Woman's Hour Drama
Classic and contemporary original drama and book dramatisations
Categories
Series & Episodes
169 items available
43 Years in the Third Form
A celebration of the great girls' comics from the 50s to the 80s, by Jane Purcell
5 Days in July
Short plays by Mike Walker focusing on a London family during the first week of July 2005
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
Xiaolu Guo's romantic comedy about two lovers who don't speak each other's language
A Confidential Agent (Retired)
The further adventures of former private investigator Liz Parker, now retired in France
A Kind Of Loving
Dramatisation of Stan Barstow's classic novel set in 1950s and 60s Yorkshire
A Life of Chekhov
Michael Hastings' adaptation of Irene Nemirovsky's biography of Anton Chekhov
A Nightingale Sang in Fernhurst Road
Christopher Matthew's gently comic tale of life in postwar suburban Surrey
A Pin to See the Peep Show
F Tennyson Jesse's novel, inspired by a highly controversial murder trial of the 1920s
A Short History of Longing
Shelagh Stephenson's comic study of loneliness through the authors of personal ads
A Small Town Murder
Crime mystery by Scott Cherry, featuring police family liaison officer Sue Hartwell
A Small Town Murder, series 2
Crime mystery by Scott Cherry, featuring police family liaison officer Jackie Hartwell
A Small Town Murder, series 3
Crime mystery featuring police family liaison officer Jackie Hartwell
A Taste For Death
Dramatisation of PD James's mystery
About Love
Series five short stories by Anton Chekhov on the subject of marriage
Absent
By Mark Davies Markham. Tony learns how to be a dad when he's separated from his children.
All Passion Spent
Adaptation of the 1931 novel by Vita Sackville-West
Amazing Grace
Drama by Michelle Lipton, inspired by a true story
An Expert in Murder
1930s murder mystery blanding fact with fiction, featuring crime writer Josephine Tey
An Unsuitable Attachment
Dramatisation of Barbara Pym's story of love in unfashionable north London in 1960
And Is There Honey Still For Tea?
Vanessa Rosenthal explores the 20th century through real correspondence
Au Pairs
Comedy by David and Caroline Stafford following the fortunes of two au pairs
Aubrey's Brief Lives
Collection of anecdotes by genial eccentric John Aubrey
Balance of Power
Deborah Davis's tale of power struggles in the court of Queen Anne
Beyond Black
Dramatisation of Hilary Mantel's novel about a professional medium with a troubled past
Black Narcissus
Rumer Godden's tale of a group of nuns who establish a remote mission in the Himalayas
Blood in the Bridal Shop
Comedy set a week before Lydia and Trevor's wedding
Bollywood Jane
Amanda Whittington's story of a young woman who discovers the magic of Indian cinema
Celluloid Extras
Series of short plays exploring the secret world of a minor character in a classic film
Cheri
Colette's tale of an affair between a courtesan and a younger man, set in Paris before WW1
Craven
Police drama by Amelia Bullmore
Daunt and Dervish
Another adventure for Guy Meredith's female private eyes, set in 1953
Daunt and Dervish
Another adventure for Guy Meredith's female private eyes, set in 1956
David Golder
Dramatisation of the novel by Irene Nemirovsky
Dear Mr Spectator
By Elizabeth Kuti, adapted from and inspired by the 18th century 'Spectator' essays
Dear Mr Spectator, series 2
By Elizabeth Kuti, adapted from and inspired by the 18th century 'Spectator' essays
Degrees Of Separation
Series of linked stories by Katie Hims on the theme of separation
Diary of an On-Call Girl
Yvonne Antrobus's dramatisation of the blogs and book by 'WPC Ellie Bloggs'
Dombey and Son
Mike Walker's adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic tale of family relationships
Dusty Answer
Dramatisation by Lavinia Greenlaw of the debut novel by Rosamond Lehmann
Falco: Poseidons Gold
Dramatisation of the novel by Lindsey Davis, featuring her Roman detective, Falco
Faust
Martin Jenkins's reworking of the fable about a man who sells his soul to the devil
Five Wedding Dresses
Series of dramas by Katie Hims about the significance and symbolism of the wedding dress
Flesh
Tilly Black's darkly funny tale of a journalist writing about cosmetic surgery
Gifted
Nikita Lalwani's story of a talented mathematician who wins a place at Oxford at 15
Heartburn
Satire on the world of the American East Coast smart set by Nora Ephron
How Does That Make You Feel? (Ordinary's Not Enough)
By Shelagh Stephenson
How I Live Now
Meg Rosoff's story of teenage love set in the near future, adapted by Elizabeth Burke
How Shall I Tell the Dog?
