BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

Society EN ↓ 2000 episodes

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Author

BBC Radio 4

Episodes

Alec McCowen 28:11

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Alec McCowen. Favourite track: Gypsy (Overture) by Broadway Orchestra Book: The Egoist by George Meredith Luxury: Painting materials

Jack Brymer 22:42

Roy Plomley's castaway is clarinettist Jack Brymer. Favourite track: String Quintet No. 3 in G Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: The collected works by Charles Dickens Luxury: Piano

Sir Robert Mayer 30:25

Roy Plomley's castaway is patron of music Sir Robert Mayer. Favourite track: An Die Musik by Franz Schubert Book: His visitors' book Luxury: Grapes (seedless)

Ian Carmichael 27:04

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Ian Carmichael. Favourite track: Adagio (from Spartacus) by Aram Khachaturian Book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Luxury: Paper and pencils

Irene Thomas 29:33

Roy Plomley's castaway is former Brain Of Britain and radio personality Irene Thomas. Favourite track: Soave Sia Il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Score of the opera Fidelio by Beethoven Luxury: Teddy bear stuffed with tea bags

Ed McBain 28:10

Roy Plomley's castaway is the writer Ed McBain. Favourite track: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor by Sergei Rachmaninov Book: Streets of Gold by Ed McBain Luxury: Whisky

Tito Gobbi 30:34

Roy Plomley's castaway is baritone Tito Gobbi. Favourite track: La Montanara by Tito Gobbi Book: Flowers of the World by Leslie Greenwood Luxury: Bar of gold

Glen Tetley 28:18

Roy Plomley's castaway is choreographer Glen Tetley. Favourite track: Laudamus Te by Claudio Monteverdi Book: Earthly Paradise by Colette Luxury: South American hammock

C Northcote Parkinson 28:32

Roy Plomley's castaway is historian C Northcote Parkinson. Favourite track: The Old Hundredth by Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II Book: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Luxury: Radio receiver

Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais 28:15

Roy Plomley's castaways are scriptwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Favourite track: You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin Book: Teach yourself the guitar and Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne Luxury: Cards and a guitar

Dame Moura Lympany 29:59

Roy Plomley's castaway is pianist Dame Moura Lympany. Favourite track: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor by Felix Mendelssohn Book: Book about growing flowers and vegetables on a desert island Luxury: Wine from own vineyard

Sir Ralph Richardson 29:46

Besides choosing the eight records he would take to the mythical island, Sir Ralph Richardson talks to Roy Plomley about his early life in an insurance office, about some of the many films and plays in which he has acted, and about the National Theatre where he was appearing at the time. Favourite track: Clarinet Concerto in A by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Novels by Henry James Luxury: Pipes an...

Countess Elizabeth Longford 29:53

Roy Plomley's castaway is historian Countess Elizabeth Longford. Favourite track: Air (from Water Music Suite) by Handel/Harty Book: Utopia by Thomas Moore Luxury: Tapestry making kit

Boris Christoff 31:16

Roy Plomley's castaway is opera singer Boris Christoff. Favourite track: Prendi I'Anel Ti Dono (from La Sonnambula) by Vincenzo Bellini Book: The Poetry by Yuarroros

Barry Norman 29:14

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer and broadcaster Barry Norman. Favourite track: Symphony No. 5 In C Minor by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: The World of Jeeves by P G Wodehouse Luxury: Typewriter, paper and a desk with cricket balls in the drawers

Peter Barkworth 29:34

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Peter Barkworth. Favourite track: Symphony No. 1 in A Flat by Edward Elgar Book: His diaries to date Luxury: Beautifully bound blank book and ballpoint pens

June Mendoza 29:03

Roy Plomley's castaway is portrait painter June Mendoza. Favourite track: Spring Symphony by Benjamin Britten Book: The Penguin Chronology of the Modern World by Neville Williams Luxury: Canvases, brushes and paint

Richard Buckle 24:54

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer and critic Richard Buckle. Favourite track: Piano Quintet In A Major by Franz Schubert Book: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Luxury: Paper and pencils

Ted Allbeury 23:36

Roy Plomley's castaway is thriller writer Ted Allbeury. Favourite track: Love Is The Sweetest Thing by Al Bowlly, Ray Noble and his Orchestra Book: The Unquiet Grave by Cyril Connolly Luxury: Writing paper and pencils

Pam Ayres 29:09

Roy Plomley's castaway is poet and broadcaster Pam Ayres. Favourite track: The New St George by John & Chris Leslie Book: The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth Luxury: Large basket of sugared almonds

Wilfred Thesiger 33:20

Roy Plomley's castaway is explorer Wilfred Thesiger. Favourite track: Pie Jesu by Gabriel Fauré Book: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Luxury: Supply of acid drops

Josephine Barstow 31:58

Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Josephine Barstow. Favourite track: Symphony No 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy Luxury: Michelangelo's David

Rex Harrison 30:40

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Rex Harrison. Favourite track: A Lull At Dawn by Barney Bigard and his Orchestra Book: A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell Luxury: Painting equipment for oils and watercolours

Roald Dahl 33:05

Roy Plomley's castaway is children's writer Roald Dahl. Favourite track: Agnus Dei by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: The New Oxford Book of English Verse by Helen Gardner Luxury: Still, grapevine cuttings and tobacco seeds

Sian Phillips 31:17

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Sian Phillips. Favourite track: Summer by Alexander Glazunov Book: Scouting For Boys by Robert Baden-Powell Luxury: Solar-powered refrigerator full of champagne