2. The Grove

Set inside Britain's housing crisis, six stand-alone but interconnected dramas follow ambition, resilience and the search for belonging.

Katie Redford's heartwarming comedy drama set in Nottingham. Pete's house is in a state or disrepair and his son, Dylan, wants him to sell up and find a smaller new build home and then it would free up up the financial means for his dad to give him a deposit for a house of his own. The first step on the housing ladder which has been an impossible dream for him and countless other young people up and down the country.

Pete is still suffering from grief at losing his wife and he is desperate to hang on to a house full of lovely memories. He is the caretaker at the local community hall, The Grove, and after a rather unexpected incident finds himself confiding in the irrepressible Jo who runs a cookery class there.

Pete ….. Robert Glenister
Jo ….. Rosie Cavaliero
Dylan ….. Max Hastings
Luna ….. Katie Redford
Ruben ….. Jasper Talbot
Hadeon ….. Greg Kolpakchi
Azra ….. Shaniaz Hama Ali

Directed by Tracey Neale

Sound ..... Sharon Hughes, Keith Graham and Sam Dickinson
Production co-ordinators ..... Sara Benaim and Ben Hollands
Director ..... Tracey Neale
Writer .... Katie Redford

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Katie Redford is an actor and writer whose screen work includes playing Elle alongside Dawn French in BBC comedy series Can You Keep a Secret?, Margit in series 6 and 7 of Outlander, and Jane in the acclaimed BBC Three comedy Alma’s Not Normal. She recently featured in a recurring role in Casualty. On stage, Katie recently starred in Scenes From A Friendship at Nottingham Playhouse. She is well known to listeners as Lily Pargetter in The Archers.

Alongside acting, Katie is an acclaimed writer working across film, theatre and radio. Her short film Ghosted, which she wrote, produced and performed in alongside Alison Steadman, was supported by BFI Network and Film Hub Midlands. Katie’s debut stage play Tapped premiered at Theatre503 in 2022 before touring across the UK, earning her an Offie for Most Promising New Playwright. As writer in residence at Theatre Centre in 2023, her play Wish You Weren’t Here was commissioned and opened at Sheffield Theatres in 2024 ahead of a UK Tour including Soho Theatre. Katie was also selected for Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire programme, where she was mentored by Roy Williams.

Katie's debut audio drama, Yellow Lips, earned her a nomination for Best New Writer at the Audio Drama Awards. Further audio work for Radio 4 includes her acclaimed trilogy of dramas called Fran and Joe. This year she was part of the writers room for A Place Called Home and The Grove is Katie's drama for this series.