Catherine Tate to star in Radio 4 drama

Catherine Tate and Tracy-Ann Oberman are to play the Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in a BBC Radio 4 drama about the behind-the-scenes bitterness between the pair during the making of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. Bette and Joan and Baby Jane, with Tate as Davis and Oberman as Crawford, will be broadcast on 29 April. In the 1962 movie Davis and Crawford played film star sisters, the former child actor "Baby" Jane Hudson and the disabled Blanche, divided by past resentments. There were reports that the on-screen hatred was fuelled by the off-screen enmity between Davis and Crawford. Bette and Joan and Baby Jane was written by Oberman and is one of four radio commissions won by the independent production company CPL using a new system whereby selected suppliers were invited to pitch for slots on BBC stations. Other radio commissions for CPL, which produces All Star Mr and Mrs , include a Ronnie Corbett comedy. CPL's managing director, Danielle Lux, said: "We were delighted to secure four Afternoon Play commissions via the new Radio 4 batch tender system. "And, to have talent of the calibre of Tracy-Ann Oberman and Catherine Tate involved in the first of these plays has been a wonderful start for CPL." The drama is being produced by CPL's head of radio, Liz Anstee. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".