2015 marked the 650th anniversary of William Langland’s epic poem Piers Plowman, which opens on the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire.
Piers Plowman is a disturbing and humorous commentary on corruption and greed that is still topical centuries later.

Bishops, priests, bankers, shopkeepers, justices, gentry and scholars tumble out of the text alongside drunkards and vagabonds, thieves, fraudsters and whores, and they are instantly recognisable as our present-day politicians and celebrities, friends and neighbours. Peter Sutton’s translation from the original Middle English preserves the energy, imagery and style of the original, and has just been published by a leading American company.

Peter is both a brilliant academic and a superb actor. In the first part of the programme he will read selected passages, playing over 50 different parts, interspersed with some period music, in a wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable performance. In the second half, he will give an introduction to Langland’s life, literary style and historical background, and will answer questions.

This is a truly enjoyable and memorable evening which will delight and entertain audiences, giving a genuinely entertaining insight into medieval England.