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THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest"s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
From Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman), Disobedience is a rare glimpse into prohibited love in a world of unremitting dedication to faith.
Estranged daughter Ronit (Weisz) returns home to north London and an Orthodox Jewish community, following the death of her elderly father, Rabbi Krushka. As soon as she steps foot inside the house of Dovid Kuperman (Nivola), her father's chosen disciple, it's clear her defiant nature doesn't go unjudged. But an attraction to a childhood friend, Esti (McAdams) – Dovid's wife – ignites a secret love affair that transgresses all boundaries and exposes the tight grasp faith holds on sexuality. Through charged silences and stolen glances, Ronit and Esti delve deeper into forbidden territory in search of their lesbian identity. A powerful love story based on Naomi Alderman’s novel.
Leaving Litwak’s video arcade behind, eight-bit misfits Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope (Silverman) risk a trip into the strange realm of cyberspace in search of a spare part to save Vanellope’s racing game. In the vast virtual chaos, full of pop-up ads and high-stakes online auctions, they’re in way over their heads. Luckily the netizens of the web are there to help… but is anything safe when Ralph Breaks The Internet? Teeming with famous faces from across the Disneyverse, the sequel to 2012 smash hit Wreck-It Ralph is a delightful animated romp through pop culture.
Things aren’t going brilliantly for Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). He’s living out of his uncle’s garage and the only job he can find, as a low-level telemarketer, he isn’t particularly good at. That is, until an older black colleague gives him one simple piece of advice: speak in a “white voice”. This proves to be the key to immediate professional success and Cassius begins to shoot up the corporate ladder.
Written and directed by rapper Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a fierce and very funny satire, bursting with ideas. Announcing a major new talent, and perhaps the most stridently anti-capitalist film ever to come out of Hollywood, this is radical, dazzling and unmissable.
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, and barely makes enough money through petty crime to survive, they seem to live happily together, until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and shakes the bonds that unite them. Full of emotion and characters of unassuming depth, this superb family drama from Kore-eda (Nobody Knows) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
The second chapter of the Fantastic Beasts franchise delves back into J. K. Rowling’s enchanting Wizarding World, swapping the hustle and bustle of 1920s New York for the moody streets of Paris a year on, where a slew of new characters and wonderful beasts await discovery.
The powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (a wildly white-haired Depp duded up in heinous style) has slipped the bars of custody and is out to purge the world of all non-magical beings. In a desperate bid to restore harmony, a young Albus Dumbledore (Law) calls upon the help of former Hogwarts student Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to stop Grindelwald and his growing army of pure-blood wizards in their tracks. But this only marks the start of a perilous quest into a world of dark magic.
From Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) comes a blistering heist thriller set against a backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. This contemporary reworking of the ’80s TV miniseries tells the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. In a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Davis), Linda (Rodriguez), Alice (Debicki) and Belle (Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Brian Tyree Henry and Robert Duvall round out the brilliant cast.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Need proof that life is stranger than fiction? Look right this way. Tim Wardle’s acclaimed documentary might just be the most incredible true story ever told.
The film begins with the stuff of fairy tales: three identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by three different families, are reunited two decades later by astonishing coincidence.
It’s a jaw-dropping slice of feel-good that made headlines around the world. But the reunion also set in motion a series of events that unearthed an unimaginable secret – a secret with radical repercussions for us all.
Winner of Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award, Three Identical Strangers is an exuberant celebration of family that transforms into a thriller with colossal implications.
Contains suicide references.
Join Messy Monster and his friends on his magical adventures to the land of OKIDO, learn about science and discover the answers to interesting things, whilst having lots of fun!
This December we are having: A messy night b4 Christmas, A night at the circuits and Bouncing Batwaves!
THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest"s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
From Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman), Disobedience is a rare glimpse into prohibited love in a world of unremitting dedication to faith.
Estranged daughter Ronit (Weisz) returns home to north London and an Orthodox Jewish community, following the death of her elderly father, Rabbi Krushka. As soon as she steps foot inside the house of Dovid Kuperman (Nivola), her father's chosen disciple, it's clear her defiant nature doesn't go unjudged. But an attraction to a childhood friend, Esti (McAdams) – Dovid's wife – ignites a secret love affair that transgresses all boundaries and exposes the tight grasp faith holds on sexuality. Through charged silences and stolen glances, Ronit and Esti delve deeper into forbidden territory in search of their lesbian identity. A powerful love story based on Naomi Alderman’s novel.
Leaving Litwak’s video arcade behind, eight-bit misfits Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope (Silverman) risk a trip into the strange realm of cyberspace in search of a spare part to save Vanellope’s racing game. In the vast virtual chaos, full of pop-up ads and high-stakes online auctions, they’re in way over their heads. Luckily the netizens of the web are there to help… but is anything safe when Ralph Breaks The Internet? Teeming with famous faces from across the Disneyverse, the sequel to 2012 smash hit Wreck-It Ralph is a delightful animated romp through pop culture.
Things aren’t going brilliantly for Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). He’s living out of his uncle’s garage and the only job he can find, as a low-level telemarketer, he isn’t particularly good at. That is, until an older black colleague gives him one simple piece of advice: speak in a “white voice”. This proves to be the key to immediate professional success and Cassius begins to shoot up the corporate ladder.
Written and directed by rapper Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a fierce and very funny satire, bursting with ideas. Announcing a major new talent, and perhaps the most stridently anti-capitalist film ever to come out of Hollywood, this is radical, dazzling and unmissable.
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, and barely makes enough money through petty crime to survive, they seem to live happily together, until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and shakes the bonds that unite them. Full of emotion and characters of unassuming depth, this superb family drama from Kore-eda (Nobody Knows) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
The second chapter of the Fantastic Beasts franchise delves back into J. K. Rowling’s enchanting Wizarding World, swapping the hustle and bustle of 1920s New York for the moody streets of Paris a year on, where a slew of new characters and wonderful beasts await discovery.
The powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (a wildly white-haired Depp duded up in heinous style) has slipped the bars of custody and is out to purge the world of all non-magical beings. In a desperate bid to restore harmony, a young Albus Dumbledore (Law) calls upon the help of former Hogwarts student Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to stop Grindelwald and his growing army of pure-blood wizards in their tracks. But this only marks the start of a perilous quest into a world of dark magic.
From Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) comes a blistering heist thriller set against a backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. This contemporary reworking of the ’80s TV miniseries tells the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. In a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Davis), Linda (Rodriguez), Alice (Debicki) and Belle (Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Brian Tyree Henry and Robert Duvall round out the brilliant cast.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
FREE SOLO + Satellite Q&A with Alex Honnold and filmmakers
To celebrate International Mountain Day on 11 December, join us for a live event of FREE SOLO followed by Q&A with Alex Honnold and directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin. The screening and Q&A will be broadcast live across the UK and Ireland via satellite.
From award-winning documentary filmmaker E. Chai Vasarhelyi and world-renowned photographer and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, the directors of MERU, comes FREE SOLO, a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of free soloist climber Alex Honnold,as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock ... the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park ... without a rope. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate standard: perfection or death. Succeeding in this challenge places his story in the annals of human achievement.
Need proof that life is stranger than fiction? Look right this way. Tim Wardle’s acclaimed documentary might just be the most incredible true story ever told.
The film begins with the stuff of fairy tales: three identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by three different families, are reunited two decades later by astonishing coincidence.
It’s a jaw-dropping slice of feel-good that made headlines around the world. But the reunion also set in motion a series of events that unearthed an unimaginable secret – a secret with radical repercussions for us all.
Winner of Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award, Three Identical Strangers is an exuberant celebration of family that transforms into a thriller with colossal implications.
Contains suicide references.
Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (Moore) thinks he’s the one and only Spider-Man. But when he’s hurled through a portal into a parallel dimension, he discovers his world is just a small slice of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
Developed by The Lego Movie masterminds Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who wanted the film to feel like ‘walking inside a comic book’, the freshest Spider-Man story yet blends humour, action and gorgeous, groundbreaking animation.
Director Lars Von Trier talks about his career and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT in an exclusive interview featurette featuring appearances by Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman.
Lars von Trier returns to the director’s chair to present the world with his most daring and provocative work to date. This time the topic of discussion is violence and art, and violence as art.
Matt Dillon plays failed architect turned serial killer Jack, who leads us through his thought processes behind his increasingly depraved acts of murder which he names “incidents”. As he retells his crimes to Verge (Ganz) as if they were works of art in themselves, the audience is invited to question the nature of artistry. Where do its limits lie? How far is too far? With pitch-black humour and undeniable cinematic vision, von Trier delights in taking us there.
Based on Charles Dickens’s own performance adaptation, Simon Callow and director Tom Cairns have created a one-man theatrical extravaganza of festive storytelling that is both heart-warming and deeply moving. Following critically acclaimed, sold-out theatre seasons in 2011, 2012 and again in 2016, Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love) returns to wow audiences with this tour de force performance, reimagined especially for cinema. A Christmas must see!
THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest"s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
From Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman), Disobedience is a rare glimpse into prohibited love in a world of unremitting dedication to faith.
Estranged daughter Ronit (Weisz) returns home to north London and an Orthodox Jewish community, following the death of her elderly father, Rabbi Krushka. As soon as she steps foot inside the house of Dovid Kuperman (Nivola), her father's chosen disciple, it's clear her defiant nature doesn't go unjudged. But an attraction to a childhood friend, Esti (McAdams) – Dovid's wife – ignites a secret love affair that transgresses all boundaries and exposes the tight grasp faith holds on sexuality. Through charged silences and stolen glances, Ronit and Esti delve deeper into forbidden territory in search of their lesbian identity. A powerful love story based on Naomi Alderman’s novel.
Leaving Litwak’s video arcade behind, eight-bit misfits Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope (Silverman) risk a trip into the strange realm of cyberspace in search of a spare part to save Vanellope’s racing game. In the vast virtual chaos, full of pop-up ads and high-stakes online auctions, they’re in way over their heads. Luckily the netizens of the web are there to help… but is anything safe when Ralph Breaks The Internet? Teeming with famous faces from across the Disneyverse, the sequel to 2012 smash hit Wreck-It Ralph is a delightful animated romp through pop culture.
Things aren’t going brilliantly for Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). He’s living out of his uncle’s garage and the only job he can find, as a low-level telemarketer, he isn’t particularly good at. That is, until an older black colleague gives him one simple piece of advice: speak in a “white voice”. This proves to be the key to immediate professional success and Cassius begins to shoot up the corporate ladder.
