The Hobbit - Radio Drama | An Unexpected Party (Episode 1)

The Hobbit is a 1968 BBC Radio adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The series was adapted by Michael Kilgariff and produced by John Powell in eight half-hour mono episodes for BBC Radio 4.

1. An Unexpected Party
- Mr. Bilbo Baggins
- Gandalf the Wizard
- Thirteen Dwarves
- Song of the Dwarves
- Dark Business
- A Map and a Silver Key
- Interrupted Breakfast

The radio series follows the plot of the original novel [revised 1951 version] very closely, except for the addition of The Tale Bearer, a narrator whose account of the story is often interrupted and embellished by the protagonist Bilbo Baggins in the role of secondary narrator. Although the script is closely based on the original novel, Kilgariff incorporates a few names and phrases from The Lord of the Rings that did not originally appear in The Hobbit. For more info: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Hobbit_(1968_radio_series)

Bilbo, a stay-at-home hobbit, is approached by the wizard Gandalf to undertake a dangerous adventure, and despite his initial reluctance he soon finds himself accompanying Thorin and his party of dwarves on a long and difficult quest to recover the dwarves' treasure from Smaug the dragon, encountering trolls, goblins, Gollum (acquiring a magic ring near Gollum's cave), wargs, eagles, giant spiders, elves and men along the way. In the process Bilbo is transformed from a clumsy, timid and rather comic figure into a dignified and occasionally heroic everyman.

Cast & Characters:
Anthony Jackson – The Tale Bearer
Paul Daneman – Bilbo
Francis de Wolff – Smaug
John Justin – Thorin
Heron Carvic – Gandalf
Leonard Fenton – Elvenking
John Pullen – Elrond
Wolfe Morris – Gollum
Duncan McIntyre – Bombur
Lockwood West – Dwalin
Peter Pratt – Balin
Alexander John – Dori
Peter Williams – Bard the Bowman
Denis McCarthy – Great Goblin
Peter Baldwin – Galion, Glóin
David Brierly – Fíli
John Bryning – Master of Laketown
Wilfred Carter – Ori
Nicholas Edmett – Kíli
Greta Gouriet – Spider
Brian Haines – Bert, Bifur, Dáin II Ironfoot
Betty Hardy – Spider
Denys Hawthorne – Beorn
Hayden Jones – Elf Guard, Elves, Goblins
Hilda Kriseman – Spider
Rolf Lefebvre – Óin
Victor Lucas – Bill
Denis McCarthy – Bofur, Great Goblin
Ian Thompson – Herald of Laketown
Anthony Viccars – Nori
Marjorie Westbury – Thrush
John Wyse – Roäc

Music composed by David Cain
Performed by David Munrow with The Early Music Consort
Special sound effects and voice treatments by David Cain and Dick Mills, BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Produced by John Powell