The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere: The Complete Series 1 and 2 cover art

The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere: The Complete Series 1 and 2

The BBC Radio 4 Comedy

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The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere: The Complete Series 1 and 2

By: Sue Limb
Narrated by: Denise Coffey, full cast, Geoffrey Whitehead, Miriam Margolyes, Simon Callow, Tim Curry
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About this listen

A BBC Radio 4 parody of the lives of the Romantic poets by Sue Limb, writer of the hit comedy Gloomsbury.

An everyday story of towering genius, set in and around the Lakeland retreat of William and Dorothy Wordsmith. The Wordsmiths have not long settled in their sublime cottage when they are visited by the inebriate Samuel Tailor Cholericke and the lascivious Lord Biro, followed by numerous other romantically inclined writers and leech-pedlars who arrive at the door of Vole Cottage. Dorothy must manage the increasingly chaotic household (assisted by Stinking Iris) while William focuses on his latest masterpiece, 'The Withered Turnip'. Set against an elegant musical background of trilling sheep.

Starring Denise Coffey as Dorothy Wordsmith, Geoffrey Whitehead as William Wordsmith, Simon Callow as Samuel Tailor Cholericke, Miriam Margolyes as Stinking Iris and Tim Curry as Lord Biro.

Cast:
Dorothy Wordsmith: Denise Coffey
William Wordsmith: Geoffrey Whitehead
Samuel Tailor Cholericke: Simon Callow
Stinking Iris: Miriam Margolyes
The Leechpedlar: Chris Emmett
Lord Biro: Tim Curry
Teresa Sanseveria: Helen Atkinson Wood
Percy Jelley: Hugh Thomas
Mary Godwit: Alison Fiske
Charles Lump: Nicholas le Prevost
Mary Lump: Julia Hills
Thomas de Quinine: Nickolas Grace
Sir Walter Spott: Bill Paterson
Mary Wordsmith: Iris-Gemma Morlay
John Sheets: Nicky Henson
Sara Cholericke: Angela Pleasance
William Bloke: John Shrapnel
Announcer: Eugene Fraser

Music by Stephen Oliver, sung by Cantabile
Produced by Jonathan James-Moore

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Entertainment & Performing Arts Funny
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What listeners say about The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere: The Complete Series 1 and 2

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Amazing

This was so funny ! It made me Laugh out loud constantly. Fantastic casting !
I would highly recommend anyone to listen to it !

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This is clever and it is funny!

Erudite and witty, with a marvellous poking of fun at the male romantic poets and the endless anxieties and ailments their supposed self absorption left them prey to. All the actors, especially those ‘representing the common people’ are so good. I think the language is as brilliantly chosen as PG Wodehouse at his funniest.
The Cantabile musical ‘commentary’ is a great vehicle for further irreverence.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Hilarious from start to finish…

This is a masterpiece in my opinion. I bought the book many years ago and looked for the BBC audio in vain… It was because of this audiobook that I decided to subscribe to Audible. The performances are superb especially Simon Callow, Tim Curry and of course Denise Coffey. A fast and hilarious pace is set throughout. A worthy forerunner to Gloomsbury.

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2 people found this helpful

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Ridiculously lovely

Loved this when I first heard it on the radio many years ago, and was thrilled to find it had been released on Audible. This includes the 2nd series, which was missing from my 20+ yr old cassette tapes, with the owl pie and Mr Quinine - "oh frabjous day!' when I rediscovered the owl episode!

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Not as good as Gloomsbury.

I didn’t find this as funny as Gloomsbury - much more contrived and Eng Lit sixth form ‘humour’. The singing sheep - or what ever they are supposed to be - are annoying, no, that’s an error, they are incredibly annoying. There is generally too much noise and confusion often in a vain attempt to distract the listener from the sad sound of a set of oft repeated feeble old jokes being flogged unmercifully to death.

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4 people found this helpful