Plays Theatre & Dance

Thirteen plays about human connection, from some of BBC Radio's best writers exploring love, family, romances and life's ups and downs This diverse collection of stories centres around family dynamics, relationships both romantic and platonic, and the diverse ways ordinary people navigate the vicissitudes of everyday life. Ranging from modern fairy tales to coming-of-age dramas, they feature a wide variety of styles, and are scripted by an array of writers from award-winning dramatists to first-time authors. Here are stories of meeting and parting; hope and heartbreak; grief and forgiveness; and the endless possibility of change.

We meet the couple racing to secure their IVF treatment; the wide-eyed young Conservative whose awakening is more than just political; the teenager who discovers a secret that threatens his entire extended family; the ex-offender transformed through his friendship with a photographer, and many more captivating characters. These engrossing dramas let us venture into their worlds; giving us an intimate insight into their lives and loves. Among the casts are Jaime Winstone, Sean Gallagher, Rhea Bailey, Mina Anwar, Ciaran Griffiths and Harry McEntire.

Oozing with satire and sass, these fun-size yet deliciously satisfying musical comedies do for your ears what chocolate does for your taste buds.

Based on the lives and careers of well-known public figures, each one takes a politician or VIP who has hit the headlines, and gives them a West End make-over. Their fabricated stories are told in an original, never-heard-before, musical that will have your toes tapping to the rhythm and shoulders shaking to the laughs. All the conventions of a musical are followed (huge production numbers, tender ballads and emotional reprises) - but artistic licence is well and truly taken as celebrities such as David Cameron, Simon Cowell and Morrissey are hilariously lampooned in song

Two boys out sledging in their local park find the body of an old woman in the snow. Who is she? How did she come to be there?

Over ten episodes, this compelling series moves backwards and forwards in time to reveal the chain of events that led her to that point.We meet members of her family, her friends and the people she has encountered, all of whom provide clues to help us put the puzzle together. From the police and paramedics to the nurses and residents in an old people's home, each character has their own relationships and circumstances - and on our journey to understanding the old woman's story, we hear theirs too, combining to form a brilliant kaleidoscope of modern life and love.

28 Acts in 28 Minutes is a traditional variety show with a difference: the performers have just 60 seconds in which to entertain a live audience. Making the most of their minutes are a plethora of top-class talents, including Adam Buxton, Jason Manford, Nicholas Parsons, Sarah Millican, Richard Herring, Miles Jupp, Frankie Boyle, Isy Suttie, Tim Key, John Bishop, Tim Minchin, Jason Byrne, Stephen K Amos, Shappi Khorsandi, Stewart Lee, Marcus Brigstocke, Phil Cornwell and John Finnemore.

Featuring a mix of award-winning comedians and newcomers to the scene, there's something for everyone, from stand-up to sketches, satire, songs and poems - with a few surprises thrown in. And if you don't like any of the acts, well... another will be along in about 55 seconds. 

The complete BBC radio adaptations of Alexander McCall's bestselling series Inspired by Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City 44 Scotland Street started life as a serial in The Scotsman. It was a huge hit and was soon novelised adapted on stage and dramatised for BBC Radio 4.

Collected here are all five radio series in which we follow the interconnected lives of the residents of adjoining flats in a tenement in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town. There's Pat a young tenant who arrives at 44 Scotland Street to flat-share with handsome surveyor Bruce (a man with more of an eye for the ladies than for a sound property); Matthew setting up the Something Special Gallery with little knowledge of art; and child prodigy Bertie Pollock who wants the life of an ordinary little boy but instead has psychotherapy yoga and Italian conversation lessons. And at the local cafA owner Big Lou is looking for love - but seems doomed to romantic disappointment... Their chance day-to-day criss-crossings quirky foibles and comic adventures are all observed by Number 44's longest-term resident anthropologist Domenica MacDonald her painter friend Angus Lordie - and Angus' dog Cyril the only canine in Scotland with a gold tooth.

Full of charm humour and empathy these delightful dramas star Carol Ann Crawford and Crawford Logan with a superb cast including James Mackenzie Samuel Keefe Belle Jones and Anita Vettesse. Also included is an edition of Radio 4's Bookclub in which Alexander McCall Smith talks about his novel 44 Scotland Street with James Naughtie and readers.

The spoof hardboiled thrillers with Wales's top private investigator dramatised by BBC Radio This marvelous collection of Malcolm Pryce's acclaimed Aberystwyth Noir radio productions are set in an alternative version of Aberystwyth where the streets are filled with veterans of the Patagonian War (Wales's answer to Vietnam) the Druids are mob bosses and the ice cream is... unusual to say the least.

The first play Aberystwyth Mon Amour sees Louie Knight the town's top private investigator - maybe its only private investigator - in search of the schoolboys who have been vanishing with increasing frequency. To do it he'll need all his wits about him - and the guts to stake out a Punch and Judy show no matter the consequences...

In Last Tango in Aberystwyth Louise Knight and sidekick Calamity Jane are drawn into the seedy world of the town's 'What the Butler Saw' film industry complete with dead ventriloquists and Druid assassins. But when Louie receives a call from his long lost love and gets news of an old enemy what will he risk in the name of revenge?

In the final play Aberystwyth Noir - It Ain't Over Till The Bearded Lady Sings Louie and Jane look into the death of Mr Big Top another gunned-down victim of the Druids. It feels like trouble from the start but that doesn't mean Louie will stop; in fact he's half-way to the End of the Pier show before anyone knows he's even on the case. Between the balloon twister the bearded lady and the Amazing Mr Marmalade will Louie discover what's really going on? Or will his nemesis former games teacher turned lion tamer Herod Jenkins mean Louie's end once and for all? Featuring Richard Nicholls (News from Nowhere Burning Both Ends) Sara Lloyd-Gregory (Tourist Trap Doctors) and Matthew Gravelle (Broadchurch Silent Witness) these surreal and hilarious noir thrillers will have you questioning everything you know about the beloved Welsh coastal town - and what you'd do to uncover the truth in a topsy-turvy world...

Bryan Archer's girlfriend has run off with the electrician, leaving him to raise their 18-month-old son, Albert, alone. Fortunately, Bryan's mum Pat is around to help out, but he still needs to get a job and earn enough money to pay the rent. Can he find an employer who'll let him bring Albert along?

These seventeen episodes follow Bryan's mishaps and adventures juggling work and childcare, as he tries out as a cosmetic salesman, takes a driving job - but gets caught up in crime, and finds employment as a temporary filing clerk, where he has a bit of bother with a missing file.

And there are challenges in store as he tries to get a loan to buy a house, attempts to save his sister's marriage, and gets a scare when his little boy is taken into hospital for tests...

Philosopher, pacifist, psychonaut and prophet, Aldous Huxley was one of the 20^th century's pre-eminent intellectuals and writers. The author of over 50 books, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize nine times, and elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962, a year before his death.

Known for his mordant satire and visionary ideas, Huxley spanned the period from post-First World War disillusionment to mid-century mysticism, and the works in this collection reflect his literary evolution.

Valentine Cunningham presents, with contributions from Sybille Bedford, Lord Jenkins, Sir Stephen Spender, Gavin Ewart, Julian Symons and Lewis Wolpert, and archive recordings of Huxley, his brother Julian and contemporaries.

One of Russia's most iconic poets, Alexander Pushkin is often described as the 'father of Russian literature'. A gambler, playboy and social reformer, he was exiled by the Tsar for his controversial poetry and died aged 37 in a duel defending his wife's honour. This BBC Radio anthology opens with full-cast dramatisations of his two masterpieces, Eugene Onegin and The Bronze Horseman, both set against the backdrop of his turbulent life. The former, set the night before the fateful duel, sees Pushkin (Geoffrey Streitfeild) telling his wife the story of St Petersburg socialite Onegin, his best friend, and the woman who loves him. In the latter, starring Max Irons, Pushkin's epic poem symbolising the battle between Tsar and citizen is interspersed with scenes depicting his own parallel struggles with state power. The inspiration for Rachmaninov's opera Aleko, The Gypsies is a powerful exploration in narrative verse of the conflict between freedom and love. Zemfira brings Aleko, a man running from the law, home to meet her father, but life in a gypsy camp is more challenging than he imagined. Read by Ralph Fiennes, Alex Jennings and Gabrielle Glaister.

Set during the 'Time of Troubles' in the early 1600s, Pushkin's only full-length play, Boris Godunov, is a historical drama about the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who was Tsar from 1598 to 1605. It features a stellar cast including Alan Howard, Bill Nighy and Jane Lapotaire. His 'little tragedy', Mozart and Salieri, tells of the rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri, who was rumoured to have been behind Mozart's early death. Starring Paul Scofield as Salieri and Simon Callow as Mozart. Also included are four superb short stories - 'The Snowstorm', starring Janet Maw and Michael Maloney, 'The Squire's Daughter', read by Hattie Morahan, 'The Queen of Spades', featuring Moira Lister, Greg Wise and Amanda Root, and 'The Golden Cockerel', read by Alec McCowen.

Dramatised from Alexei Sayle's hilarious, highly-acclaimed fiction, these satirical, surreal and surprising tales feature some of the UK's foremost comic actors, and are introduced by the award-winning comedian himself.

The Only Man Stalin Was Afraid Of- Summoned to treat his old friend, Stalin's psychiatrist is faced with an ethical dilemma. Starring Peter Capaldi, Freya Parker and Peter Serafinowicz.

Banner Bright - 1968. Five students meet during an art school occupation, and create an inspirational protest banner they believe will change the world. Starring Ben Crompton, George Fouracres, Kath Hughes, Tim Key and Nimisha Odedra.

The Minister for Death - A Liverpudlian pensioner foils a would-be mugger - and rekindles his lust for murder... Starring Paul Barber, Lewis MacLeod, Shaun Mason, Freya Parker and Frances Tomelty.

The Last Woman Killed In The War - Returning to Liverpool after 40 years of exile, Mary finds that much has changed during her absence. Starring Adi Alfa, Katy Carmichael, Shaun Mason, Jan Ravens and Paislie Reid.

Clive Hole - An indecisive TV commissioner comes under pressure from two dogged producers determined to get their screenplay made. Starring Katheryn Drysdale, Graham Duff, George Fouracres, Georgie Glenn, Tim McInnerny, Alice McMillan and Duncan Wisbey.

Barcelona Chairs- Frustrated architect 'rupert' embeds himself in Tony Blair's Labour government while trying to design the perfect, ultra-minimalist home for his family. Starring Ambika Mod, Hugh Quarshie and Siobhan Redmond.

The Nameless Park- Jade loves the neglected park near her house, and often takes her wheelchair-user brother for trips around its paths. But when Jason becomes critically ill, she makes a devastating discovery. Starring Louis Emerick, George Fouracres, Shaun Mason, Alice McMillan and Claire Sweeney.

Locked Out - Unexpectedly stuck outside her Central London home, Katherine realises how little she knows about her neighbours' lives, and the strange and apparently sinister things they get up to... Starring Maxine Peake.

Described by H P Lovecraft as 'the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere', Algernon Blackwood (CBE) was the acclaimed and prolific author of numerous ghost stories and horror tales. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories.

This anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence. The inspiration for the famous horror movie Cat People, 'Ancient Sorceries' (read by Philip Madoc), sees a timid tourist becoming enchanted by a sleepy French town whose residents have an oddly feline manner. It is followed by four chilling dramatisations starring Malcolm Hayes as Silence.

Josie Long presents four entertaining and educational comedic essays, aided by Maeve Higgins and special guests. Award-winning comedian Josie Long has performed nine hit stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, subsequently touring them around the UK and internationally. This BBC Radio series was adapted from her hit 2009 stage show, and finds her attempting to unravel the mysteries of the universe through ad hoc research. Using the knowledge she's gleaned, she gives us the lowdown on her selected subject - with the help of her special guests, who join in with questions, illustrations and interruptions.

In Astronomy for Dummies, Josie uses the textbook of the same name to try and get to grips with the complexities of the solar system. As she flicks through its pages, she learns how to identify constellations, joins the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence - and finds her cosmic twin... The Enlightenment sees her pondering the history of collecting things. From her childhood frog collection to the Pitts Rivers Museum, she considers why we love acquiring, categorising and displaying objects - and how doing so makes us better people... In Obscure Animal Facts, Josie attempts to level up, and become unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. Sharing her favourite facts about the animal kingdom, she recalls her animal-activist past, interrogates her father over his quiz-buff history and reflects on the deep joy of being dorky. And in Propriety, Plants, Grandparents and Growing Your Own, she finds out how being outside connects us to nature, muses on apple names and adventure botanists, and discovers how her granny's gardening book holds the key to al fresco happiness.

A gentle comedy drama about the reunion of three old school friends When unemployed teacher Patrick and his wife, high-flying professional Helen, move back to the town where Patrick grew up, they thought life would be simpler. But Patrick's hazy and fond memories of his schooldays are brought back into sharp relief once he's surrounded by the people and places he'd long stopped thinking about, and he realises things were not always as he'd seen them. As Patrick begins to rebuild bonds and make new discoveries with his old school friends, Helen is making friends of her own, and the couple and their neighbours begin to build the community both Patrick and Helen have been missing.

Based on Jim Sweeney's first play, Danny's Wake, which won a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival and a Grand Media Comedy Award, All the Young Dudes is a charming nostalgic comedy about growing up and staying the same. Starring Jim Sweeney (Who's Line is it Anyway?, Just a Minute), Cathryn Harrison (Soldier Soldier, A Handful of Dust), Steve Steen (Spitting Image, Blackadder the Third), Sadie Shimmin (Wallander, Mr Selfridge), Stephen Frost (The Young Ones, Never Mind the Buzzcocks), and Flaminia Cinque (Waking the Dead, Any Human Heart), the gentle wit and musical flashbacks are perfect for fans of It's Not Us, It's Them, Up the Garden Path, and North by Northamptonshire. 

Anthony Berkeley was a journalist, novelist, and founding member of the Detection Club - whose members included Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers - and was one of crime fiction's greatest innovators, developing the idea of the psychological crime novel in the 1920s and 30s.

One of his recurring and most-beloved characters was Roger Sheringham, a novelist and amateur detective. In these two classic tales, Roger Sheringham must investigate two terrible murders.

The Poisoned Chocolates Case sees him taking up the challenge when Scotland Yard admits defeat after months of investigations. How was a woman poisoned by a box of chocolates that weren't even intended for her?

In Jumping Jenny, Roger attends a party with the questionable theme 'famous murderers and their victims', only to discover that one difficult guest has been deliberately killed on one of the party's props.

