It will air on 12 September, when the rugby icon would have turned 70
S4C is to pay tribute to rugby icon Ray Gravell with a film about his life.
Grav will air at 9pm on Sunday 12 September, marking the day the iconic Welsh player would have turned 70-years-old. It will be in Welsh with English subtitles available, so rugby fans across the UK can tune in. It will also be available on demand through S4C Clic, iPlayer and ‘other platforms’.
Gravell was well known for both his performances with Llanelli Rugby Club, Wales, and the British and Irish Lions, as well as his work off the pitch as a commentator, broadcaster and actor before he passed away in 2007.
Gareth John Bale, who acted alongside Gravell in S4C series A470 earlier in his career, will play the lead role in the drama, which has been adapted from the actor, Owen Thomas, and Peter Doran’s acclaimed stage play - that has been shown in Wales, the UK, and the US. A one-man show on stage, a cast of actors will be joining Bale on screen.
Marc Evans is directing, after working on the likes of The Pembrokeshire Murders, Manhunt and Y Bomiwr a’r Tywysog, and it is a Regan Developments Production with Tarian Cyf.
Bale said: “There are elements of happiness and sadness in the drama, that is what makes it so special. You could imagine Grav saying it himself, that there were some players who wore the red jersey who were better than him – not many, but a few.
“But in terms of their life stories, there isn’t as much to tell, and Grav was certainly someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. The drama does look at some sad moments, moments which had a huge impact on him. But we also celebrate his life and there is a lot of comedy there too. There were peaks and troughs in his life, but that’s who Ray o’r Mynydd was.
“Instead of me trying to make some kind of caricature, I have always tried to capture his spirit. That is what’s important to me, that Grav’s spirit comes through. I don’t think anyone would watch me and think, ‘he looks exactly like Grav’. But what people have said is, ‘you have captured him, you have captured his spirit.’
“The most important thing for me is that we pay tribute to Ray and remember him in the right way, but also that his family is happy with it. That is so important to me and to everyone else, and I am so grateful for their support over the years.”
S4C Clic, iPlayer and other platforms
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