Written and directed by rapper Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a fierce and very funny satire, bursting with ideas. Announcing a major new talent, and perhaps the most stridently anti-capitalist film ever to come out of Hollywood, this is radical, dazzling and unmissable.
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, and barely makes enough money through petty crime to survive, they seem to live happily together, until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and shakes the bonds that unite them. Full of emotion and characters of unassuming depth, this superb family drama from Kore-eda (Nobody Knows) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
The second chapter of the Fantastic Beasts franchise delves back into J. K. Rowling’s enchanting Wizarding World, swapping the hustle and bustle of 1920s New York for the moody streets of Paris a year on, where a slew of new characters and wonderful beasts await discovery.
The powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (a wildly white-haired Depp duded up in heinous style) has slipped the bars of custody and is out to purge the world of all non-magical beings. In a desperate bid to restore harmony, a young Albus Dumbledore (Law) calls upon the help of former Hogwarts student Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to stop Grindelwald and his growing army of pure-blood wizards in their tracks. But this only marks the start of a perilous quest into a world of dark magic.
From Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) comes a blistering heist thriller set against a backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. This contemporary reworking of the ’80s TV miniseries tells the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. In a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Davis), Linda (Rodriguez), Alice (Debicki) and Belle (Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Brian Tyree Henry and Robert Duvall round out the brilliant cast.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Need proof that life is stranger than fiction? Look right this way. Tim Wardle’s acclaimed documentary might just be the most incredible true story ever told.
The film begins with the stuff of fairy tales: three identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by three different families, are reunited two decades later by astonishing coincidence.
It’s a jaw-dropping slice of feel-good that made headlines around the world. But the reunion also set in motion a series of events that unearthed an unimaginable secret – a secret with radical repercussions for us all.
Winner of Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award, Three Identical Strangers is an exuberant celebration of family that transforms into a thriller with colossal implications.
Contains suicide references.
Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (Moore) thinks he’s the one and only Spider-Man. But when he’s hurled through a portal into a parallel dimension, he discovers his world is just a small slice of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
Developed by The Lego Movie masterminds Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who wanted the film to feel like ‘walking inside a comic book’, the freshest Spider-Man story yet blends humour, action and gorgeous, groundbreaking animation.
THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest"s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
From Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman), Disobedience is a rare glimpse into prohibited love in a world of unremitting dedication to faith.
Estranged daughter Ronit (Weisz) returns home to north London and an Orthodox Jewish community, following the death of her elderly father, Rabbi Krushka. As soon as she steps foot inside the house of Dovid Kuperman (Nivola), her father's chosen disciple, it's clear her defiant nature doesn't go unjudged. But an attraction to a childhood friend, Esti (McAdams) – Dovid's wife – ignites a secret love affair that transgresses all boundaries and exposes the tight grasp faith holds on sexuality. Through charged silences and stolen glances, Ronit and Esti delve deeper into forbidden territory in search of their lesbian identity. A powerful love story based on Naomi Alderman’s novel.
Leaving Litwak’s video arcade behind, eight-bit misfits Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope (Silverman) risk a trip into the strange realm of cyberspace in search of a spare part to save Vanellope’s racing game. In the vast virtual chaos, full of pop-up ads and high-stakes online auctions, they’re in way over their heads. Luckily the netizens of the web are there to help… but is anything safe when Ralph Breaks The Internet? Teeming with famous faces from across the Disneyverse, the sequel to 2012 smash hit Wreck-It Ralph is a delightful animated romp through pop culture.
Things aren’t going brilliantly for Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). He’s living out of his uncle’s garage and the only job he can find, as a low-level telemarketer, he isn’t particularly good at. That is, until an older black colleague gives him one simple piece of advice: speak in a “white voice”. This proves to be the key to immediate professional success and Cassius begins to shoot up the corporate ladder.
Written and directed by rapper Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a fierce and very funny satire, bursting with ideas. Announcing a major new talent, and perhaps the most stridently anti-capitalist film ever to come out of Hollywood, this is radical, dazzling and unmissable.
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, and barely makes enough money through petty crime to survive, they seem to live happily together, until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets and shakes the bonds that unite them. Full of emotion and characters of unassuming depth, this superb family drama from Kore-eda (Nobody Knows) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.
The second chapter of the Fantastic Beasts franchise delves back into J. K. Rowling’s enchanting Wizarding World, swapping the hustle and bustle of 1920s New York for the moody streets of Paris a year on, where a slew of new characters and wonderful beasts await discovery.
The powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (a wildly white-haired Depp duded up in heinous style) has slipped the bars of custody and is out to purge the world of all non-magical beings. In a desperate bid to restore harmony, a young Albus Dumbledore (Law) calls upon the help of former Hogwarts student Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to stop Grindelwald and his growing army of pure-blood wizards in their tracks. But this only marks the start of a perilous quest into a world of dark magic.
From Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) and co-writer Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) comes a blistering heist thriller set against a backdrop of crime, passion and corruption. This contemporary reworking of the ’80s TV miniseries tells the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. In a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Davis), Linda (Rodriguez), Alice (Debicki) and Belle (Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms. Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Brian Tyree Henry and Robert Duvall round out the brilliant cast.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Need proof that life is stranger than fiction? Look right this way. Tim Wardle’s acclaimed documentary might just be the most incredible true story ever told.
