Drama of the Week

In 2023, award winning audio dramatist Oliver Emanuel was part way through writing a new play for radio when something happened to him and he found he could no longer read. This is his story: a powerful and poetic drama that is part audio play and part autobiography...A man and a woman are caught in a rip tide, the life they might have had together - flashing in front of their eyes.Another man and a woman are caught in an impossible situation, the life they have together - flashing in front of their eyes.One Hundred and Fifty Days is drawn from The Great Wave - Oliver Emanuel's unfinished audio drama and from All My Reading – his creative response to the experience of brain cancer.These two pieces of writing were edited together by Victoria Beesley and Kirsty Williams.Performed by:Robin Laing Shauna Macdonald Robert JackSound Design by Fraser JacksonDirected by Kirsty WilliamsDetails of support with cancer are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Daisy Johnson is a multi-award-winning short story writer whose debut novel Everything Under was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.In The Stranger she weaves a gentle romantic story beginning with an unusual flatshare to save money, then twists it into a suspenseful thriller all in the space of 14 minutes - read by Saffron Coomber.Saffron Coomber has recently starred in Sir Lenny Henry's Windrush drama Three Little Birds, was in Small Axe by Steve McQueen, and made her West End debut as Shakespeare's muse in Emilia by Morgan Lloyd MalcolmWritten by Daisy Johnson Read by Saffron Coomber Produced by Allegra McIlroy

By Helen Cross.Rose has made a fresh start in the City of Angels and life feels good. But she can't ignore the past, and now it's starting to bite.Her ex-boss Maya is loving never getting older and has Rose to thank for that. Maya has big plans for a 'rejuvenation' spa in the California hills, but Rose suspects all is not what it seems. On top of that she's worried that someone, or something, is trying to send her telepathic messages. But are they to warn her, or frighten her?Stylish and surprising fantasy horror with a comic twist, starring Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) and Demetri Goritsas (Ten Percent). With music by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Mercury-nominated band, Porridge Radio.Helen Cross wrote ‘My Summer of Love’ which won a Betty Trask award and was made into a Bafta-winning film with Emily Blunt (recently rated her best film in The Guardian top ten Emily Blunt films). Mary Ward-Lowery won Best Director in 2020 Audio Drama Awards.Rose ... Alexandra Mardell Maya ... Miranda Braun Austin ... Demetri Goritsas Siobhan ... Deirdre Mullins Delphine ... Yasemin Özdemir Mam ... Jane Thornton Jack ... Tyler Cameron Gym owner ... Don Gilet Dakota ... Rhiannon Neads Alina ... Kitty O'Sullivan Englishman ... Martin Bonger Angry Man ... Douglas Hodgson Gully ... Bruce CasswellOriginal music written and performed by Dana Margolin and Sam Yardley of Porridge Radio.Sound design by Ilse Lademann and Mary Ward-Lowery Assistant Producer ... Alison Crawford Director ... Mary Ward-Lowery

By Samantha Harvey. Mum drives through the Dark Hedges, crossing a threshold into a different world. Read by Deirdre Mullins.Topical fiction inspired by the story, in this week's news, that some of the beech trees that line the Bregagh Road in Armoy, County Antrim, have been felled amid concern for public safety. The trees, a landmark in their own right, were made more famous after featuring in the fantasy drama Game of Thrones.Samantha won the Betty Trask Prize for her first novel The Wilderness, which was longlisted for the Man Booker, and shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Guardian First Book Award. Her work has been described by critics as 'spectacular', 'beautiful' and 'profound', and her latest novel, 'Orbital', an 'awe-inspiring and humbling love letter to Earth', has been selected by The Guardian as one of the most important books of 2023.Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery