Audiobooks narrated by Sarah Lancashire

Winifred Holtby: A BBC Radio Collection: South Riding, Anderby Wold, The Crowded Street and more

"Full-cast adaptations of three of Winifred Holtby’s best-known novels, plus short stories and bonus programmes about the author Winifred Holtby was an acclaimed novelist, journalist, feminist and social reformer. Her work encompasses six novels, two short story collections, a play and the first critical study of Virginia Woolf, but she is best known for her posthumously published masterpiece South Riding, which won the James Tait Black Memorial Award. She died in 1935, aged just 37. Born into a Yorkshire farming family, Holtby set much of her fiction in the landscape of her youth, including the three novels in this collection. Adapted as a 15-part radio drama, South Riding follows the lives and loves of fiery young headmistress Sarah Burton, landowner and school governor Robert Carne, and alderwoman Mrs Beddowes. Sarah Lancashire, Philip Glenister and Carole Boyd star in this rich, memorable evocation of a community in flux. Anderby Wold tells the tale of a farmer’s wife, a radical young writer and a village rocked by social change. Dramatised from Holtby’s 1923 debut novel, it stars Joanna Mackie, Derek Smith and Joseph Peters. The Crowded Street, set in the years leading up to World War I, centres around a woman's journey from introspective teenager to self-fulfilled adult. Claire Goose stars as heroine Muriel Hammond in this poignant coming-of-age drama. Wry, witty and irreverent, Holtby’s short stories reflect the diversity of her writing. 'The Celebrity Who Failed', read by Alice Arnold, features a girl who learns to walk on water – but is unprepared for the public attention that follows. 'Why Herbert Killed His Mother' is the story of a beautiful baby who turns out to be very different as an adult. A searing condemnation of ‘mother love’, it is read by Anna Massey. And in 'The Voice of God', read by Hugh Dickson, a radio-like machine enables people to listen in on the conversations of historical figures – but what will happen once the newspapers get to hear of it? Finally, Holtby’s life, legacy and significance are explored in a Woman’s Hour biographical segment and in a revealing radio portrait, The Divided State, written by Valerie Windsor and featuring Alison Fiske as Winifred Holtby. Text copyright © Winifred Holtby 1923 (Anderby Wold), 1924 (The Crowded Street), 1934 (‘The Celebrity Who Failed’, ‘Why Herbert Killed His Mother’, ‘The Voice of God’), 1936 (South Riding) Contents South Riding Anderby Wold The Crowded Street ‘The Celebrity Who Failed’ ‘Why Herbert Killed His Mother’ ‘The Voice of God’ Woman’s Hour extract The Divided State © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Winifred Holtby (Author), Alice Arnold, Alison Fiske, Anna Massey, Carole Boyd, Claire Goose, Derek Smith, Full Cast, Hugh Dickson, Joanna Mackie, Joseph Peters, Philip Glenister, Sarah Lancashire (Narrator)

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This Repulsive Woman and Every Child Matters: Two BBC Radio Dramas

