Audiobooks narrated by John L. Sessions

Arthur Conan Doyle: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: More stories from the author of Sherlock Holmes

BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of some of Arthur Conan Doyle's other works - plus extracts from his letters and a bonus drama by Bert Coules Arthur Conan Doyle is well known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, but he also wrote numerous works in which the great detective played no part. Included here are a selection of the best, ranging from science fiction to tales of supernatural terror and rip-roaring adventures set in Jacobean and Regency England. Our collection opens with the first of three dramas featuring the hot-tempered, larger-than-life scientist and explorer Professor Challenger. 'The Lost World' stars David Robb as Challenger, he heads on an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon Basin. Following this drama we have two further dramatisations starring Bill Paterson as Challenger this time. In 'When the World Screamed', he sets out on a bold mission to be recognised by Mother Earth, while 'The Disintegration Machine' sees him investigating dastardly Latvian inventor Theodore Nemor. 'The Captain of the Polestar' drama tells the chilling story of a ship trapped in the Arctic, and stars Alec Heggie as Craigie, a man haunted by a strange apparition. Also included are the short stories 'Playing With Fire', 'How It Happened', 'One Crowded Hour', 'The Fall of Lord Barrymore', 'The Sealed Room' and 'The Lost Special' (read by Edward de Souza, Sam Dale, Christopher Harper and David Schofield), and the fascinating series Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, in which Forbes Masson and John Dougal read extracts from his correspondence to his mother about marriage, fatherhood, killing off Holmes and going into politics. Finally, how the author ran for Parliament in 1900 and lost is explored in Bert Coules' biographical drama Vote For Conan Doyle!, starring John Sessions. First published 1883 ('The Captain of the Polestar'), 1898 ('The Sealed Room', 'The Lost Special'), 1900 ('Playing With Fire'), 1911 ('One Crowded Hour'), 1912 ('The Lost World'), 1912 ('The Fall of Lord Barrymore'), 1913 ('How It Happened'), 1928 ('When The World Screamed'), 1929 ('The Disintegration Machine'), Cast and credits Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Track list Dramatisations 1. Professor Challenger: The Lost World - Episode 1 - A Bridge to the Unknown 2. Professor Challenger: The Lost World - Episode 2 - Our Eyes Have Seen Great Wonders 3. Professor Challenger: When The World Screamed 4. Professor Challenger: The Disintegration Machine 5. The Captain of the Polestar Short Stories 6. Playing With Fire 7. How It Happened 8. One Crowded Hour 9. The Fall of Lord Barrymore 10. The Sealed Room 11. The Lost Special Bonus content 12. Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters 13. Vote for Conan Doyle! ©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Alec Heggie, Bill Paterson, David Robb, David Schofield, Full Cast, Jamie Glover, John L. Sessions, Sam Dale (Narrator)

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Beachcomber …..By the Way: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy

All 18 episodes of the BBC radio series based on J. B. Morton's surreally comic 'Beachcomber' column 'As schoolboys, my brother and I worshipped Beachcomber... and that led to the birth of The Goon Show' Spike Milligan J.B. Morton took over the 'By The Way' column in the Daily Express in 1924 - succeeding his friend D.B. Wyndham-Lewis as Beachcomber - and continued writing it for over 50 years. Anarchic, absurdist and profoundly influential, it had a huge cult following, and paved the way for a great deal of modern humour. These three series bring Beachcomber's irreverent jottings to hilarious life, with Richard Ingrams as the eponymous author: 'Greetings, my public', interruptions from John Wells as Prodnose: 'What is all this?', 'Begone, you oaf!' (door slams after Prodnose), and Patricia Routledge, John Sessions and Joan Sims as the notorious Twelve Red-Bearded Dwarves, among others. Also participating in the nonsense are silken-voiced announcer Brian Perkins and guest stars June Whitfield, Brian Bowles, Simon Greenall and Henrietta Gooden. Featuring Morton's familiar colourful characters, in all their larger-than life glory - including Dr Strabismus (whom God preserve) of Utrecht, Colonel Wretch, Mr Justice Cocklecarrot, Captain Foulenough, Lady Cabstanleigh, Lord Shortcake, Dingipoos, Carstairs and Big White - these 18 rib-tickling adventures perfectly recreate his wonderful, whimsical world. Production credits Adapted by Michael Barfield with Richard Ingrams Starring Richard Ingrams, John Wells, John Sessions, Patricia Routledge and Joan Sims With June Whitfield, Brian Bowles, Simon Greenall and Henrietta Gooden Announcer: Brian Perkins Producer: Harry Thompson First broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 18 March-22 April 1989 (Series 1), 13 July-17 August 1991 (Series 2), 9 November-14 December 1994 (Series 3) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

