South of the River

At the end of his shift one night, London cabbie Barry Monk picks up two drunk sailors, Nikolai and Vlad. He and the Russians get on famously and they invite Barry back to theirs for some cards – in a Russian submarine moored secretly in the Thames.

When Barry finds himself trapped on the submarine heading for the North Sea, he suddenly finds himself an accidental double agent, caught between Russian and British secret services. But how much of Barry’s outrageous story can we really believe?

Starring Shaun Williamson (Eastenders) as Barry, Alice Lowe (Timestalker) as MI5 agent Alice, and Debra Stephenson (Dead Ringers) as Russian sleeper agent and chatshow host Lorraine Kelly, South of the River is a celebration of the stories told by taxi drivers (all of which are true).

Written by Stephen Keyworth
Sound design by Richard Fox
Music by Evelyn Sykes
Produced by Simon Barnard
Directed by Bethany Weimers

Releases September 2026 on BBC Radio 4