Rumpole: The Sleeping Partners & Other Stories cover art

Rumpole: The Sleeping Partners & Other Stories

Three BBC Radio 4 Dramatisations

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Rumpole: The Sleeping Partners & Other Stories

By: John Mortimer
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jasmine Hyde, Timothy West, full cast
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About this listen

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young, feisty, devastatingly acute Horace Rumpole in this collection of cracking cases, also starring Timothy West as the older Rumpole.

Rumpole and the Old Boy Net: With the help of his new pupil, Miss Phillida Trant, Rumpole must defend Mr Napier Lee, who is charged with blackmail. But the alleged victim of the blackmail went to public school with Mr Lee, and so Mr Lee won't sneak on his old school chum....

Rumpole and the Sleeping Partners: After a legal ball in the Savoy Hotel, Rumpole and Hilda argue about Rumpole's drunken behaviour, and Rumpole decides to sleep the night on his sofa in chambers - strictly against the rules. But there he finds his colleague Erskine-Brown with Phillida Trant, 'working late'....

Rumpole and the Portia of Our Chambers: Rumpole comes close to giving up the law when forced to consider the path his life has taken by a combination of his attraction to his pupil Phillida, an unsettling case involving an Irish terrorist, and a visit from an old flame of Hilda's.

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Thriller & Suspense Funny Crime Drama Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
Do not like the romance storyline between “Portia” and Rumpole. I wish this was set out in the description

Performances are good but the storyline is disappointing

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The immortal Rumpole, created as a TV series, transformed into books, now renewed as radio drama with an impressive cast, adapted to 21st century - not by transposing the stories to the present, but by sharpening up their settings in time. John Mortimer wasn’t terribly good on continuity (names/dates often inconsistent) as he himself admitted, and this series is more coherent. Timothy West is great as the older Rumpole and Benedict Cumberbatch as his younger self.

Rumpole revived

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Rumpole is, above all, witty and dry. Cumberbatch, good actor though is, hasn’t really got the ability to convey humour, certainly not like Rhind-Tutt who catches him perfectly. The reading was ok but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the ones with Rhind-Tutt.

Not the best Rumpole

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What a nourishing way to fill a couple of hrs, cup of tea, feet up and just sink into that wonderful sound of Benedict.

Cup of tea and feet up

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I always loved the TV series with Leo McKern so was keen to listen to this version. Not having read the books I was surprised of there being a significant difference in the story line which wasn't portrayed on TV. Not an issue as such and in fact added to my enjoyment of the story line. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a brilliant performance of Rumpole and is well supported by the other actors. My only gripe it that at the start of the 2nd and 3rd episodes a fairly large chunk of the previous one was repeated to, I presume, bring the listener up update with the backstory events. However so much of the 2nd episode was repeated in the 3rd that at first thought I was listening to the 2nd one again. Other than this I did enjoy them and will be getting the next ones in the series

Definitely different to the TV series

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I’ve not read a John mortimer book for years but having listened to this I will be getting the all of them to listen to. I had forgotten about the humour in the rumpole books and I have to say Benedict Cumberbatch played Horice extremely well. I recommend this book if you want a lite book with some humour in.

Rumpole

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I know some people are not fans of these narrators... but IMO they are great - Benedict is a great distinctive voice, and the story is very good too!

Great stories - good narrator

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Enjoy my Rumpole. Great production but why must the BBC always slutify literature! Rumpole does not sleep with any other woman than his wife. All the books state this. So why indicate & cheap titivate in this set. Good writing doesn't need it. Hope we have more good old Rumpole.

Brilliant Rumpole

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Could there be a more perfect union than Brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch's narration of Rumpole! Forget Portia and Hilda! This is sheer genius!

Perfectly blend of Brilliant Narrator and our Beloved Hero, Rumpole!

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I could listen to Rumpole all day and never tire of this series. It is so excellently produced and written, that I only wish there were more in the series to choose from..

Brilliant & Timeless

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