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Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit
- A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation
- Narrated by: Bill Nighy, Suzanne Burden, Jon Glover, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
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Publisher's summary
Actor and sleuth Charles Paris is back in this full-cast BBC radio dramatisation of Simon Brett's novel, starring Bill Nighy.
Locked down with his semi-detached wife, Frances, Charles has thrown himself into a new career as a handyman, becoming quite the DIY expert. He's developed muscles, stopped smoking and even cut back on the booze.
Then his agent, Maurice, offers him the chance to get back on stage - and in a West End play, no less. The star, Justin Grover, asked for him specifically, but Charles has reservations. Grover was cocky enough when they were both young hopefuls; now, he's the star of a massive TV fantasy series, and the play - a verbatim piece set in a monastery - is dire.
So why has Justin signed up for it? He certainly doesn't need the money, unlike Charles. The cast is drearily male, and before long, Charles is hitting the Scotch again. When he drunkenly stumbles over the corpse of a fellow actor, Charles panics, leaving the body to be discovered by someone else. But he soon regrets lying to the police, and driven by guilt and self-preservation, he resolves to find the murderer....
This sparkling adaptation by Jeremy Front stars Bill Nighy (Emma, Love Actually) as Charles Paris, with Suzanne Burden as Frances and Jon Glover as Maurice.
Credits
Written by Simon Brett
Adapted by Jeremy Front
Directed by Sally Avens
Cast
Charles Paris........................Bill Nighy
Frances........................Suzanne Burden
Maurice........................Jon Glover
Justin ........................Tony Turner
Lydia ........................Ria Marshall
Kit ........................Joseph Ayre
Brendan ........................Jonathan Kydd
Nina ........................Marilyn Nnadebe
D.S. Dalby ........................Stewart Campbell
Alice/Peaches ........................Elinor Coleman
Kelly/Dervla ........................Jane Slavin
Bethan ........................Christine Kavanagh
Neil ........................Simon Ludders
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 September 2021
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What listeners say about Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jennifer G. Cooper
- 10-20-21
Jcoop
I don’t usually write reviews, but I feel I owe it to everyone involved in these productions to say thank you. These are marvelously written and acted. I could listen to Bill Nighy read ingredients off of cereal boxes and be enthralled. The relationships between the characters are such fun to listen to. I have listened to all of this series multiple times and each time, I feel like I’m checking in with old friends. The chemistry between the three leads is phenomenal and it’s interesting to see how they evolve over time. I put an episode on to fall asleep to many nights. I only wish there were more episodes. In the sultry tone of Charles Paris, “[try it].You know you want to.”
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- Grandma of 13
- 12-17-22
Always entertaining
Bill Nighy and company score again. Short but fun. I look forward to more Charles Paris radio plays.
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- Danzer
- 10-05-21
Nighy, Burden, Glover. always delightful.
I always love these BBC performances of the Charles Paris series. This one with Charles becoming Dave the Cockney remodeller is especially clever.
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- cmac
- 06-26-22
Fabulous
Usual excellence of the Charles Paris adaptations - writing sparkles, witty and intelligent, and cast once again brings the characters to exuberant life.
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