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Wartime Egypt: Love, Loss & Memory's Echo
31 May
Summary
- A drama explores love and loss in wartime Egypt.
- A historian faces death while reflecting on her past.
- Memories of a wartime Egyptian love affair resurface.
A compelling BBC Radio 4 dramatisation brings Penelope Lively's Booker Prize-winning novel, 'Moon Tiger', to life. The narrative centers on Claudia Hampton, a renowned historian and journalist who is now facing the end of her life. As she lies in a hospital bed, Claudia begins to mentally construct a 'history of the world and her place in it'.
This internal reflection is juxtaposed with her strained relationship with her daughter, Lisa, who is questioning her mother about their past. Claudia finds that it is not facts but 'feeling and place' that truly endure, particularly her memories of a significant period spent in Egypt in 1942 with her lover, Tom, a tank commander.
The production features Geraldine James as Claudia, Lydia Wilson as Lisa, and Toby Regbo as Tom. Katharine Seaton composed the score, with music performed by John Haslam on piano and George Balmont on bass. Amber Barnfather directed and produced the drama.
