The Read: Season 2, Episode 1

2 - 1: A Kestrel for a Knave

Christopher Eccleston narrates Barry Hines's heartbreaking coming-of-age tale in this fresh take on a classic British novel. It's the story of teenager Billy Casper, whose life can be described as bleak. Bullied at home and at school, he finds solace in a love of falconry. He devours books to help him learn how to rear a young hawk, which becomes a distraction from the challenges of life at home with his mum and brother Jed. But a miscalculation while running an errand for his brother has drastic consequences for his new-found hobby.

Filmed at Oldham Colliseum Theatre, Eccleston brilliantly guides the viewer through the heartbreaking cadence of Billy's life.