Audiobooks narrated by Stephen Critchlow

All Quiet on the Western Front: A BBC Radio Drama

A full-cast dramatisation of one of the greatest war novels of all time.First published as a novel in 1929, All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a group of young German soldiers who are enduring, and then coming to terms with, the realities of the First World War.At the age of 19, following the outbreak of the First World War, Paul Bäumer enlists in the German Army. He is deployed to the Western Front, where the experience of life and death in the trenches has an enormous effect on him. He begins to feel disconnected from his past life: his family, his love of poetry, and his feelings. As the war progresses, Paul becomes increasingly lost in battle.Haunting yet comic, lyrical yet desperate, the novel became a bestseller on its original publication. It inspired an Oscar-winning film of the same name, and has been adapted for television and stage. This powerful radio dramatisation stars Robert Lonsdale as Paul Bäumer, with a supporting cast including Simon Trinder, Stephen Critchlow, Carolyn Pickles and Malcolm Tierney.

Erich Maria Remarque (Author), Carolyn Pickles, Chris Pavlo, Dan Starkey, Donnla Hughes, Gunnar Cauthary, Inam Mirza, Janice Acquah, Jill Cardo, Joseph Arkley, Lloyd Thomas, Luke Walker, Malcolm Tierney, Manjeet Mann, Nick Sayce, Paul Rider, Robert Lonsdale, Simon Trinder, Stephen Critchlow, Stuart Mcloughlin, Tim Treloar (Narrator)

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Chinese Rules: Mao's Dog, Deng's Cat, and Five Timeless Lessons from the Front Lines in China

From the author of the international bestseller Mr. China comes another rollicking ride through the slick mega-cities and industrial backwaters of twenty-first-century China, part adventure story, part erudite myth-buster, and part practical rule book to help Westerners win in China. China's role as struggling underdog is now firmly a thing of the past. The world has tilted eastward in its orbit even as the West seems mired in self-doubt. Through living and working in China for more than two decades, Tim Clissold has uncovered stealth methods Westerners can use to straighten out complicated situations in China and achieve their own objectives. Revealing the hidden logic that governs the Chinese business and political landscape, Clissold puts China's cultural, political, and military history into context and explains the mind-set that drives Chinese political and business leaders, a resource that has been sorely lacking in most books about doing business in China. Here, with sharp observations and a deep appreciation for China's rich past, Clissold presents five rules anyone can use to deal effectively with modern Chinese counterparts. These include understanding that: -China has its own set of rules that provide a unique pathway to success; -the quest for stability overrides all others; -in China, one should never attack directly; -in solving problems, stick to practicalities and avoid arguments over theory; -and knowing yourself and knowing the other will help you survive a hundred battles. Combining exuberant storytelling, sly humor, and counterintuitive insights, Chinese Rules traces Clissold's latest adventures, providing an object lesson in the contradictions between reality and conventional belief that continue to make China a fascinating, perplexing, and irresistible destination for Westerners.

Tim Clissold (Author), Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Chinese Rules: Mao’s Dog, Deng’s Cat, and Five Timeless Lessons for Understanding China

From the author of the acclaimed ‘Mr. China’ comes another rollicking adventure story – part memoir, part history, part business imbroglio – that offers valuable lessons to help Westerners win in China. In the twenty-first century, the world has tilted eastwards in its orbit; China grows confident while the West seems mired in doubt. Having lived and worked in China for more than two decades, Tim Clissold explains the secrets that Westerners can use to navigate through its cultural and political maze. Picking up where he left off in the international bestseller ‘Mr. China’, ‘Chinese Rules’ chronicles his most recent exploits, with assorted Chinese bureaucrats, factory owners, and local characters building a climate change business in China. Of course, all does not go as planned as he finds himself caught between the world’s largest carbon emitter and the world’s richest man. Clissold offers entertaining and enlightening anecdotes of the absurdities, gaffes, and mysteries he encountered along the way. Sprinkled amid surreal scenes of cultural confusion and near misses are smart myth-busting insights and practical lessons Westerns can use to succeed in China. Exploring key episodes in that nation’s long political, military, and cultural history, Clissold outlines five Chinese rules, which anyone can deploy in on-the-ground situations with modern Chinese counterparts. These Chinese rules will enable foreigners not only to co-operate with China but also to compete with it on its own terms.

Tim Clissold (Author), Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Classic Ghost Stories

These stories are designed to engender a chill in the listener which is not just due to the season. Stephen Critchlow, a characterful actor, is a collector of ghost stories and relishes putting across those slightly odd moments when things don't just seem to follow the normal process. Charles Dickens was chilling enough in his novels - one only has to remember the entry of Magwitch in Great Expectations! - but as a writer set deeply in the Victorian era and unashamedly a lover of the melodramatic, it comes as no surprise that one of the greatest classics of the genre was The Signalman. As a medieval scholar of a later period (1862-1936) M. R. James had a very different temperament but produced a string of classic ghost stories, of which The Mezzotint is one of the best known.

