Audiobooks narrated by John Heffernan

Rex Obano: Five BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramas: Lover’s Rock, The Moors of England and more

"A selection of contemporary dramas from leading Black playwright Rex Obano - plus bonus programme Rex Obano has written for the stage, television, radio and film. His plays have twice been shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award and he received the Roland Rees Bursary in 2018. He is part of the writing team for the BBC Radio series Faith, Hope and Glory and his TV credits include Shakespeare & Hathaway. Included here are five of his acclaimed dramas, as well as a fascinating discussion programme, Black Tudors. Lover's Rock - 1981. Politicised by the legacy of the New Cross Fire, in which 13 people died, young Black pacifist Ben turns to activism. Alongside Monroe, an aspiring producer of 'Lover's Rock' reggae, he finds himself at the sharp end of the Brixton Riots... Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Ben, with Tobi Bakare as Monroe. City College - When a university professor of Black history makes a controversial statement suggesting slavery never happened, a maelstrom ensues. Threatened with reprisals, he is forced to confront his hidden past. Rex Obano's compelling drama about free speech stars Cyril Nri and Pippa Nixon. As Innocent As You Can Get - Nathaniel and Tunde depend on each other - one guilty outside prison the other innocent within, one a prison psychologist, the other a prisoner convicted under 'joint enterprise'. Freddie Fox and Paapa Essiedu star in this powerful urban drama, told in iambic pentameter rhyming couplets. Burned to Nothing - Matthew has returned to his birthplace in Nigeria, to find his missing teenage son. But the police are also searching for Keith, who has become caught up in the politics of a turbulent land - a land he has fallen in love with. This gripping thriller stars Lucian Msamati, Jude Akuwudike, Lorraine Burroughs and David Ajala. The Moors of England - It is the 16th Century, and Sir Robert Cecil is writing a proclamation to expel 'blackamoors' from England. So Cecil's servant Fortunatus, a Black Muslim refugee, takes drastic action to change the course of history... Ray Fearon and John Heffernan star in this captivating drama about ambition and anarchy, introduced by historian and author Miranda Kaufmann. Black Tudors - Rex Obano and Miranda Kaufmann discuss the history behind The Moors of England, exploring the genesis of the play and the real-life experiences of Black migrants in Elizabethan England. Cast and credits Written by Rex Obano Lover's Rock Directed by David Hunter. First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11 November 2012 City College Directed by Femi Elufowoju, jr. Rex Obano would like to dedicate City College to the actor Seun Shote, who died in 2021. First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 October 2021 As Innocent As You Can Get Directed by David Hunter. First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 7 February 2016 Burned to Nothing Directed by Femi Elufowoju, jr. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 January 2011 The Moors of England Directed by David Hunter. First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 4 November 2018 Black Tudors With Rex Obano and Dr Miranda Kaufmann First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 4 November 2018 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Rex Obano (Author), Cyril Nri, Freddie Fox, Full Cast, John Heffernan, Jude Akuwudike, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lucian Msamati, Paapa Essiedu, Pippa Nixon, Ray Fearon, Tobi Bakare (Narrator)

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The Cyclist

"Introducing your new crime thriller fix: Bristol detective DS George Cross, champion of the outsider, the voiceless and the dispossessed. DS George Cross can be rude, difficult, and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and relentless pursuit of justice means his conviction rate is the best on the force. So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it's up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find. The demolition began at dawn. Walls knocked over. Twisted pipes uprooted. Window frames smashed. A dead body unearthed... DS Cross has little to go on, but from the faint tan lines on the body, and strange scars on his forearms, an identity gradually emerges: a young man; an amateur cyclist; a supply of performance enhancing drugs. But what led this man to his death? Soon, Cross has mounted an investigation that will uncover jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart... An investigation that could cost him his career."

