Audiobooks narrated by Lesley Manville

Abigail’s Party & Too Much of a Good Thing: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Drama Productions

"Brenda Blethyn, Lesley Manville and Phil Davis star in this special Mike Leigh collection, featuring the iconic hit Abigail’s Party and a banned play from the BBC archives One of Britain's most prolific and influential writers, Mike Leigh has directed some of the best British films of the last 50 years, including Life is Sweet, Secrets & Lies and Vera Drake. He has written a plethora of plays for the BBC, among them the bleakly comic drama Abigail’s Party and the sharply observed Too Much of a Good Thing. Both plays feature here, along with a fascinating interview with Leigh, in which he explains his creative process and shares stories from his life. Abigail’s Party – Set in 1977, this dark comedy of manners revolves around Beverley, a suburban housewife attempting to throw a cocktail party. She’s invited all the neighbours, and the drinks are flowing freely – but as her guests loosen up, things start to become somewhat fraught… Brenda Blethyn stars as Beverley in this 1986 World Service adaptation of Mike Leigh’s caustic satire on middle-class respectability. Too Much of a Good Thing – Initially censored by Radio 3 for its sexual explicitness, this 1979 drama, specially written for radio and recorded on location in London, sees a driving instructor and his pupil tentatively embarking on an affair. Graham woos Pamela with trips to the Berni Inn and the local boating lake, but what will happen when she finally succumb to his advances? Starring Lesley Manville and Phil Davis. Calling the Shots: Mike Leigh – In this absorbing Radio 5 profile, the filmmaker and sometime dramatist tells us about his main aims: to depict real life and make his audience laugh and cry. We hear about his childhood passion fo rthe pictures, his early TV plays Hard Labour and Nuts in May, how he came to conceive Abigail’s Party, and his breakthrough pieces Grown-Ups and Meantime. NB: Contains scenes of a sexual nature Production credits Written by Mike Leigh All rights reserved Abigail’s Party Beverly Moss – Brenda Blethyn Laurence Moss – Tim Stern Tony Cooper – John Salthouse Angela Cooper – Teresa Streatfield Susan Lawson – Thelma Whitely Directed by David Hitchinson Technical presentation: Graham Harper First broadcast BBC World Service, 2 March 1986 Too Much of a Good Thing Mr Payne – Eric Allan Pamela – Lesley Manville Graham – Philip Davis Produced by Liane Aukin First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 July 1992 Calling the Shots With Mike Leigh Compiled by Paul Wells Produced by Ann Hines First broadcast BBC Radio 5, 23 July 1991 © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2026"

Mike Leigh (Author), Brenda Blethyn, Eric Allan, John Salthouse, Lesley Manville, Philip Davis, Teresa Streatfield, Thelma Whitely (Narrator)

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Marble Hall Murders: The BRAND NEW novel in the major hit BBC series Magpie Murders from the Sunday Times bestselling author

"Brought to you by Penguin. FROM BEST SELLING AUTHOR ANTHONY HOROWITZ. Susan Ryeland has had enough of murder. She’s edited two novels about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, and both times she’s come close to being killed. Now she’s back in England and she’s been persuaded to work on a third. The new ‘continuation’ novel is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death exactly twenty years ago. Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again. As Susan works on Pünd’s Last Case, a story set in an exotic villa in the South of France, she uncovers more and more parallels between the past and the present, the fictional and the real world – until suddenly she finds that she has become a target herself. It seems that someone in Eliot’s family doesn’t want the book to be written. And they will do anything to prevent it. 'Ingenious' Sunday Times 'Thrilling and compelling with a stunning twist' Daily Mail 'Anthony Horowitz is an absolutely exceptional writer' Daniel Mays ©2025 Anthony Horowitz (P)2025 Penguin Audio"

Anthony Horowitz (Author), Lesley Manville, Tim McMullan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Caryl Churchill: Top Girls, The Skriker, Serious Money, A Number and more: 13 BBC Radio Full-Cast Productions

