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BBC Radio 4's Fright Night Halloween sounds fantastic - SciFiNow

BBC Radio 4’s Fright Night Halloween sounds fantastic

Peter Strickland does Nigel Kneale on Radio 4 this Halloween

BBC Radio 4 has announced their plans to deliver some classic scares this Halloween, and it sounds fantastic.

On 31 October there will be two dramas: an adaptation of Nigel Kneale’s classic tale of terror The Stone Tape directed by The Duke Of Burgundy and Berberian Sound Studio‘s brilliant Peter Strickland, and an adaptation of Koji Suzuki’s terrifying Ring (which was, of course, turned into the classic horror Ringu).

Romola Garai stars in BBC Radio 4's The Stone Tape
Romola Garai stars in BBC Radio 4’s The Stone Tape

The Stone Tape will star Romola Garai (The Hour), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing), Dean Andrews (Life On Mars), Tom Bennett (Shadow Dancer) and Jane Asher, who played the lead in the brilliant 1972 TV movie. The script is written by Life On Mars co-creator Matthew Graham.

“In The Stone Tape, a team of scientists working on a new kind of sonic drill take over a Victorian mansion. When the team discover a ghost, team director Leo Cripps decides to analyse the apparition, which he believes is a psychic impression trapped in the stone wall (a ‘stone tape’). The scientists begin to realise that their work has disturbed something hidden beneath the stone, something ancient and malevolent.”

Eve Myles stars in Ring
Eve Myles stars in Ring

Ring stars Eve Myles (Torchwood), Matthew Gravelle (Broadchurch), Naoko Mori (Torchwood) and Akira Koieyama (Rush).

“In Ring, British journalist Mitchell Hooper lives in Tokyo with his wife Toni. When he begins investigating the mysterious deaths of four teenagers, he discovers a nightmarish secret. They all died after watching the same video tape. When Mitchell watches the tape himself, he is cursed to die in seven days. And so as the countdown to death begins, he must solve the riddle of the curse.”

Both dramas have been mixed for online listening in binaural stereo, so get your headphones on for an immersive, deeply spooky experience.

Peter-Strickland-crop
Director Peter Strickland

There’s also the chance to witness both in live listening events with In The Dark. Londoners can hear The Stone Tape in 3D binaural stereo at The Crypt in Holborn on 22 and 23 October, and Arnos Vale cemetary in Bristol will play host to Ring on 27 October. Ticket information for both events can be found here.

The Stone Tape will play on BBC Radio 4 at 10pm, and Ring will follow at 11pm. You can find more information about the dramas and hear clips here.

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