Author:Nick Warburton,Kenneth Cranham,Christopher Martin-Jenkins,Benedict Cumberbatch
A cricketing legend faces his final innings in this moving BBC radio drama starring Kenneth Cranham and Benedict Cumberbatch
Easter Monday, 1908, and there's snow on the ground as ageing icon W.G. Grace arrives at the Oval to contemplate another day in his lifelong cricketing obsession. He can't face the thought of sitting in the clubhouse and meeting the same old people - so instead, he trudges out in the cold to the groundsman's hut, where he encounters a young stranger.
Their talk turns, naturally, to cricket, and the two men recall the highlights of Grace's long career: his debut for the All-England team in 1866, when he made 100 runs on the first day, and his first Test Match at the Oval in 1880 where he scored 152 against Australia, becoming England's first centurion.
But those triumphs occurred decades ago, and Grace no longer dominates the world of cricket as he once did. At nearly 60, he knows in his heart that it's time to retire, but he cannot bear the idea of giving up the game he loves. Can the stranger persuade him to bow out with dignity?
Written by Nick Warburton, who won the 2007 Peter Tinniswood Award for Best New Play on Radio, this poignant, bittersweet drama stars Kenneth Cranham as Grace, with Benedict Cumberbatch as the young man and Christopher Martin-Jenkins as the Voice of Cricket.
Produced by Steven Canny
Cast
W.G. Grace - Kenneth Cranham
GF - Benedict Cumberbatch
Voice of Cricket - Christopher Martin-Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2008
Brilliant and daring
—— Tobias Jones, GuardianUtterly gripping. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
—— Rory Smith, New York TimesA fascinating insight into the clockwork of what it means to be an elite athlete, always pushing at the edge of possibility. Like a good runner, Caesar carries the story along with grace and ease and generosity. He brings us to Kenya, New York, London, and Berlin, but ultimately allows us to look inside ourselves. It's the human story that shines through
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—— EsquireLyrical and passionate... a celebration of the human spirit and what it can achieve
—— ObserverA delight to read. The definitive book on professional marathon running
—— Independent on SundayMarvellous. Caesar's reportage has the feel of the very best of American journalism - as if he has researched the matter to hell, spent his time in the field, nailed down every fact, then bashed it out on a typewriter with a cigarette smouldering in his mouth
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—— SpectatorFascinating, timely, meticulously researched... this exploration of one of the great sporting quests of modern times will inspire anyone with a pair of trainers to go for a run
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—— Matthew Syed , The TimesA fine, engaging study of human endurance and the competitive spirit of marathon runners. Caesar wears his considerable research into most aspects of the marathon - its history, science, and the spectre of performance-enhancing drugs - with a loping, easy style
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—— Daily Telegraph'Zippy, engaging, stylish, evocative'
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—— EconomistIntelligent, thoughtful
—— Irish TimesCaesar has established himself as perhaps the best new long-form magazine writer since the arrival of John Jeremiah Sullivan
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