Audiobooks narrated by Penelope Keith

Tom Stoppard: A BBC Radio Collection: 14 full-cast productions

The collected BBC radio productions of the internationally renowned playwright Tom Stoppard One of the giants of British theatre, Sir Tom Stoppard has been writing for the stage and screen for over 50 years. Full of wit, verbal brilliance and big ideas, his plays appeal to critics and audiences alike and are among the most studied works of the last century. Our collection contains the masterpiece, Arcadia, which won him an Olivier Award for Best Play and transferred to radio with the cast of the award-winning National Theatre production. It is followed by two of his most famous and best-loved dramas: the hilarious spoof whodunnit The Real Inspector Hound and the play that made Stoppard's name, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Also included is the bittersweet drama Dalliance, based on Arthur Schnitzler's play Liebelei. The troubled history of Stoppard's home country, Czechoslovakia, is explored in two thought-provoking plays. Rock 'n' Roll, about love, loyalty, compromise and music, was specially adapted for radio by Stoppard himself, with a new final scene and a soundtrack featuring artists such as, U2, Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and The Velvet Underground. Its themes of resistance to totalitarianism are echoed in Professional Foul, dramatised by Stoppard from his award-winning BBC TV play and set in communist Prague. Stoppard also wrote numerous original radio plays, eight of which are featured here including; The Prix Italia-winning Albert's Bridge; In the Native State (later adapted as the stage play Indian Ink) and Darkside, based on the themes of Pink Floyd's classic album The Dark Side of the Moon. Among the multitude of stars in these dazzling dramas are Hugh Grant, Rufus Sewell, Bill Nighy, Felicity Kendal, Harriet Walter, Amaka Okafor, Emma Fielding, Bill Paterson, John Hurt, Bertie Carvel, Toby Jones, Penelope Keith, John Le Mesurier, Penny Downie, Anna Massey, Ron Cook, Ronny Jhutti, Mathew Baynton, Peggy Ashcroft and Timothy West. Production credits Written by Tom Stoppard Text copyright 1964 (The Dissolution of Dominic Boot; M is for Moon Among Other Things), 1966 (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead; If You're Glad, I'll Be Frank), 1967 (Albert's Bridge), 1968 (The Real Inspector Hound), 1970 (Where Are They Now?), 1977 (Professional Foul), 1982 (The Dog It Was That Died), 1986 (Dalliance), 1991 (In the Native State), 1993 (Arcadia), 2006 (Rock 'n' Roll), 2013 (Darkside) All rights reserved Arcadia Directed by David Benedictus Original music composed by Jeremy Sands The Real Inspector Hound Directed by Gordon House Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Directed by Emma Harding Music arranged and performed by Clare Salaman, Philip Hopkins and Amelia Shakespeare from The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments Albert's Bridge Produced and directed by Charles Lefeaux Where Are They Now? Produced by John Tydeman If You're Glad, I'll Be Frank Produced by John Tydeman The Dissolution of Dominic Boot Directed by Glyn Dearman The Dog It Was That Died Produced by John Tydeman Rock 'n' Roll Directed by Alison Hindell Darkside Produced by James Robinson Professional Foul Directed by Gordon House Dalliance Directed by Jeremy Howe Based on a play by Arthur Schnitzler Piano played by Steve Edis M is for Moon Among Other Things Directed by Paul Schlesinger In the Native State Produced by John Tydeman Excerpt from Up the Country by Emily Eden read by Auriol Smith

Tom Stoppard (Author), Bill Nighy, Felicity Kendal, Full Cast, Harriet Walter, Harriet Walters, Hugh Grant, Peggy Ashcroft, Penelope Keith, Rufus Sewell, Timothy West, Toby Jones (Narrator)

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To The Manor Born: The BBC Radio Comedy Starring Penelope Keith

