Noël Coward — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Noël Coward — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Composer

Noël Coward

72 episodes

Chosen over the decades

72

Total castaways

1970s

Peak decade

8

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alec Clifton-Taylor
Alec McCowen
Alice Delysia
Arnold Ridley
Baroness Trumpington
Burl Ives
Charles Causley
Charlotte Lamb
Dame Edith Evans
Dame Sibyl Hathaway
David Croft
Derek Jacobi
Don McCullin
Doris Hare
Dr Elsie Hall
Earl Of Snowdon
Edward Fox
Elisabeth Welch
Emlyn Williams
Evelyn Laye
Fenella Fielding
Ginette Spanier
Gyles Brandreth
Henry Blofeld
more

Penelope Keith
Penelope Keith on the sewing machine needle that ended her piano playing
Castaway · 21 August 1976Roy Plomley
Noel Streatfeild
How a flash of inspiration at the Barrier Reef made Noel Streatfeild a novelist
Castaway · 17 January 1976Roy Plomley

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desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

John Julius Norwich

John Julius Norwich on attending the Nuremberg trials as a schoolboy

Castaway · 18 October 1975Roy Plomley

17°19′S 046°03′W

Doris Hare

Doris Hare on making her stage debut aged three weeks

Castaway · 11 October 1975Roy Plomley

02°45′S 070°11′W

Emlyn Williams

How a biography of Charles Dickens led Emlyn Williams to create a one-man show

Castaway · 15 February 1975Roy Plomley

20°48′S 123°59′W

Polly James

How Polly James was left on the quayside while filming a boat scene

Castaway · 19 October 1974Roy Plomley

15°44′S 055°46′W

John Mills

John Mills on selling lavatory paper while secretly taking tap dancing lessons

Castaway · 22 December 1973Roy Plomley

16°17′S 121°02′W

Arnold Ridley

Arnold Ridley on needing more makeup to look young enough

Castaway · 3 November 1973Roy Plomley

15°21′S 031°17′W

June Whitfield

June Whitfield on her father's repeated advice about shorthand

Castaway · 18 August 1973Roy Plomley

02°47′S 089°49′W

Alice Delysia

Alice Delysia on the scandalous costume that got her in trouble with the censor

Castaway · 12 February 1972Roy Plomley

Dame Sibyl Hathaway

11°43′S 047°48′W

Dame Sibyl Hathaway

Sibyl Hathaway on why Sark still bans divorce and female dogs

Castaway · 23 October 1971Roy Plomley

07°28′S 106°49′W

Ronnie Corbett

Ronnie Corbett on his first job issuing animal feed coupons

Castaway · 29 May 1971Roy Plomley

22°26′S 080°25′W

Joyce Grenfell

Joyce Grenfell on receiving an anonymous letter about mocking Cockney accents

Castaway · 22 May 1971Roy Plomley

08°24′S 016°34′W

Evelyn Laye

Evelyn Laye on being asked her name as a baby and replying 'Boo boo'

Castaway · 23 June 1969Roy Plomley

15°07′S 060°14′W

Dr Elsie Hall

Elsie Hall on refusing to play in uniform for South African troops

Castaway · 28 April 1969Roy Plomley

Maggie Fitzgibbon

01°04′S 176°23′W

Maggie Fitzgibbon

Maggie Fitzgibbon on being discovered while singing under the shower

Castaway · 27 January 1969Roy Plomley

00°48′S 003°20′W

Irene Worth

Irene Worth on leaving America to learn Shakespeare in England

Castaway · 18 November 1967Roy Plomley

Fenella Fielding

06°45′S 130°32′W

Fenella Fielding

Fenella Fielding on being taken away from RADA by her parents

Castaway · 5 June 1967Roy Plomley

Ginette Spanier

03°47′S 066°16′W

Ginette Spanier

Ginette Spanier on fainting from hunger in the street during the war

Castaway · 21 June 1965Roy Plomley

Dame Edith Evans

11°29′S 005°11′W

Dame Edith Evans

Edith Evans on playing Lady Bracknell underwater

Castaway · 18 May 1964Roy Plomley

Sir Miles Thomas

09°10′S 023°27′W

Sir Miles Thomas

Miles Thomas on trying to brush his teeth with sand

Castaway · 6 April 1964Roy Plomley

06°07′S 037°46′W

Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams on choosing eerie opening chords with producer Miles Mallison

Castaway · 7 June 1955Roy Plomley