Christmas is a time for the family to gather – which doesn’t always lead to happiness and good cheer. That’s certainly the case in Hell’s Bells, a full-cast audio drama based on Sally Wood’s acclaimed stage play. 

Hell’s Bells stars Bonnie Langford (Doctor Who) and David Calder (Star Cops) as Joyce and Robert, a couple whose relationship becomes strained when, one Christmas, their daughter Lydia (Lu Corfield, Last Tango in Halifax) announces she’s moving back in with them, shortly followed by her husband Mack (Arthur Darvill, Doctor Who). 

As tensions between the two couples begin to erupt, mince pies are the last thing on anyone’s mind… 

Hell’s Bells is now available to pre-order as a digital download to own for just £8.99, exclusively here. 

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived, and so has the family drama.  

With Robert's career in ruins and Joyce haunted by a past trauma, their fragile family is pushed to the brink when their very pregnant, very bratty daughter Lydia moves back in with her desperate husband Mack.  

This Christmas Eve, as secrets and lies unravel faster than the fairy lights, the ghosts of Christmas past come out to play, leaving Joyce to wonder if she'll ever find the freedom she so desperately craves. 

Writer Sally Wood said: “I wanted to write a dark comedy about a family imploding over Christmas – all those tensions that happen when everyone’s piling up on each other and secrets are exposed. The cast’s brilliant comic timing truly brought the story to life, and I was delighted when Big Finish took it under their wing.” 

Big Finish chairman Jason Haigh-Ellery added: “Sally and I have collaborated on a great number of theatre projects over the past two decades, and I’ve always enjoyed her work immensely, so I leapt at the chance to work with her again. 

“My immediate thought was to ask Scott Handcock to come on board as I knew he would not only do a brilliant job as director, but also pull together a fantastic cast that would do justice to this production. Happy Christmas!” 

And, producer and director Scott Handcock said: “When Jason Haigh-Ellery asked me to tackle a festive comedy, I wasn’t prepared for the journey Hell’s Bells would take me on! It had already enjoyed a run on stage, telling the story of a single family during a particularly traumatic Christmas. 

“I knew I needed a heavyweight cast who could balance the moments of levity with genuine drama, and I was incredibly lucky to get such a strong team for this. We recorded it all in a single day and, frankly, the energy was incredible. It’s brutal and confrontational, but with moments of genuine heart.” 

Hell’s Bells contains adult material (specifically, themes of mental health, an age-inappropriate relationship, and the loss of a premature baby) and may not be suitable for younger listeners. 

Hell’s Bells is now available to pre-order as a digital download to own for just £8.99, exclusively from www.bigfinish.com.