{"product_id":"book-gwvb","title":"William Boyd: A BBC Radio Drama Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of BBC dramatisations and readings of William Boyd's award-winning novels and short stories\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of Britain's foremost contemporary writers, William Boyd is renowned worldwide for his bestselling novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. He has won numerous awards, including the Somerset Maugham Award (for \u003ci\u003eA Good Man in Africa\u003c\/i\u003e), the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (for \u003ci\u003eAn Ice-Cream War\u003c\/i\u003e) and the Costa Book Award (for \u003ci\u003eRestless\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCollected here are the BBC radio productions of all three acclaimed books. Starring \u003cb\u003eAlan Rickman\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eAlison Steadman \u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e Bill Paterson,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Good Man in Africa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e tells the satirical story of a buffoonish diplomat's struggles in a fictional West African country. In the espionage thriller \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRestless\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, it is 1976, and Ruth discovers that her very English mother, Sally, is in fact a Russian emigré and former British spy. \u003cb\u003eEileen Atkins\u003c\/b\u003e stars as Sally, with \u003cb\u003eFenella Woolgar\u003c\/b\u003e as Ruth. And in \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAn Ice-Cream War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, as millions face slaughter on the Western Front, British and German colonists in East Africa try to emulate their European counterparts. \u003cb\u003eNickolas Grace\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eWilliam Hootkins\u003c\/b\u003e star in this darkly comic drama.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso included are dramatisations of three of Boyd's superb short stories. \u003cb\u003e'On the Yankee Station' \u003c\/b\u003eis a gripping tale of revenge on an American aircraft carrier; \u003cb\u003e'The Destiny of Nathalie X'\u003c\/b\u003e features an African filmmaker's encounter with Hollywood and its grotesque inhabitants; and in the eerie \u003cb\u003e'A Haunting'\u003c\/b\u003e, a landscape architect finds himself taken over by an unseen presence. \u003cb\u003ePeter Whitman, Keith Edwards, John Sessions\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eMaynard Eziashi \u003c\/b\u003eare among the star casts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe conclude with five further stories, read by \u003cb\u003eBen Miles, Jonathan Firth, Bill Nighy, Niamh Cusack\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eTom Goodman-Hill.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e'Adult Video'\u003c\/b\u003e features an Oxford post-graduate who 'rewinds', 'fast forwards' and 'plays' through his life; \u003cb\u003e'Varengeville'\u003c\/b\u003e sees a young boy go exploring and meet a painter - as his mother entertains her 'friend'; \u003cb\u003e'Lunch'\u003c\/b\u003e reveals a diner's eventful days through his restaurant receipts and pithy comments; \u003cb\u003e'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz'\u003c\/b\u003e centres around a prostitute's encounter with a talented young pianist; and \u003cb\u003e'The Pigeon'\u003c\/b\u003e takes us into the world of a sickly author facing romantic betrayal and family fissures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCast and credits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by William Boyd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eText copyright © William Boyd 1981 (\u003ci\u003eA Good Man in Africa, \u003c\/i\u003e'On the Yankee Station'), 1982 (\u003ci\u003eAn Ice Cream War\u003c\/i\u003e), 1995 ('The Destiny of Nathalie X'), 1998 ('Varengeville'), 2000 ('A Haunting'), 2004 ('Adult Video', 'Lunch', 'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz', 'The Pigeon'), 2006 (\u003ci\u003eRestless\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Good Man in Africa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDramatised by Stephen Davis\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Richard Wortley\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 March 1985\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRestless\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDramatised by Melissa Murray\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Marc Beeby\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-17 April 2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAn Ice Cream War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDramatised by John Peacock\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Eoin O'Callaghan\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 May-16 June 1994\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'On the Yankee Station'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdapted by William Boyd\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Richard Wortley\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 May 1985\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The Destiny of Nathalie X'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Dave Batchelor\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 November 1998\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A Haunting'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDirected by Dave Batchelor\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWilliam Boyd - Fascination\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbridged by Neville Teller\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Duncan Minshull\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-19 November 2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49355206852912,"sku":"BDgwvb","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/347825-gwvb-Square.jpg?v=1734384653","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-gwvb","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}