A powerful billionaire who appears to have everything. The woman that holds the key.

When a beautiful piece of music stirs mega-tycoon Maximilian West, he remembers the women who have loved him and shaped his life. So begins a dazzling tale, taking us from the streets of London to the suites of New York, from the rise of Nazi Germany to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Strong, powerful, enigmatic, aloof, and adoring - many women made Maximilian the man with everything, but there is only one woman who can make him feel truly alive…

Hear an unforgettable journey of sacrifice, secrets, love and redemption. Be mesmerised across all eight episodes of this sumptuous full-cast adaptation that will have you gripped from start to finish.

Barbara Taylor Bradford is one of the world’s greatest storytellers, her books have sold over 92 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages. Her debut, A Woman of Substance, was an instant bestseller and she has established herself as one of the best-known writers of compelling stories with heart. Bert Coules has written several hugely successful radio and TV adaptations including the Brother Cadfael novels, works by Val McDirmid, Ian Rankin and The Further Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes series.

Cast and credits

Written by Bert Coules

Original story by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Directed by Enyd Williams

Pianist Michael Haslam

Maximilian West - Robin Ellis

Princess Irina Troubetzkoy - Dorothy Tutin

Anastasia – Alexandra Bastedo

Camilla Galland - Nicola Pagett

Adriana Macklin - Joanna Munro

Blair Martin – Alice Arnold

Theodora/Teddy - Emma Fielding

Ursula Westheim - Susannah Corbett

Frau Westheim - Sonia Fraser

Sister Constanza – Sian Phillips

Aunt Ketti – Maria Charles

Alix West - Elaine Pyke

Michael West - Nicholas Fletcher

Alan Trenton – Simon Williams

Margot Derevenko – Pauline Jameson

Willy Herzog - Kim Wall

Mark Lewis – Christopher Scott

Little Maxim - William Nichols Rose

Young Maxim – Jonathan Kitchens

Teenage Maxim- Robert Harper

Teenage Alan – Alex Lowe

Other parts played by Janet Maw, Chris Pavlo, Shirley Dixon, Jonathan Adams, Sean Baker, Colleen Prendergast, Rory Jennings, Denys Hawthorne, Joan Meredith

First Broadcast BBC Radio 2, 22 Oct – 10 Dec 1996