Tim Sullivan (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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The Dentist: DS Cross, Book 1

"Introducing your new crime thriller fix: Bristol detective DS George Cross, champion of the outsider, the voiceless and the dispossessed. DS George Cross can be rude, difficult, and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and dogged pursuit of the truth means his conviction rate is the best on the force. So when his police colleagues dismiss the death of a man as a squabble among Bristol's homeless community, Detective Sergeant George Cross is not convinced. Who was the unknown man whose weather-beaten body is discovered on Clifton Downs? Did the tragedy that led to a life on the streets also lead to his death? As he delves into the dead man's past, Cross becomes convinced that to catch this killer, he needs to solve a cold case murder from years before. A murder that someone has got away with for fifteen years..."

Tim Sullivan (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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Wigs on the Green

"Brought to you by Penguin. Wigs on the Green by Nancy Mitford is a hilarious satire of the upper classes. Eugenia Malmains is one of the richest girls in England and an ardent supporter of Captain Jack and the Union Jackshirts; Noel and Jasper are both in search of an heiress (so much easier than trying to work for the money); Poppy and Marjorie are nursing lovelorn hearts; and the beautiful bourgeois Mrs Lace is on the prowl for someone near Eugenia's fabulous country home at Chalford, and much farce ensues. One of Nancy Mitford's earliest novels, Wigs on the Green has been out of print for nearly seventy-five years. Nancy's sisters Unity and Diana were furious with her for making fun of Diana's husband, Oswald Moseley, and his politics, and the book caused a rift between them all that endured for years. Nancy Mitford skewers her family and their beliefs with her customary jewelled barbs, but there is froth, comedy and heart here too. 'Deliciously funny' Evelyn Waugh © Nancy Mitford 1935 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Nancy Mitford (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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Elsinore: The Complete Series 1 and 2: Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth.

"Hamlet. Claudius. The Beginning. The Truth. How did Claudius become the man he is in Shakespeare's Hamlet? What were the real reasons behind the murder of his brother? How does he really feel about his nephew? These questions will be answered in this drama spiced with ghosts, pirates, magic and political skulduggery. Set in an alternative Europe in the 1930-50s, Elsinore is a prequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. This compelling drama imagines the turbulence of the Danish court in a world where Denmark is a powerful, militarised country with a small empire around the Baltic that it is fighting hard to maintain. There is more than a hint of totalitarianism in the air. In this uneasy setting, Elsinore delves into the troubled, not to say murderous relationship between King Hamlet and his brother, Claudius: one of the most interesting characters in the Shakespearean canon. Realism meets with moments of otherworldliness as the story unravels, taking in pirates and magic, rebellion and betrayal. A dark, exciting drama that touches on the events and people in Shakespeare's play and brings us to the moment where Hamlet begins. From the extraordinary imagination of Sebastian Baczkiewicz, writer of the successful Pilgrim series. Directed by Marc Beeby and Sasha Yevtushenko. Cast: Claudius - John Light Hamlet - John Heffernan Dauphin - Ed Gaughan Captain True - Chetna Pandya Polonius - Clive Hayward Gertrude - Lyndsey Marshal Anders/Dr Swiss/Schroeder - Neil McCaul Olsson - Rupert Holliday-Evans Yorick/Guard/Defence/Captain - Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong Katya - Isabella Inchbald Beatrix - Abbie Andrews Archimedes/Prosecutor - David Reakes Horatio/ Schroeder/Judge - Philip Bretherton Laszlo/Voice/Ulrik Krabbe - Adam Fitzgerald Uncle - Ben Crowe Helena - Clare Corbett Helgeland - Sudha Bhuchar Catalina - Laura Christy Kabanova - Jessica Turner Lindstrom - Pip Torrens Fortinbras/Marcellus - Will Kirk Martin - Ikky Elyas Lieutenant/Horatio - Greg Jones"

Sebastian Baczkiewicz (Author), Full Cast, John Heffernan, John Light (Narrator)

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Born to be Wilde: Plays, stories and the making of a modern celebrity

