Author:William Shakespeare,Nicholas Farrell,David Harewood,Frances Barber,Stella Gonet,Samuel West,Gerard Murphy,Susannah York,Full Cast
Three full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's most famous Roman plays
Featuring all-star casts and introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these three iconic productions of Shakespeare's dynamic Roman histories are full of political intrigue, passion and tragedy.
Julius Caesar
This updated version of Shakespeare's classic play is set in Italy in 1925. Julius Caesar, a new Roman dictator, has swept to power, and his way is clear to assume total control - unless a coup by Cassius and Brutus can alter the tide of history. Nicholas Farrell stars as Brutus and Gerard Murphy as Julius Caesar.
Coriolanus
When Rome's greatest hero, the warrior Coriolanus, divides the people and the patricians through his arrogance, he is driven into exile. Samuel West stars as Coriolanus, with Susannah York as Volumnia.
Antony and Cleopatra
Shakespeare's last great tragedy is an action epic set against the political backdrop of the Roman Empire and the centre of Egyptian culture, Alexandria. But at the heart of the play is the story of what happens when two people fall in love. Starring Frances Barber as Cleopatraand David Harewood as Mark Antony.
Jones's trademark warmth and humour suffuse the novel with comedy and pathos, making for a heart-warming, entertaining and, at times, deeply moving story
—— The ObserverA poignant novel about friendship and forgiveness . . . with fantastic characterisation, as you'd expect from the co-creator of Gavin & Stacey, it's an epic journey
—— Woman & HomeUs Three is a warm, smart, uplifting tale of true friendship. I loved Lana, Catrin and Judith - I was genuinely sad to leave them when I turned the final page.
—— Beth O'Leary, bestselling author of THE FLATSHAREA touching celebration of the beauty and endurance of female friendship. There is nothing mightier. Fact.
—— Dawn FrenchThis novel oozes warmth and honesty. A big-hearted book that provides a cast of characters you'll lose your heart to.
—— Adele ParksThis moving story of three Welsh friends-for-life . . . balances warmth and humour with bleakness and despair. Another winner for Gavin and Stacey star Jones
—— Daily MailA funny, moving and uplifting novel
—— The SunA funny and warm tale of friendship
—— Evening StandardI loved spending time immersed in Catrin, Judith and Lana's lives . . . A contender for my Books of the Year list
—— PrimaA wonderfully warm, funny, totally engrossing and unputdownable novel about friendship. A gorgeous treat.
—— Kate Eberlen, bestselling author of MISS YOUI loved this brilliantly gripping depiction of the complexities of female friendship over the years. Love, betrayal, comedy and loss - Us Three has it all.
—— Fiona NeillWarm, poignant
—— SagaWarm-hearted
—— Good HousekeepingA warm and witty tale of friendship.
—— Daily MirrorA heart-warming, entertaining and, at times, deeply moving story.
—— ObserverMoving and funny . . . Jones' unique voice is evident from the first sentence, with her infamous colloquial dialect and warm characters.
—— My WeeklyWe couldn't turn the pages fast enough on this brilliant book.
—— CloserRuth Jones tells her well-crafted characters' experiences, both hilarious and heartbreaking, with compassion and sensitivity, making for a warm and witty story of enduring friendship.
—— Daily ExpressRaw, powerful storytelling that tackles race, religion, addiction and grief in a thoughtful way
—— Good HousekeepingWith deft agility and undeniable artistry, Gyasi's latest is an eloquent examination of resilient survival
—— BooklistThe Ghanaian-American has become a firm literary favour...Transcendent Kingdom is sure to cement her spot further
—— StylistMeticulous, psychologically complex ... At once a vivid evocation of the immigrant experience and a sharp delineation of an individual's inner struggle, the novel brilliantly succeeds on both counts
Transcendent Kingdom is quiet in the way a wise soul will sit in the corner, clear their throat and when they speak, everyone listens...Transcendent Kingdom is a book always asking this question: how did we get here?
—— Bad Form ReviewThe range Gyasi displays in just two books is staggering
—— USA TodayRemarkable, a devastating account of America . . . explores horror without ever losing sight of humanity or hope
—— Sunday Times on 'Homegoing'A stirringly gifted writer. It's impossible not to admire the ambition and scope of Homegoing
—— New York TimesIf you want to know why the world is this way, try this book for starters
—— Naomi Alderman, author of The PowerI need a book like this to remember what is possible
—— Ta-Nehisi Coates on 'Homegoing'Beautifully written . . . a raw look at the personal destruction caused by the opioid crisis
—— ScotsmanA poignant story of family love, loss and ambition
—— Radio TimesYaa Gyasi's writing is shining even as the tangled traumas of the past come to the surface
—— Sainsbury's Magazine'Yaa's depiction of these illnesses; substance addiction and depression and the family's deep-rooted tangled traumas, is skilful . . . Transcendent Kingdom is a story of love, loss and redemption, and holds a mirror up to one version of the first-generation immigrant experience that will sadly seem familiar to many of us
—— Melan MagThis is a captivating, spellbinding evocation of how your nearest and not-so-dearest can wreak emotional havoc.
—— PsychologiesGlitteringly good.
—— Kerry Fowler , Sainsbury’s MagazineThe Green Road has been receiving glowing reviews and it's easy to see why. The story, set over four decades, gives us deep insights into the five main characters, all of whom tell us something about ourselves as Irish people, and all of whom you are sorry to leave as a reader.
—— Edel Coffey , Irish IndependentEnright is the most extraordinary writer – her style is simple and honest, no gimmicks, just straight to the heart.
—— Victoria Hislop , Sainsbury’s MagazineA powerful evocation of leaving and returning home.
—— Ruth Scurr , Financial TimesMasterful.
—— Fiona Wilson , The TimesWatch out for it come Man Booker time.
—— Sunday TimesEnright captures beautifully the tensions of…forced festive gatherings, the sibling rivalry and the maternal melancholy of a woman who does not understand her feelings towards her own children.
—— Good Book GuideRichly and sensuously realised, it’s vivid with the particularity of places and people and bruisingly intelligent.
—— Tessa Hadley , GuardianEnright shows real insight and perception when it comes to family relationships. It’s a well-structured and well-paced narrative.
—— Mandy Jenkinson , NudgeWritten with raw and brutal honesty, this is one to savour.
—— Justine Carbery , Irish IndependentEnright’s writing is sharp and lucid and full of beautiful phrases and descriptions.
—— Reading MattersI love Enright’s style and the spidering out of the siblings’ lives.
—— Claire Skinner , Daily ExpressThere is beauty and darkness, hypocrisy and humility; it wouldn’t be an Irish novel without them.
—— Sarah Churchwell , New StatesmanThe Green Road, about one Irish family, confronts all that is essential: love, death, mothers and our own flawed selves. It is written with a kind of tenderness, beauty and insight that transmogrifies humdrum experience into the epiphanic and back again.
—— Arifa Akbar , IndependentBlisteringly funny and keenly perceptive.
—— Peter Kemp , Sunday TimesDeeply affecting, crackling with wit, and consistently magnificent.
—— Stephanie Cross , Daily MailA globe-trotting, kaleidoscopic portrait of Irish siblings and their difficult mother.
—— Justine Jordan , GuardianA magnificent novel about family and belonging told in stark yet sparkling prose.
—— StylistA fierce, funny, loosely woven family saga.
—— Alex Preston , Observer[A] darkly glinting novel of family life.
—— Ruth Scurr , The SpectatorA bravura example of shifting voices and perspectives, all of which benefit from Enright’s splendid prose and careful restraint.
—— Sarah Churchwell , New StatesmanEnright dissects [her character’s] foibles with warmth, wit and a bracing lack of sentimentality.
—— Simon Kuper , Financial TimesA book you don’t put down until it is finished, dragging you right into the heart of another Irish family as only Anne Enright can.
—— Keelin Shanley , Irish TimesA family saga, beginning with intense and beautifully detailed character studies.
—— Mark O'Halloran , Irish TimesI... enjoyed The Green Road for the dialogue, the clever narrative structure, and the gnarled, contemporary sense of family values.
—— Paul Durcan , Irish TimesI could not put it down. Chapter two is a masterpiece.
—— Edna O'Brien , Irish TimesStylish prose that charts the fortunes and misfortunes of this family over a period of 25 years.
—— Anne O'Neill , Irish TimesIn this brilliant, captivating novel, the poised, impossible and always disappointed matriarch Rosaleen Madigan makes life difficult for her children at a Christmas gathering.
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Sunday ExpressFew Novelists pick apart domestic relationships with the poetry and precision of Anne Enright.
—— Claire Allfree , MetroSharp yet oh so subtle storytelling […] this is an author at the height of her formidable powers.
—— Stephen Meyler , RTE GuideAn exquisitely written portrait of a family, and a country, on the cusp of enormous change.
—— Paul Nolan , Hot PressExquisitely written and hugely enjoyable.
—— NationalA brilliant approach to the sadness of a disconnected family, who are like satellites out of sync.
