Roald Dahl: Kiss Kiss

Five classic tales by Roald Dahl starring Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Crown) as the urbane Storyteller. Taken from the anthology, Kiss, Kiss. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these black comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings. They show Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction, and are characterized by their deliciously cynical view of human nature and the relish with which they punish the charlatans, bullies and schemers who inhabit their world. Dramatized by Stephen Sheridan.

2011-04-11 William and Mary – Meet Mary Pearl, who thinks she’s finally free of William, the tyrannical husband who forbade her all life’s pleasures, when he dies after a short illness. She subsequently learns, however, that – hoping to cheat the grave – he allowed a scientist to remove his brain and attach it to a life support system. This gives her the opportunity to get her own back….

2011-04-12 Parson’s Pleasure – Meet Cyril Boggis, an unscrupulous antiques dealer, who charms his way into people’s homes disguised as a simple parson, hoping to pick up neglected treasures for a song. One bright, Sunday afternoon however, all does not go according to plan when, in the home of farmer Rummins, he discovers a priceless Chippendale commode…

2011-04-13 Royal Jelly – Meet beekeeper Albert Taylor and his wife Mabel. Worried that their newborn daughter isn’t eating properly, Albert starts giving her royal jelly – a highly nutritious substance fed by bees to the larvae of their queens. The baby starts to put on weight. But Mabel begins to notice other changes too…

2011-04-14 Mrs Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat – Mrs Bixby – wife of a dull, New York dentist – is having an affair with a wealthy playboy known as the Colonel. When he decides to end their relationship, the Colonel gives her a mink coat as a keepsake. Realizing that her husband will wonder where she acquired such an expensive gift, Mrs Bixby devises an ingenious plan to explain it away….

2011-04-15 The Landlady – Meet young Billy Weaver, who has just arrived in Bath to take up a new job. He books into a curiously deserted B&B. The landlady, who inhabits a sitting room filled with stuffed animals, is welcoming but odd. Wondering if he’s her only guest, Billy checks the register and sees two strangely familiar names. Taking tea with her later, Billy suddenly remembers reading in the papers that both her former guests disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The landlady tells Billy that, like him, each was a beautiful young man whom she didn’t want to leave….

Roald Dahl: A Little Twist of Dahl

Charles Dance leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in dramatizations of five classic tales by Roald Dahl. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these black comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings. The stories show Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction. They are stylishly plotted, vividly characterized and made unforgettable by their breezy cynicism, presenting as they do, a hilariously bleak view of family life. Their satisfying conclusions invariably leave bullies, schemers, adulterers and frauds soundly punished. Dramatized by Stephen Sheridan, produced and directed by David Blount.

2012-12-24 Taste – In Taste, whenever Mike Schofield and Richard Pratt dine together, they play a little game. If Pratt, a conceited wine buff, can identify a rare vintage in a blind tasting, he wins a case of the wine in question. When Schofield boasts that he has acquired a wine whose obscurity renders it unguessable, Pratt suggests they increase their stakes. If he fails to identify it, he forfeits both his houses but, if he succeeds, he wins the hand of Schofield’s delectable daughter in marriage. Despite the girl’s protests, Schofield agrees to the wager.

2012-12-25 The Way up to Heaven – In The Way Up To Heaven, despite living in a New York mansion so vast that it requires its own elevator, the Fosters are not a happy couple. Mrs Foster has a pathological fear of being late and her husband deliberately torments her by doing everything as slowly as he can. When she accepts an invitation to visit France, he insists on taking her to the airport only to leave her waiting outside in the car. Nearly hysterical, she goes to see what’s keeping him but, when she reaches the front door, she hears a particular sound and realizes, if she’s cunning, she need never be late again.

2012-12-26 The Hitchhiker – In The Hitchhiker, Andrew Pym, a successful author, is driving to London in his brand new BMW. He stops to give a hitchhiker a lift. Unwisely, he allows the man to persuade him to see if the car can go as fast as its manufacturers claim. Stopped for speeding, his details are noted down by a policeman who warns him to expect a heavy fine and sends him on his way. Blithely unconcerned at causing so much trouble, the hitchhiker starts boasting that he is engaged in a line of work that requires exceptional skills. And it’s these skills that can get Andrew out of his present difficulty.

2012-12-27 Edward the Conqueror – In Edward the Conqueror, Louisa, a retired piano teacher, takes in a stray cat. She is astonished at how happy it seems when she plays it some Liszt. Noticing that, like Liszt, it has warts on its face, she decides that it must be the re-incarnation of the great composer. Edward, her monstrously selfish husband, resents the cat’s presence and is ruthlessly dismissive of her theories on its true identity. Unabashed, Louisa announces, to Edward’s acute embarrassment, that she intends to make her findings public.

2012-12-28 Neck – In Neck, Sir Basil Turton, a wealthy newspaper magnate, has recently taken a young wife. Bossy and openly adulterous, the new Lady Turton is despised by Jelks, Sir Basil’s butler, for her cruel treatment of his master. One morning she is openly frolicking with her latest lover in the grounds of the estate, when, for a joke, she sticks her head through a hole in one of Sir Basil’s priceless Henry Moore sculptures. When she finds she is stuck, Sir Basil with Jelks’ assistance, must decide on a course of action.

Roald Dahl: Served with a Twist (BBC Radio 4)

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Crown) leads the cast as the urbane Storyteller in dramatizations of five classic tales by Roald Dahl. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these black comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings. The stories show Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction. They are stylishly plotted, vividly characterized and made unforgettable by their breezy cynicism, presenting as they do, a hilariously bleak view of family life. Their satisfying conclusions invariably leave bullies, schemers, adulterers and frauds soundly punished. Dramatized by Stephen Sheridan, produced and directed by David Blount.

2016-07-04 The Bookseller (Toby Jones) – In The Bookseller, we find Mr Buggage and his secretary Miss Tottle hard at work in the back room of Mr Buggage’s book shop in London’s Charing Cross Road. It soon becomes clear that they are running a most successful business – but the fortune they are amassing is not from the sale of books.

2016-07-05 Poison – In Poison, rubber planter Harry Pope fears that a krait – a lethally venomous snake – has crawled under his bed sheets and is nestling on his stomach. His friend, Timber Woods, calls the local doctor for urgent assistance. When Dr Ganderbai arrives, tension mounts as he puts an ingenious and desperate plan into operation.

2016-07-06 My Lady Love, My Dove – In My Lady Love, My Dove, starring Penelope Keith, we meet Arthur and Pamela Beauchamp, a wealthy couple who like to play bridge. However, they are continually being beaten by the Snapes – a younger couple who stay with them as house guests. But Pamela has devised a cunning way of getting her own back.

2016-07-07 The Surgeon – In The Surgeon, Robert Sandy and his wife are faced with a dilemma – where should they conceal the priceless diamond Robert has been given by the King of Agrabah as reward for saving the life of his eldest son? It’s Friday evening and the banks are closed. There’s only one thing for it, they must find a secret hiding place somewhere in their house.

2016-07-08 The Butler – In The Butler, we meet George Cleaver, the Sausage King of the North, who sells his business and moves to London in order to enter society. He employs a butler, Tibbs, to help him to do this. Tibbs explains that it’s vital Cleaver learns as much as he can about fine wines – and, to this end, Tibbs sets about buying rare and expensive vintages and educating his employer. Before long, Cleaver feels he no longer needs his butler’s advice.