Sunday, 22 June
8.30pm

The fourth and final drama in ABC1's season of Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, stars Billie Piper (Dr. Who; The Ruby in the Smoke; Much Ado About Nothing) as Jane Austen's favourite heroine, **** Price.

Taken from the poverty of her childhood surroundings to the sumptuous home of her aunt and uncle, Lady Bertram (Jemma Redgrave - Judge John Deed; The Inspector Lynley Mysteries; Tom Brown's Schooldays; Lewis, Waking The Dead) and Sir Thomas Bertram (Douglas Hodge - Middlemarch; Vanity Fair; Red Cap; Spooks) at Mansfield Park, she is never allowed to forget her humble past.

While her uncle is away on business in Antigua, the beguiling Mary Crawford (Hayley Atwell - The Ruby in the Smoke; The Line of Beauty) and her handsome brother Henry (Joseph Beattie - Malice Aforethought) arrive in the neighbourhood, bringing with them the glamour and recklessness of London society.

As her cousin Maria and Catherine vie for Henry's attentions, only **** is dubious about the Crawford's influence. She watches with increasing despair as her beloved cousin Edmund (Blake Ritson - Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire; Red Cap) succumbs to Mary's charms.
In the end, Edmund's eyes are finally opened, and he realises that the love of his life - **** - has been with him all along.

This lively adaptation of the Jane Austen classic is a study of family politics, class - and true love. Billie Piper's portrayal of **** as a tomboyish young woman who has a pure and gentle heart, a mind of her own and a sharp sense of humour breathes life into **** in a modern age.