The Antisocial Behaviour Of Horace Rumpole [John Mortimer]

John Mortimer's two part BBC Radio 4 Rumpole story brings us the magician of the Old Bailey at his implacable best as he defends our ancient freedoms, while remaining uneasy about exactly what Hilda is up to in her continuing friendship with a high court judge.

Episodes

EpisodeTitleFirst
Broadcast
RepeatedComments
01Rumpole On Trial2008052820130302 (BBC7)
20130303 (BBC7)
20110603 (R4)
The magician of the Old Bailey at his implacable best defending our ancient freedoms.

John Mortimer's two part Radio 4 Rumpole story brings us the magician of the Old Bailey at his implacable best as he defends our ancient freedoms, while remaining uneasy about exactly what his wife Hilda is up to in her continuing friendship with a high court judge

ASBOs may be the pride and joy of new Labour, but they don't cut much ice with Horace Rumpole; he takes the old fashioned view that if anyone is going to be threatened with a restriction of their liberty then some form of meaningful legal procedure ought to be put in place.

Not that Hilda agrees of course, but she's too busy completing her memoirs and planning a radical new career to dissuade him from taking an interest when one of the Timson children is given an ASBO for playing football in the street. And if that wasn't enough, Rumpole's colleagues have voiced some rather prudish objections to the small cigars and glasses of red wine he enjoys in his room in Chambers. They may even slap an ASBO on him, which won't help his cause of being appointed a QC at long last!

Soapy Sam' Ballard - Michael Cochrane

Prosecutor Parkes - Roger May

Madam Chair of Magistrates - Jillie Mears

Lars Bergman - Matthew Morgan

Judge Bullingham - David Shaw-Parker

Fig Newton - Geoffrey Whitehead

Producer/Director: Marilyn Imrie

Rumpole is uneasy about Hilda's continuing friendship with a high court judge.

02 LASTGoing For Silk2008052920130309 (BBC7)
20130310 (BBC7)
20110610 (R4)
Rumpole has successfully rebutted his colleagues attempts to quash his ebullient lifestyle with an ASBO, and now turns his attention back to the continuing case against young Bertie Timson whose sole 'crime' seems to be playing football in the street. Why are the residents pursuing their case against the boy quite so strongly? Could they have more sinister reasons for wanting him off their street? And could it be connected in any way to the lonely death of a prostitute across town, in which the prime suspect is a hapless young bachelor protesting his innocence; a call to arms Rumpole can scarcely ignore?

Police Doctor - Roger May

Anna McKinnon - Jillie Mears

Prosecutor Noakes - Matthew Morgan

Detective Inspector Belfrage - David Shaw-Parker

Judge Barnes - Geoffrey Whitehead

Director: Marilyn Imrie

Rumpole hopes to become a QC, whilst defending a young man on a charge of murder.

Having narrowly avoided an ASBO himself, Rumpole is hoping to become a QC at last.

The magician of the Old Bailey at his implacable best defending our ancient freedoms