The Raj Quartet: The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence & A Division of the Spoils

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

By: Paul Scott

Narrated by: Mark Bazeley, Anna Maxwell Martin, Benedict Cumberbatch, full cast, Geraldine James, Kulvinder Ghir, Nina Wadia, Prasanna Puwanarajah

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

An epic full-cast dramatisation of Paul Scott’s classic series of novels charting the last days ofthe British Raj.

Spanning the years from 1942 to 1947, this landmark saga explores the relationships between an array of soldiers and civilians stationedin India, as the sun sets on British colonial rule.

As The Jewel in the Crown opens, World War II is at its height and Gandhi is calling for the British to leave. When Daphne Manners arrives in Mayapore, she meets two men who will change her life: Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick. She begins to fall for Hari, but Ronald Merrick - the local police superintendent – becomes infatuated with her and seethes with hatred for Hari.

The Day of the Scorpion finds Merrick worming his way into the Layton family, and his treatment of Hari Kumar is revealed. In The Towers of Silence, it is summer 1945, and as the war ends Mabel Layton’s companion Barbie Batchelor is forced to leave her home in Pankot. In A Division of the Spoils, Sergeant Guy Perron arrives to witness India’s independence, while the Laytons plan for their future – but the division of the country will spark tragic consequences for many.

The extensive, star-studded cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House, Motherland), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster), Geraldine James (who also starred in the film of The Jewel in the Crown), Mark Bazeley (Broadchurch), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), Kulvinder Ghir (Goodness Gracious Me) and Nina Wadia (Eastenders).

Dramtised by John Harvey (The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence) and Shelley Silas (A Division of the Spoils).

Produced and directed by Sally Avens (The Jewel in the Crown, A Division of the Spoils) and Jeremy Mortimer (The Day of theScorpion, The Towers of Silence).

Music by Raiomond Mirza.

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Good but not great.

Enjoyable, Nothing spectacular in the story. Performances were really good. The music between chapters/scenes was awful. I would say this title was enjoyable overall.

Excellent story

A superb story, acting and direction. Do yourself a favor and listen to it today.

The abridged version

Dramatization of novel means it's abridged. And not just one book abridged, but all four novels. The cast was great except when they were talking low or in whispers, the audio needs to be adjusted because you can't hear them.

Excellent performances

Of course it's impossible to include entire story and all characters in this drama, but at times hard to listen to as it kept all the violence but ittle or none of the humor which made Guy's character so likeable. Also not enough of Hari's thoughts and work as a writer until very last minute. Interesting that Geraldine James plays the cold mother rather than daughter Sarah this time. Jeremy Northam is always a good actor but really too old here for the role of Guy (and sounds it).

Mesmerizing

A wonderful adaptation off a brilliant tetralogy. Scott “got” so much about India and the British in India at the end of Empire.

Tragedy and violence

I’m sure there was more to the story than people getting murdered and women losing their minds. The actor playing Merrilck was wonderful as it was a difficult part. Don’t know how he and Sue got married as there didn’t seem to be a relationship. Suddenly it was several years later. I found it sometimes difficult to tell one Englishman from another as their voices were so similar. The women were all so willing to do anything that would surely get them in harms way. Seemed very silly in such a dangerous country.
Acting was great but the writing and directing just so so.

Outstanding performance.. Even though sometimes

Outstanding performances by the actors! I even thought it was better than the excellent television series that was shown on television a few years ago.

So PC it makes PC enthusiasts gag

This is such a heavy handed, overly produced pile of retread bore of a script. Such a waste of a credit. Every western man is a pig and every local man is a prince.