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Laurie Lee’s extraordinary story told in a captivating weave of music and his own words...
Red Sky at Sunrise follows Lee through his much-loved Cider with Rosie trilogy, when he famously walked out of the Slad Valley one midsummer morning and ended up fighting with the International Brigades against Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War.
Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall, Endeavour) and Charlie Hamblett (Killing Eve, Ghosts, The Burning Girls) play the role of Laurie Lee older and younger, along with a rich array of other characters. Together, they celebrate Lee’s engaging humour, as well as his darker side, in a performance that has startling resonance with modern events.
Devised as a show by Judy Reaves, the text by Laurie Lee has been adapted by Deirdre Shields. A ‘breathtaking’ musical programme by Orchestra of the Swan devised by the Swan’s Artistic Director David Le Page, weaves around Lee’s writing, from the lush Gloucestershire countryside made famous in Cider with Rosie, to the arid landscapes of Spain. Featuring music from Vaughan Williams, Britten, Turina and De Falla, with Northampton-born guitarist Mark Ashford performing Albéniz and Spanish Romance.
Following sell-out ★★★★★ performances at the RSC, in Malvern and Oxford, this ‘triumph’ comes to Wilton's Music Hall for three performances only.
'The two actors and their orchestra encompass Lee’s life completely. The unique use of Orchestra of the Swan is a brilliant and novel device. Red Sky is a triumph, its understated theatricality allowing this musically accompanied autobiography to truly resonate. It leaves us aching for the pastoral wonderland of Lee’s childhood, both the music and the words still echoing around my brain, reminding us of the beauty of life itself.' Ox in a Box
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus interval