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BBC's Radio Dramatization: Rumpole #1
Rumpole: The Penge Bungalow Murders & Other Stories
Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders
It is the fifties, and two war heroes have been shot dead. Defending the suspect is deemed hopeless, so the case is handed to a novice. But the novice's superiors didn't count on the tenacity and wit of the young and hungry Horace Rumpole, as he defends the accused alone and without a leader for the very first time. This two-part adaptation of the novel by John Mortimer also marks the beginning of Rumpole's life-long liason with Hilda ("She Who Must Be Obeyed").
Rumpole and the Family Pride
We rejoin Rumpole and Hilda in the late 1950s, when they have been married for a year or two. Hilda's cousin lives with her husband, the 17th Baron Sackbut, in Sackbut Castle on the Yorkshire Moors. Hilda and Rumpole are invited to the castle when a body is found in the grounds. Meanwhile, in London, Rumpole defends a tramp who has confessed to a triple-murder.
Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle
When Rumpole and Hilda attend a concert performed by The Casterini Trio, Rumpole is surprised to be approached by Elizabeth Casterini - the trio's beautiful violinist. But then the Trio's cellist, Tom Randall, is murdered. Elizabeth's husband is arrested, and Rumpole agrees to defend him at the Old Bailey.
Duration: 3 hrs approx.
It is the fifties, and two war heroes have been shot dead. Defending the suspect is deemed hopeless, so the case is handed to a novice. But the novice's superiors didn't count on the tenacity and wit of the young and hungry Horace Rumpole, as he defends the accused alone and without a leader for the very first time. This two-part adaptation of the novel by John Mortimer also marks the beginning of Rumpole's life-long liason with Hilda ("She Who Must Be Obeyed").
Rumpole and the Family Pride
We rejoin Rumpole and Hilda in the late 1950s, when they have been married for a year or two. Hilda's cousin lives with her husband, the 17th Baron Sackbut, in Sackbut Castle on the Yorkshire Moors. Hilda and Rumpole are invited to the castle when a body is found in the grounds. Meanwhile, in London, Rumpole defends a tramp who has confessed to a triple-murder.
Rumpole and the Eternal Triangle
When Rumpole and Hilda attend a concert performed by The Casterini Trio, Rumpole is surprised to be approached by Elizabeth Casterini - the trio's beautiful violinist. But then the Trio's cellist, Tom Randall, is murdered. Elizabeth's husband is arrested, and Rumpole agrees to defend him at the Old Bailey.
Duration: 3 hrs approx.
3 pages, Audio CD
First published January 4, 2018
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About the author
John Mortimer
252 books233 followersJohn Clifford Mortimer was a novelist, playwright and former practising barrister. Among his many publications are several volumes of Rumpole stories and a trilogy of political novels, Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained and The Sound of Trumpets, featuring Leslie Titmuss - a character as brilliant as Rumpole. John Mortimer received a knighthood for his services to the arts in 1998.
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
Series:
Rumpole of the Bailey
Rapstone Chronicles
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 24, 2025
Rumpole and The Penge Bungalow Murders by John Mortimer, author of Charade http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/12/f... and Titmuss Regained http://realini.blogspot.com/2019/03/t... both included on the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read List
9 out of 10
This reader is not particularly inclined to indulge in detective books, but notwithstanding that, there are some magnum opera that make the expedition worthwhile, given that Umberto Eco has opened our eyes to the potential eternity involved in reading - “The person who doesn't read lives only one life…The reader lives 5,000…Reading is immortality backwards’- why not try to navigate through the lives of criminals (and detectives) to see what it is like to be a thug for a change – assuming readers are just like me, noble, innocent, god fearing humans – besides, you can find some extraordinary facts from such novels, take The Daughter of Time by Josephine Fey http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/10/t... for instance and the revelation from it…
William Shakespeare has made the world (well, we need to wonder how many know of him today, never mind read his masterpieces) know Richard III http://realini.blogspot.com/2018/07/r... as the epitome of Evil (with a capital letter, to throw one of the favorite mannerisms, the hyperbole) while the investigation in The Daughter of Time makes plain that this was just…myth, or what might be called ‘fake news’ in the lingo of the present, for Richard III had not killed his nephews and alas, he will be known by most as a monster, when he was if not a good man, then just ordinary…
John Mortimer combines in the Penge Bungalow Murders humor (both Charade and Titmuss Regained belong to the Comedy section on the list of the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read List) with drama, for we have two murders in the plot, two bomber pilots that have flown in World War II missions are shot dead and the son of one of them is accused, arrested and put on trial for the killings, while the hero of a series, Horace Rumpole, is assisting in the case to begin with, then becomes the sole defense of Simon Jerold.