Penelope Keith stars in the much-loved sitcom about an aristocrat forced to part with her family home When her husband's death leaves her financially strapped, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton has no choice but to sell her beloved Grantleigh Estate. With butler Brabinger in tow, she decamps to the tiny Old Lodge cottage, where she keeps a close - and disapproving - eye on the new squire: the nouveau riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale food magnate of Czech descent. In these ten episodes, Audrey attempts to educate the usurper in the ways of the Lord of the Manor - but as she tries to put DeVere in his place, she discovers he's no pushover... Will it be happy ever after for the indomitable aristocrat and the dashing self-made millionaire? This classic comedy was originally intended for radio, but was transferred to TV instead where it ran for three highly successful series between 1979 and 1981, attracting almost 25 million viewers for its final episode. The show finally returned home to Radio 2 in 1997, adapted by Peter Spence from his own TV scripts. Penelope Keith and Angela Thorne reprise their starring roles as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Marjory Frobisher, with Keith Barron as Richard DeVere. Production credits Written and adapted by Peter Spence Produced by Jane Berthoud First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 25 January-29 March 1997 Cast Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton - Penelope Keith Richard DeVere - Keith Barron Marjory Frobisher - Angela Thorne Brabinger - Nicholas McArdle Mrs Polouvicka - Margery Withers Ned - Frank Middlemass Mrs Plunkett/Podge Hodge - Zulema Dene Dr Horton - Geoffrey Whitehead Receptionist - Melanie Hudson Mademoiselle Dutoit - Rula Lenska PC Dottle - Kevin Eldon Brigadier - Jonathan Adams

Peter Spence (Author), Angela Thorne, Full Cast, Keith Barron, Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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To The Manor Born (Vintage Beeb)

This collection was first published on LP in the 1980s. When Audrey fforbes-Hamilton's husband dies, and she is forced to leave Grantleigh Manor, she takes up residence at the nearby Lodge - from where she can keep a watchful eye on the Manor's new owner, Richard DeVere! Featuring the cast of the TV series, including Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere and Angela Thorne as Marjory Frobisher. Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now available to download for the first time ever. Warning: due to the archive nature of the source material, the sound quality may vary.

Peter Spence (Author), Angela Thorne, Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles (Narrator)

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There Goes the Bride : An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Bossy, impulsive, yet hopelessly romantic, Agatha is dreading the upcoming marriage of her ex-husband, James Lacey. Although she has set her sights on a handsome and beguiling new Frenchman, she can't quite stop obsessing about James. Her best intentions to move on with her life are put on hold when James's young bride is shot to death just minutes before saying "I do" and Agatha is named the prime suspect. Agatha's sleuthing sidekick Toni stands ready to help find the real killer, but the case proves trickier than ever. Will her name be cleared, or has the outrageous Agatha finally had her last romp?

M. C. Beaton (Author), Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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The Good Life: The Complete Collection

Meet Surbiton's most famous residents; Tom, Barbara, Margo and Jerry. It is Tom Good's 40th birthday and he feels thoroughly unfulfilled. If only he can discover what 'It' is, and if he can, will his wife Barbara agree to do 'It' with him? The subsequent and sudden transformation of the Goods' home into a smallholding causes consternation for Margo and Jerry next door, and they decide it's their duty to interfere... So begins The Good Life, the much loved classic sitcom starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith. The escapades of the mismatched next-door neighbours whose friendship is constantly being tested to the limits are collected here with thirty hilarious episodes from the much loved BBC television series. Series One: Plough Your Own Furrow, Say Little Hen, The Weaker Sex?, Pig's Lib, The Thing In The Cellar, The Pagan Rite, Backs To The Wall. Series Two: Just My Bill, The Guru of Surbiton, Mr Fix-It, The Day Peace Broke Out, Mutiny, Home Sweet Home, Going to Pot. Series Three: The Early Birds, The Happy Event, A Tug of the Forelock, I Talk To The Trees, The Wind-Break War, Whose Fleas Are These?, The Last Posh Frock. Series Four: Away From It All, The Green Door, Our Speaker Today, The Weaver's Tale, Suit Yourself, Sweet and Sour Charity, Anniversary. The Specials: Silly But It's Fun..., When I'm 65.

Bob Larbey, John Esmonde, John Esmonde And Bob Larbey (Author), , Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington, Penelope Keith, Richard Briers (Narrator)

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The Agatha Raisin: The Complete BBC Radio Drama Collection

