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Michael Frayn, An English Affair

Matthew Sweet talks to playwright Michael Frayn as a season of his drama begins on Radios 3 and 4. Plus historian Richard Davenport-Hines on his new account of the Profumo scandal.

At the height of the cold war in the early 60s, as the established order was challenged as never before, Britons paid rapt attention to a sordid affair which involved a cabinet minister, a showgirl and a Soviet naval attache.In Night Waves, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Profumo affair, Matthew Sweet talks to Richard Davenport-Hines whose new account of the scandal, An English Affair, offers a new perspective in examining the role of the tabloid hacks,property developers and hangers on whose roles, in the build up to the drama's deadly climax, have never been fully realised.

Available now

45 minutes

Chapters

  • An English Affair

    An interview with Richard Davenport-Hines

    Duration: 11:49

  • Gangster Squad

    A discussion about Gangster Squad and gangster films

    Duration: 10:46

  • Copenhagen

    An interview with Michael Frayn

    Duration: 21:26

An English Affair

An English Affair written by Richard Daveport-Hines is published by HarperPress.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen written by Michael Frayn is at 20:30听on Sunday 13 January on 91热爆 Radio 3.

Gangster Squad

Gangster Squad is released in UK cinemas on Thursday 10 January 2013, certificate 15.

Broadcast

  • Mon 7 Jan 2013 22:00

Free Thinking

Free Thinking

Radio 3鈥檚 new home for arts and ideas.