Audiobooks narrated by Jason Watkins

Death and the Penguin: A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

"A penguin is all that stands between one man and murder by the mafia Sit back and enjoy this darkly comic full-cast adaptation of Andrey Kurkov’s bestselling novel set in mid-90s Ukraine, plus a bonus interview with the author. Viktor Alekseyevich Zolotaryov is an aspiring writer in Ukraine, with only his pet king penguin, Misha, for company. After Viktor gets a job writing obituaries for a local newspaper, he soon finds that his articles are being used as a hit list by some unknown organisation. Feeling as lost and unhappy as his penguin, Viktor’s life takes a complicated turn when he takes in Sonya, the young daughter of an old friend, and hires Nina to be her nanny. Can Viktor protect everyone and keep himself (and his penguin) alive, or is he destined to become the subject of the paper’s latest obituary? A blend of Gogol’s absurdist humour and Kafka’s alienation, this tragi-comedy is set in the wild west atmosphere of a newly independent Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union. At its heart, this is a story about surviving and enduring in perilous times. Starring Tom Basden (After Life) as aspiring writer Viktor, and BAFTA winner Jason Watkins (The Crown) as the mysterious Lyosha. This release also includes an episode of BBC Radio’s World Book Club, in which Kurkov discusses his darkly funny tale with Harriett Gilbert. Recorded live in his native Ukraine, at the historic Mikhail Bulgakov Museum in Kiev, he responds to listeners' questions from around the world. Andrey Kurkov is a Ukrainian author who writes in Russian. He has written 19 novels and is a respected commentator on Ukraine, regularly appearing on Radio 4 with his ‘Letters from Ukraine’ series. Death and the Penguin is Kurkov's most famous work, translated into more than 30 languages. ©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Death and the Penguin Written by Andrey Kurkov Translated by George Bird Adapted by Hattie Naylor Directed by Gemma Jenkins Viktor - Tom Basden Lyosha - Jason Watkins Igor - David Hounslow Sonya - Blythe Arbery Nina - Chloë Sommer Misha-non-Penguin - Roger Ringrose Sergey - Tom Kiteley Natasha - Fiona Skinner Dr Pidpaly - Joanna Monro First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 January 2023 World Book Club: Andrey Kurkov - Death and the Penguin Presented by Harriett Gilbert First Broadcast BBC World Service, 5 September 2015"

Andrey Kurkov (Author), Blythe Arbery, Chloë Sommer, David Hounslow, Full Cast, Jason Watkins, Tom Basden (Narrator)

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David Edgar: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: 17 Full-Cast Productions including The Shape of the Table

