Bradbury Dramas Reprised on BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 Extra has online Ray Bradbury – Tales of the Bizarre, “Strange and chilling tales from the master of thrillers.”

First broadcast in 1997, each episode includes an introduction by Bradbury that explains how he came to write the story.

The episodes are available for a limited time after their original airing. (Other stories in the series have already cycled off.)

Many of the adaptations are by Brian Sibley. Of his three episodes currently available online he says —

‘The Wind’ (technically, one of the most evocatively-realized examples of my radio work), ‘The Scythe’ (a story that moved me when I first read it and which moves me still) and ‘Jack in the Box’ (in this version a tour de force conversation between narrator and character).Radio 4 Extra never notify writers when their programmes are being repeated, so if you want to hear these broadcasts, you’ll have to move fast to catch them before they vanish back into the ether!

The series includes two dramatizations by Catherine Czerkawska, “And So Died Riabouchinska,” and, airing November 29, “The Day it Rained Forever.”

Jack in the Box – 30 min – 2 days left to listen – Adapted by Brian Sibley

A young boy lives an isolated life – until a death opens the door to the outside world…

The Scythe – 30 min – 9 days left to listen — Adapted by Brian Sibley

A young farmer gets more than he bargained for when he stumbles across a seemingly deserted farm.

The Wind – 30 min – 16 days left to listen — Adapted by Brian Sibley

A man fears for his frantic friend, who claims he’s being pursued by enraged winds out to exact revenge.

And So Died Riabouchinska  – 30 min – 23 days left to listen — Adapted by Catherine Czerkawska

A man lies murdered in a basement – but there’s a surprising non-human witness.

Available after its November 29 airing will be –

The Day It Rained Forever – 30 min – not yet aired – Adapted by Catherine Czerkawska

The last remaining residents of a drought-stricken hotel receive salvation from an enigmatic source.

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian for the story.]

One thought on “Bradbury Dramas Reprised on BBC Radio 4

  1. If anyone’s after BBC radio readings of stories then they might also like to know that Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains‘ was read in the Book At Bedtime slot by Bill Peterson this week.

    First episode (of five) here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ptqdz
    It’ll be available for another 24 days.

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