Christmas by the Lake

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Drama on 4: Christmas by the Lake

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Christmas by the Lake

Niamh Cusack and Robert Lindsay star in Rachel Joyce's beguiling Christmas Day drama.

A lovely treat for Christmas Day. Niamh Cusack and Robert Lindsay star in a beguiling and heartfelt story with a twist on the festive theme by award winning novelist Rachel Joyce.

Walter is 68 and Mary is 64. He is full of madcap ideas, she resists change. The only thing they have in common is they both hate Christmas.
A story with a twist on the Christmas theme and it's classic Rachel Joyce territory – relationships, loss and ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Mary ….. Niamh Cusack
Walter ….. Robert Lindsay
Helen ….. Cecilia Appiah

Directed by Tracey Neale

It is in the park that Mary first spots Walter.  He's drowning in the Lake and she calls for help.  When she returns a few days later, Walter is there and berates her for interfering - all he was trying to do was learn to swim.  It's a bad beginning but then their conversation begins ... 

Mary is played by Niamh Cusack.  Her television work includes Heartbeat, Father Brown and The Virtues.  Her film credits include In Love with Alma Cogan.  Niamh played Lady Macbeth for the RSC and most recently Lenu in the National Theatre's production of My Brilliant Friend.

Walter is played by award winning actor, Robert Lindsay.  His theatre work covers many roles for the RSC and musical theatre too.  This includes Me and My Girl in which he played the lead role on both the West End and Broadway stage.  His television work includes My Family, Citizen Smith and G.B.H.  His most recent film role was playing King John in Maleficent 2.

The award winning novelist Rachel Joyce had her sixth novel published earlier this year - Miss Benson's Beetle.  Her first novel - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - began its life as a radio drama and was called To Be A Pilgrim.  It won the Peter Tinniswood Award for Best Radio Drama.  Her other novels include Perfect and The Music Shop.  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Music Shop are now in development with Netflix.

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