Robert Louis Stevenson: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Robert Louis Stevenson: A BBC Radio Drama Collection

Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and more

Summary

A thrilling collection of dramatisations from the classic Scottish master of tales

Robert Louis Stevenson was a novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer, and created some of the most famous and influential characters in modern literature. From Long John Silver and David Balfour to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, his figures swiftly became the shorthand for piracy, monstrous medicine, and the slave trade in America. A master of atmosphere and an enthusiast of foreign travel, Stevenson wrote countless stories which have been enjoyed in film, television and theatre adaptations throughout the years.

In this fantastic collection, enjoy the ripping adventures of Treasure Island, with young Jim Hawkins discovering a treasure map in a pirate's chest and soon finding himself drawn into a world of danger and high seas adventure with the charismatic Long John Silver. The next two stories are introduced by David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens): Kidnapped, the thrilling tale of one young man's escape from the Jacobite rebellions, only to be press-ganged onto a slave ship heading for the plantations of America, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the terrifying story of a scientist experimenting on himself, and the terrible dark discovery he makes, featuring Stuart McQuarrie (The Crown, Shetland) and John Dougall (The Girl on the Train, Holby City).

Five further stories follow: 'The Bottle Imp', a twisted tale about a magic bottle, The Master of Ballantrae, a buccaneering tale of two rival brothers, and Weir of Hermiston, Stevenson's unfinished novel of passion and rebellion in the Lowlands. In 'Olalla', a family is hiding a terrible secret in the Spanish hills, and in 'Markheim', an unusual stranger is suspiciously helpful.

Finally, two fascinating pieces of non-fiction: Travels with a Donkey, Stevenson's account of attempting to travel the French mountains with only a donkey for company and Great Lives, an episode of the series featuring Stevenson as the examined life.

Starring such acclaimed actors as David Tennant, Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Lovejoy), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Mary Queen of Scots) and Alan Cumming (The High Life, The Good Wife), this is a collection not to be missed by any fan of literature or adventure.

Contents List

Treasure Island

Kidnapped

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde


'The Bottle Imp'

The Master of Ballantrae

Weir of Hermiston


'Olalla'

'Markheim'

Travels with a Donkey

Great Lives - Robert Louis Stevenson


©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

About the author

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. The son of a prosperous civil engineer, he was expected to follow the family profession but was finally allowed to study law at Edinburgh University. Stevenson reacted forcibly against the Presbyterianism of both his city's professional classes and his devout parents, but the influence of Calvinism on his childhood informed the fascination with evil that is so powerfully explored in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Stevenson suffered from a severe respiratory disease from his twenties onwards, leading him to settle in the gentle climate of Samoa with his American wife, Fanny Osbourne.
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