Roger Allam has narrated 17 audiobooks on Listento.it by 13 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.8★ across 612 ratings. The most-rated is A Christmas Carol.
A Christmas Carol
Summary
'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Charles Dickens' ghostly tale of sour and stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has captivated readers, listeners and audiences for over 150 years. This Christmas, Audible Studios brings this story to life in an audio drama featuring an all-star cast. Starring: Sir Derek Jacobi as Dickens, Kenneth Cranham as Ebenezer Scrooge, Roger Allam as Jacob Marley, Brendan Coyle as The Ghost Of Christmas Past, Miriam Margolyes as The Ghost Of Christmas Present, Tim Mcinnerny as The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come, Jamie Glover as Bob Cratchit, Emily Bruni as Mrs. Cratchit, Jenna Coleman as Belle, Joshua James as Young Scrooge And Hugh Skinner as Fred
©2016 Audible, Ltd. (P)2016 Audible, Ltd.
Only Time Will Tell
Summary
From the internationally best-selling author of Kane and Abel and A Prisoner of Birth comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in an ambitious new series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph. The epic tale of Harry Clifton's life begins in 1920, with the words "I was told that my father was killed in the war." A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he's left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys' school, and his life will never be the same again. As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line? This introductory novel in Archer's ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler's Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes listeners on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life 100 years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the listener nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.
©2011 Jeffrey Archer (P)2011 Macmillan Audio
Cabin Pressure
Summary
Anyone looking to let off some steam is bound to find something to love in Cabin Pressure. The combination of snappy repartee and brilliant voice-acting makes this a side-achingly funny experience from start to finish.
Stephanie Cole ("Doc Martin"), Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam ("The Thick Of It") star in the complete first series of the hit sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. Written by John Finnemore, writer for The News Quiz, and That Mitchell & Webb Sound.
Run by the forbidding divorcée Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (an unfortunate marriage, namewise, but in Carolyn's opinion, marginally better than Carolyn Shappey-Knapp), her two pilots are the smooth, experienced and almost-certainly-fired-by-a-big-airline-for-all-round naughtiness Douglas, and struggling almost-competent pilot and sweaty man Martin. All-round help is provided by Carolyn's near-idiot son, Arthur....
©2008 John Finnemore (P)2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
A Prisoner of Birth
Summary
Danny Cartwright and Spencer Craig never should have met. One evening, Danny, an East End cockney who works as a garage mechanic, takes his girlfriend up to the West End to celebrate their engagement. He crosses the path of Spencer Craig, a West End barrister tipped to be the youngest Queen's Counsel of his generation. A few hours later, Danny is arrested for murder and later is sentenced to 22 years in prison, thanks to irrefutable testimony from Spencer, the prosecution's main witness. Danny spends the next few years in a high-security prison while Spencer Craig's career as a lawyer goes from strength to strength. But all the while, Danny plans to escape and wreak his revenge. Thus begins Jeffrey Archer's poignant and unputdownable novel of deception, hatred, and revenge, in which only one of them can finally triumph, while the other will spend the rest of his days in jail. But which one? This suspenseful novel takes the listener through so many twists and turns that no one will guess the ending, even the most ardent of Archer's many, many fans.
©2008 Jeffrey Archer (P)2008 Macmillan Audio
Cabin Pressure: The Complete Series 3
Summary
Stephanie Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Roger Allam star in the first series of the hit sitcom about the tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. By John Finnemore (‘The News Quiz’, ‘That Mitchell & Webb Sound’) Run by the forbidding divorcée Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (an unfortunate marriage, namewise, but in Carolyn’s opinion, marginally better than Carolyn Shappey-Knapp), her two pilots are the smooth, experienced and almost-certainly-fired-by-a-big-airline-for-all-round naughtiness Douglas, and struggling almost-competent pilot and sweaty man Martin. All-round help is provided by Carolyn’s near-idiot son, Arthur...In the first of the complete six episodes - ""Qikiqtarjuaq"" - when MJN Air flies a party of tourists near the North Pole, Arthur goes hunting for polar bears, Carolyn for a rogue lemon and Martin for a believable French accent...
