Horace Walpole - The Castle of Otranto

When Prince Manfred's only son is killed on the morning of his wedding, he decides to marry the bride himself - but the castle ghost seems to be standing in his way.

Horace Walpole's 1764 novel is a dark tale of duplicity and dynastic rivalry in medieval Italy. It's said to be the first ever gothic novel, becoming extremely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries - and the inspiration to authors like Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe.

Starring David Burke as Father Jerome, Sylvestra Le Touzel as Princess Isabella, Gerard Murphy as Prince Manfred, Alphonsia Emmanuel as Princess Hippolita, Susannah Corbett as Princess Matilda and Patrick Robinson as Theodore.

Dramatised by Michelene Wandor.
Original music by Andy Roberts.
Director Chris Wallace

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1996.