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ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK:
John Carey
Mark Forrest
Jacqueline Springer
Wasfi Kani -
Fela!
The musical dramatization of the life of afrobeat musician Fela Kuti opened on Broadway earlier this year to ecstatic reviews. Transferring to the National Theatre— Fela!— recreates legendary Lagos nightclub the Shrine within the Olivier to tell Fela’s story through an energetic hybrid of dance, theatre and live music. Our panel reviews.
National Theatre - Official Website -
Architecture
The renovation of Royal Shakespeare Company's main theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon was completed this week after three years and costing £122 million. The company had been camping in out in the Courtyard Theatre but are now moving back to their 1920s home, with a space that contains 360 less seats but places the audience closer to the actors with a thrust stage. Timber from the original stage is now in the foyer so the public can 'tread' the same boards as Laurence Olivier and Dame Judy Dench. We'll look at the changes in the architecture of the building and how it will now serve general visitors and theatre audiences.
Royal Shakespeare Company - Official Website -
A Dog's Heart
Based on the 1925 Russian novel The Heart of a Dog by Mickael Bulgakov, the opera tells the story of Sharik a stray dog on the streets of Moscow is revisted by the ENO and theatre company Complicite. Meeting with a rich experimental Professor lands Sharik in the gruesome situation as the Professor performs an operation to replaces the dog's testicles with that of a man's. The result is a creature with the worst characteristics of men and dog's. The character of Sharik is expertly brought to life by Blind Summit famed for their work on War Horse.
English National Opera - Official Website -
Slackistan
This is the first film from British Pakistani director Hammad Khan. The film follows the laid back and rather mundane lives of a group of youths in Islambad a year after they have graduated from University. The friends struggle to find direction and purpose as they become adults. Director Khan claim that the film is a love story to the city of Islamabad.
Slackistan The Movie - Official Website -
Cultural Highlights from Reece Shearsmith
Fresh from taking over the lead role in 'Ghost Stories', this year's must-see West End phenomenon, actor and former League of Gentleman mainstay Reece Shearsmith offers up his dark and twisted cultural highlights.
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Live Music from The Unthanks
Rachel Unthank, Becky Unthank and Niopha Keegan from traditional folk band The Unthanks offer us an exclusive peak at their new album with track Guard Yer Man Well, which they will sing unaccompanied. The new album is out in February but the band play music by Robert Wyatt and Antony & Johnsons at The Union Chapel in Islington on Wednesday and Thursday Dec 8th and 9th.
Credits
- Presenter
- Kirsty Wark
