A Taste for Death: BBC Announcement

The BBC has finally announced the A Taste for Death radio play, with an almost-full cast list (noticeably absent: McWhirter).

The cast list:
Modest Blaise - Daphne Alexander
Willie Garvin - Carl Prekopp
Sir Gerald Tarrant - Alun Armstrong
Simon Delicata - Sam Dale
Steve Collier - Geoffrey Streatfeild
Dinah Pilgrim - Samantha Dakin

More “A Taste for Death” News: Willie Garvin

This just in: the role of Willie Garvin will be played by… Carl Prekopp.

Prekopp has been in countless BBC radio plays, including Wuthering Heights and David Copperfield.

You can hear his voice in this interview clip.

And the countdown is on... only a few weeks until the radio play airs!

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Update on A Taste for Death Radio Play

More news about the BBC radio production of A Taste for Death...

The dramatisation will be broadcast on the Radio 4 “15 Minute Drama” slot over the five weekdays of the week before Christmas, 17–21 December. The episodes will be available online as they are broadcast, and for up to a week afterwards.

The music was composed specially for the programme by Will Gregory, and has been recorded by the National Orchestra of Wales.

There was a question in from a Modesty fan who wanted to know how the play will be fit into five 15-minute slots; below is the answer.

Stef Penney's adaptation has to fit the time available for the broadcasts, which means some things have had to be cut and others handled in a different way. However, things are in good hands: Stef has been a devoted fan of Peter O’Donnell's work for many years, and Kate McAll, the BBC Executive Producer who is handling the production, is one of the most respected producers in radio drama.  They have worked together on other literary dramatisations.

Daphne Alexander will play Modesty Blaise

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John Burns originals for sale

The Book Palace has three Modesty Blaise originals by John Burns for sale. The first two are unused art that was produced for Dead Man's Handle and The Xanadu Talisman (both 13x17 oil on card):

...and the third is the original art produced for the Titan Books reprint of the Modesty Blaise story 'Warlords of Phoenix'.

You can view (or buy!) these on The Book Palace website.
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New BBC Radio Play of A Taste for Death

BIG news, everyone... the BBC is producing a radio play of the Modesty Blaise novel A Taste for Death. The play will be serialised on Radio 4 in December (yes, this year!)

The script has been written by bestselling crime author Stef Penney (author of ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’), and Daphne Alexander has been confirmed for the part of Modesty Blaise.

I'll post any more details as I get them... stay tuned!