October 1945 and the trial starts in less than a month – but do the Russians genuinely want it to happen? They seem to be employing delaying tactics – is it because they can also be accused of war crimes? Or is it just another regular SNAFU?
Each day brings a new problem: first, to find enough German lawyers to represent the 22 defendants (but access to American PX supplies closes the deal for most of them)...can Russia provide translations of its documents (Stalin had executed most people in Russia who could speak a foreign language)?...the rivalry between the judges (Biddle expected to be appointed President of the Court, but Truman conceded it should be the British judge)...and yet, somehow, they manage to start on time. Starring Nicholas Woodeson as Sir Geoffrey Lawrence, the President of the Court and Nathan Wiley as Judge Parker.
Major Airey Neave - FREDDIE FOX Peggy - ROSIE SHEEHY Robert H Jackson - JOSEPH MYDELL Sir Geoffrey Lawrence - NICHOLAS WOODESON Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe - FORBES MASSON Iona Nikitchenko - HENRY GOODMAN Judge Biddle - CLIVE WOOD John Amen - JOSEPH ALESSI Roman Rudenko - NIGEL LINDSAY Judge Parker - NATHAN WILEY Gustav Hilger - JASPER BRITTON Henri Donnedieu de Vabres - JONATHAN CULLEN Sir Norman Birkett and other roles - ANDREW WOODALL Titles - LEWIS MACLEOD
Sound Designer - ADAM WOODHAMS Studio Manager - MARK SMITH Casting Director - GINNY SCHILLER Original Score - METAPHOR MUSIC Writer and Director - JONATHAN MYERSON Producer - NICHOLAS NEWTON
A Promenade Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds