Audiobooks narrated by David Schofield

Arthur Conan Doyle: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: More stories from the author of Sherlock Holmes

"BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of some of Arthur Conan Doyle's other works - plus extracts from his letters and a bonus drama by Bert Coules 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. First published 1883 ('The Captain of the Polestar'), 1898 ('The Sealed Room', 'The Lost Special'), 1900 ('Playing With Fire'), 1911 ('One Crowded Hour'), 1912 ('The Lost World'), 1912 ('The Fall of Lord Barrymore'), 1913 ('How It Happened'), 1928 ('When The World Screamed'), 1929 ('The Disintegration Machine'), Cast and credits Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Track list Dramatisations 1. Professor Challenger: The Lost World - Episode 1 - A Bridge to the Unknown 2. Professor Challenger: The Lost World - Episode 2 - Our Eyes Have Seen Great Wonders 3. Professor Challenger: When The World Screamed 4. Professor Challenger: The Disintegration Machine 5. The Captain of the Polestar Short Stories 6. Playing With Fire 7. How It Happened 8. One Crowded Hour 9. The Fall of Lord Barrymore 10. The Sealed Room 11. The Lost Special Bonus content 12. Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters 13. Vote for Conan Doyle! ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Alec Heggie, Bill Paterson, David Robb, David Schofield, Full Cast, Jamie Glover, John L. Sessions, Sam Dale (Narrator)

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Dear Mr Spectator: A BBC Radio full-cast drama inspired by the anonymous writings of the famous soci

"The complete Series 1 and 2 of the drama based on the publications of the real-life Lady Whistledown - the anonymous 18th Century columnist, 'Mr Spectator' 'Wonderfully droll' The Spectator London, 1710. Enigmatic man of letters Mr Spectator moves like a shadow through the city's streets and coffee-houses, observing the manners, morals and misdemeanours of his fellow men. He has his finger on the pulse of all the latest news and fashions, and shares his wit and wisdom in his daily news-sheet - which is avidly perused by readers from all stations of society, from the humble to the highest in the land. In these two radio series, we meet his greatest fans, who look to him to solve their problems and determine their futures... Series 1 centres around Gilbert Mowbray, a clockmaker who is fast approaching his 40th birthday - and is not handling it well. Neglecting his workshop and his customers, he spends his time glued to Mr Spectator's musings - much to his wife Kitty's exasperation. As his midlife crisis deepens, can the nation's favourite agony uncle help Gilbert reassess his life? In Series 2, Britain is nine million pounds in debt - but Chancellor of the Exchequer Robert Harley has a plan to generate the necessary income: a little idea called the South Sea Company. However, to get his Bill through Parliament, he needs someone the public trusts to speak out in favour of the scheme. Enlisting the aid of Palace paper-boy Ned Dempsey, Harley determines to track down Mr Spectator - but can Ned unmask the elusive scribbler before time, and Harley's patience, run out? Adapted by Elizabeth Kuti from Joseph Addison and Richard Steele's Spectator essays, this wry, whimsical drama stars Benjamin Whitrow (Pride and Prejudice) as Mr Spectator, the anonymous oracle who, like his fictional counterpart Lady Whistledown, hid behind a nom de plume to stoke controversy. Among the supporting cast are Richard Lumsden, Sam Troughton, Bryan Dick, David Schofield, Jemma Redgrave and Claire Rushbrook. Production credits Inspired by and dramatised from Joseph Addison and Richard Steele's 18th-century Spectator essays by Elizabeth Kuti Produced and directed by Heather Larmour Violin played by Paddy O'Flaherty Cast Mr Spectator - Benjamin Whitrow Gilbert - Richard Lumsden Kitty - Amy Marston Jonathan - Sam Troughton Coffee-boy - Samuel Barnett Lady - Fo Cullen Gentlemen- Miche Doherty/Richard Dormer/Chris McHallem/Mark Lambert Stockjobbers - Miche Doherty/Mark Lambert Disgruntled man/Freddie/Lion - Richard Dormer Wife/Leticia - Sarah Kants Spectacle inventor/Gravedigger - Chris McHallem Signor Niccolini - Miche Docherty Isabel - Emma Bolger Jacob - Daniel Walsh Aggie - Laura Conway Ned Dempsey - Bryan Dick Harley - David Schofield Abigail - Christina Cole Queen Anne - Jemma Redgrave Anne Baldwin - Claire Rushbrook Defoe - Sam Dale Aunt Maude - Stella McCusker Opera Singer - David Revels With Seainin Brennan, Niall Cusack, Paul Kennedy, Marty Maguire and Charlie Niblock-Hamill First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 12-16 January 2009 (Series 1), 16-20 August 2010 (Series 2) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Joseph Addison, Richard Steele (Author), Benjamin Whitrow, Bryan Dick, Claire Rushbrook, David Schofield, Full Cast, Jemma Redgrave, Richard Lumsden, Sam Troughton (Narrator)