J.B. Morton (Author), Full Cast, Joan Sims, John L. Sessions, John Wells, June Whitfield, Patricia Routledge, Richard Ingrams (Narrator)

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Tumanbay: The Complete Series 1-4: The BBC Radio epic full-cast saga

An engrossing, expansive historical fantasy drama, inspired by the Mamluk slave dynasty of Egypt Tumanbay: the wealthiest city on earth. The beating heart of a vast empire. A city of dreams, where those who once arrived as slaves now hold power, and merchants, artists and warriors live side-by-side in peace. But this magnificent city is under threat. A rebellion in a far-off province, led by 'Queen' Maya, is gathering strength - and a mysterious force is devouring the empire from within. Gregor, a merciless spymaster and Master of the Palace Guard, is charged by Sultan Al-Ghuri to crush the insurgence, as his brother General Qulan is dispatched to quell the provincial insurrection. But as well as rooting out traitors, Gregor must contend with his arch-rival, the cunning Grand Vizier, Cadali. Meanwhile, Heaven, the 14-year-old daughter of slave merchant Ibn, is adrift at sea, captive to an escaped slave on whom she depends for her survival. Madu, the Sultan's spoilt nephew, also has to grow up quickly as he swaps palace life for the army... As the wheel of fate turns, Tumanbay's fortunes suffer a terrible reversal. Beset by plague, assassins, invasion, occupation and revolution, the once-great city is riven by political intrigue and power struggles. As rulers are toppled and tyrants fall, who will survive and thrive - and who will die? A Game of Thrones-style epic with the sweep of The Arabian Nights, this compelling story of love, revenge, betrayal and deception won the Best Audio Serial Gold Award at the New York Radio Festival. Among the impressive ensemble cast are Rufus Wright, Olivia Popica, Matthew Marsh, Alexander Siddig, John Sessions, Hiran Abeysekera, Aiysha Hart, Anton Lesser, Tara Fitzgerald, Enzo Cilenti and Rob Jarvis. Production credits Created by John Scott Dryden and Mike Walker and inspired by the Mamluk slave rulers of Egypt Written by John Scott Dryden, Mike Walker and Mac Rogers Directed by John Scott Dryden Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden Original music by Sacha Puttnam Additional music by Jon Ouin Sound Design: Steve Bond, Jon Ouin and Eloise Whitmore Sound Recording by Joe Richardson and Laurence Farr Sound Edited by James Morgan and Andrea Gomez Editors: Ania Przygoda and James Morgan A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4 © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

John Dryden, Mike Walker (Author), Alexander Siddig, Anton Lesser, Danny Ashok, Full Cast, John L. Sessions, Matthew Marsh, Nabil Elouahabi, Olivia Popica, Raad Rawi, Rufus Wright (Narrator)

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The Quanderhorn Collexion: The complete BBC Radio 4 sci-fi comedy

