RUMPOLE: THE PENGE BUNGALOW MURDERS AND OTHER STORIES Four BBC Radio 4 Dramatisations

Timothy West, Benedict Cumberbatch, and a full cast offer a delightful performance of four early Rumpole of the Bailey mysteries in this BBC production. For those who need reminding, author John Mortimer's Horace Rumpole is a cheerfully irascible London barrister with a flair for the dramatic and an affection for his low-life clients, whom he defends with vigor and frequent success. He is married to an equally remarkable figure, Hilda, "She Who Must Be Obeyed." The rotund-voiced Timothy West narrates these dramatizations in the role of Rumpole-the-Elder reminiscing about how he got started. Cumberbatch channels a young but ambitious Rumpole with enthusiasm, and Jasmine Hyde offers an informative and sympathetic interpretation of the occasionally fearsome Hilda. With cheery musical interludes, this is a deliciously fun listen. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]