I, Claudius

by Robin Brooks (Adaptor), Robert Graves (Creator), Jonquil Panting (director)

This is a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome - one of the most gripping historical novels ever written. The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula, is told by their obscure relation, Claudius. In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination. But in private, he's as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive, he's acclaimed Emperor against his will. Can he save Rome from the corruption he's grown to detest?

1/6 Augustus
History of the Roman Imperial dynasty. Young Claudius grows up in a turbulent household.

2/6 Tiberius
Discovering his grandmother Livia's true ambition, Claudius and his brother face danger.

3/6 Sejanus
Tiberius finds his commander of the guard an invaluable aide against treason.

4/6 Caligula
The new and popular emperor Caligula has some surprises for his uncle Claudius.

5/6 Claudius
How the Sibyl's prophecy came true, for the most unwilling emperor of them all.

6/6 Messalina
Claudius works to restore the republic, but his beautiful wife Messalina has other plans.

Claudius - Tom Goodman-hill
Augustus - Derek Jacobi
Livia - Harriet Walter
Tiberius - Tim Mcinnerny
Julia - Alison Pettitt
Athenodorus - Sam Dale
Cato - Jude Akuwudike
Thrasyllus - Sean Baker
Young Claudius - Harvey Allpress
Young Herod - Felix Zadek-Ewing
Young Germanicus - Harry Child
Camilla - Lauren Mote
Young Postumus - Ryan Watson
Young Livilla - Holly Gibbs
Caligula - Samuel Barnett
Sejanus - Sam Dale
Agrippina - Hattie Morahan
Antonia - Christine Kavanagh
Livilla - Leah Brotherhead
Pallas - Lloyd Thomas
The Fisherman - Adeel Akhtar
Macro - Tony Bell
Calpurnia - Sally Orrock
Plautius - Jude Akuwudike
Cremutius - Sean BakerOfficer - Iain Batchelor
Senator - Henry Devas
Plancina - Claire Harry
Aelia - Deeivya Meir
Drusilla - Deeivya Meir
Macro - Tony Bell
Agrippinilla - Claire Harry
Thrasyllus - Sean Baker
Doctor - Adeel Akhtar
Gaoler - Iain Batchelor
Senator - Lloyd Thomas
Herod Agrippa - Zubin Varla
Messalina - Jessica Raine
Cassius Chaerea - Jude Akuwudike
Gratus - Sam Dale
Cornelius - Iain Batchelor
Bassus - Lloyd Thomas
Asiaticus - Sean Baker
Lupus - Henry Devas
Sentius - Tony Bell
The Executioner - Adeel Akhtar
Burrhus - Jude Akuwudike
Britannicus - Ryan Watson
Euodus - Adeel Akhtar
Asiaticus - Sean Baker
Frontinus - Tony Bell
Tacitus - Sam Dale
Callistus - Henry Devas
Soldier - Iain Batchelor

Specially composed music by David Pickvance.
Directed by Jonquil Panting.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Classics, Historical

6 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Robin Brooks was born in Leeds and brought up in Sheffield and Manchester.

He won an exhibition at Christchurch College, Oxford, where he studied English Literature. He started writing for Empty Space Theatre company in 1989. His first critical success was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which was performed all over the world from 1990 to 1997. He started writing Radio drama for BBC Radio 4 in 1992 and has since written many plays and series. Robin is one of the most commissioned writers of Radio Drama, working with the BBC and other independent companies as well as for his own company, Allegra Productions. He lives and works in Suffolk.

Reviews

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! The scheming, backstabbing, infighting and poisoning is off the scale. I’ve read pop history about this stuff but even knowing how it turned out I was still on the edge of my seat the whole time.

This must have been an influence on Augustus by John Williams but more vicious. It’s written like a lost memoir written by Claudius himself and it would make a nice follow up to Augustus because it leads right into this and had characters that carry over. Livia Drucilla, Augustus’ wife is a fucking “G”, she’s just pulling the strings on everyone, perfect villain.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably one of the best dramatizations of Ancient Rome focusing upon Claudius as he reflects upon his long life amidst the glory of Rome yet also amidst a web of malicious intrigue.

Get it.

I quite enjoyed the audio version though I am biased towards the television presentation.

OVERALL GRADE: A.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable glimpse into what could have happened in ancient rome.

Loads of politics, executions, insane rulers and the odd orgy. Everybody interrelated or intermarried - which probably accounts for the insanity! Could be the story of royalty anywhere.