The film begins with the stuff of fairy tales: three identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted by three different families, are reunited two decades later by astonishing coincidence.
It’s a jaw-dropping slice of feel-good that made headlines around the world. But the reunion also set in motion a series of events that unearthed an unimaginable secret – a secret with radical repercussions for us all.
Winner of Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award, Three Identical Strangers is an exuberant celebration of family that transforms into a thriller with colossal implications.
Contains suicide references.
This winter, join in the fun and enjoy your favourite Christmas show in the cinema for the first time ever! The much anticipated annual CBeebies Christmas Show is coming to the big screen for a family-friendly cinema experience. The makers of Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol and Snow Queen will delight audiences this year with the classic tale of Thumbelina.
This CBeebies Christmas Show recreates on the big screen the live Thumbelina performance and includes an exclusive, additional show made for cinema audiences only starring the much-loved Justin Fletcher (Something Special) in "Justin’s Countdown to Christmas". This holiday season, laugh and sing along with your favourite CBeebies Stars and be part of a fabulous interactive show for all the family.
New Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin launches his tenure by conducting Verdi’s timeless tragedy. Worldly courtesan Violetta, sung by soprano Diana Damrau, has grown tired of her dissolute life. When the pure-hearted Alfredo—tenor Juan Diego Flórez—declares his love for her, she leaves everything behind to live with him. But his family’s reputation is ruined by his association with her, and Violetta is torn between her feelings for Alfredo and her desire to protect him from scandal. Urged by the young man’s father, she tears herself away and returns to her old life. Alfredo, not knowing the real reason for her apparent betrayal, is heartbroken – and bent on revenge. Directed by Michael Mayer, this new production features a dazzling eighteenth-century setting that changes with the seasons.
This special print features all the lyrics to the stunning soundtrack written by Academy Award and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land). Come in all your finery and sing along with your family and friends!
Curtains up, hit the lights – it’s showtime! Broadway veteran Hugh Jackman returns to his song-and-dance roots in a dazzling feel-good musical about taking risks and chasing your dreams. Inspired by the life of show-business pioneer P. T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman charts one man’s rise from nothing to create a circus spectacle that would become a worldwide sensation – ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’. Jackman stars as the down-on-his-luck Barnum, who gathers a motley troupe of extraordinary performers and changes the face of entertainment for ever. Strutting their stuff alongside him in this rags-to-riches tale are the likes of Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and singer Zendaya, performing catchy original music penned by La La Land duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Based on the critically acclaimed 2008 memoir Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff, Beautiful Boy is a harrowing film about a father’s torment at witnessing his son’s downward spiral, succumbing to the effects of crystal meth and heroin. Actors Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet excel in the roles of David and his son Nic, delivering a marvellously sensitive, largely quiet tour de force, as they take us on a journey of love, pain and hope, navigating through moments of happiness and of utter despair, moments of rehab and relapse. A truly inspiring story of survival and recovery as a family copes with addiction over many years.
New Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin launches his tenure by conducting Verdi’s timeless tragedy. Worldly courtesan Violetta, sung by soprano Diana Damrau, has grown tired of her dissolute life. When the pure-hearted Alfredo—tenor Juan Diego Flórez—declares his love for her, she leaves everything behind to live with him. But his family’s reputation is ruined by his association with her, and Violetta is torn between her feelings for Alfredo and her desire to protect him from scandal. Urged by the young man’s father, she tears herself away and returns to her old life. Alfredo, not knowing the real reason for her apparent betrayal, is heartbroken – and bent on revenge. Directed by Michael Mayer, this new production features a dazzling eighteenth-century setting that changes with the seasons.
Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere!
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) that needs a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) to earn his help.
11.00Dementia-Friendly Screening: Open to all but especially for people with dementia and their family, friends and carers. Join us for free tea, coffee and biscuits and a chance to socialise for 30 minutes before the film. The film will start at the time stated.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
12.00Big Scream: Exclusively for parents or carers with babies under the age of one.
Select:
14.00Silver Screen: Aged over 60? Join the Silver Screen Club for discounted tickets and a free tea or coffee at these shows. Usual ticket prices apply to non-Members.
Select:
15.00Silver Screen: Aged over 60? Join the Silver Screen Club for discounted tickets and a free tea or coffee at these shows. Usual ticket prices apply to non-Members.
This screening starts with Laurel and Hardy’s classic short film The Music Box, which depicts the pair trying (and failing hilariously) to move a piano up a large flight of steps.
Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are brilliant as legendary movie icons Laurel and Hardy in Stan & Ollie, the charming and touching story of what would become the triumphant swansong of Hollywood’s greatest comedy double act.
Eager to reignite their film careers, they embark on a gruelling variety hall tour of Britain and Ireland. With the support of their wives Lucille (Henderson) and Ida (Arianda) – a formidable double act in their own right – the duo reaffirm their love of performing, and for each other, as they secure their place in the hearts of the adoring public.
20.4012 Days Of Christmas: A selection of festive favourites to spread the Christmas cheer
Preview: We're pleased to present exclusive previews of this film at Picturehouse Cinemas, prior to its general release.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
This Aardman Animation's family fantasy opens on Christmas night, where Arthur, Santa's youngest son, is on a mission to save Christmas for one little girl.
