Series 5

Based on characters from Ada Leverson's trilogy of novels, Martyn Wade draws the delightful and romantic entanglements of the Ottleys to a close.
Episode One
Edith, Aylmer and Bruce, in this infernal, triangular charade seem as helpless and doomed as they ever were. Edith's scheme of shuttling between Aylmer (the love of her life) and Bruce (her hopeless former husband) collapses. What, Edith wonders, is to be done? ...
Ada ..... Haydn Gwynne
Bruce ..... Ifan Meredith
Edith ..... Juliet Aubrey
Aylmer ..... Jonathan Firth
Vincy Wenham Vincy ..... Sam Alexander
Madame Frabelle ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Reverend Byrne Fraser ..... Geoffrey Whitehead
Produced and Directed by Tracey Neale
The Story:
The ingenious but entirley unsatisfactory man-sharing operation breaks down on account of fractiousness between Bruce and Aymler, and Bruce's absurd and intrusive attempts to keep Edith under close observation. Edith disappears, she needs to find new energy and courage to deal with the Aylmer-Bruce dilemma.
Aylmer (with Vincy in tow) and Bruce (accompanied by Madame Frabelle, who thoroughly enjoys the drama of the occasion) conduct a search to no avail. Bruce experiences further anxiety when he is informed that he may be eligible for active military service. Despite his neurotic heart, Bruce passes the medical examination with flying colours.
Aylmer discovers Edith's location. She is staying at the senior Ottley home. The senior Ottleys seem to show more affection to Edith than their own son. This doesn't seem at all surprising to Aylmer and he looks forward to secret assignations with Edith. But when he hears about Bruce's call up he realises that he must tell Edith and so she comes out of hiding.
Madame Frabelle is no comfort to Bruce because she has become high Anglican (the smell of incense replaces that of her customary lavender water) and developed a friendship with a married clergyman, Byrne Fraser, who has appeared to have lost his faith. Bruce tries to find comfort in religion but his faith is sorely tested when he disovers more about the doubting Vicar.
Though he is entranced by the image of Bruce under heavy fire, Aymler - with some reluctance - agrees to Edith's request that he seek some desk-bound "work of national importance" for Bruce. But Bruce, it appears, has misread his call up letter and it's too late. He's sent off to war. It is bitter-sweet for Edith but Bruce being Bruce always has a surprise up his sleeve.
The Writer:
Martyn Wade's recent credits for radio aside from five series of The Little Ottleys, are two composer plays - Moeran's Last Symphony and The Healing of Sergei Rachmaninov and Singles and Doublets. A stage play - The Most Gorgeous Lady Blessington was performed at The Wallace Collection.
Martyn expertly took up the baton from Ada Leverson and not only writes fresh and funny dialogue for those existing characters but has also created some brilliant new characters for the Ottley series too.