Episode 1
Four musicians chase greatness in a regime that fears art. As their quartet rises, each concert demands compromise, betrayal - or flight. Music keeps them alive but for how long?
Stormy Applause is adapted from the memoir of Rostislav Dubinsky, first violin of the Borodin Quartet. In 1953, as Stalin lies in state, four young musicians find themselves catapulted from idealistic students to unwilling cultural ambassadors of the Soviet Union. For Rostik and his closest friend Valia, every step forward brings new pressures: fame, censorship, KGB minders, and the gnawing question of how far they can compromise without betraying the music they love. Witty, moving and suspenseful, this is a story of friendship and survival - where every performance is political, and every note could cost everything.
Cast:
Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
James Corrigan
Ashley Margolis
Danny Ashok
Lilit Lesser
Nick Murchie
Roger Ringrose
Maggie Service
Django Bevan
Musicians:
Andrew O鈥橰eilly
Isabell Karlsson
Vivek Dinesh
Yixuan Ren
Sound design: Peter Ringrose.
Adapted by Nick Perry.
Produced & directed by Luke MacGregor and Sasha Yevtushenko.
A 蜜芽传媒 Studios production.
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Broadcast
- Sun 12 Oct 2025 15:00蜜芽传媒 Radio 4
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