When one of the girl's presents goes missing, Arthur rounds up his reindeer, fuels up his sledge and sets out into the December sky with Grandsanta and elf Byrony to deliver the present before the morning.
With an impressive British voice cast, ARTHUR CHRISTMAS is sure to warm the cockles of adults and children across the land this winter.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
One of the most popular and enduring films ever made, Frank Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a gloriously sentimental testament to homely small-town moral values.
Masterfully crafted, the film opens with angels discussing George Bailey (James Stewart), a man so beset with problems that he contemplates a Christmas-time suicide. As George prepares to jump from a bridge his guardian angel Clarence Oddbody intervenes and shows him how badly Bedford Falls would have turned out without his good deeds. Filled with a renewed joy of life George returns to his family for Christmas.
James Stewart gives one of his finest, most affecting performances and the film looks better than ever in its new restoration.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three, and he's heading on an epic adventure across the seasons. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?
This wonderful animation made by Magic Light, creators of The Gruffalo, The Gruffalos Child and Room On The Broom comes to Toddler Time for the first time.
Don't miss your chance to see it on the big screen.
One of the most popular and enduring films ever made, Frank Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is a gloriously sentimental testament to homely small-town moral values.
Masterfully crafted, the film opens with angels discussing George Bailey (James Stewart), a man so beset with problems that he contemplates a Christmas-time suicide. As George prepares to jump from a bridge his guardian angel Clarence Oddbody intervenes and shows him how badly Bedford Falls would have turned out without his good deeds. Filled with a renewed joy of life George returns to his family for Christmas.
James Stewart gives one of his finest, most affecting performances and the film looks better than ever in its new restoration.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
Recent winner of the top prize at Toronto International Film Festival, Green Book is the uplifting true story of an unlikely friendship that transcended race and class.
Set in 1962, Italian-American Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) is hired to chauffeur African-American pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on a concert tour through the Deep South. Don is aware of the troubles that he might face in different locations due to the colour of his skin and requires someone to act as both driver and bouncer. They must rely on The Green Book, a guide to the few establishments that are safe for African-Americans and embark on a journey that will change both of their lives.
With strong performances from Ali (following his Oscar-winning turn in Moonlight) and Mortensen (A History of Violence), there is also a great chemistry between the leads. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for his crowd-pleasing comedies Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, succeeds brilliantly in making the vital subject of racial division in the 1960s America into a smart and charming film.
Nearly three decades after her first visit to London, the enigmatic Mary Poppins (Blunt) soars back into the capital to look after the Banks children in their time of need.
The now grown-up Jane (Mortimer) and Michael Banks (Whishaw) are living in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane, along with Michael’s three children and their housekeeper Ellen (Walters).
The family are in danger of losing their home, and Michael is struggling after a personal loss, but the practically perfect nanny returns just in time to rekindle the fun and wonder missing from their lives – with a little help from street lamplighter Jack (Miranda) and her eccentric cousin Topsy (Streep).
Boasting wonderful songs, classic 2D animation and cameos from some familiar faces, this is a delightful reunion for all to enjoy, whether you grew up with the magic or are discovering it for the first time.
The conductor of this New Year’s Eve concert is Daniel Barenboim, one of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s oldest friends. He also takes on the role of soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 26 – a work of sparkling beauty and nuanced expression. There are also four famous works by Maurice Ravel, which create an impressive synthesis of elegance and originality. The final highlight is the Boléro, perhaps the most stunning crescendo in music history.
At the age of 84, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But without a definitive Ginsburg biography, the unique personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior's rise to the nation's highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg 's exceptional life and career from Betsy West and Julie Cohen, and co-produced by Storyville Films and CNN Films.
For the first time at the Met, soprano Anna Netrebko sings the role of Adriana Lecouvreur, the eighteenth-century actress whose real-life intrigues inspired Cilea’s tragic opera. Adriana is adored by many but loves only Maurizio, sung by tenor (Piotr Beczała), who adores her in return. Maurizio desperately tries to extricate himself from his previous lover, the Princess deof Bouillon— mezzo-soprano (Anita Rachvelishvili). When the princess discovers that Adriana is her rival, she takes desperate measures of her own. In this new production directed by Sir David McVicar, the action is partially set in a working replica of a baroque theatre. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the riveting score.
A tale of heads of state falling from power, opportunists, powerbrokers and propagandists. Shakespeare’s Richard II is a monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man and a weak one at that. His reckless policies include burdening his citizens with taxes, and confiscating the land and wealth of noblemen. His vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years, while he paves the way for his own deposition by Henry Bolingbroke. This visceral new production, staged at the Almeida Theatre, London, stars Simon Russell Beale as Shakespeare’s narcissistic, arbitrary king. The play is subversively reimagined and directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins (Little Revolution, Absolute Hell). With designs by ULTZ.
For the first time at the Met, soprano Anna Netrebko sings the role of Adriana Lecouvreur, the eighteenth-century actress whose real-life intrigues inspired Cilea’s tragic opera. Adriana is adored by many but loves only Maurizio, sung by tenor (Piotr Beczała), who adores her in return. Maurizio desperately tries to extricate himself from his previous lover, the Princess deof Bouillon— mezzo-soprano (Anita Rachvelishvili). When the princess discovers that Adriana is her rival, she takes desperate measures of her own. In this new production directed by Sir David McVicar, the action is partially set in a working replica of a baroque theatre. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the riveting score.
Tchaikovsky's most ambitious opera contains some of his greatest music and is a powerful study of destructive obsession.
In Tchaikovsky’s intense opera of obsession and the supernatural, Gherman is caught between the woman he loves and a destructive fixation. The Queen of Spadesis based on a short story by Pushkin, and comes to the Royal Opera House in a new production that has already garnered five-star reviews in Amsterdam. The production is set in 1890, the year of the opera’s premiere. In his study, Tchaikovsky imagines the opera into life as his own story, its characters giving voice to his unfulfilled desires. Aleksandrs Antonenko and Eva-Maria Westbroek head the cast and Royal Opera Chorus, conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera. This is an engrossing portrayal of a tortured creative artist and a gripping piece of gothic storytelling.
Director: Dir. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly. USA. 1952. 102 mins.
Hollywood’s troubled transition from silent to talking pictures at the end of the 1920s provided the inspiration for perhaps the greatest of movie musicals.
“The most enduring film musical to have come out of Hollywood. In all these years not a frame of it has dated; it still retains all its freshness and sparkle.”
Clive Hirschhorn, Gene Kelly: A Biography, 1984
To follow the acclaim for An American in Paris, which won him the 1951 Oscar for best picture, songwriter-turned-producer Arthur Freed charged screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green with writing a musical based around some of his own most popular early songs. The result was a nostalgic tribute to the Hollywood of a bygone era starring Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood, the swashbuckling silent star at a film studio grappling with the coming of sound.
From the iconic scene in which Lockwood, smitten with young actress Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), dances home during a downpour singing the title song, to the extended ballet sequence featuring Cyd Charisse in a parody of the gangster film, Singin’ in the Rain represents the musical genre at its most energetic and ambitious.
11.00Dementia-Friendly Screening: Open to all but especially for people with dementia and their family, friends and carers. Join us for free tea, coffee and biscuits and a chance to socialise for 30 minutes before the film. The film will start at the time stated.
A tale of heads of state falling from power, opportunists, powerbrokers and propagandists. Shakespeare’s Richard II is a monarch ordained by God to lead his people. But he is also a man and a weak one at that. His reckless policies include burdening his citizens with taxes, and confiscating the land and wealth of noblemen. His vanity threatens to divide the great houses of England and drag his people into a dynastic civil war that will last 100 years, while he paves the way for his own deposition by Henry Bolingbroke. This visceral new production, staged at the Almeida Theatre, London, stars Simon Russell Beale as Shakespeare’s narcissistic, arbitrary king. The play is subversively reimagined and directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins (Little Revolution, Absolute Hell). With designs by ULTZ.
Richard Eyre's beautiful production provides the perfect setting for Verdi's opera about a courtesan who sacrifices all for love.
From the thrill of unexpected romance to a heartbreaking reconciliation that comes too late – Verdi’s La traviata is one of the most popular of all operas. Alfredo falls in love in with the courtesan Violetta in glamorous Paris society, but underneath the surface run darker undercurrents, leading to a tragic ending. The opera’s wealth of melodies includes the famous Brindisi and the exuberant ‘Sempre libera’ – both showing the lyricism of Italian opera at its most immediately appealing. Richard Eyre’s production for The Royal Opera brings out all the emotional colour, from the giddy discovery of love, through painful confrontation to the inevitable conclusion. Lavish period sets and costumes enhance the reality of a moving story based on true life.
Broadcast live from the National Theatre, Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power.
Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.
Director Simon Godwin returns to National Theatre Live screens with this hotly anticipated production, following broadcasts of Twelfth Night, Man and Superman and The Beaux’ Stratagem.
Love is a wild bird… Don’t miss this revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s dynamic production. Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine plays opera’s ultimate seductress, while Roberto Alagna returns to the role of Don José, the good-hearted soldier with whom she unleashes an uncontrollable passion. Don José breaks the law, goes to prison, deserts the army and loses everything to be with Carmen. But the capricious Carmen gypsy soon tires of him and takes up instead with the bullfighter Escamillo—bass (Alexander Vinogradov). She has ruined his life, but still, Don José adores her, with a fierceness that can only lead to catastrophe. Composer Bizet died just three months after Carmen’s disastrous premiere, never knowing that his creation would become one of the most popular operas of all time.
Love is a wild bird… Don’t miss this revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s dynamic production. Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine plays opera’s ultimate seductress, while Roberto Alagna returns to the role of Don José, the good-hearted soldier with whom she unleashes an uncontrollable passion. Don José breaks the law, goes to prison, deserts the army and loses everything to be with Carmen. But the capricious Carmen gypsy soon tires of him and takes up instead with the bullfighter Escamillo—bass (Alexander Vinogradov). She has ruined his life, but still, Don José adores her, with a fierceness that can only lead to catastrophe. Composer Bizet died just three months after Carmen’s disastrous premiere, never knowing that his creation would become one of the most popular operas of all time.
Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest artists of all time - and right up until his death in 1973 he was the most prolific of artists. Many films have dealt with these later years - the art, the affairs and the wide circle of friends. But where did this all begin? What made Picasso in the first place? Too long ignored, it is time to look at the early years of Picasso; the upbringing and the learning that led to his extraordinary achievements.
