FULLY BOOKED

Radio 3

Some of Britain's finest folk musicians are bringing their new production of The Transports, Peter Bellamy's famous ballad opera, to the BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House, for a performance to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. This is a rare opportunity to see BBC Folk Award Winners The Young'uns, Faustus, Nancy Kerr, Greg Russell and members of Bellowhead together on stage.

The Transports tells the remarkable true story of poverty-stricken Susannah Holmes and Henry Cabell. She was convicted of stealing spoons and linen worth £2. He broke into a house. Both were sentenced to death in 1784. This was commuted to transportation. They met in Norwich gaol, fell in love and had a child. Susannah was sent with her baby to join the First Fleet to Australia, but Henry was not permitted to join them. The captain of the ship wouldn't allow the child aboard. The gaoler (our hero) was so moved by Susannah's desolation that he took the child to London, and door-stepped the Home Secretary, Lord Sydney. He decreed that Susannah and Henry should marry and go together as a family. They became important people in the early settlement of Australia. This sounds like the plot of a traditional song, and the story inspired Peter Bellamy to write his famous ballad opera.

Bellamy's songs have been arranged afresh by Paul Sartin (Bellowhead, Faustus) and Matthew Crampton weaves the story through them with new material linking Susannah Holmes and Henry Cabell's story with the experiences of migrants today.

Admission to this recording is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that as not everyone who asks for tickets uses them, to make sure we have a full house we send out more tickets than there are places. We do our best to get the numbers right, but unfortunately we occasionally have to disappoint people so please arrive early.