Rose Tremain's dramatisation of Anthony Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds stars Pippa Nixon as the beautiful Lizzie Eustace, fighting to retain possession of her magnificent diamond necklace, which she claims was left to her as a gift by her late husband Florian.

Her immediate relatives, spurred on by the intransigent family lawyer, Camperdown, argue that the diamonds are an heirloom and on no account can be retained by her. The dispute colours all Lizzie's subsequent relationships - with her cousin Frank, her new lover Lord Fawn, and her admirer Lord George. As gossip and scandal intensify, Lizzie is driven to increasingly desperate behaviour in an attempt to retain her jewels.

Harpist: Cecilia De Maria
Cellist: Alison Baldwin

Original Music: Lucinda Mason Brown
Produced and directed by Gordon House
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4. Show less