It's 1959. Blackmail. The western world is in jeopardy. Can James Bond prevent nuclear disaster?

Toby Stephens stars as agent 007.

SPECTRE’s pilot hijacks a Vindicator bomber carrying two atomic bombs. Once its cargo is delivered to the Bahamas, he is killed and the bombs are secreted on board the cruiser Disco Volante. The British Prime Minister receives a letter from criminal mastermind Ernst Blofeld - two major cities will be decimated unless a huge ransom is paid.

Operation Thunderball attempts to recover the nuclear weapons.

M assigns 007 to the Bahamas. He joins forces with CIA’s Felix Leiter. Bond meets Domino - mistress of Blofeld’s second-in-command, Largo and sister of the dead pilot - and recruits her to spy on Largo.

The ransom deadline nears. After an undersea battle Bond locates the bombs en route to the first target. Will nuclear disaster be averted?

Martin Jarvis directs an all-star cast.

James Bond ..... Toby Stephens
Largo ..... Tom Conti
Blofeld ..... Alfred Molina
Domino ..... Janet Montgomery
Dr Wain ..... .John Sessions
Patricia ..... Lisa Dillon
Lippe ..... James Callis
Leiter ..... Josh Stamberg
Governor ..... Ian Ogilvy
M ..... John Standing
Miss Moneypenny ..... Janie Dee
Q ..... Julian Sands
Captain Clark ..... Nigel Lindsay
Petacchi/Dietl ..... Matthew Wolf
Sam ..... Alan Shearman
Beresford/Pilot ..... Darren Richardson
Kalyagin/Operator ..... Aaron Lyons
Santos/Officer ..... Simon de Deney
Voice of Ian Fleming ..... Martin Jarvis

Other parts played by members of the cast

This production is based on the book Thunderball, a story based on a film treatment by K McClory, J Whittingham and Ian Fleming.

Specially composed music by Mark Holden and Philip Smoot
Dramatised by Archie Scottney

Director: Martin Jarvis
Producer: Rosalind Ayres

A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2016. Show less