I Capture the Castle

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

By: Dodie Smith

Narrated by: Holliday Grainger, Toby Jones

Toby Jones and Holliday Grainger star in a new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Dodie Smith's enduringly popular coming-of-age novel In the 1930s, seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives in a crumbling ruin of a castle in the Suffolk countryside. Her father, an author wrestling with writer's block, spends his time reading detective stories; her bohemian stepmother Topaz is an artist's model, and her beautiful older sister Rose is determined to escape the poverty of their existence – ideally by marriage to a rich man. Intelligent and observant, Cassandra chronicles the eccentricities of her relations in her journal, in a bid to capture her family and their lives at the castle.


When two rich American brothers, Simon and Neil Cotton, arrive unexpectedly, the family's isolation is disrupted. Rose accepts a marriage proposal from Simon, and as she is whisked off to a world of wealth in London, Cassandra is left to deal with the increasingly bizarre behaviour of her father – as well as her own feelings for Simon...


Dodie Smith's charming, funny and poignant love story is a classic of 20th-Century English literature and this sparkling adaptation, starring Toby Jones and Holliday Grainger, will enchant and delight. Duration: 2 hours

Perfect!

What a great story, I felt like I was watching a play. Well done, loved the cast. Don’t hesitate to give this one a listen!

Wonderful Performances

The acting was superb, and they did a very good job condensing the story. I would definitely listen to this again.

One of my favorites

This was my very first Audible purchase and the start of my love affair with BBC radio dramas, of which I now own hundreds. I listen to this particular drama on a fairly regular basis and never tire of it; the adaptation is marvelous and the actors all perfect in their roles, I feel as if I were there with Cassandra and her eccentric but lovable family and friends.