Radio – Catherine Bailey Limited

A Far Away, Back of Beyond Place

A musical drama about a young musician’s quest to find the truth about her family. The drama stars much loved iconic Scots actor Bill Paterson and, in her first appearance in a radio drama, the award winning folk musician Karine Polwart.

As BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer Of The Year 2018, Karine Polwart is a multi-award-winning Scottish songwriter and musician, as well as a theatre maker, storyteller, spoken-word performer and published essayist. Her songs combine folk influences and myth with themes as diverse as “Donald Trump’s corporate megalomania”, Charles Darwin’s family life and the complexities of modern parenthood. She sings traditional songs too and writes to commission for theatre, animation and thematic collaborative projects. Karine is six-times winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including twice for Best Original Song.

Cast:
Tommy … Bill Paterson
Lucy … Karine Polwart

Written by Michael Chaplin.
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4

Wed 21 Nov 2018 at 11:30

BBC iPlayer Page

Radio

The Ferryhill Philsophers

A rather unlikely duo, they come from two very different worlds, albeit only seven miles apart – Joe Snowball, unemployed ex-miner in a village forgotten by the world, and the Hon. Hermione Pink, slightly disenchanted senior lecturer at the third oldest university in England, an ivory tower almost encircled by the River Wear.

Together, they wrestle with the collision between moral philosophy and the sundry dilemmas encountered by the not-always-good people of Ferryhill, deprived of jobs, opportunities and the kind of ethical guidance once offered by the Methodist Church and the National Union of Mineworkers.

Should a man bent on suicide be stopped – or allowed to do as he wishes? Should one always tell the truth even if it has bad consequences?

The philosophy is thought provoking, the unlikely partnership is intriguing, and the world of Ferryhill is a humorous, engaging and sometimes challenging place to visit.

Cast:
Joe…………….Alun Armstrong
Hermione……Deborah Findlay
Derek…………Joe Caffrey
Gloria…………Tracy Whitwell
Lucy……………Lauren Kellegher
Barry………….Jonathan Keeble

Written by Michael Chaplin

Directed by Marilyn Imrie

Radio

For The Love Of Leo

This wry, narrative comedy begins with the funeral of Tamsin, killed in a traffic accident, mother of Laura and beloved wife of Edinburgh artist Leo.

The funeral is barely over before Leo acquires a new status as an eligible bachelor. The women in his circle begin to seek his company and win his affection.; while his mother, his grown up arctic weather analyst daughter and newly acquired, sparky, opinionated cleaning lady offer unasked for advice. His life becomes ever more complicated and demanding.

Each episode traces his growing relationship with a different woman, as the ghost of Tamsin, who knew all of these women well, turns up at bedtime to venture an opinion too. Leo becomes increasingly haunted by the mystery surrounding Tamsin’s accident, which occurred many miles from her home. What was she doing there? Leo becomes convinced Tamsin was having an affair, but in the end the truth turns out to be very different. The series is wry, funny, sometimes sad – but always warm hearted and tender.

Cast:
Leo Fabiani … Mark Bonnar
Tamsin Fabiani … Beth Marshall
Rose Fabiani … Sandra Voe
Sadie … Tracy Wiles
Margot … Louise Ludgate
Laura … Samara MacLaren

Directed by Marilyn Imrie