"Sarah Lancashire and Maxine Peake star in this hard hitting, two-part drama What sort of mother would allow her child to perform online for paedophiles? And how could the family's social worker let it happen? Told in two parts, This Repulsive Woman and Every Child Matters, is a real-time drama that follows the stories of the two women at the centre of a fictional high profile court case and national scandal. This Repulsive Woman stars Maxine Peake as Deborah Hurst, a woman tried and convicted of an offence under the Protection of Children Act 1978 after allowing her ten year old daughter, Paige to dance semi-naked on the internet for paedophiles. The most vilified woman in the UK, she is interviewed by probation officer, Tony Jukes (played by Neil Dudgeon) who must draw up a pre-sentence report fo the Court to consider. Tony digs deep, trying to uncover what would cause a mother to commit such an appalling crime. For Deborah, 'It were nowt' - is she a depraved monster, or the cruel victim of circumstance? In part two, Sarah Lancashire plays Joanne, Deborah Hurst's social worker, who failed to protect Deborah's daughter. It's six months since the case caused an outcry, and in Every Child Matters Joanne tells how her life has been destroyed by the leaking of her personal details to the tabloid press. Suspended from her job and waiting for a disciplinary tribunal, she decides to take a huge risk in the hope of seeking justice for Paige and closure for herself. Why was she victimised by the press and was she really to blame for what happened? Sarah Lancashire shot to stardom as Coronation Street's Raquel Watts. She went on to star in such dramas as Clocking Off, Five Daughters and Last Tango in Halifax. She is perhaps best known for her role as Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley. Maxine Peake played Myra Hindley in See No Evil and Veronica in three series of Shameless. George Costigan is best known for the cult movie Rita, Sue And Bob Too. He has also appeared in Shirley Valentine and Calendar Girls, and television shows Doctor Who and Happy Valley. Neil Dudgeon plays DCI John Barnaby in the hugely popular Midsomer Murders. Writer Christopher Reason's television credits include Eastenders, The Golden Hour and The Bill. His writing for radio includes The Good Soldier Svejk, A Second to Midnight, and The Age of Innocence. Content Warning: This drama deals with adult themes Cast and credits Written by Christopher Reason Directed by Stefan Escreet Produced by Gary Brown This Repulsive Woman Deborah Hurst - Maxine Peake Tony Jukes - Neil Dudgeon First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 February 2009 Every Child Matters Joanne - Sarah Lancashire David - George Costigan First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 October 2010 ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Christopher Reason (Author), George Costigan, Maxine Peake, Neil Dudgeon, Sarah Lancashire (Narrator)

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Chambers: The Complete Series 1-3: A BBC Radio 4 legal comedy drama

"All fourteen episodes of the legal sitcom about a group of barristers who never let justice get in the way of making money John Fuller-Carp, the Machiavellian head of chambers at Forecourt Buildings, is determined to become a QC and will perform almost any moral contortion to achieve his goal. When left-wing Ruth Quirke, rumoured to be a High Court judge's daughter, applies to join his chambers, Fuller-Carp's imagination goes into overdrive and promotion seems inevitable. However, his attempts to project a 'New Labour' image cut no ice with Ruth, and the two are soon at each other's throats. Fortunately, his partner Hilary Tripping is much easier to manage (if somewhat ineffectual) and his clerk Vince, though deeply dodgy, is happy to put his criminal contacts and underworld cunning at Fuller-Carp's disposal. In these three series, he ends up on the wrong side of the law, is embarrassed over animal rights, tries to join the Masons and gets embroiled in a bet with a rival barrister. Meanwhile, Ruth gets a job as a 'Legal Eagle' on breakfast telly, decides to adopt a baby and fakes a family for a client while Fuller-Carp fiddles the books. And when a legal firm invites John, Ruth and Hilary on a team-building outward-bound weekend, disaster ensues... Clive Coleman's sitcom set in perhaps the country's least spectacular law chambers stars John Bird as John Fuller-Carp, with James Fleet as Hilary Tripping and Lesley Sharp and Sarah Lancashire as Ruth Quirke. Among the guest stars are Peter Serafinowcz, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Rebecca Front. Production credits Written by Clive Coleman Produced by Paul Schlesinger First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 April -15 May1996 (Series 1), 11 May-8 June 1998 (Series 2), 9-30 March 1999 (Series 3) Starring John Bird and Sarah Lancashire ©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Clive Coleman (Author), Alex Lowe, David Harewood, Full Cast, James Fleet, John Bird, Lesley Sharp, Rebecca Front, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sarah Lancashire, Sue Johnston (Narrator)

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Every Child Matters: A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

"The second linked drama dealing with the fall out of the case of Debbie Hurst who was vilified as the most repulsive woman in Britain for allowing her ten year old daughter to dance semi-naked on the internet for paedophiles. It is six months since the case exploded on to the red tops and Joanne was the social worker who took the flak. She feels as though she was hung out to dry and wants to know why."

Christopher Reason (Author), George Costigan, Sarah Lancashire (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Sarah Lancashire

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