Classic Drama

Here is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Mark Twain's classic novel of adventure, loyalty and responsibility.

Young Huck Finn can't get along with the Widow Douglas' attempts to "sivilize" him or the smothering discipline that she and her sister serve up at home. So when his drunken, good-for-nothing father turns up and kidnaps him, Huck takes his cue to leave - and escapes to Jackson's Island.

There he meets runaway slave Jim, and the two become firm friends. Their bond of trust holds strong as they travel down the Mississippi river on a raft - witnessing misdeeds and murder along the way - and are separated, captured, and re-captured before continuing in their bid for freedom.

Full of tension, excitement, comedy and drama, Twain's sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is also regarded as a comment on the slavery and colour prejudice inherent in the mid-19th century American South.

NB: Contains language that listeners may find offensive

Cast

Mark Twain - Mark Caven

Huckleberry Finn - Christopher Jacot

Miss Watson - Kay Hawtrey

Widow Douglas/Aunt Sally - Elva Mai Hoover

Tom Sawyer - Peter Oldrlng

Jo Harper/Tom - Shawn Mathieson

Ben Rogers/Loafer - Herbie Barnes

Judge Thatcher/Uncle Silas/Farmer - Sandy Webster

Jim - Martin Roach

Pap Finn - Les Carlson

New judge/Slave hunter 2 - Wayne Ward

Mrs Loftus/Col Grangerford's wife - Nicky Guadagni

Jim Turner/Slave hunter 1 - Jack Nicholsen

Bill - Pierre Brault

Jake Packard - Sam Malkin

Child of Calamity - Randy Hughson

Davey/Town judge/Country Jake - Jim Jones

Bob - Lawrence Bayne

Col Grangerford - Wally Michaels

Buck - Amos Crawley

Miss Sophia - Barbara Bames

Jack - Roy Lewis

Duke - James Kee

King - Dennis O'Connor

Boggs/Abner - Michael Caruana

Col Sherburn - Michael Copeman

Mary Jane - Tara Samuel

Dr Robinson - Pierre Brault

Joanna - Annick Obonsawin

Boy - Glenn Bang

Dramatised by Marcy Kahan

Directed by Ned Chaillet

Music composed by John Roby and performed by Roman Borys, Carlos Del Junco, Anne Lederman, John Roby and Don Rooke

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-29 December 2002