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01Return-friends-improvements20190804First of two dramas bookending a reading of Adam Thorpe's classic historical novel.

Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

The first drama consists of three parts. We begin with Return (1650) and a shepherd, William, who looks back on the end of the English Civil War and the day his boyhood friend Gabby came back to Ulverton after five years away fighting for Cromwell. This episode is followed by two further chapters from the book - Friends (1689) in the form of a sermon from the Rev Brazier which features a fatal snowstorm, and Improvements (1712) in which a farmer charts the progress of his farm in his journal, while lamenting his own lack of a son and heir to pass it on to.

The novel will be read from Monday to Friday for the next two weeks, before a second drama on Saturday 17th August.

Cast:

WILLIAM: John Sackville,

ANNE: Emma Spurgin-Hussey,

GABBY: Tristan Sturrock

THOMAS WALTERS: Rory Wilton

FRIENDS:

REV BRAZIER: David Threlfall

FARMER PLUMM: Richard Goulding

Dramatised by Sara Davies

Music and Sound Design: Herbie Homer Warbeck and John Etchells

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

0220190805Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

~Ulverton House, 1743. Lady Chalmers is confined to her room in the weeks and months after the birth of her first child. Her letters reveal a turbulent state of longing.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Eleanor Tomlinson

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

0320190806Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

~Ulverton House, 1743. Lady Chalmers is confined to her room in the weeks and months after the birth of her first child. Her letters reveal a turbulent state of longing.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Eleanor Tomlinson

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

Multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

04Dissection (1775)20190807Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Dissection: In the year 1775 an illiterate mother dictates letters for her son who has moved away from Ulverton.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Clare Corbett

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

Multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

05Rise (1803)20190808Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

In Rise (1803), Samuel Daye recalls working for a master carpenter in the village of Ulverton.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by David Threlfall

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

Multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

06Deposition20190809Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

In Deposition, a clerk takes notes during a trial, but is distracted by thoughts of his betrothed.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Emma Spurgin Hussey, Rory Wilton, Tristan Sturrock

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

Multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

07Shutter (1859) 1-220190812Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Shutter (1859) Part 1 of 2:

A photographer captions her photographic plates, which stirs memories of the circumstances of each image.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Deborah Findlay

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

08Shutter (1859) 2-220190813Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Shutter, Part 2 of 2:

As the photographer continues to catalogue her photographic plates, we gain further insight into the past lives of Ulverton's villagers.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Deborah Findlay

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

09Stitches20190814Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Trevor Cooper

Abridged by Sara Davies and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

10Treasure (1914) 1-220190815Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Treasure, Part 1 of 2:

1914. Life goes on in Ulverton but the threat of war looms large.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Anton Lesser

Abridged by Isobel Creed and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

11Treasure (1914) 2-220190816Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of West Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

Treasure (1914), Part 2 of 2:

~Ulverton had more volunteers than any other village on the downs.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Read by Anton Lesser

Abridged by Isobel Creed and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

A multi-voice reading of Adam Thorpe's story of a fictional village from 1650 to 1988.

12Wing, Here, Expedition20190817Adam Thorpe's ground-breaking Ulverton was published in 1992. Although it was a first novel, the reviews heralded a 'masterpiece' (Peter Kemp, Sunday Times) and it was also celebrated in the American press - 'as encompassing a portrait of what it means to be British as I have ever read' (Seattle Times) and 'One of the great British fictional works of our time' (LA Times).

It's a novel which has long been celebrated for the way it employs all the lyrical agility of the English language as it evolved down the centuries to give us a narrative that is shaped by time and character and born of a particular landscape - the chalk downlands of west Berkshire. A succession of different voices offer brief glimpses of life in Ulverton at roughly a generation's interval.

A brilliant narrative of landscape and voices now concludes, first with a diary entry from 1953.

Written by Adam Thorpe

Wing - featuring Gillian Bevan

Here - featuring David Timson, Jack Flammiger, Tristan Sturrock, Ewan Bailey

Expedition - featuring Tessa Bell-Briggs

Dramatisation by Adam Thorpe and Jill Waters

Produced by Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4

Second of two dramas bookending a reading of Adam Thorpe's fictional historical novel.