London, England, 1952. Meet the mercurial genius Professor Quanderhorn (James Fleet) - a maverick scientist with absolutely no moral compass. Join him and his rag-tag crew on their frontal-lobe-knotting escapades as they: · Battle insane hybrid creatures: the Gorrirrel and the Squirrilla, to the death! · Become Gods to a Stone Age tribe · Are engulfed in a Martian invasion of Earth · Escape shipwreck on the Moon in a spacecraft powered by anger · Evade multiple fiendish traps in the Alien Ziggurat of Death · Tussle with a Top Secret Parrot · Become terminally confused when they encounter their past selves in a Time accident... Will our crew of Brave Boffins survive? And what a crew they are: Q's part insect son, Troy, reputedly a 'major breakthrough in Artificial Stupidity' (Freddie Fox); eager young Test Pilot and recovering amnesiac, Brian Nylon (Ryan Sampson); brilliant scientist Dr. Gemini Janussen with her half-clockwork brain (Cassie Layton); captured Martian hostage Guuuurk (Kevin Eldon); sinister janitor Jenkins (John Sessions), and synthetic-voice-commentator-later-inserted-into-diving-suit, Dolores (Rachel Atkins). Plug in your blue and red cardboard airpods and pair your tin foil router with the Droitwich transmitter array for an adventure beyond human understanding. Get it now, in Super-Vis-O-Download-O-Sound! [patent refused] This Collexion includes both series of the BBC Radio 4 sci-fi comedy, plus ten never-before-heard deleted scenes and interviews with the cast and crew. Track listing: Series 1: 1. It's Eating My Face 2. Mummy! My Donkey's Head is Exploding 3. A Little Thing Like Chocolate Gates Can't Stop Us 4. The Splattered Remains of Unidentifiable Organs Incident All Over Again 5. Fear! Terror! Gut-wrenching Horror! Arg Arg. Please! 6. Dah dah dah dah dah dahh Dah dah dah dah dahhh... Series 2: 7. Killdiboos and Universibold Explodibangbang 8. Shoveleth in More Hazlenuts! 9. Wasp 10. I Didn't Say it was Well Cloaked 11. Am I Actually the Other Half of Gemma Emma Emma? 12. I Heregy Thind You Guilky Deleted scenes: 13. Psychopathic Wasp (Series 1, Ep 6) 14. Crockery Cupboard (Series 1, Ep 6) 15. Guuuurk Diary (Series 2, Ep1) 16. Nut Merchant (Series 2, Ep 2) 17. Bongo-playing Beatniks from Under the Sea (Series 2, Ep 4) 18. Martian Training (Series 2, Ep 4) 19. Martian Countdown (Series 2, Ep 5) 20. Churchill Full Speech (Series 2, Ep 5) 21. Quanderhorn Prison Diary (Series 2, Ep 5) 22. Make your own Martian Opera Tracks (Series 2, Ep 6) Cast and crew interviews: 23. Gordon interviews Rob, Andrew and sound designer Alisdair MacGregor 24. Rob and Andrew interview composer Peter Brewis 25. Gordon interviews Freddie Fox 26. Gordon interviews John Sessions 27. Gordon interviews Rachel Atkins and James Fleet 28. Gordon interviews Ryan Sampson and Cassie Layton 29. Gordon interviews Kevin Eldon Cast and credits: Professor Quanderhorn - James Fleet Brian Nylon - Ryan Sampson Dr Gemini Janussen - Cassie Layton Guuuurk - Kevin Eldon Troy Quanderhorn - Freddie Fox Churchill/Jenkins - John Sessions Synthetic Voice/Mrs Bessie Braddock (MP)/Virginia White/Dolores - Rachel Atkins Created and written by Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall Directed by Andrew Marshall Music by Peter Brewis Engineered, Edited and Sound designed by Alisdair McGregor Production Manager: Sarah Tombling Produced by Rob Grant and Gordon Kennedy Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios Special Thanks to Edward Rowett An Absolutely Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in June 2018 (Series 1) and May 2020 (Series 2).

Andrew Marshall, Rob Grant (Author), Cassie Layton, Freddie Fox, James Fleet, John L. Sessions, Kevin Eldon, Rachel Atkins, Ryan Sampson (Narrator)

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The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ rival detectives: 16 BBC Radio full-cast dramas

The complete collection of all 16 episodes from this gripping BBC Radio crime series Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard was made to look a fool in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Now he gets his own back, introducing sixteen tales of detectives whose abilities rival that of the great Sherlock Holmes. Starring James Fleet (Series 1, 3 and 4) and Tim Piggott-Smith (Series 2) as Lestrade, with casts featuring Andrew Scott, Paul Rhys, Anton Lesser, Honeysuckle Weeks, Rupert Vansittart, John Sessions, Marcia Warren and Tim McInnerny. Dramatised for radio by Chris Harrald, these stories are written by masters of the crime and thriller genre, all contemporaries of Arthur Conan Doyle. They include: The Murders on the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe The Problem of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle Murder By Proxy by Matthias McDonnel Bodkin The Mystery of Redstone Manor by Catherine Louisa Pirkis The Problem of the Superfluous Finger by Jacques Futrelle The Clue of the Silver Spoons by Robert Barr The Intangible Clue by Anna Katharine Green The Game Played in the Dark by Ernest Bramah The Kinght's Cross Signal Problem by Ernest Bramah A Snapshot by Matthias McDonnel Bodkin Seven, Seven, Seven - City by Julius Chambers The Moabite Cipher - by R Austin Freeman The Clairvoyants - by Arthur B Reeve The Stanway Cameo Mystery - Arthur Morrison The Secret of Dunstan's Tower - Ernest Bramah The Mystery of the Scarlet Thread - Jacques Futrelle Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko (Series 1) and Liz Webb (Series 2, 3, 4) (c) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2021 (p) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 2021

