Hambletts and Wiltshire Creative, in association with English Heritage, today announce A Beautiful Thread – Thomas Hardy in Words and Music, performed by Anton Lesser, Lucia Bonbright, and Orchestra of the Swan at Stonehenge as part of Salisbury International Arts Festival.
This collaboration brings the words of Thomas Hardy set to an ingenious score to the heart of Wiltshire with Stonehenge, one of the UK’s most recognisable landmarks, forming the backdrop – ensuring it will truly be an unmissable event.
Starring Anton Lesser, A Beautiful Thread weaves Hardy’s life – dramatic as any of his books – with his beautiful poetry and great novels, including Far From the Madding Crowd, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. Hardy put more music into his work than any other writer, and Orchestra of the Swan’s Artistic Director, David Le Page, has devised a musical programme of shimmering beauty – a Mellstock folk band style, that combines West Gallery music with Holst, Warlock, and contemporary folk. Adapted by Deirdre Shields, Hardy’s extraordinary writing shines bright as ever.
Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones, The Crown) and Lucia Bonbright (Spring Awakening, Pomona) bring a hugely varied cast to dazzling life: from Hardy, his mother, Jemima, and his wives, Emma and Florence, to George Bernard Shaw, and Virginia Woolf, along with the immortal characters from his novels. The show also highlights Hardy’s humour (often overlooked!), his modernity, the astonishing timespan he lived through, and his global reach, from Hollywood to Japan.
Anton Lesser says: “Words and Music is a kind of unique genre, neither pure reading, nor acting, but with an immediacy that comes from the huge emotional impact the music has upon the words, and vice versa, and the interplay we as actors enjoy with the musicians on-stage. Quite simply, it’s the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done!”
Gareth Machin, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative said, “A Beautiful Thread takes the International Arts Festival out into the stunning Wiltshire landscape, connecting music and words with the iconic Stonehenge location in what promises to be a memorable and inspiring event.”
Julia Richardson, Stonehenge Operations Manager said, “English Heritage is thrilled to be working with Wiltshire Creative to bring Hardy’s life, poetry, and novels to life with music at ‘the ruins of Stonehenge.’ This open-air drama promises to be a truly special experience, and I can’t wait to see audiences enjoying it at Hardy’s ‘very Temple of the Winds’—one of the many ancient sites that inspired his work.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
