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Season 1, Episode 3 18:02 running time

Dance, Dracula and Pride & Prejudice

In this episode, we look at the artistic side of Covent Garden.

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Hosted by

Doctor Shama Rahman

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Sound Editing

Will Jacob

Listen now:
  • Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

Black Swans

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Written by

Viel Richardson

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Performed by

Jasmine Elcock

About this story

Cassa Pancho, who lead a diversity revolution in British ballet by creating the Ballet Black company in 2001, meets Michelle Obama at a performance during a G20 Summit in London in 2009.

Delve Deeper

Want to know more? Try starting here:


Find out more about Ballet Black.

  • Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London

Theatre of Blood

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Written by

Becky Stamp

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Performed by

Stephen Fry

About this story

Bram Stoker worked for the charismatic actor and theatre manager Henry Irving in the 1890s. In gothic style, Becky Stamp considers how Irving’s overbearing presence inspired the character of Count Dracula.

Delve Deeper

Learn more about this story’s themes with these links:


Read Dracula by Bram Stoker. First published in 1897 Read the full poem Henry Irving read in this story.

  • Henrietta Street, London

Jane Austen Sees a Portrait

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Written by

Sarah Fleming

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Performed by

Kate Reid

About this story

Jane Austen may have based the looks of heroine Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Jane in her novel Pride and Prejudice on those of a courtesan, Georgina Quentin. Quentin became the mistress of the future King George IV in 1813

Delve Deeper

If you want to delve deeper into this subject, you could try here:


Several scholars write about speculation that Mrs Quentin (known as Georgina and sometimes Harriet) was the inspiration for Jane Bennet. Jocelyn Harris’s book Satire, Celebrity, & Politics in Jane Austen (Bucknell University Press, 2017) is a great starting point for more information on this story. As well as Mrs Quentin, Harris also suggests another of George IVs mistresses as a possible reference for Jane Bennet. There are many reviews of the book online too. You can find the William Blake etching of Georgina (also known as Harriet) Quentin in the British Museum. Read about Georgiana/Harriet Quentin in Memoirs of the Life of the Celebrated Mrs Q. Read Jane’s letter to Cassandra (24 May 1815, letter No:44 or XLIV) at eg gutenberg.com or pemberley.com

  • Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London

Theatre of Blood

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Written by

Becky Stamp

{person.firstName} {person.familyName}

Performed by

Kate Reid

About this story

Bram Stoker worked for the charismatic actor and theatre manager Henry Irving in the 1890s. In gothic style, Becky Stamp considers how Irving’s overbearing presence inspired the character of Count Dracula.

Delve Deeper

Want to know more? Try starting here:


Read Dracula by Bram Stoker. First published in 1897 Read the full poem Henry Irving read in this story.