A full-cast adaptation of the classic novel by Nobel Prize-winner Hermann Hesse, starring Derek Jacobi – plus a bonus short story
Originally published in 1943, The Glass Bead Game was Herman Hesse’s last novel. It was hailed as his magnum opus, and was instrumental in securing him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Set in a utopian future society, it explores themes of knowledge, individualism, creativity and spirituality, and has inspired contemporary thinkers from authors to game designers.
Narrated by Derek Jacobi, this two-part radio drama tells the story of Joseph Knecht (Tom Ferguson), plucked from obscurity as a young orphan, admitted to the finest elite school and groomed for greatness in the Castalian Order. This select group of intellectuals live a closeted life of study and devotion to the Glass Bead Game, an elaborate game that is the most complete possible expression of every discipline – from science and mathematics to the arts, music and philosophy.
As the years go by, Joseph strives to grasp the innermost meaning of the Game and understand its complexities and possibilities. He becomes a leading light in the Order, and is sent on a diplomatic mission to bridge the gulf between the Catholic Church and Castalia. But he never stops questioning the system that has swept him so quickly and smoothly to high office. And when he achieves the exalted position of Magister Ludi – Master of the Game – he suffers a crisis of conscience, as his deepening doubts about this idealistic and sanitised society threaten to topple its very foundations…
Also included is The City, a 15-minute fable about the birth and death of a city taken from Herman Hesse's collection of fairy tales and read by Andrew Hilton.
Cast
Biographer – Derek Jacobi
Joseph Knecht – Tom Ferguson
Fritz – Toby Hadoke
Music Master – Malcolm Raeburn
Van der Trave – Terence Mann
Plinio – David Seddon
Bertram – Jonathan Keeble
Father Jacobus – David Fleeshman
Young Joseph – Aidan Parsons
Helena – Olwen May
President – Terence Mann
Tito – Oliver Gomm
Dramatised by Lavinia Greenlaw
Produced by Charlotte Riches
Directed by Susan Roberts
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18-25 July 2010
The City
Read by Andrew Hilton
Produced by Sara Davies
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 December 2002
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
