Babblewick Hall

Luisterboek

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy drama

The complete Series 1 & 2 of the historical sitcom about well-meaning but gullible 18th Century squire Fenton Babblewick and his clever manservant Augustus

When idealistic Fenton Babblewick inherits his uncle's Yorkshire estate, it's the perfect opportunity to realise his Utopian dreams. But for his valet, Augustus Snipe, moving to Babblewick Hall is a nightmare. The servants are surly, the house is freezing cold and full of farm animals, and worst of all, it's in the North - a world away from the cosy coffeehouses and gentlemen's clubs of London.

In these ten episodes, Fenton tries his hand as an agricultural reformer and radical grower of beetroots, falls in love with the charming Miss Lucinda Bluntstone, and embarks on a glamorous political career. An escape to London beckons - but Augustus' hopes are dashed when his master chooses to stay in the village, where he tries to convert a workhouse into a school and investigates a case of witchcraft...

Fans of Blackadder will love this light-hearted comedy drama, full of japes, jokes and amusing sound effects and soundtracked with brilliant Baroque-style music. Olivier Award-winning actor Nicholas Le Prevost stars as Fenton Babblewick, with Forbes Masson as Augustus Snipe and Sam Kelly and Dave Hill as Jack. Among the stellar guest cast are Sophie Thompson, Maurice Denham, Tracie Bennett and John Moffatt.

Production credits
Written by Scott Cherry
Produced by Paul Schlesinger (Series 1) and Jon Rolph (Series 2)
Music composed by Paul Mottram
Violin: Paul Mottram


Cast
Fenton Babblewick - Nicholas Le Prevost
Augustus Snipe - Forbes Masson
Barney - David Antrobus
Jack - Sam Kelly/Dave Hill
Molly - Gillian Bevan
Bob Scotcher - Philip Jackson
Peck - Alex Lowe
Pickett - Christian Rodska
Grunter - Geoffrey McGivern
Flinch - Maurice Denham
Mrs Bluntstone - Elizabeth Spriggs
Lucinda - Tracie Bennett
Smellie - David Timson
Hartson - Geoffrey Whitehead
Berridge - Jeremy Clyde
Dribb/Maddison - John Baddeley
Mrs Maddison - Sara Coward
Highwayman - Stephen Critchlow
William Babblewick - Benjamin Whitrow
Elizabeth Babblewick - Pauline Yates
Harriet - Courtney King
Septimus Hickey - John Moffatt
With Maggie McCarthy, Benedict Sandiford, Michael Troughton, Pat Coombs, Kim Wall, Lynda Barron, Phil Nice, Peter Gunn, Sophie Thompson, Rosemary Leach
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 27 December 1995-31 January 1996 (Series 1), 4-25 September 1998 (Series 2)