1. The Bed under the Stairs
Lemn鈥檚 foster child experience: comparing his life to Harry Potter, he was never told the truth about his parents. From 2016.
Batman was an orphan; Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, was an orphan; Superman was an orphan and a foundling. Cinderella was a foster child. Darth Vader - well, they can't all be winners.
Taking a comic and poetic angle, Lemn Sissay compares reality against the treatment of children raised in care, orphans and foster children in popular culture. Because it surely says something about how we view them that we create so many for fiction?
In this opening episode, Lemn compares his experiences as a foster child to the life of Harry Potter.
Like Harry, Lemn was never told the truth about what happened to his parents. Like Harry, he found his foster parents harsh and unforgiving. But, like Harry, he came through those problems, avoided the dementors, and grew up.
As well as storytelling, comedy and poetry, Lemn imagines an interview with Vernon and Petunia Dursley - Harry's foster parents. Finally, they get to tell their side of the story.
Written and performed by Lemn Sissay.
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in October 2016.
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- Mon 3 Oct 2016 11:30大象传媒 Radio 4
- Thu 12 Oct 2017 18:30大象传媒 Radio 4
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 07:30大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 17:30大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 19 Oct 2017 22:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 20 Oct 2017 05:30大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 6 Nov 2019 22:30大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 24 Jun 2021 07:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 24 Jun 2021 17:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 25 Jun 2021 05:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 26 Jun 2021 12:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 2 Apr 2023 23:30大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 7 Dec 2024 23:00大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra
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