Then we travel to episode 2 - ""Paris"", and when a bottle of highly-expensive whisky goes missing, Martin becomes the Miss Marple of MJN Air with Arthur assisting as his trusty Doctor Watson and Douglas hindering as his untrusty prime suspect. On to part 3, ""Newcastle"", where love is in the air, but also unfortunately in a small airport in Birmingham - and Martin has to choose between career, romance and fixing a very small tail-light. Part 4 finds us on the way to ""Ottery St Mary"". Martin is a Man With A Van, Douglas flies A Plane With An Otter and Carolyn dates A Pilot With A Problem With Sheep. And two mysteries solved - the name of Carolyn’s dog and the rules of “Yellow Car”.
Arriving at episode 5, ""Rotterdam"", it's Lifejacket, Camera, Action as stardom beckons for one of the crew of MJN Air... but who will get to blow the final whistle? And will they look good in a vest? And in the last episode of the series - ""St. Petersburg"" - some vodka and an unwary bird could spell the end of the line for MJN Air, and when Carolyn meets her ex-husband the atmosphere turns even icier.... With special series guests Timothy West, Anthony Head ('Buffy') and Mark Williams ('The Fast Show').
©2011 Pozzitive Television Limited (P)2011 AudioGO Ltd
Cabin Pressure: The Complete Series 2
Summary
Stephanie Cole (Doc Martin), Benedict Cumberbatch, and Roger Allam (The Thick of It) star in the complete second series of the hit sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult.
Run by the forbidding divorcée Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (an unfortunate marriage, namewise, but in Carolyn's opinion, marginally better than Carolyn Shappey-Knapp), her two pilots are the smooth, experienced, and almost-certainly-fired-by-a-big-airline-for-all-around naughtiness Douglas, and struggling, almost competent Martin. All-round help is provided by Carolyn's near-idiot son, Arthur.
Written by John Finnemore, writer for The News Quiz and That Mitchell & Webb Sound.
©2008 John Finnemore & Pozzitive Television Ltd 2009 (P)2009 BBC Audio
War and Peace
Summary
Paterson Joseph, John Hurt, Lesley Manville and Harriet Walter are among the cast of BBC Radio 4's epic full-cast dramatisation. Adapted for radio by Timberlake Wertenbaker, Leo Tolstoy's epic story follows the fortunes of three Russian aristocratic families during the Napoleonic War. First broadcast on New Year's Day 2015, the drama also features Alun Armstrong, Natasha Little, David Calder, Phoebe Fox, Sam Reid and Joanna David. Duration: 10 hours approx.
©2017 BBC Worldwide Ltd. (P)2017 BBC Worldwide Ltd.
Paths of Glory
Summary
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong - their unparalleled success has made their stories into legend.But what if one man had such a dream, and once he'd achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition? Jeffrey Archer's new novel, Paths of Glory, is the story of such a man - George Mallory. Born in 1886, he was a brilliant student who became part of the Bloomsbury Group at Cambridge in the early twentieth century and served in the Royal Garrison Artillery during World War I. After the war, he married, had three children, and would have spent the rest of his life as a schoolteacher, but for his love of mountain climbing. Mallory once told a reporter that he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, "because it is there." On his third try in 1924, at age 37, he was last seen 400 feet from the top. His body was found in 1999, and it remains a mystery whether he and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, ever reached the summit. In fact, not until you've heard the last words of Archer's extraordinary novel will you be able to decide if George Mallory should be added to that list of legends, while another name would have to be removed. Paths of Glory is truly a triumph.
©2009 Jeffrety Archer (P)2009 Macmillan Audio
Les Miserables
Summary
Joss Ackland, Roger Allam, and Leslie Phillips star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel.