Four gripping historical dramas centred around key figures who shaped America in the 20th century Award-winning writer Mike Walker has created many acclaimed docudramas and historical dramas for Radio 4, including The Stuarts, Tsar, Caesar! and Plantagenet. This collection includes four nuanced dramas featuring a trio of controversial men who stamped their mark on American history: J Edgar Hoover, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Richard Baines Nixon. Among the casts are William Hootkins, Bob Sherman, Lorelei King, Nathan Osgood and Alex Lanipekun. J Edgar Hoover - This four-part drama charts the rise and fall of the notorious FBI director. Beginning in 1919, when a young Hoover uses his reputation for anti-Communist zealotry to further his ambitions, it takes in his single-minded pursuit of criminals including 'Public Enemy Number One' John Dillinger; his struggles with Bobby Kennedy and his relationship with his longtime deputy and close companion Clyde Tolson. LBJ - Inspired by real historical events, this two-part drama looks at the Kennedy administration, LBJ and the Vietnam War through the eyes of fictional journalist Lyle Weaver.

Offered a job working as speechwriter to Vice-President Johnson, idealistic Lyle can't resist the chance to become an insider, helping to drive change. But the White House is riven by power struggles and, forced to take sides, he fails to consider the personal cost of being one on LBJ's people. The Product - Vietnam, 1968. When their helicopter is shot down, a soldier and a reporter are stranded in the jungle. Battling together to reach safety, they share stories, and realise that they were part of opposing campaigns in the historic 1960 election which saw JFK narrowly defeat Nixon. Reflecting on a victory won through propaganda, dollars and dirty tricks, they recall the candidates they each supported - and consider the legacy of their choices. American Faith: Richard Milhous Nixon's Road to Watergate - An epic, intimate drama recounting the life and extraordinary career of one of America's most fascinating and enigmatic Presidents: from his upbringing as a Quaker shopkeeper's son to his involvement in the 1970s Watergate scandal that rocked the nation and forced his resignation. NB: Contains strong language and attitudes from the era in which these stories are set which would not be considered acceptable today.

Angela Carter was one of the most important writers of the 20th Century. A pioneer of British magical realism, her work was described by Salman Rushdie as 'without rival and without equal'. Her radical, inventive novels influenced countless writers, while her dark, sensual short fiction turned traditional fables inside out, giving women the power over their desires and fates. Susannah Clapp, Angela Carter's literary executor and friend, introduces the productions and offers fascinating insights into Angela Carter's life and work. This landmark collection includes five new dramatisation of stories from her iconic collection of fairytales retold, The Bloody Chamber. Alongside the title story are 'The Erl-King', 'Wolf-Alice', 'The Tiger's Bride' and 'The Company of Wolves', with casts including Sophie Cookson, Ariyon Bakare, Lily Lesser, Hannah Genesius and Adjoa Andoh. A sixth tale from The Bloody Chamber, 'Puss in Boots', is adapted by Carter herself and stars Andrew Sachs as Puss.

Also included is an adaptation of Carter's award-winning Nights at the Circus, starring Roisin Conaty as Cockney trapeze artist Sophie Fevvers, and the world premiere of her unproduced screenplay The Christchurch Murder. Based on the real-life story of two New Zealand schoolgirls who killed for love, it was an inspiration for the Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures, and stars Fiona Shaw, Nancy Carroll and James Wilby. Accompanying these are three thrilling radio plays: the Gothic Vampirella (starring Jessica Raine and Anton Lesser); the hallucinatory drama-documentary Come Unto These Yellow Sands (featuring James Anthony Rose as patricidal painter Richard Dadd); and an exploration of the life of Ronald Firbank, A Self-Made Man (with Lewis Fiander as Firbank). Finally, Liza Ross reads the short story 'Lizzie's Tiger', originally commissioned for radio, in which the four-year-old Lizzie Borden has an extraordinary encounter at the circus. A bonus documentary, Third Ear: Angela Carter, comprises Paul Bailey's lively interview with the author, recorded shortly before her death in 1992. In it, she discusses her novel Wise Children, and examines the impact of Britishness, politics, and the oral tradition on her subversive writing.

The half millennium between the creation of the English nation in around 550 and the Norman Conquest in 1066 was a formative one. This groundbreaking series rediscovers the Anglo-Saxons through vivid portraits of thirty incredible men and women, as told by their contemporary admirers. 

Nobel prize-winner Seamus Heaney discusses the Beowulf bard; former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams focuses on St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael Wood celebrates Penda, the much-maligned last pagan king of England; Barbara Yorke tells the story of Hild of Whitby, the powerful abbess and largely forgotten pre-feminism model; and writer David Almond investigates the oldest surviving English poet, Caedmon.

From royalty to peasants, the women behind the Bayeux Tapestry to rebellious nuns, Anglo-Saxon Portraits unravels the mysteries of a too often forgotten period in British history.

Ex-con Bob has done his time. After five years at Her Majesty's pleasure, he's been released on licence with an ankle tag registered to his estranged son's address. Uptight Gruff isn't too happy about it - he's just become a father himself, and the last thing he needs is his delinquent dad back in his life. But Bob turns on the charm, persuading sympathetic daughter-in-law Alice that his heart's in the right place, and manages to inveigle his way into moving in.

