Journey to the Centre of the Earth

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

By: Jules Verne

Narrated by: full cast, Stephen Critchlow, Joel MacCormack

A thrilling new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Jules Verne's classic novel.

'Descend, bold traveller into the crater of the Jokul of Snæfell, which the shadow of Scartaris touches before the kalends of July and you will attain the centre of the earth. Which I have done.'

Renowned professor Otto Lidenbrock discovers a mysterious runic cryptogram in a rare manuscript. His nephew, Axel, accidentally cracks the code, which is by a Sixteenth Century alchemist who claims to have found a pathway to the centre of the Earth! Lidenbrock decides he must see for himself if such a journey is possible, and with the reluctant Axel and their guide, Hans, the three venture into the heart of a dormant Icelandic volcano.

Shock and peril await at every turn, from a raft voyage across a subterranean sea - where they witness a battle between two prehistoric monsters - to a terrifying lightning storm that threatens to capsize them, and an expedition into the magma chamber of an active volcano filled with boiling lava. Will they ever make it back to the surface?

Full of action, surprise and discovery, this suspenseful dramatisation of Verne's ultimate adventure story stars Joel MacCormack and Stephen Critchlow.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Classic tale comes to life

I had never read Journey:TCE before. A wonderful tale full of adventure and 19th century flavor. The dramatization is of excellent quality, full of sound effects. It was easy to feel like a silent 4th member of the party, going down in​ to the bowels of the earth.

Phenomenal

Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of my favorite books, one that I've read multiple times; so hear it made the story even better. I was able to imagine myself going along the journey with them.

my favorite

I have finished this through at least 5 times now. the voice actors are wonderful. Very interactive

Exciting

This is a wonderful adaptation of one of Jules Verne’s most exciting tales. The script follows the book closely — with one small exception: an entertaining chase scene that makes perfect sense in context but does not occur in Verne’s original.

The production includes details that could have been overlooked by someone less in love with the novel. For example, the all-important chronometer: when Axel is separated from his companions and is lost in total darkness miles below the surface of the globe, a trick acoustic effect allows him to hear his uncle’s voice from a great distance away. How far? Nothing could be simpler. Professor Lidenbrock has a chronometer. He will call Axel’s name, Axel will repeat it, and they will measure how many seconds it takes to make the full circle. From that, they calculate that they are 4 miles apart — a great distance, but not too far to prevent Axel rejoining his uncle. (Since Axel narrates the story, this can’t really be considered a spoiler.)

In another part, the explorers build a raft to cross a vast underground sea. Axel keeps the “ship’s log,” which he narrates in the present tense. Using the present tense for this section is a small detail, but more than one translation of Verne has ignored it. It lends the sea voyage a powerful immediacy.

The music is great and the sound design is superb. If you like the novel, get this. I can practically guarantee you’ll enjoy it. Stars John MacCormack as Axel and Stephen Critchlow as Professor Lidenbrock.

They didn't screw up

the dramatization was executed perfectly. they surpassed the previous bbc dramatization of the same story. audio sfx, pacing, casting spot on

Great Book

This was very well scripted The background sounds made it more exciting.
It is well worth the price and time knots listening.
JerryMc

ok. lots of yelling.

it was ok.
there was a lot of yelling and they didnt always explain why..
it would have been better to listen to the full book.