When poverty drives Jean Valjean to steal a loaf of bread from a baker’s window, it is an action that will haunt him for the rest of his life. A citizen of postrevolutionary France, he is sentenced to nineteen years’ hard labour. On his release his fortunes change, and he becomes a respectable businessman and member of society - and yet his past continues to dog him in the form of the sadistic Inspector Javert, who seems determined to pursue Valjean to the grave.
A student uprising is gaining momentum in Paris, and barricades are being built around the city. Valjean’s adopted daughter, Cosette, has fallen in love with the young revolutionary Marius, and the lives of all three are in peril unless they can flee to safety.
Some of the most significant moments in nineteenth century history form the backdrop for Victor Hugo’s powerful story, in which love and heroism march in the face of poverty and social injustice.
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Measure for Measure: The Arkangel Shakespeare
Summary
Telling his followers he is leaving the city on affairs of state, the Duke of Vienna appoints the puritanical Angelo to govern in his absence. Will Angelo prove as virtuous as he seems once power is in his hands? Roaming the city disguised as a friar, the duke looks on as Angelo's lust for the virtuous Isabella sweeps him into the corruption he has so sternly condemned in others. The duke's manipulation at last produces a happy ending for this dark comedy, with its brilliant exploration of the themes of justice and mercy. Roger Allam plays the duke and Simon Russell Beale is Angelo. Isabella is played by Stella Gonet.
Public Domain (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Solar
Summary
Features the author in converstation with his editor, Dan Franklin.
Michael Beard is a Nobel prize-winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming.
A compulsive womaniser, Beard finds his fifth marriage floundering. But this time it is different: she is having the affair, and he is still in love with her. When Beard’s professional and personal worlds collide in a freak accident, an opportunity presents itself for him to extricate himself from his marital mess, reinvigorate his career, and save the world from environmental disaster.
Ranging from the Arctic Circle to the deserts of New Mexico, Solar is a serious and darkly satirical novel, showing human frailty struggling with the most pressing and complex problem of our time. A story of one man’s greed and self-deception, it is a profound and stylish new work from one of the world’s great writers.
©2010 Ian McEwan (P)2010 Random House Audiobooks
How Does That Make You Feel? Series 1-10
Summary
Psychotherapist Martha is reasonably compassionate, but deep down she's losing patience. It seems all her clients want to be something they are not, and it's driving them (and her) out of their minds.
There's Richard Fallon MP, who's convinced that promotion to the front bench is being denied him because of his obese son and a wife who lost all patience with him 20 years ago.
Caroline, who is worried that instead of following the path of celebrity like her, her daughter may go on to study mere physics - thereby consigning her (and more importantly Caroline) to a life of unbearable ordinariness.
Philip, who insists he isn't facing a crisis since his demotion from Good Morning Norfolk to a shopping channel, but whose new girlfriend is 30 years his junior and clearly on the make.
Howard, a chef whose 33-year-old son Aaron is still trying to get a band off the ground whilst looming resentfully over his parents’ lives from the back bedroom.
And Tony, Howard's boss at the restaurant, whose wife thinks he needs therapy. He has no idea why. Mostly he wants to talk about why women are so weird and why he has absolutely no need of a therapist. However, he would like Martha to give him a certificate proving his sanity, if possible.
Across a series of 15-minute comedy vignettes, How Does that Make You Feel? offers a fly-on-the-wall view of Martha’s sessions, each one shedding more light on the lives of her entertaining clients.
Starring Frances Tomelty, Roger Allam, Marcella Riordan, Tim McInnerny, Cathy Belton and Rebecca Saire.
Produced and directed by Eoin O’Callaghan.
