By William Shakespeare.

Set in France, Shakespeare's play tells of the questionable course of action a young woman will take to win the hand of the man she loves. An extraordinary ensemble of actors teases out the moral riddle at the heart of this intriguing play.

Talking books: page 153

Shakespeare's challenging comedy about the dubious lengths to which a woman will go in order to get her man

All's Well That Ends Well 6.30pm R3
Before settling down to listen to this production, I asked its director, Peter Kavanagh, what people would be missing by hearing it rather than seeing it. "Nothing," he said. "The writing's so wonderful and it's all in the words." Over two hours later, I have to admit he was wholly right. The casting has helped, however: Sian Phillips brings a beautiful warmth to the Countess in a drama where everybody else is behaving very badly, particularly the women. And Richard Griffiths is perfect as the flawed ruler (his unpleasant-sounding abscess being a metaphor for the corruption and decay of his kingdom), with his voice truly sounding like the rot has set in. Funnily enough, without the distractions of set and costume, you're obliged to make an investment in following the story. And it's an effort worth making: I thought I knew this play but was taken aback by Shakespeare's perception of what it must have been like to be a woman in a world designed to ensure that men do well. It is all in the words.