Cymbeline

Available for over a year

Shakespeare's exhilarating late play of lovers under strain and leaders under pressure. Staged in an alternative present-day Britain. An ineffectual ruler governs a divided, insular Britain, alienated from the rest of Europe. That ruler, Cymbeline (Michael Maloney), refuses to pay the taxes demanded by a foreign power, clinging to mythical notions of sovereignty. "Britain's a world by itself and we will nothing pay for wearing our own noses." But Cymbeline's judgement is clouded by grief, having lost his two older children as babies. When his daughter Imogen (Lydia Wilson) rebels and marries boyfriend Posthumus (Daniel Rock) in secret, Cymbeline is enraged and banishes Posthumus. But waiting in the wings is a power-hungry figure, plotting to seize control by any means necessary. Adapted and directed for radio by Emma Harding Introduced by Professor Edith Hall Imogen ..... Lydia Wilson Cymbeline ..... Michael Maloney Posthumus Leonatus ..... Daniel Rock Iachimo ..... Philip Arditti Queen ..... Amanda Lawrence Cloten ..... Will Close Caia Lucius ..... Greta Scacchi Pisanio ..... Ayesha Dharker Belarius ..... Ifan Huw Dafydd Guiderius ..... Zak Ghazi-Torbati Arviragus ..... Matthew Aubrey Cornelia ..... Nadia Williams Philario ..... Harry Taurasi Jailer. .... Philippe Spall Sue Sayer ..... Sara Gregory Original music composed by Joseph Howard, performed by Zak Ghazi-Torbati, Joseph Howard and Eosaph Caimbeul. Shakespeare consultant, Paul Prescott Production co-ordinator, Eleri Sydney McAuliffe Sound design, Catherine Robinson A BBC Audio Drama Wales production