These three series find him getting back on the dating scene, landing a job as a bingo caller, catching up with an old acquaintance from C Wing and reconnecting with a long-lost family member.

Ann Cleeves is well known for her 'Vera', 'Shetland', and 'Two Rivers' crime series, all of which have been adapted into hit TV shows. She was presented with the CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement in 2017, and was appointed an OBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to reading and libraries. This collection includes full-cast dramatisations of the first two 'Shetland' novels featuring Detective Jimmy Perez, as well as three short stories and a discussion with the bestselling author. Raven Black - Midwinter in Shetland, and a young woman is found strangled in a snow-covered field. Suspicion falls on elderly loner Magnus Tait - but Detective Jimmy Perez has a hunch the solution is not that simple. Starring Grant O'Rourke. White Nights - It is midsummer on the island, a time of white nights where the sun never quite leaves the sky. When a distressed stranger disrupts an art exhibition claiming amnesia, and is later found hanged, it seems a clear case of suicide. But Jimmy Perez has other ideas... Starring Steven Robertson.

'The Soothmoothers' - The tensions between three travellers on a business trip to Shetland spark a local woman's interest. By dawn the next day, DI Jimmy Perez is on the scene, investigating a violent crime. Read by Marnie Baxter. 'Secrets of Soil' - Written in collaboration with forensic soil scientist Lorna Dawson, this specially-commissioned short story sees Shetland detective Willow Reeves returning to her childhood home on the Scottish island of North Uist to confront a dark secret from her past. Read by Lesley Hart. 'The Queen of Mystery' - Attending the Malice Domestic crime convention in Bethesda, Maryland, award-winning mystery writer Stella Monkhouse fears her star is starting to wane... Read by Joanna Tope. Phil Williams - Ann Cleeves talks to the Radio 5 Live presenter about the inspiration for her work, and why she's keen to encourage a national passion for reading.

A brand-new BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation of Tolstoy's epic love story Beautiful and intelligent young Anna suffers in her loveless marriage, dreaming of the romantic life she should be living, and the love that others around her should be sharing honestly with one another. When she meets the dashing Vronsky he seems to offer everything she has been craving, but the cost she will pay is higher than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile Konstantin Levin, a gentle landowner who shares Anna's belief in sincerity, attempts to channel his beliefs into his land, his family, and his love for beautiful aristocrat Kitty, and must risk everything to discover his capacity for life. Dramatised by the award-winning Linda Marshall Griffiths, Anna Karenina is a powerful story of passion, infidelity, vengeance and retribution. Starring Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders), Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter films) and Rory Kinnear (James Bond films), this brand-new adaptation is an epic and compelling production that will stay with each listener for a lifetime.

A master of Russian realism, Anton Chekhov is renowned for his meticulously observed plays and short stories exploring the human condition, in all its joys and sorrows. Included here are six of his best-known dramas, as well as Michael Frayn's adaptation of Wild Honey, drawn from an early, untitled Chekhov play; and one documentary exploring Chekhov's life and work.

Wild Honey - The acclaimed radio version of Michael Frayn's adaptation and Olivier Award-winning comedy, in which village teacher Platonov's youthful ambitions are rekindled when the seductive Sofya arrives. Ian McKellen stars as Platonov

The Seagull - Recorded on location in Russia, this much-praised version of Chekhov's classic set on a lakeside dacha features a star cast including Diana Quick, Alex Jennings, Robert Glenister and Helena Bonham-Carter.

Ivanov - 19th Century landowner Ivanov is in debt and depressed - can the love of a beautiful young woman rejuvenate him? Alec McCowan, Maurice Denham, Maxine Audley and Judi Dench star in this vintage production, adapted by John Gielgud.

The Cherry Orchard- Returning home from Paris, Madame Ranyevskaya and her daughter Anya discover that the family estate must be sold to cover their debts. Can they save their beloved cherry orchard? Starring Sinead Cusack, Anna Massey, Patricia Routledge and Andrew Sachs.

Three Sisters - Stuck in provincial Russia, Olga, Masha and Irina dream of one day returning to Moscow. But life keeps getting in the way... Hattie Morahan, Scarlett Alice Johnson and Flora Spencer-Longhurst star in Chekhov's poignant meditation on love and longing.

Uncle Vanya - Life on a rural Russian estate is thrown into turmoil by the visit of the ailing Professor Serebryakov and his beautiful young wife Yelena. Anton Lesser stars as Serebryakov, with Lyndsey Marshal as Yelena and Neil Dudgeon as Vanya.

Great Lives - Matthew Parris, William Boyd and Chekhov biographer Donald Rayfield consider the Russian writer's claim to greatness.

Passion, politics, love and death combine in the story of the legendary love triangle between Mark Antony, Octavian, and Cleopatra the Queen of Egypt.

Wally K. Daly's 1980s comedy about a pair of new entrepreneurs who'll do anything...as long as it's legal

Best friends George and Charles have been commuting to work together for 15 years. Then, one fateful day, they both find out that they're being laid off. For a while, they keep the news secret and carry on as normal, but eventually they have no choice but to admit the truth. It's time to take action and find alternative employment - but how?

