BBC Afternoon Drama: Four Sons - Listening to the Dead

Four Sons

BBC Afternoon Drama: Listening to the Dead - Katie Hims
Episode 2 of 5

by Katie Hims. It's 1914, and Clara Tully, a Leeds baker's wife and the proud mother of four beautiful boys, knows the war won't be over by Christmas. And she knows a much darker secret besides.

Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.

[susanotway]

Loved this! Would definitely recommend, you won't regret it. One of the best radio dramas I've heard. Compelling.

[flyonthewall]

Katie Hims and the actors really did something special with these...
I appreciate them extremely 🙏

[terinunes]

Katie Hims love love her work thank you!

[deniseroper]

Really enjoyed this. So sad but brilliant. Don't miss.

[SM-tdkw]

What a beautiful, compelling, and heartbreaking story. Marvelous acting and writing. I'm stunned. This is one of the best radio dramas I've ever heard.

[davidabbotts]

This is an amazing piece of work, beautifully written and rooted in fact at that time, the agony of the mother with that sense of knowing the outcome of the war.

[lydiamarks]

Marvelous! Loved the play & look forward to hearing many more good ones. Thanks so much for sharing 👍👍

[davidabbotts]

Im not one to shed a tear often, but this had what it took, the sheer tragedy, immense sense of guilt and loss.

[adzdahlman]

. What a wonderfully well rounded story . The continuity, deitics ; and all round production bring the emotion to life beautifully . Thoroughly recommended*

[TedaR]

Absolutely love the narrator! Thanks for these.

[christrinder]

Thank you so much for posting Arch!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍😊

[sweetsmimi]

I have 2 sons and this really hit home for me. My heart <3

[calisealsnight-time]

Bravo! Great story. Thanx Arch! 👏👏👍👍😊🤗😙🥂🍾⚘❤⚘

[charlottebruce]

I have three sons and can identify with the mother, I'd cry every day for them.

[patmillar]

I've listened to four in this series and I've loved every one but this one is my favourite so far. As far as I'm aware Tuesdays Child was the first but sadly I haven't come across it....yet! Thank u....I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Theswerethebestthebest]

What a great interesting story thank you so much for providing it because I really enjoyed it.

[barbarawhittall]

Such great actors entire performance was first class. I say this as I live in the USA we have not the excellence in actors as The British!

[nannamumma]

It's an excellent play, & gives some insight into what it must have been like for the parents of these lads, so many joined up in groups from the same area, or the same place of work that they were known as Pals Brigades. There's one discrepancy, height is mentioned and the minimum wasn't 5' 6" it was only 5' 3"!! In fact my own grandfather was only 5' 3" when he enlisted. Also, until 1916, moustaches were mandatory in the British Army, I suspect they scrapped that rule because many of the soldiers were too young to grow them. There were lads as young as 14 who enlisted unknown to their parents, because they'd been led to believe it would be exciting.
For some, who struggled with poverty, it was a way of getting employment, a roof over their head & regular food.
The whole thing was a tragic nightmare & wasted a generation of young men.
I don't think I could have given up seeing my boys if I'd been in Clara's position, she was a very brave woman, how anyone waiting at home got through either WWI or WWII has my undying admiration.

[alexapenn]

Hi - are you going to post the 5th episode - please!! :} i just love this series - even though it was hard to listen to this one...

[Theswerethebestthebest]

But on another note these Spirit type stories I really like but I also like
Vengeful ghosts you know castles and things like that so if you have any of them put them out there
Thanks again