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Doctor Who: Twelfth Doctor Tales: 12th Doctor Audio Originals

"Jemma Redgrave, Clare Higgins, Nicola Bryant and Dan Starkey are among the readers of this exclusive collection of nine original audio adventures. Join the Twelfth Doctor, as played on TV by Peter Capaldi, as he meets friends and enemies new and old on these journeys in Time and Space. In the interlinked Winter quartet (The Gods of Winter, The House of Winter, The Sins of Winter and The Memory of Winter) the Doctor is served with a Calling Card that means he and Clara can be summoned for assistance at any time or place. In the Lost quartet (The Lost Angel, The Lost Planet, The Lost Magic and The Lost Flame) the Time Lord becomes embroiled in a mystery involving the Weeping Angels and the Sisterhood of Karn. In Rhythm of Destruction he encounters the deadliest jazz quartet in the universe, and in Death Among the Stars the Doctor sees some oddly familiar figures on Jupiter's sixth moon. With readers also including David Schofield, Robin Soans and Kerry Shale, these exciting stories are written by George Mann, Cavan Scott, James Goss, Darren Jones and Steve Lyons. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Cavan Scott, Darren Jones, George Mann, James Goss, Steve Lyons (Author), Clare Higgins, Dan Starkey, David Schofield, Jemma Redgrave, Kerry Shale, Nicola Bryant, Robin Soans (Narrator)

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The Master Builder: A BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisation

"The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen, in a new version by David Hare Master builder Halvard Solness is a self-made man. With no professional qualifications, he has built himself up through ruthless ambition, and achieved a position of power and domination in his home town. But his success has come at a cost. His marriage is empty, destroyed by a personal tragedy that has left him wracked with guilt and pain, and he is increasingly frightened of failure and being displaced by the next generation. Then a mysterious young woman, Hilde Wangel, appears from the mountains, claiming to have met Solness ten years earlier, when she was only 13. She asserts that he kissed her and promised her a kingdom: and now she has returned to claim it. Halvard becomes besotted with Hilde, seeing her as a breath of fresh air, revitalising his life with her youthful energy. And Hilde flatters and praises him, rebuilding his ego. But has she come to seduce him - or to destroy him? With mystical undertones and resonances for the #MeToo movement, this searing tragedy of middle-aged male hubris explores the troubled psyche of a successful, abusive man who has risen to the greatest heights, only to be toppled from his peak. David Schofield stars as Solness, with Siobhan Redmond as his wife Aline and Laura Aikman as Hilde. Also included is a bonus programme, In Our Time: Henrik Ibsen, in which Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great Norwegian playwright and poet. Cast and credits Solness - David Schofield Aline - Siobhan Redmond Hilde - Laura Aikman Brovik - Paul Bradley Dr Herdal - Jonathan Tafler Kaja - Shannon Hayes Ragnar - Joseph Ayre The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen In a new version by David Hare Based on a literal translation by Torkil Heggstad Directed and produced by Gary Brown First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-22 August 2021 In Our Time: Henrik Ibsen Presented by Melvyn Bragg With Tore Rem, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr and Dinah Birch Produced by Simon Tillotson First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 May 2018 ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Henrik Ibsen (Author), David Schofield, Full Cast, Jonathan Tafler, Joseph Ayre, Laura Aikman, Paul Bradley, Shannon Hayes, Siobhan Redmond (Narrator)

