Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu. Chapter 1 - An Early Fright

Radio Theatre Group

(3.9 stars; 12 reviews)

Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu Narrated by Louisa Thornton Chapter 1 â An Early Fright The Plot â Living a lonely existence in a remote schloss in Styria, on the border of Austria and Hungary, Laura and her father play host to an unexpected guest, the beautiful young Carmilla. Her arrival is closely followed by an outbreak of unexplained deaths in the area, while the young women's growing friendship coincides with a series of nightmares and mysterious nocturnal visitations, and a gradual downward spiral in Laura's health. A chilling tale of the un-dead, Carmilla stands out as an all-time horror classic. An excerpt from Chapter 1 of Le Fanuâs novel â I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed. It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet. I looked at her with a kind of pleased wonder, and ceased whimpering. She caressed me with her hands, and lay down beside me on the bed, and drew me towards her, smiling; I felt immediately delightfully soothed, and fell asleep again. I was wakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and I cried loudly. The lady started back, with her eyes fixed on me, and then slipped down upon the floor, and, as I thought, hid herself under the bed. Introducing, as Laura, the narrator of Carmilla Louisa Thornton A talented and versatile performer, Louisaâs theatre credits include lead roles in Sharman McDonaldâs When We Were Women, Liz Locheadâs Perfect Days and Muriel Sparkâs The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Louisa has also performed in previous productions for Radio Theatre Group, most recently, as the deadly femme fatale Cora Papadakis in The Postman Always Rings Twice and in 2004, as Red Riding Hood in A Company of Wolves.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

License