HighLites: Series 1-6

Synopsis

All six series of the BBC radio comedy centred around a village hairdressing salon - plus pilot episodeBased in the little town of Bridgeford, High-Lites salon boasts the most misanthropic hairdresser in Britain: sharp-tongued, mean-minded Bev. With the help of her soft-hearted (though slightly dim) assistant Shirley, she tends to the tresses of a motley crew of local characters. As she cuts their hair, she finds out everything that's going on in their lives - and wastes no time in spreading some gossip of her own...In the pilot episode, one of her little lies takes on a life of its own - and a dodgy dryer nearly spells disaster. Series 1 finds the salon on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing Bev to take desperate measures to keep it afloat. In HighLites: Retouched, the two stylists go mobile when their premises are shut down by Environmental Health, and in HighLites: Split Ends, Bev tries to undercut her rival, Anton, to secure a lucrative wedding hair gig.HighLites: Wash and Blow finds the hairdressing duo heading out on a cruise, hoping to drum up a little business below deck. But it's not all plain sailing... In HighLites: Dye Another Day, Bev and Shirl are faced with a huge tax bill, and connive to inherit from a wealthy old man's will. And in HighLites: Natural Bounce, the world's worst hairdressers discover that there's money to be made in fitness, and decide to open a gym above the salon - but is this an expansion too far?Co-written by Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding, this fast-paced, farcical comedy stars Lorraine Ashbourne as Bev and Rosie Cavaliero as Shirley, with a supporting cast including Marlene Sidaway, Sheila Reid, Angela Lonsdale, Adjoa Andoh, Adam Nagaitis and Joel MacCormack.Production creditsWritten by Steve Chambers and Phil NoddingProduced by Jessica DromgooleDirected by Colin Guthrie and Liz WebbFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 December 2009 (Pilot), 13-17 February 2012 (HighLites), 8-12 October 2012 (HighLites: Retouched), 2-6 December 2013 (HighLites: Split Ends), 5-9 May 2014 (HighLites: Wash and Blow), 8-12 June 2015 (HighLites: Dye Another Day), 25-29 July 2016 (HighLites: Natural Bounce)CastBeverley - Lorraine AshbourneShirley - Rosie CavalieroMatthew - Rhys Jennings/Owen PullarAlice - Emerald O'Hanrahan/Marlene SidawayEnid - Kate Layden/Nicola Sloane/Sheila Reid/Susan JamesonNigel - John Biggins/Simon Bubb/John Norton/Chris PavloLois - Joannah Tincey/Stephanie RacineButt - Ewan Hooper/James Lailey/Robert Blythe/Sean MurrayParamedic - Joseph Cohen-ColeJohn - Carl PrekoppHenry - Gerard McDermottMelvin - Adam BillingtonDiane - Alex Rivers/Angela LonsdaleWendy - Victoria Inez Hardy/Eleanor Crooks/Rhiannon Neads/Nicola FergusonHarriet - Adjoa Andoh/Carolyn PicklesHilary - Nicola SloaneBelinda - Stephanie RacineSatnav/Nurse/Tannoy - Sarah ThomAntony - Adam NagaitisGordon - Ben CroweLucinda - Liza SadovyRonnie - Michael BertenshawLiz - Christine AbsalomTess - Priyanga BurfordCaptain Andersen - Joel MacCormackJulie - Carys EleriDoug - Stephen CritchlowAnnabeth - Jane SlavinDaz/Tony - Sam RixBeryl - Melanie KilburnWith Adie Allen and Scarlett Brookes©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd