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Regular girl, Veronica (Winona Ryder), tries to survive the social jungle of high school by sticking with the three most popular girls at school who are all called Heather. As she meets a sociopath named JD (Christian Slater), her life spirals into a continuous cycle of hate and unintentional murder, as she exacts revenge on her enemies, AKA her best friends.
Dark, cynical and subversive, this cult classic gently applied a chainsaw to the conventions of the high school movie -- changing the game for teen comedies to follow.
10.30Big Scream: Exclusively for parents or carers with babies under the age of one.
Culture Shock: Dedicated to bringing you the best in cult and genre films.
In 2013 Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, The Wings of Desire) was invited to make a film about the Pope. Wenders, who had a Catholic upbringing and later converted to Protestantism, was given extraordinary access to His Holiness and to Vatican footage of the current Pontificate. The Pope, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, is the first South American and the first Jesuit to hold papal office. This documentary - a personal journey - shows Pope Francis to be a person of uncommon integrity whether his messages are about death, social justice, immigration, ecology or the role of the family. Wenders’s surprising and refreshingly direct approach is fitting for a Pope who urges simplicity, and whose tenure has been characterised by humility and outspoken support for the world’s poor.
Chela and Chiquita, two women from wealthy Asunción families, have been together for over 30 years. Facing financial hardship, they sell some of their inherited possessions. But when Chiquita is imprisoned for fraud, the passive Chela is left on her own. Using her old Daimler, she begins to provide a local taxi service for wealthy elderly ladies. In her new life as a chauffeur, Chela meets a younger, free-spirited woman who helps her rediscover her own desires.
From the creators of the Academy Award® nominated Ernest & Celestine comes The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales, a hilarious adventure about a gang of animal misfits. Told through beautiful hand drawn animation, the story unfolds around these lovable countryside creatures as they try (and fail), to fulfil their traditional roles in the farm and the forest.
A lazy stork leaves the delivery of a baby in the care of a rabbit, a pig and a duck. A big, bad fox tries to live up to his reputation whilst he unwittingly adopts three confused baby chicks and in the film's final tale, the animals embark on a hair-brained scheme to replace Father Christmas.
Featuring a host of voices from the world of British comedy, including Bill Bailey, Adrian Edmondson, Justin Edwards, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Phill Jupitus and Giles New, The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales is a heart-warming portrayal of the pitfalls of family life.
Tara (Arterton) appears to have everything – a loving husband, young children and an opulent home. “You’ve got it made,” declares her single, working-class mother, seeing only her daughter’s upwardly mobile lifestyle. But as Tara does the household chores and looks after the children, she’s confused, depressed and lost. The Escape is the story of Tara’s despair and of her awakening. It's also the story of one man’s struggle to understand his wife's pain. For how can Tara possibly explain her unhappiness when she doesn’t understand it herself? The resulting tortured and tender chemistry between leads Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper is profoundly affecting, at times shattering. Thrilling in its complexity and with a powerful Bergmanesque intensity, this is a film about realising that the life you have may not be the one you want.
13.15Silver 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.
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
Considered one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest cinematic achievements, Vertigo is a dreamlike thriller from the Master of Suspense. Set in San Francisco, the film creates a dizzying web of mistaken identity, passion and murder after an acrophobic detective (James Stewart) rescues a mysterious blonde (Kim Novak) from the bay and must unravel the secrets of the past to find the key to his future.
When Prince Ashitaka slays a raging boar god, he is wounded and becomes infected with the sickness that had sent the beast berserk, a malady stemming from humankind’s disharmony with nature. Set at the time of Japan’s transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era, Princess Mononoke is a morally complex tale that blends a fantasy quest with social comment for our times.
13.00Summer of Ghibli - English Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
A fantasy adventure film unlike any other, Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro, a capricious ten-year-old girl who believes the entire world should submit to her every whim.
While en route to a new home, Chihiro and her parents stumble upon a mysterious tunnel, which leads them to a ghostly town. There, the parents greedily devour the buffet in an abandoned restaurant, and unceremoniously turn into pigs as Chihiro looks on. They have unwittingly strayed into the Land of the Spirits, a world inhabited by ancient gods and magical beings who holiday at a giant bathhouse run by the demonic sorceress, Yubaba.
Chihiro finds an ally in the enigmatic Haku, who explains that in order to survive this strange and perilous world, she must make herself useful by working hard at the bathhouse. Chihiro renounces her laziness, her reason, her memories, even her name…
20.45Summer of Ghibli - Original Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
Proceeds from this screening will go to MediCinema. MediCinema was established in 1996 by Christine Hill MBE to bring the joy and escapism of cinema to patients undergoing treatment for complex illnesses and injuries in hospitals around the UK.
It’s been 50 years since Elvis Presley – the undisputed king of rock – performed his legendary 68’ Comeback concert.
Originally airing as a TV special, this spectacular performance is seen by many as the Memphis icon's most substantial achievement as a stage performer.
His first stage performance in from of a live audience for more than seven years sees him performing alone as well as in jam sessions with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, his early backing musicians. Over 90 minutes, Elvis performs his classic rock and pop hits, introduces new material and reminisces about his career.
This event includes a cinema-exclusive special introduction and studio tour by Steve Binder (the original producer and director), including special guest appearances and commentary offering a unique perspective on Elvis and his iconic status.
In 2013 Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, The Wings of Desire) was invited to make a film about the Pope. Wenders, who had a Catholic upbringing and later converted to Protestantism, was given extraordinary access to His Holiness and to Vatican footage of the current Pontificate. The Pope, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, is the first South American and the first Jesuit to hold papal office. This documentary - a personal journey - shows Pope Francis to be a person of uncommon integrity whether his messages are about death, social justice, immigration, ecology or the role of the family. Wenders’s surprising and refreshingly direct approach is fitting for a Pope who urges simplicity, and whose tenure has been characterised by humility and outspoken support for the world’s poor.
Chela and Chiquita, two women from wealthy Asunción families, have been together for over 30 years. Facing financial hardship, they sell some of their inherited possessions. But when Chiquita is imprisoned for fraud, the passive Chela is left on her own. Using her old Daimler, she begins to provide a local taxi service for wealthy elderly ladies. In her new life as a chauffeur, Chela meets a younger, free-spirited woman who helps her rediscover her own desires.
From the creators of the Academy Award® nominated Ernest & Celestine comes The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales, a hilarious adventure about a gang of animal misfits. Told through beautiful hand drawn animation, the story unfolds around these lovable countryside creatures as they try (and fail), to fulfil their traditional roles in the farm and the forest.
A lazy stork leaves the delivery of a baby in the care of a rabbit, a pig and a duck. A big, bad fox tries to live up to his reputation whilst he unwittingly adopts three confused baby chicks and in the film's final tale, the animals embark on a hair-brained scheme to replace Father Christmas.
Featuring a host of voices from the world of British comedy, including Bill Bailey, Adrian Edmondson, Justin Edwards, Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, Phill Jupitus and Giles New, The Big Bad Fox And Other Tales is a heart-warming portrayal of the pitfalls of family life.
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
13.30Silver 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.
After running away from the sea she calls home, an effervescent young fish-girl is rescued and befriended by a five-year-old human boy called Sosuke.
Naming her Ponyo, Sosuke soon comes to realise the heartbreaking impracticality of their budding romance. Anime maestro Miyazaki’s tenth feature is his eighth under the Ghibli banner, and the fifth to be released theatrically by Disney.
Laced with the fantastical exuberance that has become synonymous with the Japanese studio, PONYO harks back to the thematic timelessness and poetic charms of MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO (1988). It is as visually alluring a fairytale as you are ever likely to see.
13.00Summer of Ghibli - English Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
13.15Silver 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.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
12.15Silver 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.
Subtitled: This show is in the original language and will have English subtitles
Select:
20.30Subtitled: This show is in the original language and will have English subtitles
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
12.00Summer of Ghibli - English Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
David Kim becomes desperate when his 16-year-old daughter Margot disappears and an immediate police investigation leads nowhere. He soon decides to search the one place that no one else has -- Margot's laptop. Hoping to trace her digital footprints, David contacts her friends and looks at photos and videos for any possible clues to her whereabouts.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
The beloved garden gnomes from GNOMEO AND JULIET are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there's only one gnome to call...SHERLOCK GNOMES. The famous detective and sworn protector of London's garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city. This action-packed sequel features the voices of returning cast, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Stephen Merchant and Ozzy Osbourne, plus Johnny Depp as Sherlock Gnomes, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Watson and Mary J. Blige as Irene.
10.00Autism-Friendly: Especially for people on the autism spectrum or with other special needs and their families, friends and carers. Adults without disabilities are only admitted if they are accompanying a child or a person on the autism spectrum/with special needs.
As 6-year-old Andy's favourite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.
Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realise they've got the perfect friend: in each other!
