Experience the world of The Archers at Warwick Arts Centre show
Actors and sound effects specialist to bring Ambridge to life
The Archers celebrates its 75th anniversary this year – and there will a chance to experience the world of the show like never before at Warwick Arts Centre this month.
A new live production is bringing the beloved radio drama out of the studio and onto the stage. Hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, the performance features a cast of four actors alongside Vanessa Nuttall, The Archers’ live sound-effects specialist.
Appearing at Warwick Arts Centre will be Tim Bentinck (David Archer), Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) and Ben Norris (Ben Archer).
Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, The Archers: Live at 75 blends theatricality, nostalgia, comedy and behind-the-scenes insight. The evening will include on-stage interviews, insider stories and gossip, live performances with live sound effects of scenes created exclusively for the tour, archive treasures spanning seven decades from the BBC vaults, demonstrations of the sound-effects artistry that brings the fields, kitchens and barns of Ambridge so vividly to life, audience questions, a pub quiz straight out of The Bull and of course, a sing-along to the programme’s theme tune.
First broadcast on January 1 1951, The Archers is the world’s longest-running radio drama. Broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, the programme follows the everyday lives, loves and dramas of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, deep in the heart of the English countryside. Over the course of more than 20,000 episodes, the show has chronicled significant social and cultural changes in Britain, dealing with complex contemporary issues alongside the traditional rhythms of rural life, earning its place as a cornerstone of the British cultural landscape. Today, it remains one of the BBC’s most popular programmes and is currently the top on-demand show for listeners of all ages – as well as regularly topping the list of most popular on-demand programmes for listeners under 35 – on BBC Sounds.
The tour offers newcomers an introduction to the drama’s world, while giving long-time listeners a rare look into how Ambridge is created – revealing the artistry behind the character work, development of storylines and the soundscape that define the series. Charlotte Martin said: says: “I can’t wait to share the laughter, tears and heart of Ambridge with fans.”
Timothy Bentinck said: “We’ll be on stage but the show will be very interactive, and Archers listeners and fans will be just as much a part of it as us.”
Angela Barnes said: “I am not just an Archers superfan, I am obsessed with all things Ambridge. So to be asked to host The Archers: Live at 75 is like winning a prize at the Flower and Produce Show and being cast as the lead in a Lynda Snell production, all rolled into one. I can’t wait to hang out with all of my favourite characters and really immerse myself in Borsetshire life.”
The Archers: Live at 75 comes to Warwick Arts Centre on Wednesday November 25. Visit warwickartscentre.co.uk or call 024 7649 6000 to book.