Audiobooks Narrated by John Forbes-Robertson

Loving, Doting & Party Going: Three Full - Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

"A trio of dramas based on Henry Green’s most notable novels Born Henry Yorke, aristocrat and industrialist Henry Green led a double life as a managing director of an engineering firm and one of the finest English modernists of the 20th century. A contemporary and friend of Evelyn Waugh and Anthony Powell, he penned nine novels before giving up writing in 1952 at the age of 47. Three of them are dramatised here, with casts incuding Pauline Quirke, Amanda Root, Mark Straker, Fenella Fielding and Paul Herzberg. Loving – In their employers’ absence, the servants at Castle Tennant have enjoyed free run of the manor house, at liberty to indulge in romance, gossip, squabbles and battles over authority. Then an insurance man arrives, enquiring about Mrs Tennant’s missing diamond ring, and their habitual routine is thrown into disruption. Adapted by Booker Prize-winning author John Banville, this charming dramatisation of Green’s 1945 fairytale depicts life above and below stairs in an Anglo-Irish country house during the Second World War. Doting – Stuck in a humdrum marriage, middle-aged civil servant Arthur Middleton suddenly finds himself besotted with a much younger woman: pretty, 19-year-old Annabel Paynton, whom he has known since she was a child. As he pursues her, his wife Diana embarks on her own romantic adventure with family friend Charles Addinsell – who is in turn courting Annabel’s friend Claire… Set in postwar London, Henry Green’s final novel is a sophisticated social comedy exploring the subtle distinction between doting and loving. Party Going – Travelling by train to the South of France, a party of wealthy ‘Bright Young Things’ are delayed by heavy fog at Victoria Station. As they wait for the weather to lift, they take refuge in a hotel – but over the course of their stay, their lives change imperceptibly. Listed as one of the Guardian’s 100 best novels, this wry, dazzling, tale of self-absorbed socialites on the eve of war is adapted by veteran radio dramatist Neville Teller. First published 1939 (Party Going), 1945 (Loving), 1952 (Doting) Cast and credits Written by Henry Green Loving Charley Raunce – Martin Kemp Edith – Leanne Rowe Miss Welch – Pauline Ouirke Mrs Tennant – Joanna David Violet – Claudia Harrison Miss Burch – Amanda Root Kate – Zoe Tapper Capt Davenport – Mark Straker Bert – Harry Eden Albert – Johnny Brennan Other parts played by members of the cast Doting Mr Arthur Middleton – Frederick Treves Mrs Diana Middleton – Fenella Fielding Master Peter Middleton – Stephen Pacey Mr Charles Addinsell – James Villiers Miss Annabel Paynton – Illona Linthwaite Miss Claire Belaine – Mary-Claire Nash Party Going Angela Crevy – Amanda Murray Robin Adams – Paul Herzberg Miss Fellowes – Renee Asherson Claire Hignam – Rosalind Shanks Robert Hignam – Martin Connor Evelyn Henderson – Penelope Lee The Stranger – Sean Arnold Julia Wray – Selina Cadell Amabel – Frances Jeater Max Adey – David McAlister Edwards – Haydn Wood Alex Alexander – Geoffrey Bateman Thomson – Nick Brimble Station announcer/Porter – Graham Faulkner Driver/Porter – Alexander John Clerk/Driver – John Livesey Mr Roberts – Alan Dudley Mr Wray/Floor waiter – John Forbes-Robertson Cloakroom attendant – Sonia Fraser Mr Ogilvie/Stationmaster/Doctor – David Graham Counter Assistant/Receptionist – Jane Knowles Counter Assistant/Room service – Vanessa Knox-Mawer Embassy Richard/Passer-by – Rupert Everett © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Henry Green (Author), Amanda Root, Claudia Harrison, Frances Jeater, Full Cast, Joanna David, John Forbes-Robertson, Martin Kemp, Pauline Quirke, Penelope Lee, Rosalind Shanks, Rupert Everett, Selina Cadell, Zoe Tapper (Narrator)

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Occupation: Spy: Eight Full-Cast BBC Radio Spy Thrillers

"A collection of full-cast dramatisations and original radio plays from master storyteller Ted Allbeury – plus bonus programmes Described by Len Deighton as ‘a classic writer of espionage fiction’, Ted Allbeury based his many acclaimed spy novels on his own real-life experiences. In World War II, he served as an intelligence officer with Special Operations Executive, and subsequently ran agents across the border between East and West Germany during the Cold War. He began writing in his fifties, and went on to pen over 40 bestselling books, five of which are dramatised here alongside three plays specially written for BBC Radio and two bonus documentaries. The Lonely Margins tells the story of James Harmer, parachuted into France in 1944 on a secret mission. Christian Rodska and Kim Thomson star in this tense tale of danger and deceit. Inspired by actual events, The Other Side of Silence sees MI6 agent John Powell tasked with finding out why notorious traitor Kim Philby wants to return to England from Russia. James Bolam stars as Powell, with Nigel Hawthorne as Philby. In Long Ago and Far Away, starring David McAlister and Kate Binchy, two ex-SOE operatives find the past returning to haunt them when a voice on the radio brings back memories best left dormant. In Pay Any Price, a Presidential assassination sparks trouble for the CIA and SIS, as they deal with the consequences of a sinister programme known as MKUltra… Starring Barry Foster, Robert Beatty, Susannah Fellows and Michael J. Shannon. The Way We Live finds Andrew Collins discovering the unexpected repercussions of being ‘positively vetted’ by the Security Service, starring John Forbes-Robertson. Time Spent in Reconnaissance sees Peter Harvey finding out how an old military adage applies to his professional and private lives. This thrilling radio play stars Michael Cochrane. No Place to Hide centres around John Rennie (James Kerry), a secret agent whose loyalty is tested when he is ordered to do something he considers abhorrent. Meanwhile, in Deep Purple, starring Michael Melia, Louise Germain and Steve Hodson, the fates of a Secret Intelligence Service officer, a Russian defector and a prostitute are inextricably linked. We conclude with the fascinating two-parter Occupation: Spy, in which Ted Allbeury gives us his unique perspective on the shadowy world of spies and spying. NB: The language in these programmes reflects the era in which they were first broadcast Due to the age of these archive recordings, the sound quality may vary Text copyright © Ted Allbeury 1981 (The Lonely Margins, The Other Side of Silence), 1982 (Long Ago and Far Away), 1983 (Pay Any Price, The Way We Live, Time Spent in Reconnaissance), 1984 (No Place to Hide), 1989 (Deep Purple) 'If you like spy stories rooted in the Second World War madness and Cold War paranoia, and appreciate quality radio drama, then ‘Occupation: Spy' will continue to delight for almost eighteen hours' - Greg Jameson © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Ted Allbeury (Author), Barry Foster, Christian Rodska, David Mcalister, Full Cast, James Bolam, James Kerry, John Forbes-Robertson, Kate Binchy, Kim Thomson, Louise Germain, Margaret Robertson, Michael Cochrane, Michael J. Shannon, Michael Melia, Nigel Hawthorne, Robert Beatty, Steve Hodson, Susannah Fellows (Narrator)

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