The full cast production was very well done but did get a little confusing in places. Tom Goodman Hill, the voice of Claudius,was suburb.

The dark humour of Robert Graves really brought the past to life. I tasted the fear of life subject to the whims of Caligula, found comfortable in Callpernias faithful arms and cursed the stupidity of Claudius.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of these wickedly sharp historical adaptations of the life of "Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero this-that-and-the-other." I've read the books, and bought the wonderful TV adaptation. This dramatization of the books is great big fun. Highly recommend it

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this dramatized audiobook. Game of Thrones of the Roman Empire. It’s made me want to go and read the full book.

[Sarah Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adaptation, really enjoyable.

[Intoxicatedcake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me. I gave this audiobook a try based on an interview I had read with Terry Pratchett, wherein I recall him commenting about how The White Lady by Robert Graves is something of a foundational text in his world. With this as a reference, I took the plunge.

I am very pleased with this narrative. It plays and expands on those tidbits of leftover history classes and Shakespeare plays as names like Augustus and Nero, as well as the transitional period of Rome's early days under emperors. As well, the transition from emperor to emperor thereafter, and seeing so many through the days of one lifetime in the narrator, makes the history of the narrative more accessible (rather than, say, a sampling of emperors based on great public works or conquests, with their disparate timeline).

Overall I am quite impressed, and, bearing in mind that this was a dramatization, I look forward to giving Robert Graves a proper read.

[Claire Binkley]

Since my audio player began to give me great trouble in the middle I will not give it a rating, since I have not heard the whole thing. It is possibly due to how many people have maltreated it.
The beginning made me so happy and hopeful to contribute more to the reams of Greco-Roman research out there.

My recording gave up after the speaker brought up Caligula the third time.
I want to also read it, but I just listened to the audio recording with the beings in the room who were present. So I will look again in the library for the print copy.

All right, I just found the print book, and will probably get it next week.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating perspective for historical fiction, and the dramatization was effective. (Though the stuttering Claudius as narrator did sometimes wear on the nerves.) However, I have never been able to stand abridged books, and I couldn't stop wondering how much the book was changed for the audio drama version. I plan to find the full book version and compare.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched the series based on Grave’s book and Of course Sir Jacobi was Claudius so Mr Hill had a lot to live up to and he did! An excellent drama and I will never tire of listening to it again and again.

Missed Brian Blessed though!

[Pat Morris-jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the tv series all those years ago. Loved the books. Love this adaptation. It’s just so great. Nothing changes in life, although severity of reactions and power is less in this country. Prob not in some other countries. Also in this country I’m sure some politicians may wish it to be so.

[Thorfinn Tait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely worth buying and listening to. It’s just a shame that the dramatisation was so short. What I really want is an unabridged reading of the original novel, but it doesn’t seem to be available in English at all.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining full cast BBC adaptation of the novel “I, Claudius” into a radio drama, starring Tim Goodman Hill as Claudius, Derek Jacobi as Augustus, Harriet Walter as Livia and Tim McInnerny as Tiberius

[Patrick Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proof that a good editor makes all the difference!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun to listen to.... What an incredible story.

[Sithar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful entertaining.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done, a few audio issues but nothing too distracting.
Still unsure if Claudius was a genius or a dumbass.

[Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A BBC Dramatization, it is high quality and entertaining, and It was a quick read. Deeply enjoyed it.

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rom im Jahre 54. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , vierter julisch römische schreibt seine geheimen Memoiren.
Von klein auf war Claudius ein Außenseiter, ein Freak der Natur, eine Witzfigur: Er stottert, er hinkt, er hat nervöse Ticks und wird daher von seiner Familie im Verborgenen gehalten. Claudius wacher Geist jedoch, widmet sich dem Studium der Geschichte. Er will herausfinden, wie sein Vater wirklich starb und sticht damit in ein Wespennest.

Der gleichnamige historische Roman, auf dem dieses BBC Hörspiel basiert, war 1934 ein Bestseller und gilt noch heute als Klassiker des historischen Romanes. Graves hielt sich bei seinem Roman an die Überlieferungen durch Tacitus, Plutarch und Sueton, die er alle im Original kannte, da er als lateinischer Übersetzer arbeitete. Es ist bekannt, dass Claudius als gelernter Historiker tatsächlich an einer Autobiographie in acht Bänden gearbeitet haben soll, die heute jedoch verloren ist. Dieses Buch ist wohl das Buch, das die moderne Sichtweise bezüglich Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus bis heute nachhaltig geprägt hat.

