Hatch, Match and Dispatch

A series of inter-linked plays exploring birth, marriage and death through the prism of a Welsh Register Office

Isn''t it strange that the registering of life''s most important moments happens in a sterile municipal office? Everyone''s got a story to tell about how they got there. Listen for the first time to this spectacular collection of six funny, quirky and moving plays that start in a Register Office and end in a birth, marriage or death.
In Uncle Harry, Mark’s life is nicely well-ordered until a passing comment from Uncle Harry sends him on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a comedy about grief and the true meaning of family.
Losing my Penny is a story of love, secrets and family. Leo is in love with Penny and plans to marry her but Penny''s possessive father has other ideas. Leo has secrets of his own which threatens to ruin everything.
Teddy is on his stag night in the comedy Time and Tide. He wakes up naked and handcuffed to a lamp post. So far, so normal. But then he realises that something very weird has occurred which makes him question everything…
A Certain Date is a surreal and darkly comic exploration of the meaning of death. Geoff Levine, aka the Slim Reaper, is a pest control technician. All day long he kills rats and other vermin but when he meets Mystic June, she tells him something that will alter the rest of his life – what''s left of it anyway.
An unexpected family secret is unearthed in Nine Lives, when Beth''s elderly father Patrick claims never to have been born because he''s lived forever. As Beth tries to untangle the truth of her father''s birth, she uncovers more than she bargained for.
Lastly, Elephants all the Way tells the story of Harper, who works in a zoo. He is a simple soul but his life is complicated. His wife is desperate for a baby, and his angry dad is a bare knuckle boxer. Then the ground starts to shift - literally…
Engaging, funny and thought provoking, these six plays were recorded by BBC Wales. This brilliant series of modern dramas showcase some of Wales’s best acting talent. Download all six plays now for a mesmerising listen.
Episode 1 - Uncle Harry
Written by Gary Brown
Directed by Helen Perry
Mark - Dylan Edwards
Uncle Harry - Ewan Bailey
Elaine - Denise Black
Helen - Katherine Jakeways
Lionel - Christian Patterson
Charlotte - Rachel Redford
Dad - David Cann
Episode 2 - Losing my Penny
Written by Leah Chillery
Directed by Gary Brown
Leo - Don Gilet
Penny - Verity May Henry
Rita - Kathryn Hunt
Henry - Conrad Nelson
Duchess - Tupele Dorgu
Bartholomew - Fiona Clarke
Episode 3 - Time and Tide
Written by David Hodgson
Directed by Gary Brown
Old Man - Will Tacey
Teddy - Alan Morrissey
Lawrence - Will Ash
Megan - Hannah Wood
Brankin - Sean Mason
Jess - Harriet Chandler Judd
Shaffy - Hamilton Berstock
Episode 4 - A Certain Date
Written by Alan Harris
Directed by Helen Perry
Geoff - Julian Lewis Jones
Valmai - Sara McGaughey
Sandy - Katy Owen
Mystic June - Lisa Palfrey
Doctor Ramis - Richard Mitchley
Pigeon - Sion Pritchard
King Rat - Michael Bertenshaw
Episode 5 – Nine Lives
Written by Anna Maria Murphy
Directed by James Robinson
Beth - Eiry Thomas
Patrick - Peter Marinker
Bill - Christian Patterson
Mrs Knowles - Sharon Morgan
Miriam/Janet - Eirlys Bellin
Reg/Harold - Matthew Gravelle
Episode 6 – Elephants All the Way Up
Written by Lavinia Murray
Directed by Gary Brown
Harper - Graeme Hawley
Yolanda - Kate Coogan
Dad - Seamus O''Neill
Carlos - Chris Jack
Arlo/Turtle - Lloyd Peters
Grayson/Turtle -Malcolm Raeburn
Woman/Turtle - Lisa Allen
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