Fundraising Event: Proceeds from this special event will go towards our commitment to taking authors into schools in the region free of charge to engender a life long love of reading in young people, and to giving as many children as possible a free book so every child has a book of their own at home.
The event will tell the story of the tender, but volatile, relationship between Frédéric Chopin and the novelist George Sand through extracts from their letters and diaries, interspersed with some of the composer’s best-loved works - Lucy Parham on the piano with with acclaimed actors Dame Harriet Walter and Alex Jennings as narrators.
Lucy Parham (www.lucyparham.com) is acknowledged as one of Britain’s finest pianists, and has been lauded for her Composer Portrait Series which she performs internationally. She first came to public attention as the Piano Winner of the 1984 BBC Young Musician and she has played throughout the UK as concerto soloist with most of the major British orchestras and is a frequent recitalist at Wigmore Hall. Her CD of Clara and Robert Schumann Concertos won the BBC Music Magazine Critics’ Choice of the Year She also appears frequently as a broadcaster on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and BBC TV.
Dame Harriet Walter is a leading actress of stage and screen best known for her work in many Royal Shakespeare Company productions, including Twelfth Night and Antony and Cleopatra. Her many popular film roles include Sense and Sensibility, The Governess, Villa des Roses, Atonement and Man Up. She appeared as Dr.Kalania in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. Her many TV roles include A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery, Little Dorrit, Law & Order: UK, and Downton Abbey. She played Clementine Churchill on the Netflix series The Crown and appeared as Helen Piena, Elton John’s piano teacher, in the 2019 biographical musical Rocketman, and as Adam Kay’s mother in This is Going to Hurt.
Alex Jennings has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. A three-time Olivier Award winner, he won for Too Clever by Half, Peer Gynt, and My Fair Lady. He is the only performer to have won Olivier awards in the drama, musical and comedy categories. He played Prince Charles in the 2006 film The Queen. His other film appearances include The Wings of the Dove, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Babel and The Lady in the Van. He also played Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in The Crown.
Please note: whilst Harriet and Alex’s appearance is confirmed, filming schedules may dictate they are unavailable. In which case, they will be replaced by actors of equal calibre.
Cost: £28 / £25 Student Ticket*
*at school or in full-time higher education who is also under 25 years of age
Accessibility Statement: The venue is fully accessible, with limited parking. For further accessibility requirements please contact David at Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.