Author:Jane Austen,Lydia Wilson,Bryan Dick,Tom Mothersdale,Tala Gouveia,Janice Acquah,Full Cast
A captivating BBC radio dramatisation of Jane Austen's most overlooked novel
Sent away from her poverty-stricken parents in Portsmouth to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, nine-year-old Fanny Price is abruptly transplanted to a new, luxurious home: Mansfield Park. Overwhelmed by the grandeur of her surroundings, she feels out of place - and as she grows up, her spoiled cousins, Tom, Maria and Julia, never let her forget her humble beginnings. Only her cousin Edmund treats her with kindness, and the two become close companions.
But their lives are turned upside down when Sir Thomas goes away to visit his sugar plantation in the West Indies - and the charismatic Crawfords, Henry and Mary, arrive on the scene. Glamorous, attractive and flirtatious, they shake up the entire Bertram family - and leave Fanny grappling with emotions she's never felt before...
In Mansfield Park, Jane Austen gives us her subtlest and most unusual heroine: a displaced child, shaped by family and adversity, who becomes a quietly resolute young woman with an unshakeable moral code. This enthralling dramatisation focusses on the precariousness of Fanny's life - as a poor relation, unmarried, and living on an estate funded by sugar and slavery - and follows her as she navigates this high-stakes world with courage and conviction.
Production credits
Written by Jane Austen
Adapted by Clara Glynn
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane
Directed by Bruce Young
Fanny Price - Lydia Wilson
Edmund Bertram - Bryan Dick
Mary Crawford - Tala Gouveia
Henry Crawford - Tom Mothersdale
Mrs Norris/Mrs Grant - Janice Acquah
Lady Bertram - Madeleine Worrall
Tom Bertram/William Price - Joshua Riley
Sir Thomas - John Hollingworth
Mr Rushworth- Samuel Valentine
Maria Bertram - Faith Alabi
Julia Bertram - Hollie Burgess
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-17 July 2022
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Praise for Emily Bell
—— -A refreshing romance filled with holiday spirit and second chances. The descriptions of Dublin at Christmas time alone will leave you longing for your very own trip . . .
—— Woman & HomeCosy up with this fab festive read!
—— SunTremendous fun, with a big heart and gorgeous locations to get lost in - it's the perfect uplifting Christmas read, unashamedly romantic and beautifully written. Emily is this year's Queen of Christmas!
—— Veronica HenryThe perfect festive treat! I really enjoyed Emily Bell's believable, sympathetic characters and her sensitive and wise writing about friendship and bereavement which deliver richness and depth to a charming love story
Captures the magic of Christmas in Dublin perfectly! A heartfelt and irresistibly romantic read to cosy up with over the festive season
A heartbreaking and heartwarming read that deals sensitively with difficult issues
—— Woman's WeeklyA modern love story that's heartbreakingly tender & poignant. It kept me guessing & hoping until the last page. A fabulous read
—— Sophie Claire, author of A Winter’s DreamPraise for Rachel Marks
—— :Wise and wonderful. I adored it
—— Miranda Dickinson, Sunday Times bestselling authorRachel Marks packs a novel with all the emotions - hope, fear, love, despair and - ultimately - joy
—— Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity ProjectHeartbreaking, heartwarming, perfect
—— Rosie Goodwin, Sunday Times bestselling authorHeartbreaking and hopeful; this book is a keeper
—— Woman's WeeklyUnpredictable and satisfying
—— Heidi Swain, Sunday Times bestselling authorBeautifully uplifting and at times unexpected
—— OK!As tender and emotional as it is funny, it made me laugh out loud A LOT, and it made me sob
—— Cressida McLaughlin, bestselling author of The Cornish Cream Tea BusHeartbreaking, funny and emotive
—— SunA truly ambitious attempt to compare the way people in the East and the West dream . . . Delicate and subtly tantalising in the way only a book can really be
—— VogueIt is almost as if when everyone is flashing De Beers diamonds, Mishra traps the quiet luminescence of the moonstone in his theme and style
—— The HinduMishra's writing has a lovely potency . . . subtly layered and compelling
—— Times Literary SupplementImpressive . . . The Romantics turns its back on the exotic richness and the "teeming" panoramic quality which we readily assume to be expressive of Indianness itself
—— Sydney Morning HeraldA first novel whose achievement is something that most writers could be proud of at any stage in their careers
—— Vancouver SunAnother brilliant tale from best-selling author Jane Fallon
—— Hello!Brilliant
—— BellaPRAISE FOR JANE FALLON
—— - -Another Fallonesque treat. Full of heart, humour and humanity. She's so good at tapping into the best and the worst in us. Fabulous
—— RUTH JONESFunny, insightful, sharp, wicked, brilliant
—— MILLY JOHNSONIntelligent, edgy and witty
—— GlamourWe adore Jane Fallon's novels, and this witty page-turner could be her best yet
—— CloserIngenious. Her eye for detail, compressed emotion and the absurdity that lurks beneath what people say to each other, is unerring. One of our very finest comic novelists
—— Tortoise MediaI LOVE her books. She always delivers a fabaliss read
—— MARIAN KEYESA romcom with attitude
—— Mail on SundayJane Fallon is cool as f***
—— DAWN O'PORTERIngenious . . . This is one book you can't miss out on. Moriarty has an extraordinary talent. Thrilling
—— Female FirstThere is not a word wasted. I could not put it down
—— Today UK NewsThe ending is witty and satisfying, but comes with a dark twist. Apples Never Fall is another enjoyable offering full of intrigue, suspense and surprises, sure to delight
—— Press AssociationPraise for Liane Moriarty
—— -Wise, honest, beautifully observed. One of the few writers I'll drop anything for
—— Jojo MoyesStaggeringly brilliant, literally unputdownable
—— Sophie HannahKeeps you guessing until the very end - perfect summer read
—— Reese WitherspoonMoriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly
—— Sunday ExpressStraight-from-life characters, knife-sharp insight and almost unbearable suspense will have you racing through it
—— Good HousekeepingAs brilliantly accomplished as it is dark, twisty and compulsive
—— HeatA hell of a good book. Funny and scary
—— Stephen KingRiveting drama packed with suspense and secrets
—— Woman & HomeLike drinking a pink Cosmo laced with arsenic . . . a fun, engaging and sometimes disturbing read
—— USA TodayPerfect
—— HelloFascinating and compassionate
—— Daily TelegraphI loved every line of it
—— Louise CandlishFunny and captivating
—— CloserA cracking story cleverly told
—— FabulousIt would be easy to compare Straub to other masters of the genre like Meg Wolitzer or Jennifer Egan, but she's already a master in her own right
—— The MillionsEmma Straub is such a funny and brilliant writer and this time-travelling tale is a charming exploration of what it would be like to find yourself younger and surrounded by the people you love when they're still at the height of their power
—— StylistWise and often hilarious
—— BuzzfeedReaders will devour this witty and warmly satisfying novel
—— Publishers WeeklyA precise and observant writer whose supple prose carries the story along without a snag. Straub's characters are a quirky and interesting bunch . . . it's a pleasure spending time with them
—— Starred Review, KirkusDevilishly observed
—— Starred Review, BooklistSprinkled with humour and insight
—— Starred Review, Library JournalStraub is consistently excellent
—— Book Riot