The Hired Man

Cumbria, 1898. Whippet racing, hiring fairs, hunting and drunken antics collide, in this passionate story of John and Emily, a young married couple, and their moving struggle to carve a living from the land. An epic and heroic tale of love, betrayal, and loyalty, set against a backdrop of English country traditions being swept away as a new century faces the gathering storm of war… Based on the stirring novel by Melvyn Bragg, with a superb score of rousing foot-stomping rhythms and soaring choruses by Howard Goodall, the award-winning composer of West End hits Bend It Like Beckham and Love Story.