Dying of cancer, Miles Kington decided to use it as inspiration for absurd book ideas
Hysteria
Steve Chambers' drama about hysteria in Middlesbrough over the murders of prostitutes
India and Pakistan 07: Q and A
By Ayeesha Menon, from the novel by Vikas Swarup
Inside the Whale
Jennie Roonie's tragi-comic tale of two lovers as they look back on what might have been
Island Blue
Gerda Stevenson's tale of relationships and deception, set on a remote Scottish island
Jane and Prudence
Barbara Pym's delightful comedy of rural relationships, set in 1950
Ladies of Letters Crunch Credit
By Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman, featuring comic heroines Irene and Vera
Ladies of Letters Go Crackers
Prunella Scales and Anne Reid star in this fractious festive series of Ladies of Letters
Ladies of Letters Go Green
Comedy by Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman. Irene and Vera turn their hand to green matters
Ladies of Letters Say No
By Lou Wakefield and Carole Hayman, featuring comic heroines Irene and Vera
Lady Audley's Secret
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Leaving Normal
Comedy by Ian Iqbal Rashid about a gay couple who inherit two orphaned kids
Liam
By Mike Bartlett. Charting the search for a ten-year-old boy who goes missing in Sussex
Life Class
Pat Barker's poignant study of three young artists trying to find their way
Love my Rifle More than You
Kayla Williams's memoirs of a young female American soldier in Iraq
Lucia's Progress
Mapp and Lucia renew their rivalry for social supremacy in E F Benson's classic comedy
M R James at Christmas
Derek Jacobi as the voice of M R James introduces classic ghost stories
Mapp and Lucia
Dramatisation of E F Benson's classic comedy of manners
Marriage a la Mode
A scandalous romp through a famous series of Hogarth paintings, by Jonathan Myerson
Minimum Wages
Series of plays exploring the consequences of life on the minimum wage
Mr Maugham's Journey Home
Stories by Somerset Maugham
Mr Moonlight
Robert Forrest's tale of a day in the life of a man affected by the death of John Lennon
Mrs Tolstoy
Stephen Wakelam's portrait of the tempestuous marriage between Leo and Sofya Tolstoy
My Mad Grandad
By Mike Scott. Touching and funny tale of family quarrels and misspent old age
My Place
A woman searches for her family's Aboriginal heritage in Australia. By Sally Morgan
No Nightingales, No Snakes
Five short stories by Maeve Binchy. Dramatised by Jessica Dromgoole
Normal Life
Jackie Pavlenko's story of a young mother's attempts to form a relationship with her son
Old Peter's Russian Tales
Magical folk tales from Russia by Arthur Ransome, as told by Old Peter the forester
On the Cusp
Five women reveal their intimate thoughts as they face turning-points in their lives.
