The Mill on the Floss

Summary

George Eliot’s classic Victorian epic about a brother and sister pitted against one another in love and life. Based on George Eliot’s own rural upbringing and relationship with her estranged brother, The Mill on the Floss is a powerful, dynamic tale of familial rejection, sibling rivalry and what happens when the head confronts the heart. Growing up at Dorlcote Mill in the beautiful English countryside, young Maggie yearns for approval and affection. With her dark, striking looks and quick intelligence, she is the misfit of the Tulliver family, and while her father dotes on her, her mother despairs of her rebelliousness. But it is the love of her stolid, dutiful brother, Tom, that Maggie craves most, and despite their opposing natures, the two forge a close bond. But as adults, their paths diverge. Following their father’s bankruptcy, Tom leaves school and enters the world of business, determined to repay the family’s debts and regain their home. Maggie, meanwhile, is drawn to two very different men: kindred spirit Philip Wakem, the son of her father's enemy, and the charming, seductive Stephen Guest, already promised to her cousin, Lucy. As she struggles to reconcile passion and loyalty, the choices Maggie makes will set her against her beloved brother - with tragic consequences.... Full of humour and high drama and featuring a rich, filmic soundscape, this stunning adaption is scripted by award-winning author Rachel Joyce. Also included is bonus programme Free Thinking: George Eliot’s Mill on the Floss, hosted by Shahidha Bari, in which writer Rebecca Mead, actor Fiona Shaw and academics Dafydd Mills Daniel, Philip Davis and Peggy Reynolds discuss the background to Eliot’s much-loved 1860 novel and read selected extracts.  Cast: George Eliot, the Narrator - Anna Maxwell Martin Young Maggie - Amy-Jayne Leigh Young Tom - Oliver Zetterstrom Young Lucy - Grace Doherty Mr Tulliver - Roger Ringrose Mrs Tulliver - Alison Belbin Maggie - Joanna Vanderham Tom - Will Kirk Lucy - Ell Potter Philip - Chris Lew Kum Hoi Stephen - Jack Farthing Mrs Moss - Heather Craney Mr Wakem - John Dougall Mrs Glegg - Elizabeth Counsell Mr Stelling - John Lightbody Dr Kenn - Hasan Dixon Luke/Bob - Kurtis Lowe Keiza/Sally - Bettrys Jones Written by George Eliot. Adapted by Rachel Joyce. Produced by Tracey Neale. Executive producer: Toby Swift First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-17 April 2020. Free Thinking: George Eliot’s Mill on the Floss: Presented by Shahidha Bari. With Rebecca Mead, Fiona Shaw, Dafydd Mills Daniel, Philip Davis and Peggy Reynolds. Produced by Fiona McLean.

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