Listen - works by Stephen Wakelam

Radio play
Answered Prayers (45 mins - here)

In the aftermath of the First World War two men meet in the English countryside - one a monk, hoping to build a community, the other a young man living in the wild. Gillian Reynolds in the The Daily Telegraph described this as a 'very beautiful, moving play.' And the Observer as a 'two handkerchief play.' Cast: Walter Kenneth Cranham, Francis Stuart McQuarrie, Rector John Rowe, Ordinand Ioan Meredith, Carter Philip Fox. Broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 15 March 2004. Director Janet Whitaker.

Radio play
What I think of my Husband (in five episodes totalling 75 mins: - select episode: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

In the first decade of the last century, a young woman comes down to Dorset to interview the most famous novelist of his day. The play is an account of the relationship between Thomas Hardy and his second wife Florence. The Times described the play as 'unusually authentic'. Cast: Hattie Morahan, Nigel Anthony and Marcia Warren. Broadcast as a five-part serial by BBC Radio 4 starting on 31 March 2008. Directed by David Hunter.

Radio play
Two men from Delft (73 mins - here)

In 1675, at the time of the death of his close friend Johannes Vermeer, Antony Van Leeuwenhoek made an astonishing discovery. He was the first person to identify bacteria. The Sunday Times called this play 'quiet, evocative and lovely'. The Independent: 'A brilliant drama about art, feuding families and the dawn of a new science.' Cast Stephen Tompkinson (Antony Van Leeuwenhoek), Alex Jennings (Christiaan Huygens), Emma Noakes (Maria Van Leeuwenhoek), Alex Tregear (Elisabeth Vermeer). Music by Sylvia Hallett. Viol played by Vanessa Coode. Directed and produced by Jeremy Mortimer. Broadcast on 4 February 2007 on BBC Radio 3.

Radio play
The Adulteries of a Provincial Wife (57 mins - here)

About one of the most famous and scandalous of novels, 'Madame Bovary'. Who was the inspiration for Emma Bovary and how did Flaubert's own life become embroiled in his writing?... 'A very clever play': Sunday Times. Cast Robert Glenister (Gustave Flaubert), Daniel Evans (Louis Bouilhet), Anastasia Hille (Louise Colet). Directed by Sally Avens. First broadcast on 2 September 2006.

The Pattern of Painful Adventures
(90 minutes: available via Amazon as a download)

Antony Sher portrays William Shakespeare. It's 1607 and the playwright is at the peak of his powers - and at a turning point. In his day to day life, there are a number of pressing problems - not least his younger brother who has a sick, illegitimate child and is in need of a job. The play marries real life events in Shakespeare's life with surprising developments in his work. First broadcast by BBC Radio 3, November 30, 2008 and repeated in 2010. Cast: Antony Sher, Will Keen, Helen Longworth, Stephen Critchlow, Chris Pavlo, Robert Lonsdale, Joseph Kloska. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.

Mrs Tolstoy
(68 minutes - is also available via Amazon as a download)