Lewis Grassic Gibbon Day
Saturday 6 February
Sunset Song, Return to the Mearns 0630-0700
On the 75th anniversary of his death, Mark Stephen and Euan McIlwraith make a special programme, Sunset Song - Return to the Mearns, which looks at how the people who live there regard the landscape today and whether Sunset Song lives on in any way.
Out of Doors, Exploring the Mearns 0705-0800
In this special programme of Out of Doors, Mark Stephen and Euan McIlwraith are in the Mearns to mark the 75th anniversary of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's death. Out of Doors includes cycling, hill-walking and wildlife-watching ideas to help you enjoy the landscape of the classic Scottish novel Sunset Song.
Sunday 7 February
Road to Sunset, A Life of Lewis Grassic Gibbon 1005-1100
Road to Sunset tells the moving story of Leslie Mitchell who was to become one of Scotland's best novelists - Lewis Grassic Gibbon. From humble beginnings in rural North East Scotland, this drama follows Leslie as he struggles to become the writer he always dreamed of being. But the road to Sunset Song, his most loved book, was not to be an easy one. Andy Clarke plays Leslie Mitchell, Pauline Lockhart plays Rebecca, John Kazek plays Gray, Louise ludgate plays the Mum, Billy Riddoch plays James, and Greg Alexander plays young Leslie. Road to Sunset was adapted for radio by Joe Dunlop from Jack Webster's stage version.
Sunset Song 2000-2200
Sunset Song is one of the most popular Scottish novels of the 20th Century by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, dramatised by Gerda Stevenson. Growing up in a farming community in North East Scotland Chris Guthrie is torn between her love of the land and her ambition to become a teacher. With a domineering father struggling with the harshness of the land and a mother increasingly worn down by childbirth, Chris's upbringing is traumatic and painful. Falling in love with Ewan Tavendale promises Chris a brighter future but the outbreak of the 1st World War brings devastating change to Chris's family, the rural landscape and the community.
Lesley Hart plays Chris Guthrie, Liam Brennan plays John Guthrie, Bridget McCann plays Jean Guthrie, Gordon Brandie plays Will Guthrie, Estrid Barton plays Mistress Munro, Matthew Zajac plays Long Rob, Douglas Russell plays Chae Strachan, Shonagh Price plays Kirsty Strachan, Sally Reid plays Margot Strachan, Finn Den Hertog plays Ewan Tavendale, Fraser Sivewright plays Rev Colquohoun, and Keith Hutheon plays Rev Gibbon. Please note Sunset Song was previously transmitted on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 in 2009.