After a lifetime spent in public relations, one-woman dynamo Agatha Raisin struggles to adapt to life in a quiet country village - but she soon finds that there is murder and mayhem aplenty to keep her busy. Agatha Raisin - sharp, witty, hugely intelligent, unfailingly entertaining, delightfully intolerant and oh so magnificently non-pc - Anne Robinson If there is one thing better than watching Penelope Keith, it is listening to her - The Times Among the cases she has to deal with are a poisoned quiche; a vet who has been 'put to sleep'; a hanged horticulturist; a murdered rambler and a curate who meets his Maker somewhat sooner than expected. Then there's the treasure hunt with a rather nasty prize at the end; the secretive salon owner; the husband who is quite definitely ex; the murder on the dancefloor and the fairies at the bottom of the garden. With all this and handsome neighbour James Lacey to deal with, the 'Columbo of the Cotswolds' has her hands full! This Complete Radio Drama Collection includes the following stories: The Quiche of Death, The Vicious Vet, The Potted Gardener, The Walkers of Dembley, The Curious Curate, The Buried Treasure, The Wizard of Evesham, The Murderous Marriage, The Terrible Tourist and The Fairies of Fryfam.

M.C. Beaton (Author), , Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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Something Borrowed, Someone Dead: An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Gloria French was a jolly widow with dyed blonde hair, a raucous laugh, and rosy cheeks. When she first moved from London to the charming Cotswold hills, she was heartily welcomed. She seemed a do-gooder par excellence, raising funds for the church and caring for the elderly. But she had a nasty habit of borrowing things and not giving them back. They’re just small things—a teapot here, a set of silverware there—so it’s quite the shock when she is found dead, murdered with a poisoned bottle of elderberry wine. Afraid the murder will be a blight on the small town, Parish councilor Jerry Tarrant hires private detective Agatha Raisin to track down the murderer, but the village is secretive, and the residents resent Agatha’s investigation. Of course, that doesn’t stop the ever-persistent Agatha from investigating and sticking her nose where no one wants it—especially as the suspect list grows. And, as if it isn’t enough that Agatha’s ex has reentered the picture, the murderer is now targeting Agatha! With M. C. Beaton’s Something Borrowed, Someone Dead, the bossy, vain, and absolutely irresistible Agatha Raisin continues to be a fan favorite. “The murder of Gloria French, a widow with an appetite for seduction and a penchant for borrowing but not returning things, sets off a calamitous chain of events in bestseller Beaton’s lively twenty-fourth Agatha Raisin mystery…A Miss Marple who enjoys drink, cigarettes, and men, Agatha displays a wit and sharp tongue that will continue to please her many fans.”—Publishers Weekly

M. C. Beaton (Author), Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook

Authorised by Mr Lipwig of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway himself, Mrs Georgina Bradshaw's invaluable guide to the destinations and diversions of the railway deserves a place in the luggage of any traveller, or indeed armchair traveller, upon the Disc. *From the twine walk of Great Slack to the souks of Zemphis: edifying sights along the route *Ticketing, nostrums and transporting your swamp dragon: essential hints on the practicalities of travel * Elegant resorts and quaint inns: respectable and sanitary lodgings for all species and heights. * From worm-herding to Fustic Cake: diverting trivia on the crafts, foods and brassica traditions of the many industrious people for whom the railway is now a vital link to the Century of the Anchovy Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other.

Terry Pratchett (Author), Michael Fenton Stevens, Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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Introducing Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death and The Vicious Vet

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely, and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest. Despite the fact that Agatha has never baked a thing in her life, she is sure the pie she has secretly bought from an upper-crust London quicherie will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when the judge not only snubs her entry?but falls over dead! Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet Agatha Raisin hasn't quite adjusted to the slow pace of village life, or to the failure of her overtures to her handsome neighbor, James Lacey. Since the new vet in town is young and good looking, Agatha's perfectly healthy tabby endures a nasty physical exam in the name of romance. Unfortunately, his sacrifice is all for naught when the vet is soon found dead. The police call the death a freak accident, but Agatha convinces James that playing amateur detective might be fun. Unfortunately, just as curiosity killed the cat, Agatha's inept snooping is soon a motivation for murder ...

M. C. Beaton (Author), Diane Bishop, Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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E. Nesbit: A BBC Radio Collection: The Railway Children, Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the C

