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Desert Island Discs

Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Desert Island Discs: Prunella Scales

31/05/1992

Prunella Scales

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Prunella Scales

Sue Lawley's castaway is actress Prunella Scales

Sue Lawley's castaway is actress Prunella Scales.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is one of the country's favourite actresses - Prunella Scales. She's most easily recognised as Sybil Fawlty, wife of John Cleese, the manic hotelkeeper in the television series Fawlty Towers, but it's a role which represents a very small part of all she's done. Since her debut in Bristol 40 years ago, she has never been out of work, and recently she's scaled new heights with her portrayal of the Queen in Alan Bennett's A Question of Attribution. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the problems associated with playing such a well-known and much-loved figure, and also about the rest of her long and successful career.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] 

Favourite track: Ruht Wohl Ihr Heiligen Gebeine by Johann Sebastian Bach
Book: Complete works in German by William Shakespeare and The Bible in Russian and a Russian dictionary
Luxury: A huge tapestry kit

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Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics. Over 900 programmes, as broadcast from 1946 – 2004.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The problems with the two party system, 1992

The problems with the two party system, 1992

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, The problems with the two party system, 1992

Does two party politics lead to an apathetic American voter?

The rise of Ross Perot, the American dissatisfaction with the two party system and how President Bush planned to win back the White House.

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