Author:Hattie Naylor,Nigel Barrett,Matthew Gravelle,Kieran Hodgson,Ewan Bailey,Mia Soteriou,Joanna Scanlan,Full Cast
Kieran Hodgson stars as Pliny the Younger in Hattie Naylor’s engaging drama charting the fortunes of a household in Ancient Rome.
The Emperor Domitian has informers everywhere; no-one is safe. He rules Rome with a rod of iron, and is dangerously unstable and paranoid. In the snake-pit of Imperial Rome, all Pliny the Younger wants to do is get his letters ready for publication.
Except if he, his mother Marcella, their Greek cook Doris (who narrowly missed out on becoming the next Oracle at Delphi), and Venta, their slave with secretarial skills have any chance of surveying, they are going to have to negotiate a political minefield, keep their eyes peeled for spies and, most of all, not do anything to annoy the Emperor.
Easier said than done.
Cast and credits
Pliny the Younger………………..Kieran Hodgson
Venta………………………………..Nigel Barrett
Marcella……………………………Joanna Scanlan
Doris the Cook…………………Mia Soteriou
Regulus……………………….Matthew Gravelle
Lucipor…………………………Ewan Bailey
Produced by and directed for radio by Kate McAll
Written by Hattie Naylor
Praise for Dorothy Dunnett
—— -A storyteller who could teach Scheherazade a thing or two about pace, suspense and imaginative invention
—— New York TimesMarvellous, breathtaking
—— The TimesA masterpiece of historical fiction
—— Washington PostOne of the greatest tale-spinners since Dumas
—— Cleveland Plain DealerLashings of excitement, colour and subtlety
—— The TimesVivid, engaging, densely plotted - are almost certainly destined to be counted among the classics of popular fiction
—— New York TimesDeliciously dark
—— TOTAL Film‘Last Shot by Daniel José Older was aimed to give some additional back story to the relationship between Han and Lando, but ends up giving readers so much more’
—— Fantha TracksA great portrayal of both Han and Lando
—— Outer Rim ReviewsA fizzy new homage... Schott burnishes the gleam.
—— New York TimesGlorious . . . undeniably an impressive, hugely enjoyable feat of ventriloquism.
—— Christmas Books , Country Life MagazineIt is hard not to warm to this hugely entertaining homage.
—— Mail on SundayThe cast is a delight, with many characters who will be familiar to Wodehouse aficionados . . . his prose is elegant and charming and he captures the lilt and rhythms of the original . . . a warm, worthy and rollicking tribute.
—— Literary ReviewThis joyous and thoughtful tribute leaves you wanting more.
—— Sophie Ratcliffe , TLSBy Jove! It's a ripping old yarn... Dashed agreeably close to the master.
—— Daily MailA hugely enjoyable caper
—— The WeekThere are laughs and admirable ingenuity in Schott’s confection
—— Irish TimesA book that is so close in spirit and style to the PG Wodehouse originals it’s like the real thing
—— The SportTop-notch fun.
—— S magazineSucceeds triumphantly, both as light entertainment and as a tribute to the master
—— Country & Town HouseIn his first foray into PG Wodehouse homage/imitation/pastiche (whichever it may be) Schott appeared to hit the Wodehouse target dead on.
—— RTEJonathan Coe's Middle England is brilliantly insightful on the times we are living in
—— Mishal Husain, Books of the Year , Big IssueLet me add to the chorus of praise for Jonathan Coe's new book Middle England. Easily my favourite of his since What a Carve Up! Which did for Thatcherism what Middle England does for Brexit
—— John CraceAn astute, enlightened and enlightening journey into the heart of our current national identity crisis. Both moving and funny. As we'd expect from Coe
—— Ben EltonFrom post-industrial Birmingham to the London riots and the current political gridlock, it takes in family, literature and love in a comedy for our times
—— GuardianCoe can make you smile, sigh, laugh; he has abundant sympathy for his characters
—— ScotsmanThis book is sublimely good. State of the (Brexit) nation novel to end them all, but also funny, tender, generous, so human and intelligent about age and love as well as politics
—— India KnightProbably the best English novelist of his generation
—— Nick HornbyNo modern novelist is better at charting the precariousness of middle-class life
—— ObserverAn angry and exuberant book
—— Sunday Times on 'Number 11'Jonathan Coe has established himself as one of the most entertaining chroniclers of our times
—— TatlerYou can't stop reading....I was haunted for days
—— Independent on 'Number 11'