´óÏó´«Ã½

Having inherited his father's fortune, Pierre becomes the new Count Bezukhov and the richest man in Russia. Prince Vassily's charming daughter, Helene, captures Pierre's attention and before long they are married. But will it be a happy match?

Meanwhile, Princess Marya is being wooed by Helen's wily brother, Anatole, while war dominates for others - Prince Andrei is building a respectful relationship with General Kutuzov and courageously speaks out to Prince Bagration in defence of Captain Tushin while Nikolai is wounded at Shoengraben. The Battle of Austerlitz is imminent.

A dynamic fresh dramatisation by Timberlake Wertenbaker of Leo Tolstoy's epic - from the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokonsky - follows the fortunes of three Russian aristocratic families during the Napoleonic War. Starring Lesley Manville, John Hurt, Alun Armstrong and Harriet Walter.

The story moves between their past and present as Pierre, Natasha, Marya and Nikolai talk to their children about the events that shaped their lives and the lives of every Russian who lived through these troubled times.

War and Peace reflects the panorama of life at every level of Russian society in this period. The longest of 19th-century novels, it's an epic story in which historical, social, ethical and religious issues are explored on a scale never before attempted in fiction.

Alex Shiels … Sergei Rostov
Ben Crowe … Mikhail Mitrich
Charlotte Emmerson … Helen Kuragin
Daniel Flynn … Regimental Commander
David Calder … Prince Vassily Kuragin
David Collings … Shinshin
Ella Dale … Masha Bezukhov
Ferdinand Kingsley … Anatole Kuragin
Harriet Walter … Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskoy
Hazel Ellerby … Julia's mother
Jed Vine … Petya Rostov
Joanna David … Annette Scherer
Joel Msccormack … Boris Drubetskoy
John Hurt … Prince Bolkonsky
Jonathan Slinger … Captain Denisov
Kathleen Keaney … Liza Rostov
Miss Nelly Harker … Lise Bolkonsky
Alun Armstrong … Count Rostov
Emerald O'Hanrahan … Julia Karagan
Lesley Manville … Countess Rostov
Natasha Little … Marya Bolkonsky
Paterson Joseph … Pierre Bezuhkov
Phoebe Fox … Natasha Rostov
Pip Donaghy … Colonel of the House
Roger Allam … General Kutuzov
Roger May … Prince Bagration
Sam Blatchford … Andrusha Rostov
Sam Dale … Alpatych
Sam Reid … Nikolai Rostov
Sarah Badel … Maria Demitrievna
Serena Evans … Catiche
Stanley Toyne … Mitya Rostov
Stephen Campbell Moore … Andrei Bolkonsky
Tamzin Merchant … Sonya Rostov
Tom Glenister … Nikolenka Bolkonsky

Director: Celia de Wolff
Executive Producer: Peter Hoare

A Pier production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 first broadcast in 2015.