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Alfred Polly is an ordinary middle-aged man who is tired of his wife’s nagging and his dreary job as a gentleman’s outfitter in a small town. Faced with the threat of bankruptcy, he decides that the only way to escape his frustrating existence is to burn his shop to the ground and kill himself. Unexpected events, however, conspire at the last moment to lead the bewildered Mr Polly to a bright new future – after he saves a life, fakes his death and escapes to a world of heroism, hope and ultimate happiness.

A comic take on mid-life crisis, The History of Mr Polly (published in 1910) is generally considered H G Wells' funniest novel. But it’s not without serious purpose. Beneath the surface is an implicit criticism of a society that forces people to suppress their imaginations and lead lives of drab conformity.

In the first episode, Mr Polly – romantic, dreamer, and gentleman’s outfitter - takes stock of his life so far. He remembers his early years as an apprentice draper, and the fun he used to have with his friend, Parsons. He is saved from the drudgery of his apprenticeship when his father dies, leaving him an inheritance. This enables him to marry his cousin, Miriam, and buy a shop of his own. But 15 years on, he concludes he has wasted his life.

Episode 1: Beginnings and the Bazaar

Narrator ..... Stephen Mangan
Alfred Polly ..... Paul Ready
Miriam ..... Clare Corbett
Garvace /Penstemon ..... Trevor Littledale
Parsons ..... James Joyce
Harold Johnson ..... Nigel Anthony
Mrs Larkins ..... Rachel Atkins
Annie ..... Emma Kilbey
Christabel ..... Ela Chapman
Rumbold ..... Richard Attlee
Schoolmaster ..... Julian Parkin

Written by HG Wells
Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan
Producer / Director: David Blount

A Pier production for Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio 4