When the Job Centre proves a dead end, they set up an agency offering their services. They'll do anything - as long as it's legal... Their first ventures meet with mixed results: a commission to compose a poem gets them into hot water; a spoilt ambassador's son leads Charles a merry dance, and George has a spot of bother tailing a bizarre giant. Worried that they're not getting enough clients, the duo take on a new secretary, go on a business course that sets tongues wagging, try to improve their DIY skills and branch out into hypnotherapy - but with their business struggling, they're forced to turn to Nanny...

Created by well-known radio and TV writer Wally K. Daly, this entertaining sitcom stars Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles (It Ain't Half Hot Mum) as Charles and George, with a veteran cast including Norma Ronald (The Men from the Ministry) and Dilys Laye (Carry on Camping).

NB: Contains some dated language and attitudes

A trilogy of contemporary plays inspired by tales from The Arabian Nights The Casper Logue Affair by Sebastian Baczkiewicz*:* An absurd black comedy thriller, set in Baghdad. Junior diplomat Bob Goldacre is in trouble: the American businessman he was looking after has vanished from a Baghdad street. As the suspects pile up, Goldacre is going to have his work cut out if he wants to save his career and make sure that justice is done. The Porter and the Three Ladies by Rachel Joyce: It is time for Shahrazad to tell another tale to save her life.

In this story within a story, we find out that if Joe doesn't find the exclusive to satisfy his ruthless editor, he will lose his job. He finds three beautiful women in Damascus but what is the truth behind their secret life? A Dish of Pomegranates by Peter Jukes*:* Shared roots and scattered families in the melting pot of modern Jerusalem. Tired after a stressful trip, Ajib is stopped by security officers as he tries to fly out of Ben Gurion airport on his way home to the U.S. They don't think his story adds up. Can he make them believe him? And does he actually know the whole story himself?

Classic plays and ghost stories, as performed by the residents of Ambridge and friends - plus bonus drama Dead Girls Tell No Tales

Borsetshire's queen of amateur theatricals, Lynda Snell, never misses the chance to put on a Christmas show. Her productions are always a big hit with Ambridge audiences - and now, Archers fans can enjoy these top-notch performances alongside them (as well as eavesdropping on the shenanigans backstage).

In Blithe Spirit, the Ambridge Am-Dram Society and guest star Julian Rhind-Tutt recreate Noel Coward's ghostly masterpiece, and Lynda finds herself in sympathy with eccentric medium Madame Arcati as she attempts to conjure some festive high spirits. Calendar Girls sees the group taking on Tim Firth's comedy of jam and Jerusalem, along with honorary resident Sian Phillips (who starred in the original West End show). Will the intrepid cast really bare all? And in the 2-parter The Canterbury Tales, the company present barnstorming adaptations of Chaucer's classic stories of courtly love, deadly rivalry and boisterous sex - with a little bit of magic thrown in.

In Ambridge Ghost Stories, it's a cold December night, in the darkened attic of Lower Loxley. Then Jim Llloyd (John Rowe) takes to the stage to recount three spine-chilling supernatural tales from the turn of the last century - 'The Room in the Tower' by E. F. Benson, 'Lost Hearts' by M. R. James and 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. Prepare to be enthralled - and terrified...

Also included are two special seasonal pageants, The Ambridge Mystery Plays- The Nativity and The Passion and a stunning original drama by Joanna Toye. Starring Eleanor Tomlinson and Ysette Churchman and Miles Jupp Dead Girls Tell No Tales explores the real story behind the death of Grace Archer: a watershed moment in the history of broadcasting and one of the defining cultural events of the 1950s.

All ten episodes of the compelling BBC radio thriller about art forger Daniel Ballantyne and his biographer and nemesis, Jessica Brown. Daniel Ballantyne: monster and angel, thief and conman, genius - and murderer?

Newly released from Wormwood Scrubs, and dying of cancer, notorious art forger Daniel Ballantyne agrees to help art critic Jessica Brown write his biography. But as Jessica digs deeper into his life, she realises that nearly everything he's told her is a lie, and behind his charming persona is a man capable of almost anything. Trapped in a cat-and-mouse game with a master manipulator, Jessica finds herself putting her reputation - and her life - on the line...

Arthur Conan Doyle is well known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, but he also wrote numerous works in which the great detective played no part. Included here are a selection of the best, ranging from science fiction to tales of supernatural terror and rip-roaring adventures set in Jacobean and Regency England. Our collection opens with the first of three dramas featuring the hot-tempered, larger-than-life scientist and explorer Professor Challenger. 'The Lost World' stars David Robb as Challenger, he heads on an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon Basin. Following this drama we have two further dramatisations starring Bill Paterson as Challenger this time. In 'When the World Screamed', he sets out on a bold mission to be recognised by Mother Earth, while 'The Disintegration Machine' sees him investigating dastardly Latvian inventor Theodore Nemor.