©2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd
The George Eliot BBC Radio Drama Collection
Summary
One of the greatest English authors of the 19th century, George Eliot is renowned for her realistic storytelling and insight into the human psyche. This BBC Radio collection presents dramatisations of her five most famous novels, as well as an exploration of her life through her fictional characters. Adam Bede Summer, 1799, and in the Staffordshire village of Hayslope, one of Lisbeth Bede's sons has marriage on his mind.... Eliot's haunting story of love betrayed and rewarded stars Thomas Arnold and Victoria Liddelle. The Mill on the Floss Free-spirited country girl Maggie Tulliver must look outside the love of her own family to find the fulfilment she craves. This classic tale of rejection and reconciliation stars Deborah Findlay, Jasmine Hyde, Tom Goodman-Hill and David Tennant. Silas Marner Reclusive, embittered miser Silas Marner finds salvation when he fosters a little foundling girl - but his life with Eppie is threatened when her biological father makes a claim on her.... Starring George Costigan and Rebecca Callard. Middlemarch In 1830s England, passionate idealist Dorothea Brooke yearns to right society's wrongs. Starring Caroline Martin, Robert Glenister and Roger Allam. Daniel Deronda From the moment their eyes meet across a packed gaming room, Gwendolen Harleth and Daniel Deronda are irresistibly drawn to one another - and their fates become eternally and tragically entwined. Starring Anna Chancellor and Michael Perceval-Maxwell. In George Eliot: A Life in Five Characters, presenter Kathryn Hughes paints a portrait of the author through her key characters, as she talks to Eliot's biographer Philip Davis and authors Tessa Hadley, Sarah Moss, Sathnam Sangera, David Constantine and Kathy O'Shaughnessy. First published 1859 (Adam Bede), 1860 (The Mill on the Floss), 1861 (Silas Marner), 1871-72 (Middlemarch), 1876 (Daniel Deronda).
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Conversations from a Long Marriage
Summary
The first six episodes of the BBC radio comedy drama about a couple who have been married for over 40 years but are still passionate about life, love and each other. Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam play a married couple who met in the Summer of Love and have stayed together ever since. Children of the '60s, they are still free spirits, drawn together by their love for music and one another. We follow their conversations from the café to the kitchen table, taking in everyday chores, dealing with problems with long-held friendships and tackling their frustrations with each other. With warmth, wit and honesty, they talk about the indignities of ageing (he has a dodgy knee and is on statins, she resents her new tri-focal glasses), their desire to still be seen as attractive and their fears and vulnerabilities around growing older. There’s jealousy and talk of affairs, confessions are made and long-held secrets are unearthed - but underlying it all is their enduring love for each other and their desire to keep the passion alive. Written by award-winning comedy writer and journalist Jan Etherington, and based on her own 35-year marriage, this gentle comedy will ring a bell with couples of all ages. Starring Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam. Produced by Claire Jones. A BBC Studios Production.
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
The Magnificent Andrea
Summary
An explosive BBC Radio 4 comedy drama about two morally-polar characters, both in love with the same woman, who has just - tragically - died. Originally broadcast as the 'Afternoon Play' on 22 March 2011.
The Magnificent Andrea is the first original radio play by Nigel Planer ('The Young Ones', 'Hairspray'), in which two wonderful characters, Barry (Roger Allam) and Nigel (Nigel Planer), collide and wrestle over the memory of their shared inspirational warrior woman - and of course, her home.
Andrea's former husband, boozy columnist Barry, is at the tail end of a career marked by low achievement in pugnacious, snide journalism. By contrast, Nigel - recent partner until her sudden death - is an alternative but ultra-orthodox, politically-correct naturopath.
We join Barry after a typically hearty breakfast on his way from Chelsea to attend the funeral in South London, where he confronts his squeaky-clean nemesis Nigel. The lugubrious Barry is appalled at the ceremony, and it is while milling outside that the basically decent Nigel makes the mistake of inviting Barry back to the house - Barry's house - for the reception. There the fireworks really start…
A dark and funny play about mourning, loss and recovery, The Magnificent Andrea also stars Sally Orrock, Brian Bowles, Jane Whittenshaw, Sam Dale, Joanna Monro and Stuart McLoughlin.
