Radio 2 Events

The show features Jeff Wayne conducting The Black Smoke Band, The ULLAdubULLA Strings, plus  Jennifer Ellison, The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward, Manfred Mann's Chris Thompson, and the voice of Richard Burton.

Inspired by HG Wells' famous novel, the prog rock and classical album was released in June 1978, and has since spent over 330 weeks in the UK Album Chart and won two Ivor Novello Awards. This multi-media stage version was produced to mark the 30th anniversary of the album's release and was recorded by Radio 2 on 21 June 2009.

George Herbert, The Journalist (Richard Burton) - the main narrator of the story, who is in his late thirties. He is a character with a strong grip on reality, though his reality becomes one he never thought possible due to the arrival of the Martians. His determination and will to live were driven by his love for Carrie, his fiancée.

The Sung Thoughts Of The Journalist (Justin Hayward) - represent two main moments in the story; in The Eve Of The War Ogilvy, the astronomer’s assurance that there is no danger and there could be no living thing on Mars; and in Forever Autumn, the absence of his love Carrie.

The Artilleryman (Alexis James) - he is in his late twenties and represents the British military. He undergoes a mental change after the destruction caused by the Martians and forms big, unrealistic plans of building a new world underground, while becoming content to drink and play card games. The Journalist leaves him after realising that his plans are unrealistic dreams.

The Voice Of Humanity (Chris Thompson) - appears during the battle of Thunder Child with the Martian tripods depicted and sung. The steamer is packed with people trying to flee the Martian invasion. In spite of all on board, including Carrie, reaching the shore safely, the war is lost as the Thunder Child sinks forever and the Earth belongs to the Martians.

Parson Nathaniel (Shannon Noll) - the representative of religion, who becomes extremely distraught and senseless after seeing the destruction of his church. He regards the Martians as demons and devils, and at the height of his madness he believes that he can destroy the Martians with his prayers and holy cross, but ends up in the claw of the Martians.

Beth, The Parson's Wife (Jennifer Ellison) - she is in her late twenties and represents the goodness in Humanity. The interpretation of Beth and Parson’s duet is a battle between Good and Evil as Beth tries to encourage Nathaniel out of his gloom and resignation to the forces of evil. Beth dies when a cylinder lands on the house she seeks shelter in.

Carrie, The Journalist's Fiancée (Anna-Marie Wayne) - the character is in her twenties, and affects the plot more through providing direction and motivation to The Journalist’s actions rather than through her own actions. The narrator misses and thinks of her a lot, and his plans centre around tracking her down. Both having had the same desire to return home, however hopeless, they are reunited in the end.