Riverside Radio

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 1

Welcome to The Wandsworth Way, a new radio soap opera on Riverside Radio for the Mayor's London Borough of Culture. Co-produced by Theatre503 and Wandsworth Council. 

In our debut episode, Tash returns to Wandsworth after years away in New York. A chance encounter in a local pub sparks memories of the past and sets off a chain of events she could never have predicted. Tash finds herself in St George’s Hospital and begins a journey to reconnect with the borough she once called home.

As she attempts to rediscover Wandsworth for her new book, an unexpected reunion with a stranger from the pub reveals the past is never as far away as it seems.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 2

Welcome to The Wandsworth Way, a new radio soap opera on Riverside Radio for the Mayor's London Borough of Culture. Co-produced by Theatre503 and Wandsworth Council. 

Tash drops a bombshell! She’s not finishing her bestselling trilogy. With her career on the line and her agent in shock, Tash sets her sights on something new: a book about Wandsworth. But what does home really mean after so many years away? As the news spreads on live radio, Tash makes a bold public call to the people of the borough. Now the clock’s ticking,she’s got one year to make it work.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 3

Under Pressure by Orode Faka.

Previously on The Wandsworth Way, Tash Defoe returned home, but not everyone knew she was back.

In episode 3, secrets surface, old places stir new feelings, and a familiar face catches her off guard.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 4

A MISSED CONNECTION - Written by Joe Wiltshire Smith

In this episode of The Wandsworth Way, a chance to uncover the past is almost lost in the present. When Tash decides to abandon her blockbuster book series to focus on a deeply personal new novel rooted in Wandsworth's history, she sets off for an interview that could be pivotal with a 92-year-old former nurse from St. George’s Hospital. But things don’t go to plan.

As cabbie Mike struggles with shortcuts, traffic jams, and Tash’s rising frustration, the day unravels fast, until a surprising twist back at his mum Val’s kitchen table might just put things right. 

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 5

Meeting Val - by Mbeke Waseme

In this deeply moving and personal episode, Tash visits Val (Mike’s mother) for an interview that unexpectedly turns into a rich, multi-generational story of migration, resilience, and love. From Val's early days as an Irish nurse newly arrived in London to her life in Wandsworth today, we uncover a vibrant oral history shaped by prejudice, perseverance, and community spirit. A tender, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking conversation that reveals the true meaning of home.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 6

Back for Good by Yana Penrose

After a scheduling mishap leaves her weekend wide open, Tash finds herself unexpectedly reconnecting with her old best friend Naomi for a spontaneous girls night out at Battersea Park in Concert. Over breezers, memories, and the sound of Jools Holland warming up the crowd, the pair reminisce about youthful disasters, failed relationships, and the twists and turns of adulthood.

But as the evening unfolds, something deeper is revealed. Tash’s return to Wandsworth isn’t just about recovery and fresh air. There’s a story waiting to be written, and she may need Naomi’s help to tell it.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 7

The Wandsworth Way – Episode 7 by Lucy Davidson

Bestselling romantic fiction author Natasha Defoe takes the stage for a candid literary Q&A, opening up about why she writes about love and whether she truly believes the happily-ever-afters she creates.

But when the applause fades, a rainy dash to the car with her driver Mike leads to burgers, milkshakes, and surprising confessions.

As old stories of marriage and heartbreak surface, an unexpected moment of connection threatens to change everything… until a badly timed knock on the window breaks the spell.

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 8

Things Left Unsaid - By Amadeus Redha

As Wandsworth bustles with the colour and rhythm of a South Asian street procession, secrets and feelings bubble beneath the surface.

Mike confides in his mum Val about his growing connection with Tash. Meanwhile, Tash opens up to her best friend Naomi, trying to untangle her own feelings about Mike and that fleeting, messy, almost-romantic moment they shared over burgers and milkshakes.

But while Naomi urges Tash to follow her heart, Val warns Mike to tread carefully. Between class divides, lingering ties to his estranged wife Gina, and the blurred lines between driver and client, is this something real… or just a moment best left unsaid?

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 9

The Perfect Park - By James Fritz

Tash is stuck. Her agent wants chapters, her book needs a setting, and nothing feels quite right. Mike is never short of a suggestion. From Battersea Park to hidden green spaces, the pair embark on a search for the perfect bench in the perfect park, a place where her characters can sit, talk, and breathe life into her story.

But as their journey winds from recreation grounds to forgotten graveyards, it’s not just Tash’s characters who come into focus. Between the rules of “the code,” a stubborn surname formality, and quiet moments among pigeons and headstones, new tensions and connections begin to stir.

Meanwhile, back in her agent’s office, Tash discovers her Wandsworth project may hold more promise and more romance than even she expected...

The Wandsworth Way - Episode 10

Ghost Stories by James Fritz

Mike and Tash take a drive and swap eerie tales of Wandsworth’s haunted past. From the infamous murder of Charles Bravo at The Priory on Bedford Hill to the shadowy figure of “Wandsworth Annie” inside the prison walls, the borough proves to be rich in ghostly lore.

But it’s not just local legends. Mike shares his own chilling encounter with the mysterious Black Dog of Wandsworth Road, while Tash recalls a moment when the memory of her late mother seemed to return in the most unexpected way.

Darkly funny, moving, and spine-tingling in equal measure, Ghost Stories explores the thin line between memory, myth, and the things that haunt us all.