A penguin is all that stands between one man and murder by the mafia

Sit back and enjoy this darkly comic full-cast adaptation of Andrey Kurkov’s bestselling novel set in mid-90s Ukraine, plus a bonus interview with the author.

Viktor Alekseyevich Zolotaryov is an aspiring writer in Ukraine, with only his pet king penguin, Misha, for company. After Viktor gets a job writing obituaries for a local newspaper, he soon finds that his articles are being used as a hit list by some unknown organisation. Feeling as lost and unhappy as his penguin, Viktor’s life takes a complicated turn when he takes in Sonya, the young daughter of an old friend, and hires Nina to be her nanny. Can Viktor protect everyone and keep himself (and his penguin) alive, or is he destined to become the subject of the paper’s latest obituary?

A blend of Gogol’s absurdist humour and Kafka’s alienation, this tragi-comedy is set in the wild west atmosphere of a newly independent Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union. At its heart, this is a story about surviving and enduring in perilous times.

Starring Tom Basden (After Life) as aspiring writer Viktor, and BAFTA winner Jason Watkins (The Crown) as the mysterious Lyosha.

This release also includes an episode of BBC Radio’s World Book Club, in which Kurkov discusses his darkly funny tale with Harriett Gilbert. Recorded live in his native Ukraine, at the historic Mikhail Bulgakov Museum in Kiev, he responds to listeners' questions from around the world.

Andrey Kurkov is a Ukrainian author who writes in Russian. He has written 19 novels and is a respected commentator on Ukraine, regularly appearing on Radio 4 with his ‘Letters from Ukraine’ series. Death and the Penguin is Kurkov's most famous work, translated into more than 30 languages.

Death and the Penguin

Written by Andrey Kurkov

Translated by George Bird

Adapted by Hattie Naylor

Directed by Gemma Jenkins

Viktor - Tom Basden

Lyosha - Jason Watkins

Igor - David Hounslow

Sonya - Blythe Arbery

Nina - Chloë Sommer

Misha-non-Penguin - Roger Ringrose

Sergey - Tom Kiteley

Natasha - Fiona Skinner

Dr Pidpaly - Joanna Monro

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 January 2023

World Book Club: Andrey Kurkov - Death and the Penguin

Presented by Harriett Gilbert

First Broadcast BBC World Service, 5 September 2015