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
In atmospheric 1950s New York, the titular Carol (Blanchett) is marooned in an unhappy marriage to rich businessman Harge Aird (Kyle Chandler, Zero Dark Thirty) when a chance meeting with dreamy shop assistant Therese (Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) sparks a slow-burning romance between the two women.
This prompts much soul-searching and subterfuge on their part, and a bitter custody battle with Harge over Carol’s only child, Rindy (winning newcomer K. K. Heim).
Paired again with Todd Haynes, the maverick director of I’m Not There, Blanchett gives a devastating performance that should be an Oscar shoo-in, with Mara not far behind; their on-screen chemistry fully exploits Phyllis Nagy’s emotionally muscular, pitch-perfect adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s landmark novel.
BlacKkKlansman special screening + Live satellite Q&A with Spike Lee
From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. Teaming up with seasoned colleague Flip Zimmerman (Driver), the young detective goes undercover to take down the extremist hate group from the inside.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
13.15Silver 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.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
Recorded during 15/16 season
Nina Stemme, one of opera’s greatest dramatic sopranos, takes on the title role of the proud princess of legendary China. Tenor Marco Berti is Calàf, the brave prince who sings “Nessun dorma” and wins her hand. Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.
Hey Duggee is a place for children (and their parents) to have fun, be energetic, and most of all to do and learn things together!
We will be learning with The Squirrel Club who will be earning The Memory Badge, The Water Badge, The Island Badge, The Getting on Badge and The Brave Banana Badge
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
13.15Silver 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:
18.15HOH Subtitled: This screening has subtitles for people with hearing loss
This intriguing documentary about the drawings and paintings of Orson Welles premiered at this year’s Cannes Festival to rave reviews. Presented by Mark Cousins, the film also features an appearance by Welles’s daughter Beatrice.
20.45Discover Tuesdays: Discover stunning cinema. Whether it's a cult classic, an art-house gem or a riveting documentary, there will always be a chance to see something different and brilliant in our weekly slot.
Picturehouse Docs: Bringing you the best in new and topical documentaries covering issues around the world.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
13.00Summer of Ghibli - English Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is an indelible anime about a brother and sister trying to survive during the Second World War.
Caught up in the firebombing of Kobe in 1945, Seita and his little sister Setsuko lose their mother and their home. Unable to contact their father on the frontline, they flee to the country, stealing or begging for food. The societal breakdown that inevitably followed the razing of the cities means they are left truly alone to fend for themselves.
Undeniably sad but stunningly rendered, this animation does not flinch from the true human tragedy of war.
Contains moderate war horror.
18.15Summer of Ghibli - Original Language: What says summer more than Studio Ghibli's unique, inventive and beautifully designed animation. Get out of the sun and be transported away to their magical worlds.
Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) looks the part of a perfect high-school girl. But after she’s caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night, Cameron is quickly shipped off to a conversion therapy centre that treats teens “struggling with same-sex attraction”. At the facility, Cameron is subjected to outlandish discipline, dubious “de-gaying” methods and earnest Christian rock songs – but this unusual setting also provides her with an unlikely gay community. For the first time, she connects with peers and is able to find her place among fellow outcasts.
Writer/director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and co-writer Cecilia Frugiuele sensitively adapt Emily Danforth’s acclaimed coming-of-age novel and create a refreshingly original teen movie. Balancing inherent drama with understated humour, The Miseducation Of Cameron Post looks at a teenage girl grappling with pain and loss who, at the same time, creates a family on her own terms and learns what it means to empower herself by having confidence in her own identity.
18.30Preview: We're pleased to present exclusive previews of this film at Picturehouse Cinemas, prior to its general release.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
10.30Big Scream: Exclusively for parents or carers with babies under the age of one.
Select:
13.15HOH Subtitled: This screening has subtitles for people with hearing loss
Silver 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.
Set in France in 1916, THE GUARDIANS explores the lives of the women on the Pardier farm as they sustain the family property in the absence of their husbands and sons. Initially, the mysterious Francine"s arrival is welcomed for her diligence and tirelessness. Soon enough, emotions run high when the sons return on leave, and Francine becomes the center of a familial disturbance.
12.30Silver 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.
