A Kestrel For A Knave

Christopher Eccleston in A Kestrel For A Knave

It was an honour to do the sound design and mix for the latest episode of The Read, a BBC Arts show based on creative performance readings of iconic novels.

Series two kicked off in style with Christopher Eccleston performing the much loved ‘A Kestrel For A Knave’ from the book by Barry Hines. It was filmed in the stunning Oldam Coliseum theatre.

The episode was produced by Hereford-based Rural Media in collaboration with Block B Films, along with a multitude of talent who helped bring the show to life.

The production design is amazing with the team creating some beautiful sets in the theatre. In an ingenious twist on the kestrel flight scenes, they used shadow puppetry to convey the awe and wonder of the bird in flight. Manchester-based composer Simon Passmore brought a lovely sensibility to these interludes.

As with previous episodes, performance was the most important thing and a big part of my job was to ensure all of the nuances of the narration can be clearly heard. As well as this, I added sound effects, backgrounds and foley to emphasise the action and drive the story forward.

The episode is now available to stream on iPlayer.