Anna Christie

Anna Christie

From Drama of the Week by BBC Radio 4

July 10, 2026 · 57 min

About this episode

Anna Christie confronts her past and the sea in Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

Anna Christie has spent fifteen years waiting for a father who never came. When she finally arrives on the New York waterfront to find him, she brings with her a past she has told nobody, and a fury at the world that has shaped her whole life. What she doesn't expect is the sea itself, and what it might do to her. Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is one of the towering works of American theatre: a searingly honest portrait of people trying to outrun their histories, until a shipwrecked Irish stoker arrives out of the fog and gives Anna a reason to stop running. Adapted for radio by Lucy Catherine. Story of America is a major collection of dramatisations of milestone American titles marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and the foundation of the United States. Anna . . . . . Julianna Jennings Chris . . . . . David Threlfall Mat . . . . . Ciarán Owens Marthy . . . . . Heather Craney Johnny . . . . . Parker Sawyers Larry . . . . . Kenndrick Horton Director: Sasha Yevtushenko Technical producers: Keith Graham & Sam Dickinson Editor: Peter Ringrose Production co-ordinator: Ben Hollands A BBC Studios production.

People in this episode

Host: BBC Radio 4

Guests: Julianna Jennings, David Threlfall, Ciarán Owens, Heather Craney, Parker Sawyers, Kenndrick Horton

Topics covered

  • family dynamics
  • American theatre
  • identity
  • sea
  • drama
  • history
  • adaptation

Keywords

  • Anna Christie
  • Eugene O'Neill
  • drama
  • adaptation
  • American theatre
  • family
  • identity
  • sea
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Studios

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