©2011 AudioGO Ltd (P)2011 AudioGO Ltd
Conversations from a Long Marriage: Series 2
Summary
The complete second series of the BBC radio comedy drama about a couple who have been married 'for ever' but are keeping the passion alive. Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam return as the married couple who met in the Summer of Love and are still passionate about music, life - and each other. Once again, we listen in on their warm, witty 'conversations', which dance around topics big and small: from health scares and jealousy to disagreements about TV viewing and sourdough bread. There's laughter, bickering, banter - and some loving one-upmanship from both parties, as Roger gives Joanna a masterclass in dishwasher stacking, while Joanna instructs him on how to wave goodbye to departing guests. Approaching the end of a particularly turbulent year, Joanna makes a list of New Year's Resolutions - for Roger - and suggests their marriage needs a re-boot. 'Out the door?' is his response: but there's plenty of life left in this long, loving relationship, and many more discussions, questions and confessions yet to come.... Created by award-winning writer and journalist Jan Etherington, and based on her own long marriage to Gavin Petrie (with whom she wrote the hit radio and TV series Second Thoughts and Faith in the Future), this sparkling comedy two-hander will resonate with anyone who's ever been in a couple. Starring Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam. Produced and directed by Claire Jones. A BBC Studios production.
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
The Fyodor Dostoevsky BBC Radio Drama Collection
Summary
BBC radio productions of Dostoevsky's masterpieces, plus selected shorter fiction and bonus programmes exploring his life and work. One of the most important and influential Russian writers of the 19th century, Fyodor Dostoevsky is admired worldwide for his great realist novels, exploring questions of morality, philosophy and the nature of existence. This compilation contains the BBC radio productions of his four most famous novels - as well as three lesser-known works and two bonus documentaries - collected together for the first time. Crime and Punishment - When he tests out a horrific theory, young Raskolnikov finds himself pursued by the cunning Investigator Porfiry Petrovich. This thrilling tale of guilt and redemption stars Barnaby Kay and Jim Norton. The Idiot - Arriving back in Russia after years spent abroad treating his epilepsy, Prince Mishkin learns the story of the woman who will dominate his life - the spoilt but captivating Nastasya.... Dostoevsky's most personal novel stars Paul Rhys, Roger Allam and Lia Williams. Devils - Idealism curdles into murderous anarchy in this fresh, contemporary three-part adaptation of Dostoevsky's terrifying masterpiece, starring Gary Lilburn, Jane Whittenshaw, Joseph Arkley and Jonathan Forbes. The Brothers Karamazov - The Karamazov family reunite for a meeting with their father to discuss Dmitry's inheritance. But the unpredictable Fyodor seems unwilling to play the game.... Stars Roy Marsden, Paul Hilton and Nicholas Boulton. The Friend of the Family - Russia, 1859 and the manor of Stephanchikovo is thrown into chaos when a former sergeant sets himself up as an arbiter of morals and taste. David Suchet and Clive Merrison star in this farcical comedy. 'Bobok' - Loitering in the cemetery after a funeral, a drunken writer overhears the conversations of the recently deceased corpses.... This blackly comic short story is performed by Boris Isarov. 'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' - A study in music and words of Dostoevsky's vision of an idyllic, prelapsarian world. Read by Ronald Pickup. Dostoevsky and Dangerous Ideas - John Gray reflects on the lessons Dostoevsky's novels teach us about the perils of misguided idealism. Dr Rowan Williams on Dostoevsky - The onetime Archbishop of Canterbury joins Susan Hitch to consider conflicting ideas about spiritual regeneration and existentialism, as embodied in Dostoevsky's characters. First published 1859 (The Friend of the Family), 1866 (Crime and Punishment), 1869 (The Idiot), 1872 (Demons), 1873 ('Bobok'), 1877 ('The Dream of a Ridiculous Man'), 1880 (The Brothers Karamazov).
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd