Audiobooks narrated by Frances Barber

An Inspector Calls (Classic Radio Theatre)

The Birling family are spending a happy evening celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft - a marriage that will result in the merging of two successful local businesses. Yet just when everything seems to be going so well, they receive a surprise visit from an Inspector Goole who is investigating the suicide of a young girl. As the Inspector reveals more about the circumstances that led to the death of Eva Smith, each member of the family comes under the spotlight, and questions of guilt and responsibility are raised... Toby Jones, David Calder, Frances Barber and Morven Christie are amongst the cast in this BBC Radio 4 production from 2010. The Classic Radio Theatre range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.

J.B. Priestley (Author), , Frances Barber, Full Cast, Toby Jones (Narrator)

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Antony And Cleopatra

A BBC Radio 3 full-cast enactment of Shakespeare's last great tragedy, 'Antony and Cleopatra', with David Harewood and Frances Barber in the title roles. Telling the story of one of history's most famous couples, 'Antony and Cleopatra' contains some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language. Shakespeare's last great tragedy is an epic play of action set against a huge political and geographical backdrop, but at the centre of the play is a story about what happens when two people fall in love. In this play, love is a madness that leads to excess and imbalance. Antony and Cleopatra are middle-aged people who have loved before and often, and they seize this late love as if it is their last chance. Their love possesses them and destroys all rational behaviour. Antony and Cleopatra live their lives in public and wield tremendous power. Both are preoccupied with the figure they will cut in history, but they are also driven by common human emotions. Shakespeare shows that great natures can produce great vices as well as great virtues - we see their vanity, cruelty and irresponsibility. Like glamorous stars, Antony and Cleopatra are both deeply attractive and open to harsh judgement. Starring Frances Barber as Cleopatra, David Harewood as Mark Antony, Roger Allam as Enobarbus and Colin Tierney as Ocatavius Caesar. Also featured in the cast are Ewan Hooper, Amanda Root, Garry Cooper, Claire Rushbrook, Helen Longworth, Paul Hilton, Ben Onwukwe and Martin Hyder. With original music composed by Sylvia Hallett, the play was directed by Mary Peate. Originally broadcast as part of the 'Drama on 3' series on 27 June 2010.

William Shakespeare (Author), , David Harewood, Frances Barber (Narrator)

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Antony And Cleopatra (BBC Radio Shakespeare)

BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard. In the acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the new millennium. Antony and Cleopatra centres around the soldier and noble prince Mark Antony's enthralment with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, and the tumultuous relationship which ensues and ultimately ends in tragedy. Frances Barber and David Harewood star in a towering tale of great love, political intrigue and tragedy.

William Shakespeare (Author), Colin Tierney, David Harewood, Frances Barber, Full Cast, Roger Allam (Narrator)

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BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Three Roman Plays

Three full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's most famous Roman plays Featuring all-star casts and introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these three iconic productions of Shakespeare's dynamic Roman histories are full of political intrigue, passion and tragedy. Julius Caesar This updated version of Shakespeare's classic play is set in Italy in 1925. Julius Caesar, a new Roman dictator, has swept to power, and his way is clear to assume total control - unless a coup by Cassius and Brutus can alter the tide of history. Nicholas Farrell stars as Brutus and Gerard Murphy as Julius Caesar. Coriolanus When Rome's greatest hero, the warrior Coriolanus, divides the people and the patricians through his arrogance, he is driven into exile. Samuel West stars as Coriolanus, with Susannah York as Volumnia. Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare's last great tragedy is an action epic set against the political backdrop of the Roman Empire and the centre of Egyptian culture, Alexandria. But at the heart of the play is the story of what happens when two people fall in love. Starring Frances Barber as Cleopatra and David Harewood as Mark Antony.

