Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama
An Audible Original Drama
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Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds: The Musical Drama
Buy Now for $24.99
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Narrated by:
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Michael Sheen
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Taron Egerton
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Theo James
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Adrian Edmondson
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Anna-Marie Wayne
About this listen
When H. G. Wells first published The War of The Worlds in 1898, the novel quickly became a sci-fi classic. The story of extraterrestrials from Mars invading Earth captured the public’s imagination, inspiring a famed 1938 radio broadcast with Orson Welles, several feature films, countless video games, and a best-selling musical concept album by Jeff Wayne in 1978, among others.
Immersing listeners in a world that is as thrilling as it is desolate, Jeff Wayne’s eerie and pulsating score brings the suspense, drama, and urgency of Wells’s original novel to a fever pitch in this Audible Original Drama. Michael Sheen headlines an ensemble cast of talented performers that also includes Taron Egerton, Adrian Edmondson, Theo James, and Anna-Marie Wayne.
©2018 Music Masters: Sony Music Entertainment
©2018 Existing compositions: Universal Music Publishing Group, Jeff Wayne Music (Publishing) Ltd
©2018 Newly composed music: Jeff Wayne Music (P)2018 Audible, Ltd
©2018 Newly composed music: Jeff Wayne Music (P)2018 Audible, LtdImmerse yourself in The War of The Worlds
Listen to an immersive audio drama
- The Eve of the War
- Discovery of the Martians
- The Eve of the War
- Heat Ray
- The Eve of the War
- Opening
Behind the scenes with the cast of Jeff Wayne's The War of The Worlds
Michael Sheen, Taron Egerton and Jeff Wayne on recording Audible's musical dramaCritic Reviews
"The science-fiction classic undergoes a fantastic modernization, thanks to Jeff Wayne's energetic score and a cast of talented narrators. Michael Sheen capably steps into the character of the unnamed journalist and imbues his narration with steady calm as he recounts the Martian invasion of England. A varied cast coupled with subtle sound effects keeps the drama feeling fresh and dynamic. The musical score complements the story by punctuating the arrival of the Martians and other thrilling moments but also highlights the story's isolating atmosphere. Score and narration combine with high production values, resulting in a unique audio drama that enhances the original story." (AudioFile Magazine)
Nothing beats the original version but this Audible arrangement does it justice & is very enjoyable to listen to.
My Favourite Musical Drama
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From that day to the present our whole family have been avid fans of that musical wonder.
Through the years we collectively owned 5 copies of the LP, 3 copies on cassette, and 3 copies on compact disc.
In his last years my brother and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take my father to see the live concert conducted by Jeff Wayne himself... 4 decades since we first heard it and we have never lost our love for it.
Which brings me to this Audio Drama.
While I was skeptical at first, it only took a few minutes of listening for me to realise that I never knew how much I needed this to exist.
Finally, the music I have adored all of my life merged with the story that inspired it and lovingly brought to life by some truely amazing voice talents into a whole new version of that timeless tale.
This audio drama in my opinion is worthy of the title Masterpiece!
Anyone who is a fan of either the original story or Jeff Wayne's amazing album will love this.
I can't praise or recommend it enough.
Mike
A Stunning Masterpiece
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great cool oooolwaaah ironclad yeah
Great production
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Wonderful
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British science fiction writer HG Wells first wrote War of the Worlds in 1897. It tells the story of a Martian invasion of Earth using superior technology to decimate the population and became the template for future alien-invasion stories. The novel received a revival after American actor and director Orson Welles dramatised it for radio in 1938. The broadcast presented the invasion through a series of fake news bulletins which caused outright panic across the nation as listeners tuned in late and failed to realise they were listening to The Mercury Theatre on the Air.
Welles’ infamous radio play is still celebrated and studied to this day and its popularity is arguably matched only by Jeff Wayne’s rock opera of the seventies. The distinctive dramatic music, combined with Richard Burton’s narration and David Essex’ vocals has continued to keep this recording well-loved and popular.
Now, some 40 years later, Jeff Wayne has removed the songs, revamped the music and released a full-cast dramatisation of War of the Worlds. A lot of the familiar, much-loved music is still there, although tweaked to modernise it, and it complements the fully-realised production and sound effects beautifully with tense underscoring and powerful but shorter musical bridges.
The new music added to this production is of equal quality to the most remembered tunes of the original and it all adds to the tension and thrills of the tale.
War of the Worlds has been done to death over the decades with movie adaptations, at least two television mini-series this past year alone, and countless book readings and dramatisations. Even so, Wayne has creating a fresh new version that brings back the excitement of the story and the storytelling. There’s enough of his original production to delight those already in love with the earlier version without turning this 2018 adaptation into a simple rehash.
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds 2018 musical drama remains emotive, passionate and unstoppable listening with a top-notch cast. Don’t miss it.
Don't miss it!
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