HighLites: Series 1-6

All six series of the BBC radio comedy centred around a village hairdressing salon - plus pilot episode Based in the little town of Bridgeford, High-Lites salon boasts the most misanthropic hairdresser in Britain: sharp-tongued, mean-minded Bev. With the help of her soft-hearted (though slightly dim) assistant Shirley, she tends to the tresses of a motley crew of local characters. As she cuts their hair, she finds out everything that's going on in their lives - and wastes no time in spreading some gossip of her own... In the pilot episode, one of her little lies takes on a life of its own - and a dodgy dryer nearly spells disaster. Series 1 finds the salon on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing Bev to take desperate measures to keep it afloat. In HighLites: Retouched , the two stylists go mobile when their premises are shut down by Environmental Health, and in HighLites: Split Ends , Bev tries to undercut her rival, Anton, to secure a lucrative wedding hair gig. HighLites: Wash and Blow finds the hairdressing duo heading out on a cruise, hoping to drum up a little business below deck. But it's not all plain sailing... In HighLites: Dye Another Day , Bev and Shirl are faced with a huge tax bill, and connive to inherit from a wealthy old man's will. And in HighLites: Natural Bounce , the world's worst hairdressers discover that there's money to be made in fitness, and decide to open a gym above the salon - but is this an expansion too far? Co-written by Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding, this fast-paced, farcical comedy stars Lorraine Ashbourne as Bev and Rosie Cavaliero as Shirley, with a supporting cast including Marlene Sidaway, Sheila Reid, Angela Lonsdale, Adjoa Andoh, Adam Nagaitis and Joel MacCormack . Production credits Written by Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding Produced by Jessica Dromgoole Directed by Colin Guthrie and Liz Webb First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 December 2009 (Pilot), 13-17 February 2012 ( HighLites ), 8-12 October 2012 ( HighLites: Retouched ), 2-6 December 2013 ( HighLites: Split Ends ), 5-9 May 2014 ( HighLites: Wash and Blow ), 8-12 June 2015 ( HighLites: Dye Another Day ), 25-29 July 2016 ( HighLites: Natural Bounce ) Cast Beverley - Lorraine Ashbourne Shirley - Rosie Cavaliero Matthew - Rhys Jennings/Owen Pullar Alice - Emerald O'Hanrahan/Marlene Sidaway Enid - Kate Layden/Nicola Sloane/Sheila Reid/Susan Jameson Nigel - John Biggins/Simon Bubb/John Norton/Chris Pavlo Lois - Joannah Tincey/Stephanie Racine Butt - Ewan Hooper/James Lailey/Robert Blythe/Sean Murray Paramedic - Joseph Cohen-Cole John - Carl Prekopp Henry - Gerard McDermott Melvin - Adam Billington Diane - Alex Rivers/Angela Lonsdale Wendy - Victoria Inez Hardy/Eleanor Crooks/Rhiannon Neads/Nicola Ferguson Harriet - Adjoa Andoh/Carolyn Pickles Hilary - Nicola Sloane Belinda - Stephanie Racine Satnav/Nurse/Tannoy - Sarah Thom Antony - Adam Nagaitis Gordon - Ben Crowe Lucinda - Liza Sadovy Ronnie - Michael Bertenshaw Liz - Christine Absalom Tess - Priyanga Burford Captain Andersen - Joel MacCormack Julie - Carys Eleri Doug - Stephen Critchlow Annabeth - Jane Slavin Daz/Tony - Sam Rix Beryl - Melanie Kilburn With Adie Allen and Scarlett Brookes ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd