Hopping

Available for over a year

This female-led comedy transcends the decades from 1930s Kent to modern times. Loverin, a woman from the present day, is researching her family tree online, although she tends to be more interested in the human stories than the historical facts and figures. In East London lives the Turner family - highly strung Clara, anarchic Aunt Lil, stylish Ada and book worm Will. Every year they venture to pastures green in Kent to pick hops, leaving grumpy Father (George Turner) to work the summer in the sweaty London docks. They can’t wait to reach the freedom and fresh air of Faversham. Ada is excited to flirt with some Kentish lads again, Will is beside himself at the prospect of seeing a cow, Aunt Lil is ready to embrace the fireside revelry, and Clara is looking forward to seeing her friend Rose. When the Turner family arrive in Kent we meet the charismatic Rose, who arrives on horseback surrounded by dogs. Rose and Clara are like chalk and cheese, but this doesn’t stop them from becoming incredibly fond of each other. The first day of hop picking is the annual competition between the Kent folk and the Londoners, to see who can pick the most hops. Clara is keen to make a good impression on jobsworth Neil the hop measurer, but is thwarted at every turn. Writers Susan Harrison and Lucy Trodd lightly touch on the themes of migration, prejudice and sisterhood, through a folky humorous lens. Cast: Narrator ... Nancy Zamit Aunt Lil ... Rosie Cavaliero Clara ... Susan Harrison George/ Neil ... Dan Starkey Will/ Hut Hopper ... Gemma Arrowsmith Ada ... Jade Johnson Rose ... Lucy Trodd Violinist ... Oliver Izod Original music written by Susan Harrison, Lucy Trodd and Duncan Walsh Atkins Written by Susan Harrison and Lucy Trodd Directed and produced by Catherine Bailey A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4