The Chronicles of Narnia (BBC Radio 4 serial)



'''The Chronicles of Narnia aka. Tales of Narnia''' was a radio drama serial produced between 1988 and 1997 by BBC Radio 4. The full-cast series received critical acclaim starring Maurice Denham as Professor Digory Kirke and Stephen Thorne as Aslan.

It was dramatized for radio by Brian Sibley and produced by Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor and John Taylor.

Tales of Narnia Serial Productions

 * 1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988)
 * 2. The Magician's Nephew (1989)
 * 3. The Horse and His Boy (1994)
 * 4. Prince Caspian (June-July 1995)
 * 5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (September-October 1995)
 * 6. The Silver Chair (1996)
 * 7. The Last Battle (1997)

Voice cast
A cast of 102 voice actors and actresses brought the series to life, with some of them performing more than one character. Compiled from each of the seven books, here are the cast members and their known voice roles.

Debuting in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988)

 * Maurice Denham - Professor Kirke (narrator for LWW, MN, and the end of LB; small role in PC)
 * Rosemary Martin - Jadis (LWW and MN)
 * Stephen Thorne - Aslan (all), Thornbut (HHB)
 * Neil Jeffrey - Peter (LWW only)
 * Abigail Docherty - Susan (LWW only)
 * Henry Power - Edmund (LWW only)
 * Camilla Power - Lucy (LWW only)
 * Norman Bird - Mr. Tumnus (LWW, HHB, and LB)
 * Stephen Harrold - Dwarf
 * David Goodland - Mr. Beaver (LWW), Badger (MN)
 * Polly March - Mrs. Beaver
 * Steve Hodson - Maugrim, ogre, animals
 * John Baddeley - additional voices (animals)
 * Peter Craze - additional voices (stag) (LWW), Panther, Bulldog (MN)
 * Simon Cuff - additional voices (unicorn)
 * Michael Deacon - additional voices (Father Christmas, wolf) (LWW), Polly's Father, Man 2 (MN)
 * Alison Draper - additional voices (squirrel, goblin)
 * Alan Dudley - additional voices (lion)
 * Paul Gregory - additional voices (bull, ape)
 * Clifford Norgate - additional voices (Rumblebuffin)
 * Diana Olson - additional voices (animals)
 * Eva Stuart - additional voices (eagle, hag) (LWW), Polly's Mother, Woman 2 (MN)
 * Stephen Tompkinson - additional voices (centaur, dog) (LWW), Beaver, Warthog (MN)

Debuting in the Magician's Nephew (1989)

 * Robert Eddison - Uncle Andrew
 * Rowena Snaith - Polly
 * Simeon Pearl - (Young) Digory
 * Katherine Parr - Aunt Letty, Mrs. Lefay
 * Joan Matheson - Digory's Mother
 * Douglas Blackwell - Fledge, Man 1
 * John Hollis - Cabby
 * Syd Ralph - Helen or Nellie, Mole
 * John Talbot - Jackdaw
 * Paul Gregory - Bear
 * David Goodland - Badger
 * John Sampson - Elephant, Doctor
 * Zelah Clarke - Woman
 * Paul Sirr - Jeweler

Debuting in the Horse and his Boy (1994)

 * Martin Jarvis - Bree
 * Fiona Shaw - Hwin
 * James Graves - Shasta
 * Michelle Wesson - Aravis
 * Jonathan Tafler - Rabadash (HHB), Chief (VDT)
 * Maria Miles - Lasaraleen
 * Garard Green - Hermit
 * Brett Usher - Arsheesh
 * Derek Waring - Tarkaan
 * Peter Yapp - Aravis' Father
 * Matthew Steer - Corin
 * David Holt - Shallowpad[sic], Hedgehog
 * Paul Panting - Adult Edmund
 * Deborah Berlin - Adult Susan
 * George Parsons - Tisroc
 * Gavin Muir - King Lune, Stag (HHB)
 * Neville Jason - Duffle

Debuting in Prince Caspian (June 1995)

 * Tom Wilkinson - Dr. Cornelius
 * Richard Griffiths - Trumpkin
 * Richard Puddifoot - Prince/King Caspian (PC, VDT, SC)
 * Susie Hay - Susan
 * Tom Puccin (spelled as "Tom Piccin" in The Last Battle) - Peter
 * Ellie Beavan - Lucy
 * Peter England - Edmund
 * Sylvester McCoy - Reepicheep
 * John Turner - Trufflehunter (PC), Lord Bern, Ramandu (VDT)
 * Derek Waring - Miraz
 * Pippa Sparkes - Mrs. Pevensie
 * Tom Godfrey - Young Caspian
 * Andrew Branch - Pattertwig, Sopespian (PC), Lord Rhoop (VDT)
 * Peter Yapp - Brother Dwarf, Wer-wolf
 * Jonathan Keeble - Glenstorm
 * Roger May - Clodsley Shovel, Glozelle
 * Jilly Bond - Hag

Debuting in Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Sept 1995)

 * Marco Williamson - Eustace
 * Robin Bailey - Drinian
 * Melvyn Hayes - Pug
 * David Collings - Gumpas
 * Stephen Critchlow - Duffer
 * Becky Hindley - Duffer (VDT), Girl Bully (SC)
 * Geoffrey Whitehead - Duffer, The Book (VDT), Older Caspian X (SC)
 * Tessa Worsley - Duffer, The Book
 * John Hartley - Coriakin
 * Teresa McIlroy - The Lady

Debuting in the Silver Chair (1996)

 * Victoria Shalet - Jill
 * Frances Tomelty - Green Lady
 * Anthony Jackson - Glimfeather
 * Nicholas Farr - Younger Caspian
 * Richard Claxton - Boy Bully
 * Jonathan Adams - Owl (#2), Golg
 * Keith Drinkel - Giant King (SC), Roonwit (LB)
 * Jane Whittenshaw - Giant Queen
 * Anne Beach - Giant Nurse
 * Joyce James - Giant Cook
 * Aden Gillette - Rilian (uncredited)

Debuting in the Last Battle (1997)

 * Timothy Spall - Puzzle
 * John Sessions - Shift
 * Paul Rhys - Tirian
 * Philip Jackson - Rishda
 * Mary Wimbush - Older Polly
 * Chris Pavlo - Jewel
 * Janet Maw - Ginger
 * Christopher Scott - Poggin
 * Hugh Dickson - Farsight
 * Kim Wall - Emeth

Early Productions
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, produced in 1988, became the first radio drama of the Tales of Narnia serial, although it was originally envisioned as a single production. Together with The Magician's Nephew, it was primarily conceived as an educational resource for BBC School Radio. Both The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Magician's Nephew were directed by Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor. No radio dramas were produced between 1989 and 1994.

Tales of Narnia Serial
Production of the newly created Tales of Narnia serial, which incorporated both previously developed dramas, began in 1994 with The Horse and His Boy, and continued until the completion of the series. Unlike the previous two productions, the remainder of the serial was directed by John Taylor and produced for BBC Children's Radio.

As a result of the 4 year production gap, the Pevensie children were portrayed by two different sets of voice actors over the course of the series. (High King Peter was portrayed by Neil Jeffrey in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988) and Tom Piccin in Prince Caspian (1995).)

Releases
The Tales of Narnia series was originally released to audio cassette as separate recordings of each the seven productions. Original cassette cover art was created by Andrew Skilleter. In 2000, the complete serial, including all seven audio dramas, was released to CD by BBC Audiobooks, and later in 2014 to Audible by BBC Worldwide as The Complete Chronicles of Narnia.