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Drama on 4

Pilgrim, series 2

Episode 1: The Drowned Church

Duration: 45 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW

By Sebastian Baczkiewicz.

Pilgrim comes to Skaymer, a seaside town in Norfolk, to investigate the strange appearance of a young man believed drowned in the great flood of 1757.

William Palmer ..... Paul Hilton
Helen ..... Claire Price
Doris ..... Judy Parfitt
Zach ..... William Gaunt
Aaron ..... Luke Treadaway
Freya ..... Rachael Spence
Mr Hazelbury ..... Sean Baker
Hendry ..... Jude Akuwudike
Mrs Squires ..... Sally Orrock
Legend ..... Agnes Bateman

Directed by Marc Beeby

What if all the myths and folktales of these islands were true? And what if they were not only true but present now in our world? All the spirits, existing, as they have always existed, in the gaps between tower blocks, in the shadows under bridges, in the corner of our vision. An ancient and eternal world which has existed alongside ours since time immemorial and will exist long after we have gone.

Enter Pilgrim... In 1185 William Palmer was making pilgrimage to Canterbury. Unbeknownst to him his fellow pilgrim was the Lord of Faerie. When William claimed that the Church would wipe out the belief in the Faerie world, he was cursed by the Faerie Lord and condemned forever to the walk between our world and theirs.

The plays in PILGRIM are thrilling, dark and contemporary. They're set in a very recognisable, very real present, but a present haunted by the folktales of these islands: drowned villages, changeling children, werewolves, Puck, unruly nature spirits.

PILGRIM is graced by some truly wonderful acting talent, including:

Paul Hilton (Pilgim): Paul is about to start filming a lead role in Peter Moffat's new TV series, SILK. In addition to his television work, Paul has a distinguished stage career that includes leading roles in Shakespeare and Chekhov at the National and Almeida Theatres, and the Donmar Warehouse, for directors like Michael Grandage, Katie Mitchell, David Lan, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Howard Davies

Judy Parfitt (Doris): Judy has had a distinguished film career including work in such hits as The Girl with the Pearl Earing and The Bourne Identity. Her work for the stage has included lead roles in the National Theatre's Therese Raquin, Stephen Daldry's production of An Inspector Calls and Cleopatra at the Young Vic. She is also a regular on television, appearing in Little Dorrit, Midsomer Murders and The Long Firm among many others.

William Gaunt (Zach, Pt 1): Currently to be seen at the Globe Theatre in Henry IV, William has been a regular performer for directors like Trevor Nunn, John Caird, Michael Grandage and Jonathan Kent. He has also made regular tv appearances in popular series like Doctors, The Champions and Holby City.

Anna Wing (Hilda, Pt 4) is best know as Lou Beale in EastEnders, but is still acting at 94, most recently in The Bill.

Jamie Foreman (Puck, Pt 4) is best known for his varied film work, which includes Bill Sykes in Roman Polanski's Oliver, Mark in Gary Oldman's Nil By Mouth and the Earl of Sussex in Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth. Show less

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