One Down
Drama by Alison Joseph. A mystery crossword appearing in a newspaper is more than it seems
Our Mutual Friend
Adaptation by Mike Walker of Charles Dickens's classic novel
Paid Servant
ER Braithwaite's novel, set in London in 1958, based on his experiences as a social worker
Paradise Place
Amanda Whittington's linked plays inspired by listeners' stories of desire
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Dramatisation of Joan Lindsay's classic mystery novel
Reading Between the Lines
A celebrated writer leaves clues in his final novel implying that his wife was murdered
Restless
Dramatisation of William Boyd's thriller. Ruth discovers that her mother is a one-time spy
Sacred Hearts
Dramatisation of the novel by Sarah Dunant, set in a convent in Renaissance Italy
Sarah Siddons: Life in Five Sittings
By David Pownall. The story of the relationship between Sarah Siddons and Tom Lawrence
Scumdog Millionaires
Financial thriller by Mike Walker
Seeing is Believing
By Sian Evans. A man is forced to re-examine everything when he sees a UFO
Seventy Odd
Rachel Joyce's story of a group of five seventy-something friends on holiday in Damascus
Shattered
Monologues by Richard Monks, inspired by the 2007 Cumbrian train crash
Singleparentpals.com
Sue Teddern's story of the online friendship that develops between two single parents
Sister Agnes Investigates
Murder mystery by Alison Joseph
Six Suspects
Dramatisation of the novel by Vikas Swarup
Snobs
Satire on English snobbery, adapted from his own novel by Julian Fellowes
So Much For That
A dramatisation of Lionel Shriver's unflinching new novel.
Soloparentpals.com
Sue Teddern's story of the online friendship that develops between two single parents
Someone Like You
Dramatisation by Stephen Sheridan of five darkly comic tales by Roald Dahl
Stories for Another Day
Series of anecdotes by Alan Plater, reflecting on the works he has never completed
The Art of Deception
Detective drama by Philip Palmer. An art forger helps an art critic to write a book
The Art of Deception, series 2
Detective drama by Philip Palmer. An art forger returns from the grave
The Beacon
Dramatisation of the novel by Susan Hill
The Beginning of Spring
Penny Leicester's adaption of Penelope Lively's novel of an English family in Moscow
The Child in Time
Dramatisation of the novel by Ian McEwan
The Cloths Of Heaven
Sue Eckstein's dramatisation of her own novel, set in West Africa
The Color Purple
Dramatisation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker
The Crowded Street
Diana Griffiths's dramatisation of Winifred Holtby's tale
The Dead Hour
By Denise Mina. Young Glasgow journalist Paddy Meehan investigates the death of a lawyer
The Death of Grass
Dramatisation of the science fiction novel by John Christopher, narrated by David Mitchell
The Dig
John Preston's account of a major archaeological excavation at Sutton Hoo in 1939
The Donor Trail
Series of five monologues by Richard Monks charting the journey of a donor heart
The Draw
Brian B Thompson's cautionary tale about the perils of online gambling
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbery, set a Parisian apartment building
The Family Man
Drama by Mike Bartlett. With Jade Williams, Nicholas Farrell, Henry Pettigrew, Liza Sadovy
The Girl at the Lion D'Or
Dramatisation of the novel by Sebastian Faulks, set in France during the interwar years
The Golden Notebook
Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels
The Help
Dramatisation of Kathryn Stockett's novel set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962
The House of Mercy
Victorian murder mystery set in London in 1860, dramatised by Chris Dolan
The Interpreter II
Series of stories about a freelance translator, written by Anjum Malik
The Kiss
Short stories by Katie Hims with an osculatory theme
The Lady of the Camellias
Adaptation of the novel by Alexandre Dumas
The Lover
Linda Marshall Griffiths's dramatisation of Marguerite Duras's novel set in 1930s Vietnam
The Man in the Wooden Hat
Dramatisation by Pete Atkin of the new novel by Jane Gardam
The Observations
In 1863, a young Irish prostitute hides her past when she's hired as a maid in Edinburgh
The Pillow Book
Robert Forrest's thriller set in the court of the Empress Sadako in 10th-century Japan
The Pillow Book, series 2 - Fire
Robert Forrest's thriller set in the court of the Empress Sadako in 10th-century Japan
The Pillow Book, series 3
Robert Forrest's thriller set in the Palace of the Sun Goddess in 10th-century Japan
The Postman of Good Hope
