Showing results by narrator "Andrew Sachs" in All Categories

Frank is a funny chick. Unlike all his brothers and sisters, he wants to dabble about in the lovely duck pond, splashing himself with water. Most of all, he wants to learn to swim. Can Jemima, the farmer’s daughter, find a way to help Frank? All he thinks about are webbed feet, waterproof feathers, and the cool water of the pond. So when Frank takes a dip and nearly drowns, his mood turns foul. Luckily, he gets a little human help - in the form of a man-made wet suit and a pair of flippers - and soon he’s the speediest bird in the water.

Peter is a young boy, living on a farm. One day, whilst out doing chores for his father, he comes across a strange white stick floating in the stream. He reaches out and catches it - and finds an exciting new friend in the process. Ninnyhammer is the local village simpleton, but Peter knows there's more to him than that - he's a magician and the white stick is his magic wand. Ninnyhammer is so grateful that he starts to help Peter and his family with their struggling farm. But Peter wants to do something for Ninnyhammer in return.

Quasimodo is abandoned as a baby on the steps of Notre Dame. He becomes a bell-ringer there, but in order to hide his grotesque features he spends his life virtually imprisoned in a tower. While there, he becomes obsessed by Esmerelda, a gipsy who dances in the square below. A tragic and moving tale.

'If only that horrible cat didn't live here!' When Beaumont Robinson, an inquisitive young mouse, is nearly killed by the cat, his family decide there is only one thing to do. They must emigrate! And so they all set out on a midnight adventure to find a new house."

Captain, Ladybird and Herbert – two Shire horses and a Suffolk Punch – are not pleased when Jenny, a retired seaside donkey, arrives at the Old Horses' Home. It's supposed to be a home for horses, and they don't want to share their field with a common little donkey. Then rustlers are spotted in the area: thieves who like nothing better than to steal horses and ship them abroad – to be made into horse pie! Can Jenny and her friends save the huge heavy horses?

Farmer Skint and his family have fallen on hard times at Woebegone Farm until their goose lays a golden egg. With the birth of Joy the Golden Goose, the fortune of the Skint family begins to change. But what will happen when people find out about their golden-feathered friend? How long can they keep Joy a secret?

Andrew Sachs stars in this BBC Radio 4 'Afternoon Play' about painter Edward Lear. The Need for Nonsense was originally broadcast on 9 February 2009, and repeated on 17 January 2011.

Julia Blackburn's play captures the warm, heartfelt, and comic story of the Victorian poet and painter Edward Lear's lifelong friendship with his eccentric Greek servant, Giorgio, who inspired him to address the painful truths in his life while making us laugh.

Having lost her husband and only child to the war in Afghanistan, a young woman turns to an Irish couple for hope in the form of a miracle. But dark forces are at work, and the price to pay for salvation may be too much to bear.

Rosa's grandfather has a special song for every occasion, and even a special one to stop Rosa from being scared of the dark. In Rosa's Grandfather Sings Again, they go to the zoo, to the seaside, and to a carol concert.

Hezekiah is a very hairy camel. He lives a quiet life in his enclosure at the zoo and seems to be the only animal without a friend. So Hezekiah decides to escape, and breaks into a safari park! There he meets another hairy character – and finally makes a friend.

A thoroughly modern tale of politics, spin-doctoring, and media manipulation. As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman - blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way.

Set in 1482, Victor Hugo's powerful novel of imagination, caprice, and fantasy is a meditation on love, fate, architecture, and politics, as well as a compelling recreation of the medieval world at the dawn of the modern age. In a brilliant reworking of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, Hugo creates a host of unforgettable characters, amongst them Quasimodo, the hunchback of the title, hopelessly in love with the gypsy girl Esmeralda; satanic priest Claude Frollo; Clopin Trouillefou, king of the beggars; and Louis XI.

Chuck is a whippet. A very nervous whippet, who's scared of almost everything; paper bags, pigeons and of course cats (even the little fluffy ones). Some people say Chuck's a wimpet, not a whippet, and Mum keeps pretending she's going to give her away, but Danielle knows better.

This hilarious full-cast series reveals the afterlife of some famous characters from children's fiction. George from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five reflects on her life - and reveals the fate of other members of the adventurous group of children - Julian, Dick, Anne and their dog Timmy. Cinderella's siblings speak out, giving their version of what happened after the ball, and the naive, golden-haired, Little Lord Fauntleroy is revealed as a grown-up, evil scoundrel.