Audiobooks narrated by Pauline Letts

Life and Intrigue in Tudor Britain: A Collection of BBC Radio Historical Docu Dramas

Six gripping dramatised documentaries detailing the history of the turbulent Tudor period. Passion, power, sex and suspicious deaths – the Tudor story is one of drama and dysfunction, and it has kept us enthralled for over 400 years. In these six dramatised documentaries, we take a behind-the-scenes look at Tudor England and get to know the key characters we have grown to love and hate, such as Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. Compiled from contemporary sources by Alison Plowman and featuring first-hand accounts and letters, these thrilling, historically accurate retellings bring this tumultuous era to vivid life. The Most Unhappy Lady spans three critical years in the life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and later Queen of England. It begins in 1533, when her father divorces her mother and marries Anne Boleyn. Refusing to accept the validity of Henry’s actions, Mary finds herself facing danger and disgrace… In Elizabeth's Admiral, we follow the events which took place in the immediate aftermath of Henry VIII’s death in 1547 – events which led to the execution of the Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour and came near to seriously compromising the future of the 15-year-old Princess Elizabeth. The Killing at Kirk O’Field, set between March 1566 and June 1567, tells the tragic tale of the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary Queen of Scots: a crime that remains one of the most controversial 'whodunnits' of all time. Chance or Villainy? explores the mysterious death of Amy Robsart in 1560. Her husband, Lord Robert Dudley, was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and was rumoured to be having an affair with her – so when Amy was found dead at the foot of a staircase, it seemed that a serious crisis might ensue… In A Knot of Secret Might, we hear the ill-fated love story of Lady Katherine Grey, sister of the doomed ‘Nine-Day Queen’ Lady Jane Grey. And in The Great Enterprise, 1588, we are transported back to sixteenth-century Spain, as Philip II prepares to launch his ‘Invincible Armada’... Among the ensemble casts of these superb docu-dramas are Beryl Calder, Haydn Jones, Marjorie Westbury, Kathleen Helme, Patricia Leventon, Nerys Hughes and Roger Delgado. Credits Compiled from contemporary sources by Alison Plowden Special thanks to Keith Wickham for Archive material. The Most Unhappy Lady Produced by Joe Burroughs First broadcast BBC Home Service, 22 Dec 1964 Elizabeth’s Admiral (A Pattern of Tudors) Produced by Joe Burroughs First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 Apr 1968 The Killing at Kirk O’Field Produced by Alison Plowden First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 Sep 1969 Chance or Villainy? (A Pattern of Tudors) Produced by Joe Burroughs First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 Feb 1966 A Knot of Secret Might Produced by Richard Wortley First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 Oct 1970 The Great Enterprise, 1588 (A Pattern of Tudors) Produced by Joe Burroughs First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 Aug 1968 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Alison Plowden (Author), Beryl Calder, Frank Duncan, Full Cast, Haydn Jones, Jane Wenham, Kathleen Helme, Madi Hedd, Marjorie Westbury, Nerys Hughes, Nigel Lambert, Patricia Leventon, Pauline Letts, Richard Hurndall, Roger Delgado, Stephen Thorne (Narrator)

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Nancy Mitford: Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate & More: A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama collect

