Historian David Olusoga is castaway by Lauren Laverne.
David is an historian, writer and broadcaster who has presented a range of programmes including the BBC's A House Through Time and Civilisations.
He is currently professor of public history at Manchester University.
Born in Lagos, the second child to a Nigerian father and a British mother, David was brought up by his mother in Gateshead after his parents' marriage broke down. As a child he and his siblings experienced sustained racism and he remembers school as a place of violence and cruelty.
He credits his mother's tenacity and her determination to educate her children for his later success in getting to university and establishing a career in TV.
His love of history developed from a young age, thanks to one of his teachers who taught him why an understanding of history matters. Watching TV documentaries also opened up a world of possibility and David fondly recalls programmes from the 1980s presented by the historian Michael Wood, who made history seem cool in the eyes of the young schoolboy glued to the TV in his Gateshead council house.
In 2020, David delivered the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival in which he talked candidly about his loneliness at being the only black person on a production team and the difficulties he had trying to explain the racial implications of how, for example, people in Africa were often portrayed on screen.
BOOK CHOICE: The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell: An Age Like This, 1920-40 LUXURY ITEM: Acoustic guitar CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground by Blind Willie Johnson
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Paula McGinley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2021.
Fela Kuti - Zombie Aunt Molly Jackson - Roll On Buddy Bessie Smith - Black Mountain Blues Dr Alimantado - Just The Other Day Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground Geeshie Wiley - Last Kind Words Bob Marley & The Wailers - You Can't Blame The Youth (Live At The Record Plant '73) Aretha Franklin - Precious Lord, Take My Hand / You've Got A Friend
Comedian Linda Smith nominates musician, actor and artist Ian Dury as her choice of a life well-lived.
Presented by Humphrey Carpenter.
With writer, broadcaster and Dury's former manager Charlie Gillett sharing his biographical details.
Together they celebrate the life of the man, who, in the late 1970s, sketched out in song such memorable figures as Clever Trevor, Billericay Dickey and Plaistow Patricia.
Detroit Grand Pubahs - Intro - Lost Files Of Funk [Zomba/Jive Electro] DJ Shadow - Treach Battle Beat [Mo'Wax] Origin Unknown - Truly One Remix Pt.1 [RAM] Shimon & Andy C - Body Rock [RAM] Shy FX & T Power (feat. Di) - Shake Ur Body [Positiva/Ebony Recordings] Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot - Get Ur Freak On (Amended Version) [Elektra] Peshay (feat. Co-ordinate) - You Got Me Burning (Full Version) [Cubik Music] Little Axe - Seek The Truth [On-U Sound] Nelly Furtado - Turn Off The Light (Remix feat. Ms. Jade & Timbaland) [Dreamworks] Lemon Jelly - Pushy [XL Recordings] Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot (feat. Ludacris) - One Minute Man [Elektra] Plaid - Coat [Warp] 808 State - Flow Coma (AFX Remix) [Rephlex] The Avalanches - Since I Left You (Cornelius Remix) [Toy's Factory/Modular] We In Music - Now That The Love Has Gone (From Lonliness To Happiness Mix by Les Rhythms Digitales) [Obsessive/Logic] The Chemical Brothers - Come With Us (Fatboy Slim Remix) [Freestyle Dust/Virgin] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Remix) [Rulin/Ministry Of Sound] The Chemical Brothers - Base 6 [Freestyle Dust/Virgin] Green Velvet - La La Land (Futureshock Club Mix) [Credence] Lo Fidelity Allstars (feat. Byron Stingily) - Sleeping With Byron (Hotbox Remix) [Skint] Groove Armada - Superstylin' (G.A. 7" Edit) [Zomba] Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At (Stanton Warriors Remix) [XL Recordings] Azzido Da Bass - Dooms Night (Revisited) (Stanton Warriors Vocal Mix) [Club Tools] Felix da Housecat - Silver Screen Shower Scene (Thin White Duke Mix) [City Rockers] Detroit Grand Pubahs - Sandwiches [Zomba/Jive Electro] Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Soulwax Elektronic Remix) [PIAS] DJ Shadow - You Can't Go Home Again (Radio Edit) [Mo'Wax] Osymyso - Intro-Inspection [Radar]
Latimer can not only see into the future, he can also tell what people are thinking.
But he fails to benefit from his clairvoyant powers.
