In 1786, Robert Burns sent a copy of his book, Poems, Chiefly in The Scottish Dialect, to Mrs Frances Wallace Dunlop of Dunlop in Ayrshire. She was so taken with it, and with him, that she became his patron and later, his confidant. But the voices of these two strong and determined characters still resonate across the years through their letters. Their friendship endured for a decade before their differences drove them apart. The Lady and The Poetfocuses on this platonic relationship, which was like no other in Burns’s short and eventful life. The Lady and The Poet is the second play in An Ayrshire Trilogy, three audio dramas which celebrate Ayrshire and its people. The Trilogy is supported by Creative Scotland. Author Jill Korn, based on an original play by James Miller Director Jill Korn Sound design John Boyd Songs by Robert Burns Rachel Macpherson-Graham Narrator Robert Donaldson Frances Dunlop Diane Brooks Robert Burns Lorenzo Novani Jean Armour Rachel Macpherson-Graham James Armour/Gilbert Burns John McQuiston Other parts Members of the cast