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Rumpole: The Gentle Art of Blackmail & Other Stories

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Rumpole: The Gentle Art of Blackmail & Other Stories

By: John Mortimer
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch, full cast, Timothy West
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About this listen

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young Horace Rumpole in this second stellar collection of court cases, also starring Timothy West as the older Rumpole.

'Rumpole and the Man of God': It is 1959, and Rumpole must defend a clergyman accused of shoplifting who, although he clearly did not commit the crime, is curiously reluctant to be cross-examined under oath. Meanwhile, Hilda (she who must be obeyed) has big news....

'Rumpole and the Explosive Evidence': Rumpole defends a well-known safe blower and exposes the underhand behaviour of one Dirty Dickerson, a senior police officer who is quite prepared to tamper with evidence.

'Rumpole and the Gentle Art of Blackmail': In 1964 Rumpole returns to Oxford, where he studied law, to defend a young gardener who is accused of blackmailing the Master of St Joseph’s College. Their friendship had provoked rumours of homosexuality - still illegal in those days - and the Master says he has been threatened with a public accusation.

'Rumpole and the Expert Witness': Rumpole is asked to defend a GP, Dr Ned Dacre, who is accused of murdering his wife, Sally. The plot thickens when the local pathologist turns out to have history with Dr Ned....

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Crime Thrillers Dramatisations Thriller & Suspense Funny
All stars
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All the performances were superlative and the adaptations neatly done. Completely enjoyable. Never thought to hear better Rumpole than Leo Mckern but between them, Timothy West and Benedict Cumberbatch have done it!

Just perfect

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The performances are good, as are the stories from John Mortimer, but the scripts present the younger Rumpole as bumptious, argumentative, a spiteful husband and a neglectful father.
These qualities are part of the older Rumpole, too, but not so unappealing as in these scripts.

An unlikeable younger Rumpole

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