BBC World Drama

Radio Drama on BBC World Service

What we do

Kerry Shale, Stephen Mangan, Ellen Thomas and Jason Chan in “The Black Cat Murder Mystery”.

Richard Johnson, Tom Conti and Nicholas Woodeson in “A Cook’s Tour of Communism”.

BBC World Drama gives listeners around the world an opportunity to hear entertaining, intelligent and moving drama - from the classical greats to innovative new writing - from the UK and around the world.

We work with stellar actors and international stars from around the world - including recently Tom Conti (Shirley Valentine), Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes) and Henry Goodman (Life and Death of Peter Sellers) and award winning writers such as Carey Harrison and Marcy Kahan.

Still to come...

January 2009 "My Dark Places": To coincide with the week of the inauguration of the new President of the United States, we bring you this new production of crime-writer James Ellroy's extraordinary book dramatised by Steve Chambers. It charts his search for the murderer of his own mother, 36 years after the event. (Currently recording).

February 2009 "The View from Here": 4 international artists from The Slade School of Fine Art have made 4 videos to inspire 4 writers. Students and staff from The Slade have also designed the website and sound for the final programme. Starring Jimmy Akingbola (Frantic Assembly's Othello) and Fenella Woolgar (Vera Drake).

What have you just missed?!

"The Tiger's Tail" was a drama- documentary marking twenty years since the first democratic uprisings in Burma with Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) and Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) .

"The Good Doctor" looked behind the headlines of the case of Harold Shipman, the General Practitioner who murdered around 250 of his patients and was arrested 10 years ago this month. Starring Henry Goodman.

As a tribute to the film director and writer Anthony Minghella, his Giles Cooper award-winning radio play "Cigarettes & Chocolate" (starring Bill Nighy) was repeated in October 2008. This also launched our International Playwriting Competition 2009.