Now a successful new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Woman in White is one of the most eerily thrilling melodramas of the Victorian age. This gripping dramatization of Wilkie Collins’s gothic tale of love, greed and insanity is tour-de-force BTC audio edition. Set in Victorian England, the story begins in a London courtroom, where the main characters are testifying about the mysterious death of heiress Laura Fairlie. William Hope stars as drawing teacher Walter Hartwright, who aids a ghostly woman, dressed all in white, only to be struck by her strange resemblance to the beautiful Laura. Stratford Festival actor Douglas Campbell plays the diabolical Count Fosco, while Cedric Smith gives a memorable oily performance as Laura’s sinister fiancé, Sir Percival Glyde.

Wilkie Collins (1824–1899) was an English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer best known for his pioneering works The Woman in White and The Moonstone. A master of sensation fiction, which was a precursor to modern-day suspense, Collins also wrote piercingly about the social and domestic issues of the Victorian era.Like his friend and collaborator Charles Dickens, Collins serialized his work. He perfected the form and kept his audience clamoring for the next installment week after week. His innovative narrative structure, intricate plots, and keen grasp of suspense won him international acclaim. One of the most influential writers of his time, Collins has had a lasting impact on the mystery genre and continues to enthrall new fans.

Wilkie Collins' profile page

Beverley Cooper is a writer, actor and teacher. She has written for TV, film and extensively for CBC radio drama, twice being nominated for Writers' Guild of Canada Awards. Her plays include Thin Ice (co-written with Banuta Rubess, Chalmers/Dora Award, Theatre Direct plus numerous other productions), The Eyes of Heaven (Blyth Festival), The Woman in White (adapted from the novel by Wilkie Collins, Theatre Aquarius),The Lonely Diner: Al Capone in Euphemia Township, (Blyth Festival) and Janet Wilson Meets the Queen (nominated for a Prix Rideaux award 2016, GCTC). Innocence Lost: A Play about Steven Truscott (Blyth, Centaur, National Arts Centre) was a finalist for a Governor General's Literary Award and was on the Globe and Mail Bestsellers List, a first for a Canadian playwright. Beverley holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph and trained as an actor at Studio 58. She has performed in TV, film and in theatres across Canada. Beverley lives in Toronto.

Beverley Cooper's profile page