Summer Lightning. Image shows from L to R: Percy Pilbeam (Matt Lucas), Sir Gregory Parsloe (Michael Jayston), Hugo (Samuel West). Copyright: Jarvis and Ayres Productions
Summer Lightning

Summer Lightning

  • Radio comedy drama
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2010
  • 2 episodes (1 series)

Two-part Radio 4 dramatisation of PG Wodehouse's timeless comic classic about two rival pig farmers. Cast includes Charles Dance and Matt Lucas. Stars Martin Jarvis, Michael Jayston, Charles Dance, Matt Lucas, Patricia Hodge and more.

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2010
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
2 (1 series)
Stars
Martin Jarvis, Michael Jayston, Charles Dance, Matt Lucas, Patricia Hodge, Samuel West, Rachael Stirling, Matthew Wolf and more
Writers
PG Wodehouse and Archie Scottney
Director
Martin Jarvis
Producer
Rosalind Ayres
Company

The affably absent-minded Earl of Emsworth, preparing his prize-winning pig Empress of Blandings for the Shropshire Agricultural Show, is afraid that rival pig-owner Sir Gregory Parsloe is planning to nobble his precious Empress.

Meanwhile, Parsloe fears that Emsworth's brother Galahad's memoirs contain scurrilous stories about their younger days in the naughty 1890s - particularly a racy story involving some prawns. He plans to hire private detective Percy Pilbeam to purloin the manuscript.

Emsworth's sister Lady Constance, equally desperate to stop publication, also has a secret plan.

And romance is in the air. His Lordship's new secretary, Hugo, and Emsworth's niece, Millicent, are secretly in love, but need financial help to pull off the marital merger. Emsworth's nephew, Ronnie Fish, is also in love with an unsuitable person - chorus girl Sue Brown. But Emsworth refuses to allow Ronnie any more money. Ronnie concocts a plan to regain his uncle's approval.

Pig-napping, private detection, imposturing, mistaken situations, fisticuffs and broken engagements ensue. All is set for glorious mid-summer mayhem.

Additional details

Production
Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 4th July 2010 at 3pm on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats
  • Friday 27th September 2013 at 3:00am on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 2
  • Thursday 26th September 2013 at 3:00pm on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 2
  • Thursday 26th September 2013 at 10:00am on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 2