Audiobooks Narrated by Frances De La Tour

The Duchess of Malfi & The White Devil: 2 BBC Radio 4 full-cast productions

A BBC radio full-cast drama collection of John Webster's twin masterpieces, plus two documentaries examining their importance and enduring popularity One of the great Jacobean playwrights and a contemporary of William Shakespeare, John Webster is best known for his classic revenge tragedies based on real events in Renaissance Italy, The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil. Both are included here, along with two insightful programmes putting the plays in their historical context, and probing the life of their mysterious author - a shadowy character about whom very little is known. The Duchess of Malfi - When the young, widowed Duchess dares to defy her brothers and marry again, the corrupt duo begin a chilling campaign to destroy her... Intercut with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Laura Marling, this visceral production moves from gentle romanticism to darkest cruelty. Introduced by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford, and starring Pippa Nixon as the Duchess of Malfi. The White Devil - Set in a murky 1950s underworld of shifting alliances, betrayals and sudden violence, this radical reinterpretation of Webster's bloodthirsty tragedy tells the story of Brachiano, who falls violently in love with the married Vittoria Corombona. Desperate to possess her, he arranges the murder of her husband and his wife - but in doing so, he makes a deadly enemy... Shaun Dingwall stars as Brachiano, with Anna Maxwell Martin as Vittoria. Role Play - Michael Billington talks to acclaimed actresses Eleanor Bron and Juliet Stevenson about The Duchess of Malfi and its relevance today, and discuss their experiences playing the lead role. The Skull Beneath the Skin - Elizabethan scholar and biographer Muriel Bradbrook delves into Webster's life and plays, exploring how his childhood and family background informed his writing. Cast and credits Written by John Webster The Duchess of Malfi The Duchess of Malfi - Pippa Nixon Bosola - Shaun Dooley Antonio - Sandy Grierson Ferdinand - Alexander Cobb Cardinal - Jonathan Keeble Delio/Pilgrim - Kevin Harvey Cariola/Julia - Jenny Platt Silvio/Pilgrim - Rupert Hill Doctor - Lloyd Hutchinson Abridged and adapted by Pauline Harris and Emma Smith Directed by Pauline Harris Original songs arranged and composed by Jules Maxwell and sung by Shaun Dooley and Jules Maxwell Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11 July 2021 The White Devil Flamineo - Patrick Kennedy Vittoria - Anna Maxwell Martin Brachiano - Shaun Dingwall Francisco - Peter Wight Monticelso - Sean Baker Ludovico - Harry Myers Isabella - Christine Kavanagh Gasparo - David Seddon Camillo - Sam Dale Cornelia - Frances de la Tour Marcello - Michael Shelford Giovanni - Lloyd Thomas Hortensio - Tony Bell Zanche - Pippa Bennett Warner Dr Julio - Jude Akuwudike Adapted and directed by Marc Beeby First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 15 August 2010 Role Play Presented by Michael Billington With Eleanor Bron and Juliet Stevenson Produced by Fiona McLean First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 16 July 1997 The Skull Beneath the Skin Presented by Muriel Bradbrook First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 29 October 1980 ©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

John Webster (Author), Anna Maxwell-Martin, Frances De La Tour, Jude Akuwudike, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Pippa Nixon, Shaun Dingwall, Shaun Dooley (Narrator)

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Megamonster

The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams. On a volcanic island, in the middle of shark-infested waters, stands The Cruel School. The lessons are appalling, the school dinners are revolting and the teachers are terrifying – especially the mysterious Science teacher Doctor Doktur. When Larker is sent to the school, she quickly realises something very odd is going on… something involving Doctor Doktur, a pair of strange spectacles, and a ‘Monsterfication Machine’. And ultimately she finds herself face to face with a real life Megamonster. There seems to be no escape – but for Larker, nothing is impossible…

David Walliams (Author), Anne Odeke, Aysha Kala, Frances De La Tour, Homer Todiwala, Jim Broadbent, Joanna Ruiz, Samantha Bond, Steve Pemberton, Wayne Forester (Narrator)

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The History Boys

After a sell-out national tour and an extended stage run, Alan Bennett’s phenomenally successful play transferred to BBC Radio 3, with Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison and Frances de la Tour starring as part of the National Theatre cast. At a boys’ grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright sixth-formers is getting out, starting university – and starting life. At the heart of The History Boys are four characters, each with contrasting outlooks on teaching and school: Hector, an eccentric English teacher with no interest in exams; Irwin, a young supply teacher who sees history as ‘entertainment’; Mrs Lintott, a traditionalist, who teaches ‘history, not histrionics’; and a Headmaster obsessed with results. Described as ‘the richest play Bennett has ever written’ (Financial Times), staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence collide in an intensely moving and thought-provoking play. Winner of the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and South Bank Show Awards for Best New Play. ‘A superb, life-enhancing play’ – Guardian.

Alan Bennett (Author), Clive Merrison, Frances De La Tour, Full Cast, Richard Griffiths (Narrator)

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