William Shakespeare (Author), David Harewood, Frances Barber, Full Cast, Gerard Murphy, Nicholas Farrell, Samuel West, Stella Gonet, Susannah York (Narrator)

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Chocolate Girls

In Chocolate Girls, read by actress Frances Barber, three very different women work together at Cadbury's Bournville factory, and their lives become entwined by war and work - and a child called David. Edie, the main character, marries young to escape her unhappy family home. Widowed at nineteen and, after losing her child from the marriage, she faces the war grieving and lonely. Then one night during the Blitz, an infant mysteriously abandoned during the bombing is handed into her care . . . Ruby, meanwhile, doesn't want to be left behind in the wedding stakes and settles for marriage with Frank. Finally there's Janet, kind-hearted and susceptible to male charm, who is hurt desperately by an affair with a married man. David, the child who steals Edie's heart as she brings him up through a time none of them will ever forget, is the love of all their lives. And when David is old enough to wonder who he really is, he leads Edie through struggle and heartache to a life and love she would never have dreamed of . . . Annie Murray's Chocolate Girls is followed by the captivating sequel, The Bells of Bournville Green.

Annie Murray (Author), Frances Barber (Narrator)

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Daunt & Dervish: The Complete BBC Radio crime series

All four series of the jaunty crime drama featuring two ex-spies who set up a private detective agency London,1953. Josephine Daunt and Susan Dervish both worked for the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War, doing top-secret, highly dangerous espionage work. But in peacetime, they find themselves without a job and feeling useless. Determined to put their talents to good use, they decide to set up a detective agency, with the help of former private eye Bill Mackie. From their Covent Garden office, they handle a steady flow of business. But the ladies’ lives really become exciting when they rescue a woman from drowning – only to discover that she’s not what she seems. Soon, the daring duo are caught up in all manner of challenging cases, including a sporting assignment involving a priest and an Olympic boxing hopeful; a request to bid on a Monet that takes them on a trail across the Channel; a commission to investigate film actress Belinda Lane; and a theft at a fashion designer’s workshop that leads them into a world of Teddy boys, political machinations and murder… Guy Meredith's light-hearted crime series stars Anna Massey as Josephine Daunt, while Imelda Staunton, Frances Barber and Sylvestra Le Touzel play Susan Dervish. Bill Paterson and Sean Scanlan co-star as Bill Mackie. Written by Guy Meredith Format by Imelda Staunton and Anna Massey Series 1 produced by Cherry Cookson and directed by Janet Whitaker Series 2-4 produced and directed by Colin Guthrie Clarinet played by Julian Stringle (Series 3, Episode 1)

Guy Meredith (Author), Anna Massey, Bill Paterson, Frances Barber, Imelda Staunton, Sean Scanlan, Sylvestra Le Touzel (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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Doctor Who: Shroud Of Sorrow

23 November, 1963. It is the day after John F. Kennedy's assassination - and the faces of the dead are everywhere. PC Reg Cranfield sees his late father in the mists along Totter's Lane. Reporter Mae Callon sees her grandmother in a coffee stain on her desk. FBI Special Agent Warren Skeet finds his long-dead partner staring back at him from raindrops on a window pane. Then the faces begin to talk, and scream... and push through into our world. As the alien Shroud begins to feast on the grief of a world in mourning, can the Doctor dig deep enough into his own sorrow to save mankind? Shroud of Sorrow is read by Frances Barber, who played Madame Kovarian in the Doctor Who episodes A Good Man Goes to War and The Wedding of River Song.

Tommy Donbavand (Author), Frances Barber (Narrator)

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Doctor Who: Snake Bite

Doctor Elehri Mussurana has spent a lifetime on her work. She's guarded her pet project close to her chest, letting only one person share her secret - her husband and lab partner Ernst Wharner. As their experiment reaches its final, glorious fruition, they watch in awe as sparks fly in a sealed chamber and specks of sapphire light begin to join together into a shining haze. A wormhole in time and space is being created... But then something unexpected appears inside the swirling vortex: a tall blue box with the words 'POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX' on the side. The TARDIS has arrived in the far future, in a scientific research facility - just as reality is ripped at the seams and the universe tears in two... Written specially for audio by Scott Handcock, Snake Bite features the Doctor, Amy and Rory as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the acclaimed BBC TV series. It is read by Frances Barber, who played Madame Kovarian.

