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School Drama
School Drama
Jan 16, 2026 11:58 PM

Author:Andy Mulligan,Tom Hollander,Full Cast,Sian Gibson,Tony Gardner

School Drama

Tom Hollander stars as a washed-up TV actor brought in to turn around a failing academy by staging a school play

Newly rebranded Deer Park Academy is struggling to turn itself around after being placed in special measures. Hoping to inspire the students (and tick the 'creative learning' box for the next Ofsted inspection), the headmaster decides to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet.

But inspiration can be dangerous, and when has-been ex-TV star Geoff Cathcart is brought in to direct, he opens a Pandora's box of problems. Geoff is a maverick with little time for rules and regulations, a laissez-faire attitude to health and safety and his own, somewhat unorthodox, ideas about education and creativity. The management doesn't realise what a fire it's lighting and the flames are soon out of control. Then, with opening night looming, a background check reveals that he isn't quite who he appears to be. However, the show must go on, and as the curtain finally rises, the students take to the stage...

Written by Andy Mulligan, whose novel Trash has been translated into 35 languages, this funny, moving 4-part drama stars Tom Hollander (Rev, The Night Manager) and Sian Gibson (Peter Kay's Car Share), performing alongside the staff and students of Portsmouth Grammar School. The final episode comprises an actual, hour-long production of Shakespeare's tragedy of star-crossed lovers, as performed by the pupils of Deer Park Academy with a little help from Tom Hollander as the Friar, Rob Jarvis (Hustle) as Capulet and Suzie Baxter (Suffragette) as the Nurse.

Production credits

Written by Andy Mulligan

Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare and adapted by Andy Mulligan

Produced by Emma Hearn

Directed by John Dryden

Music by Jon Ouin

Sound by Steve Bond

A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4

Cast

Geoff/Friar Lawrence - Tom Hollander

Michelle - Sian Gibson

Headmaster - Tony Gardner

Gail - Heather Craney

Festival Administrator - Vincent Ebrahim

Tom/Capulet - Rob Jarvis

Charlie/Romeo - Divian Ladwa

Naia/Juliet - Rebecca Emerton

Louie/Mercutio - Rory Greenwood

Ben/Paris - Rob Merriam

Ryan/Benvolio - Finn Elliot

School Secretary/Nurse - Susie Baxter

Zoe - Floss Willcocks

Vehicle Manager - Angus Kennedy

Radio Presenter - Jason King

Tybalt - Stevie Basaula

Lady Capulet - Lily-Fleur Bradbury

Friar John - Caolan McCarthy

Lady Montague - Abby Moss

Chorus - Poppy Goad

Prince - Joe McCue

All other parts played by students and teachers at Portsmouth Grammar School: Abby Moss, Poppy Goad, Thomas Locke, Joe McAuley, Freddie Fenton, Douglas James, Joe Haylock, Jay Pasricha, JM Hopkinson, Caleb Barron, Joe McCue, Floss Willcocks, JM Hopkinson

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-21 May 2016

© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

Kinsella is a superb storyteller and this novel is her best yet.

—— Sunday Express

This is classic Kinsella - we loved it!

—— Woman & Home

Not only is it as deftly plotted as a French farce, and as funny as all Kinsella novels; it is unexpectedly moving as well, and so good on families.

—— Jenny Colgan

There really is no one else who can write like Sophie Kinsella, and this book is yet another triumph, packed with brilliant characters and madcap situations. It's joyous and funny, but also contains emotional hidden depths. I absolutely loved it!

—— Jill Mansell

Funny, smart and supremely entertaining, The Party Crasher features a marriage breakdown, adult siblings in turmoil and some very uncomfortable truths - raising the question: can a family this broken ever be fixed?

—— Lucy Diamond

The Party Crasher has all the wit, humour, warmth and wonderful characters that I love about Sophie's books. From the toe-curling embarrassments, where I can feel my cheeks burn for the character, to the deeply touching and ultimately joyous journey she takes us on. I couldn't put it down. It was a party I definitely wanted to be at and wasn't going to leave until the very end.

—— Jo Thomas

I just love Sophie Kinsella books: the best kind of escapism.

—— Lucy Diamond

We love a Sophie Kinsella novel - and this is as funny as ever!

—— Closer

This is a force with a heart. Classic Kinsella - we loved it!

—— Woman's Weekly

There's a weight and a depth to this that shows respect for the material, for Romero and for the genre. The authors know what readers want - and deliver. Pleasingly impressive.

—— SFFWORLD

The erotic romance thriller.

—— Vogue

A piece of literary genius.

—— Complex

Keisha did it first.

—— Candice Braithwaite

A crucial part of British literature.

—— Bolu Babalola

'[A] gorgeously crafted novel'

—— The Washington Post

A sweet, charming and wonderfully astute take on humanity and its foibles, this is gorgeous storytelling

—— Psychologies, Book of the Month

The Lincoln Highway is a joyride...[a] delightful tour de force .. There's so much to enjoy in this generous novel packed with fantastic characters

—— NPR.org

Following the runaway success of A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles returns with his third major novel, and we're pleased to say it's another stunner... A gem of a book

—— Woman and Home, Book of the Month

[The Lincoln Highway] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, runaway international bestsellers

—— The Millions

Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow (2016)... A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, Towles' novel is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana.

—— Kirkus starred review

"[The] notion of American openness, of ever-fractalizing free will, coming up against the fickle realities of fate is the tension that powers Towles' exciting, entertaining [...] picaresque . . . Stories can bring us back to ourselves, Towles seems to say, if only we are open to receiving their power . . . Anyone who follows The Lincoln Highway will relish the trip

—— Los Angeles Times

An enthralling odyssey

—— People

Absorbing

—— USA Today

A wild ride through Americana

—— BuzzFeed

History [and] adventure collide in The Lincoln Highway . . . The pace is fast and writing concise, making it a digestible read whether in bed or at a loud coffee shop

—— Associated Press

Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed

—— Publishers Weekly

[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion

—— Booklist

A new author to me- but I'll be reading Amor's A Gentlemen in Moscow, as I was blown away by this... A heartfelt read, one that makes me think of coming of age film Stand By Me

—— Prima

A natural storyteller, Towles keeps the plot ticking over nicely in a solid holiday listen destined for the big screen

—— Irish Examiner

A perfect paperback

—— The Herald

A book to lose yourself in

—— Muddy Stilettos
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