Mike Bartlett: Cock, King Charles III & more: 10 BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions
"A selection of the award-winning author’s plays for theatre and radio
Well known for his hit TV series Doctor Foster, Mike Bartlett is one of Britain’s most prolific and high-profile contemporary playwrights. He has been Writer-In-Residence at the both the National Theatre and The Royal Court Theatre, and has written numerous works for the stage, radio and television.
This outstanding collection opens with the play that catapulted him into the limelight, winning both the 2007 Imison and Tinniswood Awards – Not Talking. Centring on two couples who cannot communicate, and the effects that has on their relationships, this provocative, touching drama stars Richard Briers and June Whitfield alongside Carl Prekopp and Lyndsey Marshal. Next up are two stage plays produced for radio, with the original casts that performed in the West End and the Royal Court Theatre. The winner of the 2010 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, Cock deals with love, sexuality and identity, and stars Ben Whishaw, Andrew Scott, Katherine Parkinsons and Paul Jesson. King Charles III, starring Tim Pigott-Smith, finds the newly crowned King detonating a constitutional crisis that threatens the whole future of the monarchy. Part political thriller, part family drama, it won both the Olivier Award for Best New Play and the Critics' Circle Award for Best Play in 2014.
Following these are a slew of original plays written specially for BBC Radio. A Steal explores the cost-of-living crisis; The Family Man sees a teenage girl stumbling upon her MP father’s secret; and in Miss St Andrews, old grudges resurface when the rivals for the ‘Charities Queen 1961’ title are reunited 50 years later. The Core follows a bright 13-year-old and her energetic head teacher as they head into a future neither of them expects; while Liam charts the search for a 10-year-old boy who goes missing in Sussex. Love Contract is a dark comedy about office romance and corporate control; and The Steps features an elderly lady who escapes from her old people’s home and meets a woman and a young girl on the run. Intriguing, surprising and thought-provoking, these compelling productions star a wealth of acclaimed actors including Nicholas Farrell, Joe McFadden, Ellie Haddington, Juliet Stevenson, Amanda Lawrence, Claire Rushbrook and Geraldine McEwan.
NB: Contains very strong language
Production credits
Written by Mike Bartlett
Text copyright © Mike Bartlett 2006 (Not Talking), 2007 (The Family Man, Love Contract), 2009 (Cock, Liam, The Steps), 2011 (The Core), 2014 (King Charles III), 2017 (Miss St Andrew), 2019 (A Steal)
All rights reserved
Not Talking
Cock
King Charles III
A Steal
The Family Man
Miss St Andrews
The Core
Liam
Love Contract
The Steps
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"
Mike Bartlett (Author), Andrew Scott, Ben Whishaw, Geraldine McEwan, Juliet Stevenson, June Whitfield, Katherine Parkinson, Lydia Wilson, Lyndsey Marshal, Nicholas Farrell, Oliver Chris, Paterson Joseph, Richard Briers, Richard Goulding, Tim Pigott-Smith (Narrator)
Audiobook
