Roger feels abandoned as Joanna heads off for a daily sunrise swim.

Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam star as the loving, long-married couple, in the 5th series of Jan Etherington’s award-winning comedy.

This week, Roger feels abandoned as Joanna heads off for a daily sunrise swim, reminding him ‘Don’t let your tea get cold!’ Their younger neighbours are having a party. Roger finds excuses not to go - including the dog’s upset tummy. ‘You’re going,’ Joanna snaps. Inevitably, Roger leaves early and Joanna stays, drinking martini in the hot tub. Next morning, she is hungover but Roger’s goddaughter, Rosie, is arriving, with her babies. ‘They like a runny egg with soldiers’, Roger tells her. She begs him to stay and do breakfast but he’s off on a bike ride ‘Don’t let your tea get cold!’

Conversations from a Long Marriage is Written by Jan Etherington. It is produced and directed by Claire Jones. And it is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Wilfredo Acosta - sound engineer
Charlotte Sewter - studio assistant
Jon Calver - sound designer
Katie Baum - production coordinator

Conversations from a Long Marriage won the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Award for Best Radio Comedy in 2020, was nominated for a Writers’ Guild Award in 2022 and a British Comedy Guide award in 2024.

‘Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam have had illustrious acting careers but can they ever have done anything better than Jan Etherington’s two hander? This is a work of supreme craftsmanship.’ RADIO TIMES
‘Peppered with nostalgic 60s hits and especially written for the pair, it’s an endearing portrait of exasperation, laced with hard won tolerance – and something like love.’ THE GUARDIAN
‘You’ve been listening at my window, Jan’. JOANNA LUMLEY
‘Sitcom is what marriage is really like – repetitive and ridiculous – and Jan’s words are some of the best ever written on the subject’. RICHARD CURTIS Show less