Scott Handcock (Author), Frances Barber (Narrator)

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Fanny Hill

Fanny Hill by John Cleland. In the world of erotica the story of Fanny Hill is well known and much admired. It was written whilst Cleland was in debtor's prison and was to become one of the most prosecuted and banned books in history. Our audio version is read for you by the acclaimed actress Frances Barber.

John Cleeland (Author), Frances Barber (Narrator)

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How to Be Good

The abridged, downloadable audiobook edition of How to Be Good, Nick Hornby's No.1 bestseller in the UK and Ireland. Read by the actress Frances Barber. According to her own complex moral calculations, Katie Carr has earned her affair. She's a doctor, after all, and doctors are decent people, and on top of that, her husband David is the self-styled Angriest Man in Holloway. But when David suddenly becomes good - properly, maddeningly, give-away-all-his-money good - Katie's sums no longer add up, and she is forced to ask herself some very hard questions. How to Be Good offers a painfully funny account of modern marriage and parenthood, and asks that most difficult of questions: what does it mean to be good?

Nick Hornby (Author), Frances Barber (Narrator)

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Little Lifetimes: Series 1-6: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Where Women Share Their Secrets

A sparkling collection of comic monologues by Jenny Eclair, about women facing pivotal moments in their lives 'Exquisitely crafted' Radio Times In these funny, poignant short stories, voiced by some of Britain's finest actresses, we are introduced to 29 very different women as they open their hearts and share their secrets. Here are tales of love, grief, revenge and adventure, told by a wealth of fascinating characters. There's Bea, a top cook who's about to prepare a very special birthday cake for her husband; Christine, who takes up watercolours and discovers inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places; Patsy, a rock star's wife with a past and Penny, who takes looking after her boss a bit too far. From a grandmother visiting a posh supermarket to buy her grandchildren a meal they won't forget, to a cleaner who discovers some secrets behind the Farrow and Ball doors of the middle-class homes she visits, every one of the women we meet has a memorable, moving and surprising tale to tell... Among the star narrators are Lesley Sharp, Anita Dobson, Imelda Staunton, Josie Lawrence, Frances Barber, Samantha Bond, Doon Mackichan and Anne Reid. Produced by Sally Avens Series 1 Fifteen Minutes to Landing Woman - Lesley Manville Captain James Barrington - Clive Hayward Air Hostess - Jane Slavin Carol Goes Swimming Carol - Lorraine Ashbourne Manager - Jane Slavin A Trolley for a Change Pat - Ruth Sheen Checkout woman - Elaine Claxton Security guard - Clive Hayward Lauren - Jane Slavin George's Cake Bea - Susie Blake The Viewing Reader - Annette Badland Doing the Best for Daniel Reader - Jenny Eclair Series 2 Lorna's Holiday Lorna - Lesley Sharp Christine Paints Christine - Rosie Cavaliero Beverley in Shoes Beverley - Samantha Spiro Points Gail - Sarah Hadland A Slight Alteration Reader - Tessa Peake-Jones Waiting for Billy Patsy - Anita Dobson Series 3 Leo's Passport Penny - Imelda Staunton Caroline - Karen Bartke Hannah's Gone Hannah's Mum - Josie Lawrence Mothers and Daughters Coral - Frances Barber Girl - Karen Bartke Boy - Luke MacGregor Anthea's Round Robin Anthea - Samantha Bond Series 4 The Last Day Miss Cavendish - Vicki Pepperdine The Visit Reader - Doon Mackichan The Nannas Dawn - Tilly Vosburgh A Nice Time with All the Family Julie - Beverley Callard Series 5 A Long Weekend Cathy - Anne Reid The Kitchen Table Reader - Monica Dolan The Book Club Belle - Lucy Robinson Greta Doesn't Want to Wait for Godot Greta - Amelia Bullmore

Jenny éclair (Author), Anita Dobson, Anne Reid, Doon Mackichan, Frances Barber, Imelda Staunton, Jenny éclair, Josie Lawrence, Lesley Sharp, Samantha Bond (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Frances Barber