Charles Dickens, Montague Rhodes James (Author), Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Doctor Who At The BBC: Volume 1: 30 Years And Beyond

Doctor Who, the TV series which millions adore, is the inspiration for these three original radio plays. Presented in their entirety, they each focus on the effect which the programme has had on the lives of ordinary - and some extraordinary - people. In Regenerations, by Daragh Carville, a group of friends reunite for an annual Doctor Who convention. Set against the backdrop of the Belfast troubles, the play deals with themes of sexuality and love, and features appearances by Tom Baker and Sophie Aldred. Blue Veils and Golden Sands, by Martyn Wade, is a dramatised account of Delia Derbyshire's early days at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and her later recollections of that time. In Dalek, I Love You, by Colin Sharpe, Nigel's obsession with Doctor Who is a source of some concern to his mother. When he meets the girl of his dreams at a convention, life at home seems to change forever... Contains adult themes and language.

Colin Sharpe, Daragh Carville, Martyn Wade (Author), Elisabeth Sladen, Sophie Aldred, Stephen Critchlow, Tom Baker (Narrator)

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Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

The powerful sense of evil - darkness, creepy hairy presences, cloaks, hoods, talons and tentacles - pervades these classic ghost stories by M.R. James. A Cambridge scholar himself, James explored what happens when academics dabble in things they don't understand and unleash forces of which they know nothing. The titles in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary range from witchcraft to the occult, and tap into our primal fear of things that go bump in the night. They are recognised as the best of their genre.

M.R. James (Author), David Timson, Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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How To Be An Internee With No Previous Experience: A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

A BBC Radio 4 fictionalised account of the interrogation of P.G. Wodehouse (Tim McInnerny) by MI5 during World War II. 'How to be an Internee with No Previous Experience ' was originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 15 December 2010. In 1944, P.G. Wodehouse, the creator of 'Jeeves and Wooster', was questioned by MI5 after broadcasting to America from a German internment camp. One of the interrogators was an up-and-coming journalist called Malcolm Muggeridge. The other was Major E.J.P. Cussen, who later became a high court judge. The stakes were high: one of Britain's best loved authors was facing the possibility of the death penalty. With Tim McInnerny as Wodehouse and Alex Jennings as Muggeridge. Also starring Anton Lesser, Stephen Critchlow and Gunnar Cauthery. Produced and directed by Peter Leslie Wild.

Colin Shindler (Author), Alex Jennings, Anton Lesser, Gunnar Cauthrey, Stephen Critchlow, Tim Mcinnerny (Narrator)

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Journey to the Centre of the Earth: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

A thrilling new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Jules Verne's classic novel. ‘Descend, bold traveller into the crater of the Jokul of Snæfell, which the shadow of Scartaris touches before the kalends of July and you will attain the centre of the earth. Which I have done.’ Renowned professor Otto Lidenbrock discovers a mysterious runic cryptogram in a rare manuscript. His nephew, Axel, accidentally cracks the code, which is by a Sixteenth Century alchemist who claims to have found a pathway to the centre of the Earth! Lidenbrock decides he must see for himself if such a journey is possible, and with the reluctant Axel and their guide, Hans, the three venture into the heart of a dormant Icelandic volcano. Shock and peril await at every turn, from a raft voyage across a subterranean sea - where they witness a battle between two prehistoric monsters - to a terrifying lightning storm that threatens to capsize them, and an expedition into the magma chamber of an active volcano filled with boiling lava. Will they ever make it back to the surface? Full of action, surprise and discovery, this suspenseful dramatisation of Verne’s ultimate adventure story stars Joel MacCormack and Stephen Critchlow. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes approx.

Jules Verne (Author), , Joel MacCormack, Joel Maccormack, Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Mr Luby's Fear of Heaven (BBC Radio 4: Afternoon Play)

When Lewis Luby (Jeremy Irons) comes to, late at night in an Italian hospital, he finds himself lying under the monstrous big toe of God. Surely there has been some mistake: Luby, who has never for one moment believed in the immortality of the soul, cannot possibly be in heaven! John Mortimer had the idea for 'Mr Luby's Fear of Heaven' when he first visited the Santa Maria della Scala hospital in Siena and saw patients lying in beds under ceilings decorated with 15th-Century frescoes depicting Heaven and Hell. The play was first produced for BBC Radio 3 in 1976, with John Gielgud in the title role. Later that year it was presented on stage as part of a double bill 'Heaven and Hell', with Denholm Elliot as Luby. This BBC Radio 4 'Afternoon Play' production, starring Jeremy Irons as the protagonist, was first broadcast 31 December 2008 and repeated 15 February 2011. Stephen Critchlow, Marsha Fitzalan, Chris Pavlo, Donnla Hughes, Dan Starkey and Flaminia Cinque also feature amongst the cast.

John Clifford Mortimer, John Mortimer (Author), A Full Cast, Chris Pavlo, Dan Starkey, Donnla Hughes, Flaminia Cinque, Jeremy Irons, Marsha Fitzalan, Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Pattern Of Painful Adventures, The (BBC Radio 3 Drama On 3)

A BBC Radio 3 full-cast drama by Stephen Wakelam on a period in the life of Shakespeare, 'The Pattern of Painful Adventures', originally broadcast in the 'Drama on 3' slot on 23 November 2008 and repeated on 25 April 2010. Business is going well, but the playwright urgently needs a collaborator for his latest play. His daughter is getting married. His brother has a sick child and is in need of a job. It is 1607 and Shakespeare's life is at a turning point. Starring Antony Sher as William Shakespeare, Will Keen as Jack Robinson and Stephen Critchlow as John Marston. Also included amongst the cast are Chris Pavlo, Helen Longworth, John Rowe, Robert Lonsdale and Joseph Kloska. Produced and directed by Jeremy Mortimer.

Stephen Wakelam (Author), Antony Sher, Stephen Critchlow, Will Keen (Narrator)

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Robinson Crusoe: And His Farther Adventures

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation by Andy Barratt of Daniel Defoe's less famous sequel to the classic adventure 'Robinson Crusoe'. After returning to England from his island home, Robinson Crusoe sets sail once more in search of adventure. Starring Tim McInnerny as Robinson Crusoe, with Jonathan Tafler, Adrian Grove, Stephen Critchlow, David Timson, Alison Pettitt and Ben Onwukwe. Directed by Peter Leslie Wild.

Daniel Defoe (Author), Adrian Grove, Alison Pettitt, Ben Onwukwe, David Timson, Jonathan Tafler, Stephen Critchlow, Tim Mcinnerny (Narrator)

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Says on the Tin: BBC Radio 4 Comedy set in the cutthroat world of advertising

Comedy capers set in the cutthroat world of advertising Disgraced in the US, maverick ad man, Eliott Thurber is forced to transfer to the newly opened London offices of Parabola Media. The clash of cultures has hilarious consequences as he tries to cope with promoting a range of peculiar products, challenging clients and not to mention his disgruntled new colleagues. His first assignment is a gourmet cat food for an intensely conservative company but Eliott has his eyes on a bigger prize, American investment in the NHS. After all, 'where there's pain, there's gain...' Can the media mastermind win over a whole new market? Or will his eccentric ways see him fall even further from favour? Laugh out loud over six episodes of this fast paced comedy drama set in the shallow, dog-eat-dog world of advertising. The series features the brilliant Pippa Haywood, star of Green Wing and Prisoner's Wives and Samantha Bond, best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies and her role in the BAFTA nominated Outnumbered series. Michael Brandon, from the classic TV show Dempsey and Makepeace as well as Jerry Springer the Opera, plays Eilott Thurber. Says on the Tin is written by Christopher William Hill and is an absolute treat for any listeners who have enjoyed Trevor's World of Sport, Chambers and Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful. Cast and credits Written by Christopher William Hill Produced by Liz Webb Eliott Thurber - Michael Brandon Esther Finn - Samantha Bond Hannah Walker - Pippa Haywood Zadie - Joannah Tincey Ted Bruckner - Malcolm Tierney Toothrot - Chris Pavlo Customs Officer/Moses/Rutter - Stephen Critchlow Woman/Film Director - Janice Acquah Child - Manjeet Mann Stewardess/Angelique - Donnla Hughes Mrs Braden - Rachel Atkins Interpreter - Gunnar Cauthery Plaque/Baz - Inam Mirza Sal - John Guerrasio Hospital Exec - Dan Starkey Max - Robert Lonsdale Other parts played by Dan Starkey, Jonathan Tafler, Janice Acquah, Gunnar Catuhery and Jill Cardo First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2008 ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Christopher William Hill (Author), Donnla Hughes, Full Cast, Gunnar Cauthery, Inam Mirza, Janice Acquah, Joannah Tincey, Jonathan Tafler, Malcolm Tierney, Manjeet Mann, Michael Brandon, Pippa Haywood, Samantha Bond, Stephen Critchlow (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Stephen Critchlow