"A BBC radio celebration of the works of Oscar Wilde, including energetic adaptations of his best-known plays, short stories, and original dramas about the man himself Long before he'd produced any of his great works, Oscar Wilde was already famous for being famous. Armed only with some witty epigrams, a carefully crafted persona and his genius for self-promotion, he had conquered America and transformed himself from nobody to star. This radio collection opens with four plays from Radio 4's Born to be Wilde season, offering a 21st Century perspective on the making of one of the first true celebrities. First up are two sparkling and surprising productions of his two most popular comedies, marking the peak of his theatrical career. The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband feature stellar casts including Mathew Baynton, Jeany Spark, John Heffernan and Miranda Raison, with the latter also featuring music by Steppenwolf, Taylor Swift and Amy Winehouse. Next, two plays by Marcy Kahan and Lavinia Murray explore aspects of Wilde's life. The Warhol Years charts his astonishing rise, as he embarks on his US tour determined to be famous for 15 minutes - and then some. Oscar and Constancy portrays a celebrity marriage in crisis, as Wilde's domestic and creative lives vie for supremacy. Both dramas star Max Bennett as the young Wilde, with Dervla Kirwan as his mother, Speranza. Also included in this collection are nine of Wilde's classic short stories. The deliciously satirical 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' is dramatised with a full cast including Rupert Penry-Jones and Gillian Kearney. His humorous supernatural story 'The Canterville Ghost' is read by Alistair McGowan, and Joseph Ayre narrates two delightful stories with a twist: 'The Sphinx Without a Secret' and 'The Model Millionaire'. Wilde's dazzling fairytales - 'The Happy Prince', 'The Nightingale and the Rose', 'The Selfish Giant', 'The Remarkable Rocket' and 'The Birthday of the Infanta' - are read by Joseph Fiennes, Joseph Ayre, Sam Dale, John Moffatt and Paul McGann. Track listing: An Ideal Husband The Importance of Being Earnest The Warhol Years Oscar and Constancy Lord Arthur Savile's Crime 'The Canterville Ghost' 'The Sphinx Without a Secret' 'The Model Millionaire' 'The Happy Prince' 'The Nightingale and the Rose' 'The Selfish Giant' 'The Remarkable Rocket' 'The Birthday of the Infanta'"

Oscar Wilde (Author), Alistair Mcgowan, Dervla Kirwan, Full Cast, John Heffernan, John Moffatt, Joseph Ayre, Joseph Fiennes, Mathew Baynton, Max Bennett, Miranda Raison, Paul Mcgann, Rupert Penry-Jones (Narrator)

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The Riverside Villas Murder

"Brought to you by Penguin. A mummy is stolen from a small town museum along with some Roman coins and a soaking wet man collapses in fourteen year old Peter Furneaux's living room bleeding from the head. What was a suspected student prank is followed by murder. At first it is impossible to see the connection, but the eccentric Colonel Manton does. With Peter's help the Colonel unravels a mystery that strikes fear into the heart of a genteel suburban neighbourhood and gives Peter rather more excitement than he bargained for at the tennis club social. This meticulously paced thriller shows Amis at his most subtle and daring © Kingsley Amis 1973 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Kingsley Amis (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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A Horse Called Elvis

"When an orphan stumbles into Matt's life, the trouble really begins. This is the tale of one boy's determination, a family's struggle to stay together, and a foal that touches all their lives. 'Right from the start, Elvis refused to be ignored. He pushed his way into our lives and made himself part of our family. Sometimes I think he was even more important than the rest of us.'"