Graves und auch das Hörspiel beschreibt das Leben der julischen Kaiser, angefangen bei Augustus aus Sicht des jungen, des erwachsenen und des Kaisers Claudius, der ironischerweise zum letzten Republikaner auf dem Kaiserthron wird. Nach Graves Auslegung wird Claudius zum Schluss so ein dekadenter Monarch und ernennt Nero zu seinem Nachfolger, um den Volk zu zeigen, dass Kaiser die Falsche und schlechteste Wahl sind. Durch die Ernennung Neros zu seinem Nachfolger, die seiner Meinung nach schlechteste Wahl, will er das Volk zum Umsturz animieren, um die Republik nach seinem Tode wieder einzuführen.

Das sechsteilige BBC Hörspiel aus dem Jahr 2010 fällt zunächst durch eine enorm große Sprecherriege auf, bei welcher Derek Jacobi, der in der gleichnamigen BBC Fernsehserie von 1976 den Claudius spielte, diesmal seltsamerweise jedoch den Augustus spricht, was ich am Anfang ein wenig verwirrend fand. Dennoch sind alle Sprecher durchweg ausgezeichnet, besonders Tom Goodman-hill als Claudius ist sehr überzeugend, auch wenn das Stottern am Anfang ziemlich nervt, aber so war es nun mal.

Fazit: Grandioses Monumentalhörspiel! Wieder einmal eine Geschichte, die in den englischsprachigen Ländern ein Klassiker ist, in Deutschland jedoch kaum Beachtung gefunden hat.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get past the fact that Derek Jacobi is not portraying Claudius and let's face it, he will always be Claudius even if another actor voices the role, this was a wonderful audio adaption of Robert Graves' books. It's hard to imagine a less dysfunctional family than the Julio-Claudians. You spend majority of the time trying to figure out whether to root for them or to spit in their face, including Claudius, the supposed hero of the story. If anything, Claudius is so removed from the ideal hero that I had to chuckle that his deification as a god was due to an accident (the Britons were suppose to dedicate the temple to Augustus and somehow got confused that it was for Claudius). So typical of much of Claudius' participation--a lucky happenstance.

It has been years since I have read the Robert Graves' I, Claudius so I was pleasantly surprised how the female characters are portrayed. If TV producers ever decide to reboot the mini-series, I am sure every actress sun would immediately rush to be cast because there are so many incredible roles. Mind you, these roles are categorized as either power-hungry matriarchs (Livia and Agrippina) or naive nonsensical vixens (Julias and Messalina). One sees right away that one of Claudius' main flaws is his inability to deal with women with strong personalities, which in his case, is almost every female. Claudius is weak-minded, cowardly and too staid that the real protagonists are the females in the family. Granted Tiberius and Caligula get a chance to be emperors but their stories are so intrinsically wrapped up with these female characters as well that they too become just mere players in the drama. Love or hate them, the female are the ones that truly bring this story to life.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, gloriously acted romp through the epic historical fiction of Robert Graves, the BBC’s dramatization of I, Claudius brings the sexualized violence and infighting of an HBO mini-series straight to the imagination’s furnace without any visual agenda to serve. Performances from each cast member carry the story across its several episodes without an annoying voice to fear or a slurred speech to stumble through.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of the "books" I listened to on my recent vacation. I'm relatively new to radio dramas, but not to "I, Claudius", and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with this one. Granted, the drama covers both "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God", and features some top notch acting, but a lot of material / finer details were omitted. I think as an introduction to "I, Claudius", listening to this would be fantastic, but definitely not a substitute for reading the book itself.

[TheFinalGirly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the BBC miniseries, I went into the dramatization hoping for moments that might have been left out of the miniseries and there was more than enough to make the experience fresh and interesting. Not to mention the talent involved was fantastic and made the experience all the more immersive.

[Koit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful rendition of Mr Graves' book with the actors and the music forming a singular whole that compliments itself by how precise and fitting it is.

I think this works both as an introduction into Mr Graves' writing as well as listening after having read 'I, Claudius' as a novel.

[Alicja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to this!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent BBC dramatic adaption. Wonderful cast and thoughtfully edited.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was re-reading the origina I, Claudius but soon realized this version was both dramatized and abridged. I quite enjoyed it anyway, though still plan to re-read the original version.

[Vera]

Ποιο Game of thrones!!! Ίντρικες δολοπλοκίες και απαράμιλλο χιούμορ!! Θα διάβαζα άνετα και το βιβλίο!