X-Book

On the Rocks: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

'A radio play by Christopher William Hill is something to look forward to with pleasure' - Radio Times

It's the late 1930s, and even on the remote island of St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly war seems inevitable. But the islanders have their own battles to contend with, stuck on a rock flung 27 miles out into the Atlantic with only their natural grit and gallows humour to see them through.

When a stranger in a suit arrives on the island, the locals decide he must be the undertaker come to deal with the body of the late postmaster. Then they discover he is not an undertaker after all - so they naturally conclude that he's a spy. But the truth is worse than that - his name is Frank Gunwallow and he's been sent over from Penzance to modernise the Post Office, around which their world revolves.

The islanders are determined to resist this unwelcome change, and deeply suspicious of the young man from the mainland. Frank realises he's got a fight on his hands - and it'll take more than a shiny new telegraph machine to win them over...

Created by award-winning novelist and scriptwriter Christopher William Hill, this gentle comedy stars Joseph Kloska as Frank, with Christine Absalom, Peter Marinker and Alex Tregear.


Produced and directed by Mary Peate
Sound by Jenni Burnett, Anne Bunting, Graham Harper and Caleb Knightley
Production Co-ordinator: Jessica Brown
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 29 November-20 December 2013 (Series 1), 11 May-1 June 2015 (Series 2)

Cast
Frank Gunwallow - Joseph Kloska
Mary - Bec Applebee
Grace - Christine Absalom
Tommy - Stuart Fox
Ben - Alex Palmer
Len - Ed Gaughan
Reverend Tregarthan - Peter Marinker
Morwenna-May - Alex Tregear
Pender - Christopher William Hill
Anthony - David Seddon
Signor Di Bicci - Sam Dale

Critics Review

A radio play by Christopher William Hill is something to look forward to with pleasure'
Radio Times
Author Christopher William Hill
Narrator Ed Gaughan, Alex Tregear, Joseph Kloska, Peter Marinker, Christopher William Hill, Bec Applebee, Stuart Fox, Alex Palmer, Christine Absalom, various
Duration 3 hours and 45 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529134339
Format Audiobook
Publisher BBC Audio
Genre Humorous fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.