"David Edgar – one of Britain’s greatest living playwrights – introduces a collection of his outstanding works David Edgar is among the UK’s leading contemporary dramatists, well known for his powerful plays chronicling Britain's changing political landscape over the past 50 years. This radio anthology begins with the award-winning Destiny, adapted for radio by Edgar himself, in which he analyses the rise of the right-wing National Front movement. In Saigon Rose, the sexual revolution is under the spotlight, as a couple and their cohorts are forced to face the darker side of the Swinging Sixties. This is followed by a play adapted from the journals of a South African lawyer – The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs is a dramatic account of his arrest and solitary confinement. Mary Barnes recounts the struggles of the titular heroine with her own madness, and Ecclesiastes deals with a fundamentalist preacher. A Movie Starring Me centres around a TV soap star and her obsessive fan, while Entertaining Strangers is about the struggle between a fundamentalist parson and a town’s first woman brewer. The 1984 miners’ strike forms the backdrop to That Summer. Two plays from Edgar’s ‘Iron Curtain Trilogy’ are next: The Shape of the Table and Pentecost, examining themes of negotiation in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Talking to Mars looks at the collapse of the Cold War through the eyes of an international radio station. The Secret Parts is a gripping murder mystery, adapted for radio by David Edgar from the novel written by his late wife Eve Brook. Playing with Fire is a powerful exploration of racial tensions in multicultural Britain, and Something Wrong about the Mouth is about a man who wants to commission a portrait of a woman he can't produce, dressed for an event that didn't occur. If Only finds a Labour spin doctor, a Tory MP and a Lib Dem party worker stranded by the Icelandic ash cloud. David Edgar’s 2019 solo show, Trying It On, sees him delving into the background of his landmark play, Maydays. This collection concludes with Maydays, refashioned by Edgar into a sweeping three-part audio epic charting the journey of idealistic young activists from the far-left to the die-hard right. Track List: 01: Introduction by David Edgar 02-05: Destiny 06-08: Saigon Rose 09-11: The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs 12-13: Mary Barnes 14-15: Ecclesiastes 16-17: A Movie Starring Me 18-19: Entertaining Strangers 20-21: That Summer 22-23: The Shape of the Table 24-28: Pentecost 29-30: Talking to Mars 31-32: The Secret Parts 33-34: Playing with Fire 35: Something Wrong About the Mouth 36-37: If Only 38: Trying It On 39-41: Maydays Written by David Edgar The Secret Parts written by Eve Brook Text copyright © David Edgar 1976 (Saigon Rose, Destiny), 1977 (Ecclesiastes), 1978 (The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs), 1979 (Mary Barnes), 1983 (Maydays), 1987 (That Summer), 1990 (The Shape of the Table), 1991 (A Movie Starring Me), 1994 (Pentecost), 1996 (Talking to Mars), 2005 (Playing with Fire), 2007 (Something Wrong About the Mouth), 2013 (If Only), 2018 (Trying It On) The Secret Parts text copyright © Eve Brook 2000 All rights reserved © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

David Edgar (Author), Adjoa Andoh, Alison Steadman, Andy Serkis, Bill Paterson, Celia Imrie, Charles Dance, Damian Lewis, David Morrissey, Frances Barber, Full Cast, Hattie Morahan, Henry Goodman, Jason Watkins, Samantha Bond, Simon Callow, Tim Mcinnerny (Narrator)

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Shrines of Gaiety

"Brought to you by Penguin. 1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost. With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems. 'This is the perfect novel for uncertain times.' THE TIMES 'I can think of few writers other than Dickens who can match it' SUNDAY TIMES 'Brilliant' RICHARD OSMAN © Kate Atkinson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

Kate Atkinson (Author), Jason Watkins (Narrator)

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Shardlake: The Complete BBC Radio Collection: Six BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations

"The complete collected dramatisations of C. J. Sansom's historical mystery series Set during the reign of Henry VIII, these six stunning dramas follow the adventures of hunchbacked lawyer-detective Matthew Shardlake as he navigates the dangerous world of Tudor England, solving crimes and seeking out murderers. Dissolution - Winter, 1537. When a King's Commissioner is brutally murdered at Scarnsea monastery, Thomas Cromwell sends Shardlake to investigate. Can he catch the killer before he strikes again? Dark Fire - Summer, 1540, and Shardlake is embroiled in two urgent cases: tracking down a batch of Greek Fire, an ancient weapon of mass destruction, and defending an orphan girl accused of murder. Accompanied by Cromwell's man, Barak, he must race against time to save Elizabeth's life - and Cromwell's skin. Sovereign - Autumn, 1541. As the King embarks on a Royal Progress to York, Shardlake and Barak arrive in the city on a secret mission for Archbishop Cranmer. But soon they are caught up in a murder investigation - and a daring plot to bring down the royal family... Revelation - Spring, 1543. With London rocked by religious turmoil, Shardlake must complete two vital assignments: help a teenage boy imprisoned in Bedlam for his heretical ravings, and prevent a serial killer from completing his unholy mission. Heartstone - Summer, 1545, and Shardlake and Barak are drawn into two murky mysteries: one involving 'monstrous wrongs' committed against a ward of the court, the other involving the troubled past of Bedlam inmate Ellen Fettiplace. Meanwhile, across the Channel, the French fleet is preparing to attack... Lamentation - 1546. Henry VIII lies dying, and his Protestant and Catholic factions are vying for power. As heretics are burned at the stake, the Queen rashly decides to write a compromising confessional book - and when it is stolen, she turns to Shardlake. His investigations lead him from London's backstreet print shops to the heart of the royal court... Jason Watkins and Justin Salinger star as Shardlake, with Bryan Dick as Barak, Mark Bonnar and Robert Glenister as Cromwell, Sam Dale and Sean Baker as Cranmer, and Emily Wachter and Jessica Hardwick as Queen Catherine Parr. Written by C. J. Sansom Dramatised by Colin MacDonald Produced and directed by Kirsteen Cameron, David Jackson Young and Bruce Young © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

