A CURIOUS MIX OF BRITISH FOLK MUSIC AND AMERICAN POLITICS
Gloomy French genius Victor Hugo’s grand masterpiece isn’t called Les Happychaps for a good reason.Les Miserables (BBC1) opened with an aerial shot of the carnage after the Battle of Waterloo, as ravens pecked the flesh of corpses and the thief Thenardier (Adeel Akhtar) dodged about stealing purses and gold teeth.Akhtar played it for laughs – and for the next hour, that blood-soaked battlefield was about as light-hearted as things got.
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
Listen at: BBC Radio 4 – A Faraway Back of Beyond Place
Robert Louis Stevenson is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers to come out of the flourishing Scottish literary scene. His burst of work during the early 1880s encompassed some of the most timeless prose ever written, with the likes of Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped being […]
Continue reading at the Scotsman: Robert Louis Stevenson: a pioneer of the written word – The Scotsman
By Nick Walker. Annika investigates the death of Tor’s class teacher.
Eight new cases to challenge the detective wit of Annika Strandhed, queen of the Oslo Police boat patrol.
Since we last met her, Annika has been promoted to Chief Inspector. Her first act was – apart from choosing a new speedboat – to co-opt Mikel, her forensic photographer of choice, to accompany her. Her son Tor is about to start school.
Being Chief Inspector means a bigger case-load. What follows will test her physically and emotionally as never before.
Episode 1: Beginnings
On Tor’s first day at school, Annika has to investigate the death of his class teacher.
Nick Walker is the author of two critically-acclaimed novels, Blackbox and Helloland. His plays and short stories have often featured on BBC Radio 4, including the First King of Mars stories (2007 – 2010) and the plays Life Coach (2010) and Stormchasers (2012). The previous series of Annika Stranded were broadcast in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Writer: Nick Walker
Reader: Nicola Walker
Sound Design: Jon Calver
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
Listen at: BBC Radio 4 – Annika Stranded, Series 4, Beginnings