One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - Episode 1

Another chance to hear Christian Slater read Ken Kesey's powerful, anti-authoritarian novel. Based on the author's own experiences at a war veterans' mental hospital in California, it was described as "a glittering parable of good and evil" when published in 1962. It tells the story of Randle Patrick McMurphy, a rebellious inmate in a mental hospital who leads a rebellion against the repressive staff. In episode one, McMurphy arrives at the hospital, grinning and shaking hands with everybody. It's the first time laughter has been heard in years but McMurphy is soon told that he must follow the rules. This novel first broadcast on Radio 2 in 2004, when Christian Slater was playing the role of McMurphy in London's West End.