C.J. Sansom (Author), Bryan Dick, Emily Wachter, Full Cast, Jason Watkins, Jessica Hardwick, Justin Salinger, Mark Bonnar, Robert Glenister, Sam Dale, Sean Baker (Narrator)

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Killing For Company

"NOW AN ITV DRAMA DES STARRING DAVID TENNANT On 9 February 1983, Dennis Nilsen was arrested at his Muswell Hill home, after human remains had been identified as the cause of the street’s blocked drains. Within days he had confessed to fifteen gruesome murders committed over a period of four years. His victims, all young homosexual men, had never been missed. Brian Masters, with Nilsen’s full cooperation, has produced a unique account of the murderer’s mind. Killing for Company is a groundbreaking criminal study of the serial killer and necrophiliac known as the ‘Muswell Hill Murderer’, and one of the most shocking books you will ever read. “One of the most remarkable and accurate accounts ever written of the singular relationship between a mass murderer and a society.” OBSERVER “A truly awesome tale, brilliantly told.” LITERARY REVIEW WINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD FOR NON-FICTION"

Brian Masters (Author), Jason Watkins (Narrator)

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Shardlake: Revelation: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

"Shardlake returns in this atmospheric BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of the fourth novel in C. J. Sansom’s bestselling Tudor crime series. Spring, 1543. London’s streets are filled with preachers; strange signs and portents are seen everywhere; and young men, maddened by differing interpretations of the Bible, are drawn into dangerous fundamentalism. The family of one such man, Adam Kite, has sought help from lawyer Matthew Shardlake. Adam is suffering from religious mania, and is being held in Bedlam for his own safety. But Shardlake is distracted from the case when his friend Roger Elliard is found brutally murdered – the victim of a serial killer inspired by the Book of Revelation. Archbishop Cranmer asks Shardlake to conduct a secret investigation: no word of the bloodshed must reach the King as one of the dead men was close to Catherine Parr, Henry’s latest romantic obsession and (like Cranmer) a supporter of religious reform. With the help of trusty sidekick Barack, Shardlake embarks on his most dangerous investigation yet, as he tries to protect Adam and prevent the killer from fulfilling his unholy mission... This thrilling fourth instalment of the 'Shardlake' series stars Justin Salinger as Shardlake, with Bryan Dick as Barak. Duration: 2 hours 10 mins approx."

C.J. Sansom (Author), Full Cast, Jason Watkins, Mark Bonnar (Narrator)

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Shardlake: Dissolution: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

"A thrilling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation based on CJ Sansom's bestselling Tudor crime novel. Winter, 1537. Henry VIII has declared himself Supreme Head of the Church, and instructed his chief minister Thomas Cromwell to dissolve England's religious houses and seize their wealth. But Cromwell's plot to bring down the abbeys has hit a snag – one of the King's Commissioners has been found brutally murdered in Scarnsea monastery, on the south coast of Kent. If news of the killing were to get out, the consequences could be disastrous. Desiring a quick, discreet result, he sends his trusted lawyer-detective, Matthew Shardlake, to investigate. However, as Shardlake interviews the prime suspects and delves deeper into the mysteries of Scarnsea, it soon becomes clear that the case will not be as simple to solve as he had hoped. Which of the terrified monks is the murderer? And can Shardlake catch him before he strikes again? CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' series has sold over two million copies, and this atmospheric dramatisation starring BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins (The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries) brings his début novel to electrifying life. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it is both an engrossing murder mystery and a brilliantly realised portrayal of Tudor England. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx."

C.J. Sansom (Author), Full Cast, Jason Watkins, Mark Bonnar (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Jason Watkins