Song of the Reed: Swallowtail

Available for 157 days

Sophie Okonedo and Mark Rylance star in the first of Steve Waters’ seasonal dramas following the life of Fleggwick, a fictional wetlands nature reserve, over the period of one year. Fleggwick, like the ecosystem it protects, is under threat. The site was not financially sustainable when its founder passed away so his daughter Liv (Sophie Okonedo) needs to find a way for it to survive. But if that means selling out to ‘trendy conservation’ then Ian (Mark Rylance), the Warden, wants nothing to do with it. Recorded on location at RSPB’s Strumpshaw Fen, the story is informed by the real work and science of conservation taking place in the face of rapid environmental change in the wetlands of Norfolk, and everywhere. It’s a rainy summer's day and a Swallowtail Safari is being held at the reserve with members of the public, as well as a manager from WildScapes, visiting Fleggwick with the hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive and utterly beautiful swallowtail butterfly. The future of the reserve may ride on it. Cast: Liv ..... Sophie Okonedo Ian ..... Mark Rylance Tam ..... Ella Dorman Gajic Kay ..... Molly Naylor Sadegh ..... Zaydun Khalaf Nikki ..... Karen Hill Voice of the Reed ..... Christine Kavanagh Other parts played by staff and volunteers at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Written by Steve Waters Music by Michael Somerset Ward with Rebecca Hearne Sound Design by Alisdair McGregor Produced and Directed by Boz Temple-Morris A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4