"A collection of dramatisations and original radio plays by the award-winning playwright - plus bonus documentary Caryl Churchill is one of Britain's most innovative and influential dramatists. Versatile and prolific, she has written over 50 plays for stage and screen and is renowned for her revolutionary theatrical techniques and themes of feminism, social politics and the abuse of power. This box set brings together some of her best-known theatre plays, adapted for BBC radio with full casts. It opens with her landmark 1982 drama Top Girls, exploring the price women pay for success in a man's world. Serious Money satirises the corporate venality that followed the 1986 Big Bang; while The Skriker blends naturalism, horror and magical realism to tell a story of love, loss and revenge. Also included are A Number, a powerful look at human cloning and identity; Escaped Alone, a tale of four septuagenarian friends, afternoon tea and catastrophe; and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, focussing on the millennial movements that erupted during the English Civil War in the 1640s. Churchill also wrote a number of original plays specially for BBC radio in the 1960s and '70s, seven of which are included here: her first professional audio drama The Ants; Identical Twins; Abortive; Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen; Schreber's Nervous Illness; Perfect Happiness and Henry's Past. Among the stellar cast in these superb dramas are Daniel Craig, Maxine Peake, Lesley Manville, Hattie Morahan, Michael Gambon, Tobias Menzies, Bertie Carvel, Deborah Findlay, Kenneth Haigh, Prunella Scales, Monica Dolan, Dinsdale Landen and Clive Merrison. Concluding our collection is a bonus edition of Meridian, taking an in-depth look at Churchill's extraordinary oeuvre. NB: Contains strong language Production credits Written by Caryl Churchill Text copyright © Caryl Churchill 1962 (The Ants), 1968 (Identical Twins), 1971 (Abortive, Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen), 1972 (Schreber's Nervous Illness, Henry's Past), 1973 (Perfect Happiness), 1976 (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire), 1982 (Top Girls), 1987 (Serious Money), 1994 (The Skriker), 2002 (A Number), 2016 (Escaped Alone) All rights reserved Content List Top Girls Serious Money The Skriker A Number Escaped Alone Light Shining in Buckinghamshire The Ants Identical Twins Abortive Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen Schreber's Nervous Illness Perfect Happiness Henry's Past Meridian: Caryl Churchill ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Caryl Churchill (Author), Bertie Carvel, Daniel Craig, Deborah Findlay, Dinsdale Landen, Full Cast, Lesley Manville, Maxine Peake, Michael Gambon, Prunella Scales, Tobias Menzies (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Man Who Died Twice: (The Thursday Murder Club 2)

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY RICHARD OSMAN. Narrated by Lesley Manville, soon-to-be star of The Crown, and featuring an exclusive interview between Richard Osman and Lesley Manville. It's the following Thursday. Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus? But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can the Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them? Winner of the CrimeFest Audible Sounds of Crime: Best Audiobook 2022 © Richard Osman 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Richard Osman (Author), Lesley Manville (Narrator)

Audiobook

Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful: The Complete Series 1-3: A BBC Radio full-cast comedy drama

"Martin Jarvis stars in this BBC radio satire set in the competitive world of advertising Happiness... is a career in advertising. Or is it? Activist turned ad writer Ken Handley isn't so sure. Back in the day, he used to hitch-hike and attend peace protests. Now, he finds himself writing copy for the Conservative Party and extolling the virtues of products he hates - while also coping with a drunken boss, strait-laced colleagues and an overactive mind. Over three series, we follow his exploits and moral dilemmas as he grapples with the challenges of winning accounts, presenting to clients and dealing with the women in his life. A pitch for a motorway services chain drives him round the bend, a seven-foot squirrel nearly sends him nuts, and he faces his own emergency when he's coerced into a Samaritans campaign. On the domestic front, Ken's got a divorce and a new home to contend with - but things start looking up when leggy model April comes on the scene... Written by Guy Jenkin (Drop the Dead Donkey) and Jon Canter (Posh Nosh), this sardonic advertising sitcom stars Martin Jarvis as Ken, with a cast including Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Joss Ackland and Miriam Margolyes. Production credits Script and commercial concepts by Guy Jenkin Commercials by Jon Canter Produced by Geoffrey Perkins (Series 1) and Pete Atkin (Series 2 & 3) First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 January-22 February 1982 (Series 1), 7 February-13 March 1984 (Series 2), 7 October-11 November 1986 (Series 3) Cast Ken Handley - Martin Jarvis Sarah - Sheila Steafel Sandy - Christopher Godwin Freddie - Lockwood West Hitchhiker - Vincent Brimble Portley - Richard Bebb Runcie - Simon Jones June - Wendy Richard Johnnie - Patrick Barr Murray - Gary Cady The General - Bill Fraser Mr Sandell - John Blythe Barman - Geoffrey McGivern Virgil - Marc Smith Mr Sandell:- John Blythe Cindy- Heather Bell Katie- Miranda Forbes Director- David Gooderson Ravi - Ahmed Khalil Deborah - Rosalind Ayres Ambrose - Paul Jesson Janet/Receptionist/Researcher - Stacey Tendeter Mr Cheater/Mr McCafferty - James Griffiths Angus - Michael Jenner Derek - David Peart Stella - Imelda Staunton Stella's Heavy - Jim Carter Subjects - David Peart & Michael Jenner Leo Gale - Glyn Owen Christina - Jo Manning Wilson Receptionist - Maggie McCarthy George - Peter Tuddenham Corners - Don Henderson Benny - Karl Howman Lesley - Pauline Siddle Andy - Chris Emmett Film director - Scott Cherry Tone - Jeremy Clyde Doregan - Lesley Manville Elvira - Moir Leslie Kip - Joseph Marcell April - Shelley Thompson Hedley - Robert Longden Artiste - David Learner Larry Childs - William Hootkins Loretta-Jane Duff - Toni Coyne Dawn/Masseuse - Sally Watts Sally/Choirboy - Jane Leonard Len - Roger Sloman Val/Veronica - Liz Crowther Alf - Roger Hammond Till lady - Avril Clark Doorman - Richard Durden Barman - James MacPherson Policeman - Graham Blockey With the voices of Joss Ackland, Miriam Margolyes, James Griffiths, John Shrapnel, David Tate, James Griffiths, Sally Grace, Enn Reitel and Anton Rodgers"

Guy Jenkin (Author), Full Cast, Imelda Staunton, Joss Ackland, Lesley Manville, Martin Jarvis, Miriam Margolyes (Narrator)

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The Henrik Ibsen: Nine full-cast BBC radio dramatisations

"Often described as 'the father of realism', Henrik Ibsen was a pioneer of modernist drama. He influenced playwrights as diverse as George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde, and is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare. Included in this collection are adaptations of his tragicomic masterpiece The Wild Duck, his complex and compelling play Rosmersholm, the epic drama Brand and the tragedy John Gabriel Borkman. Ibsen's A Doll's House is relocated to 1879 India in Tanika Gupta's Audio Drama Award-winning dramatisation, while the provocative and scandalous Ghosts is adapted by Richard Eyre, with the cast of his Olivier Award-winning Almeida Theatre production. Also featured are vibrant dramatisations of Hedda Gabler, whose desperate heroine is trapped in a suffocating marriage; The Lady from the Sea, about a woman torn between security and passion; and An Enemy of the People, in which a whistleblower reveals an inconvenient truth and is vilified for it. The casts of these stunning dramas include David Threlfall, Nicholas Farrell, Helen Baxendale, Indira Varma, Lesley Manville and Harriet Walter. Track listing: The Wild Duck Rosmersholm Brand John Gabriel Borkman A Doll's House Ghosts Hedda Gabler The Lady from the Sea An Enemy of the People"

Henrik Ibsen (Author), David Threlfall, Full Cast, Harriet Walters, Helen Baxendale, Indira Varma, Lesley Manville, Nicholas Farrell, Samuel West (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Thursday Murder Club: (The Thursday Murder Club 1)

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE FIRST BOOK IN THE #1 BESTSELLING, MULTI MILLION COPY SELLING SERIES BY TV PRESENTER RICHARD OSMAN. Read by Lesley Manville, soon-to-be star of The Crown. Featuring an exclusive Q&A between Richard Osman and Marian Keyes. In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late? 'The best escapist listen of the year ... [Lesley Manville] skilfully immerses herself in Richard Osman's characters, making the most of his comic flair.' AUDIOBOOK OF THE WEEK - The Times 'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny' Marian Keyes 'A great read, I really enjoyed it' Graham Norton 'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' Ian Rankin 'Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny' Mark Billingham CrimeFest Audible Sounds of Crime winner: Best Audiobook 2021 © Richard Osman 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Richard Osman (Author), Lesley Manville, Marian Keyes, Richard Osman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Moonflower Murders: The sequel to major hit BBC series Magpie Murders from the Sunday Times bestselling author

"Brought to you by Penguin Now a major BBC series starring Lesley Manville Featuring his famous literary Detective Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland, hero of the worldwide best seller Magpie Murders, a brilliantly brain-teasing literary thriller by Anthony Horowitz. The follow-up to Magpie Murders. Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend, Andreas. It should be everything she's always wanted - but is it? She's exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she's beginning to miss her old life in London. And then a couple - the Trehearnes - come to stay, and the story they tell about an unfortunate murder that took place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was married is such a strange and mysterious one that Susan finds herself increasingly fascinated by it. And when the Trehearnes tell her that their daughter is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to London and find out what really happened.... ©2020 Anthony Horowitz (P)2020 Penguin Audio"

Anthony Horowitz (Author), Allan Corduner, Lesley Manville (Narrator)

Audiobook

All Those Women: The Complete Series 1-4: The BBC Radio 4 comedy

"Starring Sheila Hancock (Series 1) and Marcia Warren (Series 2-4) as Hetty, All Those Women is a comedy series about four women living under the same roof. All Those Women explores familial relationships, ageing, marriages - it's about life and love and things not turning out quite the way that you'd expected them to. Here we join Hetty, Maggie, Jen and Emily as they struggle to resolve their own problems, and support one another. Also starring Lesley Manville as Maggie, Sinead Matthews as Jen and Lucy Hutchinson as Emily. All Those Women was written by Katherine Jakeaways (North by Northamptonshire, Where This Service Will Termintae). Produced by Alexandra Smith A BBC Studios Production"

Katherine Jakeways (Author), Lesley Manville, Lucy Hutchinson, Marcia Warren, Sheila Hancock, Sinead Matthews (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Canterbury Tales: Penguin Classics

"Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Lesley Manville (winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress and known for Phantom Thread and Mum), Derek Jacobi (winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor and known for Gladiator and Gosford Park), Michael Balogun (known for National Theatre Live: Macbeth), Jay Bernard (writer of Surge, artist, film programmer and activist) , Seroca Davis (known for Prime Suspect and Doctor Who), Daniel Weyman (winner of Audiobook Narrator of the Year at the Audio Production Awards 2016 and known for Gentleman Jack and A Very English Scandal) and Roy McMillan (winner of an Earphone Award for narration on Conclave and award-winning producer). This definitive recording is translated by, and includes an Introduction by Nevill Coghill. In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer created one of the great touchstones of English literature, a masterly collection of chivalric romances, moral allegories and low farce. A story-telling competition between a group of pilgrims from all walks of life is the occasion for a series of tales that range from the Knight's account of courtly love and the ebullient Wife of Bath's Arthurian legend, to the ribald anecdotes of the Miller and the Cook. Translation copyright © Nevill Coghill, 1951 and Nevill Coghill Ltd, 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019"

Geoffrey Chaucer (Author), Daniel Weyman, Derek Jacobi, Jay Bernard, Lesley Manville, Michael Balogun, Seroca Davis (Narrator)

Audiobook

War and Peace: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

"Paterson Joseph, John Hurt, Lesley Manville and Harriet Walter are among the stellar cast of this landmark BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Leo Tolstoy’s epic saga. ‘Tolstoy’s imagined world is recreated on air brilliantly by the extraordinary cast’ The Spectator One of the greatest novels of all time, War and Peace explores historical, social, ethical and religious issues on a scale never before attempted in fiction, and reflects the panorama of life at every level of Russian society during the 19th Century. Adapted for radio by Timberlake Wertenbaker, this riveting, wide-ranging drama follows the fortunes of four Russian aristocratic families during the Napoleonic War. Told in flashback over ten episodes, it moves from fashionable society soirées in St Petersburg and Moscow to the battlefields of Austerlitz and Borodino, as protagonists Pierre, Natasha, Marya and Nikolai describe to their children the events that shaped their lives and those of every Russian who lived through this turbulent time. First broadcast on New Year's Day 2015, this dynamic full-cast dramatisation features specially composed music by Stephen Warbeck. It stars Paterson Joseph as Pierre, Phoebe Fox as Natasha, Natasha Little as Marya and Sam Reid as Nikolai, part of a stunning cast including Alun Armstrong, Simon Russell Beale and Roger Allam. Duration: 10 hours approx."

Leo Tolstoy (Author), Full Cast, Harriet Walter, John Hurt, Lesley Manville, Paterson Joseph (Narrator)

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But If You Try Sometimes: A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

"Chloe has cerebral palsy and is certain she will lose her adored carer Rose, when Rose falls for an apparently perfect man. First broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Drama slot. Starring Lesley Manville as Rose, Amy Golden as Chloe, Alex Tregear as Chloe's voice and Jelena Budimir as Alex. Written by Sarah Daniels. Director: Sally Avens."

Sarah Daniels (Author), Alex Tregear, Amy Golden, Jelena Budimir, Lesley Manville (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Lesley Manville

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