A Son of War

Available for 29 days

By Melvyn Bragg adapted for radio by Robin Brooks Set in the working-class town of Wigton after the Second World War, Burma veteran Sam Richardson struggles with the emotional aftermath of the War. He decides to buy a local pub In a bid to bury the traumas of the Far East, but while Sam and his wife, Ellen, initially find unexpected happiness in their new life as publicans, a quiet storm is brewing at home. Their son, Joe, is fighting a desperate, lonely battle to keep his own psychological demons at bay. Longlisted for the 2001 Booker Prize, the second part of Melvyn Bragg’s acclaimed Cumbrian story is inspired by the author’s own memories of growing up in post-war Wigton. Sam ….. Billy Postlethwaite Ellen ….. Emily Stott Young Joe ….. Isaac Nelson Older Joe ….. Nathan Lawrence and Melvyn Bragg Alex, Older Alan, Ricky ….. James Atherton Leonard, Drummond-Gould, Passerby ….. Bryan Dick Mrs Hewson, Mrs Moxon, Mrs Frewen ….. Helen Longworth Miss Snaith, Carol, Joan ….. Evie Killip Pianist ….. Matt Huxley Sound Design: Leon Chambers Director: Jessica Dromgoole Producer: Catherine Bailey Executive Producers: Richard Johns and Jules Williamson A Catherine Bailey production in association with So Many Stories for BBC Radio 4