Audiobooks narrated by Joseph Ayre

Brendan Behan: Borstal Boy, The Quare Fellow and The Hostage: Three BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions

"A collection of some of the rockstar playwright’s finest work Brendan Behan is widely remembered as a hard-drinking, wise-cracking writer who turned up roaring drunk for interviews and cared little for authority. But he was more than just a hell-raising celebrity. His wit, expressive use of language and understanding of human nature made his writing famous around the world, and his masterpieces The Quare Fellow, Borstal Boy and The Hostage rank among the greatest works of 20th century Irish literature. Dramatisations of all three appear here, alongside a short interview with Behan himself and a fascinating biographical programme celebrating his genius. Charting Behan’s journey from shy, passionate young man to larger-than-life literary superstar, Borstal Boy tells the story of a stammering IRA rebel who finds true friends and first love in an English borstal. Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) stars as Behan in this fresh take on his honest, tender 1958 memoir. Behan’s debut play, The Quare Fellow, first produced in 1954, was based on his own prison experiences. A darkly funny drama about a group of inmates awaiting the imminent execution of a fellow prisoner, it is performed here by players from the Arts Theatre, Lyric Theatre, and Ulster Theatre Company, Belfast. And finally, translated from the Gaelic by acclaimed writer Lorcán Ó Treasaigh, An Giall (The Hostage) revolves around a British soldier held hostage by the IRA in a Dublin brothel. This 1988 Radio 3 version is the first English production of Behan’s Irish tragicomedy, which formed the basis of Joan Littlewood 's 1958 Theatre Workshop hit. Also included is a 1959 clip from BBC Television’s Tonight, featuring Brendan Behan in conversation with Derek Hart, and an episode of Great Lives in which Joan Littlewood talks to Humphrey Carpenter about her long-time friend and collaborator. Note: Due to the age of the recordings, the sound quality on The Quare Fellow and Tonight may vary. Cast and credits Written by Brendan Behan Text copyright © Brendan Behan 1954 (The Quare Fellow), 1958 (Borstal Boy, The Hostage) Borstal Boy Cast: Brendan Coyle, Jonny Holden, Joseph Ayre, Leah Marks, Ewan Bailey, Connor Curren, Samuel James, Gerard McDermott Dramatised by Martin McNamara Directed by Anne Isger Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell Sound: Anne Bunting, Jenni Burnett, Ali Craig and Cal Knightley A BBC Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 Apr 2023 The Quare Fellow Cast: John McBride, Louis Rolston, Michael Duffy, Sam McCready, Maurice O’Callaghan, Michael Lynch, Charles Witherspoon, Bill Hunter, Peter Adair, Barry Cowan, Brian Cullen, Harold Goldblatt, Joe McPartland, J.J. Murphy, Patrick Brannigan, Jack McQuoid, Jeremy Jones, George Mooney Adapted and produced by David A. Turner First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Sep 1969 The Hostage Cast: Michael Baguley, Brian Kidd, Kieron Smith, Ann Callanan, John Hewitt, Anne Kent, Anthony Finigan, Stephen Ryan, Sean Kearns, Tom Jordan Translated by Lorcán Ó Treasaigh Directed by Jeremy Howe Bagpipes played by Brian Kidd First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 12 Aug 1988 Brendan Behan interview from Tonight Presented by Derek Hart With Brendan Behan First broadcast BBC Television Service, 21 Apr 1959 Great Lives: Brendan Behan Presented by Humphrey Carpenter With Joan Littlewood Produced by Peter Everett First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Nov 2001 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Brendan Behan (Author), Ann Callanan, Anne Kent, Brendan Coyle, Brian Kidd, Ewan Bailey, Full Cast, Gerard Mcdermott, John Hewitt, Jonny Holden, Joseph Ayre, Leah Marks, Louis Rolston, Michael Baguley, Michael Duffy, Samuel James (Narrator)

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Keeping the Wolf Out: The complete BBC Radio 4 full-cast crime series

"A gritty thriller set behind the Iron Curtain in 1960s Hungary Budapest, 1963. Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár and his wife, spymaster Franciska Lázár, face formidable challenges as they try to navigate a path through the dangerous underworld of Cold War-era Hungary. Catching the criminals is difficult enough, but there are other more threatening battles raging in higher places. In these 16 episodes, Bertalan must investigate the murder of a former member of the secret police, fight a turf war as he tries to find a child killer, probe a seemingly straightforward case of GBH that leads him to a rogue cop and enter the uncharted territory of Budapest's underground drugs scene after a rock musician is found dead. Written by Philip Palmer, this gripping, atmospheric drama expertly conjures up the tense, paranoid world of Communist Hungary, where dissidence was dangerous, the truth was hard to find and pursuing justice could get you killed. Leo Bill stars as Bertalan and Clare Corbett as Franciska, with Andy Linden as Tibor Farkas and Joseph Ayre as József Szabados. The episodes in this collection are: The Wolf The Old Days Behind the Wall Waiting by the River Heroes Gellert Hill Spider's Web Carnaby Street Gypsy Dancers Grandmother's Footsteps Mad Dog The Light of Dawn The Great Society Red Pen The Great Tree Gang The Magical Magyars Produced and directed by Toby Swift and Sasha Yevtushenko Sound Design by Caleb Knightley Cast Bertalan Lázár - Leo Bill Franciska Lázár - Clare Corbett Tibor Farkas - Andy Linden József Szabados - Joseph Ayre Gizella - Nicola Ferguson Bela Fekete - Sargon Yelda Mr Papp - Nick Underwood Kitchen Porter - Richard Pepple Police Officer/Csaba - Sam Rix Lilien Racz - Adie Allen Milton Szilard - Philip Fox Kristof Szep - Samuel James Mr Kiraly - Robert Blythe Waiter/Peterke - Tom Forrister Mrs Tolnay - Sanchia MacCormack Stenographer - Kerry Gooderson Dmitri Dragunov - Simon Scardifield Márk Mészáros - Michael Bertenshaw András Vásáry - David Hounslow Priest/Copper - Christopher Harper Gyuri Varg/Fabenyi/Police officer/Partygoer - Kenny Blyth Dorina Varga - Helen Clapp Ministry official/Police officer/Drug dealer/Partygoer - Chris Pavlo Hanna Krivosik - Franchi Webb Zsófia/Nurse 1 - Sarah Ovens PuŠomori Žiga - Debbie Korley Mrs Kovacs/Nurse 2/Receptionist - Susan Jameson Gyozo Novak - Carl Prekopp Florian Hevesi - Luke Nunn Sandor Boros - Stephen Greif Pathologist - Jane Whittenshaw Cop/Detective - Stefan Adegbola Mother - Emma Handy Kulcsar - Roger Ringrose Draskovic - Ewan Bailey Billiards player/Prison officer - Ian Dunnett Jnr Hadik - Hasan Dixon Richard Miklos/Károly Miklós/Laska - Shaun Mason Violinist/Márton Kozma/Police Officer/Priest - Simon Ludders Réka Kozma/Pathologist - Jane Slavin Archivist/Ioveanu - Tony Turner Orsolya - Ria Marshall Receptionist - David Sturzaker © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Philip Palmer (Author), Andy Linden, Clare Corbett, Full Cast, Joseph Ayre, Leo Bill (Narrator)

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The Master Builder: A BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisation

"The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen, in a new version by David Hare Master builder Halvard Solness is a self-made man. With no professional qualifications, he has built himself up through ruthless ambition, and achieved a position of power and domination in his home town. But his success has come at a cost. His marriage is empty, destroyed by a personal tragedy that has left him wracked with guilt and pain, and he is increasingly frightened of failure and being displaced by the next generation. Then a mysterious young woman, Hilde Wangel, appears from the mountains, claiming to have met Solness ten years earlier, when she was only 13. She asserts that he kissed her and promised her a kingdom: and now she has returned to claim it. Halvard becomes besotted with Hilde, seeing her as a breath of fresh air, revitalising his life with her youthful energy. And Hilde flatters and praises him, rebuilding his ego. But has she come to seduce him - or to destroy him? With mystical undertones and resonances for the #MeToo movement, this searing tragedy of middle-aged male hubris explores the troubled psyche of a successful, abusive man who has risen to the greatest heights, only to be toppled from his peak. David Schofield stars as Solness, with Siobhan Redmond as his wife Aline and Laura Aikman as Hilde. Also included is a bonus programme, In Our Time: Henrik Ibsen, in which Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great Norwegian playwright and poet. Cast and credits Solness - David Schofield Aline - Siobhan Redmond Hilde - Laura Aikman Brovik - Paul Bradley Dr Herdal - Jonathan Tafler Kaja - Shannon Hayes Ragnar - Joseph Ayre The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen In a new version by David Hare Based on a literal translation by Torkil Heggstad Directed and produced by Gary Brown First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-22 August 2021 In Our Time: Henrik Ibsen Presented by Melvyn Bragg With Tore Rem, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr and Dinah Birch Produced by Simon Tillotson First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 May 2018 ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Henrik Ibsen (Author), David Schofield, Full Cast, Jonathan Tafler, Joseph Ayre, Laura Aikman, Paul Bradley, Shannon Hayes, Siobhan Redmond (Narrator)

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More BBC Classics: Wuthering Heights, Silas Marner, Ethan Frome & Orlando

"Unabridged readings of four fictional masterpieces Contained in this collection are four more enduring classics, read in full by some of the very best audiobook narrators. With over 32 hours of irresistible storytelling, tracked by chapter for ease of navigation, this is the perfect way to immerse yourself in these iconic works. Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë's tempestuous tale of passions, betrayal and retribution on the wild Yorkshire moors. Read by Susan Jameson. Silas Marner George Eliot's heart-warming tour de force about a lonely weaver's search for redemption and hope. Read by Sean Baker. Ethan Frome Edith Wharton's powerful, affecting novella about a poverty-stricken young man attempting to escape a loveless marriage. Read by Joseph Ayre. Orlando Virginia Woolf's comic biography of a time-travelling hero whose adventures through the centuries include transforming into a heroine... Read by Clare Corbett. Credits: Wuthering Heights Read by Susan Jameson Produced by Ross Burman First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019 Silas Marner Read by Sean Baker Produced by Martha Littlehailes First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019 Ethan Frome Read by Joseph Ayre Produced by Julian Wilkinson First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 Orlando Read by Clare Corbett Produced by Simon Richardson First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019 (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltdribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Edith Wharton, Emily Brönte, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf (Author), Clare Corbett, Joseph Ayre, Sean Baker, Susan Jameson (Narrator)

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BBC Classics Children’s Library: A timeless collection of 21 tales for all ages

"An irresistible anthology of folklore, fables and perennial favourites, including four novels and 17 short stories This superlative collection of children's stories brings together a feast of fantastic fiction, read in full by a host of top narrators and with a comprehensive track listing for ease of listening. Comprising everything from fairytales for little ones to thrilling adventures for pre-teens, these unabridged readings are ideal for families to keep, treasure and dip into as their children grow. Listed by suggested age range and with track numbers provided, the stories are as follows: Ages 4+ 1-12 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (read by Carolyn Pickles) 13 Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (read by Jonny Holden) 14 The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm (read by Sam Dale) 15 Too Clever By Half by E Nesbit (read by Helen Capp) 16 Tom Thumb by the Brothers Grimm (read by Shaun Mason) Ages 7+ 17-25 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (read by Michael Bertenshaw) 26 How the Camel Got His Hump by Rudyard Kipling (read by Kenny Blyth) 27 The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen (read by Shaun Mason) 28 The Raspberry Worm by Zacharias Topelius (read by Debbie Korley) 29 The Tongue Cut Sparrow by Yei Theodora Ozaki (read by Sean Baker) 30 The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 31 The Magic Bed by Hartwell James (read by Chris Pavlo) 32 How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tony Turner) 33 The Tortoise and the Rain by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 34 The Baba Yaga by Katharine Pyle (read by Susan Jameson) Ages 9+ 35-41 The Call of the Wild by Jack London (read by Joseph Ayre) 42 Finn and the Scottish Giant by Harold F Hughes (read by Paul Hickey) 43 The Children's Joke by Louisa May Alcott (read by Catherine Cusack) 44 The Ants and the Treasure by MI Ogumefu (read by Kenny Blyth) 45 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (read by Tony Turner) 46-59 The Railway Children by E Nesbit (read by Sarah Ovens) Production credits First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 21 December 2018-1 November 2019 Produced by Simon Richardson (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Tortoise and the Rain, The Elephant's Child, The Ants and the Treasure, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Camel Got His Hump, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Happy Prince), Karen Holden (The Wind in the Willows), Martha Littlehailes (The Call of the Wild), Anne Bunting (The Railway Children), Anne Isger (Too Clever By Half, The Tongue Cut Sparrow, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Children's Joke, Finn and the Scottish Giant) and Mabel Wright (Tom Thumb, The Raspberry Worm, The Magic Bed, The Baba Yaga, Peter Rabbit) The Raspberry Worm edited by Andrew Lang © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Edith Nesbit, Hans Christian Andersen, Kenneth Grahame, Lewis Carroll, Louisa May Alcott, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling (Author), Carolyn Pickles, Catherine Cusack, Full Cast, Joseph Ayre, Kenny Blyth, Sam Dale, Sarah Ovens, Shaun Mason, Tony Turner (Narrator)

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BBC Classics: Ultimate Story Collection: 90 unmissable tales

"A treasure chest of timeless short stories by some of the world's greatest authors Suspense and horror 1 The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire - Arthur Conan Doyle 2 The Signalman - Charles Dickens 3 Lost Hearts - MR James 4 The Sealed Room - Arthur Conan Doyle. 5 Mrs Badgery - Wilkie Collins 6 Wailing Well - MR James 7 The Open Window - Saki 8 How it happened - Arthur Conan Doyle 9 The Tell-Tale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe 10 The Cone - HG Wells 11 A Haunted House - Virginia Woolf 12 Rats - MR James 13 The Oval Portrait - Edgar Allan Poe 14 Tarquin of Cheapside - F. Scott Fitzgerald 15 One Crowded Hour - Arthur Conan Doyle 16 The Mezzotint - MR James 17 The Masque of the Red Death - Edgar Allan Poe Love 18 The Kiss - Kate Chopin 19 Eleonora - Edgar Allan Poe 20 About Love - Anton Chekhov 21 The Lovers - Hans Christian Anderson 22 Love - Guy De Maupassant 23 The Sphinx Without a Secret - Oscar Wilde 24 A Wedding Gift - Guy De Maupassant 25 Kew Gardens - Virginia Woolf 26 The District Doctor - Ivan Turgenev 27 Happiness - Guy De Maupassant 28 A Blunder - Anton Chekhov 29 The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky - Stephen Crane 30 In a Far-Off World - Olive Schreiner 31 The Cook's Wedding - Anton Chekhov 32 The Recruit - Honore de Balzac 33 The Nightingale and the Rose - Oscar Wilde 34 Pyramus and Thisbe - Ovid 35 Aunt Hetty on Matrimony - Fanny Fern 36 A Country Cottage - Anton Chekhov 37 Marriage a la Mode - Katherine Mansfield 38 The Statue of Limitations - Ernest Dowson 39 The Dilettante - Edith Wharton Humorous 40 Tobermory - Saki 41The Mesmeric Mountain - Stephen Crane 42 The Children's Joke - Louisa May Alcott 43 At The Siren - Anton Chekhov 44 The Garden Party - Katherine Mansfield 45 The Cask of Amontillado - Edgar Allan Poe 46 The New Dress - Virginia Woolf 47 How I Built Myself A House - Thomas Hardy 48 The Model Millionaire - Oscar Wilde 49 A Pair of Silk Stockings - Kate Chopin 50 At The Barbers - Anton Chekhov 51 A Respectable Woman - Kate Chopin Folk & Fable 52 The Happy Prince - Oscar Wilde. 53 The Elves and the Shoemaker - The Brothers Grimm 54 The Emperor's New Clothes -Hans Christian Andersen 55 The Tongue Cut Sparrow - Yei Theodora Ozaki 56 Finn and the Scottish Giant - Harold F. Read 57 The Postmaster - Rabindranath Tagore 58 The Toys of Peace - Saki 59 The Selfish Giant - Oscar Wilde 60 The Flower Gatherer - Edward Thomas 61 Araby - James Joyce 62 The Interlopers - Saki 63 Tom Thumb - The Brothers Grimm 64 The Kabuliwalah - Rabindranath Tagore 65 The Monkey's Paws - WW Jacobs Christmas 66 The Little Match Girl - Hans Christian Andersen 67 Papa Panov's Special Christmas - Leo Tolstoy 68 Christmas Storms and Sunshine - Elizabeth Gaskell. 69 The Gift of the Magi - O'Henry 70 At Christmas Time - Anton Chekhov 71 A Dill Pickle - Katherine Mansfield Classic Tales 72 The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman 73 The Fall of Lord Barrymore - Arthur Conan Doyle 74 The Necklace - Guy De Maupassant 75 Holiday Group - EM Delafield 76 Three Questions - Leo Tolstoy 77 The Cop and the Anthem - O'Henry 78 The Fly - Katherine Mansfield 79 The Christening - DH Lawrence 80 After the Race - James Joyce 81 The String Quartet - Virginia Woolf 82 Two Friends - Guy De Maupassant 83 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - Ambrose Bierce. 84 A Gentleman Friend - Anthon Chekhov 85 Ma'ame Pelagie - Kate Chopin 86 Second Best - DH Lawrence 87 El Verdugo - Honore de Balzac 88 The Story of an Hour - Kate Chopin 89 The Man of No Account - Bret Hart 90 The Piece of String - Guy De Maupassant ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Virginia Woolf (Author), Carolyn Pickles, Clare Corbett, Don Gilet, Full Cast, Helen Clapp, Joseph Ayre, Ronny Jhutti, Sam Dale, Susan Jameson, Various (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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Audiobooks Narrated by Joseph Ayre