The Cherry Orchard

Anton Chekhov

Mar 2011 · BBC Digital Audio · Narrated by Andrew Sachs, Anna Massey, Full Cast, Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Patricia Routledge, and Sinead Cusack

About this audiobook

Madame Ranyevskaya and her daughter Anya have returned home from Paris to discover that their family estate – which includes their beloved cherry orchard – has to be sold to cover the family’s debts. They believe a miracle can save their orchard. But will their stubborn pride and fond, childhood memories be enough? Chekhov’s tragic-comedy is about the passing of an era and is a timeless study of a Russian aristocratic family desperately clinging to the past. Among the star cast in this 1974 production are Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, Sinéad Cusack, Anna Massey, Patricia Routledge and Andrew Sachs.

About the author

Anton Chekhov was a Russian author and playwright who has been hailed as the master of the modern short story. Born in 1860 in Taganov, he studied at medical school before becoming a writer. Among his best known short tales are 'The Steppe' (which won him the Pushkin Prize in 1888), 'Ward No. 6' (1892) and 'The Lady with the Dog' (1889), while his plays include The Seagull (1895), Uncle Vanya (1897), The Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904), all of which are widely acclaimed as masterpieces. He died in July 1904 in Badenweiler, Germany. Andrew Sachs is one of Britain's most popular actors. Perhaps best known for his role as Manuel in Fawlty Towers, he has also written for and acted in theatre, television and radio drama. He has narrated many television and radio drama. He has narrated many television documentaries and audiobooks.