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Drama on 4

Birkett

Episode 1: Birkett and the Blind Soldier

Duration: 45 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW

By Caroline and David Stafford.
1 of 4
A blind WW1 veteran, accused of murdering his wife, is defended by Norman Birkett, the most celebrated advocate of the inter-war years. 1 of 4

Norman Birkett.....Neil Dudgeon
Billie.....Bonnie Engstrom
Edgar.....Alun Raglan
Lady Pearson.....Adjoa Andoh
Arthur.....Carl Prekopp
MacCormac.....Paul Moriarty
Frazer/Warder.....Adam Billington
Humphreys.....James Lailey
Sgt Waller.....Gerard McDermott
Randall/Clerk..... Rikki Lawton
Grace/Margaret.....Alex Rivers
Woman.....Victoria Inez Hardy

The casebook of Norman Birkett KC (1883-1962) covers pretty much every story that entertained the readers of News of the World between the wars. Birkett was a busy man who, in those days before legal specialisation, could at any one time be dealing simultaneously with a juicy murder, a society divorce or a livid libel action. The four stories in this series cover some of Birkett's most famous cases, including the dramatic trial of Buck Ruxton, the doctor accused of murdering and dismembering his wife and maid; the scandalous Dennistoun affair; and the very peculiar events surrounding the mysterious cyclist Ronald Light. In many ways, these stories represent an abridged history of those inter-war years and reflect, in their parade of moral confusions, hypocrisies, panics and vanities, our own not dissimilar age. Show less

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