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Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

Elena Ferrante - The Neapolitan Novels: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Part 3/3

Reading Europe - Italy: My Brilliant Friend

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Part 3/3

Elena Ferrante - The Neapolitan Novels

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Elena Ferrante - The Neapolitan Novels, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Part 3/3

From one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, the continued story of a lifetime friendship.

Amid their on-going troubles, Elena and Lia turn to each other, but not always to happy effect. Stars Monica Dolan.

The third book in Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, charting the lifelong relationship between two girls, Lila Cerullo and Elena Greco, who grew up together in the slums of post-War Naples.

Elena, having escaped to Milan after the publication of her first book, struggles to find the courage to live, parent and write again after her marriage to her increasingly dismissive husband Pietro. 

Lila, meanwhile, also struggles to rise above her social conditions and desperately tries to find a way to better herself in whatever way she can. By day she suffers the daily abuse and exploitation at work in the local sausage factory and by night she works hard with her partner, Enzo, to make a difference with her life by studying hard the ever-changing face of technology. 

Struggling with periods of mental darkness, she also wrestles with being a parent and finding the time to be true to herself. Eventually she is encouraged by a group of old friends and young students to admit her anger at the social adversity and abuses suffered by the women at work in the factory and to stand up and shout about it. 

As always, amid the troubles, the two women turn to each other, gaining either strength or weakness from the other, not always to happy effect.

Lila Cerullo ...... Anastasia Hille  
Elena Greco ...... Monica Dolan  
Mother ...... Jane Whittenshaw  
Franco ...... Simon Scardifield  
Pietro ...... Ferdinand Kingsley  
Father ...... Richard Tate  
Elisa ...... Nelly Harker  
Woman ...... Nelly Harker  
Gigliola ...... Jayne McKenna  
Marcello ...... Ben Crowe  
Michele ...... Daniel Ryan  
Alfonso ...... Nicholas Armfield  
Adele ...... Sylvestra Le Touzel  
Mariarosa ...... Claudia Jolly  
Nino Sarratore ....... Daniel Flynn  
Eleanora Sarratore ...... Phoebe Marshall  

Dramatised for radio by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Directed by Celia de Wolff

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4. First broadcast in June 2017.

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Drama: Relationships & Romance

Dramatisation of the quartet of books by one of Italy's most acclaimed authors.

A forensic exploration of friendship between Lila and Lena. Dramatisation of the quartet of books by one of Italy's most acclaimed authors.

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Elena Ferrante - The Neapolitan Novels

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Part 3/3

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