Apprentice - Scarlet City - Part I
An Audible Original Drama
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By:
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Rebecca Gablé
Summary
Please note: This title contains explicit language and scenes of a graphic sexual nature.
This Original multicast drama blends history with fiction to tell the story of Jonah, a young apprentice from London who raises himself from poverty by wit and luck to become one of the most powerful merchants of the age.
A rags-to-riches tale, Jonah's journey spans the breadth of human experience, from the intricacies of Edward III's political intrigues to the cutthroat world of international trade, from the triumphs of war to the agonies of personal loss - love, friendship, joy, heartbreak and glory. Set largely in London, the Scarlet City, the centre of medieval England, the Scarlet City trilogy is a thrilling portrait of the age and the people who made it so rich, colourful and extraordinary.
London, 1330. Jonah Durham grows up in the household of his tyrannical cousin Rupert, and only his grandmother, the calculating Cecilia Hillock, recognizes his talent and intelligence. After her death he inherits a handsome fortune, bestowing him with both wealth and independence but also the wrath of his increasingly dangerous cousin. However, a fateful encounter with the young King Edward III is set to radically change Jonah's life and the future of English cloth production.
Told in three parts, hear Medieval London come to life in this historical epic, Audible Original's most ambitious production to date. Narrated by Miriam Margolyes, OBE (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Romeo + Juliet, Mulan) and starring Douglas Booth (Riot Club, Loving Vincent, Shelley) as Jonah, and Alison Steadman, OBE (Gavin and Stacey, Orphan Black, Shirley Valentine) as Cecilia Hillock.
Also featuring: Daniel Anthony, Josephine Arden, John Banks, Timothy Bentinck, Clare Buckfield, Beth Chalmers, Elliot Chapman, Trevor Cooper, Oliver Coopersmith, Raymond Coulthard, Gareth David-Lloyd, Richard Earl, Andrew French, Helen Goldwyn, James Joyce, Olly McCauley, Tony Millan, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Katarina Olsson, Steven Pacey, Nicholas Pegg, Nigel Planer, Siobhán Redmond, Christopher Ryan, David Schofield, Dan Starkey, Sarah Sutton, Alexander Vlahos, Niky Wardley, Finty Williams, Claire Wyatt.
©2002 Rebecca Gablé (P)2017 Audible, LtdContinue the series
In slightly more words this is a sumptuous production of a very decent story. It's not quite my usual fayre but boy did this chase away the M25 blues on a long drive. You only have to look at the quality of the cast involved to guess how good some of the acting is. More than that it's the form of presentation that really seals the deal though. Having a narrator to push the story along makes such a positive difference compared to an out and out radio play where too often the dialogue is burdened by the need to carry the story and set the scene and so ends up sounding unnatural and stilted. Here the actors are left to play their parts with much greater authenticity. The music adds texture, the sound affects ambience and I even enjoyed the longer gaps between chapters which allowed key points of the story time to sink in - though I suspect they will possibly irritate some.
The story itself is an Edwardian Alan Sugar rags to riches tale and Jonah the lead really does have credulity-stretching luck in being in the right place at the right time which is key to his progress. It's an enjoyable romp and if you're willing to grant the author some license quite exciting too.
I'm very much looking forwards to this one continuing. It's a top quality production and it really does show in that the time spent listening to it passes very, very quickly. Audible should have a real hit on their hands with this one!
Perfectly Formed Tale Hits the Sweet Spot
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Great start to a story
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Now I’m craving the next instalment and more productions of a similar format. Well done Audible!
Best Audible book ever
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fab
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An enjoyable historically interesting listen
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