Sir Ian McKellen stars as Milton in this dramatised retelling of John Milton’s epic poem about the fall of Man"devilishly good... I urge you to give it a listen" The TelegraphMilton’s biblical masterpiece, first published in 1667, is one of English literature’s most seminal works. Straddling three worlds – Heaven, Hell and Earth – it tells the gripping story of fallen angel Satan’s rebellion against God, his temptation of Adam and Eve and their sub...

Three of Federico García Lorca's best-known plays, as heard on BBC Radio 3Poet and playwright Federico García Lorca is one of the most famous figures in 20th-century Spanish literature. A member of the 'Generation of '27' avant-garde movement that included Dalí and Buñuel, he became well known for his lyrical, symbolic works mixing modernism and the folkloric traditions of his native Andalusia. He was executed by Nationalist forces at the start of the Spanish Civil...

John Hurt stars in this BBC radio dramatisation of Gustave Flaubert’s infamous tale of adultery and tragedyBeautiful Emma meets and marries Doctor Charles Bovary. He's happy for the first time in his life – but Emma is distraught that her marriage lacks the passion and romance of her fantasies.Dazzled by the splendour of a Marquis’ ball, she longs for excitement and soon becomes infatuated with a young solicitor, Léon Dupuis. But when Dupuis moves away, her...

To the outside world Charlie Radcliffe was an esteemed businessman and philanthropist. But Charlie knew that he had swindled billions over decades from his wealthy clients and he knew that one day the game would be up. Now in prison, Charlie tells the story of his last hours of freedom to new inmate Sam. Drew Pautz's drama inspired by the crisis in the financial world examines the gaps between facts, finance, conscience and confidence. Starring Henry Goodman, Ashley Kumar, Conrad Nelson, G...

Three BBC Radio programmes charting Sir Lenny Henry’s transformation from comic actor to tragic hero – including the complete full-cast production of Shakespeare’s OthelloLenny Henry used to hate Shakespeare. For over 35 years he avoided anything to do with the Bard – until, in 2006, he decided to find out just what the rest of the world saw in him. In this enthralling collection, we hear how Lenny’s late-flowering passion for the legendary playwright’s wo...

BBC radio dramatisations of classic novels featuring some of literature’s most devious and compelling villainsCunning. Corrupt. Charismatic. The degenerate characters in this collection shun conventional morality, and will stop at nothing to get what they want... These five sensational dramas, set in locations ranging from 16th century Venice to Victorian England, revolve around their unscrupulous actions – and the devastating consequences of the choices they make....