The Sand Leopard & Other Vintage Thrillers: A Full-Cast BBC Radio Collection

Ten full-cast BBC Radio thrillers by Berkely Mather

Berkely Mather (real name John Evan Weston-Davies) was a British author who wrote sixteen novels ranging from historical adventures to espionage fiction. A prolific writer for television and radio, he contributed scripts to TV series including Z Cars and The Avengers, and his film credits include Dr. No.

Included here are some of his best radio thrillers, beginning with The Sand Leopard, charting the exploits of Geth Straker, captain of the Peregrine. The trouble-hunting mariner is commissioned to sail to the Red Sea in search of sunken Second World War bullion – but are his two new crew members what they seem? Neil McCallum stars as Straker in this action-packed drama.

In The Hard Buy, it is the late 1960s, and wealthy young British playboy Brett Beaumont (John Rye) suddenly finds himself discredited and framed. Aboard his luxury yacht, he embarks on a dramatic journey to clear his name.

The Meisterspringer, starring Cyril Shaps and Graham Blockey, sees ‘Meisterspringer’ Paul Mettold blackmailed by British agents into arranging the escape from prison of Russian spy James Carter. But the breakout does not go according to plan…

The Bounce Back features six plays themed around retribution – Returned Without Thanks, Honesty’s The Best Fiddle, The Stake-Out, Just a Detail, Never Let Your Left Hand Know…, and Quick Returns. Among the casts are Hector Ross, Hilda Schroder, Henry Stamper, Humphrey Morton, Douglas Hankin, Sheila Grant, Alan Dudley and Ronald Herdman.

Finally, the 30-minute drama Bird’s Eye View, starring Geoffrey Matthews and Cecile Chevreau, tells the story of an English convict on a French prison island who attempts to escape by boat – but on board, a surprise awaits him…

NB: Due to the age of these recordings, the sound quality may vary. Some episodes contain dated attitudes and language

First broadcast BBC Light Programme, 31 July-18 September 1961 (The Sand Leopard), 15 October 1962 (Bird’s Eye View), 23 January-13 March 1967 (The Bounce Back), 27 June-22 July 1968 (The Hard Buy), 21 April-26 May 1985 (The Meisterspringer)

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