A BBC Radio collection of dramatisations of E. Nesbit's finest children's books with extra magical readings plus an original drama by Martin Jameson E Nesbit is widely regarded as the first modern children's writer. Her ground-breaking novels have influenced authors from Oscar Wilde to Jacqueline Wilson, and over 100 years after their first publication, they remain perennially popular. This wide-ranging collection comprises some of her very best children's fiction, commencing with her timeless tale The Railway Children. Starring Victoria Carling, Daniel Eyssen and Kate McEnery, Frances Jeater this enchanting dramatisation tells the story of three suburban children forced to move to the countryside after their father is mysteriously taken away. Martin Jameson's sequel Roberta, Peter and Phyllis revisits them 13 years later, in 1919, to reveal how their lives have changed. Fiona Clarke, James Alper and Emma Hughes-Jones star as the titular siblings. Also included is Nesbit's classic 'Psammead' trilogy. In Five Children and It, Five children are granted a series of wishes by a sand fairy - but inevitably, things do not go to plan... Cast includes Julia McKenzie, Simon Carter, James Richard, Justyn Towler. Patricia Hodge reads the second book in the series, The Phoenix and the Carpet, in which the discovery of a mysterious egg in an old carpet heralds the start of a magical adventure. And in The Story of the Amulet, a full-cast dramatisation the children voyage through history on a quest for an ancient lucky charm. Featuring the same cast as Five Children and It Penelope Keith stars as E Nesbit in The House of Arden, a time-travelling fantasy tale about the hunt for a lost family treasure; Other cast includes Timothy Spall and Kelly Bright. Prunella Scales reads five stories from Nesbit's delightful compendium The Book of Dragons: 'Last of the Dragons', 'Kind Little Edmond', 'The Deliverers of their Country', 'The Book of Beasts' and 'The Dragon Tamers'. Concluding this anthology are two fantastic feline fables from Cat Tales, co-written by Nesbit and her adopted daughter Rosamund E Bland: 'The White Cat', read by Jenny Agutter, and 'Too Clever by Half', read by Helen Clapp. Cast and credits Written by E Nesbit Cat Tales written by E Nesbit and Rosamund E Bland Roberta, Peter and Phyllis written by Martin Jameson First published 1901 (The Book of Dragons), 1902 (Five Children and It), 1904 (The Phoenix and the Carpet, Cat Tales), 1906 (The Story of the Amulet, The Railway Children), 1908 (The House of Arden) The Railway Children Dramatised by Marcy Kahan. Produced by John Taylor First broadcast BBC Radio 5, 3-24 January 1991 Roberta, Peter and Phyllis Produced and directed by Gary Brown First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 January 2005 Five Children and It Dramatised by Malcolm McKee. Directed by Rosemary Watts First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 August 1998 The Phoenix and the Carpet Abridged by Penny Leicester. Produced by Marion Nancarrow First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 March-1 April 1994 The Story of the Amulet Dramatised by Malcolm McKee. Directed by Rosemary Watts First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 August 1999 The House of Arden Dramatised by Chris Curry. Produced by Mary Kalemkarian First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 April-25 June 1989 The Book of Dragons First broadcast BBC Radio 5, 7-11 December 1992 Cat Tales The White Cat First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 January 2000 Too Clever by Half First broadcast BBC Sounds, 23 July 2019 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Edith Nesbit, Martin Jameson, Rosamund E. Nesbit Bland (Author), Frances Jeater, Full Cast, Jenny Agutter, Julia Mckenzie, Patricia Hodge, Paul Copley, Penelope Keith, Prunella Scales, Timothy Spall, Victoria Carling (Narrator)

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Busy Body : An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Agatha Raisin has never been one for forced holiday cheer, but her friendly little village of Carsely has always prided itself on its traditional Christmas festivities. But this year the bells will not be ringing out, as Mr. John Sunday, an officer with the Cotswold Health and Safety Board, has chosen Christmas as the time to crack down on safety hazards all around the community. But he goes too far when he rules that there cannot be a Christmas tree atop the church tower this year. Mr. Sunday is soon found facedown in the petunias, very much dead. Agatha is instantly on the case, but with so many people having threatened the life of the victim, it's almost impossible to know where to start!

M. C. Beaton (Author), Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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An Agatha Raisin Mystery, #9: Agatha Raisin and the Witches of Wyckhadden

Suffering from bald patches thanks to a hair conditioner spiked with depilatory cream-supplied by the murderess in her last investigation-Agatha escapes to the coastal resort of Wyckhadden to allow her crowning glory to recover in privacy. A local witch provides her with hair tonic and Agatha's lost locks begin to grow-but then the witch is found bludgeoned to death. The elderly residents at Agatha's faded hotel seem innocuous enough, if a little odd. But, as she enquires into the murder she turns up an alarming number of secrets...

M. C. Beaton (Author), Penelope Keith (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Penelope Keith