"Smith of Wootton Major" - by J.R.R. Tolkien BBC Radio 4 adaptation (1992)

Classic Old Time Radio, Vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, westerns, audiobooks, BBC plays, adaptations, and dramas. Smith of Wootton Major*, part of the 1992 BBC Radio 4 series *Tales from the Perilous Realm adapted by Brian Sibley, is a dramatization of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1967 novella. Set in the village of Wootton Major, the story follows a boy named Smith who, during the Feast of Good Children held every 24 years, swallows a magical star hidden in a Great Cake. This star, a gift from Faery, appears on his forehead on his tenth birthday, granting him access to the enchanting yet perilous Land of Faery. Smith makes many journeys there, encountering its wonders. Twenty-four years later, he surrenders the star to Alf, the new Master Cook, who bakes it into another Great Cake for a new child to find. Narrated by Michael Hordern, with Paul Copley as Smith, the story explores themes of creativity and the fleeting nature of magical gifts. It was broadcast on August 30, 1992.