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In the series that takes a look at books, plays and stories and how they work, John Yorke explores Graham Greene鈥檚 classic dark comedy, Our Man in Havana.

Greene was already an established and successful novelist and screenwriter by the time he wrote Our Man in Havana and, in this first of two episodes about the book, John looks at the plot of what became a classic comedy thriller and at how deftly Greene outlined his characters. The book is set in pre-revolutionary Havana and John also hears how the political situation coloured his writing and how the target of Greene鈥檚 work was an organisation that was very familiar to him - British Intelligence.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for nearly 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in 麻豆社 Radio 4鈥檚 Sunday Drama series.

From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of 麻豆社 Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world鈥檚 most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful 麻豆社 Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters - his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone.

Contributors:
Christopher Hull, Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American studies at Chester University and author of Our Man Down in Havana
Sarah Rainsford, 麻豆社 Foreign Correspondent, author of Our Woman in Havana: Reporting Castro鈥檚 Cuba
Reading by Matthew Gravelle

Credits:
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Publisher - Vintage Digital; New Ed edition (2 Oct. 2010)
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound by Sean Kerwin
Researcher Nina Semple
Production Manager Sarah Wright

A Pier production for 麻豆社 Radio 4