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The Art of Deception: The Complete Series 1 and 2: A BBC Radio 4 crime drama

"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... Written by Philip Palmer (Red and Blue, Keeping the Wolf Out), this wickedly enjoyable crime drama stars David Schofield as Daniel Ballantyne, with Indira Varma and Hattie Morahan as Jessica Brown. NB: Contains strong language and scenes which some listeners may find disturbing Production credits Written by Philip Palmer Produced and directed by Toby Swift First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22-26 June 2009 (Series 1), 20-24 December 2010 (Series 2) Cast Daniel Ballantyne - David Schofield Jessica Brown - Indira Varma/Hattie Morahan Ben - Matt Addis Andrew Jarrold - Jonathan Keeble/Harry Myers Claire de Vere - Belinda Lang DI Grimwood/Art dealer - John Biggins Stavros Persakis - Malcolm Tierney Museum curator - Philip Fox DS Ruckley/Taxi driver - Benjamin Askew Moisha Perez/Stefan Hunt - Stephen Greif Lisa - Pandora Colin DC Morgan - Sally Orrock Gondolier/Waiter - Iain Batchelor Other parts played by Kenneth Collard and Jude Akuwudike © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Philip Palmer (Author), David Schofield, Full Cast, Hattie Morahan, Indira Varma (Narrator)

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Brief Lives: Series 7-11

"Series 7-11 of the BBC radio drama about Frank Twist and his team of legal eagles, starring David Schofield Frank Twist and Sarah Gold run The Agency, a paralegal firm based in sunny Manchester. With the help of their team of freelancers, they operate a round-the-clock advice service, going into police stations across the North West to offer help and support to those in custody. In these 26 episodes, their clients include the good, the bad and the ugly: from a teenager pulled in for texting an indecent photo of his girlfriend to a man detained for suspected arson at a primary school. There’s also the high-powered lawyer and her daughter caught with drugs after a house party, the naked young woman arrested for protesting against the fur trade, the judge accused of rape, the football hero with feet of clay and the local gangster’s son who gets into some serious trouble. On top of the challenges they face professionally, Frank and Sarah must also navigate their problematic personal lives. Recovering from a stroke, Frank is preparing to make a momentous decision about his future, and his complicated relationship with Sarah comes under further strain when buried truths are brought to light... Witty, sharp and full of twists, Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly’s thrilling legal drama stars David Schofield as Frank, with Kathryn Hunt and Sally Dexter as Sarah. Created by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly Written by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, Nuala O’Sullivan (Series 7 Episode 2), Lizi Patch (Series 7 Episode 4), Philip Meeks (Series 8 Episode 2, Series 10 Episode 4), Michael Livesey (Series 8 Episode 5, Series 11 Episode 3) Produced and directed by Gary Brown Music by Carl Harms Starring David Schofield as Frank Twist"

Sharon Kelly, Tom Fry (Author), David Schofield, Denise Welch, Full Cast, Tracy-Ann Oberman (Narrator)

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Brief Lives: Series 1-6: The BBC Radio 4 full-cast psychological crime drama

"The first six series of the popular radio drama set in a Manchester legal practice, starring David Schofield Frank Twist and Sarah Gold lead a maverick team of freelance paralegals operating in the mean(ish) streets of Manchester. Their agency operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dispatching legal representatives to set free burglars, muggers and even some innocent people who find themselves on the wrong side of a cell door. Frank and Sarah have a history, and a child, but now their relationship is purely business, and in these 30 episodes, they and their colleagues deal with cases ranging from shoplifting to attempted murder. Among their clientele are a suspected rapist, a young teacher accused of having an affair with a sixth-former, a girl arrested for assaulting a police officer and a local councillor who’s been caught selling drugs. In addition, Sarah and Frank themselves become the subjects of police interest when they’re called into Manchester Central for questioning – and that’s just the start of their Kafkaesque journey... Created by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, these gripping dramas combine complex crime stories with witty humour. David Schofield stars as Frank Twist, with Gina Bellman, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Kathryn Hunt and Caroline Burns Cooke as Sarah Gold. Written by Tom Fry and Sharon Kelly, Elizabeth Heery (Series 4 Episode 3, Series 5 Episode 4), Eve Steele and Ed Jones (Series 4 Episode 4), Eve Steele (Series 5 Episode 2), Lizi Patch (Series 6 Episode 2), Nuala O’Sullivan (Series 6 Episode 4) Produced and directed by Susan Roberts (Series 1), Gary Brown (Series 2-6) Music by Carl Harms"

Sharon Kelly, Tom Fry (Author), David Schofield, Denise Welch, Full Cast, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Tracy-Ann Oberman (Narrator)

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Blood, Sex and Money: A BBC Radio 4 serialisation of Zola's epic saga

"Glenda Jackson stars in this award-winning BBC Radio series, inspired by literature's greatest ever whistleblower, Émile Zola, and his epic saga of the Rougon-Macquart family ‘Unmissable’ Daily Telegraph First published between 1870 and 1893, Émile Zola’s 20-book cycle chronicling four generations of the Rougon-Macquarts was a shocking exposé of the decadence, degradation and moral decay of 19th-century France. It included some of his greatest novels, among them his masterpiece, Germinal. These innovative, ambitious dramas, first broadcast on Radio 4 over 24 hours in 2015-16, is a radical reimagining of Zola’s classic series, introducing us to 104-year-old matriarch, Dide, imprisoned in an asylum in southern France. Trapped, but omniscient, she broods over her ‘family of wolves’. As a young woman, she gave birth to two dynasties that exemplified French society. One legitimate – rich, powerful, obsessive and corrupt. The other illegitimate – poor, vulnerable, weak and depraved. In these three seasons, themed around blood, sex and money, we come to know the members of her extended family intimately – the good, the bad and the misguided. As we follow their highs and lows, we are taken deep into the heart of France’s ‘Second Empire’ and drawn into the tragic, farcical reign of Napoleon III as it marches forward towards a modern, industrialised society. This groundbreaking series won Best Drama at the BBC Radio and Music Awards 2016 and Best Adaptation at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2017, and boasts a star cast including Robert Lindsay, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Holliday Grainger, Samuel West, Anna Maxwell Martin, Paul McGann, Georgina Campbell, Jack Lowden and Alison Steadman. Also included is a 30-minute bonus programme, The Life and Work of Émile Zola, in which Glenda Jackson travels to Paris to discover how Zola’s experience and the physical and cultural landscape in which he lived influenced his great novels. Written by Émile Zola Dramatised by Dan Rebellato, Oliver Emanuel, Martin Jameson and Lavinia Murray Produced and directed by Pauline Harris, Polly Thomas, Kirsty Williams, Nadia Molinari and Gary Brown Executive Producer: Melanie Harris Series Producer: Susan Roberts Sound designer: Eloise Whitmore A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4"

Emile Zola (Author), Alison Steadman, Angela Griffin, Anna Maxwell Martin, David Schofield, Emma Rigby, Fenella Woolgar, Full Cast, Georgina Campbell, Glenda Jackson, Holliday Grainger, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Paul Mcgann, Robert Lindsay, Samuel West (Narrator)

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Doctor Who: The House of Winter: A 12th Doctor Audio Original

