BBC Radio adaptations of Nick Payne's finest works, brought together on audio for the first time—plus bonus features

Nick Payne is a world-renowned playwright and screenwriter. He won the George Devine Award for his first major play If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, and Constellations won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. Both were performed on Broadway with Jake Gyllenhaal. This collection contains Constellations and Elegy, his two acclaimed plays exploring science, time and love, with new introductions by Nick Payne himself. Also included are three dramas specially written for BBC Radio.

Constellations—Marianne and Roland meet at a party, hit it off, and go for a drink. Or do they? Does their love story unfold, or is it tragically cut short? In a quantum multiverse, even the smallest change can significantly alter the course we take—so there are infinite possibilities for heartbreak or for hope... Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and George MacKay.

Elegy—Lorna and Carrie met in later life and got married. But now they are facing the possibility of their relationship disintegrating in the most painful way, and Carrie must make a devastating choice between love and survival. Starring Juliet Stevenson, Deborah Findlay and Marilyn Nnadebe.

The Day We Caught the Train—David is coming for the day, and Sally has planned everything meticulously. But the weather, a problematic car, a problematic cat and Harold conspire to thwart her plans... Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman stars in this quietly intense play about a woman beset by one problem after another.

Being Alone Doesn't Have to Mean Being Lonely—Trying to pinpoint the exact moment he fell in love, David uses 'the machine' to revisit his old memories. But when it malfunctions, it catapults us into the story of a couple attempting to make sense of their relationship. Starring Stuart McLoughlin and Alex Tregear.

Happiness—Married couple Karen and Richard attempt to alleviate their respective unhappiness with a variety of far-flung undertakings. But can they find a solution closer to home? Clare Corbett stars as Karen, with Bryan Dick as Richard.

Text copyright © Nick Payne 2011 (The Day We Caught the Train, Being Alone Doesn't Have to Mean Being Lonely), 2012 (Constellations), 2014 (Happiness), 2016 (Elegy)

Cast and credits

Written by Nick Payne

Constellations

Marianne - Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Roland - George MacKay

Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko

First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 28 March 2021

Elegy

Lorna - Juliet Stevenson

Carrie - Deborah Findlay

Miriam - Marilyn Nnadebe

Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko

First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 28 March 2021

The Day We Caught the Train

Sally - Olivia Colman

David - Ralph Ineson

Anna - Nishi Malde

Harold - John Rowe

Helen - Jane Whittenshaw

Waiter - Simon Bubb

Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko

Studio Managers: Caleb Knightley and Keith Graham

Edited by: Anne Bunting

Production Co-Ordinators: Nicole Fitzpatrick and Matthew Mills

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 July 2011

Being Alone Doesn't Have to Mean Being Lonely

Jim - Stuart McLoughlin

Sarah - Alex Tregear

Directed by James Robinson

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 April 2011

Happiness

Karen - Clare Corbett

Richard - Bryan Dick

With Susan Brown, Karl Johnson, Roslyn Hill and Monty d'Inverno

Directed and produced by Sasha Yevtushenko

First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 21 December 2014