{"product_id":"book-2agf","title":"Michael Frayn: A BBC Radio Drama Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal plays and dramatisations from the award-winning novelist and playwright, plus bonus documentary \u003ci\u003eViewing the Century: Michael Frayn\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA renowned playwright, novelist, journalist, memoirist and translator, Michael Frayn has had a varied and prolific literary career spannning over seven decades. His play \u003ci\u003eNoises Off\u003c\/i\u003e was one of the 20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century's most beloved and successful plays, and he has been lauded for his dramas and prose fiction exploring the absurdities and suffering of the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis collection opens with his Tony Award-winning play \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCopenhagen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, centring on the controversial 1941 meeting between the two presiding geniuses of quantum physics, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Between them, they could change the course of history… \u003cb\u003eBenedict Cumberbatch\u003c\/b\u003e stars as Heisenberg and \u003cb\u003eSimon Russell Beale\u003c\/b\u003e as Bohr, with \u003cb\u003eGreta Scacchi\u003c\/b\u003e as Bohr's wife, Margrethe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNext, we turn to a selection of his philosophical comedies, featuring star-studded casts including \u003cb\u003eSamuel West, Dawn French, Michael Kitchen, Barbara Flynn \u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e Harriet Walter\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eClouds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e finds rival Sunday supplement writers clashing in 1970s Cuba; \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHere\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e revolves around Phil and Kath, newly cohabiting and facing important decisions; and \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBirthday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e sees the heavily pregnant Jess disrupting her sister's party. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBenefactors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e follows idealistic architect David, as he endeavours to redevelop a London slum – and preserve his personal relationships – and \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlphabetical Order\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e depicts a battle between order and chaos, in the forms of disorganised newspaper librarian Lucy and her methodical new assistant Lesley.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn adaptation of Frayn's comic 1967 Fleet Street novel, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTowards the End of the Morning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e stars \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e as John Dyson, an unfulfilled editor on a national daily, who jumps at the chance to become a TV celebrity. In \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJarvis's Frayn Too\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, the acclaimed actor performs a selection of classic sketches, columns and vignettes written by Michael Frayn. And in our final drama, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMake and Break,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e also starring \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e, a workaholic manufacturer attending a trade conference in Frankfurt finds himself facing a dark night of the soul. Capping off our collection is an illuminating bonus programme, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eViewing the Century – Michael Frayn\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, in which Kevin Jackson talks to the celebrated author about \u003ci\u003eCopenhagen\u003c\/i\u003e, determinism and the future of the theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eProduction credits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by Michael Frayn\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCopenhagen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: \u003cb\u003eGreta Scacchi\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eimon Russell Beale\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eBenedict Cumberbatch\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eClouds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: \u003cb\u003eDinsdale Landen\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMorag Hood\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eDon Fellows\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ePaul Chapman\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eArturo Venegas\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHere\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: \u003cb\u003eSamuel West\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eLucy Tregear\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMargaret Courtenay\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBirthday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast:\u003cb\u003e Dawn French\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eDeborah Findlay\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eThomas Wheatley\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eLiz Crowther\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eOona Beeson,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMatthew Morgan,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eJohn Webb\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ePeter Gunn\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eAnn Windsor\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eJoanna Wake\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBenefactors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast:\u003cb\u003e Michael Kitchen\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eBarbara Flynn\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eHarriet Walter\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eClive Francis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlphabetical Order\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: \u003cb\u003ePenelope Wilton\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eRosalind Ayres\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eDeryck Guyler\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eGeoffrey Matthews,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarcia Warren,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eNigel Lambert\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTowards the End of the Morning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast: \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eRosalind Ayres\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eSian Probert\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eTrevor Martin\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eFenella Fielding,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eKathryn Hurlbutt, Lockwood West\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ePeter Whitman\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eJohn Green\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eAndrew Lodge\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eSean Arnold,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRonald Herdman\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eStephen Garlick\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMiranda Forbes\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eRosalind Adams\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJarvis's Frayn Too\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerformed by Martin Jarvis\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Pete Atkin\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMake and Break\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCast:\u003cb\u003e Martin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eRosalind Ayres\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eChristopher Godwin\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eJohn Bayton\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMark Patten\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eElaine Claxton,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eNeville Jason\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eGareth Armstrong\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eDavid Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdapted by Martin Jarvis\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eViewing the Century – Michael Frayn\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented by Kevin Jackson\u003cbr\u003eWith Michael Frayn\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 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