Audiobooks narrated by Gerda Stevenson

Blood and Ice & other plays: Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Productions

"Five full-cast dramas by the celebrated Scottish writer Liz Lochhead, plus a short story Liz Lochhead is a widely recognised poet, playwright and performer. She was the Makar, Scotland’s national poet, between 2011 and 2016, and was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2015. The six pieces in this anthology are characterised by their evocative language and focus on different facets of female identity: from schoolgirls, wives and mothers to convention-defying creators and ‘cunning women’. Blood and Ice – Summer, 1816. Following their scandalous elopement, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her lover Percy Shelley decamp to Lake Geneva. There, they are joined by Lord Byron and his mistress Claire Clairmont, and one night, in a villa by the shore, they challenge each other to write a ghost story. Mary’s tale will become the most famous Gothic novel of all time – and the creature at its centre will haunt her for the rest of her life. Starring Gerda Stevenson, Stephen Boxer, Jack Klaff and Stella Gonet. Quelques Fleurs – Liz Lochhead plays lonely, ‘born to shop’ housewife Verena, with Stuart Hepburn as her oil-rig worker husband in these tragicomic intercut monologues, which paint a portrait of a childless couple trapped in an unhappy marriage. Maleficium – Taking its title from a Latin word meaning ‘malevolent sorcery’, this chilling play draws on real accounts of witch trials to create voices for three women: Alice, Margery and Jinnet – a farm labourer, a farmer's wife and an elderly wisewoman. When two of them are accused of witchcraft by the other, they are brought to the point of tragedy… Starring Clare Corbett, Siobhan Redmond and Freda Dowie. Fancy You Minding That – Separated by three generations and by the 400 miles from London to Glasgow, a grandmother, mother and daughter recall their very different, very painful memories of the men in their lives. With Phyllis Logan as Valerie, Jennifer Piercey as Ina and Catherine Clarke as Kate. Cuba – Scotland, 1962. With the Cuban Missile Crisis at its height, best friends Barbara and Bernadette believe the world is about to end. They decide to spend their last days making a stand for women and peace – only to find themselves facing a very personal betrayal. Julie Wilson Nimmo, Pauline Lockhart and Liz Lochhead star. ‘The Cure’ – Hoping to impress her handsome house captain, a schoolgirl takes to the athletics track – but the course of true love does not run smoothly. Read by Grace Glover. Text copyright © Liz Lochhead 1982 (Blood and Ice), 1986 (Fancy You Minding That), 1991 (Quelque Fleurs), 1994 (‘The Cure’), 1998 (Cuba), 2001 (Maleficium) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Liz Lochhead (Author), Catherine Clarke, Clare Corbett, Full cast, Gerda Stevenson, Jack Klaff, Jon Glover, Liz Lochhead, Phyllis Logan, Siobhan Redmond, Stella Gonet (Narrator)

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Sir Walter Scott: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: Five Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations including Wa

"Full-cast BBC adaptations of five of Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Waverley’ novels, plus a play adapted from his journal starring Alec Guinness, and a documentary about Scott and his legacy Poet, novelist, critic and campaigner Walter Scott invented the historical novel and shaped the world’s image of Scotland. His tales of heroism, romance and adventure were hugely successful, outselling Jane Austen and Lord Byron, and are still popular today. Included here are adaptations of five of the best-loved books in his ‘Waverley’ series, as well as two bonus programmes. Waverley – Sent to Scotland with his regiment, young English soldier Edward Waverley becomes embroiled in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. Torn between love and duty, he falls in with Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebel army – and finds himself accused of treason… Richard Greenwood stars in this adaptation of Scott’s groundbreaking debut novel. Rob Roy – Francis Osbaldistone, the son of a rich London merchant, is banished to his family seat in the North. There, he meets the beautiful, high-spirited Diana Vernon and his villainous cousin Rashleigh, and befriends the enigmatic Scot, Robert Campbell – hero, chieftain of the clan MacGregor and wanted outlaw… Starring Liam Brennan, this thrilling drama is set during the Jacobite rising of 1715. The Heart of Midlothian – Edinburgh, 1737, and young Effie Deans is arrested for child murder and sentenced to death. Convinced of her innocence, her sister Jeanie decides to walk to London to plead for her sister’s life. Gerda Stevenson and Irene Allen star in this adaptation of Scott’s gripping novel, widely considered to be the finest of the ‘Waverley’ books. The Bride of Lammermoor – Edgar Ravenswood has sworn vengeance on the Ashton family who have destroyed his honour and ruined his fortune – but Lucy Ashton will come to mean more to him than honour, fortune and life Itself… This tragic tale of a doomed love affair stars David Rintoul and Gerda Stevenson. Woodstock – England, 1651. Charles Stuart’s army has been defeated at Worcester, and he is on the run. Suspecting that he will take refuge at Woodstock Manor, Oliver Cromwell sets a trap for him there – but he has reckoned without the wily King and his loyal Cavalier supporters… John Rowe and Brian Hewlett star in this epic Civil War tale. My Own Right Hand Shall Do It – Suffering a terrible reversal of fortune late in life, Sir Walter Scott determines to recover from financial ruin. Sir Alec Guinness stars in this moving portrait of tragedy and ultimate triumph. The Man Who Made Scotland – James Naughtie makes the case for a reappraisal of Sir Walter Scott, arguing that his branding of Scotland is the mark of a thoroughly modern thinker. NB: Due to the age of the recordings, the sound quality may vary First published 1814 (Waverley), 1817 (Rob Roy), 1818 (The Heart of Midlothian), 1819 (The Bride of Lammermoor), 1826 (Woodstock) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Walter Scott (Author), Alec Guinness, Brian Hewlett, David Rintoul, Full Cast, George Woolley, Gerda Stevenson, Irene Allan, Jill Meers, John Buick, John Ransome, John Rowe, Liam Brennan, Richard Greenwood, Sean Chapman, Tom George (Narrator)

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The Specimens: A bold retelling of Burke and Hare’s crimes from the women closest to the gruesome tr

"'A work of fiction that is both a potent portrait of early 19th-century Edinburgh but also a story about female agency or the lack of it. The result is a compelling, painful, haunted piece of work.' THE HERALD WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2025 Up the close and down the stair, meet the women of Burke and Hare Edinburgh, 1828. Two women - one rich, one poor - must navigate life against a frenzied backdrop of medical discovery, mob mayhem, and murder. Susan's sheltered life as the wife of Robert Knox, a wealthy anatomist, is a far cry from Helen's perilous existence in the Old Town slums with her lover William Burke. Yet as people begin disappearing, these two different women face the same impossible choice. Should they protect what they have or tell the truth about what they know? Discover the notorious serial killings of Burke and Hare, told for the first time through the eyes of women whose stories reveal the depths of the human heart. COMING OCTOBER 2025 - Poor Creatures - Unearth the fascinating story of Mary Shelley: the mind which birthed Frankenstein's monster... PRAISE FOR THE SPECIMENS 'Beguiling and atmospheric' HEAT MAGAZINE 'A fresh, feminine take on the horrors of Scotland's most notorious serial killers' SALLY MAGNUSSON 'Gruesomely gripping, this story will stay with you for a long time' SUE LAWRENCE 'Mairi Kidd holds a lantern up to the brutality of women's lives in Burke, Hare and Knox's Edinburgh' LUCY RIBCHESTER"

Mairi Kidd (Author), Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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Kidnapped and Catriona: A BBC Radio Full Cast Dramatisation

"A classic BBC Radio adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novels of adventure and romance First published in 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson's rollicking historical novel Kidnapped was an instant bestseller. It was followed by an 1893 sequel, Catriona, which Stevenson regarded as his 'high water mark', declaring that he would 'never do a better book'. Included here is the epic 10-part BBC radio dramatisation of both action-packed tales. Narrated by the central character, David Balfour, this riveting retelling sees him looking back over his eventful life and recalling his escapades as a young man. It begins in 1751, with Scotland in turmoil in the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion. Newly orphaned, 17-year-old David sets out for Edinburgh and the House of Shaws, to meet his rich Uncle Ebenezer. Betrayed by his scheming relative and kidnapped, he finds himself aboard the brig Covenant, to be sold into slavery in America - but the ship has a castaway on board, a certain Alan Breck... Though David is a Lowlander and Alan a Highland Jacobite, the two become fast friends. Together they face danger on the high seas and in the Scottish wilderness, as they head south to confront the treacherous Ebenezer and claim David's fortune. But even with his inheritance secured, our hero's adventures are not over. He must find safe passage to France for Alan, endeavour to prove a man's innocence - and win the heart of Catriona, the feisty granddaughter of infamous outlaw Rob Roy McGregor. David Rintoul stars as David Balfour, with Paul Young as Alan Breck and Gerda Stevenson as Catriona. Among the distinguished cast are Rikki Fulton, Sandy Neilson, Rose McBain, Iain Cuthbertson and Siobhan Redmond. First published 1886 (Kidnapped) and 1893 (Catriona) Production credits Written by Robert Louis Stevenson Dramatised by Catherine L. Czerkawska Directed by Marilyn Imrie Cast David Balfour - David Rintoul Alan Breck - Paul Young Ebenezer Balfour - Rikki Fulton Hoseason - Jonathan Battersby Campbell - John Shedden Ransome/Seaman - Ray Dunsire Jennet - Marilyn Gray Landlord/Seaman - Tam Dean Burn Riach - Billy Riddoch Shuan/Seaman - Stuart Bishop Gaelic fisherman/Highland gillie/Gaelic servant/Neil - John Carmichael Mr Henderland - Henry Stamper Crofter - Ian Stewart Neil Roy - Iain Agnew Mungo - Brown Derby Colin Campbell - Sandy Neilson James of the Glens - Bob Docherty Mistress Stewart - Rose McBain Cluny Macpherson - David McKail John Breck MacColl - Finlay McLean Mistress McLaren - Ann Louise Ross Alison Hastie - Terry Cavers Mistress Rankeillor - Harriet Buchan Rankeillor - Gerard Slevin Torrance - Iain Wotherspoon Stewart the Writer - Iain Cuthbertson Catriona - Gerda Stevenson The Lord Advocate Prestongrange - Russell Hunter James More - Alec Heggie Balfour of Pilrig - Michael Elder Simon Fraser - John McGlynn Barbara Grant - Siobhan Redmond Isabella Grant - Ann Lannan Jean Grant - Hilary Lyon Woman/Goodwife - Ann Scott Jones Porter/Robin Oig - John Buick Servant - Simon Donald Mistress Ogilvy - Edith MacArthur Duncansby - Ian Briggs Robert Macintosh - Leon Sinden Andy Dale - Tony Roper Sheriff - Paul Kermack Duke of Argyle - Charles Kearney Duncan Dhu McLaren - Simon Donald Doig - John Shedden Capt Sang - Don Gallagher Sprott - Finlay Welsh First broadcast BBC Radio 4 16th June - 25th August 1985 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Robert Louis Stevenson (Author), Ann Scott Jones, David Rintoul, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson, Iain Cuthbertson, John Carmichael, John Mcglynn, Leon Sinden, Paul Kermack, Paul Young, Russell Hunter, Siobhan Redmond, Tony Roper (Narrator)

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Paul Temple: The Complete Radio Collection: Volume Four: Paul Temple Returns (2006-2013)

