Over Sea, Under Stone & King of Shadows

Synopsis

Two magical adventure stories from the queen of fantasyImmerse yourself in the magical world of Susan Cooper’s imagination. Drawing upon Celtic and Norse mythology and English folklore, Cooper creates worlds like no other. She is best known for her The Dark Is Rising series, the first of which is included in this magical adventure collection, with two tales adapted for radio and brought to life by a full cast.In Over Sea, Under Stone siblings Simon, Jane and Barney are holidaying with their great-uncle in Cornwall, and make a curious discovery in a cluttered attic. What they expected to be an ordinary summer in the village of Trewissick turns into something very unordinary - and frightening... Starring Ronald Pickup as Great Uncle Merry and Struan Rodger as Hastings. This is the is the first instalment of Cooper’s classic The Dark Is Rising series and a listening treat.King of Shadows is a magical adventure story set both in the present day and in Elizabethan England. Chosen to play Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe, young American Nat Field travels to London. Visiting the theatre for the first time, he falls seriously ill. When he awakes, he finds that he has gone back 400 years in time. Will he ever be able to return home… Starring Robert Glenister (Strike, Hustle, Spooks) as Will and Adam Sims (Lost in Space, Band of Brothers) as Nat.These stunning listens are perfect for fans of His Dark Materials, The Hobbit, CS Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle. These stories are a delight for listeners young and old and not to be missed.Note: King of Shadows deals with sensitive themes of grief.Cast and creditsWritten by Susan CooperOver Sea, Under StoneDramatised by David CalcuttDirected by Nigel BryantMusic by Martin AllcockGreat Uncle Merry - Ronald PickupJane - Naomi KerbelSimon - Ben GutteridgeBarney - Edward ClarkeHastings - Struan RodgerFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th Aug - 10th Sep 1995King of ShadowsWritten by Susan CooperDramatised by Beatrice CollinDirected by Gaynor MacFarlaneRachel - Buffy DavisQueen Elizabeth - Sally DexterHarry - Tom GeorgeWill - Robert GlenisterDoctor - Martin HyderNat - Adam SimsArby/Richard Burbage - Andrew WoodallFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th Mar 2003©2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd