The world was stunned when little-known Karol Wojtyła became the first non-Italian pope for 450 years. As Pope John Paul II, he continued to surprise, directly confronting Communist regimes, flying hundreds of thousands of miles to meet the faithful, and building bridges with other faiths. John Paul II became a bête noire in the eyes of liberals for his staunch refusal to accept contraception or the ordination of women. But for others he was a Churchillian figure who took ...

Dublin, 1997. When Joe Finnerty marries into Dublin's political aristocracy his fortune appears to be made. Lucrative government contracts and the ready patronage of his heavy hitting father-in-law ensure that Joe soon becomes a man to be reckoned with. His own career in politics seems pre-ordained, until a disgruntled Party apparatchik leaks information concerning the unexplained death of Joe's ex-partner, creating a scandal which shakes the Finnerty empire and threatens to destroy Joe an...

A BBC Radio 4 drama by Hugh Costello, about some gripping events at the Vatican. After the short reign and mysterious death of Pope John Paul I, the election of a new Pope takes place in an atmosphere of high tension between opposing factions. Including those who want to elect the first non-Italian Pope for over four hundred years! First broadcast on 25 February 2011. Starring David Calder, Alison Reid, Nicholas Le Prevost, Andrew Hilton, Nigel Anthony, Paul Humpoletz, Paul Nicholson, Chri...

A tense, white-knuckle ride of a play from BBC Radio 4 in which a rather self-satisfied hero embarks, reluctantly, on a voyage of self-discovery. Originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 7 January 2009, and repeated on 31 March 2011. As an expert on memory loss, Greg Cooke is asked to invalidate the testimony of an eyewitness in a high-profile murder trial. He undermines the Prosecution's key witness by convincing the jury that we forget as much within 24 hours as we do over a whole...

Vatican City, December 1942. As war rages across the globe, Pope Pius XII prepares to deliver his annual Christmas message. It is perhaps the most important public address he will ever give. This BBC Radio 4 play explores the Pontiff's thoughts as he faces the starkest dilemma of his reign. Originally broadcast as the 'Saturday Play' on 29 January 2011, 'My Dear Children of the Whole World' stars Hugh Ross as Pope Pius XII. For months beforehand evidence has been growing of a vast, organis...