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Ouida: A Little Scandal Is An Excellent Thing: A Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisation of Moths, plus a biographical drama
A BBC adaptation of Ouida’s landmark novel, along with an original drama and a fascinating documentary exploring her colourful life
‘A little scandal is an excellent thing; nobody is ever brighter or happier of tongue than when he is making mischief of his neighbours.’ - Ouida
Ouida – the pseudonym of English novelist Maria Louise Ramé – wrote over 40 novels as well as children’s books, short stories and essays. One of the most popular authors of her day, she achieved fame and fortune with her ‘sensation novels’ which scandalised and intrigued Victorian readers, but her extravagant lifestyle resulted in her dying in poverty in 1908. This collection brings together her pioneering novel Moths with two engrossing biographical portraits of Ouida herself.
A Little Scandal Is an Excellent Thing – Romantic novelist Ouida’s life was as flamboyant as her fiction. Born in England with a French father, she lived in luxury at the Langham Hotel, throwing lavish literary soirées with guests including Oscar Wilde, but died alone and penniless in Italy. Cheryl Campbell stars in this moving drama by award-winning poet Chrys Salt.
Moths – First published in 1880, this riveting tale of romance and society in 19th-century Europe is widely held as the first novel to portray a divorced woman finding happiness and fulfilment. It tells the story of teenage Vere Herbert, forced by her superficial mother Lady Dolly to wed the brutish Prince Zoroff. Meanwhile, she has fallen in love with an Italian opera singer, Raphael de Correze. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, dare she leave her husband to be with him? Dramatised by Chrys Salt and starring Teresa Gallagher as Vere, with Nicola Pagett, Paul Rhys and Geoffrey Whitehead.
Sensational Ouida – Maeve Binchy examines the life and books of Ouida, who never had a lover but caught the public’s imagination with the passionate stories she wrote.
Moths first published in 1880
‘A little scandal is an excellent thing; nobody is ever brighter or happier of tongue than when he is making mischief of his neighbours.’ - Ouida
Ouida – the pseudonym of English novelist Maria Louise Ramé – wrote over 40 novels as well as children’s books, short stories and essays. One of the most popular authors of her day, she achieved fame and fortune with her ‘sensation novels’ which scandalised and intrigued Victorian readers, but her extravagant lifestyle resulted in her dying in poverty in 1908. This collection brings together her pioneering novel Moths with two engrossing biographical portraits of Ouida herself.
A Little Scandal Is an Excellent Thing – Romantic novelist Ouida’s life was as flamboyant as her fiction. Born in England with a French father, she lived in luxury at the Langham Hotel, throwing lavish literary soirées with guests including Oscar Wilde, but died alone and penniless in Italy. Cheryl Campbell stars in this moving drama by award-winning poet Chrys Salt.
Moths – First published in 1880, this riveting tale of romance and society in 19th-century Europe is widely held as the first novel to portray a divorced woman finding happiness and fulfilment. It tells the story of teenage Vere Herbert, forced by her superficial mother Lady Dolly to wed the brutish Prince Zoroff. Meanwhile, she has fallen in love with an Italian opera singer, Raphael de Correze. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, dare she leave her husband to be with him? Dramatised by Chrys Salt and starring Teresa Gallagher as Vere, with Nicola Pagett, Paul Rhys and Geoffrey Whitehead.
Sensational Ouida – Maeve Binchy examines the life and books of Ouida, who never had a lover but caught the public’s imagination with the passionate stories she wrote.
Moths first published in 1880
Audible Audio
Published October 24, 2024
About the author
Ouida
1,057 books56 followersOuida was the pen name of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé (although she preferred to be known as Marie Louise de la Ramée).
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal rights activist and animal rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she went to Italy, where she died.
Ouida's work went through several phases during her career. In her early period, her novels were a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels dubbed "muscular fiction" that were emerging in part as a romanticization of imperial expansion. Later her work was more along the lines of historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children. One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria in the most extravagant of terms, while nonetheless also expressing sympathy for the Frenchwith whom Ouida deeply identifiedand, to some extent, the Arabs. This book went on to be staged in plays, and subsequently to be turned into at least three movies, transitioning Ouida in the 20th century.
Jack London cites her novel Signa, which describes an unschooled Italian peasant child who achieves fame as an opera composer, and which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
During her career, she wrote more than 40 novels, children's books and collections of short stories and essays. She was an animal rights activist and animal rescuer, and at times owned as many as thirty dogs. For many years she lived in London, but about 1874 she went to Italy, where she died.
Ouida's work went through several phases during her career. In her early period, her novels were a hybrid of the sensationalism of the 1860s and the proto-adventure novels dubbed "muscular fiction" that were emerging in part as a romanticization of imperial expansion. Later her work was more along the lines of historical romance, though she never stopped comment on contemporary society. She also wrote several stories for children. One of her most famous novels, Under Two Flags, described the British in Algeria in the most extravagant of terms, while nonetheless also expressing sympathy for the Frenchwith whom Ouida deeply identifiedand, to some extent, the Arabs. This book went on to be staged in plays, and subsequently to be turned into at least three movies, transitioning Ouida in the 20th century.
Jack London cites her novel Signa, which describes an unschooled Italian peasant child who achieves fame as an opera composer, and which he read at age eight, as one of the eight reasons for his literary success.
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