"Kidnapped": (1985) Betrayal and loyalty collide in Stevenson’s gripping adventure tale in Scotland.

Support the Archive - Buy Me A Coffee ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/JR_the_Old_R... Preserving classic radio drama, one story at a time. Classic Old Time Radio, vintage radio shows, the Golden Age of radio, BBC Radio, murder, mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, westerns. The 1985 BBC Radio dramatization of R.L. Stevenson's "Kidnapped," starring David Rintoul as David Balfour, recounts the thrilling adventures of a young orphaned Lowlander in 18th-century Scotland. The story begins in 1751 with 17-year-old David Balfour, newly orphaned, setting out to claim his inheritance at the House of Shaws. He quickly discovers his Uncle Ebenezer is a treacherous and miserly man who tries to have him killed. Failing that, Ebenezer orchestrates David's kidnapping, having him shanghaied aboard the brig Covenant with the intention of selling him into slavery in the American colonies. However, fate intervenes when the ship picks up a castaway, the charismatic and swashbuckling Jacobite fugitive, Alan Breck Stewart. Despite their differing loyalties (David is a staunch supporter of King George, while Alan is a Highland Jacobite), the two form an unlikely friendship and alliance. Their journey becomes a perilous flight across the Scottish Highlands after they are shipwrecked and become entangled in the historical "Appin Murder" – a real-life event where a government agent is assassinated, and Alan becomes a prime suspect. David and Alan are forced to flee from soldiers and other dangers, relying on their wits, courage, and the help of various Highland clans. The drama follows their harrowing escape, their developing bond, and David's determination to reclaim his rightful inheritance from his villainous uncle, all set against the backdrop of a Scotland still reeling from the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion. David Rintoul's portrayal of David Balfour captures his journey from an innocent, naive youth to a resourceful and determined young man.