The Modern World: Ten Great Writers (1988)

The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

This documentary series uses drama and commentary to shed light on the lives and works of Joseph Conrad, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, T. S. Eliot, Henrik Ibsen, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf.

The Modern World: Ten Great Writers

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Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
as Self
Eileen Atkins
Eileen Atkins
as Reader as Virginia Woolf
Douglas Hodge
Douglas Hodge
as Stage Manger / Son / Ordolfo as Raskolnikov
Hermione Lee
Hermione Lee
as Self
George Steiner
George Steiner
as Self
John Castle
John Castle
as Peter Walsh
Robert Daws
Robert Daws
as Septimus Warren-Smith
Rupert Degas
Rupert Degas
as Reader: 'The Waves'
Katy Behean
Katy Behean
as Sonya
Vas Blackwood
Vas Blackwood
as (voice)
John Challis
John Challis
as (voice)
Mair Coleman
Mair Coleman
as Mrs. Marmeladov
Derek Deadman
Derek Deadman
as Convict 1
Charlie Drake
Charlie Drake
as Marmeladov
Sabina Franklyn
Sabina Franklyn
as (voice)
John Jones
John Jones
as Self
Patrick Malahide
Patrick Malahide
as Underground Man
Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid
as Dostoevsky
Orla Pederson
Orla Pederson
as Convict 2
Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall
as Porfiry
Sara Sugarman
Sara Sugarman
as Nastasya
Ann Way
Ann Way
as Old Woman
James Aubrey
James Aubrey
as Frank Budgen
Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley
as Joe Hynes
Sorcha Cusack
Sorcha Cusack
as Molly Bloom
Tony Doyle
Tony Doyle
as Narrator (voice)
Francesca Folan
Francesca Folan
as Zoe Higgins
Clive Hart
Clive Hart
as Self
John Lynch
John Lynch
as Stephen Dedalus
T. P. McKenna
T. P. McKenna
as Citizen
Deirdra Morris
Deirdra Morris
as Nora Joyce
Patricia Mort
Patricia Mort
as May Dedalus
Bryan Murray
Bryan Murray
as James Joyce
Patricia Quinn
Patricia Quinn
as Bella Cohen
David Suchet
David Suchet
as Leopold Bloom
Frances Barber
Frances Barber
as Winnie Verloc
Hywel Bennett
Hywel Bennett
as Professor
Peter Blythe
Peter Blythe
as Vladimir
Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
as Ossipon
Keith Carabine
Keith Carabine
as Self
Kenneth Colley
Kenneth Colley
as Chief Inspector Heat
Graham Crowden
Graham Crowden
as Home Secretary
David Doyle
David Doyle
as Stevie
Brian Glover
Brian Glover
as Adolf Verloc
Richard Pasco
Richard Pasco
as Joseph Conrad (voice)
V.S. Pritchett
V.S. Pritchett
as Self
Julia Blalock
Julia Blalock
as Mother
Michel Butor
Michel Butor
as Self
Eleanor David
Eleanor David
as Gilberte Swann
Dominic Jephcott
Dominic Jephcott
as Robert St. Loup
Terence Kilmartin
Terence Kilmartin
as Self
Zoe Mair
Zoe Mair
as Young Gilberte / Mlle. St. Loup
Roger Rees
Roger Rees
as Marcel Proust / Marcel
Paul Reynolds
Paul Reynolds
as Young Marcel Proust
Grace Wilkinson
Grace Wilkinson
as Albertine
Paul Brooke
Paul Brooke
as Dr. Hofrat Behrens
Iain Cuthbertson
Iain Cuthbertson
as Mynheer Peeperkorn
Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels
as Hans Castorp
John Grillo
John Grillo
as Naphta
Haydn Gwynne
Haydn Gwynne
as Mme. Chauchat
Nigel Hamilton
Nigel Hamilton
as Self
Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny
as Settembrini
John Shrapnel
John Shrapnel
as Thomas Mann
Pippa Vickers
Pippa Vickers
as Nurse
Suzanne Bertish
Suzanne Bertish
as Rebekka West
Brian Cox
Brian Cox
as Henrik Ibsen (voice)
Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd Pack
as Rosmer
Michael Meyer
Michael Meyer
as Self
John Mortimer
John Mortimer
as Self
David Ryall
David Ryall
as Pastor Kroll
Anthony Storr
Anthony Storr
as Self
D.M. Thomas
D.M. Thomas
as Self
Christina Greatrex
Christina Greatrex
as Lady Bradshaw
Eva Griffith
Eva Griffith
as Young Clarissa Dalloway
Oona Kirsch
Oona Kirsch
as Sally Seton
Jenifer Landor
Jenifer Landor
as Lucrezia Warren-Smith
Gerard Logan
Gerard Logan
as Young Peter Walsh
Susan Tracy
Susan Tracy
as Mrs. Dalloway
Sylvestra Le Touzel
Sylvestra Le Touzel
as Marta Abba / Stepdaughter
Ian McNeice
Ian McNeice
as Egisto Oliveri / Producer / Philip / Doctor
Julian Mitchell
Julian Mitchell
as Self
Leonardo Sciascia
Leonardo Sciascia
as Self
Reginald Stewart
Reginald Stewart
as Lamberto Picasso / Father / Belcridi
Patricia Thorns
Patricia Thorns
as Jane Frigero / Mother / Countess
John Woodvine
John Woodvine
as Ruggio Ruggeri / Henry IV / Leone
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd
as Self
T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
as Self (voice) (archive sound)
Edward Fox
Edward Fox
as Reader
Michael Gough
Michael Gough
as Reader
Frank Kermode
Frank Kermode
as Self
Craig Raine
Craig Raine
as Self
Stephen Spender
Stephen Spender
as Self
David Barrass
David Barrass
as Warder
John Bennett
John Bennett
as Chaplain / Father
Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant
as Advocate
Tatyana Colombo
Tatyana Colombo
as Leni / Washerwoman
Kit Jackson
Kit Jackson
as Clerk
Matthew Marsh
Matthew Marsh
as Warder
Bill Paterson
Bill Paterson
as Titorelli
Lucy Pearce
Lucy Pearce
as Giggling Girl
Oscar Quitak
Oscar Quitak
as Judge
Tim Roth
Tim Roth
as Franz Kafka / Joseph K.
Barrie Rutter
Barrie Rutter
as Inspector
Naomi Wattis
Naomi Wattis
as Giggling Girl
Mark Wing-Davey
Mark Wing-Davey
as Franz Kafka (voice)
Malcolm Bradbury
Malcolm Bradbury
as Self
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg
as Self
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Seasons

Season 1

Season 1

Episodes season 1

  • 1x1

    James joyce: ulysses

  • 1x2

    Joseph conrad: the secret agent

  • 1x3

    Fyodor dostoyevsky's 'crime and punishment'

  • 1x4

    Marcel proust: a la recherche du temps perdu

  • 1x5

    Thomas mann: the magic mountain

  • 1x6

    Henrik ibsen: the master playwright

  • 1x7

    Virginia woolf: mrs. dalloway

  • 1x8

    Luigi pirandello: in search of an author

  • 1x9

    T.s. eliot: the waste land

  • 1x10

    Franz kafka: the trial

  • 1x11

    Ten great writers: the seminar

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