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Richard Ford’s Frank Bascombe books are a remarkable literary phenomenon, following the fortunes of his hapless but ever-hopeful hero Frank, and giving us a unique portrait of contemporary American life.

Over the year, we have been checking in with Frank during four weekends of his life, over four decades, stretching from the early 1980s to Christmas 2012.
Dramatised by Robin Brooks.

Episode 3
The Lay of the Land
Set over the Thanksgiving weekend of the year 2000. Frank, now in his mid-50s, is enjoying the fruits of a successful career in real estate but, through a bizarre set of circumstances, his second wife Sally has just left him and he’s got plenty of other problems on his plate - with a misbehaving prostate, wayward children, and neighbours who will insist on playing Ravel’s Bolero at top volume whenever the fancy takes them.

Cast

FRANK BASCOMBE: Kyle Soller
ANN : Kelly Burke
CLARISSA: Hannah Genesius
SALLY: Melody Grove
PAUL: Christopher Buckley
COOKIE / JILL : Lily Anne Lefkow
DETECTIVE MARINARA: Eric Stroud
THOM / PARAMEDIC: Robert Mountford
OFFICER GREGGS: Amelia Parillon
NICK FEENSTER : Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong

Dramatised by Robin Brooks from the Bascombe novels by Richard Ford

Sound Design: Joseff Harris and Alisdair McGregor
Broadcast Assistant: Hermione Sylvester

Directed and Produced by Fiona McAlpine
An Allegra production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4

The first two episodes, The Sportswriter and Independence Day are now available on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Sounds.

Picture credit: ‘In the Car’ by Roy Lichtenstein
© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/DACS 2024.
Photo: National Galleries of Scotland

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