The Complete Smiley
In 2009, BBC producer Patrick Rayner achived a lifelong ambition to bring all eight of John le Carre's novels featuring George Smiley to Radio Four. Three producers - Patrick, Marc Beeby and Steven Canny commissioned just two writers - Shaun and Robert Forrest - to undertake this mammoth task.
Shaun wrote A Murder of Quality, The Looking Glass War, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy.
Simon Russell Beale was cast as Smiley, with Anna Chancellor as his wife and a very distinguished cast featured in each episode. They received universally enthusiastic reviews in the press.
The complete series is now available on Audible.
The midwinter death of a schoolboy. A letter asking for help. George Smiley, newly retired and newly separated from his wife is called in to investigate. But the school is a closed community and the eccentric teacher, Fielding, finds his position threatened as Smiley uncovers the truth.
Simon Russell Beale, Geoffrey Palmer, Marcia Warren, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Alison Pettitt, Sam Dale , Amanda Lawrence, Liza Sadovy
Directed by Marc Beeby
Available as a single drama on Audible.
There's a rumour of Russian rockets just across the East German border. Haldane's department hasn't run an active mission since the War but this is an opportunity for Leclerc to re-establish the glory days. He even thinks Control and Smiley are on his side. He recruits a Polish agent to go behind the German Border
Simon Russell Beale, Ian McDiarmid, Patrick Kennedy, Philip Jackson, Piotr Baumann, Fenella Woolgar, John Rowe, Ania Sowinski
Directed by Marc Beeby
Available as a single drama on Audible
The first part of the Karla trilogy. There's a mole inside the Circus. Control knew this but died before he could identify the traitor. Who spies on the spies? George Smiley is brought out of retirement and finds the solution comes at a personal cost.
Simon Russell Beale, Anna Chancellor, Michael Feast, Alex Jennings, Anthony Calf, Maggie Steed, Kenneth Cranham, Jamie Foreman
Directed by Steven Canny
Available as a single drama on Audible
The second part of the Karla trilogy. Smiley is trying to put the Circus back together after the revelation of the mole. When a situation arises in Hong Kong, Smiley sends Jerry Westerby into a murkier, dirtier situation than either man anticipates. Karla is an implacable but silent enemy.