The two bomber pilots are killed during the night, but in the prior evening they have met for a small celebration, during which Simon’s father has started to promote some martial ideas and attacked his son for his unwillingness to fight, show desire to participate in wars, a more than awkward position given what we will find out (spoiler alerts) and his dejection during the World War II, which at one stage he had become sure that Hitler is going to win, and it is pointless to keep fighting, better see the inevitable
This will be an important part of the defense plan of the young Horace Rumpole, albeit at the start, he has a leader, CH Wystan, he has to work under, only this barrister does not show an interest in the saving of Simon, he is sure the young man will be sentenced, ad executed in those days, and it is therefore in his interest to avoid annoying the court, his strategy is anyway one that keeps decorum at all costs
Hilda, or She Who Must Be Obeyed, is the daughter of the leader and will play a crucial role in the narrative, however less she participates in some schemes than she declares, for she does promote Rumpole, then tells him and the readers about her intention to get married, does encourage the aspiring Horace Rumpole, but her support, their dialogues are marred by her imperial perspective, she will force the young man to accept her desire, even if that concerns one of the most important decisions one can take
Seeing that he is not defended by the leader, CH Wystan, Simon Jerold tells him he does not want him for the defense anymore, and he will choose Rumpole instead, because it had been evident that the latter wants to save the client, while the leader is really concerned with other matters, given that this is a lost cause anyway, everybody knowing that it is the young man who did it, so we have a Face Off here.
When his father has been determined to push around the too pacifist son, Simon had taken a gun and said something to the effect of ‘if you are so bloody minded to push others to war, see if you can take this, I will shoot anyone of you who approaches me’…the older men had been keen to rough the son around, but this stopped them and later on, it was the clear ‘evidence’ that the young man had wanted to kill the father, then his pal, and other circumstantial proof was summoned to make a shut and closed case…
Nonetheless, Horace Rumpole has seen that the boy is innocent and is going to try to make sure he is acquitted, he finds more about the defeatism of the dead father, then a witness provides key testimony, having heard from the bathroom a dispute – when the two pilots returned from a Nazi prison camp, they claimed that the third man of the team had died in the fire, when the plane was shot down, only there are witnesses that had seen a dead officer, shot next to a laded plain and that sheds a different light.
It looks as if the bomber pilots with a wish to abandon the fight (one critic says this is improbable, and we have to agree) could not convince their navigator (was he that, maybe this is a mistake) to join them in their surrender and treason, so they had shot him dead, then pursued their goal of seeing the sitting the rest of the war from the safety of a Nazi prisoners of war camp, however, when they returned, one of their air force mates, present on the evening of the murder at the small party, has had his suspicions.
