Showing results by narrator "Simon Russell Beale" in All Categories

1940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, while the Germans continue their march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war. Into this uncertain world comes Harry Brett: a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned reluctant spy for the British Secret Service. Sent to gain the confidence of old school friend Sandy Forsyth, Harry finds himself involved in a dangerous game and surrounded by memories.

'Agatha Christie for kids' - a new mystery in the detective agency series brimming with mystery and magic by million-copy-selling author Sally Gardner. The detectives at Wings and Co are in a bit of a bother. There is a lost leprechaun on the loose, and carpets are flying all over the village of Podgy Bottom as if by magic. Oh, and, worst of all, Fidget the cat has vanished on VERY URGENT business. It looks like a tricky case for our fairy detectives....

You start with a vision, and you deliver a compromise. You want a play to be challenging, ambitious, nuanced and complicated. You also want it to sell tickets. You want to make art, and you know you're in show business. These are some of the balancing acts that the National Theatre and this book are about. This is the inside story of 12 years at the helm of Britain's greatest theatre. It is a story of lunatic failures and spectacular successes.

The legendary demise of Phil Archer's first wife is recalled in these archive editions of the much-loved BBC radio serial, plus a unique behind-the-scenes drama about Grace's death. The Archers is the longest-running radio drama in the world, and in 1955 the death of Grace Archer became one of the most notorious - and controversial - events in the history of the show.

Podgy Bottom is in trouble. All over town cars are being shrunk to the size of a matchbox in the blink of an eye; a giant purple bunny rabbit is running riot and a strange-looking broomstick is causing chaos and calamity.... Sounds like a case for Wings & Co, the famous fairy detective agency! Can Emily, Budget, and Fidget put a stop to this magical mischief before it's too late?

Meet the wonderful Avril Crump... Doughnut lover! Maverick scientist! And creator of the clones: Bonaparte, Eddy and Augustus the talking dog. Warning: this is a whizzy, ear-poppingly explosive story!

Eight more plays introduced for younger audiences, including Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter's Tale, Measure for Measure, and All's Well That Ends Well.

Crumble cakes! A red rogue wind is blowing, and a wicked pirate captain and his crew are marauding the Seven Seas near the island left off the map of the world. A rare egg has gone missing and a very unhappy sea dragon wants it back. A pirate ship, The Kettle Black, is anchored in a secret cove off the island left off the map of the world. Betsy and her mum, Myrtle the mermaid, must dive deep beneath the waves, while Alfonso Glory and Mr Tiger fly high above the clouds in a hot air balloon. It's time for Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Gongalongs to set off on their second adventure....