Episode 1
4 Extra Debut. Young Velvet wins a horse for a shilling, but could she ride him in the Grand National? Stars John Sessions and Alison Steadman.
Fourteen year old Velvet is mad about horses. She knows 'there are pleasures earlier than love. Earlier than love, nearer heaven' in the form of horses.
When she wins a piebald horse in a raffle, she recognises he's something special. He can easily clear five-foot fences, and he'll do anything for her. Soon, she and butcher's assistant Mi have their sights set on the biggest race in England. But how can a girl in 1930s England get near Aintree?
Peter Flannery rescues National Velvet from Hollywood, returning 14 year old Velvet to her Sussex butcher's family in the 1930s. A welcome return for Enid Bagnold's strange, inventive fairytale about a young amateur girl rider who takes an untrained horse over the stiffest course in the world and wins.
Sound design: Eloise Whitmore
Author: Enid Bagnold
Dramatised by Peter Flannery
Director/Producer: Melanie Harris
Executive Producer: Polly Thomas
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Velvet | Sophie Rundle |
| Mi Donald | John Sessions |
| Mrs Brown | Alison Steadman |
| Mr Brown | Jonathan Keeble |
| Young Donald | Dylan Issberner |
| Malvolia | Tamsin Topolski |
| Meredith | Charity Wakefield |
| Edwina | Charity Wakefield |
| Blacksmith | Sam Lupton |
| Groom | Sam Lupton |
| Steward | Sam Lupton |
| Director | Melanie Harris |
| Producer | Melanie Harris |
| Adaptor | Peter Flannery |
| Author | Enid Bagnold |
Broadcasts
Christmas Day 201314:15BBC Radio 4- New Year's Day 201614:15BBC Radio 4
- Boxing Day 201611:15BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Boxing Day 201621:15BBC Radio 4 Extra
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
The Shakespeare Sessions
Immerse yourself in Shakespeare’s world
