Arts & Drama Audio

Michael Sheen, Kenneth Cranham and Juliet Stevenson star in the best-known and most powerful tragedy of modern times.

BBC radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since I 923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

Those decades of experience come to fruition in this production.The intimacy of radio gives full rein to the power of Shakespeare’s language, taking the listener into the very centre of Hamlet’s emotional and moral turmoil.

The play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre, and the accompanying booklet includes a scene-by-scene synopsis, full character analysis, brief biographies of the leading actors and of Shakespeare himself, as well as an essay from the producer on their interpretation of the play.

Revitalised, original and comprehensive - this is Shakespeare for the new millennium.

Hamlet

“[McMahon is] an engaging reader with a conversational style and sharp comic timing. With an emphasis on classic “Tonight Show” moments, McMahon’s recollections will bring back warm memories for viewers.” AudioFile

Here’s Johnny! is like sitting with Ed and Johnny over lunch.

Brilliant in front of the camera but shy in person, Johnny Carson seldom gave interviews. But no one knew him better than Ed McMahon, Carson’s personal friend and showbiz sidekick for almost forty years. Now, with Johnny’s blessings before he died, McMahon can finally share all the stories that only he knows. From the sofa at Johnny’s right, to backstage, to their personal relationship, McMahon provides a real picture of the man who so carefully censored his public image, revealing the caring person within the dynamic star.

Here’s Johnny! My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and 40 Years of Friendship

Douglas Henshall, Sophie Dahl and Susannah York star in Shakespeare’s passionate story of doomed love.BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard. With the intimacy of radio the full beauty and meaning of some of the most lyrical lines ever written can be truly heard: tenderness and passion, betrayal and bigotry are brilliantly evoked as the tale comes to its tragic conclusion.

The play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre.

This is Shakespeare for the new millennium.

Romeo & Juliet