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Craven Street

Ben Franklin in London

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About this listen

 Originally broadcast nationwide in 1993, this meticulously researched five-part historical radio drama is being published to commemorate Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday. It reveals the multifaceted, complex Franklin's little known adventures in London before the Revolution. For 15 years, he lived on Craven Street off the Thames, where he established a surrogate family, began his autobiography, and became America's most famous citizen. As tensions heated up between the Mother Country and her colonies, Franklin became embroiled in intrigue, espionage, and even a duel. The British government believed him "the head of all the rebels" and set out to have him hanged. He escaped only hours before arresting magistrates came banging on his door. He was at sea sailing for home when "the shot heard 'round the world" rang out at Lexington.

The cast includes George Grizzard, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Sir Nigel Hawthorne.

©1993 Yuri Rasovsky (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc. Drama & Plays Historical Fiction

Critic reviews

" Craven Street is a moving, informative and beautifully produced radio play festooned with music and sounds of the time." ( AudioFile)
"What brings this to life is a soundtrack that mixes noise, music, narrative, snatches of dialogue, and other effects to conjure up a panorama of London life in your mind that no amount of visual detailing on TV could have achieved." ( Christian Science Monitor)
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