Behold The Chronicle: an epic journey through history.

Join us for an exhilarating and immersive adventure through 500 years of history, told entirely in the words of those who were there. With their artless prose and their polished & witty gossip, these are the men and women who have shaped our past. Brought to life by an award-winning all-star cast of 30 celebrated actors, including Charles Dance, Harriet Walter, David Suchet, Maureen Lipman, Timothy West, Jenny Agutter and many more.

“It’s WONDERFUL. In fact, I would describe it as one of the all-time audio greats... an unmissable five-star production.” (The Guardian)

One moment the Duchess of Orleans is observing the Prince of Orange consummating his marriage in thick woollen drawers and the next, Harold Nicolson is at the Savoy Grill dining with the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson who is, "bejewelled, eyebrow-plucked, virtuous and wise". John Betjeman implores the BBC to engage the impoverished Dylan Thomas, while Jane Austen demands the return of her unpublished novel. Austen Chamberlain rages at Hitler for sending a wreath emblazoned with the Swastika to be placed at the foot of the Cenotaph in 1933 and at Waterloo, women are stripping the corpses of their valuable shoes and stockings leaving the Highlanders in mass graves with their coarse tartan socks still on. Roy Strong attending a private dinner notes that Margaret Thatcher in floaty chiffon is "the apotheosis of the boss's wife, with the appeal of cosmeticised putty”, while Lord Nelson writes to his beloved Emma on the eve of Trafalgar, hoping to finish his letter after the Battle and Alan Clark is tickled to discover that Lord Byron rhymes 'intellectual' with 'hen pecked you all'. George II dies on the lavatory and Anthony Powell has considerable trouble with his waterworks.

James Bolam

Stem