Dame Joan Plowright

Actor Dame Joan Plowright is castaway by Sue Lawley.

Joan has been at the forefront of her profession since she first appeared at the Royal Court Theatre in London half a century ago.

In those days she was identified with the new wave, appearing in plays by writers such as Arnold Wesker and John Osborne. She went on to make her name in more established roles - winning Actress Of The Year for her performance as Shaw's 'St Joan'.

Through her marriage to Laurence Olivier, she became closely associated with his work at Chichester, and the foundation of the National Theatre.

After his death, she added a career on screen to her theatre work.

Joan was made a Dame in 2004.

She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Enchanted April and her film, Mrs Palfrey At The Claremont was released in 2006.

DISC ONE: Judy Garland - Over the Rainbow
DISC TWO: Kathleen Ferrier - Blow the Wind Southerly
DISC THREE: Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli - Elgar's Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36: Variation IX "Nimrod"
DISC FOUR: Sir Laurence Olivier - St Crispian's Day Speech from the 1944 film Henry V
DISC FIVE: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein - Maria (from West Side Story)
DISC SIX: Mitsuko Uchida - Mozart's Piano Sonata in C major, 1st movement
DISC SEVEN: Giuseppe Di Stefano - Comme Facette Mammete
DISC EIGHT: Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Mitsuko Uchida - Mozart's Piano Sonata in C major, 1st movement
BOOK CHOICE: A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust
LUXURY CHOICE: A piano

Producer: Leanne Buckle

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2006.