After leaving the British Army, Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Shoreham became a Consultant Subject Matter Expert: he creates war games for training purposes.
Fictional they may be, but the higher the level of authenticity, the greater their value to the participants. And when governments and major corporations are paying for training they expect a high return for their money.
The games may only be a simulation, but the participants are about to find out that the consequences are rather more real than they would like.
Starring Tim Woodward as Bradley Shoreham, with casts including Lloyd Hutchinson, Bill Paterson and Harriet Walter.
A gritty thriller set behind the Iron Curtain in 1960s Hungary
Budapest, 1964. Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár and his wife, spymaster Franciska Lázár, face formidable challenges as they try to navigate a path through the dangerous underworld of Cold War-era Hungary. Catching the criminals is difficult enough, but there are other more threatening battles raging in higher places.
In these eight episodes, Bertalan prepares to fight a turf war as he tries to find a child killer, investigates a seemingly straightforward case of GBH that leads him to a rogue cop, and enters the uncharted territory of Budapest's underground drugs scene after a rock musician is found dead.
His life is further complicated by the return of his old nemesis, Tibor Farkas, and soon both he and Franciska find themselves in the firing line as the corrupt cop turns his sights on them...
Written by Philip Palmer, this gripping, atmospheric drama expertly conjures up the tense, paranoid world of Communist Hungary, where dissidence was dangerous, the truth was hard to find and pursuing justice could get you killed. Leo Bill stars as Bertalan and Clare Corbett as Franciska, with Andy Linden as Tibor Farkas.
The episodes in this collection are:
Gellert Hill
Spider's Web
Carnaby Street
Gypsy Dancers
Grandmother's Footsteps
Mad Dog
The Light of Dawn
The Great Society
Produced and directed by Toby Swift and Sasha Yevtushenko
Cast
Bertalan Lázár - Leo Bill
Franciska Lázár - Clare Corbett
József Szabados - Joseph Ayre
Dmitri Dragunov - Simon Scardifield
Márk Mészáros - Michael Bertenshaw
András Vásáry - David Hounslow
Priest/Copper - Christopher Harper
Gyuri Varg/Fabenyi/Police officer/Partygoer - Kenny Blyth
Dorina Varga - Helen Clapp
Ministry official/Police officer/Drug dealer/Partygoer - Chris Pavlo
Hanna Krivosik - Franchi Webb
Zsófia/Nurse 1 - Sarah Ovens
Tibor Farkas - Andy Linden
PuŠomori Žiga - Debbie Korley
Nurse 2/Receptionist - Susan Jameson
Gyozo Novak - Carl Prekopp
Florian Hevesi - Luke Nunn
Sandor Boros - Stephen Greif
Pathologist - Jane Whittenshaw
Cop/Detective - Stefan Adegbola
Mother - Emma Handy
Kulcsar - Roger Ringrose
Draskovic - Ewan Bailey
Billiards player/Prison officer - Ian Dunnett Jnr
Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár returns in Philip Palmer's crime drama set in communist Hungary in 1963. Fighting the criminals is hard enough but there are other more sinister battles raging in higher places.
Hungary, 1963. Soviet investigators are determined to find the mole in the Ministry. Archivist Franciska Lázár finds herself in their sights as her detective husband investigates what becomes a brutal murder case. Scores are being settled in Philip Palmer's Cold War detective drama.
Philip Palmer's detective drama is set in communist Hungary in 1963. A former member of the despised secret police has been found brutally murdered. Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár must find his killer but not all his colleagues share his zeal.
Three lively retellings of Daniel Defoe's classic novels, plus two bonus programmes about his extraordinary life and far-reaching influence.
Robinson Crusoe and his Farther Adventures
An imaginative blend of the famous castaway tale and its lesser-known sequel, this thrilling drama sees Crusoe setting sail for the far north. Facing danger in the Siberian wastes, he keeps terror at bay by telling his companions campfire tales of his many adventures on his beloved island. Starring Tim McInnerney as Crusoe.
Moll Flanders
When Daniel Defoe meets Elizabeth Atkins in Newgate jail, she recounts her stranger-than-fiction story of a rags-to-riches life that took her from prostitution to prosperity - but culminated in destitution. Inspired, Defoe mixes fact and fiction to re-invent her as one of his most engaging characters: Moll Flanders. Starring Ben Miles as Defoe and Jessica Hynes as Elizabeth Atkins.
A Journal of the Plague Year
Writing a fictional journal of the Great Plague of 1665, Defoe soon comes to be haunted by the characters he is conjuring. Starring Ben Miles as Defoe.
This exciting new collection of reinvented tales will also include two bonus programmes about Daniel Defoe himself:
Defoe: Merchant, Writer, Convict, Spy by Philip Palmer - A biographical drama about Defoe's life, starring Ben Miles as Defoe and Niamh Cusack as his wife Mary.
Defoe: The Facts and Fictions - A documentary by Mark Lawson, exploring the far-reaching influence of the pioneering author.
A prolific writer for film, television and theater, Philip Palmer delivers an SF thriller that rockets along from blistering start to fiery conclusion. A juggernaut striking fear into the hearts of planets that fall within its path, the Hell Ship mercilessly slaughters innocents as it travels through space, amassing slaves. But one slave, Sharrock, refuses to accept his shackles-and his cause is soon to be boosted by Jak, who's following the ship and determined to destroy it for its crimes.
All five episodes of the Radio 4 full-cast detective drama written by Philip Palmer. Originally broadcast as the 'Woman's Hour' drama during the week commencing 22 June 2009. The story takes place in the present day, and centres on notorious art forger Daniel Ballantyne, newly released from prison but now dying, who is telling his life's story to an art critic and journalist, Jessica Brown, to help her write a book about forgery. But Jessica soon comes face to face with the darker side of the art world and finds herself trapped in a game of cat-and-mouse, in which her reputation, and her life, are in jeopardy. Starring David Schofield as Daniel Ballantyne and Indira Varma as Jessica Brown. Also featuring Matt Addis, Jonathan Keeble, Belinda Lang, John Biggins, Malcolm Tierney, Philip Fox and Benjamin Askew. Directed by Toby Swift. WARNING: this recording contains scenes which some listeners may find disturbing.
