The body of Rhoda Comfrey is found on a lonely canal path. Subsequent investigations reveal very little about the dead woman or her life. The only clue is a wallet belonging to historical novelist Grenville West that leads Wexford firstly to London, and then to France.

  • George Baker: Wexford and I went over to Honfleur to film some of A Sleeping Life. We hugely enjoyed the Normandy lobsters, oysters, sea urchins and a great quantity of Chablis…
  • The WaterCress Line in Alresford was used as the setting for Kingsmarkham station.

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Related Books

Book jacket image
  • Published by Hutchinson in 1978
  • Grenville West bases one of his books on Beaumont and Fletcher’s The Maid’s Tragedy, a Jacobean drama set in classical Rhodes. The book is dedicated to Rhoda Comfrey and the first two lines are taken from the play:
    Those have most power to hurt us, that we love;
    We lay our sleeping lives within their arms.

Cast + Credits

  • DCI Wexford

    George Baker

  • DI Burden

    Christopher Ravenscroft

  • Dora Wexford

    Louie Ramsay

  • Polly Flinders

    Imelda Staunton

  • Chief Constable Freeborn

    Dave Hill

  • Malina Patel

    Mamta Kaash

  • Chief Supt Howard Fortune

    Patrick Drury

  • DI Baker

    William Simons

  • Commissaire Laquin

    Olivier Pierre

  • Sylvia Fairfax

    Charon Bourke

  • Victor Vivian

    Niall Buggy

  • DS Martin

    Ken Kitson

  • Dr Len Crocker

    John Burgess

  • Hetherington

    Iain Mitchell

  • Sheila Wexford

    Deborah Poplett

  • Charles West

    Neil McCaul

  • Rhoda Comfrey

    Su Douglas

  • Transvestite

    Liz Kettle

  • Hospital Secretary

    Josie Kidd

  • Clerk of the Court

    Peter Harri

  • Sgt Clements

    Gordon Kane

  • Robin Fairfax

    Matthew Grundy

  • Lillian Crown

    Sylvia Syms

  • Stella Parker

    Caroline Berry

  • Brian Parker

    Mark Aspinall

  • Production Manager

    Lars MacFarlane

  • 1st Assistant Director

    John Wright

  • 2nd Assistant Director

    Stephanie Sullivan

  • Location Manager

    Graeme MacArthur

  • P.A./Continuity

    Gillian Wheeler

  • Stage Manager

    Mike Fisher

  • Production Secretary

    Theresa Smith

  • Original music composed by

    Brian Bennett

  • Script Executive

    Corinne Cartier

  • Casting Director

    Doreen Jones

  • Dialect Coach

    Joan Washington

  • Costume

    Serena Brown

  • Make Up

    Anne Townley

  • Graphic Design

    Freddie Triccas

  • Designer

    Mark Ward

  • Production Buyer

    Alan Bates

  • Technical Supervisor

    Roger Chambers

  • Chief Electrician

    Steve Williams

  • Camera Grip

    Steve Imeson

  • Sound Recordist

    A. Graham Fitzgerald

  • Dubbing Mixer

    Danny Curtis

  • Dubbing Editor

    Mark Thomas

  • Camera Operator

    Julian Barber

  • Lighting Director

    Brian Turner

  • Videotape Editor

    Christopher Wentzell

  • Executive Producer

    Graham Benson

  • Producer

    Neil Zeiger

  • DIrected by

    Bill Hays

  • A Television South Production