Over Sea, Under Stone & King of Shadows: Two Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Two magical adventure stories from the queen of fantasy

Immerse 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 credits Written by Susan Cooper

Over Sea, Under Stone Dramatised by David Calcutt Directed by Nigel Bryant Music by Martin Allcock

Great Uncle Merry - Ronald Pickup Jane - Naomi Kerbel Simon - Ben Gutteridge Barney - Edward Clarke Hastings - Struan Rodger

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th Aug - 10th Sep 1995

King of Shadows Written by Susan Cooper Dramatised by Beatrice Collin Directed by Gaynor MacFarlane

Rachel - Buffy Davis Queen Elizabeth - Sally Dexter Harry - Tom George Will - Robert Glenister Doctor - Martin Hyder Nat - Adam Sims Arby/Richard Burbage - Andrew Woodall

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20th Mar 2003

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© 2026 BBC Digital Audio (Lydbog): 9781529965841

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Lydbog: 16. april 2026