Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Strangle Hold

Episode 5 of 10

General Qulan arrives in the provinces to gather the armies to fight rebel "queen" Maya. In Tumanbay, Gregor is under pressure to find the spies.

In the fifth episode of this epic saga inspired by the Mamluk slave-dynasty of Egypt, General Qulan (Christopher Fulford) finds the Provincial Governors less than enthusiastic as he arrives to gather the armies to fight rebel "queen" Maya. In Tumanbay, Gregor is under pressure to find the spies but his investigations keep leading him back to Shajar the Sultan's chief wife (Sarah Beck Mather) and a reliquary she has secreted away.

Tumanbay, the beating heart of a vast empire, is threatened by a rebellion in a far-off province and a mysterious force devouring the city from within. Gregor (Rufus Wright), Master of the Palace Guard, is charged by Sultan Al-Ghuri (Raad Rawi) with the task of rooting out this insurgence and crushing it.

Cast:
Gregor.....................................Rufus Wright
Sarah......................................Nina Yndis
Shajar.....................................Sarah Beck Mather
Cadali......................................Matthew Marsh
Physician.................................Vivek Madan
Wolf........................................Alexander Siddig
The Hafiz.................................Antony Bunsee
Bello........................................Albert Welling
Ibn..........................................Nabil Elouahabi
Maya's Envoy..........................Nadir Khan
Daniel.....................................Gareth Kennerley
Al-Ghuri..................................Raad Rawi
General Qulan........................Christopher Fulford
Provincial Governor Usman.....John Sessions
Fatima.................................Sirine Saba

Other parts played by:
Christian Hillborg
Alec Utgoff
Akbar Kurtha

Music - Sacha Puttnam
Sound Design - Steve Bond, Jon Ouin
Editors - Ania Przygoda, James Morgan
Producers - Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan, John Dryden

Written and Directed by John Dryden

A Goldhawk production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

44 minutes

Last on

Sat 24 Apr 2021 21:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Gregor Rufus Wright
Sarah Nina Yndis
Shajar Sarah Beck Mather
Cadali Matthew Marsh
Physician Vivek Madan
Wolf Alexander Siddig
The Hafiz Antony Bunsee
Bello Albert Welling
Ibn Nabil Elouahabi
Maya's Envoy Nadir Khan
Daniel Gareth Kennerley
Al-Ghuri Raad Rawi
General Qulan Christopher Fulford
Provincial Governor Usman John Sessions
Fatima Sirine Saba
Actor Christian Hillborg
Actor Alec Utgoff
Actor Akbar Kurtha
Writer John Dryden
Director John Dryden
Producer Emma Hearn
Producer Nadir Khan
Producer John Dryden

Broadcasts

  • Wed 30 Dec 2015 14:15
  • Sat 24 Apr 2021 21:00

In Our Time: The Mamluks

In Our Time: The Mamluks

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Mamluks, medieval rulers of Egypt and Syria.

Ibn Battuta: History’s real life Indiana Jones

Ibn Battuta was one of the world’s great travelers and travel writers of premodern times.

How past civilisations searched for the soul

The fascinating ways our predecessors attempted to locate the soul within the body.

Podcast