has to deal with are a poisoned quiche; a vet who has been ‘put to sleep’; a hanged horticulturist; a murdered rambler and a curate who meets his Maker somewhat sooner than expected. Then there’s the treasure hunt with a rather nasty prize at the end; the secretive salon owner; the husband who is quite definitely ex; the murder on the dancefloor and the fairies at the bottom of the garden.

With all this and handsome neighbour James Lacey to deal with, the ‘Columbo of the Cotswolds’ has her hands full!

This Complete Radio Drama Collection includes the following stories: The Quiche of Death, The Vicious Vet, The Potted Gardener, The Walkers of Dembley, The Curious Curate, The Buried Treasure, The Wizard of Evesham, The Murderous Marriage, The Terrible Tourist and The Fairies of Fryfam.

After a lifetime spent in public relations, one-woman dynamo Agatha Raisin struggles to adapt to life in a quiet country village – but she soon finds that there is murder and…

Meet Anne Lister, the 18th Century landowner, industrialist, explorer, lesbian and feminist icon. This is her story...

Anne was different from society’s expectations of a woman at the time: she not only did not wish to marry, but she also did not want to conform. Anne was only interested in women and had ‘marriage’ ceremonies with Mariana Lawton and later Ann Walker. She spent a great deal of time studying, managed her own estates, sought business opportunities, travelled widely and climbed mountains

In this full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation written by Mary Cooper and starring Deborah McAndrew as Anne, we meet the serial diarist as she describes her life, her loves and the societal changes happening around her.

Meet Anne Lister, the 18th Century landowner, industrialist, explorer, lesbian and feminist icon. This is her story...

Anne was different from society’s expectations of a woman…

When Charles Paris’ agent rings with the news that he has a part for him in a new musical, Charles is delighted – and somewhat amazed, as he can neither sing nor dance.

But Maurice has an ulterior motive: as one of the show’s backers, he wants Charles to play detective and investigate a series of accidents that have dogged the production. The pianist has been shot in the hand and another cast member fell downstairs – or was he pushed? Anxious about their investment and their star, Chris Watt, the ‘angels’ are keen to ensure that nothing else goes wrong.

Joining the company, Charles discovers that Chris, although amazingly talented, is a prima donna who has made enemies of almost everyone. When the accidents resume, it begins to look as if anyone who disagrees with him is being targeted. But would the star really sabotage his own show? Charles must find out – before things turn murderous…

This thrilling adaptation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances.

When Charles Paris’ agent rings with the news that he has a part for him in a new musical, Charles is delighted – and somewhat amazed, as he can neither sing nor dance.

But…

A sixth collection of captivating courtroom dramas, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Horace Rumpole

Rumpole and the Way Through the Woods
Rumpole makes friends with a dog named Sir Lancelot, and finds himself defending a hunt saboteur who claims to be guilty of murder. But Horace is convinced that the true culprit is among the hunting fraternity.

Rumpole for the Prosecution
Rumpole’s personal commandment is ‘Thou Shalt Not Prosecute’ – but he breaks this rule to take on a private prosecution brought by a dead girl’s father. However, an obscure literary reference and a piece of evidence that doesn’t fit bring his defender’s instincts to the fore...

Rumpole and the Quacks
Temporarily indisposed, Rumpole consults a charming Indian doctor who later asks for Horace’s help when he is accused of molesting a patient. Meanwhile, Rumpole’s friendship with Phillida Erskine-Brown deepens as both their marriages hit a tricky patch.

Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Rumpole, with Jasmine Hyde as Hilda, Nigel Anthony as Claude Erskine-Brown and Cathy Sara as Phillida.

A sixth collection of captivating courtroom dramas, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Horace Rumpole

Rumpole and the Way Through the Woods
Rumpole makes friends with a dog named…

A fourth collection of BBC Radio 4 dramatisations, adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his own best-selling books.

Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier - and only - lady detective, is back with another batch of unusual cases.

In these eight episodes, she receives a visit from a very important person; helps out Mma Potokwani, who has had bad news at the Orphan Farm; looks into who is orchestrating a campaign against Mma Soleti; and welcomes a new arrival - while righting an old wrong.

Plus, Mr JLB Matekoni’s apprentice gets into trouble; Mma Makutsi is hiding a secret; and Mma Ramotswe tries to come to terms with one of the trickiest situations she has ever faced: taking a holiday.

The stories included are: A Man from a Far Place, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, The Modern Husband Course, The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, The Handsome Man’s Deluxe Café, The Dish of Yesterday, This Is Not a Rubbish Boy and The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine.

Brought to life with evocative music and a full cast, these engaging adaptations star Claire Benedict as Mma Ramotswe, with Nadine Marshall as Mma Makutsi and Joseph Marcell as Mr JLB Matekoni.

A fourth collection of BBC Radio 4 dramatisations, adapted by Alexander McCall Smith from his own best-selling books.

Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier - and only - lady…

Three thrilling full-cast dramas starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as the irrepressible Horace Rumpole

Rumpole and the Golden Thread
In Africa defending an old pupil in a murder trial, Rumpole is arrested. When Phillida arrives to bail him out, a spark between them is rekindled...

Rumpole and the Official Secret
Rumpole defends a civil servant accused of selling secrets and is embroiled in a wine fraud. Meanwhile, Phillida tells Rumpole she plans to leave her husband and asks him to keep it a secret, and Horace considers what that might mean.

Rumpole and the Quality of Life
Ballard’s wedding looms and Rumpole faces a life-changing decision about his own marriage. Hilda expects him to join her in Cornwall, but Phillida hopes he will leave to be with her at last…

For fifteen years, Rumpole has fought, won and occasionally lost myriad cases – and fallen in and out of love with both wife Hilda and ‘the Portia of our Chambers’, Phillida Erskine-Brown. These three episodes leave us guessing until the very end – will Rumpole finally leave ‘She Who Must be Obeyed’ for Phillida?

Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Rumpole, with Jasmine Hyde as Hilda, Nigel Anthony as Claude Erskine-Brown and Cathy Sara as Phillida.

Three thrilling full-cast dramas starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as the irrepressible Horace Rumpole

Rumpole and the Golden Thread
In Africa defending an old pupil in a murder…

Octavia's triumphant new dress designs are the only thing on her mind - but is it safe to ignore the ominous dressmaker's doll which appears in her workshop? Today's cut-throat fashion industry provides this story's backdrop.

Octavia's triumphant new dress designs are the only thing on her mind - but is it safe to ignore the ominous dressmaker's doll which appears in her workshop? Today's cut-throat…

A group of adventurers set out from Damascus to visit the legendary Gate of Baghdad, also known as the Gate of Death. When one of the party is found dead, the others look to the seemingly unimpeachable Mr Parker Pyne.

A group of adventurers set out from Damascus to visit the legendary Gate of Baghdad, also known as the Gate of Death. When one of the party is found dead, the others look to the…

November 2013 marked 50 years since Doctor Who first arrived on BBC television, and Radio 2 marked the occasion with two very special programmes.

Who Is The Doctor? Russell Tovey takes an epic journey through five decades of Doctor Who history and charts the fortunes of the series, from its origins in the 1960s and growing popularity in the 1970s, through the onset of stormy waters in the 1980s, to its triumphant rebirth and second golden age in the 21st Century. Among those telling the story are Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Barry Letts, Philip Hinchcliffe, Jenna Coleman, Louise Jameson, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Sylvester McCoy, Nicholas Briggs, Mark Ayres, Ben Foster, Mark Gatiss, Waris Hussein and Terrance Dicks alongside numerous other Doctor Who creators and contributors.

Graham Norton In a special edition of his Saturday morning Radio 2 show, broadcast live from the 50th Anniversary Celebration in London, Graham presides over lively and humorous conversation with guests including Colin Baker, Tom Baker, Jenna Coleman, Peter Davison, Carole Ann Ford, Louise Jameson, Katy Manning, Kate O’Mara, Sylvester McCoy, Steven Moffat, William Russell and Matt Smith. Maria McErlane celebrates ten very special Days of the Doctor, and Graham casts an eye over some of the costumes that have featured in the series. Join Russell, Graham and a galaxy of stars for the festivities as they mark half a century of Doctor Who.

November 2013 marked 50 years since Doctor Who first arrived on BBC television, and Radio 2 marked the occasion with two very special programmes.

Who Is The Doctor? Russell…

Anneke Wills reads this exciting novelisation of a classic TV adventure for the Second Doctor.
In the summer of 1966, thousands of young people are taking their holidays with Chameleon Tours — and not one of them is coming back.

When the TARDIS lands at Gatwick Airport the Doctor is drawn into a web of intrigue and deception. To add to his troubles, Polly mysteriously vanishes. Or does she? The girl at the Chameleon Toursdesk looks like Polly, and even sounds like her, but she claims she comes from Zurich. Who is she really? Who is behind these abductions, and for what sinister purpose?

Soon the Doctor and Jamie must face a desperate group of faceless aliens — the deadly Chameleons . . .

Anneke Wills, who played the Doctor's companion Polly in the BBC TV series, reads Terrance Dicks's novelisation based on an original serial by Malcolm Hulke and David Ellis.

Anneke Wills reads this exciting novelisation of a classic TV adventure for the Second Doctor.
In the summer of 1966, thousands of young people are taking their holidays with…

Linda Marshall's BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of L. Frank Baum's children's classic, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. Originally broadcast as part of the BBC Christmas 2009 season. When a tornado strikes her farmhouse in Kansas, young Dorothy and her dog Toto are lifted to the magical world of Oz, the strange land of the Munchkins. There she embarks upon a perilous journey befriending the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion who join her quest to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz and her way back home. This timeless story that has enchanted generations of readers both young and old is brought to life in this dramatisation starring Amelia Clarkson as Dorothy; Jonathan Keeble as the Wizard of Oz, Kalidah and Uncle Henry; Kevin Eldon as the Scarecrow; Burn Gorman as the Tinman; Zubin Varla as the Lion and Emma Fielding as the Witches of the North, South and West and as Aunt Em. Also stars Andrew Westfield and Graeme Hawley. With Original Music by Olly Fox and directed by Nadia Molinari.

Linda Marshall's BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of L. Frank Baum's children's classic, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'. Originally broadcast as part of the BBC Christmas 2009…

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Paul Gallico's 'The Snow Goose' by Nick Warburton, starring Steven Mackintosh. When 'Open Book' asked various authors to champion a favourite neglected classic on the programme, Michael Morpurgo chose 'The Snow Goose'; perhaps no surprise, with his own story 'War Horse' depicting a friendship between a boy and his horse which takes them both into the horror of World War I. In 'The Snow Goose', A wounded bird brings together a disfigured artist and a young girl on the eve of World War II.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Paul Gallico's 'The Snow Goose' by Nick Warburton, starring Steven Mackintosh. When 'Open Book' asked various authors to champion a…