'The Captain of the Polestar' drama tells the chilling story of a ship trapped in the Arctic, and stars Alec Heggie as Craigie, a man haunted by a strange apparition. Also included are the short stories 'Playing With Fire', 'How It Happened', 'One Crowded Hour', 'The Fall of Lord Barrymore', 'The Sealed Room' and 'The Lost Special' (read by Edward de Souza, Sam Dale, Christopher Harper and David Schofield), and the fascinating series Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, in which Forbes Masson and John Dougal read extracts from his correspondence to his mother about marriage, fatherhood, killing off Holmes and going into politics. Finally, how the author ran for Parliament in 1900 and lost is explored in Bert Coules' biographical drama Vote For Conan Doyle!, starring John Sessions.

Arthur Haynes was the most popular comedian in Britain from the late 1950s. His hit TV sketch show ran for 15 series, winning him the Variety Club Award as ITV Personality of 1961, and the following year it was adapted for BBC Radio. Included here are a collection of the best surviving radio episodes, featuring the classic comic battles between Haynes and his long-suffering straight man, Nicholas Parsons. In these fun-filled sketches, lead-swinging Arthur bothers his GP, a dodgy decorator torments a house-proud customer, a dubious visitor takes advantage of Vicar Parsons' charity, and more... There are also frequent appearances from Arthur's most famous and best-loved character, truculent tramp Hobo Haynes, who delights in recalling how he spent the war 'up to me neck in muck and bullets'.

The Arthurian legends have long held a powerful grip on our collective imagination, inspiring numerous poets, novelists and playwrights to interpret them in countless different ways. In this epic play cycle, based on Malory's classic Le Morte D'Arthur, Graeme Fife gives us his dramatic, in-depth retelling of these perennially popuar myths. Focusing on seven key characters: Merlin, Tristram, Gareth, Lancelot, Galahad, Guenever and Arthur himself, he builds a vivid, multi-layered picture of the fabled king and his heroic knights.

We hear the tales of Merlin, the great magician, brought down by the beautiful Nimue; Tristram and his illicit passion for Isolde; and the mysterious 'Beaumains', who sets out to rescue an unknown, besieged lady from Castle Perilous. Here, too, are the stories of Sir Lancelot du Lac, the Queen's champion and jewel of the Round Table; his saintly son, Galahad; Guenever, whose love for him will tear Camelot apart - and Arthur, the King, who chose the sword Excalibur over its scabbard, and sealed his fate. And behind them all lurks the shadow of Morgan le Fay, Arthur's nemesis, and Mordred, the son destined to destroy him...

Told in allusive, poetic language, and with majestic, evocative music by Steven Faux, this sumptuous drama is full of enchantment, adventure, chivalry and courtly love. It stars Keith Baxter as Arthur, with Paul Scofield as Merlin, Anna Massey as Morgan le Fay, Nicholas Farrell as Lancelot and Jill Balcon as Guenever.

Set in the Cornish cultural mecca of St Ives, Artists centres around a close-knit community of artists whose talent is matched only by their dysfunctionality. When they're not bitching about each other's work, they're bickering with one another - but as genius goes hand-in-hand with an artistic temperament, they never take their squabbles too seriously.

Sharing a studio with landscape painter Tamsin are sculptor Dolores, who pushes the boundaries of papier mache; her bank manager partner, Nisha; and laissez-faire installationist Josef, Tamsin's lodger and sort-of boyfriend. Along with pub landlord Marcus, who provides inspiration in alcoholic form, and Tamsin's avuncular agent Gerard, they spend their time searching for their muse, suffering for their art - and making a thorough exhibition of themselves.

In these 10 episodes, Tamsin competes with Josef to create a self-portrait, Marcus goes away for a weekend to save his marriage, Nisha proposes to Dolores - hypothetically, and Gerard takes a cross-Channel booze cruise that almost ends in tragedy...

Written by award-winning radio producer Gareth Edwards, whose credits include That Mitchell and Webb Look and Bleak Expectations, this slow-burning, character-driven comedy features a stellar cast including Vicki Pepperdine, Pauline McLynn, Mina Anwar, Ben Miller, Dave Lamb and Graham Crowden, with guest appearances from Miranda Hart and Bertie Carvel.

When Rosalind is banished by her uncle Duke Frederick, who has usurped her father's throne, she flees to the forest of Arden. There, dressed as a boy to avoid discovery, she encounters the man she loves - Orlando, similarly forced into exile by his older brother Oliver - and resolves to remain in disguise to test his feelings or her.

All three series of the surreal sitcom set in the madcap world of four happy-go-lucky young folk Jeremy Hardy and friends are an irrepressible gang of jolly japesters who are always up for laughter and merriment. Luckily, they all live near to each other: which means craziness is never far away. So good they named it twice, this zany sitcom was initially known as Unnatural Acts, before returning for its third series as At Home With the Hardys. But though the title may be different, the high jinks are as wacky as ever... Series 1 of Unnatural Acts sees Jeremy investigating his lineage, and Kit deciding it's time to get in touch with a medium's answerphone. When the pals decide to commune with Mother Nature it's out with the picnic snacks and off to Sizefield nuclear power station - and when Caroline makes a special announcement at Kit and Jeremy's wedding anniversary, it's another success story for computer dating. There's just one tiny problem...

