East Lynne

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

By: Mrs Henry Wood, Henry Bakewell - dramatist

Narrated by: David Collings, full cast, Moir Leslie, Rosemary Leach

A seven-part BBC radio dramatisation of Mrs Henry Wood’s sensational Victorian bestseller, suffused with infidelity and double identities

Lord Mount Severn's country seat, East Lynne, is magnificent – but its owner is penniless, and when the noble lord dies suddenly, his daughter is left destitute. To avoid misery and humiliation, Lady Isabel accepts a proposal of marriage from Mr Carlyle, the new owner of the estate. However, she soon finds herself battling with two strong emotions: her jealousy of her husband’s friend Barbara Hare, and her attraction to the handsome Captain Levison.

Suspecting Carlyle of infidelity, she takes drastic action and leaves her husband and children to run away with Levison – only to realise he has no intention of marrying her. No sooner has Lady Isabel been betrayed by her wicked suitor than she is left unrecognisably disfigured by a terrible train crash. With her life in ruins, she adopts a new name and heads back to the place she once called home – East Lynne…

Adapted by Michael Bakewell, this much-loved melodrama stars Rosemary Leach as Mrs Henry Wood, Moir Leslie as Lady Isabel, David Collings as Mr Carlyle and Anthony Edridge as Francis Levison.

Written by Mrs Henry Wood

Dramatised by Michael Bakewell

Directed by Richard Johnson

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 June-26 July 1987

©1987 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Maudlin, but superbly acted!

Everyone was great but this Victorian story with its preaching, is a bit out of date. I loved listening to the adorable boy, Ben Robb, who played William. I could have listened to him for hours. He also had the brightest and most honest lines in the play.

excellent

loved it. got lost on the.story as if I were there. Spent the whole day listening and I was happy that I did. Great story and performance.