A fight to save an oasis and find a missing man: Hammond Innes’ classic adventure novel dramatized with a full-cast

When a newspaper article and an almost-forgotten client propels young English lawyer George Grant to delve into the affairs of an elusive oilman he embarks on a mystery trip to the Arabian peninsula. But what begins as an innocent search, leads Grant into a maze of political intrigue and family secrets in the deserts of Arabia. Accompanying Grant is the illegitimate son of the missing man, and from Bahrain to Dubai to the mountains of Jebel Al-Akhbar, the great desert of the Empty Quarter provides a backdrop to the friction, drama and tragedy that develops between Grant and his companion. Can the pair save the oasis from the encroaching sands? Will missing David Whittaker be found alive? And will the men be able to battle the politics and practicalities in a final confrontation with the Emir as new oil is discovered?
The Doomed Oasis is the story of how two ordinary men find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and must use all their ingenuity to not only save an oasis and find a missing man, but also keep themselves alive. This is an absolute archive gem, a full-cast adaptation of a great novel packed with intrigue, suspense, thrills and revelations, starring Tim Munro.
Cast and credits
Written by Hammond Innes
Dramatised by Rene Basilico
Produced by John Fawcett Wilson
George Grant - Tim Munro
Henry Grant - Robert James
Alexander Erkhard - John Malcolm
Ruffini - Robert Rietty
Betty - Jill Lidstone
Tessa - Nadia Hammam
Taxi Driver/Waiter - Nadim Sawalha
Hotel receptionist - Neville Rofaila
Akhmed/Sheikh’s Messenger/Yousif/Ali - Ali Refaie
Otto Smith - George Roubicek
Captain Chuck Berry - David McAlister
Sir Philip Gorde - Garard Green
Susan Whittaker - Helena Breck
Driver/Palace Guard/Trucial Oman Scout - Mohammad Sultan
Colonel Whittaker - Bernard Horsfall
Sheikh Makhmud - Farouk El-Demerdash
Prince Khalid - Raad Rawi
Jack Entwistle - Geoffrey Hinsliff
Sheikh Abdullah - Adam Hussein
Salim - George Masri
David Whittaker- Christopher Guard
Hamid - Mamdouh Ashour
Boy - Yasmin Abdul Rahman
Colonel Goodge - Nicholas Courtney
Captain Chuck Berry - David McAlister
Sergeant Rashid - Adam Hussein
Abdul Zaid Emir of Hadd - Renu Setna
First Broadcast BBC Radio 2, 22nd Aug - 26th Sep 1984