Audiobooks Narrated by Nyla Levy

Girls of Riyadh: A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

"Can you be a 21st century woman and a Saudi woman? Four friends come of age and look for love in a changing world. Follow the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women in elite Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Based on Rajaa Alsanea’s explosive novel that shook the Middle East, this full-cast dramatisation is a powerful, moving and, at times, funny story of being a young woman experiencing life between two very different worlds. In between dating, shopping, drinking, dancing and having fun, the girls of Riyadh live by Saudi Arabia’s strict cultural traditions. Well, not quite... They’re still trying to be good Muslims and please their families. Their lives become a social experiment that brings into question what it means to be a good Muslim, a good daughter and a good friend - even when you are worlds apart. Gamrah, Sadeem, Lamees and Michelle are the best of friends and have all dreamt of romance since they were young. Wanting a change from the strict rules of Saudi life, Gamrah embarks on married life a long way from home, but will Chicago make her happy? Sadeem, suffering the shame and injustice of a rejected proposal, flees to London to recover and meets the mysterious Firas. Is he the one she is looking for? Michelle is torn: she loves Faisal, but his conservative mother is proving an impediment to their marriage. Lamees, however, has a plan – and she is not going to share the same fate as her friends. The girls of Riyadh are hopeful, but will their hopes be dashed? Originally released in Arabic in 2005, Rajaa Alsanea’s novel was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia due to the controversial and inflammatory content. Black-market copies were secretly exchanged, and the daring originality of Girls of Riyadh created a firestorm all over the Muslim world, spreading far beyond the Middle East. This powerful dramatisation of a seminal work by a Saudi woman tells the story of globe-trotting women trying to reconcile their traditional Arabic customs with life in a Western society. An engaging listen that resonates today just as much as when it was first released. Cast and credits Written by Rajaa Alsanea Dramatised by Claudine Toutoungi Directed by Emma Harding Gamrah - Lara Sawalha Sadeem - Laila Alj Michelle - Jasmine Jones Lamees - Nyla Levy Faisal - Ikky Elyas Rashid - Elham Ehsas Firas - Moe Bar-El Pilot/ Bookseller - Ian Conningham Tara - Sinead MacInnes First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17th - 21st February 2000 ©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Rajaa Alsanea (Author), Full Cast, Jasmine Jones, Laila Alj, Lara Sawalha, Nyla Levy (Narrator)

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Girlies: The Complete Series 1 and 2: A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

"The hilarious ups and downs of five 30-something Asian women living in South West London in the 1990s. Meet Tula, Vinny, Jabeen, Sonal and Samina - best friends and members of the 'Girlie’ club. Listen to this joyous exploration of friendship, family, work and womanhood in the British Asian community in the 90s. In their regular gatherings for ‘Girlie’ evenings the friends drink, laugh, blow off steam and commiserate. Nothing is sacred: friendships are tested, marriages analysed, and secrets exposed. Tula is dating, new mum Vinny is struggling, lawyer Jabeen has to walk a tricky professional and personal line and Samina and Sonal are both hiding a secret that threatens the Girlies’ strong bonds. Can these five feisty women forgive and forget in the name of friendship? Series co-creators Shaheen Khan and Sudha Bhuchar have enjoyed great success as playwrights, both individually and together, in their writing for radio, stage and screen. As an actor Khan is best known for her role as Mrs Bhamra in Bend It Like Beckham and for a recurring role on Casualty. Bhuchar starred in the role of solicitor Usha Gupta in BBC Radio 4's The Archers, and has appeared on screen in EastEnders and Coronation Street. Cast and credits Starring Shaheen Khan, Sudha Bhuchar, Zita Sattar, Bharti Patel, Sakuntala Ramanee, Roger Liddle, Shiv Grewal, Cal McCrystal, Charubala Chokshi, Susan Sheridan, Christopher Trenfield, Ameet Chaana, Sophie Levy, Nyla Levy, Burt Caesar, Omar Salimi, Holly McGoldrick, Lannah McAdam, Surendra Kochar and Alice Arnold Written by Sudha Bhuchar and Shaheen Khan Directed by Kristine Landon-Smith First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 Apr-15 May 1997 (series 1), 20 Jul-10 Aug 1998 (series 2) ©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Shaheen Khan, Sudha Bhuchar (Author), Alice Arnold, Ameet Chaana, Bharti Patel, Charubala Chokshi, Full Cast, Nyla Levy, Roger Liddle, Sakuntala Ramanee, Shaheen Khan, Sophie Levy, Sudha Bhuchar, Susan Sheridan, Zita Sattar (Narrator)

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