Latimer .... Toby Stephens Boy Latimer .... Edward Michie Father .... Tim Piggot-Smith Mother .... Vivien Heilbron Bertha .... Abigail Docherty Alfred .... Simon Scardifield Charles Meunier .... Ian Hughes Dr Black / Passer-by .... John Rowe Cook / Mrs Filmore .... Rachel Atkins Mr Letteherall / Passer-by 2 .... Hugh Dickson Young Housemaid .... Tracy Ann Oberman Perry / Street Vendor .... Christopher Wright
Disturbed by his clairvoyant powers, the death of his brother clears the way for Latimer to marry Bertha.
Latimer .... Toby Stephens Father .... Tim Pigott Smith Bertha .... Abigail Docherty Charles Meunier .... Ian Hughes Dr Black .... John Rowe Mrs Archer .... Carolyn Jones Housemaid .... Tracy Ann Oberman Perry .... Christopher Wright
Mogwai, and some very special guests, headline the Friday night at the 6 Music Festival 2025.
Mogwai - God Gets You Back Mogwai - Hi Chaos Mogwai - Richie Sacramento Mogwai - Fanzine Made Of Flesh Mogwai - Auto Rock Mogwai - Remurdered Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan Mogwai - Lion Rumpus Mogwai - Ether Mogwai - Burn Girl Prom Queen Mogwai - 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
Mogwai: Live and in Session. 6 Music Festival headliners Mogwai recorded in session at Maida Vale and live at the Reading Festival.
Mogwai - Waltz For Jo (Radio 1 Session, 22 Dec 1996) Mogwai - Mogwai Salute The Brilliance Of Steve Lamacq (Radio 1 Session, 22 Dec 1996) Mogwai - Spoon Test (Radio 1 Session, 23 Aug 1998) Mogwai - Cody (Radio 1 Session, 23 Aug 1998) Mogwai - Superheroes Of BMX (Radio 1 Session, 22 Dec 1996) Mogwai - Summer (Priority Version) (Radio 1 Session, 22 Dec 1996) Mogwai - Ithica 27 ϕ 9 (Reading Festival, 25 Aug 2001) Mogwai - My Father My King (Reading Festival, 25 Aug 2001)
Nils Lofgren and his band performing live at Hammersmith Odeon in 1981. Featuring Shine Silently, Any Time At All, Cry Tough, Like Rain, Code of the Road and Empty Heart.
Nils Lofgren - Cry Tough Nils Lofgren - Any Time At All Nils Lofgren - Don't Touch Me Nils Lofgren - Dirty Money Nils Lofgren - Shine Silently Nils Lofgren - Goin' Back Nils Lofgren - Like Rain Nils Lofgren - Code Of The Road Nils Lofgren - Empty Heart Nils Lofgren - I Came To Dance Nils Lofgren - Moon Tears
Don Letts sits in with a Morning After Mix takeover, an hour of chilled music soothing you into Sunday after the 6 Music Festival.
Prince - I Wish U Heaven [Paisley Park/Warner Bros] Art Of Noise - Robinson Crusoe [EastWest U.K.] Bruce Lash - Medicine Show Holger Czukay - Persian Love [Groenland] Hak Baker - Venezuela Riddim [Hak Attack] DubXanne (feat. Claire Parsons) - Running Up That Hill [Echo Beach] Sampha (feat. Little Simz) - Satellite Business 2.0 [Young] Gabriels - Blame [Parlophone] lavender - lowlight:slowlight [Night Time Stories (NTS)] Hardkandy (feat. Andy Platts) - Pure Fantasy Delphic - Exotic John Turrell - Day In Day Out [Jalapeno] YG Marley - Praise Jah In The Moonlight [YG Marley Music] Vegyn (feat. John Glacier) - A Dream Goes On Forever [PLZ Make It Ruins]
Relive Four Tet and Jamie xx, back to back in Radio 1's Live Lounge in March 2015.
Jamie xx - Gosh [Young Turks] Four Tet - Lion (Jamie XX Remix) [Text] Dance - Still [Blank Mind] Percussions - Digital Arpeggios [Text] Schatrax - The Same Fury [Schatrax] Lutto Lento - The Boat Can Leave Now [FTD] Drew Hill - Powerless (DREWXHILL VIP) [Born Electric] Unknown - Untitled [White Label] Walls - I Can Only Give You Anything But Love [Ecstatic] Dave DK - Stargazer [Kompakt] Jim O'Rourke - Despite The Water Supply [Touch] Throwing Snow - Lumen [Houndstooth] Nhk Yx Koyxen - Hallucinogenic Doom Steppy Verbs 01 [Diagonal] Caribou - Mars (Head High's Core Remix) [City Slang] Champion & Four Tet - Disparate [White Label] Wen - Hailstones [Pretty Weird] DJ Wonder (feat. Kano) - What Have You Done (Instrumental Mix) [Newera Music] DaVinche - Phaze [Paperchase Recordings] Designer & Four Tet - Dark [White Label] Tyondai Braxton - Amlochley [Nonesuch] Koreless - TT [Young Turks] Delia Derbyshire & Barry Bermange - The Dreams [Psychic Sounds] Roots Manuva - Facety 2:11 [Big Dada] Rome Fortune - Leaders [White Label] Thomas Scholz - Mimesis (Rampue Remix) [O'RS] Jamie 3:26 - Comin' On Strong [Partehardy] Cool Creations - Wish Upon Love [Jay] Thesda - Bongo Lumbo [Integrated Performance Systems International Incorporated] Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford - Nobody [Mpingo] Kandy - Love Me Tonight [Black Hawk] Jean-Philippe Rykiel - Tao [Musiza] Jamie xx - Loud Places [Young Turks] Jamie xx - Alba [Young Turks]
DJ Shadow - Dark Days (Spoken FDR Mix) [MCA] Dr. Dre (feat. Snoop Dogg) - The Next Episode [Interscope] Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country [Warp] The Avalanches - Since I Left You [XL Recordings] Chris Morris - Club News [Warp] Red Snapper - Some Kind Of Kink [Warp] Lemon Jelly - Kneel Before Your God (Swordfish Mix) [FFRR] King Of Woolworths - Mintel Conspiracy [Mantra] Daft Punk - Face To Face [Virgin] The Avalanches - Everyday [XL Recordings] Slam vs. UNKLE - Narco Tourists (Original Mix) [Soma] Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit (Explicit) [Sony] Felix da Housecat (feat. Ms Kitten) - Silver Screen Shower Scene [City Rockers] Basement Jaxx - Get Me Off [XL Recordings] Radioactive Man - Uranium [Rotters Golf Club] D12 - Purple Pills [Interscope] The Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar [Freestyle Dust/Virgin] The Avalanches - A Different Feeling (Ernest St. Laurent Remix) [XL Recordings] Dope Smugglaz - The Word (PMT Remix) [FFRR] Basement Jaxx - Bongoloid [XL Recordings] Stanton Warriors - Da Antidote (Future Funk Squad's 'Ultrarok' Remix) [MOB] Jean Jacques Smoothie - 2 People (Mirwais Extended Mix) [Echo] Lo Fidelity Allstars - Lo Fi's In Ibiza (Dub) [Skint] Fatboy Slim - Star 69 (What The Fuck) (Timo Maas Mix) [Skint] The Chemical Brothers - It Began In Afrika [Freestyle Dust/Virgin] Stanton Warriors - Da Virus [XL Recordings] Ed Case + Sweetie Irie - Who (Main Mix) [Sony] Squarepusher - My Red Hot Car (Girl) [Warp] Tricky - Evolution Revolution Love [Anti Inc.] The Avalanches - Thank You Caroline (Andy Votel Remix) [XL Recordings]
Jan .... Steven Pacey Karellen .... Peter Jeffrey Stormgren .... Philip Voss Young Katerina .... Yana Weinstein Katerina .... Alison Pettitt Doctor .... Patricia Perry Wainwright .... Bernard Lloyd Katya .... Lynn Farleigh Sir Kenneth .... Paul Webster Luther .... Paul Birchard Mark .... Leon Tanner Kircher .... Jonathan Owen The Thai President .... Sue Kimberley The Terrorist .... Katherine Messenger
The Overlords have been unseen, ruling the world from a distance for over 50 years.
Now they are about to reveal themselves...
Katie .... Sarah-Jane Holm Jeffrey .... James Richards George .... Christian Rodska Mia .... Suzanne Hitchmough Rupert .... Cornelius Garrett Sullivan .... Gerard McDermott Vindarten .... Kim Durham Thanthalteresco .... Graham Padden Rashaverak .... Sunny Ormonde Jan .... Steven Pacey Karellen .... Peter Jeffrey
In 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs created the character of Tarzan, who quickly became a global sensation.
When the books were first adapted for the big screen in 1918, the resulting film was one of the first ever to take over a million dollars at the box office. Way ahead of his time, Burroughs ignored the advice of business 'experts' who told him not to roll out the character across different formats. By doing so, he was one of the true pioneers of the multi-media franchises that have since become the norm.
Tarzan himself has been as troubling as he has been popular - the different characterisations that have appeared in the hundreds of books, films, radio shows, comic books, cartoons etc, make it very hard to pinpoint one single, authentic character. Some critics have derided him for his affirmation of white, colonial assumptions, while others have championed his eco-warrior credentials.
One thing is for sure - with a range of new books and films appearing, the character of Tarzan has lost little of his original appeal.
John Waite talks with, among others, James Sullos of ERB Inc., Desmond Morris to find out about the plausibility of the notion of a baby being raised by apes, and cultural historian Jeffrey Richards.
Hollywood star Danny Kaye talks to Tony Thomas about his career acting in films like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, as well as campaigning for UNICEF.
The son of Ukrainian immigrants (then part of Russia), Danny Kaye was born in New York in 1913 – and died in Los Angeles in 1987 aged 76.
He was a multitalented actor, comedian, singer and dancer. He began his career as an entertainer in hotels. His quicksilver thinking led him to play multiple roles in the same film, as twins or look-alikes, including Wonder Man (1945), On the Riviera (1951) and On the Double (1961).
Danny Kaye's best remembered for starring in the biopic Hans Christian Andersen (1952), and as song and dance double act with Bing Crosby in White Christmas (1954).
He toured his one man comedy and music show to brilliant reviews. Later in life he became known for his charity and humanitarian work with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
One of a series of classic in depth, long-form interviews unearthed by 4 Extra from tapes deep in the BBC archives.
This 24 minute version is all that survives in the archive of an original 40 minute interview.
Poet Gwyneth Lewis explores the idea of the island and island life, and the ways in which it continues to capture the British imagination.
She uses drama, talks and documentary from the BBC audio archive to illustrate its appeal
Expect everything from reality TV programmes to Desert Island Discs and the Shipping Forecast.
She also cites the many instances of island settings in classic literature, including Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies.
Including contributions from:
* Literary critic, Dame Gillian Beer * Historian, Robert Colls * A group of people who tried to set up an island utopia in the 1960s * The very last man to leave the island of St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides
Taking his cue from 2021's Turner Prize shortlist of five artists' collectives, James Fox tells the untold story of community and socially-engaged art in post-war Britain.
Concrete cows. First World War soldiers waiting at twenty-first century train stations. A concrete cast of a house. These are just some of the manifestations of public and community art that have captured the attention of the British public over the last 50 years. These are three well-known examples among thousands, of the efforts of artists to change the fabric of the environments in which we live, work and play. This year, the Turner prize shortlist consists of five artists' collectives from around the UK: groups whose work does not principally belong in galleries; work that does not seek, as its principal focus, to present an admiring public with artifacts of beauty in hallowed halls of culture.
This 'movement', for want of a better term, continues to intrigue, puzzle, delight, and exasperate the public to whom it is offered. But what is it? Does it change society? Is it good? How do we assess it? Or are we hampered by an outdated and hard-to-shake-off idea of what an artist is, and how and where they present their work to us?
Looking back over the last 50 years and more, art historian Dr James Fox investigates the historical antecedents of this year's Turner Prize shortlist. Drawing on the BBC archive and contemporary interviews, he disentangles some of the many threads of art practice that have been visible in the public domain; and talks to curators, practitioners, participants and arts professionals about the work they have presented. What makes it good? How do we compare it with a great master painting? Do we have the necessary critical and analytical vocabulary to make sense of this work?
James's journey, both historical and geographical, takes him from Fife in Scotland to the south coast of England. On the way he visits Milton Keynes, the largest and most ambitious of Britain's post-war new towns, where public and community art were seen as critically important elements of the nascent identity of a brave new settlement. James considers the work of important organisations, such as the Artist's Placement Group in the 1960s and 70s, and the activity of Project Artworks, whose nomination for this year's Turner Prize is a tribute to 20 years of work that identifies a crossing point between art, care, and social activism.
This story, which might seem peripheral to the mainstream, is in fact one that looks deep into the qualities of the society that we might seek to live in. James Fox is our guide through a complex creative maze.
Producers: Lyndon Jones & Bella Kerr
Made by BBC Wales for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2021.
ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 3 (320kbs-m4a/318mb/2hrs18mins) BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 20th July to 17th August 2024
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle begins a new series of rail journeys.
Alexei's mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers, in a quest for conversations with strangers that will reveal their lives, thoughts, dreams and destinations.
Along the way, Alexei holds a finger into the wind of the interests of the great British travelling public. There's hilarity, humour, sadness and surprise as people talk about what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also delves into his own personal stories of a childhood in Liverpool and a long career as a comedian, actor and author.
