The Trials of War
from archive.org
A collection of BBC Radio full cast dramas, spanning the period from the first World War to the present, and which explore the hardship, trials and costs resulting from human conflict.
The Ice Cream War
1914: as millions prepare for slaughter on the Western Front, a ridiculous array of British and German colonists in East Africa try to emulate their European counterparts and begin to choose sides.
Ench Von Bishop .... Nickolas Grace
Temple Smith .... William Hootkins
Felix Cobb .... Gerard Logan
Gabriel Cobb .... James Larkin
Charis Lavery/Cobb .... Rachel Atkins
Weech-Browning .... Nicholas Boulton
Liesl Von Bishop .... Danielle Allen
Mrs Cobb .... Diana Hoddinott
Major Cobb .... Colin Pinney
Dr Venables/ Coutts .... James Taylor
Eustada/ Mathilda .... Vivienne Rochester
Hyams/ Mr Essanjee .... Lyndam Gregory
Cyril .... Dominic Letts
Grevilk/ Bilderbecke .... Gareth Armstrong
Lt Gleeson .... Dominic Letts
Hammerstein .... Philip Anthony
Written by William Boyd
Dramatised by John Peacock.
Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1994
Journey's End
On the British front line at St Quentin, in 1918, a young military officer, fresh from school, finds himself facing the realities of war, and the tension and strain of life in the trenches.
Captain Stanhope .... Martin Jarvis
Osborne .... Garard Green
Trotter .... Kevin Brennan
Hibbert .... Michael Harbour
Raleigh .... Derek Seaton
Colonel .... Richard Hurndall
Sergeant Major .... John Bentley
Mason .... Malcolm Hayes
Hardy .... John Graham
German soldier .... Patrick Tull
Written by RC Sherriff
Adapted by Peter Watts
Directed by Christopher Venning
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1970.
A Fragile Peace
It's 10 November 1919 and Folkestone is preparing for the first Remembrance Day, and contemplating a new post-war world.
Florrie Wilson ..... Claire Rushbrook
Albert Wilson ..... Jamie Foreman
Kitty Lumley ..... Ami Metcalf
Victor Lumley ..... Joel MacCormack
Adam Wilson ..... Billy Kennedy
Jessie Moore ..... Lucy Hutchinson
Alice Macknade ..... Claire Louise Cordwell
Esme Macknade ..... Katie Angelou
Gabriel Graham ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Isabel Summer ..... Keely Beresford
Charles Summer ..... Rufus Wright
Ralph Winwood ..... Nick Murchie
Mrs Edkins ..... Rachel Davies
Bill Macknade ..... Ben Crowe
Norman Harris ..... Sean Baker
Marion Wardle ..... Laura Elphinstone
Edie Chadwick ..... Kathryn Beaumont
Written by Katie Hims
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2018
The Snow Goose
A wounded bird brings together a disfigured artist and a young girl and helps in a courageous act of bravery in the Second World War.
Philip Rhayader ..... Steven Mackintosh
Fritha ..... Georgia Groome
Mrs Farnes ..... Deborah Findlay
Storyteller ..... Sam Dale
Private Potton ..... Michael Shelford
Commander Brill-Oudener ..... Malcolm Tierney
Jock ..... David Seddon
Written by Paul Gallico
Dramatised by Nick Warburton
Directed by Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2010
Back Home
Rusty returns home to Britain after being evacuated to the United States during the Second World War. But she's reunited with a mother she doesn't recognise.
Rusty ...... Jessica Marshall-Gardiner
Peggy ...... Emily Richard
Beattie ...... Mary Wimbush
Charlie ...... George Allonby
Beth ...... Kelly Bright
Susie ...... Sasha Graff
Skeet ...... Jamie Darnton
Aunt Hannah ...... Jilly Bond
Mitch ...... Jonathan Keeble
Ivy Woods ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Movietone Announcer ...... Peter Donaldson
Van Driver ...... Michelle Magorian
Dramatised in four parts by Martin Jameson
Directed by David Hitchinson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1995
Fighting Over Beverley
A Yorkshire man belatedly flies to America 45 years on to reclaim the war bride taken from him by an American war hero.
Beverley .... Rosemary Harris
Archie .... Ian Carmichael
Cicily .... Elizabeth McGovern
Zelly .... Israel Horovitz
Written by Israel Horovitz
Directed by Ned Chaillet
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1997
The War After The War
Layla came back to the UK three months ago, missing a leg, her army career seemingly over, and her young life in tatters. Layla still needs physiotherapy and support, so she can't travel to India to be with her parents. Instead, Layla's come to stay with her grandfather Bernard, behind his bookshop. The last time he saw Layla was at Elsie's funeral, four years ago. She was 15 and he barely knew her.
Ziggy .... Joe Gaffney
Layla .... Natalie Davies
Bernard .... David Jason
Natalie .... Sian Gibson
Gruff .... Johnny Vegas
Tommo and Barry - Joe Ransom
District Nurse & Cally .... Jennifer Saayeng
Ida .... Eileen O'Brien
Written by Paul Coates
Produced by Sally Harrison
Directed by Johnny Vegas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2022
Shrapnel
Having escaped from a war-torn city, reporter Nadine assumes that she can handle anything. But in reality her mind remains trapped and under siege.
Nadine ..... Monica Dolan
Rafael .... Javier Marzan
Donna ..... Nicola Ferguson
Sofia ..... Sinead MacInnes
John ..... Ikky Elyas
Girl ..... Asiyah Williams
Written by Isabel Wright
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2022
- An Ice Cream War (133.8Mb)
- Journey's End (79.9Mb)
- A Fragile Peace (65.4Mb)
- The Snow Goose (50.4Mb)
- Back Home (104.5Mb)
- Fighting Over Beverley (81.9Mb)
- The War After The War (51.4Mb)
- Shrapnel (40Mb)
MP3 files hosted by archive.org.