Opening Lines

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.0 (4)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Opening Lines

Producer and writer John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

  1. APR 6

    London Belongs to Me

    Ian Sansom celebrates the evocative portrait of London on the brink of war that Norman Collins paints in his 1945 novel London Belongs to Me. The book centres around the lives of the inhabitants of 10 Dulcimer Street, a down-at-heel south London boarding house, and spans the two years from December 1938 to December 1940. Deftly mixing comedy and tragedy, Collins invites us into the lives of these disparate characters, a handful of seemingly unremarkable people whose minor triumphs and bruising setbacks combine to provide a poignant and compelling account of the human face of history, away from the headlines and the corridors of power. Ian Sansom is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He is the author of more than 20 books, including the Mobile Library and the County Guides series of detective novels and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has worked as a columnist for The Guardian and The Spectator and currently writes for the TLS, The Irish Times and The Dublin Review. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. He was formerly the Director of the Oscar Wilde Centre at Trinity College Dublin and a professor and Head of English at Queen’s University Belfast. Contributors: Ed Glinert, writer, lecturer and historical tour guide Katherine Cooper, writer, academic and broadcaster Readings from London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins (Penguin Books, 2008) Reader: Ewan Bailey Sound: Sean Kerwin Researcher: Henry Tydeman Production Coordinator: Nina Semple Producer: Torquil MacLeod Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  2. MAR 23

    Kramer Versus Kramer

    The novel Kramer Versus Kramer was published in the US in 1977 and was an instant bestseller. Its story of a marriage, a divorce and a fierce custody battle tapped into the highly charged debates of the time about changing sex roles, marriage and parenting. It was immediately optioned by Hollywood, and the film came out in 1979 starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Attitudes to custody at the time - which were still rooted in the idea of a wife as a homemaker and carer - were at odds with the sweeping demands for change made by the women’s movement, and it’s this tension that lies at the heart of the story. John hears from Sue Moss, top New York divorce and custody attorney, about how the legal landscape has changed, and from dramatist Sarah Wooley about what drew her to the story. John has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative, including many podcasts for Radio 4. Contributors: Sue Moss, partner at Chemtob Moss & Forman LLP, New York Sarah Wooley, dramatist of BBC Radio 4’s production of Kramer vs Kramer Reader: Riley Neldam Producers: Tolly Robinson, Sara Davies Sound: Sean Kerwin Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    15 min

  3. MAR 9

    Brat Farrar

    Patrick Ashby died nine years ago. Now, out of the blue, he returns home to claim his inheritance. Except, of course, it’s not Patrick but an imposter, Brat Farrar. In this episode of Opening Lines John Yorke examines Josephine Tey’s classic 1949 novel that set the standard for so many crime writers to come. He examines the themes of the book and Tey’s life, itself a story of multiple identities and hidden lives. The programme features writer Nicola Upson, a member of the prestigious elite Detection Club, whose own crime novels feature Josephine Tey as detective. John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4. Interview with Val McDermid, BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, 20th August 2015 Producer: Caroline Raphael Reader: Janet Ellis Executive Producer: Sara Davies Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Sound: Sean Kerwin A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    15 min

  4. FEB 23

    Spring Awakening - Episode 2

    John Yorke examines the radical 1891 play Spring Awakening by German dramatist Frank Wedekind. A cautionary, nightmarish portrait of teenage angst and rebellion against oppressive social structures and family pressures, the play’s explicit content was so shocking that it was not performed for 15 years after its publication. In the decades since, it has often been cut or censored. Wedekind’s original play became the inspiration for a 2006 hit Broadway musical of the same name. In this second of two episodes, John looks at how Spring Awakening has been interpreted and performed in the 134 years since its publication and how audiences – and interpreters - react when they are faced with some very uncomfortable truths. John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4. Contributors: Jonathan Franzen, author and essayist Dr Karen Leeder, Professor of Modern German Literature, University of Oxford Producer: Lucy Hough Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael Sound: Sean Kerwin Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Audio: Spring Awakening (Fruhlings Erwachen), translated by Tom Osborn and adapted for BBC Radio 4 by John Tydeman and first broadcast 26th March 1973 on BBC Radio 4. Actors: Wendla: Helen Worth Mrs Bergmann: Diana Olsson Georg: Brian Hewlett Melchior: Christopher Guard Ernst: Michael Cochrane Lammermeir: Andrew Rivers Hans: Christopher Good Moritz: John Moulder-Brown A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    15 min

  5. FEB 23

    Spring Awakening - Episode 1

    John Yorke examines the radical 1891 play Spring Awakening by German dramatist Frank Wedekind. A cautionary, nightmarish portrait of teenage angst and rebellion against oppressive social structures and family pressures, the play’s explicit content was so shocking that it was not performed for 15 years after its publication. In the decades since, it has often been cut or censored. Wedekind’s original play became the inspiration for a 2006 hit Broadway musical of the same name. In this first of two episodes, John looks at who Frank Wedekind was, and how he contributed to the expressionist movement that swept through Europe in the early 20th century - and how that collision created such an enduring work. John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years and shares his experience as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4. Contributors: Jonathan Franzen, author and essayist Dr Karen Leeder, Professor of Modern German Literature, University of Oxford Producer: Lucy Hough Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael Sound: Sean Kerwin Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Audio: Spring Awakening (Fruhlings Erwachen), translated by Tom Osborn and adapted for BBC Radio 4 by John Tydeman and first broadcast 26th March 1973 on BBC Radio 4. Actors: Wendla: Helen Worth Mrs Bergmann: Diana Olsson Georg: Brian Hewlett Melchior: Christopher Guard Ernst: Michael Cochrane Lammermeir: Andrew Rivers Hans: Christopher Good Moritz: John Moulder-Brown A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    15 min

  6. FEB 9

    That Hideous Strength - Episode 1

    John Yorke looks at CS Lewis’s novel That Hideous Strength, the third in a trilogy of science fiction works. Published in the aftermath of the Second World War, it offers a bleak vision of a world where unchecked scientific research is masking much more sinister aims. A couple, Jane and Mark Studdock, are set on different paths, both threatened by external and internal forces on a dark journey into a dystopian future. In this episode, John examines the key themes in That Hideous Strength and finds the unique blend of mythology and science fiction which permeates this complex novel. John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production, he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4. Contributors: Professor Robert Maslen, University of Glasgow AN Wilson, author of CS Lewis A Biography Readings: Matthew Gravelle Sound: Sean Kerwin Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Producer: Mark Rickards Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  7. FEB 9

    That Hideous Strength - Episode 2

    John Yorke looks at C.S Lewis’s novel That Hideous Strength, the third in a trilogy of science fiction works. Published in the aftermath of World War Two it offers a bleak vision of a world where unchecked scientific research is masking much more sinister aims. A couple, Jane and Mark Studdock, are set on different paths, both threatened by external and internal forces on a dark journey into a dystopian nightmare. In the second of two episodes, John looks at the context in which That Hideous Strength was written and asks how the terrible events of the Second World War coloured CS Lewis’s vision of the future. John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production, he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4. Contributors: Professor Robert Maslen, University of Glasgow AN Wilson, author of CS Lewis A Biography Readings: Matthew Gravelle Sound: Sean Kerwin Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple Producer: Mark Rickards Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    14 min

  8. JAN 26

    The History of Mr Polly

    Ian Sansom, sitting in for John Yorke, takes a look at The History of Mr Polly, the satirical novel by HG Wells. Published in 1910, it tells a story of one man’s comic, sometimes poignant struggle to find his place in the world. Mr Polly is an ordinary man, with an irrepressible longing for the extraordinary - a man caught in a frustratingly mundane world who finally and magnificently rebels against it. The dreamer mired in the mundane world of a draper’s shop has become a classic, much-loved figure, and Ian explores his timeless appeal. Ian Sansom is a novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He is the author of more than 20 books, including the Mobile Library and the County Guides series of detective novels and his work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has worked as a columnist for The Guardian and The Spectator and currently writes for the TLS, The Irish Times and The Dublin Review. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. He was formerly the Director of the Oscar Wilde Centre at Trinity College Dublin and a Professor and Head of English at Queen’s University Belfast. Contributors: Dr Caroline Sumpter Senior Lecturer in Victorian Literature at Queen's University, Belfast Stephen Mangan, actor, who narrates the Radio 4 adaptation of The History of Mr. Polly Producer: Laura Grimshaw Executive Producer: Sara Davies Reader: Stephen Mangan Programme Hub Co-ordinator: Nina Semple Sound: Sean Kerwin A Pier production for BBC Radio 4

    15 min
See All (91)

    Ratings & Reviews

    4
    out of 5
    4 Ratings

    About

    Producer and writer John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

    Information

    • Creator
      BBC Radio 4
    • Years Active
      2023 - 2025
    • Episodes
      91
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © (C) BBC 2025
    • Show Website
      Opening Lines

    You Might Also Like

    Content Restricted

    This episode can’t be played on the web in your country or region.

    To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

    Stay up to date with this show

    Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
    Select a country or region

    Africa, Middle East, and India

    Asia Pacific

    Europe

    Latin America and the Caribbean

    The United States and Canada