# Alcestis

Heard 1988. 1 episodes.

Alcestis by Euripides Translated by William Arrowsmith. Music by Harvey Brough and Jeremy Taylor. With Roger Allam and Alison Fiske. Produced by Penny Gold. Broadcast on Radio 3, 20 Sep 1988 Repeated 14 May 1989 Contributors Translated By: William Arrowsmith Music By: Harvey Brough Music By: Jeremy Taylor Directed By: Penny Gold Admetos: Roger Allam Alcestis: Alison Fiske Apollo: Michael Tudor Barnes Death: Philip Sully Maid: Caroline Gruber Herakles: Struan Rodger Pheres: Peter Howell Old Servant: Michael Graham-Cox Chorus: Christopher Scott Chorus: Maggie McCarthy Chorus: Jane Clarke Chorus: Zelah Knowles Apollo in his anger at Zeus (who killed his son) killed the Cyclopes, and in penance has been serving as the slave of good Admetus. In return for Admetus' kindness, he block death from taking him at his appointed time, and has bargained that Admetus can avoid his fate if someone will agree to die for him. But Admetus' aged parents refused: only his young wife Alcestis would agree. Death appears to take Alcestis: he is suspicious Apollo's presence. Apollo cannot dissuade Death from his appointed task, and departs. The chorus, citizens of Pherae, come to see if Alcestis lives. A maid announces that she is dying now. The maid tells of Alcestis' last acts: she prayed that her children marry well, she lamented her marriage bed. What a wife Admetus loses! Admetus and Alcestis come outside with their children. Death is taking her away. She begs…

## Sets

- Alcestis (BBC R3 1988) (Listeners' uploads): the Internet Archive states no licence or rights for it. Source: https://archive.org/details/euripides-alcestis-1988

## Episodes, in broadcast order

1. [(BBC R3 1988)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/radio-drama/series/alcestis/2472827f5ef2) (1 h 35 min): https://archive.org/download/euripides-alcestis-1988/Euripides%20-%20Alcestis%20%28BBC%20R3%201988%29.mp3

Uploaded to the Internet Archive by the person named, outside its radio collections.

Nothing here is called public domain on this site's say-so. In the United States, sound recordings first fixed before 15 February 1972 have federal protection under the Music Modernization Act of 2018, for most until 2067 at the latest, so most American radio of the 1930s to the 1950s is not in the public domain there. Each set shows the licence, mark or statement its archive gives, and says whose it is.