Lydia Wilson and Kate Harper star in these BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations of the first and second novels in Armistead Maupin's acclaimed 'Tales of the City' series.
Set against the 1970s San Fransisco skyline, Maupin's Tales of the City introduces the unconventional tenants of 28 Barbary Lane, the domain of the eccentric, marijuana-growing landlady Anna Madrigal.
Mary Ann Singleton, a naive young woman newly-arrived from Cleveland, Ohio, moves into an apartment there and soon becomes friends with other tenants of the building: the hippyish bisexual Mona Ramsey; the strange Norman Neal Williams; and Michael Tolliver, a sweet and personable gay man known to his friends as Mouse. Beyond the house, lovers and friends guide Mary Ann through her San Franciscan adventures...
In More Tales of the City, landlady Anna Madrigal reveals her secrets to her tenants, but they are preparing to flee their cosy nest for adventures further afield.
Dramatised by Barbara Lavery, this is both a sparkling comedy of manners and a portrait of a free and easy era.
Cast:
Anna Madrigal..... Kate Harper
Mary Ann..... Lydia Wilson
DeDe..... Nancy Crane
Mona..... Buffy Davis
Edgar..... Lou Hirsch
Frannie/Binkie/Mucca..... Bernice Stegers
Beauchamp..... John Guerrasio
Michael..... Jos Slovick
Jon/Brian..... Simon Lee Phillips
D’Or/Betty..... Valerie Cutko
Siegel/Hampton-Giddes/Norman/Bruno..... Kerry Shale
Burke..... Trevor White
Produced and directed by Susan Roberts
Armistead Maupin is the author of Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, Babycakes, Significant Others, Sure of You, Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener, Michael Tolliver Lives and Mary Ann in Autumn. Three television miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette. Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.
For more information on Armistead Maupin and his books, see his website at www.armisteadmaupin.com