BBC Radio adaptations of Nancy Mitford's most famous novels and acclaimed biography of Madame de Pompadour plus bonus programmes The eldest of the notorious Mitford sisters, Nancy Mitford was renowned for her comic novels of upper-class life. An aristocrat and socialite, she mingled with the 'Bright Young Things' in interwar London, and went on to satirise their foibles in razor-sharp, wickedly funny prose. Collected here are adaptations of her two bestsellers, the semi-autobiographical The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate; her delightful biography of Louis XV's chief mistress; and a pair of fascinating programmes exploring her own unconventional life. The Pursuit of Love This bittersweet tale follows the fortunes of Fanny Logan and her eccentric aristocratic cousins, the Radletts, as they embark on disastrous love affairs and misconceived marriages while searching for Mr Right. Cast Lord Radlett - Rolf Lefebvre Lady Radlett - Joan Matheson Fanny - Susan Maudslay Linda - Jane Knowles Matt - Brian Hewlett Captain Davey Warbeck - Godfrey Kenton Emily - Joan Hart Tony Kroesig - Michael Spice Lord Merlin - John Rye Bessie - Olwen Griffiths Mrs Fletcher - Barbara Mitchell The Bolter - Cecile Chevreau Other parts played by Sion Probert, George Raistrick, Alan Rowe and William Sleigh. Adapted by Alan Melville. Produced by Norman Wright. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 February 1974 Love in a Cold Climate A glamorous invitation to a grand party at Hampton - home of the fantastically rich Montdores and their beautiful daughter Polly - brings Fanny into the world of 1920s high society: and in and out of love when the temperature drops... Amanda Root stars in this sparkling sequel to The Pursuit of Love. Cast Fanny - Amanda Root Lady Montdore - Barbara Jefford Polly - Teresa Gallagher Veronica - Jenny Howe Uncle Davey - Jon Strickland Aunt Emily - Patience Tomlinson Aunt Sadie - Tessa Worsley Uncle Matthew - Ioan Meredith Boy Dougdale - Stephen Critchlow Jassy - Sarah-Jane Holm Victoria - Tilly Gaunt Cedric - William Hope Alfred - Tom Beard Dramatised by Claire Luckham. Directed by Marion Nancarrow. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 May 1999 The King's Favourite Based on Mitford's Madame de Pompadour, this three-part drama vividly evokes the colourful atmosphere of 18th Century Versailles, and Louis XV's tempestuous relationship with his adored mistress, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour. Cast Narrator - Alan Melville Duc d'Orléans - Patrick Tull Madame de Ventadour - Katherine Parr Infanta Maria of Spain - Elizabeth Proud Louis XV (as a youth) - Nigel Anthony Duc de Bourbon - James Thomason The Queen - Pauline Letts Louis XV - Edward de Souza Lebel, concierge - Robin Browne Marquise de la Ferté - Margot Boyd Monsieur Poisson - Harold Kasket Madame d'Etioles - Moira Lister Monsieur d'Etioles - John Gabriel Lasmartre, a huntsman - David Timson Lady of the Court - Olwen Griffiths Produced by Norman Wright. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-24 December 1971 Dearest Evelyn, Darling Nancy Adapted from the witty correspondence of lifelong literary friends Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford, this entertaining, gossipy 'conversation in letters' stars Timothy West and Prunella Scales. Cast Evelyn Waugh - Timothy West Nancy Mitford - Prunella Scales Adapted by Alan Bell. Produced by Pete Atkin. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 1993 Greatest Lives - Nancy Mitford Grace Dent loves Nancy Mitford for her wit, and for the way in which she showed women that it was possible to live your life fully and unconventionally. Matthew Parris asks what it is about Nancy that so inspires Grace, with the aid of Mitford biographer Lisa Hilton. Produced by Beth O'Dea. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 January 2013 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Nancy Mitford (Author), Amanda Root, Edward De Souza, Elizabeth Proud, Full Cast, Jane Knowles, Pauline Letts, Prunella Scales, Teresa Gallagher, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Getting On: A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast production of one of the earliest plays by Alan Bennett The 1970s are a time of change, but Labour MP George Oliver feels stuck in one place: distrusting the 'mawkish mentality' of the young and fearing the encroaching life of the middle-aged, with little to look forward to but the imminent end of a not-very-interesting road. Ten years into his second marriage, he is world-weary and dissatisfied with his social position and the public he deals with on a regular basis ('He's a socialist, but he doesn't like people' observes his wife Polly). In his self-absorption, he cannot see that his wife is having an affair, his mother-in-law is dying and his friends and neighbours regard him as a joke. With his trademark wry observational humour, Alan Bennett renders his plight at once poignant and comic. This bittersweet drama won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy of 1971, and was described by the Sunday Times as 'a small jewel of bewilderment and regret'. Keith Barron stars as George in this radio adaptation, with a supporting cast including David Rintoul, Emily Richard and Margaret Courtenay

Alan Bennett (Author), Charles Simpson, David Rintoul, Emily Richard, Ian Targett, Keith Barron, Margaret Courtenay, Pauline Letts, Susan Sheridan (Narrator)

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Winslow Boy, The (Classic Radio Theatre)

'It is easy to do justice - very hard to do right.' When he is accused of stealing a five-shilling postal order, fourteen-year-old Ronnie Winslow is expelled from naval college. But his father believes his claim of innocence and, determined to clear his name, engages the most famous barrister in England to fight his case. It is up to Sir Robert Morton to take on the Establishment in order to 'let right be done'... Adapted as a famous British film starring Robert Donat, The Winslow Boy is a moving story about fairness and fighting for a principle. This gripping BBC Radio adaptation from 1981 features a distinguished cast including Michael Aldridge, Pauline Letts, Sarah Badel and Michael Maloney.

Terrence Rattigan (Author), Full Cast, Michael Aldridge, Michael Maloney, Pauline Letts, Sarah Badel (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Pauline Letts