IAN McKELLEN TO PORTRAY L.S. LOWRY IN BBC DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL

BBC Arts has announced that Ian McKellen will portray English artist L.S. Lowry in the forthcoming Arena documentary, L.S. Lowry: The Unheard Tapes, produced by award-winning Wall to Wall Media (AIDS: The Unheard Tapes and D-Day: The Unheard Tapes) and coming soon to BBC Two and iPlayer.

Marking 50 years since Lowry’s death, this immersive film will foreground the touching and often surprising exchange between the enigmatic artist and Angela Barratt, a young fan whose interviews capture Lowry in his most intimate, reflective moments.

Recorded in the artist’s own living room - his private sanctuary - the tapes reveal Lowry’s authentic voice, which Ian McKellen will lip-sync on screen. Across these candid conversations, Lowry traces his journey from childhood through to his final days, sharing the memories and experiences that shaped both the artist and the man.

Alongside this deeply personal account, Arena: L.S Lowry: The Unheard Tapes also explores the dramatic transformation of Salford and Greater Manchester, the region Lowry depicted so prolifically and whose shifting industrial landscape profoundly influenced his work.

The role of Angela will be played by Annabel Smith who is currently appearing at The Royal Court Theatre in The Shitheads. Her past credits include The Vanishing Room (New Diorama) and Upstart Crow (Apollo Theatre).

Ian McKellen says: “To give play to Lowry through his own voice has been a unique privilege. These tapes reveal an intimate insight into the artist’s thoughts - his ambitions, regrets and his humour. Anyone like me, who admires his paintings and drawings, will be intrigued and delighted that the artist is brought back to life through his own words.”

Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor, BBC Arts, says: “Marking 50 years since Lowry’s death, and celebrating Arena’s own 50-year tradition of ambitious, intelligent storytelling, this film comes at a very special moment. The inspired casting of Ian McKellen and Annabel Smith - an echo of the age and energy between Lowry and Angela - feels like life imitating art in the best possible way. But this film isn’t just about the life of the artist, it also provides an insight into the realities of urban life in Greater Manchester in the 20th century.”

Michael Simpson, Director of Visual Arts at The Lowry, says: "These long unheard interviews reveal an artist of wit, contradiction and perhaps surprising depth, far removed from the myth of the ‘simple man’. Recorded in the 1970s, they capture Lowry at the end of his life and Salford at a pivotal moment of change. That these tapes are now held at the Lowry, alongside the Collection, feels profoundly fitting, connecting the artist’s own words to the cultural legacy that now bears his name.”

Richard Grossick on behalf of the Lowry Estate, says: “The estate is delighted that 50 years on from the death of L.S.Lowry the BBC has chosen to commission L.S.Lowry: The Unheard Tapes as part of Arena’s birthday celebrations. It is good fortune that these compelling recordings of interviews conducted by the young Angela Barratt have survived and are being used in this way...

"Wall to Wall have brought together a remarkable team of creatives to meticulously shape the programme, it has been a great pleasure collaborating with them. The involvement of Ian McKellen completes what might be considered a dream team. As an admirer and champion of the artist’s work it is hard to imagine any other actor better equipped to channel the rhythmical allure of Mr Lowry’s distinctive bygone Lancastrian tones.”

Morgana Pugh, Head of Wall to Wall West, says: “To have the opportunity to work with these very special unheard recordings to create an immersive exploration of Lowry’s life is a great privilege. This is the last and longest interview L.S. Lowry ever gave, captured at the very end of his life...

"The tapes reveal the artist and the man anew, as he reflects back across his lifetime from the comfort of his own home. As Ian and Annabel lip-sync Lowry and Angela’s words and voices, we’ll be transported back in time, to explore how his experiences and view of a changing world shaped the rich legacy of work he left behind.”

Further broadcast details will be announced in due course.