Alexei has a life-long ticket to ride in his DNA, as his father was a railway guard. As a child, Alexei travelled on trains with his mum and dad, not only in the UK but also abroad. While other children in Liverpool at the time thought a trip to Blackpool was a big adventure, Alexei travelled to Paris, experienced the Orient Express, had summer holidays in Czechoslovakia and visited mysterious cities with unpronounceable names in the farthest corners of Europe.
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle begins a new series of rail journeys with a trip from Nottingham to the seaside town of Skegness.
In this programme, Alexei meets Leyla and Cecelia who are off to Skegness to spend an 80s weekend packed with bands from the golden era of their youth; Ashton, who has bought a caravan to live in and is working at a seaside bar; Karen and Donna, who are seaside bound too, with Karen having her hen party after deciding to finally get married following 20 years of being engaged; Rick and Dawn who are part of the army of volunteers who adopt railway stations and care for them; Fabian, who is now at Nottingham university, and reflecting on how his life is different after leaving his small Lincolnshire home town and his childhood friends - and as a keen film buff is astonished when Alexei reveals that he has acted in a Steven Spielberg film; and James, who tells Alexei that working on the railway changed his life.
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle continues his rail journeys across the country with a trip from London to the ancient cathedral city of Hereford.
In this programme, Alexei by chance bumps into his old friend, comedian and author David Baddiel who is off to the Hay Festival. He also meets: Deborah and David who are psychologists from San Antonio in Texas on a walking holiday; Stewart, who teaches computer science in a London school and is on his way to a tech festival; Kashmini and Lara, who met on the internet and decided to meet up in real life; ‘Collie' from Australia who travels the world under the alias Collie – short for ‘Cauliflower' – the name he is known by on Twitter; author James who has become something of an expert on fermented food and is travelling with a very large and slightly smelly container of Kimchi; and Angela and her mother Kathleen who surprises Alexei with her stories of life on the road with her Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle continues his rail journeys across the country with a trip from Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, northwards on the coastal route to Aberdeen.
In this programme, Alexei meets Irene and Marie, two old friends who share a love of owning horses. Irene has severe eyesight problems and they are on their way for her treatment appointment. Despite this, Irene still rides as she says her horse always knows the way. Marie tells Alexei of the unexpected pregnancy of the horse she recently bought and how all her colleagues at the hospital where she works were avidly following the new foal's birth.
Alexei also meets: David, who is on his way to chair an adoption panel and, remarkably, remembers dancing with Alexei at a party in the 1980s; Lottie and Miriren, two girls on a shopping trip to Aberdeen with their parents, who surprise Alexei by telling him they never watch television; Fathia, who is originally from Tunisia and loves Scotland but still has problems with the weather and is scared of snow; David, an academic, who has just written a book interpreting religious art; Will and Rob, who moved away from Aberdeen to a quiet village nearby because their dog didn't like the busy city; and Sheila, who introduces Alexei to Doric, the local dialect of north-east Scotland.
And, on his coastal journey by train, Alexei also passes through the town which lays claim to being the birthplace of the deep fried Mars bar.
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle travels by train across the stunning countryside of Northern Ireland from Belfast to Londonderry.
In this programme, Alexei meets Robert who is on a trip to Londonderry to explore its history with his family. Robert tells Alexei how, at age 15 after he left school with no qualifications, his father took him to be interviewed by a local butcher for his first job. Now on the verge of retiring age he looks back on spending his whole working life as a butcher, work he disliked at first but grew to love as the local butcher in a close knit community Alexei also meets Sheri and Howard from Florida who spend many months each year travelling the world; William and Heather, who tell Alexei how Belfast has become a hugely successful tourist destination: Gabriel and Kate who are visiting a relative in hospital after a major operation - with Kate describing how she is one of the many cross border workers who live in the Republic but work and pay taxes in Northern Ireland- and Judith and Lisa who are married with a young son and feel they are part of a new future for their country.
Comedy icon Alexei Sayle takes his final trip in this series of train journeys across Gt. Britain as he travels from London to Berwick on Tweed.
In this programme, Alexei meets ex-teacher Christina, who is returning to Yorkshire after being scared of taking on such a long journey to London - especially the perils of travelling on the underground - but happily found a knight in shining armour to help her at King's Cross station. Alexei also meets train manager Steven who, apart from working on the railway, has carved out a budding career as a playwright; Sally, who spent 24 years in the Army and now works as a philanthropy manager helping a leading cancer charity to raise money for its work; Rahul and Priya, who are heading for Scotland on a short break sightseeing - and tasting whiskey and chocolate; Philomena and Mark who describe the delights of their home town of Dunbar to Alexei; Meg, who was at the start of the computer revolution, demonstrating and programming some of the first office computers; and Gemma who works on the railway, but also has a passion for beauty pageants.
In this episode, he travels from London to Blackpool.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Michael, who is on his way to a major international dance competition at the Winter Gardens Ballroom in Blackpool, with his first ever invitation to be a judge.
* Julie and Sarah who are out on a trip and determined to have fun, including turning the tables on Alexei and deciding they will interview him - with very surprising results.
* The woman who runs the most famous fleet of trams in the country, which has been carrying holidaymakers along Blackpool's seafront since 1885.
In this episode, he travels from Shrewsbury to Pwllheli on the Cambrian coast line.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Barry, an old school friend from Liverpool
* Denise, who has been given an extraordinary set of directions in order to deal with the complex arrangements for her holiday
* Geoff, who on a whim, decided to buy one of the UK's oldest cinemas, in a tiny Welsh seaside town
* Isabel, who is off to monitor dolphins
* Margaret, who has been going to the same spot on the Cambrian coast for her holiday every year for more than 50 years - and now her extended family is following the same tradition.
In this episode, he travels through Devon and Cornwall from Exeter to Newquay.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Finn who has swapped his job at Nandos for a life in the Royal Navy looking after helicopters
* Andrew who is about to run up the Cornish coastal path to meet his girlfriend who is running down it the other way
* Paula and James who share a love of music, especially in Paula's case, the harpsichord
* Julian who has just returned from being a volunteer crew member on an historic Brixham trawler
* Eta and Rowan who are both determined travellers and tell Alexei of a visit to Chernobyl - while Alexei surprises them with his own very unusual insight into the historic city of Petra in Jordan.
In this episode, he travels north to south across Wales from Llandudno to Cardiff.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Mags, Karen, Anne and Nicky who call themselves the 'cycling widows' and are determined to enjoy themselves while their partners are off on two wheels somewhere
* 16 year-olds Isaac and Finlay are aspiring footballers and share their dreams with Alexei of one day playing in the Premier League and for their country
* Dewi is travelling to a retreat for help with his mental health problems
* Sarah and David surprise Alexei with their tales of long distance rail travel – including a trip on the Trans-Siberian Express fuelled only by pot noodles and vodka and thousands of miles in India in second class carriages meeting some of the 23 million people who take a train there every day.
ALEXEI SAYLE'S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN: SERIES 1 (320kns-m4a/378mb/2hrs45mins) BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 10th July to 14th August 2022
Author, actor and comedy icon, Alexei Sayle begins his travels across the country by rail in the first of a new six part series for Radio 4.
Alexei's mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers in a quest for conversations that reveal their lives, hopes, dreams and destinations. There's humour, sadness and surprise as people talk about what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also tells stories and memories from his career and childhood.
Alexei has a lifelong "ticket to ride" in his DNA. His father was a railway guard and the Sayle family benefitted from free travel in the UK and across Europe. As a boy, Alexei and his family roamed far and wide from the family home in Anfield, Liverpool. At a time when most people thought an exciting trip by train was to Brighton or Blackpool, Alexei travelled thousands of miles to mysterious towns with unpronounceable names in far flung corners of the continent.
In each programme in the series, Alexei embarks on a rail journey, taking a chance on who he might meet and inviting them to have a conversation with him.
Producers Peter Lowe and Nick Symons A Ride production for Radio 4
In this first episode, Alexei travels from Cardiff to Portsmouth. Among his many fellow travellers, he meets David who looks after tunnels for a living, Tess who speaks Russian and Ukrainian and has been trained to drive a tank, and technician Megan from the National Oceanography Centre who, while many of us might be daunted by trying to deal with a leaking washing machine, loves fixing things and takes on the maintenance of mass spectrometers as part of the centre's work on climate change.
In this episode, Alexei travels from London to Glasgow and meets Roshny and Sharon, on holiday from Indonesia, who have just fulfilled a lifetime's dream of watching Liverpool play at Anfield. He also talks to Laurence who has been to his public speaking club which he joined to overcome his extreme shyness and Kirsty who has lived most of her life on a sheep farm overlooking the stunningly beautiful Holy Loch in Argyll and Bute.
In this episode, Alexei travels from Bristol to Penzance and meets Bert, a Cornish Bard, Marissa and Leanne who have travelled the world working on cruise liners, Angela who for many years ran one of Cornwall's most famous and historic pubs, and Astra who is learning the ropes at circus school.
In this episode, Alexei travels from Manchester to Bournemouth and meets Moira who, as a dedicated Manchester City fan, has sky blue hair, sky blue clothes and even a sky blue house. He also talks to Jean who has been to visit a lifelong friend who worked alongside her as a psychiatric nurse, Steven and Simon who are both accountants but spend their leisure time travelling the world together to go to top music gigs, and rail enthusiast and veteran record producer Pete Waterman on one of his thousands of trips on the west coast line.
In this episode, Alexei travels from London to Holyhead and meets Alex who is an actor and musician on his way to perform in a musical in Llandudno, Elaine who has been to London to visit her two very eccentric aunts, Jessica, an organisational psychologist whose work involves helping people discover what they really want to do in life, and Stephany who has just celebrated her 20 year service award as a customer service assistant on the railway and tells Alexei of her meeting with two of her most famous customers - Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Alexei Sayle takes another train journey and breaks the golden rule of travelling by train in the UK - by actually talking to his fellow passengers.
In this episode, he travels from Hull to Liverpool.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Oscar who hopes to become a barrister specialising in human rights cases.
* Nick and Rachel who've taken up a more simple life after Nick's stressful career as a consulting engineer working on huge projects like the Shard in London
* Mother and daughter Jill and Isobel reveal how their lives have changed after they both lived through the Ariana Grande concert bombing in Manchester.
Alexei Sayle takes a train journey and breaks the golden rule of travelling by train in the UK - he actually talks to his fellow passengers.
On a journey from Birmingham to Edinburgh, he shares their funny and moving moments, their favourite jokes, their tales of weddings, work, funerals and holidays, and explores the lives of strangers by simply asking the questions that we might want answered - if only we were there too.
Along with the unplanned conversations, Alexei gives us his reaction to everything he can see as it passes his carriage window. Perhaps it's the stunning coastline north of Newcastle or the remains of Britain's industrial heritage as he chugs through the Midlands. After all, there must be a little bit of Alexei's DNA devoted to the railways - his father was a railway guard and Alexei travelled thousands of miles by train as a child.
Character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry, featuring old favourites like Deakus (musing about Covid from his care home) and Brixton-based DJ Delbert Wilkins, who's with his mate Winston talking about homeschooling.
There's also new characters such as Mr Stone, the former Special Forces operative-turned-teacher, and paranoid Aaron, who sees crime everywhere. And there's an outtake from the Repair Shop, an appeal by parents who have been cancelled by their kids, and a debut from Northern grime artist The Yorkshire Moor, rapping about lockdown.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres, Llewella Gideon, Freya Parker, and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Tasha Dhanraj, Kim Fuller, Benjamin Partridge and Nathan Roberts.
Music by Lawrence Insula, with Lockdown based on an original song, Shutdown by Skepta.
Another helping of character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry - including Gideon de Witt, the politician who can never answer a question straight, Mr Stone, the former Special Forces operative-turned-teacher, and paranoid Aaron, who sees crime everywhere.
There's also the trailer for a gritty new Netflix movie that's heaven sent and more from Deakus discussing British-ness, while Delbert and Winston talk racist statues, and there's another song from Northern grime artist The Yorkshire Moor, this time celebrating all things Northern.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres, Freya Parker, and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Tasha Dhanraj, Kim Fuller and Benjamin Partridge.
Another helping of character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry, including more from Delbert and Winston who discuss getting out into the countryside after lockdown.
We also hear from Cecilia and Barrington, two elderly Jamaican friends, and about a new TV show Britain's Next Great Occultist. There's more adventures from Gavin Stone, the Special Forces soldier-turned-teacher, and we meet Paul and Madison, who run Brixton's best black studies book shop - if only it wasn't so close to Waterstone's.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres, Llewella Gideon, Freya Parker and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Tasha Dhanraj, Kim Fuller, Athena Kugblenu, and Benjamin Partridge.
Another helping of character-based sketch comedy for modern times from Lenny Henry.
There's more from Paul's Brixton Bibliotheque, Batman learns how to be woke, Deakus talks about his kids and how he met Claudette, and we go into space to meet new character Tyrone who's just trying not to be the black guy who gets killed first on every time.
Also, there's highlights from music podcast Vinyl's Great No Matter What My Ex-Wife Says, which features an interview with famous blues musician Charlie Johnson III, and the first instalment from outrageous Jamaican gameshow Box Mi Down, where contestants have to answer questions correctly or else get, well, boxed down.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Athena Kugblenu and Kim Fuller.
Another helping of character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry, this time including more from outrageous Jamaican gameshow Box Mi Down, hosted by the great Glenroy Livingstone.
