Events

Previews of forthcoming events and reviews of past events.

August at the BFI

29 June 2009 Rob Buckley 4 Comments

Time for our regular look at what’s on at the South Bank in London in August. Everyone’s probably going to be on holiday, but c’est la vie.

Most of the TV-related material is part of the “From Stage to TV Screen” season, which is probably self-explanatory, but there’s also an afternoon run: Missing Believed Wiped Special: The Lost Cartiers, looking at the work of legendary 1950s/60s director Rudolph Cartier.

  • 2nd/4th: Play of the Month: Look Back In Anger
    John Osborne’s play, shot for the BBC1 on the 20th anniversary of its first Royal Court performance. Stars James Hazeldine
  • 10th/14th: Theatre 625: Chicken Soup With Barley
    The first play of Arnold Wesker’s trilogy concerns the history of a communist working class family
  • 12th: Rat in the Skull + Panel discussion
    Brian Cox and Gary Oldman star in an examination of Irsih sectarian psychology. The panel interview with Max Stafford-Clark and Simon Curtis discuss the influence of Royal Court productions on TV drama.
  • 19th/25th: Performance: Top Girls
    Caryl Churchill’s fantasy dinner party, starring Lesley Sharp among others
  • 20th/29th: Performance: Suddenly, Last Summer
    A production of Tennessee William’s play starring Maggie Smith, Natasha Richardson, Rob Lowe and Richard E Grant
  • 22nd: It is Midnight, Dr Schweitzer
    Part of the Missing Believed Wiped Special: The Lost Cartiers season, this in the earliest surviving complete UK TV drama, and stars André Morrell
  • 22nd: The Wednesday Play: The July Plot + Out of the Unknown: Level Seven
    Part of the Missing Believed Wiped Special: The Lost Cartiers season, The July Plot is based on the ‘Valkyrie’ plot to assassinate Hitler, and was directed by Rudolph Cartier. Level Seven is a ‘chilling instalment about nuclear war’
  • 27th/30th: Performance: Six Characters in Search of An Author
    Starring John Hurt, Brian Cox and Tara Fitzgerald

Members’ priority booking opens: 11.30am July 7
Public booking opens: 11.30am July 14

Prices
£7.60 (members)
£5.25 (member concs)
£9.00 (non-members)
£6.65 (non-members concs)
Under 16s £5.

All shows are £5 on Tuesdays. Conc prices are available to senior citizens, students, unwaged and disability visitors. Proof of eligibility may be required.

As always, visit the BFI web site for more details

PS Cy Young’s standing for the board of governors. Vote for Cy Young everyone!

Events

Tickets for Miranda Hart’s sitcom

16 June 2009 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

Could be good, if only because Sally Phillips is in it. You may remember Miranda Hart from Hyperdrive and Not Going Out:

Miranda is desperate to fit in, but can’t.


Miranda Hart

Her public school background and posh accent make her a misfit down the pub. She has never fitted in with ‘the girls’ (not least because she’s a foot taller than them) and due to years of agoraphobic tendencies she doesn’t know how to behave socially or how to avoid embarrassment, especially around men.

She’s a constant disappointment to her mother Penny, who’s desperate for her to get a proper job, or even better, a husband, but Miranda’s happiest playing with and making up silly games in her joke shop.

Lacking any real capacity for business, Miranda employs her childhood friend Stevie to manage the shop. Stevie tries to run the business like she’s competing to be Alan Sugar’s apprentice, but her principal task is keeping Miranda’s childish absurdities under control.

It doesn’t matter what Miranda attempts in life – be it dating, joining the gym, or dealing with her overbearing mother, she always seems to fall flat – literally. She can never seem to leave a room without knocking something over.

Partly based on the character of comedian Miranda Hart, ‘Miranda Hart’s sitcom’ is a farcical, affectionate sitcom about being the odd one out.

Starring Miranda Hart, Sarah Hadland as Stevie, Patricia Hodge as Miranda’s Mother, Penny, Tom Ellis as Gary, and Sally Phillips as Miranda’s boarding school friend Tilly.

Recording on Sundays 5, 12, 19 and 26 July and 2 and 9 August at the BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, London. Doors open at 7pm.

To apply for tickets, visit the BBC Tickets Website or call the BBC Ticket Line on 0370 901 1227

 

Monday’s disappearing husband news

15 June 2009 Rob Buckley 7 Comments

Doctor Who/Torchwood

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Events

Derby Quad – Year of the Sex Olympics and Sapphire and Steel showings

2 June 2009 Rob Buckley 1 Comment

The Year of the Sex Olympics
I don’t normally cover “up north” – I’m sure there are better sources of information than I, for starters – but thanks to this brave new web world I’ve entered recently, I’ve just learnt via Twitter about some interesting showings at Derby QUAD as part of their “Future is Now” season.

You can book online right now.