Fire

An epic 24 hours of drama inspired by the works of literature's greatest whistle blower, Emile Zola.

Passion, in every sense, is the theme of this episode, dramatised by Dan Rebellato.

Glenda Jackson stars as Dide, 104 years old, the matriarch to a family of wolves - the Rougon-Macquarts.

She is trapped in her small room in the local asylum in Plassans, southern France. Trapped, 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. Dide's family is a turbulent mix of the good, the bad and the misguided. This episode, Fire, focuses on François and Martha who are happily married, living a quiet, bourgeois life. Abbé Faujas, a charismatic, sinister priest, arrives on their doorstep and announces he has come to live in their spare room. Black comedy and tension ensue as his scheming drives a wedge between the couple, uncovering the darker side of this sleepy provincial town.

Dide ..... Glenda Jackson
François ..... Sam Troughton
Martha ..... Carla Henry
Abbé Faujas ..... David Annen
Rose / Mme Condamin and other society ladies ..... Ursula Holden Gill
Dr Porquier / The Warder ..... Chris Jack

Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore

Producer/Director: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Melanie Harris
Series Producer: Susan Roberts

A Sparklab production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2015.