Showing results for "Thomas" in Drama & Plays

A rare collection of vintage radio dramas from the renowned Ulster poet, plus bonus documentary Born in Belfast in 1907, Louis MacNeice wrote some of the most beautiful and best-loved poetry of the 20th century. But he was also one of the BBC’s most innovative writers and producers, scripting...

Thomas H. Huxley, an English biologist and essayist, was an advocate of the theory of evolution and a self-proclaimed agnostic. A talented writer, his essays helped to popularize science in the 19th century, and he is credited with the quote, "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." In The Advance of Science in the Last Half Century, he presents a summary of the major developments in Physics, Chemistry and Biology during the period 1839-1889 and their impact on society, within the historical context of philosophical thought and scientific inquiry going back to ...

A spirited factory worker on a mission. A nerdy manager with a propensity for puzzles. An unexpected adventure. Charmingly British and off-beat, Miscellaneous 0125 is a story about following your dreams, healing past traumas, and the joy of truly being understood.

Step into the vibrant world of Elizabethan London with The Shoemakers Holiday, a delightful play penned by Thomas Dekker and first brought to life in 1599 by the Admirals Men. This enchanting city comedy reveals the trials and tribulations of aristocrat Rowland Lacy, who finds himself smitten with the middle-class Rose Oateley. However, their love faces fierce opposition from both Roses father and Rowlands uncle due to their differing social standings and Rowlands reckless ways. In a bid to prove his worth, Rowland cleverly avoids military service by disguising himself as Hans, a Dutch ...

Arthur Miller’s most famous play, Death of a Salesman, has become a key text in Western literature. This unusually powerful recording, made for radio in 1953, was directed by Elia Kazan who premiered the play. It features Thomas Mitchell and Arthur Kennedy as father and son. Willy, a travelling salesman, based in New York, relentlessly chases material success.

Eleven years a drunkard by Thomas Doner. Eleven years a drunkard, or, The life of Thomas Doner: having lost both arms through intemperance, he wrote this book with his teeth as a warning to others. He tells of the shame, misery and pain which alcohol brought on him, and will bring to anyone whosoever be tempted by the pleasant feeling it produces at the time of drinking. It doesn't bring one home to shelter but drives them away. It leads one to forget the evil it brings and tempts one to pursue more for the pleasant feeling it produces. This "pleasant feeling" produces many murderers in our...

Explore the haunting beauty of Thomas Manns Death in Venice, a poignant tale that interweaves themes of desire, art, and the fragility of life. Follow the journey of a writer who becomes captivated by a young boy during a fateful summer in Venice, leading to profound revelations about love, beauty, and mortality.

What Happens at Night is a cinematic audio horror drama anthology for the ones who know the world isn't as simple as it looks. Hosted by the mysterious "K," each episode is a self-contained journey into the heart of the unknown. We deconstruct urban legends, dive into high-stakes cryptid encounters, and explore the haunting reality of karmic justice. By Thomas Alexander

True Grit: Beyond the Character is where we step beyond the scenes of True Grit Roleplay set in 1896 to break down character arcs, how True Grit came to be, honest relationship advice, and occasionally crack open our book of cold case murder mysteries. We mix grit, storytelling, and real friendship all over a cup of hot chocolate. Because in True Grit, it’s never just roleplay. It’s family. Join Our Discord For Updates! https://discord.gg/QBbCd5R9YY

Immerse yourself in the world of Sir Thomas More, a captivating Elizabethan play collaboratively crafted by Anthony Munday and others, which intricately explores the life and tragic fate of the renowned statesman. Preserved in a singular manuscript housed at the British Library, this work is remarkable not only for its historical significance but also for the tantalizing possibility that three pages bear the handwriting of William Shakespeare himself. The play unfolds in 17 episodic scenes, weaving together the true and legendary events of Mores life, and highlights the dynamic nature of ...

Ashton-Kirk, Investigator by John Thomas McIntyre. Ashton-Kirk, who has solved so many mysteries, is himself something of a problem even to those who know him best. Although young, wealthy, and of high social position, he is nevertheless an indefatigable worker in his chosen field. He smiles when men call him a detective. "No; only an investigator," he says. He has never courted notoriety; indeed, his life has been more or less secluded. However, let a man do remarkable work in any line and, as Emerson has observed, "the world will make a beaten path to his door." Those who have found ...

The story of Tess Durbeyfield, the most tragic of Thomas Hardy's heroines. Adapted by Alan Sharp for BBC Radio 4. John Durbeyfield (Keith Barron) learns that he is descended from the aristocratic Norman family of d'Urbervilles. He encourages his daughter, Tess (Claire Rushbrook), to befriend the...

Dive into Thomas Middletons riveting 17th-century tragedy, where passion intertwines with deceit in a tale filled with adultery, incest, intrigue, and revenge. Leantios desperate elopement with Bianca sets off a chain of events that threaten not only their love but also their very lives. The Duke, captivated by Biancas beauty, poses a dire threat to Leantios newfound happiness. Meanwhile, the cunning widow Livia revels in the chaos, orchestrating schemes to fulfill her desires and manipulate her family ties. As the plot unfolds, even Livia finds herself ensnared by love. The play culminates in...

Step into the dark and chilling world of A Yorkshire Tragedy Not So New as Lamentable and True (1619), which recounts the harrowing story of Walter Calverly. In April 1605, Calverly committed a horrific act, stabbing his wife and taking the lives of his two young sons. This recording draws from the second quarto, credited to William Shakespeare on its title page, and is based on a transcription of the 1619 quarto held at the Boston Public Library. Students from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth brought this text to life in the fall of 2013 during their English 422 seminar on ...

When the bad bleeds, then is the tragedy good. The Revengers Tragedy is a gripping Jacobean drama that delves into the dark depths of revenge. Centered on Vindici, a man driven by vengeance after the brutal murder of his beloved at the hands of the Duke, the play unfolds as he enlists his brother Hippolito to execute a plan not only against the Duke but also against his corrupt Duchess, who is entangled in an affair with her stepson, Spurio. The Duke’s sons—Lussurioso (Lust), Ambitioso (Ambition), and Supervacuo (Excess)—are also targets of Vindicis wrath. First published anonymously in ...

Considered one of the greatest tragic novels in English literature, TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES (1891) tells the poignant tale of a pure woman ensnared by the rigid constraints of conventional morality and its stark opposites. Set in the picturesque region between Berkshire and Dorset in the fictional county of Wessex, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) masterfully weaves a narrative that exposes the harsh realities of late 19th-century rural life. Known for his controversial views, Hardy often challenged the strict Victorian moral code; his novel JUDE THE OBSCURE was even burned by the Bishop of ...

Join Margery, a spirited milkmaid, as she crosses paths with a mysterious foreigner on the brink of despair. In a twist of fate, she saves him from a tragic end, and in gratitude, he offers her any reward she desires. With dreams of attending a grand ball, Margery embarks on an unexpected journey to a yeomans ball in a neighboring county, where her life takes a turn filled with intrigue and emotion. Torn between her loyalty to a local lad and the whirlwind of new experiences, Margerys story unfolds in true Hardy fashion—where not everything concludes as one might hope. (Summary by Phil ...

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) is a poignant tragic novel by renowned English author Thomas Hardy, subtitled The Life and Death of a Man of Character. Set against the backdrop of the fictional town of Casterbridge—modeled after Dorchester in Dorset—the story unfolds in Hardys richly imagined Wessex. It follows a troubled young man who, in a moment of despair and intoxication, sells his wife and child to the highest bidder. Upon awakening sober the next day, he is filled with regret and vows to abandon alcohol in a desperate quest to reunite with his family. As he strives to rebuild his ...

Major BBC adaptations of Ford Madox Ford’s two most famous works, with stellar casts including Tom Goodman-Hill, Ruth Gemmell, Kyle Soller and Mark Bonnar A forgotten great of British fiction, Ford Madox Ford wrote over 80 books, founded two trailblazing literary journals and was a friend and...

Raunchy, risqué and rebellious, early Restoration comedies were a breath of fresh air for 17th century theatregoers. With Charles II restored to the throne in 1660, Oliver Cromwell's ban on stage performances was rescinded, and for the first time, women were invited to tread the boards as actresses. Playwrights developed a new style of social comedy, packed with amorous escapades, bawdy humour, wicked wit and sexual innuendo. This scintillating anthology showcases six leading lights of early Restoration drama.