Those doubts became a conviction that they had killed their navigator, he confronts the killers (it does look as if they had done it) and talks about execution and treason, something heard from the bathroom, this and other facts pieced together by brilliant Horace Rumpole might win the day and save the innocent Simon Jerold, something for which the leader might try to take credit, the way privileged fellows do…
http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
9 out of 10
This reader is not particularly inclined to indulge in detective books, but notwithstanding that, there are some magnum opera that make the expedition worthwhile, given that Umberto Eco has opened our eyes to the potential eternity involved in reading - “The person who doesn't read lives only one life…The reader lives 5,000…Reading is immortality backwards’- why not try to navigate through the lives of criminals (and detectives) to see what it is like to be a thug for a change – assuming readers are just like me, noble, innocent, god fearing humans – besides, you can find some extraordinary facts from such novels, take The Daughter of Time by Josephine Fey http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/10/t... for instance and the revelation from it…
William Shakespeare has made the world (well, we need to wonder how many know of him today, never mind read his masterpieces) know Richard III http://realini.blogspot.com/2018/07/r... as the epitome of Evil (with a capital letter, to throw one of the favorite mannerisms, the hyperbole) while the investigation in The Daughter of Time makes plain that this was just…myth, or what might be called ‘fake news’ in the lingo of the present, for Richard III had not killed his nephews and alas, he will be known by most as a monster, when he was if not a good man, then just ordinary…
John Mortimer combines in the Penge Bungalow Murders humor (both Charade and Titmuss Regained belong to the Comedy section on the list of the 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read List) with drama, for we have two murders in the plot, two bomber pilots that have flown in World War II missions are shot dead and the son of one of them is accused, arrested and put on trial for the killings, while the hero of a series, Horace Rumpole, is assisting in the case to begin with, then becomes the sole defense of Simon Jerold.
The two bomber pilots are killed during the night, but in the prior evening they have met for a small celebration, during which Simon’s father has started to promote some martial ideas and attacked his son for his unwillingness to fight, show desire to participate in wars, a more than awkward position given what we will find out (spoiler alerts) and his dejection during the World War II, which at one stage he had become sure that Hitler is going to win, and it is pointless to keep fighting, better see the inevitable
This will be an important part of the defense plan of the young Horace Rumpole, albeit at the start, he has a leader, CH Wystan, he has to work under, only this barrister does not show an interest in the saving of Simon, he is sure the young man will be sentenced, ad executed in those days, and it is therefore in his interest to avoid annoying the court, his strategy is anyway one that keeps decorum at all costs
Hilda, or She Who Must Be Obeyed, is the daughter of the leader and will play a crucial role in the narrative, however less she participates in some schemes than she declares, for she does promote Rumpole, then tells him and the readers about her intention to get married, does encourage the aspiring Horace Rumpole, but her support, their dialogues are marred by her imperial perspective, she will force the young man to accept her desire, even if that concerns one of the most important decisions one can take
Seeing that he is not defended by the leader, CH Wystan, Simon Jerold tells him he does not want him for the defense anymore, and he will choose Rumpole instead, because it had been evident that the latter wants to save the client, while the leader is really concerned with other matters, given that this is a lost cause anyway, everybody knowing that it is the young man who did it, so we have a Face Off here.
When his father has been determined to push around the too pacifist son, Simon had taken a gun and said something to the effect of ‘if you are so bloody minded to push others to war, see if you can take this, I will shoot anyone of you who approaches me’…the older men had been keen to rough the son around, but this stopped them and later on, it was the clear ‘evidence’ that the young man had wanted to kill the father, then his pal, and other circumstantial proof was summoned to make a shut and closed case…
Nonetheless, Horace Rumpole has seen that the boy is innocent and is going to try to make sure he is acquitted, he finds more about the defeatism of the dead father, then a witness provides key testimony, having heard from the bathroom a dispute – when the two pilots returned from a Nazi prison camp, they claimed that the third man of the team had died in the fire, when the plane was shot down, only there are witnesses that had seen a dead officer, shot next to a laded plain and that sheds a different light.
It looks as if the bomber pilots with a wish to abandon the fight (one critic says this is improbable, and we have to agree) could not convince their navigator (was he that, maybe this is a mistake) to join them in their surrender and treason, so they had shot him dead, then pursued their goal of seeing the sitting the rest of the war from the safety of a Nazi prisoners of war camp, however, when they returned, one of their air force mates, present on the evening of the murder at the small party, has had his suspicions.
Those doubts became a conviction that they had killed their navigator, he confronts the killers (it does look as if they had done it) and talks about execution and treason, something heard from the bathroom, this and other facts pieced together by brilliant Horace Rumpole might win the day and save the innocent Simon Jerold, something for which the leader might try to take credit, the way privileged fellows do…
http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
September 4, 2018
So I didn't know anything about Rumpole before listening to thsi BBC production and my sole reason for choosing it was having Benedict Cumberbatch as young Rumpole and well I liked this production.
