A Beautiful Thread: Thomas Hardy in Words & Music

Starring Anton Lesser (Endeavour, Wolf Hall, Game of Thrones), this is Hardy’s life story – dramatic as any of his books – told through his sublime poetry, letters, and great novels, including Far From the Madding Crowd, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure.

Anton Lesser and Lucia Bonbright bring a varied cast to dazzling life: from Hardy’s immortal characters and Hardy himself, his mother, Jemima and wives, Emma and Florence, to George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf! The show highlights Hardy’s humour (often overlooked!), his modernity, the astonishing time-span he lived through, and his global reach, from Hollywood to Japan. Adapted by Deirdre Shields, Hardy’s extraordinary writing shines bright as ever.

Thomas Hardy put more music in his novels than any other writer, and Orchestra of the Swan’s Artistic Director, David Le Page has devised a musical programme of shimmering beauty that weaves around the words, from classical music to contemporary folk, performed live by on-stage musicians from Orchestra of the Swan.