Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

A Loyal Character Dancer

4 Extra Debut. A grisly murder and a missing dancer at the heart of an international people-smuggling ring. Stars Jamie Zubairi and Sarah Lam.

Shanghai, early 1990s. A badly mutilated body turns up in Shanghai's Bund Park. It bears all the hallmarks of a triad killing.

Then former dancer and party loyalist Wen Liping vanishes in rural China just before she was to leave the country. Her husband, a key witness against a smuggling ring suspected of importing aliens to the US, refuses to testify until she is found and brought to join him in America.

The US immigration agency, convinced that the Chinese government are hiding something, send US Marshal Catherine Rohn to Shanghai to join the investigation.

Inspector Chen, an astute young policeman with twin passions for food and poetry, is under political pressure to find answers fast. When Catherine Rohn joins him he must tread very carefully.

Written by Qiu Xiaolong and dramatised by John Harvey

Starring Jamie Zubairi as Inspector Chen.

Chen ...... Jamie Zubairi
Yu ...... Dan Li
Catherine Rohn ...... Pippa Bennett-Warner
Party Secretary Li ...... Daniel York
Peiqin ...... Sarah Lam
Wen Liping ...... Liz Sutherland
Old Hunter ...... David Hounslow
Qian ...... Caolan McCarthy
Lihua ...... Sam Dale
Qiao ...... Debra Baker
Liu ...... Chris Pavlo

Director: David Hunter

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in December 2015.

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai, China. As well as writing the award-winning Inspector Chen series of mystery novels, he is also the author of two books of poetry translations, Treasury of Chinese Love Poems (2003) and Evoking T'ang (2007), and his own poetry collection, Lines Around China (2003). Qiu's books have sold over a million copies and have been published in twenty languages. He lives in St. Louis, USA with his wife and daughter.

1 hour

Last on

Tue 28 Jul 2020 03:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Chen Jamie Zubairi
Yu Dan Li
Catherine Rohn Pippa Bennett-Warner
Party Secretary Li Daniel York
Peiqin Sarah Lam
Wen Liping Liz Sutherland
Old Hunter David Hounslow
Qian Caolan McCarthy
Lihua Sam Dale
Qiao Debra Baker
Liu Chris Pavlo
Author Qiu Xiaolong
Adaptor John Harvey
Director David Hunter

Broadcasts

  • Sat 12 Dec 2015 14:30
  • Sat 7 Apr 2018 14:30
  • Mon 27 Jul 2020 10:00
  • Mon 27 Jul 2020 15:00
  • Tue 28 Jul 2020 03:00

Featured in...

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

The Shakespeare Sessions

The Shakespeare Sessions

Immerse yourself in Shakespeare鈥檚 world