The narrator is old Rumpole voiced by Timothy West and Benedict acts as younger Rumpole. He is a very good lawyer which most of the time at least in this production ends up saving his client by finding the actual culprit through smart guesses which is actually close to Benedict's role as Sherlock.
I could say the stories were ok but the production was quite enjoyable.
The narrator is old Rumpole voiced by Timothy West and Benedict acts as younger Rumpole. He is a very good lawyer which most of the time at least in this production ends up saving his client by finding the actual culprit through smart guesses which is actually close to Benedict's role as Sherlock.
I could say the stories were ok but the production was quite enjoyable.
November 9, 2021
Three radio plays from BBC 4 based on Rumpole stories. Very well done, humorous and enjoyable.
December 31, 2018
My mind is forever filled to the brim with reasons one should never make gross assumptions about anything or ever generalize about any one group of people, as it is such a vulgar habit, which is something I am forever reminding my partner who does SO like to generalize about everything and everyone, and though he is a very nice man, he should really polish up a rough edge here and there, but then nobody is perfect and perhaps it is better that way. Take Rumpole himself, that fat, cheap wine swilling, criminal defending, cigar smoking, forever complaining about She Who Must Be Obeyed, murder loving barrister with a habit of standing on his hind legs... HE could never be taken as any model of perfection and that is precisely what is so wonderful about him.
However I will make this review very simple and very Rumpolian by saying there are two kinds of people in this world: those who enjoy Rumpole and those who do not, and I seem to belong to the first camp. Which is not to say I will discriminate against those who don’t enjoy him, but I certainly take pity on them, for they know not what they are missing, especially when it comes to these BBC serialized episodes with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the young Rumpole.
I’d listened to and enjoyed this same recording of “The Penge Bungalow Murders” at the very beginning of 2018, but then reading a few collections of Rumpole short stories afterwards, found he manages to mention that particular trial case which he “led and won alone and without a leader” in practically every single every OTHER of his stories and of course I’d proceeded to forget all about it, so thought I’d refresh my forever failing memory before moving on to the next Rumpole story collection in 2019. It should be mentioned without too much danger of spoilers that The Penge Bungalow Murders is also the story in which young Rumpole lands his very first case via the equally young Hilda, who will snare him into wedded blandness to come be known as She Who Must Be Obeyed.
However I will make this review very simple and very Rumpolian by saying there are two kinds of people in this world: those who enjoy Rumpole and those who do not, and I seem to belong to the first camp. Which is not to say I will discriminate against those who don’t enjoy him, but I certainly take pity on them, for they know not what they are missing, especially when it comes to these BBC serialized episodes with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the young Rumpole.
I’d listened to and enjoyed this same recording of “The Penge Bungalow Murders” at the very beginning of 2018, but then reading a few collections of Rumpole short stories afterwards, found he manages to mention that particular trial case which he “led and won alone and without a leader” in practically every single every OTHER of his stories and of course I’d proceeded to forget all about it, so thought I’d refresh my forever failing memory before moving on to the next Rumpole story collection in 2019. It should be mentioned without too much danger of spoilers that The Penge Bungalow Murders is also the story in which young Rumpole lands his very first case via the equally young Hilda, who will snare him into wedded blandness to come be known as She Who Must Be Obeyed.
April 24, 2020
Generally speaking I have NOT enjoyed this retelling of John Mortimer's stories. However, out of the lot that I've listened to, this one is probably the best. It portrays Rumpole as an old man looking back on his much younger self. The majority of the narrative involves the younger Rumpole (like in his late 20s). Rumpole's aged cynicism is discordant when coming from the mouth of a much younger person. One can accept cynicism and even laugh when it comes from a person with years of experience. It seems mean-spirited coming from a young man.
I doubt I will return to this BBC dramatization.
I doubt I will return to this BBC dramatization.
January 15, 2018
If you're a Rumpole fan, you would love this BBC production. Benedict Cumberbatch makes a wonderful young Rumpole. If you don't know Rumpole, this is a great introduction: from his life a young barrister, to his encounter with Hilda and how she (almost) trapped him into marrying her, until she becomes "She Who Must Be Obeyed."
Rumpole is an amazing lawyer. Even if the whole world is certain you're guilty but you're not, trust Rumpole to uncover the truth in his brilliant way. What a fun listen!
Rumpole is an amazing lawyer. Even if the whole world is certain you're guilty but you're not, trust Rumpole to uncover the truth in his brilliant way. What a fun listen!
September 22, 2019
I did not know anything about the Rumpole series before picking this audiobook up. Having enjoyed previous BBC Radio dramatizations I felt this one would be enjoyable as well. The multi cast members gave a wonderful performance and these three short stories were interesting. Unfortunately I don’t believe I will buy another Rumpole book. It is interesting to see a mystery unravel from a lawyer’s viewpoint vs a detective’s, however I did not enjoy this book as much as I do Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot books.
April 6, 2019
In the long ago days before television was the radio play as entertainment to fire the imagination
This modern adaptation was delightful and unlike an audio book had many more sounds and voices added to the mix for atmosphere.
Of course, I could listen to Timothy West and Benedict Cumberbatch as the respective older and younger Rumpoles easily for longer than these three radio plays.
A delightful, charming and witty rendition of John Mortimer's famous and to many, favourite legal eagle.
This modern adaptation was delightful and unlike an audio book had many more sounds and voices added to the mix for atmosphere.
Of course, I could listen to Timothy West and Benedict Cumberbatch as the respective older and younger Rumpoles easily for longer than these three radio plays.
A delightful, charming and witty rendition of John Mortimer's famous and to many, favourite legal eagle.
August 13, 2018
A little weird how they did the audio book with the older narrator telling the story while the younger one (Benedict) acted it out with the speaking parts of what the character was actually saying. Some of the stories dragged a tiny bit, but they're trying so hard to be Sherlock without being Sherlock that it got annoying, as even Benedict was trying to NOT be Sherlock and you could hear it.
January 2, 2019
So much better than the Ngaio Marsh stories I listened to yesterday, it makes me sad for her.
This first novelette describes how Rumpole won his first case, his wife, and his position in the law firm, all on the same day. Great fun.
The other stories aren't as good, but nearly. The production, though, is wonderful.
This first novelette describes how Rumpole won his first case, his wife, and his position in the law firm, all on the same day. Great fun.
The other stories aren't as good, but nearly. The production, though, is wonderful.
February 17, 2024
I certainly enjoyed listening to Benedict Cumberbatch as the young Rumpole.
His wife Hilda was very forward and strong willed. Their interactions weren’t always what I expected from a British married couple.
Rumple certainly could get heated in the trial. The Triangle story was my fav of the batch.
His wife Hilda was very forward and strong willed. Their interactions weren’t always what I expected from a British married couple.
Rumple certainly could get heated in the trial. The Triangle story was my fav of the batch.
January 21, 2018
Three lightweight, not-very-mysterious mysteries. I purchased the audiobook because Benedict Cumberbatch was one of the voices and I did enjoy his performance. But even with the lure of his voice, I'm not inclined to listen again.
April 3, 2018
These radio plays capture the spirit of the Rumpole stories, with Timothy West and Benedict Cumberbatch blending beautifully as the older and young Rumpole.
If you are looking for a good item to listen to during your commute then maybe this is it.
If you are looking for a good item to listen to during your commute then maybe this is it.
January 26, 2018
I listened to this when I was able to get BBC Radio. I’m glad they’re in audiobook format now.
September 12, 2018
Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as the young Rumpole. I gave this audio book 4 stars for pure enjoyment. Quite amusing and well written BBC version. I do hope they do some more Rumpole books.
April 7, 2021
I have to say that I enjoy the previous productions better. For one, the dynamic between Rumpole and Hilda is altered and less generous in these versions.
April 21, 2023
Three and a half stars
April 23, 2024
Entertaining listen . Rumpole books I am sure are an inspiration for many lawyer/ barrister books
August 16, 2025
This dramatization is just what I need right now... a different more engaging way to expl I re a book or short stories.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews