Audiobooks Narrated by Fiona Allen

Vent: A Comedy on Life-Support: The Complete BBC Radio Comedy Series 1-3

"All three series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom, plus the hour-long special Locked In ‘Bold, beautiful, daring radio’ The Telegraph Vent charts coma patient Ben’s journey from the depths of unconsciousness, where he travels through the distinctly odd landscape of his own mind, to recovery and his attempts to readjust to the real world. In Series 1 and 2, as his mum and wife Mary sit round his bedside and wonder how to wake him up, Ben’s mind is busy elsewhere. In his imagination, he lives with his 2-year-old daughter Blitz (now miraculously grown up), encounters celebrities such as Sue Lawley, Elvis Presley and Tom Paulin, relives memories from his past and gets into a compromising situation with a fellow inmate at a strangely familiar Torquay hotel. Meanwhile, an imaginary sitcom written by him, about coma patients in a hospital, plays in the background. Locked In, first broadcast as a Friday Play in 2009, sees Ben free of his coma, but suffering from locked-in syndrome. Unable to engage with the world around him, he takes refuge once more in the safety of his unconscious – while the hospital debate whether to send him to a rehab unit or a care home. Series 3 finds Ben taking the ambulance home to begin life in a wheelchair. But life outside hospital is a little fraught. Fortunately, he can still escape into his fantasy world, where he meets Buzz Aldrin, invents a panel game and gets some relationship advice from Lord Byron. Based on writer Nigel Smith’s own experience of being hospitalised with a brain lesion, this moving, darkly funny sitcom stars Neil Pearson as Ben, with Fiona Allen as Mary, Josie Lawrence as Mum and Leslie Ash as Blitz. Guest stars include David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Jeremy Paxman."

Nigel Smith (Author), Fiona Allen, Full Cast, Josie Lawrence, Leslie Ash, Neil Pearson (Narrator)

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It’s Not Us, It’s Them: Series 1-3: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

"All three series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy about love, marriage and despair, initially broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as 'Start/Stop'. Barney and Cathy. Evan and Fiona. David and Alice. Three couples who have beaten the odds and stayed married – but is that simply because they haven’t got around to divorcing yet? They’ve certainly got enough problems to deal with – Barney and his other half have been together for ages (and it shows), Evan finds that sparks are constantly flying with Fiona (and not always in a good way), and David is afraid his sexy, much younger wife will leave him for someone (anyone) else. In these three series, we follow this group of friends throughout weekends away and tricky date nights, weddings and funerals, Christmas celebrations and counselling sessions – all of which give them plenty of opportunity for flirting, fighting, competitiveness and reprehensible behaviour. We listen in to their innermost thoughts, feelings and motivations as they break the fourth wall: stopping the action, explaining themselves to the audience, then starting it all up again... Written by award-winning comedian, actor and writer Jack Docherty, who plays Barney, this warm, smart and funny sitcom was a radio hit, and was adapted for TV as part of BBC One’s ‘Comedy Playhouse’ strand. It stars Charlie Higson as David, Jon Thomson as Evan, Kerry Godliman as Cathy, Fiona Allen as Fiona, and Katherine Parkinson, Sally Bretton and Laura Aikman as Alice. Guest stars include Jon Briggs, Sanjeev Bhaskar and John Sparkes. Cast Barney……………………Jack Docherty Cathy……………………Kerry Godliman Fiona……………………Fiona Allen David……………………Charlie Higson Evan……………………Jon Thomson Alice……………………Katherine Parkinson/Sally Bretton/Laura Aikman Voice of Barney’s smartphone……………………Jon Briggs Therapist……………………Sanjeev Bhaskar Cathy’s Dad……………………John Sparkes Written by Jack Docherty Produced by Steven Canny (Series 1) and Claire Jones (Series 2 and 3) First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 6 September-11 October 2013, (Series 1), 10 November-29 December 2014 (Series 2), 29 July-2 September 2016 (Series 3) This programme was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as 'Start/Stop'"

Jack Docherty (Author), Charlie Higson, Fiona Allen, Full Cast, Jack Docherty, Katherine Parkinson, Kerry Godliman, Laura Aikman, Sally Bretton (Narrator)

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The History Plays: Five BBC Radio 4 dramas

"The History Plays is a series of five two-hander plays by Vent author Nigel Smith, which are imagined conversations at key moments in recent history, moments that have permanently changed the British psyche. Starting with Mick Jagger's conviction for drug possession; through the fragmented morality of John Stonehouse; the Indian summer of patriotism over the Falklands; the death of Diana; and the end of the Blair years. The History Plays are a satirical and thoughtful exploration of huge social forces played out in small human dramas. This is a series about the promises and pitfalls of history but what's really significant is what these moments say about our attitudes and assumptions now. Jagger in Jail 1967, the summer of love and Mick Jagger begins his 3 month sentence for drug possession. Jagger in Jail imagines the conversations that may have taken place between Mick and his cellmate, Jim, during what turned out to be his only night behind bars. Stonehouse in Alice Ed Jennings, a cub reporter for a local paper, stumbles upon the scoop of a lifetime while holidaying in Australia. Leonard has found missing maverick MP, John Stonehouse, who recently faked his death to escape his mountains of debt, the fraud squad, his wife and a series of misadventures back at home. Stonehouse presents Ed with an offer that will change both of their lives. Maggie Heart Galtieri Maggie Watkins finds a wounded Argentinian soldier, Christian Galtieri, in her kitchen and in need of shelter. As she slowly learns why he is in hiding the pair begin to fall in love, but as their relationship grows the Task Force lands and it becomes harder and harder to ignore the larger forces at play. O Salutaris Hostia, Diana Martha and Graham look back over their lives together, but their very different views on Diana mask a far more personal conflict, and Graham's dislike of the princess has its roots in his pain over the circumstances of their son Alan's death. A History of Blair in 9 1/2 Voices Tony Blair, lost in the winding corridors of the BBC the day after his resignation, finds himself sharing a room with Sue, a struggling impressionist who assumes he is a Tony Blair lookalike. Blair enjoys the opportunity to speak in the third person and to show off a few impressions of his own. A darkly comic but thoughtful exploration of what makes Blair tick, alongside a compelling explanation for what may have lain behind Blair's early political successes and what prompted his unwavering commitment to the war in Iraq. Produced by Gareth Edwards."

Nigel Smith (Author), Blake Harrison, Daniel Rigby, Fiona Allen, Imelda Staunton, Javier Marzan, Jon Culshaw, Josie Lawrence, Kayvan Novak, Tim Mcinnerny, Toby Jones (Narrator)

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