Charlie and the Moon is an innovative interactive radio drama designed to engage children in storytelling through sound, visuals, and choice-driven narratives. As one of the first productions to combine illustrations with audio while allowing listeners to influence the story’s direction, it offered a fresh and immersive way for young audiences to experience radio drama.
The project began in 2013 as part of a final-year BA (Hons) Media Production degree at the University of Lincoln. Developed by Ben R. Atkinson and Hannah Webster-Sudborough under their small production company, Dreaming Tiger Productions, the drama built on their previous work in children’s media. Their past projects included Rose, a radio adaptation of The Little Briar Rose, and The Cheese Thief, a short film designed to introduce primary school students to Modern Foreign Languages. Given this background, Charlie and the Moon was a natural next step.
The production featured a talented cast, including local actors Peggy Read and Keighan Sutton as Grandma and Charlie, respectively. Additional voices were provided by University of Lincoln students, while Keighan’s mother also played a small role. The project also benefited from the artistic contributions of Natasha Rimmington, a final-year Illustration student who created all the accompanying artwork.
Charlie and the Moon was ahead of its time, pioneering interactive storytelling in radio drama long before similar concepts gained mainstream popularity. It predated platforms like Pottermore and the Black Mirror interactive episode Bandersnatch, demonstrating how radio drama could evolve to include interactive elements. Even today, few productions have followed in its footsteps, making Charlie and the Moon a standout example of how traditional storytelling can be reimagined for modern audiences.