Subtitled: This show is in the original language and will have English subtitles
Select:
20.45Subtitled: This show is in the original language and will have English subtitles
A decade after Mamma Mia! The Movie, we’re heading back to the Greek island of Kalokairi for another joyful and infectious musical based on the songs of ABBA. Ten years on from the events of the first movie, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant and wants to learn more about her mother’s past. The film begins to flit between past and present as Sophie learns the trials Donna (Streep) went through before she was born, and how those experiences could solve her own worries. Lily James (Baby Driver, Darkest Hour) joins the fun under the sun to play Donna’s younger self, while Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan feature as young Sam, Harry and Bill respectively.
As 6-year-old Andy's favourite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.
Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realise they've got the perfect friend: in each other!
Overworked and disillusioned with adult life, Christopher Robin (McGregor) is a world away from his idyllic childhood spent with a simple-minded, honey-loving stuffed bear and his friends. But a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh (Cummings), now tattered after years of hugs and play, reminds him of the days of wonder and make-believe that defined his youth. After a mishap with Christopher Robin’s briefcase, Pooh and the rest of the gang, including Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, step out of the Hundred Acre Wood and into London to return a few crucial possessions to their old friend – and help him enjoy life again.
13.00Silver 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.
YARDIE preview screening + live Idris Elba Satellite Q&A + Special Guests
On Thursday 23rd August, Idris Elba’s directorial debut YARDIE will receive a special preview screening, streaming into cinemas across the country. Audiences will get the chance to see a live performance from a surprise music act and a Q&A with Idris Elba hosted by Radio 1Xtra’s, Yasmin Evans.
On a hot night in Jamaica in 1973, a young boy, Denis, proudly watches his older brother DJ’ing at a party to broker a truce between warring gangs. Then shots ring out. His brother is dead. A decade later, Denis is the right-hand man to gang boss King Fox, who sends him on a mission to London to test his loyalty. When the job goes wrong, Denis hides out with an old flame, only to discover that his brother’s killer may be in the same city. Based on the cult novel by Victor Headley, Idris Elba’s directorial debut fuses the hard-boiled gangster genre with a coming-of-age period piece. With an evocative soundtrack and an astute eye for detail, Elba expertly captures the spirit of the times.
Nominated for best feature at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino’s latest film is a sublime, sun-kissed romance based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman. During the shimmering summer of 1983, precocious Italian-American teenager Elio (a revelatory Chalamet) spends his days at his family’s 17th-century Lombardy villa studying music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). When the much older Oliver (Hammer) arrives to study with his historian father (Stuhlbarg), however, Elio’s romantic ambitions develop in a very different direction. Reining in the ostentatious style that characterised his earlier work, Guadagnino (I Am Love, A Bigger Splash) immerses the viewer in the stunning, seductive setting of the Italian Riviera, and allows Call Me By Your Name to flourish as an evocation of the universal joys and pains of first love.
In atmospheric 1950s New York, the titular Carol (Blanchett) is marooned in an unhappy marriage to rich businessman Harge Aird (Kyle Chandler, Zero Dark Thirty) when a chance meeting with dreamy shop assistant Therese (Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) sparks a slow-burning romance between the two women.
This prompts much soul-searching and subterfuge on their part, and a bitter custody battle with Harge over Carol’s only child, Rindy (winning newcomer K. K. Heim).
Paired again with Todd Haynes, the maverick director of I’m Not There, Blanchett gives a devastating performance that should be an Oscar shoo-in, with Mara not far behind; their on-screen chemistry fully exploits Phyllis Nagy’s emotionally muscular, pitch-perfect adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s landmark novel.
Roddy is a decidedly upper-crust "society mouse" who lives the life of a beloved pet in a posh Kensington flat. When a sewer rat named Syd comes spewing out of the sink and decides he's hit the jackpot, Roddy schemes to rid himself of the pest by luring him into the "whirlpool." Syd may be an ignorant slob, but he's no fool, so it is Roddy who winds up being flushed away into the bustling sewer world of Ratropolis. There Roddy meets Rita, an enterprising scavenger who works the sewers in her faithful boat, the Jammy Dodger. Roddy immediately wants out, or rather, up; Rita wants to be paid for her trouble; and, speaking of trouble, the villainous Toad - who royally despises all rodents equally, making no distinction between mice and rats - wants them iced...literally. The Toad dispatches his two hapless hench-rats, Spike and Whitey, to get the job done. When they fail, the Toad has no choice but to send to France for his cousin - that dreaded mercenary, Le Frog.
Monsters, Inc. is the largest scare factory in the monster world and the top Kid-Scarer is James P. Sullivan, a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots and horns, known as "Sulley" to his friends. His Scare Assistant, best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski, a lime green, opinionated, feisty monster. And visiting from the human world is Boo, a tiny girl who turns the monster world upside down and teaches Sulley and Mike that laughter is more powerful than a scream.
