Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - Wait list

The Pilgrim's Progress

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation

by John Bunyan
Brian Sibley
Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
Place a hold Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks

The 17th Century classic brought to life in a bold new telling
The Pilgrim's Progress is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and is considered by some to be the first novel written in English. First published in 1678, it has been translated into more than 200 languages and had never been out of print. John Bunyan's seminal work has influenced writers across the centuries from Charlotte Brontë to Enid Blyton and beyond.
In this innovative and beautifully paced production of John Bunyan's classic novel, dramatist Brian Sibley takes us deftly on the pilgrim Christian's life changing journey to the Celestial City, whilst also delicately weaving into the narrative the author's own journey. Arrested and imprisoned in the late 1600s for holding improper religious services, the drama unfolds through Bunyan's plight behind bars as he wrestles with his relationship to God, sense of duty and creativity - and begins to pen the novel from his cell.
Sibley delivers a fresh perspective and wonderful re-telling of the adventures of Christian, a pilgrim who embarks on a perilous journey from his hometown, the allegorical City of Destruction, to the Celestial City, or Heaven. Dramatised across three episodes, we follow Christian as he meets with death, despair, hope and ultimately salvation. It is the story of the everyman pilgrim who seeks to gain knowledge, making mistakes along that way that inform and inspire him on his path to grace.
Starring Anton Rodgers (May to December) as Bunyan and Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders) as Christian, this full-cast production also features the well-known voices of Anna Massey and Peter Bowles. Brian Sibley is perhaps best known as the writer behind the hugely popular, landmark BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
Written by Brian Sibley based on the novel by John Bunyan
Directed by Pam Fraser Solomon
Cast
Bunyan - Anton Rodgers
Christian - Neil Dudgeon
Evangelist - Alec McCowen
Beelzebub - Don Warrington
Interpreter - Anna Massey
Caged Man - Peter Bowles
Elizabeth - Caroline Lee Johns
Jailer - Ioan Meredith
Judge - Derek Waring
Pliable/Watchful/Sincere - Philip Fox
Obstinate/Clerk/Knowledge - Chris Moran
Help/Prudence/Angel - Jaimi Barbakoff
Goodwill/Charity/Angel - Lydia Leonard
Angel/Piety/Deceiver - Cherie Taylor-Battiste
Child - Sophie Levy
Child - Nyla Lev
Faithful - Graham Crowden
Cobb/Giant Despair - Stephen Thorne
Discretion - Eve Karpf
Talkative/Ignorance - Rachel Atkins
Timorous/Experience - Damian Lynch
Hopeful - Paul Medford
Mrs Despair - Frances Jeater
False-Confidence - Declan Wilson
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 January 2004
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 16, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781529921144
      • File size: 82494 KB
      • Duration: 02:51:51

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Bunyan's classic allegory of the battle of good and evil is clearly delivered in grave, sepulchral tones. Edward de Souza's very British, judicial voice gives credence to court scenes. He depicts Christian as Everyman wading through the slough of Despond, where he meets Mr. Worldly Wiseman and the Evangelist, who hope to delay him on his journey to salvation. When portraying Beelzebub, Souza's voice engages the listener with imperious, commanding, and fearful tones. Funereal organ music provides breaks between scenes and adds to the sense of despair. This book was first published three hundred years ago; this rendition explains why it is ever popular. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Time was when this allegory of moral redemption tied the KING JAMES BIBLE as Most Read Book in the English language. Now Penguin enlists TV's Hercule Poirot to help lift it out of the obscurity to which today's secular world has consigned it. Suchet's musical, expressive voice clarifies and contemporizes the three-hundred-year-old vocabulary. His characterizations are vivid and cartoony. Indeed, Suchet plays this as a kid's book, which it can, but need not, be. The chief flaw in this approach is making the hero, Christian by name and archetype, sound like Simple Simon, losing the senses of danger and ultimate consequence that are intrinsic to the author's message. Still, a livelier, more engaging reading can hardly be imagined. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      John Bunyan's classic allegory tells the story of Christian, who searches for salvation amid a world of temptation and deceit. As the story is presented in the framework of the author's dream, Christian must follow his path to redemption by discerning between friend and foe. Narrator David Shaw-Parker speaks clearly and often slows his pace for Bunyan's lengthy explanations. The story has a barrage of metaphorical characters, and Shaw-Parker handles each distinctly. Christian himself speaks earnestly and emphatically. Because of the abstract nature of the story as well as its seventeenth-century English, PILGRIM'S PROGRESS is challenging in audio form. Readers may even find themselves listening to sections again. This is no fault of Shaw-Parker, who gives an excellent performance and directs listeners steadily down Christian's path. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what other people are checking out right now