"Paul Temple lives again in five BBC Radio 4 remakes of classic adventures, starring Crawford Logan as Paul and Gerda Stephenson as Steve. Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery (2006): A pair of spectacles spells danger for the suave sleuth and his wife as they embark on a trip to Egypt. Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery (2008): A murdered millionaire and a mysterious watch-chain sets the Temples on the trail of an international counterfeiting gang. Paul Temple and Steve (2010): On the hunt for notorious criminal mastermind Dr Belasco, Paul and Steve find trouble at every turn... A Case for Paul Temple (2011): Braving booby traps, bullets and blazing houses, Paul pursues a shadowy drug dealer known only as ‘Valentine’. Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair (2013): When a young woman disappears, Paul is drawn into a ruthless kidnapping racket run by the murderous ‘Mr Gregory’. These five dramas were originally broadcast in the late 1940s, but are now missing from the BBC archives. Using the same scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the original incidental music, these remakes have been engineered to sound as much like the lost serials as possible. Caution: these programmes contain language that may cause offense, and dated attitudes that reflect the age in which they are set."

Francis Durbridge (Author), Crawford Logan, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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A Case For Paul Temple

"From 1938 to 1968 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC Radio’s most popular series. Now the glamorous duo return to the airwaves to break a mysterious drug-running gang. Post-war London is buzzing with speculation about the deaths of ten young drug addicts within the space of just one week. The police are desperate to cut off supplies of heroin and cocaine to the capital, but they are struggling. So Sir Graham Forbes turns to Paul Temple. By fast car and police launch, on deserted houseboats and midnight beaches, in dodgy East End pubs and smart West End restaurants, braving booby traps, bullets and blazing houses, Paul and Steve pursue the ruthless and feared drug dealer known only as ‘Valentine’. This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the original incidental music from the missing 1946 production. As far as possible it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded if its recording had survived."

Francis Durbridge (Author), Crawford Logan, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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Paul Temple And Steve

"From 1938 to 1968, crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC Radio's most popular serials. Now the dapper duo return refreshed and reinvigorated to the airwaves, to investigate the activities of a shadowy and ruthless criminal mastermind in post-war London. Enlisted by Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard to help track down the mysterious Dr Belasco, Paul and Steve find clues in cigarette lighters and bodies in shrubberies, dance the night away in louche Latin American night clubs, meet sinister manservants and suspicious foreigners, and have their lives threatened at every turn. Just as well Steve remembered to bring along her revolver as well as her ration book... This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the incidental music from the missing 1947 production. As far as possible, it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded had its recording survived."

Francis Durbridge (Author), Crawford Logan, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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Paul Temple And The Madison Mystery

"From 1938 to 1969 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC radio's most popular serials. They inhabit a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women are chic and the men wear cravats - and where Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard always needs Paul's help with a tricky case. Returning from America by ocean liner, the Temples enjoy the company of their fellow passengers, only to find one of them dead the next morning - and when Paul and Steve get home to London, Sir Graham is waiting to plunge them into one of their most thrilling and dangerous adventures, the pursuit of a ruthless international gang of counterfeiters. As knives fly and bombs explode, the key to the puzzle seems to lie in a coin on the end of a watch-chain... This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the original incidental music from a lost archive 1949 production. As far as possible, it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded had its recording survived."

Francis Durbridge (Author), Crawford Logan, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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Paul Temple And The Sullivan Mystery

"In a thrilling case that takes Paul and Steve to exotic Egypt, Paul Temple is called in to investigate a mysterious murder. The twisting trail takes them from London to the back streets and nightclubs of Cairo... From 1938 to 1969 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC radio’s most popular serials. They inhabited a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - and where Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard always needed Paul’s help with a tricky case. Now Paul Temple is being brought into the 21st century in this eight-part recording of a lost archive Paul Temple mystery, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson. This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the incidental music from the missing 1947 production. As far as possible, it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded had its recording survived."

Francis Durbridge (Author), Crawford Logan, Full Cast, Gerda Stevenson (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Gerda Stevenson