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To subscribe to a personalised Edith Wharton: A BBC Radio Drama Collection podcast, starting today with The House of MirthMadame de TreymesThe ReefThe Age of InnocenceThe Custom of the CountryEthan FromeAfterwardThe Maid's BellThe Shadow of a Doubt and with a new episode every four weeks every three weeks every two weeks every ten days every seven days every six days every five days every four days every three days every two days every day all episodes at once , use the following URL:

https://fourble.co.uk/edithwharton-240509-7.rss

A collection of BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations, bringing together Edith Wharton's most popular and best-loved works, including the following novels:


The House of Mirth
Lily Bart, a well-born but impoverished woman belongs to New York City's high society at the end of the 19th century. She is reaching her 29th year, an age when her youthful blush is drawing to a close and her marital prospects are becoming ever more limited. The House of Mirth traces Lily's slow two-year social descent from privilege to a tragically lonely existence on the margins of society.
Lily Bart: Carole Mowlam
Lawrence Selden: Keith Alexander
Simon Rosedale: Alexander John
Mrs Bertha Dorset: Anne-Marie Davies
Judy Trenor: Roberta Hamond
Mr Hudson Bart: Barry Dennen
Mrs Hudson Bart: Jennie Lee
Poleworth: Haydn Andrews
Percy Gryce: Arril Johnson
Adapted by Eileen Cullen.
Director: Brian Miller.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1990


Madame de Treymes
John Durham's fight for the woman he loves sparks a confrontation with a powerful and devious French family.
Christiane de Treymes ...... Anna Massey
John Durham ...... Philip Voss
Narrator ...... Valerie Sarruf
Fanny ...... Gwen Humble
Mrs Humble ...... Auriol Smith
Nanny ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Katey ...... Tara Dominick
Bessie Boykin ...... Elizabeth Kelly
Elmer Boykin ...... James Greene
Dramatised by John Peacock.
Director: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1990.


The Reef
An unexpected obstacle sparks a beguiling adventure for diplomat George Darrow, who is determined to give Sophie a few days of happiness in Paris to compensate for her dreary prospects.
Ben Miles as George Darrow
Jodhi May as Sophie
Julian Ovenden as Owen
Teresa Gallagher as Anna
and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2005.


The Custom of the Country
The play follows the beautiful Undine Spragg as she arrives in New York and sets her sights on Ralph Marvell, but then travels to Paris where she meets a charming French aristocrat. Will Undine ever find real happiness?
Rebecca Night as Undine Spragg
Barbara Barnes as Mrs Spragg
Also starring Lorelei King, Jonathan Keeble, William Houston, Lucy Gaskell, Paul McCleary, Provence Maydew, Tom Hollander, Dan Stevens, Tessa Nicholson, Olwen May, Joseph Kloska and Daniel Rogers.
Dramatised by Jane Rogers
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.


The Age of Innocence
Recently engaged Newland Archer is drawn to his fiancee's cousin, the exotic, independent Countess Ellen Olenska.
Newland Archer ...... Ryan McCluskey
Ellen Olenska ...... Susan Lynch
May Welland ...... Kellie Bright
Catherine Mingott ...... Eleanor Bron
Augusta Welland ...... Lorelei King
Adeline Archer ...... Barbara Barnes
Janey Archer ...... Sarah Goldberg
Sillerton Jackson/Henry Van Der Luyden ...... Kerry Shale
Julius Beaufort ...... Conrad Nelson
Lawrence Lefferts ...... Martin T Sherman
Medora Manson ...... Margaret Robertson
Ned Winsett ...... John Guerassio.
Dramatised by Jane Rogers
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2008.


Ethan Frome
Set against the cold, grey, bleakness of a New England winter. Ethan Frome scrapes a living from his woodlot whilst trapped in an unhappy marriage with his hypochondriac wife, Zeena. A ray of light enters Ethan's life when his wife's cousin Mattie arrives.
Dominic Mafham as Ethan Frome
Jessica Raine as Mattie
Laurle Lefkow as Zeena
Christopher Webster as Denis Eady
Adjoa Andoh as the Post Mistress
Paul Moriaty as Andrew Hale
Fenella Woolgar as Edith Wharton.
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2012.


Afterward
After an unexpected windfall on their American mine, Ned and Mary move to a dream home in England, but their past is catching up with them...
Edith Wharton..............Buffy Davis
Alida................................Carolyn Jones
Ned.................................John Guerrasio
Mary..............................Barbara Barnes
Parvis............................Sean Baker
Trimmle......................Rachel Atkins
Peters..........................Christopher Scott
Robert Elwell.............Alex Lowe
Dramatised by Christopher Hawes

Producer: Marion Nancarrow
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1997



The Maid's Bell
A maid takes a job with a kind but sad mistress who suffers from a weak heart, a cruel and tyrannical husband, and the presence of a stubborn ghost...
Hartley the Maid ...... Dixi Seatle
Laura Brimpton ...... Chapelle Jaffe
Mr Wace ...... Hugh Webster
Agnes ...... Wendy Thatcher
Mrs Blinder ...... Marian Waldman
Mr Brimpton ...... Richard Donat
Mr Ranford ...... John Douglas
Directed in Toronto by William Lane.
Dramatised by John Douglas
Producer: Bill Howell.
First broadcast on CBC Canada in 1982


The Shadow of a Doubt
Kate, a former nurse, has recently married above her class to John Derwent, whose first wife Kate had nursed following an horrific accident. But others are suspicious of Kate's social ascent. And others have knowledge that could destroy her.
Kate Derwent.....Phoebe Fox
John Derwent.....Paul Ready
Sylvia Derwent.....Rosie Boore
Lord Osterleigh.....David Horovitch
Lady Uske.....Francesca Annis
Dr Carruthers.....Don Gilet
Clodagh Nevil.....Alexandra Constantinidi
Bobby Mazaret.....Cameron Percival
Footman.....Lewis Bray
Mrs Fullerton.....Emma Handy
Long before she achieved fame with her novel, 'The Age of Innocence', Edith Wharton had written a number of plays. But they were all believed lost until two academics, Laura Rattray and Mary Chinery, discovered the complete manuscript of 'The Shadow of a Doubt' in 2017.
Adapted for radio by Melissa Murray
Directed by Emma Harding
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2020.

1. The House of Mirth (245.2Mb)
2. Madame de Treymes (49.7Mb)
3. The Reef (126.4Mb)
4. The Age of Innocence (104.4Mb)
5. The Custom of the Country (156Mb)
6. Ethan Frome (62.5Mb)
7. Afterward (18.7Mb)
8. The Maid's Bell (25Mb)
9. The Shadow of a Doubt (79.3Mb)

MP3 files hosted by archive.org.