Anarchist in the UK

We’ve all heard the tales of Dick Turpin, dashing highwayman – the polished myths and pantomime bravado – but what really happened? 

In the thrilling new audio series Turpin, Dónal Finn (currently killing it in Guy Ritchie’s blockbusting new Young Sherlock series on Prime Video) stars as Richard Turpin, who abandons his stable life as a butcher to become a violent outlaw. England's eighteenth-century folk antihero finds the money and notoriety he always dreamed of but discovers that this life of excess and risk-taking is a very dangerous path.  

This gritty, visceral and darkly funny take on the legend also features Jemima Rooper (Geek Girl, Atlantis) as Turpin’s sharp-witted wife Betty, and Greg Wise (Sense and Sensibility, The Buccaneers) as Captain Tom King, an elegant thief. Harry Myers voices the dogged lawman Mason, and Richard Goulding is James Smith, Turpin’s law-abiding former friend. 

Turpin is written by award-winning screenwriters Mat Braddy and Darren Rapier, and directed by Ken Bentley alongside Braddy and Rapier. The complete series is now available to pre-order in a digital download bundle for just £30, exclusively here. 

Impatient butcher Richard Turpin wants his share of the emerging wealth of the new United Kingdom. After poaching for easy profits, he finds himself on the run and falls in with the vicious Gregory Gang. As his comrades are sent to the gallows, Turpin evades the hangman and becomes the country’s most wanted man. 

The ten episodes are: 

In volume one, Essex Pistols, due for release July 2026: 

Never Mind the Bullock 
Lucky Bleeder 
Anarchy in the Merry Kingdom 
Chit Faced 
Rat Trap 

In volume two, Damned & Delivered, due for release August 2026: 

Dog Eat Dog 
God Save the King 
Slippery Cove 
Pretty Vacant 
The Nubbing Ken 

Further cast and story details will be revealed at a later date. 

Producer Lizzie Worsdell said: “Working on Turpin over the last two years has been so much fun. This is a story about someone everyone thinks they know but really don't. It’s a bold, unexpected re-telling of Dick Turpin unlike anything you’ve heard before. 

“The recording was a joy and the performances are some of the strongest I’ve seen at Big Finish. The range across the cast is phenomenal. Dónal Finn, who’s brand new to Big Finish, gives an incredible lead performance, and his chemistry with Jemima Rooper is a joy to hear. I’ve loved every minute of working with Ken, Mat and Darren, it’s been a blast, and I can’t wait for Big Finish listeners to dive into this original story.” 

Writer and director Darren Rapier added: “Ever since discovering the real-life story of Richard Turpin, of which there are many factual accounts and reports of the time, I’ve been keen on telling this story – rather than the dashing highwayman cliché. When I discovered Mat was keen on doing the same, we started talking about creating something together. 

“The true story has more in common with the Kray twins than Robin Hood, and this is something we were eager to get across. Audio has allowed us to tell this epic tale in a fast and chaotic fashion. We like to describe it as a period action drama.” 

And, executive producer and writer-director Mat Braddy said: “Working with this cast has been an absolute joy. Dónal Finn and Jemima Rooper are extraordinary together, and Greg Wise brings such elegance and danger – everyone involved has helped make these characters feel utterly alive. One of the great freedoms of audio is that you don’t have to worry about a visual budget; you can let the imagination soar, and the performances do all the work. 

“What constantly amazed us was the history itself. The real Richard Turpin story is darker, stranger and more fascinating than the myth, and it’s astonishing it hasn’t been told properly before. I’m from Essex and I live in the very places where this happened, so telling a story set on my own home patch has been a huge thrill. I can’t wait for people to hear it.” 

Big Finish listeners can pre-order each volume of Turpin for just £16.99 (download to own), exclusively from www.bigfinish.com. 

Interested outlaws can sign up for updates from the road – including behind-the-scenes exclusives, interviews and cast news at www.turpinhq.co.uk.  

All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 31 August 2026.