Showing results by narrator "Martin Jarvis" in All Categories

The Forsyte Saga initially centres on Soames Forsyte - a successful solicitor living in London with his beautiful wife Irene. A pillar of the late Victorian upper middle class, materially wealthy, his appears to be a golden existence endowed with all the necessary possessions for a 'Man of Property' but beneath this very proper exterior lies a core of unhappiness and brutal relationships. When The Forsyte Saga was shown on television in 1967 it was hugely successful.

Young Julien Sorel, one of the greatest characters in European literature, tries to rise above his humble peasant origins through a combination of talent and hard work - but also seduction, deception, and hypocrisy. The story is set in 19th-century France and is filled with sex, violence, romance, and humour.

An outstanding selection of stories from the classic King James version of the Bible.

These witty vignettes are full of great repartee and wonderfully astute observations – read with the dry humour and enthusiasm they deserve by ‘The Olivier of Audiobooks’ Martin Jarvis.

Pinocchio is the best puppet story ever. Listeners will quickly be caught up in Carlo Collodi's impish creation as they are swept along at an action-packed pace. From the day when Geppetto first carves Pinocchio from a piece of wood to the final happy ending - with many exciting and dangerous adventures along the way - Pinocchio will charm and captivate. The story also has a strong moral throughout, which is as suitable for children (and adults!) today as when the original book was written.

Four clergymen seek to make sense of their mission while being torn in all directions by the Church of England. After a critically-lauded debut in 1990 at London’s National Theatre, Racing Demon went on to earn universal acclaim. More than 20 years later, David Hare’s bold and moving revelations on gay ordination and the doctrine of the priesthood ring more resoundingly than ever.

A story of love and broken dreams, Great Expectations is regarded by many as Dickens' finest achievement. He combines a gripping, melodramatic plot with a rich and memorable cast of characters, some comic, some tragic, some eccentric and some exemplary, like the generous-spirited Joe Gargery. The tale is told by Pip, an orphan of humble origins, who rises to be a gentleman through a mysterious benefactor. But his world is turned upside-down by a revelation, the nature of which he could never have guessed.

Trent's Last Case, published when Conan Doyle and Chesterton were both at the pinnacle of their respective literary careers, was the first detective story to use finger-printing as a means of detecting the criminal. The book was intended to be a gentle parody of the detective genre, only for it to be quickly hailed as a classic.

Affectionately known as the Chekhov of Coldsands-on-Sea, Felix Morsom enjoys writing about the thwarted hopes of genteel lives. His own existence, he reflects, is comfortable if uneventful, except for the flirtatious moments he shares with his publicist, the delicious Brenda Bodkin. Until he meets Gavin and Miriam. Suddenly he is on the run from PROD, the Parental Rights and Obligations Department, as Miriam announces he is the father of her son Ian

While attempting to discover the roots of Hamlet’s unhappiness, two courtiers go on a journey to plumb the depths of the universe’s mysteries. Tom Stoppard’s wildly inventive, Tony® Award-winning first play takes us through a tilted version of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy while casting new light on questions of fate, mortality and the meaning of existence. Recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood in June 2022.

This volume details the struggle between Soames and his beautiful wife, Irene, who leaves him but cannot persuade him to grant a divorce. While Soames cannot accept Irene's dissent, he insists his sister deal as she must with her own failed marriage. Irene gains independence through her friendship with Soames' Uncle, Old Jolyon, who leaves her a fortune in his will, and she flees the country, but Soames follows her.

The original 10 broadcasts from BBC Radio 4 - the sequel to the award-winning Jarvis's Frayn. Martin jarvis is seriously funny in this classic series of hilarious vignettes.

Jarvis and Frayn are a truly inimitable pairing - frequent collaborators on-stage, screen and audiobook, they are an eternally popular duo. This collection is perfect for anyone who has ever questioned the logic behind technobabble, computer jargon and eccentric human idiosyncrasies...that'll be everybody, then!

Fielding's rollicking comic masterpiece sparkles with life in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatization. Abandoned child Tom is raised by the rich and benevolent squire Mr. Allworthy, much to the chagrin of Allworthy's mean-natured nephew Blifil, and develops into a good-natured rake. But Tom's inability to resist a pretty face lands him in hot water when he impregnates Blifil's betrothed. When the lovely Sophia runs away to London, Tom pursues, embarking upon a series of riotous and amorous adventures.

Dickens' exuberant novel charts the rise of its young hero Nicholas Nickleby, who progresses from an impoverished youngster gladly accepting his uncle's offer of help, to an assured businessman capable of thwarting villainous plans. The book unfolds in a series of vivid scenes, starting with Nicholas accompanying the vicious schoolmaster, Wackford Squeers, north to the grim Dotheboys Hall.

Adam Scott listens to the reading of his father's will, aware that the contents can only be meagre. The Colonel, after all, had nothing to leave, except a letter he had never opened himself, a letter that can only bring further disgrace to the family name.

Throughout his life Kipling never stopped writing. Greatly revered during his own lifetime and recipient of the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature The Essential Kipling celebrates a truly prolific and varied career; with his poetry and stories interpreted vividly by wonderful actors.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English author and poet born in Bombay, India. Educated in Britain, he later returned to Lahore, India, to work as a journalist. Kipling travelled widely and also lived in Vermont, having married Carrie Balestier, an American.Throughout his life, Kipling never stopped writing. He was greatly revered during his lifetime and received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature. Kidnapped examines Kipling's attitudes towards race, and inter-racial marriage in particular, with the amused observations of societal quirks characteristic of his writing.

Pip, Estella, and Miss Havisham meet in this world-famous masterpiece.

Re-released. Geoffrey James Hurford, a tailor who worked in Salisbury, England, was born in 1921 in Damerham, Hampshire, at a time when Crown Prince Hirohito, aged 20, had just been named Regent of Japan, when the cinema was erupting with excitement at the arrival on screen of Italy's most glamorous star, Rudolph Valentino, and when, in the United Kingdom, a 45-mile-to-the-gallon, brand-new Rover two-seater car could be bought for 230 guineas.

The price of accidental fame is hashed out in this comedy about a famous bank robber and the clerk who foiled his biggest heist. Ayckbourn’s 1988 play anticipates the popularity - and absurdity - of reality TV. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Rosalind Ayres as Jill Rillington; Jane Carr as Trudy Parks; Kenneth Danziger as Douglas Beechey; Martin Jarvis as Vic Parks; Ian Oglivy as Kenny Collins; and Yeardley Smith as Sharon Giffin. Directed by Robert Robinson. Recorded before a live audience in Santa Monica, California in February, 1994.