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Once again Hopster brings us a selection of great episodes to get ready to go Back To School!
Ease back to the school season with Hopster’s collection on fun learning shows all selected to give preschoolers a taste of school or get them ready for the big day.
Whether still in nursery or just starting school, this Hopster Showtime screening will give young cinema fans a taste of school subjects and will teach them about shapes, numbers, letters and fun science facts.
Join the StoryBots and discover how the brain works, learn a funky tune about shapes and find out how recycling works.
Recorded during 15/16 season
Anthony Minghella’s breathtaking production has thrilled audiences ever since its premiere in 2006. One of the world’s foremost Butterflys, soprano Kristine Opolais, takes on the title role, and Roberto Alagna sings Pinkerton, the naval officer who breaks Butterfly’s heart. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.
Eccentric single mother Lyn and her teenage daughter Iona move to a new town hoping to make a fresh start. Their relationship treads a fine line between heartbreakingly tender and unsettlingly creepy. As Iona tries desperately to fit in with the cool clique at school, she distances herself from Lyn, whose hunchback and distinctive dress sense make her an easy target for mockery. As a rift grows between the pair, they retreat further into their respective fantasy worlds with disastrous consequences.
20.45Discover Tuesdays: Discover stunning cinema. Whether it's a cult classic, an art-house gem or a riveting documentary, there will always be a chance to see something different and brilliant in our weekly slot.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. Teaming up with seasoned colleague Flip Zimmerman (Driver), the young detective goes undercover to take down the extremist hate group from the inside.
Monsters, Inc. is the largest scare factory in the monster world and the top Kid-Scarer is James P. Sullivan, a huge, intimidating monster with blue fur, large purple spots and horns, known as "Sulley" to his friends. His Scare Assistant, best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski, a lime green, opinionated, feisty monster. And visiting from the human world is Boo, a tiny girl who turns the monster world upside down and teaches Sulley and Mike that laughter is more powerful than a scream.
Regarded as one of the world's greatest tenors, Jonas Kaufmann has captivated audiences across the globe with his incredible voice. Join him this summer for a spectacular outdoor concert, captured live at Berlin's iconic Waldbuhne amphitheatre. The star tenor will perform famous arias and timeless Italian songs from his bestselling album Dolce Vita, in what promises to be a magical night of music under the stars.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
13.30Silver 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.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
A computer-animated comedy-adventure about finding a very small fish in a very large ocean. Marlin is a more than slightly paranoid Clown Fish who is extremely devoted to his young son, Nemo, the only survivor after a hungry shark swallowed up Nemo's mother and her other offspring. It's not Marlin's nature to explore unfamiliar waters, but when he and Nemo are accidentally separated near the Great Barrier Reef en route to Nemo's first day at fish school, Marlin gathers his courage and sets out to find his son. What Marlin doesn't know, however, is that while Nemo was looking at a boat passing on the surface, he was caught in a net and was sold to a tropical fish dealer, eventually ending up in a dentist's aquarium. As Marlin searches for his son, he makes friends with an amiable but absent-minded Regal Blue Tang named Dory, a Great White Shark named Bruce who is trying to cut fish out of his diet, a beach-rat Sea Tortoise named Crush, and Nigel, a Pelican who can take Marlin's search from the ocean to dry land.
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
Some years have passed, and the Gruffalo lives in a cave surrounded by woods. His child is coming to the age where she wants to explore beyond their familiar clearing, but, concerned for her safety, her father warns her not to go into the deep, dark woods. If she does, the Big Bad Mouse will be after her. One wild and windy night, the Gruffalo's child ignores her father's warnings and bravely tiptoes out into the snow in search of the fabled Mouse. In turn she meets malevolent Snake, pedantic Owl and cowardly Fox. Disturbed by her presence, all want to get rid of her, so all mislead her.
Cold and tired, she is about to give up when she spots Mouse. Not 'big' or 'bad', but something to eat at least. About to become her midnight feast, Mouse is forced to think quickly. He sees the moon emerging from clouds and has an idea. Using shadows, he conjures up the Big Bad Mouse and gives the Gruffalo's child the fright of her life. As she runs away screaming, her fear gradually turns to delight - the Big Bad Mouse really does exist. Back home in the warmth and safety of their cave, she happily snuggles up to a snoring Gruffalo, who has remained soundly asleep throughout.
