A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London

Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

BBC Radio 4

Radio 4

Radio 4 (FM)

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 4 LW

Fatima Adoum

Lara Sawalha

Phil Davis

Khalid Abdalla

Shaun Parkes

Nadim Sawalha

Shiv Grewal

Raad Rawi

George Georgiou

Nathalie Armin

Ammar Haj Ahmad

Ahmed Aziz

Polly Thomas

Gill Parry

Charles Dickens

Ayeesha Menon

A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London: 2013/2014

2013/2014

BBC Radio 4 - A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London, 2013/2014

Lina is reporting from Aleppo when she is confronted by Taghreed.

Lina is reporting from Aleppo when Taghreed confronts her. Back in London, a dark family secret is revealed. Stars Lara Sawalha.

Charles Dickens's iconic story of love, revolution and redemption, updated and set in contemporary Aleppo and London.

Boldly reworked as  provocative and moving drama by Ayeesha Menon - updated to modern-day London and war-torn Syria. 

The driving forces are now two women - British Syrian journalist Lina Mahmoud and her nemesis, Taghreed Daffar.

Events move on to 2013/2014.

Lina is reporting from Aleppo when she is confronted by Taghreed, now in the Free Syrian Army, accusing her of not speaking the truth. 

Back in London, Lina and Shwan fall in love but, when his dark family secret is revealed, it propels Dr Mahmoud's descent into madness, driving the two lovers apart. Sid confesses his unrequited love for Lina, promising always to protect her and those she loves. 

Meanwhile Shwan desperately returns to Syria to rescue his old housekeeper, Samia, and is trapped by Taghreed's terrible plan for vengeance.

Taghreed    ......    Fatima Adoum
Lina    ......    Lara Sawalha
Jarvis    ......    Phil Davis
Shwan    ......    Khalid Abdalla
Sid    ......    Shaun Parkes
Dr Mahmoud    ......    Nadim Sawalha
Jerry    ......    Shiv Grewal
Driver    ......    Shiv Grewal
Emad    ......    Raad Rawi
Yakub    ......    George Georgiou
General    ......    George Georgiou
Samia    ......    Nathalie Armin
Fadi    ......    Ammar Haj Ahmad
Local Doctor    ......    Ammar Haj Ahmad
Syrian Protestor    ......    Ahmed Aziz

Development concept written by Silas Parry.

Producer: Gill Parry
Director: Polly Thomas

Producer for Goldhawk Productions: Emma Hearn

Executive Producer: John Dryden

A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2018.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Drama

Charles Dickens' iconic story of love and revolution set in modern-day Aleppo and London.

Charles Dickens' iconic story of love, revolution and redemption, updated and set in contemporary Aleppo and London. Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

A Tale of Two Cities: Aleppo and London

2013/2014

Contributors

Genres

Series

BBC Radio 4 FM

About BBC Radio 4