Countrysides

Synopsis

Countrysides follows a hunt master (Tim McInnerny) and an anti hunt protester (Russell Tovey) who find a fragile human connection despite their opposing positions. It is a story about the relationship between hunter and prey and what happens when those behaviours are reversed.

Based on extensive research, Countrysides explores what is happening in the countryside in response to the Hunting Act and represents the views and feelings of people involved on all sides

Says writer Anita Sullivan;

"I started writing this play because I wanted to really understand the issues involved. Like many people, I thought I knew what happened at a fox hunt and why that can be seen as offensive and cruel. But I wanted to go deeper than a news bulletin. I wanted to understand why people on both sides feel so passionately about the fox hunt that it becomes central to their lives: why they're prepared to face legal action and direct confrontation with their opponents on a weekly basis. Most importantly, I wanted to understand how the bill defines the interaction between wildlife, hunting, farming and the law... and above all, between people."

Countrysides was recorded in London and on location in Sussex. The cast also includes; Lucy Speed, Nicholas Boulton, Sam Dale and Tom Stanley.

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.