Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Saturday Drama

Drama

Thrillers, mysteries, love stories and detective fiction.

Thrillers, mysteries, love stories and detective fiction, as well as an occasional special series

BBC Radio 4 FM

Adrian Lester

Charlotte Lucas

Eugene O'Hare

Oliver Ryan

Rachel Finnegan

Simon Chandler

Nic Jackman

Natasha Gordon

Indhu Rubasingham

Abigail le Fleming

Lolita Chakrabarti

Saturday Drama: Red Velvet

Red Velvet

19/07/2014

BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama, Red Velvet

By Lolita Chakrabarti. Award-winning drama starring Adrian Lester as actor Ira Aldridge.

By Lolita Chakrabarti. Radio version of the Tricycle Theatre's award-winning production about the first black actor to play Othello. Starring Adrian Lester.

by Lolita Chakrabarti.

Adrian Lester stars in a radio version of the Tricycle Theatre's award-winning production, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, about the first black actor of note to play Othello.

The Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1833. Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his generation, has collapsed on stage whilst playing Othello. A young black American actor has been asked to take over the role. But as the public riot in the streets over the abolition of slavery, how will the cast, critics and audience react to the revolution taking place in the theatre?

Imagined experiences based on the true story of Ira Aldridge.

Lolita Chakrabarti won Most Promising Playwright at The Evening Standard Awards and the Critics' Circle Awards after the 2012 run of Red Velvet at The Tricycle. Adrian Lester's performance earned him the Best Actor Award at the Critics' Circle Awards.

Music by Paul Englishby

Directed by Indhu Rubasingham
Studio Production by Anne Bunting, Keith Graham and Mike Etherden
Produced by Abigail le Fleming

Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Saturday Drama

Red Velvet

Contributors

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4