Timberlake Wertenbaker’s adaptation from the French of Marcel Proust’s allegorical reflection on time, memory, art and love.

Marcel and his beloved Grandmother return from Balbec at the end of the season and move to a new flat in Paris which is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Guermantes. Marcel becomes obsessed with the Duchess and is desperate to be introduced to her and invited to one of her famous musical soirees.

He visits his new friend Robert de Saint Loup, nephew of the Duchess, at his barracks with the aim of securing an introduction to the Duchess via her nephew. But will the Guermantes’ soiree live up to Marcel’s expectations?

Meanwhile, his Grandmother takes a turn for the worse and an invitation from the Baron de Charlus is received.

Cast:
MARCEL (narrator) ………Derek Jacobi
MARCEL …………Blake Ritson
FATHER …………. Oliver Cotton
MOTHER ………. Sylvestra le Touzel
FRANCOISE ………… Susan Brown
GRANDMOTHER ………. Joanna David
DUCHESS DE GUERMANTES (ORIANE) ……… Fenella Woolgar
DUC DE GUERMANTES (BASIN) ………. Robert Glenister
ROBERT DE SAINT LOUP ………Kyle Soller
MADAME D'ARPAJON……… Charlotte Blandford
PRINCESS DE PARME …………Emma Amos
DU BOULBON/SERVANT …………Ben Crowe
DOCTOR………… Finlay Paul
SOLDIERS……..… Daniel Whitlam
Nicholas Armfield
Toheeb Jimoh
Tom Glenister
TELEPHONE OPERATOR …………Alice Hoskyns

Translated and adapted from the French by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Produced and directed by Celia de Wolff
Production Co-ordinator: Sarah Tombling
Recording and Sound Design: David Chilton and Lucinda Mason Brown
Executive Producer: Peter Hoare

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 Show less