In Series 2, a slew of April Fool pranks escalates into a terrorist threat; a safari park throws up some unexpected attractions, including an exploding ostrich and a gorilla with a walkie-talkie; and Paul starts spring-cleaning Ashdown Forest - where he makes a very interesting discovery... There's a new moniker, a new story, a new job and a new arrival for the crazy crew in Series 3, At Home with the Hardys. Someone, somewhere is having an affair - and Paul's doing the catering. Adverts make the heart grow fonder as our four funsters bring you a cleaner, brighter programme with built-in lemon freshness. Meanwhile, a famous line from a famous film may not amount to a hill of beans, but it could be the end of a beautiful friendship - and as Jeremy and Paul get starry-eyed, Kit and Caroline come down to earth...

An irresistible anthology of folklore, fables and perennial favourites, including four novels and 17 short stories. This superlative collection of children's stories brings together a feast of fantastic fiction, read in full by a host of top narrators and with a comprehensive track listing for ease of listening. Comprising everything from fairytales for little ones to thrilling adventures for pre-teens, these unabridged readings are ideal for families to keep, treasure and dip into as their children grow. Listed by suggested age range and with track numbers provided, the stories are as follows:

Ages 4+: 1-12 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Carolyn Pickles). 13 Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (read by Jonny Holden). 14 The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm (read by Sam Dale). 15 Too Clever By Half by E Nesbit (read by Helen Capp). 16 Tom Thumb by the Brothers Grimm (read by Shaun Mason). Ages 7+: 17-25 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (read by Michael Bertenshaw). 26 How the Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling (read by Kenny Blyth). 27 The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen (read by Shaun Mason). 28 The Raspberry Worm by Zacharias Topelius (read by Debbie Korley). 29 The Tongue Cut Sparrow by Yei Theodora Ozaki (read by Sean Baker). 30 The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner). 31 The Magic Bed by Hartwell James (read by Chris Pavlo). 32 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner). 33 The Tortoise and the Rain by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth). 34 The Baba Yaga by Katharine Pyle (read by Susan Jameson). Ages 9+: 35-41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (read by Joseph Ayre). 42 Finn and the Scottish Giant by Harold F Hughes (read by Paul Hickey). 43 The Children's Joke by Louisa May Alcott (read by Catherine Cusack), 44 The Ants and the Treasure by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth). 45 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (read by Tony Turner). 46-59 The Railway Children by E Nesbit (read by Sarah Ovens).

This thrilling anthology contains five action-packed tales of incredible journeys, a murderous treasure hunt, invaders from outer space and international espionage - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 33 hours of exciting listening, tracked by chapter, let yourself get carried away with these classic adventures. Gulliver's Travels: Jonathan Swift's dark satire following Lemuel Gulliver's fantastical travels through strange and exotic lands. Read by Tony Turner. Kidnapped: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of David Balfour's youthful adventures on the high seas and across the Scottish Highlands. Read by Kenny Blyth.

The Sign of the Four: Arthur Conan Doyle's intriguing locked-room mystery follows Holmes and Watson as they uncover a murky tale of theft, betrayal and greed. Read by Kenny Blyth. The War of the Worlds: HG Wells' iconic sci-fi story about the battle to save Earth from a Martian invasion. Read by Michael Bertenshaw. The Thirty-Nine Steps: John Buchan's stirring tale of derring-do, secrets and spies set in the shadows of war. Read by Kenny Blyth.

This timeless collection brings together three of the finest works in the literary canon, read in full by some of the very best audiobook narrators. With over 38 hours of unmissable storytelling, tracked by chapter so you can easily find your place, this is the ideal way to enjoy these classic masterpieces. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen's universally acknowledged romance charts the love story between pretty, witty Elizabeth Bennett and handsome, arrogant Fitzwilliam Darcy. Read by Clare Corbett.

Jane Eyre: Orphan Jane falls head over heels in love with the brooding, mysterious Mr Rochester in Charlotte Brontë's coming-of-age classic about secrets and lies. Read by Katherine Press. Cranford: Elizabeth Gaskell's much-loved portrait of life in a Cheshire town and its female inhabitants, as they cope with the impact of change on their small world. Read by Carolyn Pickles.

This suspenseful anthology collects together four gripping tales of gruesome scientific experiments and chilling supernatural events - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 18 hours of electrifying listening, tracked by chapter, these classic tales will have you on the edge of your seat. Frankenstein: Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece about young scientist Victor Frankenstein, whose quest to create new life has horrific consequences... Read by Shaun Mason.

A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens' timeless classic about a bitter old miser who has a Christmas epiphany when he is visited by four spirits. Read by Sean Baker. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novella about a doctor who experiments with the duality of human nature - and in doing so creates a monster. Read by Sam Dale. The Turn of the Screw: Henry James' terrifying tale of a governess sent to look after two children in a haunted country house. Read by Sam Dale and Clare Corbett.