John Heffernan (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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Ordinary Thunderstorms

"Brought to you by Penguin. One May evening in London, as a result of a chance encounter and a split-second decision, the young climatologist Adam Kindred loses everything - home, job, reputation, passport, credit cards, money - never to get them back. With the police and a hit man in merciless pursuit, Adam has no choice but to go underground, joining the ranks of the disappeared, struggling to understand how his life has unravelled so spectacularly. His journey of discovery will take him along the Thames from Chelsea to the sink estates of the East End. On the way he encounters aristocrats, priests, prostitutes and a policewoman - but will he ever find himself again? © William Boyd 2009 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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SPUD

John Heffernan (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

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The Shadow Friend

"Brought to you by Penguin. If it had happened to you, you would have run away too. Twenty-five years ago, Paul's friend Charlie Crabtree brutally killed their classmate - and then vanished without a trace. Paul's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened. He's never gone back home. Until his elderly mother has a fall. It's finally time to stop running. It's not long before things start to go wrong. His mother claims there's someone in the house. Paul realises someone is following him. And, in a town many miles away, a copycat killer has struck. Which makes him wonder - what really happened to Charlie the day of the murder? And can anyone stop it happening again? Praise for Alex North The best crime novel of the decade - Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling - A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful - Mark Billingham A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write! - Stuart MacBride © Alex North 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Alex North (Author), Hannah Arterton, John Heffernan (Narrator)

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Middlemarch: A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

"George Eliot's beloved story of life, love and politics in an English town A jewel in the classic literature crown, Middlemarch was selected as one of the BBC’s ‘100 Novels That Shaped Our World’. Its epic arc takes in politics, tragedy, romance and comedy, interweaving multiple narratives to make up a thrilling ensemble tale. Set in the 1830s, this ‘study of provincial life’ introduces us to young, idealistic Dorothea Brooke, who accepts a proposal from scholarly Edward Casaubon, hoping to forge a loving partnership of intellectual equals. But on honeymoon in Rome, she swiftly becomes disillusioned. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she finds solace in her friendship with Casaubon’s cousin, Will Ladislaw – only for her controlling husband to suspect her of betrayal, and set out to test her loyalty. Meanwhile, mayor’s son Fred Vincy embarks on a steep economic learning curve, risking his burgeoning relationship with Mary Garth. When he contracts typhoid, he is treated by the town’s new medical man, Tertius Lydgate, who becomes drawn to Fred’s sister, Rosamond. Eager to win her hand, the doctor seeks help from the wealthy Mr Bulstrode – a decision he will come to regret... As their stories shift, viewpoints twist together and lives collide and realign in a compelling ‘convergence of human lots’ that shows us an entire world in microcosm. Juliet Aubrey stars as the Narrator, George Eliot, with Olivia Vinall as Dorothea, Charles Edwards as Casaubon and John Heffernan as Dr Lydgate. Also featured is a bonus edition of In Our Time, in which Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss George Eliot’s classic novel, described by Virginia Woolf as ‘one of the few English novels written for grown-up people'. Cast and credits The Narrator, George Eliot – Juliet Aubrey Dorothea – Olivia Vinall Edward Casaubon – Charles Edwards Dr Lydgate – John Heffernan Will Ladislaw – Joseph Quinn Arthur Brooke/Caleb Garth/Mr Trumball – Neil McCaul Sir James Chettam – Hugh Skinner Rev Farebrother – Miles Jupp Nicholas Bulstrode – Adrian Scarborough Celia – Lucy Reynolds Peter Featherstone/Standish/John Raffles – Clive Hayward Fred Vincy/Auction bidder – Will Kirk Rosamond – Laura Christy Mr Vincy/Mr Bambridge – Rick Warden Mrs Cadwallader/Mrs Plymdale – Jessica Turner Adolf Naumann/Barman – Adam Courting Dr Hawley/Clerk – Greg Jones Servant/Mrs Abel – Sinead MacInnes Tantripp/Mary Garth – Scarlett Courtney Mrs Garth – Alison Belbin Letty Garth – Grace Doherty Farmer/Mr Hopkins – Ikky Elyas Tertius Lydgate – John Heffernan Harriet Bulstrode – Rosie Cavaliero Mrs Vincy/Farebrother’s aunt – Heather Craney Written by George Eliot Adapted by Katie Hims Directed by Jessica Dromgoole and Tracey Neale First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 November-7 December 2019"

George Eliot (Author), Charles Edwards, Full Cast, John Heffernan, Juliet Aubrey, Olivia Vinall (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by John Heffernan