大象传媒

Sue Townsend is one of our most celebrated comic writers. 'The Growing Pains' is the second book serialised in her exquisitely funny Adrian Mole series, read by Harry McEntire.

Adrian continues to battle valiantly against the slings and arrows of growing up and his own family's attempts to scar him for life. Following on from 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4', it is now 1982 and Adrian is 15.

Adrian's parents are back together and his mother is pregnant, much to Adrian's surprise and embarrassment. As the summer holidays begin, Adrian is still troubled by his spotty skin, but he continues to feel that his intellectual prowess sets him apart from his peers. His aspirations for poetic fame and fortune are undimmed. Whilst his mother heads off with her women's group to Greenham Common, Adrian's own interest in politics starts to grow, alongside his dislike for Margaret Thatcher. As his parents struggle to make ends meet and to sort out their differences, Adrian enjoys a more settled relationship with Pandora but is eager to move things on a stage further.

Omnibus of five episodes abridged by Sara Davies.

Producer: Alexa Moore

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in 2018.