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The Leopard in Autumn
The Leopard in Autumn
Nov 23, 2024 6:28 PM

Author:Neal Anthony,Roger Danes,Sue Limb,David Swift,Sian Phillips,Graham Crowden,Paul Bigley,Saskia Wickham,Nick Romero,Christopher Kelham,Kim Wall,Full Cast

The Leopard in Autumn

Comedy about the ruling family of Renaissance Italy's most inconsequential city-state

In Monte Guano, a ridiculously small and penniless principality in Renaissance Italy, Prince Ludovico II finds his rule constantly undermined by those around him: his shrewd wife, his official mistress, and his three disappointing - if not outright humiliating - sons.

As well as having to manage the ever-increasing tributes demanded by the Pope, Prince Ludovico must also contend with feeble conscripts in search of war booty, getting on the pilgrim map, fake currency, religious battles, and worst of all, English tourists. Can they keep their family together despite the chaos of their lives?

Perfect for fans of Blackadder and The Castle, the brilliant comedy cast includes David Swift as Ludovico, Sian Phillips as Plethora, Graham Crowden as Francesco and Paul Bigley as Alessandro, as well as Saskia Wickham, Nick Romero, Christopher Kelham and Kim Wall.

Production credits

Devised by Neal Anthony

Written by Neal Anthony, Roger Danes and Sue Limb

Produced by Helen Williams and Dawn Ellis

Cast

Ludovico - David Swift

Plethora - Sian Phillips

Francesco - Graham Crowden

Alessandro - Paul Bigley

Rosalie - Saskia Wickham

Salvatore - Nick Romero

Guido - Christopher Kelham

Brother Michael/Father Ignazio - Kim Wall

Lord Luton - Nicholas Grace

Series 1 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2001

Series 2 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2002

©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

The book makes for a quirky, fascinating read. Davison excels in evoking English landscapes, especially in Vaughan Williams's beloved fen country

—— Christopher Hart , The Sunday Times

The Captain's Apprentice explores a more profound and complex seam of folk discovery, and concentrates on a single life-changing episode in Vaughan Williams' life... [it is] well written and researched

—— Ian Thomson , Financial Times

Animated, entertaining . . . quietly sensitive to ironies and ambiguities without being pretentious, presenting a richly complex picture of a subject that can all too easily be shrouded in a sentimental haze

—— Daily Telegraph

Davison's evocative, far from linear approach does great service to the composer

—— Literary Review

A sadistic murder and the staggering words of a song drive Davison's obsession to unravel this vivid story of lives, landscapes and musical inspiration. No stone is left unturned in the meticulous gathering. Her gift is a work of love and infinite care

—— Keggie Carew, Costa Award-winning author of DADLAND

This is a hugely intriguing, sensitively woven and at times unexpectedly moving book. What begins as an investigation into one English folk song and one twentieth-century English composer's interaction with it spirals outwards into a galaxy of related tales, discoveries, insights and surprises. It is written from the heart, an elegy to lost landscapes, to nearly forgotten communities and their cultural legacies, relived and newly honoured in the pages of this thoroughly absorbing book

—— Howard Goodall, author of THE STORY OF MUSIC

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and its weaving of biography, social history and folk song

—— Steve Roud, author of FOLK SONG IN ENGLAND

With Malibu Rising - a novel as redolent of California dreamin' as a Lana del Rey track - Jenkins Reid has lost none of her touch ... A stroke of genius ... Imagine Blue Water High and Selling Sunset had a lovechild, or Jackie Collins rewrote The O.C. , then combine these ingredients with warm, propulsive storytelling, and you'll get an inkling of this family saga's escapist magic ... Immersive and relaxing, as every great beach read should be.

—— Evening Standard

When the party starts, it's celebrity mayhem but the heart of the book is family, love and loyalty. I adored everything about this punchy and incisive take on fame and its consequences, from the sympathetic characters to the salty surf atmosphere.

—— Daily Mail

Think Selling Sunset with knobs on as Taylor Jenkins Reid again plunges us into the intoxicating, heat-heavy realm of intrigue of Malibu, this time amidst the world of the filthy rich.

—— 2021 look ahead , BBC News

Perfect pure escapism.

—— Simon Savidge

A beautifully touching and thought provoking novel interspersed with Jenkins Reid's trademark wit and humour.

—— Essential Marbella Magazine

Malibu Rising is as much an impressionistic whirl of neon sunsets, acid-wash denim and high-cut bikinis as it is a grand set piece about a glamorous party ... Jenkins Reid has an easy, breezy style that serves melodrama on a daring scale . . . Never has so much sex, tragedy, celebrity and tanned skin been crammed into one thinking person's beach read. It's 365 pages of pure exhilaration.

—— The Times

Perfect for whatever holiday you hopefully get to take this summer.

—— Irish Independent

A riveting, propulsive bookwith characters that stayed with me, not because they are complicated but because they are so vivid ... Full of warmth and tenderness ... Deliciously escapist, conjuring the sun and the sand.

—— i paper

A gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that delves into the glamour and desperate hope of 1980s Malibu.

—— The Skinny

Fast-paced and addictive, Reid's vivid world-building provides the ultimate in summer escapism. With touches of 1980s glamour and scandal, Malibu Rising is another thrilling read from a talented writer, sure to delight old fans, as well as winning her new ones.

—— Independent

Perfectly evoking the sun-drenched and debauched backdrop that made Daisy Jones and The Six so immersive ... Addictive and fun, it's an essential addition to your summer reading list.

—— Stylist

Hot off the success of the immensely enjoyable 1970s band story Daisy Jones & The Six comes Taylor Jenkins Reid's latest, a superfun foray into the 1980s ... Delicious.

—— Sunday Telegraph, Novel of the Week

Simmering with sexual tension, this hugely enjoyable ensemble narrative turns on a raucous party.

—— Mail on Sunday

Malibu Rising is finely crafted commercial fiction, escapism in high definition, a quintessential beach read... If Nina Riva's party is the hottest ticket of the summer, then Malibu Rising is a front-row seat at the main event.

—— Irish Times

A gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that delves into the glamour and desperate hope of 1980s Malibu, and the saga of a family that will never be the same again.

—— The Skinny

The perfect summer novel, a vibrant story filled with sun, surfing, and flawed but lovable characters.

—— Daily Beast

After a year where most people stayed home, it's a great time to escape to the beach, even if only through Reid's writing.

—— Independent

This glamourous, compulsive novel is best enjoyed from your sun lounger with a cocktail in hand.

—— Good Housekeeping

A deliciously decadent tale of sex, tragedy, celebrity, surfboards and tanned skin in 1980s Malibu.

—— The Times

I absolutely loved her book.... It's an absolute blast to read

—— Alice- Azania Jarvis

JACKIE COLLINS, BUT BETTER Sacrilege to say "better", I know, but there we are. Set in the 1980s, Taylor Jenkins Reid's Malibu Rising is wonderfully written, intensely evocative and concerns the model/ surfer children of a rock star. Tons of glamour, tons of sharply observed insights about sibling relationships, plus a massive party. Beach read par excellence. See also her brilliant Daisy Jones & the Six, which is heaven (more rock stars).

—— Anonymous

When we picked up Malibu Rising, the new novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, we could barely put it down

—— That's Life

You'll never want this book to end, it will suck you in and spit you out!

—— Muddy Stilettos
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