XPD by Len Deighton

XPS by Len Deighton

The title of Len Deighton’s riveting thriller XPD stands for Expedient Demise.

An alleged secret meeting between Churchill and Hitler in 1940 is at the centre of the tangled plot; Whitehall, the Kremlin and the CIA - plus a ruthless secret group - we are all somewhat anxious of that historical conference. Will the so-called Hitler Minutes prove Churchill a traitor?

Deighton described his book as "faction", a blend of fact and fiction "so skilful you can't see the join".

Dramatised in 8-parts by Michael Bakewell.
Director: Peter King
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1985

CAST
Boyd Stuart ...... Trevor Nichols
Sydney Ryden ...... David Garth
Charles Stein ...... Bruce Boa
Max Breslow ...... Bernard Hepton
Willi Kleiber ...... Clifford Rose
Hitler Minutes ...... Colin Starkey
Prime Minister/Section Head ...... Bernard Brown
Jennifer ...... Jenny Funnell
Kitty ...... Melinda Walker
MacIver ...... Don Fellows
Billy Stein ...... Ian Tyler

Colonel Pitman ...... Barry Morse
Ian Tyler ...... Billy Stein
Loden/Section Head/Prime Minister ...... Bernard Brown
Mme Maurig ...... Mary Wimbush
Kalkhoven ...... Stuart Milligan
Ivan ...... David Garth
Grechko ...... David Sinclair
Hollis ...... David Learner
Parker ...... Colin Starkey

Wever ...... Carl Duering
Reader ...... Colin Starkey
Case Officer ...... Alan Thompson
Psychiatrist ...... David Garth
Mrs Breslow ...... Mary Wimbush
Mrs Wever ...... Anne Jameson
Hitler ...... David Sinclair

Mary Breslow ...... Helena Breck
Deputy Secretary/Koch ...... Garard Green
MI5 Man ...... David Sinclair

Willi Kleiber ...... Clifford Rose
Project chairman/Charles Stein ...... Bruce Boa
Sevmour ...... William Roberts
Kalkhoven ...... Stuart Milligan
Wyn ...... Louh Hirsch

Jennifer ...... Jenny Funnell

Shumuk ...... George Coulouris
Koch ...... Garard Green

EPISODES
1. A Small Killing in Hollywood
The Prime Minister discovers a film is set to be made about the "Kaiseroda" mine - Hitler's secret cave of treasures during the Second World War.
So did Winston Churchill meet Hitler in 1940?
Can the SIS (Britain's Secret Intelligence Service) uncover the truth?

2. The House in Geneva
Charles Stein is on a mission to Switzerland to meet his old Colonel.
Can he discover the truth about the missing treasures from the Nazi Kaiseroda mine?

3. An Egg Farm in Norfolk
On the trail of wartime secrets, Boyd Stuart has been sent to Los Angeles by the British Secret Service to investigate a film company.
But he's being followed and his contact dies....

4. The Hitler Minutes
Secret Service agent Boyd returns to England to question Wever, an ex-German soldier who claims he helped load the 'Kaiseroda' treasure on to the train and into Hitler's mine.
Is he telling the truth? (note - the BBC announcer mistakenly says at the end of this episode that the following episode is number 3 instead of 5)

5. Operation Siegfried
The 'Kaiseroda' treasure contains papers that could prove Hitler had a meeting with Churchill in 1940.
Charles Stein knows where the papers are. He’s being watched by German, Russian and British agents.
They all want the papers...

6. A Safe House for Moscow
Two men have broken into a German computer and discovered something called 'Operation Siegfried'. Then they are murdered.
Boyd Stuart suspects his own people and tries to resign. But you don t resign from the Secret Service.

7. The Geneva Raid
Breslow has been told by Kleiber that an armed raid is going to take place on Colonel Pitman's home in Switzerland.
In England, Stuart has been investigating the possibility of Churchill meeting Hitler in 1940.

8. Expedient Demise
Stein and Colonel Pitman are making their getaway with the Hitler papers when Pitman is struck down - and a Swiss agent picks them up.
Can Boyd Stuart get to Switzerland in time to collect them..?