

Limelight
BBC Radio 4
The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 22, 2025 • 33min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 10
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris, and Johnny Flynn. In Episode 10... It’s 1963. Vietnam is spiralling. President Kennedy, convinced the war is un-winnable, authorises secret support for a South Vietnamese military coup. But cracks are forming within both the CIA and the White House. Then, in Dallas, the unthinkable happens. The most famous assassination in history changes everything. What if Kennedy had lived to pull back from the brink?
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Bob McNamara..........Rob Benedict
Ngo Diệm.......... Jon Jon Briones
John ‘Jack’ F. Kennedy..........Armand Schultz
Lou Conein..........Philip Desmeules
Madam Nhu……….Lourdes Faberes
Bobby Kennedy……….Eric Sirakian
Roger Hillsman……….Rufus Wright
John McCone……….Tim Ahern
Ngô Đình Nhu……….Yung
Quang..........Thaiger Nguyen
Henry Cabot Lodge ……….Kerry Shale
Jock Richardson……….Greg Lockett All other parts played by members of the cast.
Written by Greg Haddrick
Created by Greg Haddrick & Jeremy Fox
Directed by John Scott Dryden
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Aug 15, 2025 • 33min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 9
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.
In Episode 9… After the Bay of Pigs disaster, JFK demands accountability - CIA Director Allen Dulles is out. In his place, chaos brews. Enter Ed Lansdale, the CIA’s eccentric covert action operative, tasked with a bold mission - kill Castro by any means necessary. Exploding cigars, poisoned wetsuits, and psychological warfare take centre stage, as Richard Helms watches his long-game strategy inch closer to deadly execution. Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
John ‘Jack’ F. Kennedy..........Armand Schultz
Bob McNamara..........Rob Benedict
Bobby Kennedy……….Eric Sirakian
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
Roger Maheu..........Adam Sina
John McCone……….Tim Ahern
“Joe”..........Raad Rawi All other parts played by members of the cast.Written by Greg Haddrick
Created by Greg Haddrick & Jeremy Fox
Directed by John Scott Dryden
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Aug 8, 2025 • 35min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 8
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.
In Episode 8... A young President takes office, but the shadows of the Cold War are closing in. John F. Kennedy inherits a covert CIA plot to remove Fidel Castro—an operation born under Eisenhower and fuelled by anti-communist zeal. Pressured to act but desperate to avoid open war, Kennedy green-lights a quiet invasion. What follows is a catastrophic failure on Cuban shores: the Bay of Pigs. In his first major test, Kennedy is pulled into the deep end of Cold War deception—and blood is already in the water.
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
John ‘Jack’ F. Kennedy..........Armand Schultz
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
Bob McNamara..........Rob Benedict
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Tracy Barnes..........Adam Sina
James Jesus Angleton..........Philip Desmeules
Adlai Stevenson.........Patrick Poletti
Annie Bissell..........Carlyss Peer
Elizabeth..........Laurel Lefkow
Pilot.......... Walles Hamonde
JFK’s Secretary..........Jennifer Armour
Bissell children.......... Hugo & Leela-Grace Dryden All other parts were played by members of the cast.Written by Greg Haddrick
Created by Greg Haddrick & Jeremy Fox
Directed by John Scott Dryden
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Aug 1, 2025 • 32min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 7
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.
In Episode 7... 1959–1960. The global order is shifting fast. Revolution erupts in Cuba. John Foster Dulles, the fading architect of America’s Cold War stance, is gravely ill. In the Congo, chaos reigns—drawing urgent attention from Washington. To the CIA, it’s not just rebellion; it’s the next major front in the Cold War. As Eisenhower’s presidency winds down, the U.S. races to contain Soviet influence in Africa. The temperature is rising—and it’s Kennedy who’ll be handed the fuse. Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Julia Helms..........Carin Chea
Christian Herter..........Raad Rawi
Patrice Lumumba..........Jonathan Nyati
Larry Devlin..........Patrick Poletti
Doctor..........Greg Lockett
Macy Dulles..........Flynn IvoAll other parts were played by members of the cast
Written by Greg Haddrick
Created by Greg Haddrick & Jeremy Fox
Directed by John Scott Dryden
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jul 25, 2025 • 32min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 6
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.
In Episode 6… It’s 1957 and the Agency’s legendary spymaster Frank Wisner, haunted by his own unravelling mind, is desperate to keep Indonesia from slipping into the Soviet sphere. His solution - a sordid blackmail plot involving a fake X-rated film meant to ruin President Sukarno’s reputation and shatter his hold on power. But as the plan spirals into chaos, Frank’s fragile sanity teeters on the brink – revealing the high human cost of America’s shadow wars and the secret toll they take on those sworn to fight them from the inside out. Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
Billie Monroe..........Valentina Arena
Alfred Ulmer..........Walles Hamonde
Bill Parker..........Patrick Poletti
Queen of Greece..........Marina Koem
Colonel Joop..........Ferandi Yennas
Allen Pope ..........Greg LockettAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jul 18, 2025 • 30min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 5
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.In Episode 5... 1957. The Space Race is heating up, and the CIA is desperate to locate the Soviet launch site. Rising officer Eloise Page is sent to Atsugi Air Base in Japan—home of the secretive U-2 spy plane. As tensions climb and the stakes reach the stratosphere, the battle for space begins far above the clouds—and deep in the shadows.Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
Addy Hawkins..........Carlyss Peer
Dmitri Skolbetsyn..........Branko Tomović
Mikhail..........Phillipe Bosher
Radar Operator..........Eric Sirakian
Elizabeth..........Laurel LefkowAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jul 11, 2025 • 30min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 4
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.As Egypt’s Nasser seizes the Suez Canal, global powers scramble. The British want control back. The Soviets move in. And the CIA races to keep Egypt from slipping behind the Iron Curtain. In the shadow games of empire, Eloise Page watches the balance of power shift.Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
James Jesus Angleton..........Philip Desmeules
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
Addy Hawkins..........Carlyss Peer
Prime Minister Eden..........Rufus Wright
Elizabeth..........Laurel Lefkow
Queen Frederika..........Marina KoemAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jul 4, 2025 • 31min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 3
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by veteran agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Johnny Flynn.In Episode 3… 1956. Stalin is dead, and Khrushchev is breaking ranks. As whispers of a bold speech ripple through Soviet circles, Eisenhower gives CIA chief Allen Dulles one mission: get the speech - at any cost. Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Richard Bissell..........Ian Porter
Clover Dulles..........Laurel Lefkow
James Jesus Angleton..........Philip Desmeules
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
Koca Popovic..........Branko Tomović
Blokhintsev..........Phillipe BosherAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jun 27, 2025 • 30min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 2
The story of the CIA, told from the inside out by long-serving CIA agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Kunken and Kelly Marie Tran.In Episode 2, CIA’s maverick agent, Colonel Ed Lansdale attempts to bring South Vietnam behind one leader – the anti-communist, US-friendly, Ngô Đình Diệm. But Diệm is eccentric, uncompromising and lacks charisma: turning him into a popular hero is a challenge. Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Virginia Spence ..........Kelly Marie Tran
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Colonel Ed Lansdale..........Stephen Kunken
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Ngô Đình Diệm..........Jon Jon Briones
"Lightening" Joe Collins..........Rob Benedict
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
Pat Kelly & Madam Nhu..........Lourdes Faberes
Ngô Đình Nhu..........Yung
President Eisenhower..........Kerry Shale
John Foster Dulles..........Nathan Osgood
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian PorterAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4

Jun 20, 2025 • 33min
Central Intelligence: Series 2: Episode 1
The Cold War intensifies with US involvement in South Vietnam. It’s 1954. Colonel Ed Lansdale, former advertising executive and the CIA’s maverick agent in South-East Asia, a pioneer in clandestine operations and psychological warfare, is given the task of creating dissension in the North to stop the advance of the communists. Return of the award-winning series about America’s Central Intelligence Agency - told from the inside out by long-serving CIA agent Eloise Page. Starring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Kunken and Kelly Marie Tran.In Episode 2.1 Jungles vampires, the CIA’s lone-wolf super-hero, psychological warfare…Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Virginia Spence ..........Kelly Marie Tran
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Colonel Ed Lansdale..........Stephen Kunken
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
Prime Minister Diem..........Jon Jon Briones
General Mike O’Daniel..........Ian Porter
"Lightening" Joe Collins..........Rob Benedict
Pat Kelly & Madam Nhu..........Lourdes Faberes
Ngô Đình Nhu..........Yung
General Hinh..........Thaiger Nguyen
Lou Conein.......... Philip Desmeules
Steve Arundel......... Greg LockettAll other parts played by the castOriginal music by Sacha PuttnamWritten by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Paul Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony DiazDirector: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott DrydenA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4