Hard Times - Charles Dickens - BBC Radio Audio Drama torrent

Hard Times – For These Times (commonly known as Hard Times) is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854. The book surveys English society and satirises the social and economic conditions of the era. It is by far the shortest of Dickens' novels, barely a quarter of the length of those written immediately before and after it. Also, unlike all but one of his other novels, Hard Times has neither a preface nor illustrations. Moreover, it is his only novel not to have scenes set in London. Instead the story is set in the fictitious Victorian industrial Coketown, a generic Northern English mill-town, in some ways similar to Manchester, though smaller. Coketown may be partially based on 19th-century Preston.

Hard times includes some memorable characters, including Thomas Gradgrind, Sr. (your friendly elementary school teacher), Josiah Bounderby (every entitled, hereditary rich asshole you've ever met), and Mr. M’Choakumchild, who, I'm convinced, was the inspiration behind South Park's Ms. Choksondik.

Four episodes, one hour each, mp3, 128 kbps.



A boy.... Gregg Prentice
Bitzer (10).... Alex Slater
Bitzer.... Declan Wilson
Chairman.... Ben Crowe
Childers.... Chris Moran
Guard.... Chris Moran
James Harthouse....Guy Henry
Jane.... Soumaya Keynes
Josephine.... Jaimi Barbakoff
Josiah Bounderby....Philip Jackson
Louisa.... Helen Longworth
Mr M’Choakumchild....Stephen Critchlow
Mrs blackpool....Francis Jeater
Mrs Gradgrind....Thelma Barlow
Mrs Pegler....Marcia Warren
Mrs Sparsit....Eleanor Bron
Rachael....Becky Hindley
Servant....Ioan Meredith
Sissy (10)....Stephanie Rawson
Sissy.... Lydia Tuckey
Slackbridge....Ioan Meredith
Sleary.... Derek Waring
Stephen.... Alan Williams
Thomas Gradgrind....Kenneth Cranham
Tom (14)....Nick Roud
Tom....Richard Firth
Waiter....Damien Lynch
Waiter....Declan Wilson

Music by.... Nina Perry
Directed by Janet Whitaker
By Charles Dickens
Dramatised by Doug Lucie