BBC Sounds will release a full boxset exploring Ronnie Biggs using previously unheard recordings from his time in Brazil.
The six part series, Gangster Presents: The Story of Ronnie Biggs, arrives on Thursday 7 May across BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Live, with actor Daniel Mays presenting and narrating the documentary.
It focuses on Biggs’ life before and after the 1963 Great Train Robbery, including his escape from Wandsworth prison and 36 years spent as a fugitive in Australia and Brazil.
Archive material recorded by Biggs himself while on the run is used, offering access to personal reflections not previously broadcast.
The production also includes visual elements released online alongside the audio, featuring photographs, video clips and written material sourced through Biggs’ biographer Christopher Pickard.
Contributors include Nick Reynolds, whose father Bruce Reynolds led the robbery, as well as others who knew Biggs personally.
Daniel Mays, who previously portrayed Biggs in the 2012 television drama Mrs Biggs, said: “What makes this series truly special is hearing Biggs in his own words — reflecting, joking, confessing, and mythmaking. These recordings pull you right into the heart of his extraordinary life.”
The series is set against a soundtrack which includes samba, punk and tracks from Biggs’ own album Mailbag Blues, to present a detailed account of a figure who remained in public view despite decades spent abroad.
Louise Kattenhorn, Commissioning Executive for BBC Sounds, said the podcast offers a new perspective on a figure who continues to divide opinion, adding that the project coincides with 25 years since Biggs returned to the UK.
Gangster Presents: The Story of Ronnie Biggs is produced by Peanut and Crumb for BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Live, with all six episodes available at launch.
