Bettie's Books

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov's birth, Michael Pennington plays the great Russian writer presenting a series of his short stories on the subject of marriage, dramatised by Martyn Wade. A repressed schoolmaster has marriage on his mind.Chekhov ...... Michael Pennington Belikov ...... Jasper Britton Kovalenko ...... Nicholas Boulton Varenka ...... Zoe Waites Directed by Philip Franks and Jane Morgan.---------Two children. Two pets. One stranger. Then a small domestic disaster. Alistair McGowan reads a tale from the Russian master.Broadcast on:BBC Radio 7, 2:45pm Monday 25th January 2010------The Black Monk - A haunting story of love, obsession and the supernatural.-----A Play - She insists on showing him her terrible work. He takes drastic action. Alistair McGowan reads.-----The Huntsman - A haunting tale of unrequited love.-----The Old House - The landlord shows us one of his properties. The memories are traumatic-----The Lady with the Little Dog - A beautiful tale of love and betrayal.-----Ivan Matveyitch - An old academic and a young boy. A topsy-turvy friendship, but it endures.-----Rothschild's Violin - A story of regret about a coffin maker whose wife of 50 years is taken seriously ill.-----Bad Weather - Or to put it another way, what has the husband been up to in Moscow?