Starring Anton Lesser and Charlie Hamblett

Red Sky at Sunrise follows Laurie Lee through his much-loved trilogy, Cider with Rosie, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, and A Moment of War, when Lee 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.

Two of our best-loved actors, 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. David Le Page, artistic director of Orchestra of the Swan, has devised a gorgeous musical programme that weaves around Lee’s writing, from the lush Gloucestershire countryside Lee made famous in Cider With Rosie, to the dry landscapes of Spain, via the music of Vaughan Williams, Walton, Holst, Elgar, Britten, Grainger, Albeniz, Turina and De Falla.

We are also delighted to welcome back guitarist Mark Ashford who will regale us with renditions of Asturias, Sevilla and Spanish Romance.