Three cities play a key role: Malaga, Barcelona and Paris. Young Picasso visits each and explores their influence on Picasso, focusing on specific artworks from these early years. The film thus explains how this young artist acquired his craft. Looking carefully at two key early periods - the so-called Blue Period and Rose Period - the film takes us all the way to 1907 and the creation of a critical painting in the history of art - Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. It was a painting that shocked the art world but changed it irrevocably. Picasso was only 25 years old. Working closely with all three Picasso Museums in Malaga, Barcelona and Paris this film explains how he rose to great heights.
Love and friendship triumph in Carlos Acosta's vibrant production of this dazzling ballet.
Cervantes’s story of the bumbling knight Don Quixote has inspired countless artistic interpretations. Marius Petipa choreographed this sparkling ballet about the encounters of the man from La Mancha and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. At its heart are virtuoso roles for the lovers Basilio and Kitri. Carlos Acosta chose this joyful classic for his first production for The Royal Ballet. His vibrant staging brings together the whole Company in such roles as exuberant villagers, passionate gypsies and even fantasy flowers. The story follows Don Quixote’s picaresque journey to do deeds in honour of his imaginary noble lady, Dulcinea. Sunny, charming, funny and touching – Don Quixote is a ballet as full of uplifting emotion as it is of astonishing ballet technique.
Approximate running time: 2 hours 45 minutes, inclding one interval.
Full of wit and invention, Donizetti’s comic opera is a delight. The famous aria “Ah, Mes Amis,” with its nine high Cs, is known as the Mount Everest for tenors one of opera’s most show-stopping numbers. Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena takes on the challenging vocal fireworks in this revival, a co-production with London’s Royal Opera House and the Wiener StaatsoperLaurent Pelly’s hilarious staging. Orphaned as a small child and raised by an entire army regiment, the spirited Marie has grown up as the regiment’s ‘daughter’, raising morale and spreading joy. Tonio, a local man, falls in love with her and even joins the army for her sake. But a chance encounter with a noblewoman sparks a sudden revelation, and a tale unfolds of secret identities, long-lost family, and murky pasts.
Full of wit and invention, Donizetti’s comic opera is a delight. The famous aria “Ah, Mes Amis,” with its nine high Cs, is known as the Mount Everest for tenors one of opera’s most show-stopping numbers. Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena takes on the challenging vocal fireworks in this revival, a co-production with London’s Royal Opera House and the Wiener StaatsoperLaurent Pelly’s hilarious staging. Orphaned as a small child and raised by an entire army regiment, the spirited Marie has grown up as the regiment’s ‘daughter’, raising morale and spreading joy. Tonio, a local man, falls in love with her and even joins the army for her sake. But a chance encounter with a noblewoman sparks a sudden revelation, and a tale unfolds of secret identities, long-lost family, and murky pasts.
Featuring some of the most glorious music ever written—including, of course, the Ride of the Valkyries —Die Walküre is the second of the four operas that comprise Wagner’s Ring cycle, a story of monsters, gods, and humans on a superhuman scale. When twins Siegmund and Sieglinde find each other at last, Siegmund promises to release Sieglinde from her forced marriage by killing her husband, Hunding. The god Wotan instructs Valkyrie warrior Brünnhilde to defend Hunding. But, moved by the twins’ mutual devotion, Brünnhilde refuses to obey, forging an alliance with Sieglinde that has far-reaching consequences for them both. Soprano Christine Goerke sings Brünnhilde, tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek are the love-struck twins, and Ring cycle veteran Philippe Jordan conducts.
Christof Loy directs a star-studded cast of singers, inclusing Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tezier, in Verdi's epic opera, conducted by Antonio Pappano.
Leonora falls in love with Don Alvaro, but when her father forbids their marriage, a fatal accident triggers a drama of obsession, vengeance and tragedy. Jonas Kaufmannand Anna Netrebko star in Verdi’s epic La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) an opera which demands the very best of singers for its powerful music and the fullest theatrical treatment for its story of bitter revenge pursued across miles and years. The production comes to The Royal Opera in a sensational staging from Amsterdam packed with colour and action. It is directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera.
Featuring some of the most glorious music ever written—including, of course, the Ride of the Valkyries —Die Walküre is the second of the four operas that comprise Wagner’s Ring cycle, a story of monsters, gods, and humans on a superhuman scale. When twins Siegmund and Sieglinde find each other at last, Siegmund promises to release Sieglinde from her forced marriage by killing her husband, Hunding. The god Wotan instructs Valkyrie warrior Brünnhilde to defend Hunding. But, moved by the twins’ mutual devotion, Brünnhilde refuses to obey, forging an alliance with Sieglinde that has far-reaching consequences for them both. Soprano Christine Goerke sings Brünnhilde, tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek are the love-struck twins, and Ring cycle veteran Philippe Jordan conducts.
From the National Gallery, London and Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Every Rembrandt exhibition is eagerly anticipated but this major show hosted by London’s National Gallery and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum was an event like no other. Given privileged access to both galleries the film documents this landmark exhibition, whilst interweaving Rembrandt’s life story, with behind-the-scenes preparations at these world famous institutions. Exploring many of the exhibition’s key works, through contributions from specially invited guests including curators and leading art historians, this Exhibition on Screen favourite makes a welcome return to the big screen marking the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt's death. For many, Rembrandt is the greatest artist that ever lived and this deeply moving film seeks to explore the truth about the man behind the legend.
