Showing results by narrator "Martin Jarvis" in All Categories

A man calls unexpectedly on his mistress and sees another man leaving her flat. Accusing her of being unfaithful, he quarrels with her, strikes her. She dies. Leaving unseen, he tips off the police so that the other man is arrested and charged. Has he achieved "The Perfect Murder"? A tantalising opening to A Twist in the Tale, a fast-moving, entertaining set of stories.

In this story of Crown House, the grand home of the Ministers, the bond is built between the Minister family and the House of Windsor in this tale of changing times and unvarying traditions. This is a tale of two families and a fresh era for the Minsters of Crown House, and the Royal Family of Windsor.

Nobody believes Barney when he says he's discovered a boy living wild in the dump. But for Barney, Stig is totally real. They become great friends, learn each other's ways and embark on a series of exciting adventures.

Fielding's rollicking comic masterpiece sparkles with life in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization. Abandoned child Tom is raised by the rich and benevolent squire Mr. Allworthy, much to the chagrin of Allworthy's mean-natured nephew Blifil, and develops into a good-natured rake. But Tom's inability to resist a pretty face lands him in hot water when he impregnates Blifil's betrothed. When the lovely Sophia runs away to London, Tom pursues, embarking upon a series of riotous and amorous adventures.

Join the wonderfully weird Otherhand family and their faithful guardian, Edgar the raven, and discover the dark secrets of Castle Otherhand.The rumblings and wailings from the Lost South Wing can no longer be ignored, as one by one, members of the castle are being found frozen, 'scared to death'. With mother, Minty, obsessing over her latest fad - sewing - and father, Valevine, busy experimenting with a machine to discover the Lost Otherhand treasure, it's up to aspiring ghost-hunters Solstice and Cudweed to solve the mystery.

Oliver Twist is an orphan who was born in a workhouse. After an unhappy apprenticeship, Oliver steals away to London where he is taken in by thieves, headed by a man named Fagin. He is rescued by Mr Brownlow, but the gang kidnaps him back. Oliver discovers the identity of his parents and the gang is exposed.

'The Third Man' is Graham Greene's brilliant recreation of postwar Vienna, a 'smashed dreary city' occupied by the four Allied powers. Rollo Martins, a second-rate novelist, arrives penniless to visit his friend and hero, Harry Lime. But Harry has died in suspicious circumstances and the police are closing in on his associates...'The Fallen Idol' is the chilling story of a small boy caught up in the games that adults play. Left in the care of the butler and his wife whilst his parents go on a fortnight's holiday, Philip realises too late the danger of lies and deceit.

Pinocchio is the best puppet story ever. Listeners will quickly be caught up in Carlo Collodi's impish creation as they are swept along at an action-packed pace. From the day when Geppetto first carves Pinocchio from a piece of wood to the final happy ending - with many exciting and dangerous adventures along the way - Pinocchio will charm and captivate. The story also has a strong moral throughout, which is as suitable for children (and adults!) today as when the original book was written.

On the sunlit Greek island of Skios, the Fred Toppler Foundation's annual lecture is to be given by Dr Norman Wilfred, the world-famous authority on the scientific organisation of science. He turns out to be young and charming - not at all the intimidating figure they had been expecting. The Foundation's guests are soon eating out of his hand. So is Nikki, the attractive organiser. Meanwhile, in a remote villa at the other end of the island, Nikki's old friend Georgie waits for the man she rashly agreed to go on holiday with.

Adam Scott listens to the reading of his father's will, aware that the contents can only be meagre. The Colonel, after all, had nothing to leave, except a letter he had never opened himself, a letter that can only bring further disgrace to the family name.

In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live, the only immediate signs of the Second World War are the blackout at night and a single random bombsite. But the two boys start to suspect all is not as it seems when one day Keith announces a disconcerting discovery: the Germans have infiltrated his own family. And when the secret underground world they have dreamed up emerges from the shadows, they find themselves engulfed in mysteries far deeper and more painful than they had bargained for.

And suddenly I stood up because I knew what it was. It was a model galleon, buried in the sand... My heart was in my mouth. I just knew that no matter if I lived to be a hundred I would never find anything so wonderful again.’ With growing excitement, Tim and his Uncle Geoff realize the significance of their discovery. For the model ship yields up a secret that sets them on a journey into the past, to solve a mystery and salvage a story of danger and romance buried in the sands.

Mixing the colorful letters of Franz Liszt with some of his most ecstatic piano music, Odyssey of Love depicts his tempestuous relations with two fascinating women.

Journey's End is an unflinching vision of life in the tranches towards the end of the First World War. The play opens in a dugout in the trenches in France. Raleigh, a new 18-year-old officer fresh out of school, joins the besieged company of his friend and hero Stanhope. But when he arrives in the trenches, he finds Stanhope dramatically changed. This vintage BBC radio production from 1970 stars Martin Jarvis as Captain Stanhope.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English author and poet born in Bombay, India. Educated in Britain, he later returned to Lahore, India, to work as a journalist. Kipling travelled widely and also lived in Vermont, having married Carrie Balestier, an American.Throughout his life, Kipling never stopped writing. He was greatly revered during his lifetime and received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature. Kidnapped examines Kipling's attitudes towards race, and inter-racial marriage in particular, with the amused observations of societal quirks characteristic of his writing.

The King James Version of The Bible was first published in 1611, and aside from small modernisations in spelling, has stayed true to the original manuscript ever since. Originally produced to quell tensions in England over which Bible Translation was the truer to use in the Church of England, the KJV is now the most widely-used version of the Bible. The keys to the version’s success have been simplicity of language and majesty in execution and presentation.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe, CSA Word is proud to release a brand new recording of over 100 poems written by the men and women who served during the war. A formidable and unique legacy, this striking collection of poems and voices, framed by helpful narration, evokes the atmosphere and feelings of war in all its aspects: the pain, passion, fear, loneliness, anger, and some unexpected humour too.

A story of love and broken dreams, Great Expectations is regarded by many as Dickens' finest achievement. He combines a gripping, melodramatic plot with a rich and memorable cast of characters, some comic, some tragic, some eccentric and some exemplary, like the generous-spirited Joe Gargery. The tale is told by Pip, an orphan of humble origins, who rises to be a gentleman through a mysterious benefactor. But his world is turned upside-down by a revelation, the nature of which he could never have guessed.

Dickens' exuberant novel charts the rise of its young hero Nicholas Nickleby, who progresses from an impoverished youngster gladly accepting his uncle's offer of help, to an assured businessman capable of thwarting villainous plans. The book unfolds in a series of vivid scenes, starting with Nicholas accompanying the vicious schoolmaster, Wackford Squeers, north to the grim Dotheboys Hall.

On July 19, 2001, Jeffrey Archer—politician and international best-selling author—was sentenced to four years in prison for perjury. He became Prisoner FF8282 and spent the first three weeks of his sentence in a high-security prison that housed some of Britain's most violent criminals. He was moved to the Lifer's wing—because of the security it provided—where he became a trusted confidant to fellow convicts. Prisoners and guards alike asked for his autograph and sought his advice—though one cellmate sold a story about Archer to the British tabloids.