Prosecco o’Clock

Author of several plays, TV dramas, works of non-fiction, letters to the BBC about the pitiful decline in standards of literature and grammar, and master of the abusive email – Ed Reardon is back.

In these globally ‘unprecedented times’ Ed is enjoying unprecedented times himself as he has become financially independent and is living in a superb, stylish capsule urban living unit. This new lifestyle comes courtesy of the conversion of no longer required office space to flats made affordable by the timely arrival of his state pension.

For the first time in 20 years, he can afford to eat three meals a day and has the luxury of not having to do anything he doesn’t want to, so can settle down to a long-cherished project – his memoirs. That is if Jenna, the previous occupant of the urban unit when it was office space, would stop visiting his fire escape because she misses the gossip and bantz she no longer gets when working from home.

But old habits die hard for Ed and he is soon distracted not only by the joys of Prosecco o’clock, but also the temptation of the flip-flops lying tantalisingly outside the discount shop in town.

Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas

Ed Reardon………..Christopher Douglas
Ping…………….……..Barunka O’Shaughnessy
Jaz Milvain…….……Philip Jackson
Stan……………………Geoffrey Whitehead
Pearl…………………..Brigit Forsyth
Olive…………………..Stephanie Cole
Jenna…………………Mina Anwar
Instructor…………..Nicola Sanderson
Assistant……………Tom Price

The regular cast are joined by guests Maggie Steed, Kathryn Drysdale, Mina Anwar and Phaldut Sharma.

Producer: Dawn Ellis

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2021.