Maureen & Friends: A BBC Radio Collection of Comedy Monologues and Dramas

Two series of Maureen Lipman's monologues and musings, plus four comedy dramas written especially for her

'Marvellous' Daily Telegraph

Award-winning actress and comedian Maureen Lipman has been entertaining audiences for over half a century. Her career has encompassed film, theatre, TV and radio; she has written several bestselling autobiographies; and in 2020 she was made a Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. In this sparkling collection, the irrepressible 'Queen of Coronation Street' takes to the airwaves with her hilarious monologues, diverting duologues and amusing anecdotes - all recorded in front of a live audience. Also included are four comedy dramas showcasing her manifold talents.

Maureen & Friends finds her following in the footsteps of the late, great Joyce Grenfell as she brings her own incisive wit to the monologue tradition. Series 1 finds her riffing on topics as diverse as Jane Austen, pesky rodents, stroppy teenagers, Balkan windscreen-washers and life in the Covid era; while in Series 2 she is joined by fellow actor Oliver Cotton to give life and opinions to a variety of comic characters, both human and animal - from a crossword whiz to a Canada goose.

In A Month of Maureen, she stars in four comedy dramas specially scripted for her:
Three Journeys tells the poignant, funny tale of a mother and son. Five Lessons is a delightful comedy about a pianist and his pupil. Dead Rellies centres around a revelatory trip to a Jewish cemetery. Theodora Potts: Victorian Psychic is a surreal comedy-drama featuring a medium with a secret, who's about to meet her match.
Among Maureen Lipman's co-stars are Jasper Britton, Julian Rhind-Tutt, George Layton and Tracy-Ann Oberman.

Credits

Maureen & Friends
Written and performed by Maureen Lipman with Oliver Cotton
Produced by David Hunter and Tracey Neale
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2019-3 January 2020 (Series 1) and 16-23 March 2022 (Series 2)

A Month of Maureen
Produced and directed by Marion Nancarrow
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-27 November 2017

Three Journeys
Molly - Maureen Lipman
Paul - Jasper Britton
Written by Gary Brown

Five Lessons
PW - Maureen Lipman
Conrad - Julian Rhind-Tutt
Written by Marcy Kahan
Pianist Peter Ringrose

Dead Rellies
Fay - Maureen Lipman
Alan - George Layton
Cynthia - Julie Teal
Written by Gary Brown

Theodora Potts: Victorian Psychic
Theodora Potts - Maureen Lipman
Sioux Sioux - Tracy-Ann Oberman
Adolphus/Dr von Ubermench - Neil McCaul
Countess - Ellie Darvill
The Earl - Clive Hayward
Mr Brown - Rupert Holliday Evans
Clemmie - Abbie Andrews
Mr Soames - Gary Duncan
Woman with birthmark - Isabella Inchbald
Written by Tracy-Ann Oberman and Ivor Baddiel

© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd