Author:Andrew Rissik,Full Cast,Michael Sheen,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Diana Rigg,Lindsay Duncan,Roger Allam,Toby Stephens,David Harewood,Paul Scofield
A collection of acclaimed radio retellings of Greek and Roman myths
Andrew Rissik's powerful, uncompromising reimaginings of classic tales from Roman and Greek history were hailed as masterpieces when they first aired on BBC radio. Told in contemporary speech, they revitalised the ancient myths, making them fresh, relevant and accessible to a modern-day audience. This collection brings them together on audio for the first time, with stellar casts including Michael Sheen, Paul Scofield, Lindsay Duncan, David Harewood, Eleanor Bron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Diana Rigg, Roger Allam, Toby Stephens, Anton Lesser and Robert Hardy.
The Troy Trilogy - Praised by one critic as 'the greatest radio drama [anyone] could ever hear', this three-play sequence tells the tragic, timeless tale of the events leading up to and following the fall of Troy. In King Priam and His Sons, a child is born to Priam and his wife Hekabe, but the gods foretell disaster if he is allowed to live... The Death of Achilles resumes the story in the final year of the war, as Achilles quarrels with his supreme commander, Agamemnon. And in Helen at Ephesus, Troy has fallen, and as Agamemnon returns to face the judgement of his wronged wife Klytemnestra, Menelaos and Helen must begin the long spiritual journey towards forgiveness and self-knowledge.
Dionysos - Based on Euripides' The Bacchae, this dark, provocative drama is the first of three plays examining the conflict between religion and state. Charismatic cult leader Dionysos arrives in Thebes preaching a gospel of wine and ecstasy. Threatened by his popularity, King Pentheus orders his arrest...
The Art of Love - The second of the three-play cycle sees Roman poet Ovid sent into exile when his subversive ideas about love and freedom challenge the authority of the ageing Emperor Augustus.
Resurrection - In the final play of the trilogy, the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, clashes with troublesome, itinerant preacher Yeshua Ben Youssef.
Cast and credits
Written by Andrew Rissik
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer
The Troy Trilogy
Toby Stephens, James Hayes, Oliver Cotton, Ian Hogg, Emma Fielding, Cassandra Sperry, Deborah Findlay, Michael Maloney, Geraldine Somerville, Paul Scofield,Lindsay Duncan, James Laurenson, Geoffrey Whitehead, Abigail Docherty, Jean-Marc Perret, Michael Sheen, Saeed Jaffrey, David Harewood, Julian Glover, Eleanor Bron
Music by Nick Russell Pavier and David Chilton.
Singer: Mia Soteriou.
First broadcast BBC Radio 3: 28 November 1998 (King Priam and His Sons), 29 November 1998 (The Death of Achilles, Helen at Ephesus)
Dionysos
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Toby Stephens, Paul Scofield, Diana Rigg, Roger Allam, Pip Donaghy, Bruce Purchase, Jeffery Kissoon, Trevor Martin, Anna Carteret, Mali Harries, Yolanda Vazquez & Mia Soteriou
Music by Mia Soteriou.
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 20 April 2003
The Art of Love/Resurrection
Stephen Dillane, Juliet Aubrey, Penny Downie, Robert Hardy, Peter Eyre, Ian McNeice, James Laurenson, Ioan Meredith, Damian Lynch, Anton Lesser, David Calder, Julia Ford, Sam Dastor, Raad Rawi, John Rowe, Mia Soteriou, Chris Moran, James Hayes, Jon Glover and Danny Sapani
Music by Mia Soteriou.
Musicians: Mia Soteriou, Steve Bentley Kline, Merlin Shepherd, William Lyons
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11 April 2004
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Compelling, immersive, and beautifully composed, Nine Paths is a story woven from the true accounts of nine Muslim women from rural India. This book is that perfect thing: exquisite storytelling meeting serious research. It makes for a vivid and memorable encounter - a world away brought near by Lexi Stadlen's ingenuity, compassion, and skill.
—— Suzannah LipscombIntimate, insightful and powerful, Nine Paths pulls the reader deep into what it means to be a Muslim woman in India, and allows us to appreciate the strength, resilience and bravery in the face of the many forms of violence negotiated daily. Lexi Stadlen vividly brings to life the best of immersive ethnography
—— Alpa Shah, author of Nightmarch: Among India's Revolutionary GuerrillasBeautifully written, and so clever - telling us in great detail about the challenges that these women face, but with remarkable skill and such a delicate touch.
