BBC Radio 7, 21-28 February 2011
The parallel tale of two women: great friends Shirley (Moir Leslie) and
Caroline (Helena Breck). Shirley comes into money while Charlotte remains of modest means as they seek their fortunes in a
world dominated by conservatism. Women are expected to marry for money and/or prospects, while respecting their (male) elders,
even if the elders' views are dominated by self-interest.
This domestic drama unfolds against the backdrop of a world in turmoil: the Napoleonic
Wars rage, involving young men in violent and bloody conflict. The Luddite riots signal the working class's desire to break
free of feudalism and assert their rights as free citizens. While the riots are in a sense justified, they involve innocent
people who become the victims of motiveless attacks - a pertinent point in the light of recent social unrest in Britain's
towns and cities.
Initially it seemed as if Kay Patrick's production would make little vocal distinction
between the two women. As the six parts unfolded, however, Shirley emerged as a woman of unquenchable spirit who resisted
her guardian Mr. Simpson's (Rene Kupinski's) exhortations to find a suitable partner, even if it required her to indulge
in unladylike language (unladylike in the early nineteenth century, that is). Her verbal debats with her
guardian were one of the highlights of the production, emphasizing the capacity of women - even those living in patriarchal
societies - to resist peer pressure.
Yet there remained a basic tension at the heart of the adaptation between Shirley's bid
for self-determination and the position maintained by the narrator (Valerie Windsor), who commented on the characters' behaviour
while guiding the listeners' responses, despite protesting at the end of the adaptation that she was looking for no particular
moral to the tale. It seemed that Shirley had outgrown the rather predictable story; the narrator understood this at
the end, and hence relinquished her omniscient position.
The adaptation revealed other tensions - for example, between the domestic drama
involving Shirley and Charlotte, and the political events unfolding inside and outside the country. Part one began with two workers
(Nigel Callibone, Mike Barrett) resolving to defend their rights; throughout the ensuing action we heard about some of
their sufferings, and how they affected other people's lives - for example Robert Moore (Neil Capel), who was set upon for
no apparent reason.
However it seemed as if these political events kept being consigned to the background
so as to let the domestic drama unfold. Perhaps this represented a failure of nerve on adapter Davies's part, as she
refrained from showing how external events impinged upon the protagonists' personalities. Rather she concentrated on
the social minutiae that influenced the way in which young ladies of quality and their male paramours were expected to
behave.
This adaptation was undoubtedly a radio period-piece; the product of an era when
Radio 4 classic serials unfolded at leisurely pace over six, eight, twelve or even fifteen parts, paying scrupulous attention
to character development and interaction. I enjoyed it thoroughly - particularly the musical-box theme tune that opened and
closed each episode, implying that the characters were toys in the author's hands. Leslie's Shirley deserved our
congratulation as she broke free of such shackles and set herself up as personality in her own right.
