Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Harold Pinter's Victory

4 Extra Debut. Harold Pinter's screenplay of Victory, Josef Conrad's last major novel, about a mysterious Swedish baron endangered by an affair with an English girl.

Harold Pinter's screenplay of Josef Conrad's last major novel, in a special adaptation for radio by Sir Richard Eyre.

It's 1900 in the Dutch East Indies. Disenchanted with life and humanity, Heyst, a mysterious Swedish Baron, lives alone on a deserted island.

He believes he can avoid suffering by cutting himself off from others, but his life is altered when he visits the neighbouring island for a doctor's check up. Here he meets and falls in love with Lena, a young English violinist, travelling across the Pacific with a small commercial ladies Orchestra.

Surrounded by predatory older men, including the hotel manager Schomberg, she is drawn to Heyst and the sense of mystery that surrounds him. Together, in the middle of the night, they escape by boat to his island.

Narrator ...... Simon Russell Beale
Heyst ...... Bjarne Henriksen
Lena ...... Vanessa Kirby
Davidson ...... Matthew Marsh
Ricardo ...... Mark Strong
Jones ...... Robert Portal
Schomberg ...... Patrick O'Kane
Mrs Schomberg ...... Helen Schelesinger
Pedro ...... Martin Marquez
Chang ...... Paul Chan
Mrs Zangiacomo ...... Flaminea Cinque

Sound Design: John Leonard and Wilfredo Acosta

Director: Richard Eyre

Producer: Laurence Bowen

A Feelgood Fiction production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.

1 hour, 30 minutes

Last on

Sun 28 Jul 2019 04:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Simon Russell Beale
Heyst Bjarne Henriksen
Lena Vanessa Kirby
Davidson Matthew Marsh
Ricardo Mark Strong
Jones Robert Portal
Schomberg Patrick O'Kane
Mrs Schomberg Helen Schlesinger
Pedro Martin Marquez
Chang Paul Chan
Mrs Zangiacomo Flaminia Cinque
Author Joseph Conrad
Writer Harold Pinter
Adaptor Richard Eyre
Director Richard Eyre
Producer Laurence Bowen

Broadcasts

  • Sat 28 Feb 2015 14:30
  • Sat 18 Mar 2017 14:30
  • Sat 27 Jul 2019 06:00
  • Sat 27 Jul 2019 16:00
  • Sun 28 Jul 2019 04:00

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

The Shakespeare Sessions

The Shakespeare Sessions

Immerse yourself in Shakespeare’s world