—— Sonia Faleiro, author of The Good GirlsNine Paths captivatingly portrays life in rural Bengal through carefully interwoven episodes that evoke the village environs, the social atmosphere, and especially the nine Muslim women on whom the book focuses. The reader is taken through a year in their lives, sees the mundane ordinariness as well as the dramas and crises of their everyday lives, meets them as they handle marriage negotiations, contend with awkward dynamics within their household, worry about debts and reflect on their position as Muslims. It is a beautifully written and haunting book.
—— Patricia Jeffery, Professor Emerita, University of EdinburghThe monk who taught the world mindfulness
—— TimeMindfulness has become a serious movement, now with champions among policy makers as well as Buddhists. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of its guiding spirits
—— The Times Literary SupplementThich Nhat Hanh's words are like water. Simple, pure, transparent, and absolutely indispensable for life
—— Alejandro Iñárritu, director of Birdman and The RevenantStephen Fry takes the reader into the heart of a story both mythical and grounded in history
—— Northern Life MagazineThis pacy, witty retelling is beautifully illustrated, with an epilogue explaining the myths and historical reality of Troy
—— Daily MailAstonishing . . . an excellent read
—— The OldieCurl up on your sofa as Stephen brings to life the legendary . . . passionate and powerful story of Troy
—— The ListFry is a genial guide to Greek mythology
—— Daily TelegraphFry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story
—— Daily TelegraphFull of heroism, desire and drama
—— Eastern Daily PressFry really brings the tale to life, adding his own wry humour to the mix . . . Well worth a read
—— The Hunsbury HandbookA story thousands of years old, only Fry could rewrite this so captivating as ever
—— School HouseFry takes us from the founding myth of Troy, through its most famous inhabitants and the infamous war, to the razing of the city by the vengeful and victorious Achaeans
—— TimesHiggins’ darting, spooling path connects myth with faith, art with literature, landscape with architecture, anecdote with interpretation… its images and schematic diagrams of labyrinths adding a visual dimension to a book already rich in thought and observation.
—— Ariane Bankes , The TabletRichly erudite and compellingly personal.
—— Louisa Buck , Art NewspaperA rich cultural history of mazes and labyrinths… Beautifully designed and precisely structured, it’s also a personal book about childhood memories, dreams and feeling at times lost in life.
—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2019*[An] immersive, unusual love tale
—— Claire Allfree , MetroStokes-Chapman can write fascinating, three-dimensional characters... Meanwhile, extensive research brings the period so much to life you can taste it... full of buried family histories and fantastical archaeological theories, Pandora is a readable, solid debut
—— Natasha Pulley , GuardianWhether the discussion is about artificial intelligence, the future capacities of knowledge, politics, philosophy, intuition, history (philosopher Thomas Metzinger shares experiences from post–World War II Germany that are hard to look away from), religion, reason, or the nature of consciousness, Harris grounds lofty discussions with concrete examples and his gift for analogy . . . free and open debate, in the best sense of the word . . . the book’s advantage over the podcast is that readers can linger as they need to and cherry-pick interviews at will. Recommended for anyone who wants to spend time with intelligent minds wrestling not with each other but with understanding.
—— Kirkus ReviewsOne of the most eloquent and inspiring memoirs of recent years... A Dutiful Boy is real-life storytelling at its finest
—— Mr Porter, *Summer Reads of 2021*Mohsin Zaidi...in a compassionate, compelling and humorous way, tells his story of seeking acceptance within the gay community, and within the Muslim community in which he grew up
—— Gilllian Carty , Scottish Legal NewsA powerful portrayal of being able to live authentically despite all the odds
—— Mike Findlay , ScotsmanZaidi's affecting memoir recounts his journey growing up in east London in a devout Muslim household. He has a secret, one he cannot share with anyone - he is gay. When he moves away to study at Oxford he finds, for the first time, the possibility of living his life authentically. The dissonance this causes in him - of finding a way to accept himself while knowing his family will not do the same - is so sensitively depicted. One of the most moving chapters includes him coming home to a witch doctor, who his family has summoned to "cure" him. This is an incredibly important read, full of hope.
—— Jyoti Patel, The GuardianA beautifully written book, a lovely story, life-affirming
—— Jeremy VineZaidi's account is raw, honest and at times quite painful to read. It's so vivid that it feels almost tangible, as though you're living the experiences of the author himself.
—— VogueThis heartfelt and honest book is beautifully written and full of hope
—— The New Arab