Wise Children

The illegitimate Chance twins Dora and Nora, 75, are the black sheep of the world-famous Hazard family, a Shakespeare-orientated theatrical dynasty. The all-singing, all-dancing, swearing, aging, make-up caked, high-heeled, bawdy, gritty and totally magnetic Chance twins are two peas from the same pod: Sir Melchior Hazard, the last of the great Shakespeareans in the fold. The build-up to Melchior’s 100th birthday party is the catalyst for Dora to share her memoirs with you, the listener. The twins’ past is full of jaw-dropping secrets and surprises, and as they doll themselves up for Melchior’s grand soiree, the future looks like it will be full of juicy revelations too! Peppered with gags, tears, histories, mysteries, weird and wonderful characters, feuds and romantic (and some not-so-romantic) unions. Wise Children, like the Chance girls themselves, doesn’t miss a trick.

Eileen Atkins is one of Britain’s most respected actresses, and won a BAFTA for Best Actress in 2007 for her role as Miss Deborah Jenkyns in the popular BBC television series Cranford.