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Everybody’s talking – but not necessarily to each other...

Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam play loving, long-marrieds, in the 5th series of Jan Etherington’s award-winning comedy. This week, everybody’s talking – but not necessarily to each other.

In the care home, indomitable Auntie Hilda is moving in with fellow resident, Jack, who tells Roger he’s worried she’ll expect him to ‘perform’. Their friend Sally’s wayward husband, Peter, is in Canada, with the mother of his child and ‘not answering his phone’. Jack won’t talk to Hilda because ‘their generation didn’t talk about sex’ and Sally won’t ask Peter what’s going on because ‘she’s afraid of the answer’. Roger tells Joanna lack of communication is ‘not a problem we’re ever likely to have’. But Joanna is definitely in the mood for a little less conversation…

Conversations from a Long Marriage is written by Jan Etherington. It is produced and directed by Claire Jones. And it is a Â鶹Éç Studios production for Radio 4.

Wilfredo Acosta - sound engineer
Charlotte Sewter - studio assistant
Jon Calver - sound designer
Katie Baum - production coordinator

Conversations from a Long Marriage won the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Award for Best Radio Comedy in 2020, was nominated for a Writers’ Guild Award in 2022 and a British Comedy Guide award in 2024.

‘Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam have had illustrious acting careers but can they ever have done anything better than Jan Etherington’s two hander? This is a work of supreme craftsmanship.’ RADIO TIMES
‘Peppered with nostalgic 60s hits and especially written for the pair, it’s an endearing portrait of exasperation, laced with hard won tolerance – and something like love.’ THE GUARDIAN
‘You’ve been listening at my window, Jan’. JOANNA LUMLEY
‘Sitcom is what marriage is really like – repetitive and ridiculous – and Jan’s words are some of the best ever written on the subject’. RICHARD CURTIS