Ian McKellen to play L.S. Lowry in BBC Arena documentary

BBC Arts has commissioned Arena: L.S. Lowry: The Unheard Tapes, in which Ian McKellen will lip-sync recordings of the artist; the film, produced by Wall to Wall Media, marks 50 years since Lowry's death and is due on BBC Two and iPlayer.

BBC Arts has announced Arena: L.S. Lowry: The Unheard Tapes, a one-hour film in which Ian McKellen will portray L.S. Lowry and lip-sync recordings of the artist's voice. The production is by Wall to Wall Media and is planned for BBC Two and iPlayer. It marks 50 years since Lowry's death and centres on previously unheard interviews recorded in the artist's living room. The film also examines the changing industrial landscape of Salford and Greater Manchester that shaped Lowry's work. Key details: - Ian McKellen will lip-sync L.S. Lowry's recorded interviews in the film. - Annabel Smith plays Angela Barratt, the young interviewer whose tapes feature throughout. - The interviews were recorded in Lowry's living room in the 1970s and the tapes are held at The Lowry. - The programme is produced by Wall to Wall Media, directed by James Kent, and was commissioned for BBC Arts as part of Arena's 50th anniversary. - Further broadcast details will be announced in due course. Summary: The film foregrounds intimate interviews that present Lowry in his own words and links those recollections to the region he depicted. Scheduling and full broadcast details are undetermined at this time.