A must-see for literature lovers of all ages, The Read returns this November with a new series of performance readings of iconic British novels including Wuthering Heights, The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Nineteen Eighty-Four and One Christmas. Carol.

The third series kicks off with a thrilling performance from Sacha Dhawan, best known for playing the villainous Time Lord Master in Doctor Who series 12 of George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four: a timely examination of the role of truth and facts in societies and how they that it can be manipulated. Nineteen Eighty-Four was filmed in Bolton.

Sacha Dhawan says: “In an age of advanced technology and social media, Orwell’s warnings about the power of language and propaganda could not be more poignant as we grapple with issues around the impact of fake news and digital surveillance. Read reprises the role of the narrator in such an exciting and bold way that it feels like live theatre. Rural Studios and incredible director Rachel Lambert have done a fantastic job of bringing this iconic British novel to life. “It was a great honor to be a part of it.”

In December, Anne-Marie Duff takes audiences on a thrilling journey through Victorian London in Charles Dickens’ timeless seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol. Filmed in Manchester, Duff stars as miserly Scrooge, who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Duff includes Dickens’ cast of characters, including Bob Cratchet and his loving family, as well as party-hard Fezziwig and well-intentioned ghouls.

Anne-Marie Duff says: “A Christmas Carol was actually a very important part of my family life! My father introduced me to Dickens, whom I loved with this story. Every year around Christmas I try to watch as many adaptations as possible and report back to him. My favorites have almost consistently been The Muppets (surprisingly the most accurate!) and Scrooge with Albert Finney – Alec Guinness’s Marley is terrifying!”

“The writing is delicious and soul-searching. Not to mention how politically relevant this remains to this day. There are philosophical passages that are too beautiful to be noticed by those who have only seen the adaptations. The penultimate paragraph in particular contains an excellent belief to live by.

Bradford-born actor Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point) gives a captivating performance as the narrator of Wuthering Heights. One of Brontë’s best-loved novels, Wuthering Heights stands as a timeless classic, set against the haunting backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Seen through the eyes of the maid Nelly Dean, the intense and destructive love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw lies at the heart of the novel; Their passionate connection weaves a dark and turbulent tale of revenge, obsession, and the brutal forces of nature. The episode was filmed in Bradford to coincide with next year’s Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

“This was actually my first encounter with Wuthering Heights,” says Vinette Robinson. I was immediately struck by the complex and fearless character of Cathy and her relationships; he is such a force of nature that he lives his life fiercely and passionately, with all its complexities and compromises. The emotional landscape of these relationships is as recognizable as it was when it was written, and it was so exciting to bring it to life. “And of course I’m a Yorkshire girl, so I was very proud to read something so moving in my hometown.”

In January, Reece Shearsmith (Inside No.9, The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville) introduced us to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gothic novella Dr. which explores the duality of human nature. It draws you into the strange and spooky world of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His friend Dr. The story of Gabriel John Utterson, a London lawyer who investigates strange events involving Henry Jekyll and a sinister figure called Mr. Edward Hyde, was filmed in Bradford to coincide with the city’s tenure as City of Culture.

Reece Shearsmith says: “I was thrilled when I was asked to narrate The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for BBC Arts’ The Read. The story is iconic, of course, and has one of the biggest twists of all time, but the themes are still incredibly current. Like A Christmas Carol, it seems impossible to imagine a time in the world when this story did not exist. “It was a pleasure to bring this tumultuous and often terrifying story to life and to find so much about it that felt so new and unexplored.”

Now in its third series, The Read received critical acclaim in 2022 with Danielle Vitalis’ performance in The Lonely Londoners. Previous episodes available on BBC iPlayer include Barry Hines’ A Kestrel for a Knave, narrated by Christopher Eccleston; Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, voiced by Steve Pemberton; and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, voiced by Alex Kingston.

Stephen James-Yeoman, Executive Editor, BBC Arts, says: “We are thrilled to offer book lovers and new readers a fantastic new collection of classic novels, with four more captivating performances from some of our greatest actors. Whether it’s Sacha Dhawan’s reading of 1984, Vinette Robinson in Wuthering Heights, Anne Marie Duff’s A Christmas Carol or Reese Shearsmith’s Jekyll and Hyde, they’re all a new take on some of Britain’s best-loved stories. offers perspective and a bold retelling. “There is nothing more engaging than having a story read to you and The Read cleverly continuing that tradition by creating an emotional connection between narrator and audience.”

The third series of The Read will air on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer from November 2024. Watch series one and two on BBC iPlayer

Read’s Executive Producer is Rural Studios’ Grant Black, Rural Studios’ Series Producer Julie Colman and BBC Arts’ Executive Editor Stephen James-Yeoman.

C.B.