Drama of the WeekDrama

Drama of the Week


Drama of the Week

Faith, Hope and Glory

Fri, 27 Mar 2026

Set in 2016, Joy, a 70-year-old grandmother, is plunged into crisis when the state declares it has no record of her existence. As the Hostile Environment tightens its grip, her daughter Glory seeks help from Serena Hope, a lawyer whose return reopens old tensions. At the same time, Joy’s half sister Jean uncovers buried evidence that could decide Joy’s fate.

Faith, Hope and Glory is an ambitious Radio 4 drama series telling intimate domestic stories that together illuminate the emergence of modern Britain. The story began in 1946, when Hope and Jim’s baby was entrusted to Eunice, later known as Faith, to take home to Antigua, but never made that journey and was taken in by Gloria and Clement. Named Joy, the child becomes the emotional centre of the series, her life unfolding across decades as personal lives intersect with social change.

Joy . . . . . Doreene Blackstock
Glory . . . . . Cat Simmons
Serena Hope . . . . . Rakie Ayola
Jean . . . . . Nadine Marshall
Keeley . . . . . Clare Corbett
Receptionist . . . . . Yasmin Mwanza

Writer: Carol Russell
Director: Jade Williams
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole
Sound design: Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson, Sharon Hughes

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.

Secrets and Lies: Candour

Fri, 20 Mar 2026

When a system falters, who finds the courage to speak the truth?

Maya, a young first-time mother, Jo, an overwhelmed trainee GP on rotation, and Kate, a fiercely principled hospital chaplain find their lives unexpectedly intertwined following a birth that doesn't go to plan.

Part of the Secrets and Lies season, Al Smith's drama pulls back the curtain on a labour ward under intense pressure, exploring what happens when real lives fall between the cracks of an overstretched healthcare system. It explores responsibility, courage, silence and the fragile trust that holds patients and professionals together.

KATE......Christine Bottomley
JO.....Anneika Rose
MAYA.....Sade Malone
SUE.....Jenny Platt
BEN.....Darren Kuppan
JOHN....Graeme Hawley
RAY.....James Quinn

Written by Al Smith
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design and Technical Production by Sharon Hughes
Production Co-ordinator - Ben Hollands
Technical Producer - Kelly Young
Casting Manager - Alex Curran
Medical Advisors - Fran Bennett and Joe Lee

A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4.

Send Message to Drama of the Week

Unverified Podcast
Is this your Podcast? Claim It!

Podcaster File Drama of the Week

Reviews for Drama of the Week