Roland started producing and directing radio drama in 1996 when he became Senior Producer for Radio Drama at BBC Northern Ireland. He has directed/ produced plays for Radio 3 and 4 as well as documentaries for Radio 2.

Radio 4

His work includes comedy series ‘Spangles ‘n’ Tights’ by Christopher Fitz-Simon with Pauline McLynn, Frank Kelly of ‘Father Ted’ fame and David Kelly. He has also directed/ produced new plays by John Arden, Robin Glendinning, Martin Lynch, Colum McCann, Mark Lawson, Kaite O’Reilly, Jonathan Myerson and ‘Mash’ creator Larry Gelbart as well as classic serials, ‘The Aran Islands’ by J.M. Synge, dramatised by Shaun McCarthy and ‘December Bride’ by Sam Hanna Bell, dramatised by Carlo Gébler.

He has also directed three plays by Rob John which have won much acclaim from critics and audience alike: ‘The Spaceman’, a play about a boy wanting to meet Yuri Gargarin while studying for the eleven plus, ‘After Scarborough’ about the deception between three friends entering an international Elvis competition and ‘The Little Queen of England’, about a young schoolgirl wanting to meet the Queen.

Roland has directed ‘The Property Of Colette Nervi’, a delicate drama about theft and perception, for which author William Trevor adapted his own short story and was nominated for a Prix Italia Award.

Radio 3

He has directed plays by major writers such as Brian Friel (‘Molly Sweeney’), John Arden (‘Poor Tom, Thy Horn is Dry’) and Sebastian Barry (‘Our Lady Of Sligo’ with Fiona Shaw playing the leading part) as well as Leigh Jackson’s ‘A Flag Unfurled’ about the life of Erskine Childers.

He produced and directed Martin Lynch’s modern version, set in Belfast, of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘An Enemy of the People’, which won an O.Z. Whitehead, ‘Zebbie’ Award from the Irish Playwrights and Scriptwriters Guild for Best Radio Script 2007.

Short Stories

He has also produced short stories from various writers including Hugh Leonard, Maurice Leitch and Claire Boylan.

Radio 2

Roland has also produced several Radio 2 documentaries which include ‘Van The Man - The Van Morrison Story’, presented by Marianne Faithfull, ‘Both Sides Now-The Joni Mitchell Story’, presented by Mary Black, ‘The Velvet Fog - The Mel Torme Story’ presented by John Dankworth and ‘The Marlon Brando Story’ presented by Val Kilmer.