Tales From The Perilous Realm

Michael Hordern stars as J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, in four BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations. Tolkien''s tales of myth, mystery and rumbustious exploits have been specially adapted for radio by Brian Sibley, one of the dramatists of the highly acclaimed BBC radio production of The Lord of the Rings. In ''Farmer Giles of Ham'', having accidentally shot a giant, Farmer Giles finds his brave reputation being tested by Chrysophylax the dragon. In ''Smith of Wootton Major'', when young Smith eats a piece of cake containing a silver star, he is granted access to the magical land of Faerie. In ''Leaf by Niggle'', a thought-provoking allegory on the theme of creativity, the painter Niggle embarks on a fateful search for perfection. In ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'', join Tom and the Hobbits in scenes from The Lord of the Rings which were not included in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation.