BBC Radio 4, January 8 2026 & on BBC Sounds

A very special meeting with a very special man…

Long term readers of SFB may recall we reviewed Stardust & Snow, Paul Magrs’ short book that related an encounter between a friend of the author and David Bowie when the former was quite young. It was a magical tale (the full review can be read here) and one that rewards repeated reading.

It’s the basis for Radio 4’s drama to mark a decade since Bowie’s death, once again by Magrs. It’s not a straightforward adaptation – there are certain moments that appear in both, and the sense of magic is very much evident here, but the details are very different, so even if you know the book well, this is well worth your time. Frankie Treadaway’s Daniel and Jon Culshaw’s Bowie have a fantastic chemistry, no matter which incarnation of Bowie the young boy is meeting during his labyrinthine trek to get to the cinema. Even if you don’t recognise the physical description, there’s a clever use of lyrics that puts things in context.

Treadaway and Culshaw are backed up by strong performances from James Bolam and Susan Jameson, as well as solid support from Dan Starkey, David Judge and Kieran O’Brien. It’s a story with feet in two worlds – the real and the fantastical – and Ken Bentley’s direction and Benji Clifford’s sound design meld the two where required (Daniel’s certainly not the only one who imagined that he was escaping from dire creatures when evading bullies as a young child…). Add in Sophie Cotton’s score and you have something that is quite definitely more than the sum of its parts.

Verdict: As the world falls down around us, it’s absolutely the time to step away for 45 minutes. Highly recommended. 10/10

Paul Simpson