Come into the forest; dare to change your state of mind.
Rosalind is banished, wrestling with her heart and her head. With her cousin by her side, she journeys to a world of exile where barriers are broken down and all can discover their deeper selves.
Kimberley Sykes (Dido, Queen of Carthage) directs a riotous, exhilarating version of Shakespeare's romantic comedy.
Experience the decadence and elegance of 1870s Paris in David McVicar's spectacular production of Gounod's best-loved opera.
There are many versions of the story of Faust, who trades his soul with the Devil for youth and power, but Gounod’s opera remains one of the most constantly enthralling. Michael Fabiano stars as Faust, with Diana Damrau as his beloved Marguerite and Erwin Schrott as the diabolical Méphistophélès. Virtuoso leading roles, a large chorus, sensational sets, ballet and an ecstatic finale make this the epitome of theatrical spectacle – the lavish scale of French grand opera is wonderfully in evidence in this production by David McVicar, set in 1870s Paris. Above all, the music includes several of popular opera’s most recognizable numbers, performed by a cast of great international singers and the Royal Opera Chorus.
Approximate running time: 3 hours 45 minutes, including one interval. Sung in French with English subtitles.
Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads Poulenc’s masterpiece. As the French Revolution begins, shy Blanche, sung by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, becomes a novice nun under an elderly prioress—Met legend Karita Mattila. Blanche’s aristocratic family flees the Terror, but she remains behind, struggling between her fear of the guillotine and her duty to the convent. When the nuns are expelled from the convent and threatened with death, Blanche must make an agonising decision. In the shattering final scene, the nuns walk towards the guillotine singing Salve Regina: Their voices are cut off, one by one, with each stroke of the blade, until all are silenced. Poulenc’s devastating portrayal of faith and martyrdom is live in HD for the first time.
Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads Poulenc’s masterpiece. As the French Revolution begins, shy Blanche, sung by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, becomes a novice nun under an elderly prioress—Met legend Karita Mattila. Blanche’s aristocratic family flees the Terror, but she remains behind, struggling between her fear of the guillotine and her duty to the convent. When the nuns are expelled from the convent and threatened with death, Blanche must make an agonising decision. In the shattering final scene, the nuns walk towards the guillotine singing Salve Regina: Their voices are cut off, one by one, with each stroke of the blade, until all are silenced. Poulenc’s devastating portrayal of faith and martyrdom is live in HD for the first time.
Two recent works and one world premiere showcase the contemporary face of the Royal Ballet.
The contemporary face of The Royal Ballet is shown in works from three of today’s leading choreographers. Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour is based around seven couples separating and intermingling, to music by Vivaldi and Bosso and lit with rich colours suggested by sunset. Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern, revived for the first time, uses a large dance ensemble and Górecki’s familiar music from his Symphony of Sorrowful Songsfor a poignant and passionate reflection on migration. Between them, a new work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, created on The Royal Ballet has its premiere to bring the contemporary truly up-to-date.
In a reimagined 1590, England is a matriarchy.
Baptista Minola is seeking to sell off her son Katherine to the highest bidder. Cue an explosive battle of the sexes in this electrically charged love story.
Justin Audibert (Snow in Midsummer, The Jew of Malta) turns Shakespeare's fierce, energetic comedy of gender and materialism on its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power.
"I envy the Japanese" Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo. In the exhibition on which this film is based - VAN GOGH & JAPAN at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam - one can see why. Though Vincent van Gogh never visited Japan it is the country that had the most profound influence on him and his art. One cannot understand Van Gogh without understanding how Japanese art arrived in Paris in the middle of the 19th century and the profound impact it had on artists like Monet, Degas and, above all, Van Gogh.
Visiting the new galleries of Japanese art in Paris and then creating his own image of Japan – through in-depth research, print collecting and detailed discussions with other artists – Van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese artworks gave his work a new and exciting direction. After leaving Paris for the south of France – to what he thought of as near to a kind of Japan as he could find - the productive and yet troubled years that followed must all be seen in the context of Van Gogh bending Japanese influences to his will and defining himself as a modern artist with clear Asian precursors. In this little known story of Van Gogh’s art we see just how important his study of Japan was. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the remarkable heritage that so affected Van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.
Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers encounter passion and tragedy in Kenneth MacMillan's 20th century ballet masterpiece.
Shakespeare’s enduring love story is known the world over. Since its 1965 premiere with The Royal Ballet, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet has become a modern ballet classic. The choreography captures the emotions of the young couple as they fall in love, despite the barriers that finally bring about the story’s tragic end. Each revival gives opportunities for new dancers to interpret the doomed lovers. The whole Company brings the colour and action of Renaissance Verona, where a busy market all too quickly bursts into sword fighting, and a family feud leads to tragedy for both the Montagues and Capulets.
'To whom should I complain?'
When a young novice nun is compromised by a corrupt official, who offers to save her brother from execution in return for sex, she has no idea where to turn for help. When she threatens to expose him, he tells her that no one would believe her.
Shakespeare wrote this play in the early 1600s, yet it remains astonishingly resonant today. Artistic Director Gregory Doran directs this new production.
