Rossum's Universal Robots

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

BBC Radio 4 FM

Rossum's Universal Robots: Episode 1

Episode 1

BBC Radio 4 - Rossum's Universal Robots, Episode 1Close menu

Musical drama. Robots reason that the planet is in peril and it's up to them to save it.

Musical drama inspired by Karel Čapek's 1921 comedy which gave us the word 'robot'. The planet is being destroyed and a new breed of robot are determined to save it.

Music and Lyrics by Susannah Pearse
Book by Robert Hudson

Karel Čapek's ultra-prescient, retro-futurist 1921 comedy (the classic which gave us the word 'robot') is reimagined with a massive dose of character-driven and song-centred heart.

In Capek's world, machines do all the work and their monopolistic makers care only about enriching themselves. Robots make huge volumes of goods very cheaply, but there are limited resources to make these goods from and humans don't care so long as life keeps getting lazier.

The movie star Lady Helen is on a personal crusade. She visits the island factory of Rossum's Universal Robots, robot-makers to the world, with the intention of freeing the robots. Despite her better judgement, she falls in love with Chairman Domin, the capitalist boss of R.U.R, who dismisses her campaign by insisting that robots are devoid of emotion and free will. Undeterred, Lady Helen persuades a sympathetic scientist to grow a small batch of robots with these very qualities.

The new robots defy all expectations, not least because of their resolute commitment to saving the world from the humans. 

Domin . . . . . Paul Chahidi
Lady Helen . . . . . Jasmine Hyde
Radius . . . . . Paul Hilton
Helen 2 . . . . . Clare Foster
Alpha . . . . . Anneika Rose
Brown Owl . . . . . Neil McCaul
Alquist . . . . . Matthew Durkan
Sulla . . . . . Alexandra Hannant
Fabry . . . . . Michael Begley
Busman . . . . . Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Logicbot  . . . . . Chris Jack

Arrangements and Musical Direction: Harry Sever
Production co-ordinator: Luke MacGregor
Sound: Peter Ringrose
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko

BBC Radio 4

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: Musical

Musical drama inspired by Karel Čapek's 1921 comedy which gave us the word 'robot'.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Rossum's Universal Robots

Episode 1

Genres

Series

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4