Author:Anne Tyler,Lorelei King,Barbara Barnes,Nancy Crane,Nathan Osgood,Julianna Jennings,Tom Forrister,Full Cast
Captivating BBC radio adaptations of three of Anne Tyler’s bestselling novels
Award-winning author Anne Tyler is loved worldwide for her fiction exploring the intricacies of marriage and domesticity. These three acclaimed books, each set in Baltimore, describe the small triumphs and tragedies of everyday American family life, as relationships are made and broken, and families come together, drift apart, hurt and heal each other.
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant(Tracks 1 and 2)
Abandoned by her salesman husband, Pearl Tull attempts to keep her family together – but her anger and fierce maternal energy has damaging effects on her three children.
Ladder of Years (Tracks 3 and 4)
An unexpected romantic encounter in the grocery aisle is the beginning of a new adventure for homely Delia Grinstead, leading her to make a sudden, impulsive change in her life.
The Amateur Marriage (Tracks 5 and 6)
We follow the turbulent relationship of Michael and Pauline Anton over sixty years, from their whirlwind romance in 1941, to marriage, parenthood and beyond.
Multi-layered and universal, with details that ring sharply true and characters that are both recognisable and entertaining, these three dramatisations feature a distinguished cast including Barbara Barnes, Lorelei King and Nathan Osgood.
Dramatised by Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Produced and directed by David Hunter
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
Pearl...Barbara Barnes
Narrator...Lorelei King
Beck...Nathan Osgood
Young Cody...Max Baldry
Young Ezra...Richard Linnell
Young Jenny/Jane...Eloise Webb
Cody...Ben Crowe
Ezra...Simon Lee Phillips
Jenny...Fenella Woolgar
Josiah...Matthew Watson
Harley...David Seddon
Mrs Payson/Mrs Scarlatti...Joanna Brookes
Ruth...Amaka Okafor
Slevin...Will Howard
Joe/Driver...David Seddon
Priest/Driver/Dr Vincent...Paul Stonehouse
Teacher/Driver...Philippa Stanton
Mr Murphy...Sean Murray
The Ladder of Years
Delia...Nancy Crane
Adrian...Ian Conningham
Sam...Nathan Osgood
Eliza...Jessica Turner
Narrator/Woman...Barbara Barnes
Rosemary/Debbie/Mother/Binky...Rhiannon Neads
Skipper...David Acton
Carroll/Clerk...Sam Valentine
Driscoll/Ramsay/Vernon/Assistant...Mark Edel-Hunt
Susie...Roslyn Hill
Mr Maxwell/Nat...David Hounslow
Linda/Belle...Jane Slavin
Eliza...Jessica Turner
Eleanor...Carol MacReady
Mr Pomfret....Stephen Critchlow
Noah...Sean McCrystal
Joel...Sam Dale
Rick Rack/Telephone Voice...Jude Akuwudike
The Amateur Marriage
Pauline/Young Pauline...Julianna Jennings
Michael/George/Pagan...Tom Forrister
Narrator...Barbara Barnes
Mrs Anton...Pandora Colin
Wanda/Lindy/Gina...Sarah Ridgeway
Mrs Brunek/Mrs Serge/Mrs Barclay/Donna/Marilyn...Sanchia McCormack
Katie/Karen...Maeve Bluebell Wells
Mrs Golka/Destiny/Karen...Chetna Pandya
Mrs Kowalski/Anna/Katie...Georgie Glen
Officer/Policeman...John Bowler
John Piazy/Alex/Policeman/Becoming....Finlay Robertson
Eustace/Dun...David Sterne
Lindy...Kayla Gal
George/Pagan...Finn Monteath
Michael...Ian Porter
Cabbie...Nicholas Murchie
Pauline...Sara Stewart
Pagan...Noel Brooke
George...David Sturzaker
Lindy...Jane Slavin
Pauline...Sara Stewart
Gossipy, candid, funny, and, as Jarman’s illness takes hold, powerfully moving
—— Choice MagazinePresent on every page is the creative sparkle and compellingly generous spirit of a man who was in every way an uncompromising individual
—— The TimesIn these diaries... the artist and film director emerges as a down-to-earth visionary... this perceptive and enjoyable work is something of a miracle
—— IndependentFor all his anger, Jarman never seems brutalised. He retains his humanity and his good humour. His is a wonderfully garrulous, mercurial, polymathic daemon
—— Literary ReviewJarman [is] the sort of troublemaking visionary who one day may be compared with Blake
—— John Gill , Time OutThe funniest man in, well, pretty much all of the known universe
—— Los Angeles TimesA consistent intelligence underpins Izzard's whimsy
—— ChortleThe perfect present for music mums and dads
—— Daily MirrorFunny, enlightening, gossipy’
—— The HeraldSparks with admiration and grievances, lust and envy
—— Sunday TelegraphEngrossing
—— Mail on SundayThere have been many books about David Bowie ... but Dylan Jones's is among the best
—— ObserverThe definitive account of the great man’s life, in the words of those who knew him best … lively, funny and warm – and the story, even the well-known bits, still staggers and amazes. It’s a brilliant story, and it is tremendously well-told here
—— EsquireA magisterial compilation of startling insights
—— The OldieOne of the most colourful and intimate portraits yet painted of Bowie
—— VogueA vivid catalogue of anecdote, opinion, gossip and memoir
—— Telegraph MagazineThere is literally no better way to spend your time than by reading about the late, great, beautiful and brilliant David Bowie, brought to you by fellow superfan and GQ editor Dylan Jones
—— TatlerThis oral history is by far the best … It’s gossipy, fascinating stuff
—— The SunThe perfect accompaniment to roaring fires and languid winter evenings, this book
guarantees to see any man through the festive period
A must-have for Bowie fans
—— Daily MirrorRevelatory and surprising – perfect for the Ziggy completist
—— New York MagazineBeguiling … the fabulosity of Bowie’s life and times lends itself extraordinarily well
to the oral history form
An affectionate, sometimes surprising, always fascinating picture of a Star Man in the real world
—— STELLA magazineOf all the volumes to appear since Bowie’s death last year, this is perhaps the most useful
—— i paperA treat for enthusiasts […] it bulges with essential and telling Spinal Tappish gossip
—— GuardianAn intimate, detailed and gossip-spangled survey of the life of the great enigma
—— Strong Words magazineThere are sixty-two and a half million books written about David Bowie; this is the one that has been unanimously praised. Indeed, David Bowie: A life might be the only one that you really need.
—— Loud and Quiet MagazineYou can go to any page and read something really interesting. It’s the only book about another artist that I’ve really enjoyed.
—— Chris Difford , Daily Express