Showing results by narrator "Jim Broadbent" in All Categories

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.

Percy and his animal friends have delighted readers around the word for more than 30 years! Here you can listen to six fantastic park adventures, performed by Jim Broadbent. Percy the park keeper works hard looking after the park and his animal friends who live there. But Percy still likes to find time for some fun and games. And of course in Percy’s Park there’s always time for a story....

When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof, or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking - to save someone else's life.

On a volcanic island, in the middle of shark-infested waters, stands the Cruel School. The lessons are appalling, the school dinners are revolting and the teachers are terrifying—especially the mysterious science teacher Doctor Doktur. When Larker is sent to the school, she quickly realises something very odd is going on...something involving Doctor Doktur, a pair of strange spectacles and a ‘Monsterfication Machine’. And ultimately she finds herself face to face with a real life Megamonster.

When Dorothy and her pet dog, Toto, are swept away from their Kansas home, they find themselves in the magical land of Oz where munchkins live, monkeys fly and Wicked Witches rule. In their quest to return home they meet a cast of characters that have become much loved by families since the story was first published in 1900. Dorothy, played by Lydia West (Years and Years) joins the Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion as they follow the yellow brick road to find the Wizard, played by Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady, Moulin Rouge).

Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over 60 years. Here you can listen to seven hilarious Paddington stories, read by Stephen Fry and Jim Broadbent. Paddington is now a major movie star! Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same...for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.

Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for more than 60 years. Here you can listen to seven hilarious Paddington stories, read by Stephen Fry and Jim Broadbent.

Ever since Paddington arrived in England, he has shared his adventures with his aunt Lucy back in Peru. From meeting the Browns to discovering the sights and sounds of London, his letters tell the story of a kind-hearted bear discovering a whole new life - told with love, from Paddington.

Somehow, Paddington always manages to find himself in strange situations. From a squishy miscommunication involving oysters and public transit to a case of mistaken identity, there’s never a dull moment when a certain bear is around!

This six-part comedy series was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1988. Hosted by Stephen Fry, accompanied each week by Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, and a selection of guests including Phyllida Law, Robert Bathurst, Julia Hills, and Alison Steadman, the show takes the form of a roundtable discussion, interspersed with sketches that veer tangentially from the sublime to the ridiculous.

An all-star cast attend a mysterious private club in this hilarious parody of classic horror tales. Membership of the exclusive Mausoleum Club isn't for the faint of heart. The Honorable Clarence Green wants in, but to join he must first hear the spine-chilling stories of the existing members, before enthralling them with one of his own. But are their stories fact or fiction? And will Green still want to join after hearing the horrors they have to tell?

These are the swashbuckling adventures of Captain Pugwash, narrated by the inimitable Jim Broadbent. There's nothing more likely to prompt our hero into action than the prospect of treasure. So when the valiant cabin boy Tom sees a mound of yellow stuff aboard a nearby ship, the Captain sets off in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, his villainous arch-enemy, the horrible Cut-throat Jake, is not far away. Will the Captain be trapped by Jake's dastardly plan?

A secret descendant of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, Ricky Lenin is a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist, fervently committed to overthrowing to the decadent world of British football. As a midfield maestro, he's perfectly placed to infiltrate England's top club, Felchester Rovers, where he proceeds to introduce his radical ideas. But there's more to his fellow players than meets the eye, and Ricky soon discovers he's not the only one seeking to foment revolution.

Three favourite stories of Paddington, the beloved classic bear from Darkest Peru, brought together in one volume. Paddington is now a major movie star! This special edition brings together three favourite classic adventures – Paddington in the Garden, Paddington at the Carnival and Paddington and the Grand Tour. Whether he is gardening, walking along the canal or seeing the sights of London – as always – there is never a dull moment when Paddington is around!

Hot on the heels of the 500 Words: Black Lives Matter competition hosted by Virgin Radio this month, Bonnier Books UK is publishing a collection of 100 inspiring, moving and poignant short stories submitted by children from across the country. Almost 6,000 children, aged between 5 and 13, submitted stories expressing their personal experiences, tales of empathy, learning and respect, building on the international conversation around Black Lives Matter.

Ever since that first primordial fireball exploded in the void countless aeons ago, people have been doing comic sketches on the radio. And this is no exception. These two mouth-watering series feature a whole host of tasty takeaway skits and shenanigans, from 'The Man At Parties No-One Wants To Talk To' and 'Britain's Stupidest Postman' to sauna novices, the perfect Proms punter and Batman in his dotage. Other highlights include regular characters Mr Makesalotofmistakes, who can't seem to get anything right, and smug yuppies Richard and Dulcie ('Rich and Dull') Perrier.

Paddington Bear is getting ready for a Halloween party, strictly for family only. He can’t wait for the party to start – as soon as he gets home from trick or treating! But nothing goes quite to plan after Paddington’s mean neighbour, Mr Curry, invites himself to the party and spoils all the fun. Luckily, Paddington has a special Halloween trick that might just save the day!

Paddington is excited to be organising an Easter egg hunt for his neighbours. But, from finding empty supermarket shelves, to buying a box of broken Easter eggs, Paddington wonders if the hunt can ever go ahead. That is, until Mr Gruber’s book on Roman mosaics and some sticky marmalade give him a brilliant idea . . .

Cut-throat Jake and his ugly crew are busy celebrating on Cactus Island, surrounded by their stolen treasure. So they are caught off guard when Captain Pugwash and his men arrive disguised as a sea monster. But more surprises are to follow for all the pirates when the real sea monster turns up to investigate, and Pugwash's crew are stranded by high tide.

Captain Pugwash is delighted at the prospect of earning 500 golden crowns for smuggling barrels of brandy across the English Channel. But little does he suspect what is really inside the barrels! Luckily Tom the quick-witted cabin-boy uncovers Cut-Throat Jake's dastardly plot and not only saves the day, but secures the Captain's reward as well!