Anna Katherine Green, Arthur B Reeve, Arthur Morrison, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Bramah, Jacques Futrelle, Julius Chambers, Louisa Pirkis, Matthias Mcdonnel Bodkin, R. Austin Freeman, Robert Barr (Author), Andrew Scott, Anton Lesser, Full Cast, Honeysuckle Weeks, James Fleet, John L. Sessions, Marcia Warren, Paul Rhys, Tim Mcinnerny, Tim Pigott-Smith (Narrator)

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Electric Ink: The Complete Series 1 and 2: Old hack meets new media in this BBC Radio comedy

Old hacks meet new media in this BBC radio sitcom set in the changing world of the newspaper industry 'The writing is tight, the characters astutely observed and the situation comedy inclusive' Radio Times Maddox is an old-school journalist struggling to keep up with new technology. He fears the art of finding stories is being forgotten, and is not about to let that happen. His online editor Freddy, however, will happily regurgitate a press release and call it a story. But they have a grudging respect for each other, as Freddy helps Maddox stay afloat in the world of Twitter, Facebook and podcasting and Maddox shows Freddy how to land a real scoop. Both are at the mercy of pragmatic editor Oliver, who simply wants to keep his job, and news editor Carol, who believes the public want more pieces on Big Mac-eating orang-utans and fewer of Max's moral diatribes. And only Masha, the Russian head of online communities, knows Freddy's secret: he's not a hyper-cool kid from the street, but a posh boy from Eton... As the team attempt to cover major news stories while grappling with the demands of working in a multi-platform environment, can they stop circulation figures plummeting, keep their jobs and still retain their journalistic integrity? Robert Lindsay and John Sessions star in this witty satirical comedy, with Alex Jennings, Ben Willbond, Stephen Wight, Debbie Chazen and Polly Frame. Production credits Written by Alistair Beaton and Tom Mitchelson Produced and directed by Sally Avens

Alistair Beaton (Author), Alex Jennings, Ben Willbond, Debbie Chazen, Elizabeth Berrington, John L. Sessions, Polly Frame, Robert Lindsay, Stephen Wight, Zita Sattar (Narrator)

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Whose Line Is It Anyway?: The complete BBC radio series

The hit improvisation radio show that spawned the TV phenomenon Regular team captains Stephen Fry and John Sessions are joined by Lenny Henry, Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, Enn Reitel, Jimmy Mulville, Nonny Williams, Griff Rhys Jones, Kate Robbins, John Bird, Rory Bremner and Jon Glover, as they battle their way through a succession of games and romp through a world of literary styles, TV theme tunes, and film genres. Chairman Clive Anderson desperately tries to hold the whole thing together and the guests make it up as they go along in this riot of improvisation. First heard on BBC Radio 4 in January 1988, Whose Line is it Anyway? went on to run for 10 series on Channel 4 and found success in America. Based on comedy suggestions from the studio audience, this is ad-libbed comedy at its best. With Colin Sell at the piano. Devised and compiled by Mark Leveson, with additional material by Martin Booth. Produced by Dan Patterson

Dan Patterson, Mark Leveson (Author), Clive Anderson, Dawn French, Griff Rhys Jones, Hugh Laurie, John Bird, John L. Sessions, Kate Robbins, Lenny Henry, Rory Bremner, Stephen Fry (Narrator)

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Gloomsbury: The complete series 1-5 of the hit BBC Radio 4 comedy

Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman and Nigel Planer star in Sue Limb's comedy parodying the arty and adulterous adventures of the Bloomsbury Group. A stellar cast, including Roger Lloyd-Pack, Morwenna Banks, Jonathan Coy and John Sessions, join in this affectionate send-up of the infamous Bloomsbury literary group, who dominated the English cultural scene in the early 20th Century.

Sue Limb (Author), Alison Steadman, John L. Sessions, Jonathan Coy, Miriam Margolyes, Morwenna Banks, Nigel Planer, Roger Lloyd Pack (Narrator)

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Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Appeasing Hitler by Tim Bouverie, read by John Sessions. 'Appeasing Hitler is an astonishingly accomplished debut. Bouverie writes with a wonderful clarity and we will no doubt hear a lot more of his voice in future' ANTONY BEEVOR On a wet afternoon in September 1938, Neville Chamberlain stepped off an aeroplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, 'peace for our time'. Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began. Appeasing Hitler is a compelling new narrative history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Nazi domination of Europe. Beginning with the advent of Hitler in 1933, it sweeps from the early days of the Third Reich to the beaches of Dunkirk. Bouverie takes us into the backrooms of 10 Downing Street and Parliament, where a small group of rebellious MPs, including the indomitable Winston Churchill, were among the few to realise that the only choice was between 'war now or war later'. And we enter the drawing rooms and dining clubs of fading imperial Britain, where Hitler enjoyed surprising support among the ruling class and even some members of the Royal Family. Drawing on deep archival research, including previously unseen sources, this is an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats and amateur diplomats who, through their actions and inaction, shaped their country's policy and determined the fate of Europe. Both sweeping and intimate, Appeasing Hitler is not only eye-opening history but a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression and authoritarianism - and the calamity that results from failing to do so.

Tim Bouverie (Author), John L. Sessions, John Sessions (Narrator)

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Gloomsbury: Series 5: The hit BBC Radio 4 comedy

The complete fifth series of Sue Limb's satirical send-up of the Bloomsbury Group. In this fifth series, our arty, adulterous Bohemians are creating havoc at home and abroad. Henry is hoping to ignore his fiftieth birthday - but Vera has organised a surprise party. When Venus sneaks in uninvited and makes a nuisance of herself in the bushes, Henry wants to head for the hills. Fortunately, a lecture tour of America beckons... In the USA, Vera meets Dorothy Barker at the Algonquin, while Henry rubs shoulders with Al Padrone en route to Chicago. Meanwhile, a cottage on the Sizzlinghurst estate has become vacant, and everybody wants it. Returning from the States, Henry seeks election as a Labour Party candidate, while Ginny talks socialism with George Gurnard Shaw. Vera decides she wants another child, but Henry whisks her off to Paris for a fling before the war starts. Accompanied by Ginny and Lionel, they are enjoying a last-minute whirlwind of pleasure in the City of Love when Venus arrives with some dreadful news... Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman, Nigel Planer, Morwenna Banks, Jonathan Coy and John Sessions star in these six episodes of the superbly funny literary sitcom star in these six episodes of the superbly funny literary sitcom star in these six episodes of the superbly funny literary sitcom. '... one of the funniest, slyest, most naughtily inventive and brilliantly performed shows on the air' Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph 'A gloriously silly show' The Lady

Sue Limb (Author), , Alison Steadman, John L. Sessions, John Sessions, Jonathan Coy, Miriam Margolyes, Morwenna Banks, Nigel Planer (Narrator)

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Chronicle I

The Chronicle is an epic anthology of the most interesting and revealing diaries and journals written during the last 500 years, providing a fascinating and intriguing record of life as witnessed by some history's most colourful characters. From Samuel Pepys to Alan Bennett, Dorothy Wordsworth to Barbara Castle and Oliver Cromwell to Evelyn Waugh. The Chronicleis one of the most ambitious productions ever commissioned as an audiobook. It contains 120,000 words from over 150 diarists and letter writers, and is performed by an outstanding cast of 30 actors in a dramatised setting with music and soundtrack, with a combined total running time of just under 12 hours. Available in four parts. Arranged in the form of a calendar, it is a daily record of British life from 1st January to 31st December, and provides a vivid and entertaining portrait of the life and times in which the writers lived. Narrated by Joss Ackland; Jenny Agutter; James Bolam; Tony Britton; Charles Dance; Eleanor Bron; Maureen Lipman; John Sessions; Robert Powell; Donald Sinden; Imogen Stubbs; David Suchet; Harriet Walter; Timothy West; plus full supporting cast.

Various Artists, Various Artists (Author), Charles Dance, David Suchet, Donald Sinden, Eleanor Bron, Harriet Walter, Imogen Stubbs, James Bolam, James Bolam, Jenny Agutter, John L. Sessions, John Sessions, Joss Ackland, Maureen Lipman, Robert Powell, Timothy West, Tony Britton (Narrator)

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Chronicle II

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Audiobooks Narrated by John L. Sessions