Talking to Chickens

Drama of the Week

BBC

Drama, Fiction

3.9 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Darkly comic, heart-warming drama by award-winning writer, Christine Entwisle.

Toots is an octogenarian living unhappily in a care home. She wants more outdoor days, she wants her allotment back and she wants to see her chickens.

A doctor is sent to assess Toots. But she's menopausal and struggling with a variety of unhelpful symptoms. And when the doctor forces open Toots’ window to relieve a hot flush and then forgets to shut it, Toots makes a break for it.

Cast:

Toots… Susan Jameson The Doctor… Rosie Cavaliero The Policeman… Dennis Herdman Trevor…Danny Hughes

Sound Design by Craig Dormer

Directed by Kirsty Williams

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:06.1	Can I just say?
0:07.6	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast.
0:10.0	It's such a wonderful listen.
0:11.7	So nice.
0:12.5	There are loads more like it on BBC Sounds.
0:14.8	Different paces, different heights, the roof is buckling.
0:17.9	Where you can also listen to live sports commentary.
0:20.2	It's right foot goes for goal.
0:22.6	And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories.
0:27.7	The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession.
0:31.2	And she's had to live with that.
0:32.8	So if you love sport, a passion, it's almost like a religion.
0:35.8	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:37.8	Sort of expecting that every week now.
0:40.6	This is Drama of the Week.
0:48.6	Talking to Chickens by Christine Entwistle.
0:54.0	Music by Christine Entwistle.
1:05.6	Keep focus, Carol.
1:07.9	Just a straightforward capacity assessment and then home for a nice hot bath
1:10.2	or a nice cold shower.
1:14.1	Hello, Toots. Can I call you Tuts? I'm Dr. Pooke. Whoops! Oh, good shot. Nearly hit me there.
	...

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