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A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of one of the classics of Russian literature. Former university student Rodion Raskolnikov is struggling to survive in desperate poverty. In his stifling closet-like room he eats little and spends his time thinking and dreaming. In his thoughts a particular theory takes shape that leads him to murder an old woman money-lender and her meek sister. With his abundant intellect he doesn't seem to view the attack as a crime, but what he hasn't predicted are the tortures inflicted by his all-too-human conscience.

In an atmosphere of increasing tension and fear, Raskolnikov tries to hide his secret from his friends, family and most importantly from the one man he is sure knows his guilt, the cunningly clever policeman Porfiry Petrovich. There is only one person he confides in, the prostitute Sonya, who holds the power of his redemption.

Starring Anton Lesser, Poppy Miller and Penny Downie with Barnaby Hay as Raskolnikov, 'Crime and Punishment' is a psychological masterpiece and gripping thriller which captivates until the very end.