"David Schofield reads this exciting original adventure featuring the 12th Doctor and Clara, as played by Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman in the BBC TV series The Doctor and Clara are called to a mysterious, isolated house on a moonlet in the Asurmian Reach. There they meet the inscrutable Justin Winter and his two assistants, Joey and Carenza. Winter has called for the Doctor’s help: he and his friends are trapped in the house, all exits having long ago been sealed. When even the TARDIS proves unable to dematerialise, the Doctor and Clara quickly realises they are as much prisoners as their new acquaintances. Strange blood moths fly around their heads, and there’s a strange whispering and rustling from the shadows of the house’s interior. As tensions rise, the Doctor struggles to engineer a way out - and a staggering series of revelations are about to be made. David Schofield, who plays Odin in the Doctor Who Series 9 episodes The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who Lived, reads this thrilling original adventure by George Mann, part of the Tales of Winter quartet of stories. Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes. Reading produced by Neil Gardner. Sound design by David Darlington. Project Manager: John Ainsworth. Executive Producer: Michael Stevens"

George Mann (Author), David Schofield (Narrator)

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Neverwhere: A BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation

"Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere... An act of kindness sees Richard Mayhew catapulted from his ordinary life into the strange world of London Below. There he meets the Earl of Earl's Court, faces a life-threatening ordeal at the hands of the Black Friars, comes face to face with the Great Beast of London, and encounters an Angel. Called Islington. Accompanied by the mysterious Door and her companions, the Marquis de Carabas and the bodyguard Hunter, Richard embarks on an extraordinary quest to escape from the fiendish assassins Croup and Vandemar and to discover who ordered them to murder her family - all the while trying to get back to his old life in London Above. Adapted for radio by the award-winning Dirk Maggs, this captivating dramatisation features a stellar cast including David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Anthony Head and David Schofield. Contains over 25 minutes of additional unbroadcast material, including extended scenes, bloopers and outtakes. ©2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Neil Gaiman (Author), Anthony Head, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, David Harewood, David Schofield, Full Cast, James Mcavoy, Natalie Dormer, Sophie Okonedo (Narrator)

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Ditched: A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

"Doug Lucie's satirical sequel to 'Hitched' revisits the bride and groom, Emma and Richard, two years after their big day. The honeymoon is well and truly over and wedded bliss hasn't turned out to be, well, blissful. With their relationship at crisis point, Emma returns from America with her young daughter to discover her life isn't the only one that has changed. But just what has happened between Emma and Richard, and why has she returned home without him? When Richard in turn flies back to the UK, the stage is set for another unforgettable family encounter. With sparks sure to fly at a family reunion no one wants to attend, Emma and Richard must finally decide what the future holds for their marriage. Will it be Hitched or Ditched? Starring Harry Lloyd and Lydia Leonard as Richard and Emma, with Stephen Moore, Frances Barber, David Schofield, Cheryl Campbell, Adrian Lukis, Brendan Patricks, Alison Pettit and Lynn Farleigh."

Doug Lucie (Author), Adrian Lukis, Alison Pettitt, Brendan Patricks, Cheryl Campbell, David Schofield, Frances Barber, Harry Lloyd, Lydia Leonard, Lynn Farleigh, Stephen Moore (Narrator)

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Anna Of The Five Towns: Complete

"A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Arnold Bennett's tale of love, tyranny and rebellion, 'Anna of the Five Towns'. Brought up in the repressive tradition of Methodism by her miserly father, Anna Tellwright dreams of independence and freedom. On coming of age she learns that she is to inherit a fortune and realises that she is loved by the charismatic Henry Mynors. But with the money comes responsibility, and Anna's growing concern for William, the son of one of her tenants, leads her to a defiant act that threatens everything... Arnold Bennett's 'Anna of the Five Towns' was dramatised by Helen Edmundson, and stars Charlotte Riley as Anna, David Schofield as Tellwright, Emilia Harker as Young Agnes and Michael Socha as William. Also featured amongst the cast are James Masters, Lee Williams, Rosina Carbone, Olwen May, Andrew Westfield, Jonathan Keeble and Jacqueline Redgwell. Originally broadcast as the 'Classic Serial' in two parts on 6 and 13 March 2011."

Arnold Bennett (Author), Charlotte Riley, David Schofield, Full Cast (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by David Schofield