Showing results by narrator "Julian Clary" in All Categories

Join in the adventure with Sugarlump the rocking horse when a unicorn grants his every wish, help the Singing Mermaid escape the circus and return to her seaside home, join Josephine and her extraordinary new shoes for an action-packed adventure and much more! This magical collection features seven much-loved stories from the best-selling picture-book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard.

It is opening night at the London Palladium, and tensions are running high amongst the feuding cast of "Leopard Spots". When an on-stage accident forces an unexpected intermission, it is clear to dresser Jayne that the drama has turned deadly. Will she step out of the wings and discover who was behind the final curtain call? Or will murder make an encore?

Mr and Mrs Bold are just like you and me: they live in a nice house, they have jobs and they love to have a giggle. One slight difference: they're hyenas. That’s right - covered in fur, tails tucked into their trousers, and they really like to laugh. So far the Bolds have managed to keep things under wraps. But the nosy man next door smells a rat. Could this be the end of Teddington's best-kept secret?

The Lick of Love takes us on a tour of Julian's colourful life - and wherever life has taken him, Julian has had a dog by his side. Fanny the Wonder Dog, who came into Julian's life when he was somewhat adrift, propelled him up the ranks of the alternative comedy circuit and onto television. Valerie, the whippet cross-breed escorted Julian through his 40s, the Germaine Greer to his Bernard Manning.

The Bolds are a family of hyenas living as humans in a suburban house. But now their kindness to animal waifs and strays has become legendary, and more and more animals keep turning up to stay! But when the Bolds take in a couple of racehorses who are on the run, they worry their animal magnetism is getting to be too much. Have these hyenas bitten off more than they can chew?

The Bolds are very surprised to be visited by Fred's mother, Granny Imamu. She's travelled all the way from Africa, and now she's here, she does not approve of what she finds. Hyenas, living as people - whatever next! Granny Imamu starts to stir up mischief with twins Bobby and Betty, encouraging them to get in touch with their beastly side at school. And then the twins' teacher comes to the Bolds with a rather unusual problem: her grown-up son Jeffrey just isn't like other people.

This time, Teddington's wildest family have decided to stay at home and keep their heads down - it isn't always easy hiding tails and fur under clothes, and it's important not to raise suspicion amongst their human neighbours. But trouble soon comes skulking when a very sly fox starts making a big nuisance of himself. It's up to the Bolds to try to stop him - but the solution has them foxed....

It's the summer holidays, and the hairiest family in Teddington decide to take a well-earned holiday by the seaside. With their extended hyena family in tow, they head on down to Cornwall for a spot of camping. But it's never long before trouble sniffs these hyenas out, and Bobby is mistaken for a pup and snatched by a wicked dognapper. The Bolds will need all their ingenuity to hunt her down and rescue all the pilfered pooches. But can these hyenas-in-disguise save the day, without letting the cat out of the bag?

Give a hoot and don't pollute! The Bolds have decided to do their bit for the planet and go green. They're reducing, reusing and recycling as much as they can. Not all of their eco-friendly ideas are welcome, though, especially when it comes to 'watering' the neighbours' front garden with wee. An eventful trip to the charity shop leads to a new rescue adventure for the Bold family, and an old friend returns with an unexpected list of demands. Can the Bolds keep their cool as temperatures rise?

Radio 4's longest-running panel game returns for the first time since the death of much-missed maestro Nicholas Parsons, who chaired the show for more than 50 years. Following in his footsteps for series 86 are an array of special guest hosts, including Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Nish Kumar, Jenny Eclair, Gyles Brandreth, Lucy Porter, Stephen Fry, Julian Clary, Tom Allen and Jo Brand, while in series 87, Sue Perkins takes the chair and endeavours to keep the participants in check.

When Crab finds a new shell, he doesn’t want to share it with anyone - especially not a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks and he soon finds he needs his new housemates. Sharing a Shell is a charming underwater tale of friendship and fun from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard. With brilliant rhythmic verse, charmingly read by Julian Clary, this is a firm favourite with children and parents alike.

Consider Vivien in November 1922: she is 24 and a spinster. She wears fashionable clothes, but she is plain and - almost worse in those times - intelligent. At nearly six feet tall, she is known unkindly by her family as 'the giantess'. Fortunately Vivien is rich, so she can travel to London and bribe a charismatic gentleman publisher to marry her. What he does not know is that Vivien is pregnant with another man's child and will die in childbirth in just a few months....

Friday Night Live was a late night programme that pushed comedy on TV to new levels. Most TV comedy at that time was a rather safe affair full of middle aged comics and impersonators. Friday Night Live brought in a new generation of comedians; some from the growing club circuit and some along the path from University. On Volume 1, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie can be heard alongside Lee Evans and Jo Brand. This was her TV debut whilst Lee Evans was also just starting his own phenomenal career.

Friday Night Live was a late night programme that pushed comedy on TV to new levels. Most TV comedy at that time was a rather safe affair full of middle aged comics and impersonators. Friday Night Live brought in a new generation of comedians; some from the growing club circuit and some along the path from University. Volume 2, Another comic who got an enormous boost from Friday Night Live was Harry Enfield. He introduced two great characters--the loveable Greek kebab shop owner Stavros, and the less loveable but equally funny Loadsamoney, the plasterer who boasted about his earnings in the booming late 80’s. Included here also is his Northern cousin Buggerallmoney--ah the north south divide! Other great tracks are to be found by Robbie Coltrane, Jo Brand and the wonderful Dame Edna Everage.

One of the BBC's most acclaimed programmes, Great Lives has been a regular Radio 4 fixture for 20 years, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Every week, a famous name is invited into the studio to nominate a figure from the past who has inspired them, and discuss their subject with the presenter and a guest expert.

This is the story of the Honourable Guinevere Dilberne, daughter of Arnold, 11th Earl of Dilberne, Sandra Sinclair and Rita Boniface. Yes, that's right. Three parents. Or, in fact, four, if you wish to count Sandra's husband Clive. Though he played little part in it. It all begins with a loving couple, their interfering neighbour, a test tube and a turkey baster. These days, anything can happen....