Audiobooks Narrated by Malcolm Hayes

Tower of London: A Vintage BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation

"An epic 13-part dramatisation of William Harrison Ainsworth’s historical romance, centring around the rise and fall of Lady Jane Grey William Harrison Ainsworth was lauded by his contemporaries as a successor to Sir Walter Scott, and was named in 1847 as one of the three most popular writers in England (alongside Edward Bulwer-Lytton and Charles Dickens). His first three historical novels were inspired by the lives of Dick Turpin, ‘Honest Jack’ Sheppard and ‘the Admirable Crichton’, but with The Tower of London, he decided to base his book around a place rather than a person. Depicting the ancient citadel ‘in its triple light of a palace, a prison and a fortress’, he went on to weave a thrilling tale of power struggles, romance and political intrigue – featuring two coronations, a wedding, several executions and a siege... It begins in July 1553, as the newly-crowned Queen Jane makes her way by barge to the Tower, where she will spend the first days of her reign. Following the death of Edward VI, she has been installed on the throne by her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, who has married her to his son Lord Guildford Dudley with hopes of making him King. But danger lurks within the Tower’s high walls, for there are many who plot against Jane: not least Simon Renard, the Spanish Ambassador, who is determined to make Catherine of Aragon’s Catholic daughter, Mary, Queen in Jane’s place. Surrounded by enemies and betrayed by those she trusted most, Jane is led step by step to her tragic fate... Meanwhile, the beautiful Cicely, the ‘Rose of the Tower’, has fallen in love with Dudley’s squire, Cuthbert Cholmondeley, only for their budding romance to be thwarted by the villainous, jealous head jailer Nightgall. As history plays out around her, is she destined for happiness or heartbreak? Dramatised by actor and writer Tony Van den Bergh, this riveting 1968 drama dates from the glory days of the BBC Repertory Company, and features an ensemble cast including Gudrun Ure, Peter Baldwin, Francis de Wolff, Rosalind Shanks, Garard Green and Marjorie Westbury. With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle NB: This recording contains dated language and attitudes Production credits Written by William Harrison Ainsworth First published 1840 Dramatised by Tony Van den Bergh Produced and directed by R D Smith Cast Jane, the Queen – Gudrun Ure Nightgall, head jailer – Peter Baldwin Magog, a giant warder – Francis de Wolff Ribald, his crony – Leigh Crutchley Archbishop Cranmer/Arundel – John Wyse Bishop Ridley – Ralph Truman de Noailles, French Ambassador – David March Simon Renard, Spanish Ambassador – Malcolm Hayes Suffolk – Peter Williams Lord Guilford Dudley – Michael Harbour Cuthbert, his squire – Christopher Bidmead Cicely – Beth Boyd Gunnora, an old nurse – Phyllis Montefiore Dame Potentia, a cook’s wife – Lynn Carson Xit, a dwarf – Nigel Anthony Northumberland, Lord Protector – Denis McCarthy Princess Elizabeth – Rosalind Shanks Queen Mary – Alexa Romanes Lord Gardiner – Duncan McIntyre Lord Courtenay – Douglas Hankin Alexia, a crazed prisoner – Margaret Ford Winchester – Rolf Lefebvre Dean Feckenham – Geoffrey Wincott Sir Thomas Wyatt – Garard Green Mistress Ellen – Marjorie Westbury Underhill – Haydn Jones Mauger – John Holus Other parts played by Diana Robson, Jan Edwards, Norma Griffin, Joyce Latham, Henry Webb, Norman Wynne and members of the BBC Drama Repertory Company First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 March-5 June 1968 © 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

William Harrison Ainsworth (Author), Alexa Romanes, Christopher Bidmead, David March, Denis McCarthy, Duncan McIntyre, Francis de Wolff, Full Cast, Gudrun Ure, Malcolm Hayes, Nigel Anthony, Peter Williams, Ralph Truman (Narrator)

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The Algernon Blackwood BBC Radio Collection: 17 Dramas and Supernatural Ghost Stories

"A collection of strange and fantastical tales from Algernon Blackwood, plus bonus documentaries Described by H P Lovecraft as 'the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere', Algernon Blackwood (CBE) was the acclaimed and prolific author of numerous ghost stories and horror tales. Throughout his lifetime, he wrote 14 novels, several children's books, a number of plays, and over 200 short stories. This anthology opens with a selection of stories featuring his most influential character, occult detective Dr John Silence. The inspiration for the famous horror movie Cat People, 'Ancient Sorceries' (read by Philip Madoc), sees a timid tourist becoming enchanted by a sleepy French town whose residents have an oddly feline manner. It is followed by four chilling dramatisations starring Malcolm Hayes as Silence. In The Nemesis of Fire, the psychic doctor investigates eldritch events at an English manor house; while Secret Worship is a chilling tale of haunting and evil in a Bavarian forest. A wilderness trip turns terrifying in The Camp of the Dog, and in The Empty Sleeve, a virtuoso violinist's desire for a rare instrument has dire consequences. Next up are three gripping standalone dramas: The Decoy (starring George Baker and Susan Jameson); Keeping His Promise (starring Eric Deacon and Christopher Neame) and The Human Chord (starring Philip Skale). Also included is Violet Pearn's captivating fantasy play The Starlight Express, adapted from Blackwood's imaginative children's novel A Prisoner in Fairyland and starring Denis Dowling, Patrick Barr and Cecile Chavreau. This is followed by The Willows, read by Roger Allam: a claustrophobic tale of suspense and terror, as two companions camp on a remote island and become convinced they see a body in the water. Three eerie supernatural stories are narrated by Blackwood himself in long-lost gems from the BBC Archive. They centre around mysterious encounters with a depressed Englishwoman ('The Occupant of the Room'), a man who was frightened to death ('The Woman's Ghost Story'), and the spectral presence of a town ('The Destruction of Smith'), and are followed by a quartet of strange stories ('Algernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story'). To conclude, two bonus documentary programmes, presented by Blackwood, delve into his life and career. The Genesis of Ideas sees him revealing the sources of his material, while the reflective On Being Eighty finds him looking back on his many years of experience and experiment. Written by Algernon Blackwood. First published 1906 ('Keeping His Promise'), 1907 ('The Willows', 'The Woman's Ghost Story'), 1908 ('Ancient Sorceries', 'The Nemesis of Fire', 'Secret Worship', 'The Camp of the Dog'), 1910 ('The Human Chord'), 1911 ('The Empty Sleeve'), 1912 ('The Destruction of Smith'), 1916 ('The Starlight Express'), 1917 ('The Occupant of the Room'), 1921 ('The Decoy'), 1948 ('A Japanese Literary Cocktail') Special thanks to Keith Wickham for sourcing audio files. Contents List Ancient Sorceries The Nemesis of Fire Secret Worship The Camp of the Dog The Empty Sleeve The Decoy Keeping His Promise The Human Chord The Starlight Express The Willows The Occupant of the Room The Woman's Ghost Story The Destruction of Smith Algernon Blackwood Tells a Strange Story The Genesis of Ideas On Being Eighty Content Note: Contains some dated references that reflect the language and attitudes of the time. © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Algernon Blackwood (Author), Algernon Blackwood, Christopher Neame, Eric Deacon, Fraser Kerr, Full Cast, Malcolm Hayes, Philip Madoc, Philip Skale, Roger Allam (Narrator)

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