By Al Smith, inspired by a true story
The Power of Life and Death
Mark Lawson's murder mystery about the suspicious deaths of government committee members
The Private Patient
Dramatisation by Neville Teller of PD James's latest Inspector Dalgliesh mystery
The Pursuits of Darleen Fyles
By Esther Wilson. A week in the life of a young woman with learning disabilities
The Quest
By Jonathan Holloway. Loosely based on the works of Malory and Tennyson
The Rabbit House
Laura Alcoba's memoir about a turbulent Argentinian childhood in the 1970s
The Shooting Party
Dramatisation by DJ Britton of the novel by Isabel Colegate, set in the autumn of 1913
The Song House
Dramatisation of Trezza Azzopardi's psychological thriller
The Tenderness of Wolves
Chris Dolan's dramatisation of Stef Penney's tale of love and mystery set in 1860s Canada
The Walnut Bureau
Story following the lives and secrets of one family from the Victorian era to the present
The Way we Live Right Now
Anthony Trollope's satirical novel about money, greed and dishonesty
The Whole of the Moon
Legal drama serial by Colin MacDonald
The Whole of the Moon, series 2
Legal drama serial by Colin MacDonald
The Year They Invented Sex
Caroline and David Stafford's drama about women taking part in the 1960 trials of the pill
This Book Will Save Your Life
By AM Homes. Wealthy LA trader Richard Novak has it all. Then things begin to go wrong
To The North
Deborah Paige's dramatisation of Elizabeth Bowen's romantic novel
TwilightBaby.com
By Julie Balloo and Jenny Éclair
TwilightBaby.com: Series 2
By Jenny Eclair and Julie Balloo. Jenny stars as Cass, embracing motherhood again at 47
Uncle Gwyn's Posthumous Curse
Lynne Truss's comedy drama set on a rainy golf course in Wales
Villette
Dramatisation of the classic romantic novel by Charlotte Bronte
Wax Fruit: Antimacassar City
Clara Glynn's dramatisation of Guy McCrone's novel set in 1870s Scotland
We Need to Talk about Kevin
Anita Sullivan's adaptation of Lionel Shriver's novel of family tragedy and its aftermath
What I Think of my Husband
Stephen Wakelam's account of Thomas Hardy and his second wife Florence
What Is She Doing Here?
Kate Clanchy's account of her relationship with a Kosovan refugee
Whose Sari Now
Rani Moorthy's tale of human relationships, set in a sari shop
Wide Open Spaces
Five writers explore our attitudes towards race, environment and identity
Wives and Daughters
A new dramatisation by Theresa Heskins of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel of provincial life
Woman's Hour: The Sixth Column Has Better Legs
Drama set in a theatre in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War, by Sam Boardman-Jacobs
Women's Room
Dramatisation of Marilyn French's seminal novel, adapted for radio by Sarah Daniels
Writing the Century
Vanessa Rosenthal explores the 20th century through real correspondence
Writing the Century 10 - Tom and Stella
Series exploring the 20th Century through diaries and correspondence of real people
Writing the Century 11: 1963-1966 - All My Trials
Series exploring the 20th Century through diaries and correspondence of real people
Writing the Century 12: 1966-1969 - Pleidiol Wyf I'm Gwlad/True To My Land
A student and an eminent historian share the same passion for Wales and the Welsh language
Writing the Century 13: Once Upon A Time
The story of a gay teen in a Nottinghamshire mining town. Dramatised by Amanda Whittington
Writing the Century 14: A Burden to Strangers
Steve Gough's drama about a spirited elderly woman in the Welsh Valleys
Writing the Century 15: A Desolate Bravery
Lavinia Murray's drama inspired by the diaries of military artist David Rowlands
Writing the Century 16: Three Women Across the Century
Vanessa Rosenthal drama based on the personal correspondence of a middle England family
Writing the Century 1933-1938: A Darkening Sky
Vanessa Rosenthal explores the 20th century through real correspondence
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people
Writing the Century 1948-1953: Starting From Scratch
... 1948-1953: Starting From Scratch. Exploring the 20th century through real lives
Writing the Century 9
Series exploring the 20th Century through diaries and correspondence of real people
Writing the Century: 1918-1930: A Land Fit for Heroes?
Vanessa Rosenthal explores the 20th century through real correspondence
Writing the Century: 1946-1948 - Out of the Ashes
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people
Writing the Century: A Paintbrush Reporter
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people