Blood, Sex And Money By Emile Zola Season 3 – Money

Inspired by the life and work of one of France’s most prolific and influential writers, Radio 4’s three-part series, Blood, Sex and Money by Emile Zola, continues with nine episodes in the final season, Money.

Adelaide Fouque (Dide) is 104 years-old, trapped in her small room in the local asylum, but omniscient as she broods over her extended family. As a young woman she gave birth to two dynasties that exemplified French society – one legitimate, rich, powerful, obsessive and corrupt; the other illegitimate, poor, vulnerable, weak and depraved. France is on the brink of a new Empire, and her family is a turbulent mix of the good, the bad and the misguided. Damaged by a lifetime of seizures and her mind scarred by trauma, Dide still cannot forget her family. She says: "What did I bring into this world? Wolves... I have raised a family of wolves... I have watched their years. I will tell their story. Crime by crime. Blood by blood."

In this final season, Dide engages in a desperate bid to stop daughter-in-law Félicité Rougon’s unscrupulous plans to make the family the ultimate in wealth and politics in all of France. Crash follows the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of Aristide Rougon, whose wild money-making speculations in 19th century France are almost an exact mirror of the money markets of today. As he struggles with Bourse, Dide starts to hatch a plan to get out and reveal the truth about the Rougon Macquart evil deeds to the world.

Zola’s Les Rougon-Macquart novels are themed around Blood, Sex and Money, and this series on Radio 4 is a compilation of the 20 novels. The series draws listeners into 19th century France and the tragic, farcical reign of Napoleon III, as the country marches forward towards a modern, industrialised society.

Dramatised by Sony-nominated writer Dan Rebellato, who is also Professor of Theatre at Royal Holloway.

Cast:
Dide....................Glenda Jackson
Aristide................Samuel West
Caroline...............Frances Grey
Félicité.................Fenella Woolgar
Sigismond............Guy Rhys
Daigremont..........David Carr
Mrs Mechain/Mrs Bouchard........Bettrys Jones
Gundermann/Mr Bouchard.........Khalid Abdalla

Producer/Director: Polly Thomas for Sparklab

Publicity contact: BBC Radio 4 Publicity