We're back in space to see if Tyrone can stop himself getting killed again. Delbert and Winston are back on the Brixton Broadcasting Co-operative to discuss celebrities they nearly met and there's more from bookseller Paul's Brixton Bibliotheque. Also, we drop in on Raheim X Davies's art history audioguide.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Kim Fuller and Michael Odewale.
Another dose of character-based sketch comedy from Lenny Henry, including more from Paul and his Brixton-based black studies bookshop.
Tyrone is still in Space desperately trying not to get killed, Glenroy Livingstone has more outrageous antics from his Jamaican game show Box Mi Down, and we meet new character Nick, a bouncer who can't get used to letting anyone in.
Also, Theophilus P Wildebeeste is back from retirement - but this time the P stands for "progressive".
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Gemma Arrowsmith, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Tasha Dhanraj and Nathan Roberts.
"Music may go or come but almost always it is African."
Gambian musician Moses Biama is invited to London to make an album with fading English rock star, Frank.
But the recording doesn't work out the way Frank has planned...
Starring Lenny Henry and Bill Nighy.
Annie Caulfield's comedy drama about cultural cross purposes and the Music Industry.
Moses .... Lenny Henry Frank .... Bill Nighy Moses's Brother .... Curtis Walker Binta .... Joy Elias-Rilwan Fatima .... Donna Croll Tara .... Joanna Myers Jack .... James Greene Journalist .... Mark Straker
Music composed by Dominique Le Gendre.
Music played by Trevor Francis, Amadou Saho and Chuku Modo.
Lenny Henry travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to tell the story of August Wilson, contemporary America's greatest black playwright.
When Lenny won the London Critics' Circle award for best-actor in August Wilson's 'Fences', many admitted they knew little about this great black playwright, whose work brought the lives of working-class Pittsburgh African Americans to Broadway and across the USA.
Although at his untimely death in 2005, Wilson had been living for many years on the west coast in Seattle, his plays and his soul had long remained in the east, in the venerable old steel town of Pittsburgh where he was born and grew up.
Lenny travels to the city of three rivers and many bridges, now slowly recovering from post-industrial gloom, to visit the old, multiracial Hill District, where August lived as a child, and whose geography and characters run through his plays like the Allegheny River through the city.
In a sequence of ten plays, known as the 'Pittsburgh Cycle', Wilson charts the stories of black Americans across ten decades of the 20th century. Vibrant, real, yet filled with the original African rhythms and spirit that the playwright believed should underpin and shape his works, these plays are a magisterial account.
At the now semi-derelict childhood home, Lenny meets surviving members of Wilson's family, and encounters those who knew and loved him, like Sala Udin, who helped Wilson in the 1970s set up a powerful black theatre group to tell the stories of the Hill's residents.
DICK CLEMENT & IAN LA FRENAIS - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE LIKELY LADS? (320kbs-m4a/824mb/5hrs57mins) BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 18th April to 11th July 2022
Starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes.
Created and scripted for BBC TV by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
Producer: John Browell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July/August/September/October 1975.
Best mates Bob and Terry haven't spoken for 7 years.
So there's a lot to catch up on when they bump into each other on a train heading back north.
Adapted for BBC Radio by Patrick Tilley.
Terry Collier ...... James Bolam Bob Ferris ...... Rodney Bewes Thelma Chambers ...... Brigit Forsyth Lady on Train ...... Lois Daine Barman ...... Peter Whitman
Originally lost from the archive, the audio was provided by BBC producer Stan Was.
On the day of a big England football match, Bob takes Terry to the hairdressers for a long overdue restyle.
Adapted for BBC Radio by Patrick Tilley.
Terry Collier .... James Bolam Bob Ferris .... Rodney Bewes Flint .... George Layton Audrey .... Sheila Fearn Gary .... Brian Godfrey The Vicar .... Donald Gee Rita/The Barmaid .... Jo Beadle
Originally lost from the archive, the audio was recovered in a BBC Treasure Hunt.
Terry Collier .... James Bolam Bob Ferris .... Rodney Bewes Susan Chambers .... Anita Carey Mrs Ferris .... Barbara Ogilvie Norma .... Brenda Cavendish Waiter .... Anthony Smee
Originally lost from the archive, the audio was recovered in a BBC Treasure Hunt.
Terry helps stressed Bob prepare for his wedding to Thelma.
Adapted for BBC Radio by John Browell.
Terry Collier .... James Bolam Bob Ferris .... Rodney Bewes Thelma Chambers .... Brigit Forsyth Mrs Chambers .... Jo Hickson Mr Chambers .... Bill Owen Susan .... Anita Carey Shop Assistant .... Robin Parkinson
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