Audiobooks narrated by James Laurenson

Thomas Mann: Buddenbrooks, Death in Venice, The Magic Mountain: Three BBC Radio full-cast dramas

"Dramatisations of Thomas Mann’s three bestselling novels One of Germany’s greatest and most revered writers, Thomas Mann won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929. A vocal critic of Nazism, he had to leave his homeland when Hitler came to power, and lived in exile in Europe and America for the rest of his life. Collected here are full-cast adaptations of his three most famous novels. Buddenbrooks – Drawing on Mann’s own experience as the son of a wealthy merchant in 19th-century Lübeck, his debut novel follows four generations of Buddenbrooks as they struggle to maintain the family business in the face of change. Powerful, humorous and heartbreaking, this epic drama traces the decline of a civilisation as well as a family. Starring Terence Edmonds, Harriet Walter, James Laurenson and Timothy Spall. Death in Venice – Seeking inspiration, a famous German writer travels to Venice, but finds only decay and disease behind the city’s gorgeous facades. Then he notices a beautiful young Polish boy, and is consumed by a fatal obsession... Clive Francis stars as Aschenbach, with Peter England as Tadzio. The Magic Mountain – When Hans Castorp pays a social visit to a Swiss sanatorium, he is himself diagnosed with TB and ends up staying for seven years. Trapped on the mountain, he becomes acquainted with his fellow inmates – including the humanist, the radical, the dionysiac and the inamorata – who represent a microcosm of European society and culture in the run-up to World War One. Paul Scofield stars in this radio version of Thomas Mann’s masterpiece. First published 1901 (Buddenbrooks), 1912 (Death in Venice), 1924 (The Magic Mountain) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Thomas Mann (Author), Clive Francis, Full Cast, Harriet Walter, James Laurenson, Paul Scofield, Peter England, Terence Edmonds, Timothy Spall (Narrator)

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Nathaniel Hawthorne: A BBC Radio Collection: Four Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations including The S

"Full-cast adaptations of four works by Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. A descendant of judge John Hathorne, who oversaw the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, he wrote several works inspired by Puritan New England, with themes of guilt, sin and retribution. This collection contains his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, as well as Wakefield, Rappaccini's Daughter and The Blithedale Romance. The Scarlet Letter – Hester Prynne, a scarlet letter on her breast and her baby in her arms, stands on the scaffold as the crowd around her cries out for her execution. Her sin of adultery is marked by the 'A' she wears, but who should stand by her side? Deborah Findlay stars in this tale of passion and repression, set in Puritan Boston in the 1640s. Wakefield – A middle-aged man, steeped in routine, decides one day to leave home temporarily. and observe the effect on his wife from a flat opposite. But the longer he stays away, the harder it is to return… David Haig stars in this tale of indecision and isolation. Rappaccini’s Daughter – Student Giovanni rents a room overlooking an exotic garden belonging to botanist and poisons expert Dr Rappaccini. But when he glimpses the doctor’s daughter in the garden, Giovanni becomes dangerously obsessed. Part mystery, part love story and part haunting allegory, this dark romance stars Joseph Cohen Cole and Emerald O’Hanrahan. The Blithedale Romance – A society based on brotherhood, not competition – such are the ideals of the commune Miles Coverdale joins. But as he befriends fellow inhabitants Hollingsworth, Zenobia and Priscilla, his dreams of a rural idyll are soured by rivalry and unrequited love. Jonathan Newth stars in this adaptation of Hawthorne’s 1852 novel, loosely based on his time at the utopian community of Brook Farm. First published 1835 (‘Wakefield’), 1844 (‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’), 1850 (The Scarlet Letter), 1852 (The Blithedale Romance) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Nathaniel Hawthorne (Author), David Haig, Deborah Findlay, Deborah Makepeace, Emerald O’Hanrahan, Full Cast, James Laurenson, John Rowe, Jonathan Newth, Joseph Cohen-Cole, Michael Maloney, Nigel Anthony, Peter Marinker, Sarah Badel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Wally K. Daly: The Scream Trilogy & other sci-fi dramas: Six BBC Radio 4 full-cast productions

"Wally K. Daly's acclaimed trilogy about alien invasion, plus three more gripping sci-fi thrillers Wally K. Daly was a prolific, award-winning dramatist, whose writing credits included Casualty, Juliet Bravo and Doctor Who. He wrote 38 radio plays during his 30-year career, across a range of genres including comedy, horror and science fiction. This collection includes his best-known SF serial, The Scream Trilogy, and three other thrilling sci-fi dramas. The Scream Trilogy - In Before The Screaming Begins, Tom Harris is abducted by aliens on his wedding anniversary, and returned with new, frightening mental powers. The Silent Scream sees the alien invasion gathering pace, and humanity struggling to fend off enemies from without and within. And in With a Whimper to the Grave, the nations of Earth have formed a World Council to combat the threat they face. As the invaders' sinister plans are revealed, the Council takes action... Starring James Laurenson, Donald Hewlett, Patrick Troughton and John Shrapnel. Nightmare World - When a worldwide power failure brings confusion and terror to Earth, one town in every country undergoes a strange and startling transformation. James Laurenson and Nigel Anthony star. 2004 - Written in 1995, this dystopian vision of the new millennium imagines a chaotic Britain consumed by lawlessness and violence. Into this troubled landscape steps a new Prime Minister, with a high-tech plan to eliminate crime... Starring Bill Nighy. 625Y - In this intriguing two-part drama, research scientist Kate Brown stumbles upon a gene that could determine human lifespan - but when news of her discovery leaks out, events spiral out of control... Amanda Root stars as Kate. NB: Due to the off-air nature of the recordings, the sound quality may vary Production credits Written by Wally K. Daly Produced and directed by Martin Jenkins (The Scream Trilogy), David Hitchinson (Nightmare World, 2004) and Gordon House (625Y) Audio for The Scream Trilogy from Wally K. Daly's own collection, reversioned into three parts by BBC Radio 4 Extra © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Wally K. Daly (Author), Amanda Root, Bill Nighy, Donald Hewlett, Full Cast, Geoffrey Whitehead, James Laurenson, John Shrapnel, Nigel Anthony, Patrick Troughton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Moonfleet

"When fifteen-year-old John Trenchard discovers a secret passage into the vault of the powerful Mohune family, his peaceful life in the Dorset village of Moonfleet is at an end. It is said that Captain Mohune, the notorious Blackbeard, haunts the place with wild and bloodcurdling cries, forever seeking his hidden treasure. As John sets off in a search of that treasure, a fabled diamond, he becomes caught up in the dangerous coastal smuggling runs and is forced to flee the country in the company of Elzevir Block, the man who is to become like a father to him. From echoing vaults and stormy seas to dank dungeons and deep wells, the suspense of John’s search for hidden treasure is thrillingly evoked in this fully dramatised classic adventure, starring Robert Glenister and James Laurenson."

John Meade Falkner (Author), Full Cast, James Laurenson, Robert Glenister (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by James Laurenson