—— Anthony Cummins , Sunday TelegraphEnright’s virtuosic tale of an Irish family- the Madigans- across continents and decades withholds closure but doesn’t skimp on pleasure
—— five stars , Daily TelegraphA compelling novel, full of astute observations, beautifully written, sometimes stark and other times aching with longing
—— Collette Sheridan , Irish ExaminerThe sweep of the book and Anne Enright's way fo pulling this global migratuon story together with such energy and detail puts her in somewhere beside Toni Morrison
—— Independent, IrelandHeart-wrenching novel… The surgical precision of Enright’s writing makes you feel that she can, in Wordsworth’s words, “see into the life of things”. There is a singing simplicity to it that tugs at your heart…A masterly work.
—— Christina Patterson , Sunday TimesBeautifully observed. Enright is a great writer.
—— William Leith , Evening StandardBold and brilliant.
—— The WeekIncredible… I’m totally captivated.
—— Annie Mac , The Sunday TimesAn evocative story about family ties and belonging.
—— Western Morning NewsA brilliant read.
—— Western Morning NewsA story of fracture and family, selfishness and compassion.
—— SheerLuxe.comSharply funny portrait of an Irish family meeting for a final Christmas.
—— MetroWithin pages I was wrapped in the warmth of Enright’s prose… This is a beautiful book… Enright is unquestionably a fantastic writer who, for me with this novel, conjured up the world of a family with all its highs and lows that felt like they might be having this reunion down the end of your road… Enright does two of my favourite things in fiction. She makes the ordinary, and everything we take for granted, seem extra ordinary. She also gives voices to those who have not been able to share their tales… The writing is stunning.
—— Simon Savidge , Savidge ReadsAn evocative story about family ties and belonging. Anne Enright is deservedly a well-respected writer.
—— Western Morning NewsEnright's novels are fantastically well-crafted, eloquent and funny… Each character is beautifully realized… She finds unexpected adjectives, brilliantly exact description, the spot-on emotion. Her writing is lyrical but always unsentimental. There is pleasure in reading every paragraph, and an enormous wisdom throughout the pages.
—— MumsnetTruly wonderful… The dialogue is particularly brilliant… It completely envelops you in the story and will leave you wanting more.
—— Belfast Telegraph MorningWonderful… The dialogue is particularly brilliant, capturing all the barbed snappiness of dinner with siblings.
—— HeraldI fell headfirst into the beautifully written prose of this novel, so authentic and charming in its telling of one Irish family over more than two decades. Each vibrant character gets a turn in almost short stories of their own that feel almost like entities in their own right. I adored it.
—— Cathy Levy , Red OnlineA resonant, masterly work.
—— Sunday Times[An] exceptional novel.
—— David Nicholls , GuardianThis is a flawless book, it’s utterly flawless… It has just touched so many other readers. This book is heartbreaking… A beautiful examination of unhappy families… The power of Anne’s writing is you all see a reflection of your own family…it’s tender and it’s beautiful and deserves to be widely read.
—— Victoria SadlerEnright is undoubtedly one of our most prominent novelists
—— Elif Shafak , WeekA delicious page-turner
—— New ScientistA gripping novel with a satisfying conclusion
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Daily MirrorThe Testamnets is a cracking sequel to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and a timely warning about the lengths to which a patriarchal culture will go to control female sexuality
—— Alison Flood , Sunday TelegraphA superb and suspenseful expose of misogyny and the moral ambiguity at the heart of a fanatical regime
—— Martin Chilton, Olivia Petter and Ceri Radford , Independent, *Books of the Decade*[A] rare combination of a rollicking thriller with major political nous told one of our greatest living writers. Essential
—— Den of Geek, *Books of the Year*An era-defining masterpiece
—— Waterstones.comThe Testaments… lived up to the hype
—— Anne Carter , Daily Express, *Books of the Year*Superbly written and masterfully constructs the regime of Gilead more than its predecessor was able to
—— Will Evans , ExeposeThe extraordinary Margaret Atwood... she's fabulous'
—— Hillary Clinton , Stylist[A] compelling story
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailAtwood's sequel shines with all the acuity and brilliance of the original, whilst continuing the story with flair and modern insight
—— Alice Manning , NouseThere is no language I could use to express the emotion and beauty behind Margaret Atwood's words. Her work takes you on a journey of emotion - whether you are ready to fight, be kind, be vulnerable, stay strong or simply be, she takes you there
—— Elisabeth MossThrilling, a meditation on courage which asks us to consider what our own response might be were we forced to choose between meek complicity and rebellion at risk of death
—— Madeleine Davies, Church TimesShe's taken our times and made us wise to them
—— Ali SmithInspiring and deeply disturbing
—— Nicola Sturgeon