Listen to a sample
Gwyn Thomas: A BBC Radio Collection
- Author
- Gwyn Thomas
- Narrator
- various
- Publisher
- BBC Audio
- Publish Date
- 27 August 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 32 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of the great Welsh writer's works
A novelist, playwright, broadcaster and raconteur, Gwyn Thomas was celebrated as one of Wales’s finest writers in the English language. He wrote countless novels, short stories and plays for stage, radio, and television, and he frequently contributed to Punch magazine. This BBC collection features a selection of his finest works, showcasing his engaging storytelling, dark humour and ability to capture the essence of Welsh valley life and culture.
All Things Betray Thee, set in the fictional South Wales town of Moonlea in 1835, explores the personal and societal impacts of industrialization through the eyes of a travelling harpist. Adapted by Alan Plater, of ‘The Beiderbecke Trilogy’ fame, this stirring drama stars Ian Hughes and Patrick Brennan. The Alderman, starring Donald Houston and Mary Wimbush, centres on small-town politics, as an influential councillor dreams of becoming a Westminster MP. A frustrated polymath drives his friends mad with his constant showing off in He Knows, He Knows, starring Philip Madoc, and in Gazooka, Gwyn Thomas himself recalls the long, hot summer of the General Strike, and the marching jazz bands that erupted into the Rhondda. Dewi Williams stars as a headmaster whose luck is about to turn in The Entrance; while in The Giving Time, Ronnie Williams plays a would-be choirmaster in search of a miracle.
Also included are a quartet of stories about the eccentric characters in the little mining town of Meadow Prospect – ‘Scalping Party’, ‘They Came and They Took Him Away’, ‘Brotherly Love’ and ‘The Couch, My Friend, Is Cold’. Four more short tales round off the collection: ‘The Cavers’ (read by Ray Smith), ‘Arrayed Like One of These’ (read by Andy Rivers), ‘Hugo My Friend’ (read by Rhodri Hugh) and ‘Little Fury (read by Patrick Brennan).
Production credits
Written by Gwyn Thomas
All rights reserved
All Things Betray Thee
The Alderman
He Knows, He Knows
Gazooka
The Entrance
The Giving Time
Life in Meadow Prospect
The Cavers
Arrayed Like One of These
Hugo My Friend
Little Fury
© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Gwyn Thomas
- Narrator
- various
- Duration
- 9 hours 32 minutes
- Release Date
- 27 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781529970173
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- BBC Audio
- Genre
- Classic fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: sense of place, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Radio plays, scripts and performances, Anthologies
Synopsis
BBC Radio dramatisations and readings of the great Welsh writer's worksA novelist, playwright, broadcaster and raconteur, Gwyn Thomas was celebrated as one of Wales’s finest writers in the English language. He wrote countless novels, short stories and plays for stage, radio, and television, and he frequently contributed to Punch magazine. This BBC collection features a selection of his finest works, showcasing his engaging storytelling, dark humour and ability to capture the essence of Welsh valley life and culture.All Things Betray Thee, set in the fictional South Wales town of Moonlea in 1835, explores the personal and societal impacts of industrialization through the eyes of a travelling harpist. Adapted by Alan Plater, of ‘The Beiderbecke Trilogy’ fame, this stirring drama stars Ian Hughes and Patrick Brennan. The Alderman, starring Donald Houston and Mary Wimbush, centres on small-town politics, as an influential councillor dreams of becoming a Westminster MP. A frustrated polymath drives his friends mad with his constant showing off in He Knows, He Knows, starring Philip Madoc, and in Gazooka, Gwyn Thomas himself recalls the long, hot summer of the General Strike, and the marching jazz bands that erupted into the Rhondda. Dewi Williams stars as a headmaster whose luck is about to turn in The Entrance; while in The Giving Time, Ronnie Williams plays a would-be choirmaster in search of a miracle.Also included are a quartet of stories about the eccentric characters in the little mining town of Meadow Prospect – ‘Scalping Party’, ‘They Came and They Took Him Away’, ‘Brotherly Love’ and ‘The Couch, My Friend, Is Cold’. Four more short tales round off the collection: ‘The Cavers’ (read by Ray Smith), ‘Arrayed Like One of These’ (read by Andy Rivers), ‘Hugo My Friend’ (read by Rhodri Hugh) and ‘Little Fury (read by Patrick Brennan).Production creditsWritten by Gwyn ThomasAll rights reservedAll Things Betray TheeThe AldermanHe Knows, He KnowsGazookaThe EntranceThe Giving TimeLife in Meadow ProspectThe CaversArrayed Like One of TheseHugo My FriendLittle Fury© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
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 $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. 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.