Unseen Academicals (audio drama)

Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals (aka Unseen Academicals) is a ten-part 2018 audio adaptation of Unseen Academicals produced by Dirk Maggs for Audible Originals and Narrativia.

Taglines

To be added.

Creative Team

Crew

• Adapted by Reg Curtie and Bev Doyle
• Directed by Dirk Maggs
• Live Sound Effects by Jessica Bowls
• Vocal Edit by Gary Heighton
• Location Recording by The Sound House Ltd
• Original music by James Hannigan
• Casting led by Nicola Wall for Audible Studios
• Executive Producers for Narrativia Ltd - Rob Wilkins and Rod Brown
• Executive Producers for Audible - Steve Carcy and Katie Arlett
• Commissioned by Steve Carcy
• Edited by Rebecca Fenton

Other Crew

• Production Coordinators - Marielle Runnaker-Temple, Yuki Palmer, and Imogen Papworth
• Broadcast Assistant - Anna Lee
• Assistant Director - Steve Doherty
• Recording Engineer - Wilfredo Acosta
• Narration Recording by Tom Killian

Cast

• David Jason as the Narrator
• Matthew Horne as Trev Likely
• Josie Lawrence as Glenda Sugarbean
• Keith Wickham as Mr. Nutt
• Jaime Winston as Juliet Stollop
• Mark Benton as Old Man Stollop
• Stephen Briggs as Drumknott
• Jon Culshaw as Johannes Puncture and William de Worde
• Phil Davis as Andy Shanks
• Ray Fearon as Lord Vetinari
• Tony Gardner as Ridcully
• Edward Harrison as Ponder Stibbons
• Maggie Service as Lady Margolotta

Also Featuring

• Tom Alexander as Rincewind and Andre Townsfinisher
• Samantha Béart as Madame Sharn
• Pippa Bennett-Warner as Sergeant Angua
• Stephen Critchlow as Dean Henry
• David Holt as Bengo Macaroooooooon-ah
• Toby Longworth as Commander Vimes
• Harry Myers as Jumbo
• Andrew James Spooner as the Haunted Whistle
• Steven Webb as Pepe

Episodes

Unseen Acadmicals consists of ten chapters. All were released together on 2 July 2018. Note that the synopses below will contain spoilers.

Chapter	Synopsis
Chapter 1	In Ankh-Morpork, Lord Vetinari orders Commander Vimes to arrest Trevor Likely, an influential but violent young fan of the Dimwell mob ball team. Vetinari threatens Trev with gaol unless he takes part in a “re-education scheme” he has planned, and Trev accepts. He returns to his job as a Candle Knave at Unseen University, and is surprised to discover he has an apprentice: the well-spoken but clearly inhuman goblin, Mr. Nutt, who was earlier delivered to Vetinari in a locked box by the vampire Lady Margolotta of Überwald. Unsettled by Mr Nutt, Trev changes his mind and requests the gaol time until it’s pointed out that the only cell is full of fans of Dimwell’s rival team, Dolly Sisters. He relents and goes home. The next morning, he finds Mr. Nutt in his house making him breakfast. Trev angrily ties up Mr. Nutt and leads him back to the University; the city’s population recoil from him along the way, but he doesn’t resist. Trev chains Nutt to the candle vats, but is horrified to discover that Nutt is easily able to drag them around and snap his chains, causing Trev to wonder what kind of “goblin” he is…
Chapter 2	Trev takes Mr Nutt on rounds, where he displays superhuman speed and agility in an attempt to “acquire worth”, but Trev treats him like a slave, even after he rescues Trev from an accident. On the way back to the vats Trev sees and is instantly besotted with Juliet Stollop, a beautiful girl who works in the University’s Night Kitchen. He chains Nutt up again before heading out on the town. Meanwhile, Ponder Stibbons and Archchancellor Ridcully discover that unless the University wins a game of mob ball against a city team once a century, the “Weatherwax bequest” that provides most of the university’s funds will be lost, and the University will have to close down. This is overheard by the head of the Night Kitchen, Glenda Sugarbean, who takes Juliet with her to recruit Trev for the team, knowing his talent with a tin can. They find Mr. Nutt instead, and are at first horrified, but he offers to track Trev down for Glenda. Mr. Nutt finds Trev at the Mended Drum with fellow Dimwell supporters Andy Shanks and Carter, who make fun of Nutt and spit beer on him, eventually pressuring Trev to do the same. Mr. Nutt, visibly angry, declines to “have a go” and leaves. Outside the pub, he collapses, muttering to himself about “acquiring worth” as his claws come out...
Chapter 3	To be added
Chapter 4	To be added
Chapter 5	To be added
Chapter 6	To be added
Chapter 7	To be added
Chapter 8	To be added
Chapter 9	To be added
Chapter 10	To be added

Podcast episodes

Major appearances

These are episodes primarily devoted to discussing this audio drama.

Date	Show	Episode	External link

Other appearances

Episodes where the film is discussed, but not as the main topic.

Date	Show	Episode	External link

External links

• Unseen Academicals at Audible
• Unseen Academicals in the “Radio Adaptations” article at the L-Space wiki