Do The Right Thing almost needs no introduction. Taking place on the hottest day on the year, we follow the trials and tribulations of Mookie (Spike Lee, in arguably his best on screen performance). Most of the block residents are trying to survive the heat, but as the temperature rises, so does the tension that has been cooking under the surface. A violent act that appears in the final third of the film has lost none of its impact and is as relevant as ever.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
13.30Silver 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.
As #MeToo and #TimesUp shine a light on the film industry's dark side, Women Over 50 Film Festival fights back. Short films that amuse, astound and agitate, celebrating the work of older women on both sides of the camera.
20.45Discover Tuesdays: Discover stunning cinema. Whether it's a cult classic, an art-house gem or a riveting documentary, there will always be a chance to see something different and brilliant in our weekly slot.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
Join us for an early preview of the innovative heist thriller and festival hit American Animals, the unbelievable but entirely true story of four young men who attempt one of the most audacious art heists in US history. Determined to live lives that are out of the ordinary, a group of college-bound friends plot to steal and fence some of the world’s most valuable books. Unfolding from multiple perspectives and incorporating real-life figures into the heart of the story, American Animals takes the heist movie into bold new territory.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
A computer-animated comedy-adventure about finding a very small fish in a very large ocean. Marlin is a more than slightly paranoid Clown Fish who is extremely devoted to his young son, Nemo, the only survivor after a hungry shark swallowed up Nemo's mother and her other offspring. It's not Marlin's nature to explore unfamiliar waters, but when he and Nemo are accidentally separated near the Great Barrier Reef en route to Nemo's first day at fish school, Marlin gathers his courage and sets out to find his son. What Marlin doesn't know, however, is that while Nemo was looking at a boat passing on the surface, he was caught in a net and was sold to a tropical fish dealer, eventually ending up in a dentist's aquarium. As Marlin searches for his son, he makes friends with an amiable but absent-minded Regal Blue Tang named Dory, a Great White Shark named Bruce who is trying to cut fish out of his diet, a beach-rat Sea Tortoise named Crush, and Nigel, a Pelican who can take Marlin's search from the ocean to dry land.
Newly single, always wild, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen Jean and Kristina clean up to the din of the partygoers upstairs. When Julie provokes a flirtation and initiates a power struggle with Jean, the night plummets into scenes of brutality and a desperate fight for survival. Fuelled by social division, Strindberg’s 1888 masterpiece, Miss Julie, remains shocking and fiercely relevant. Polly Stenham’s edgy and fresh new adaptation brings the classic masterpiece up to date with a contemporary London setting. Directed by Carrie Cracknell (Medea, Oil) with Vanessa Kirby and Eric Kofi Abrefa as Julie and Jean.
Paweł Pawlikowski follows his Oscar-winning Ida with the stunning Cold War, an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after World War II. Sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, it spans decades and nations to tell a love story that is as tragic as it is moving, and as transportive as it is honest.
Winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, Pawlikowski melds the personal with the political to exquisite effect. Set to a soundtrack that takes you from the rustic folk songs of rural Poland to the sultry jazz of a Paris basement bar, it’s a wistful and dreamlike journey through a divided continent - and a heartbreaking portrait of ill-fated love.
Life peacefully passes by in the cosy coastal village of Sunnytown, where a little cat named Mitcho and a small elephant Sebastian spend their time. All seems quite ordinary until one day, the beloved mayor, JB, unexpectedly disappears from the town!
While fishing, Mitcho catches a message in a bottle – enclosed is a tiny seed, which the duo plant, and a letter from the missing JB, who writes that he is stranded on a Mysterious Island and has made a great discovery. Then, just as things can’t get any stranger, Mitcho and Sebastian wake up the next day to see the seed they planted has magically turned into… a giant pear!
Using the ginormous pear as a boat, our two new friends must gather their courage and embark on a great journey, facing sea dragons, pirates and curious ghosts to help save the Mayor and bring him home. Bright, bouncy and busy from start, take a great big bite of The Giant Pear, the perfect family adventure!
From the creative minds at Pixar comes this hilarious, action-packed animated adventure about a seemingly ordinary family with an incredible secret.
Married superheroes Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are forced to assume mundane lives as Bob and Helen Parr after all super-powered activities have been banned by the government. While Mr. Incredible loves his wife and kids, he longs to return to a life of adventure, and he gets a chance when summoned to an island to battle an out-of-control robot. Soon, Mr. Incredible is in trouble, and it's up to his family to save him.
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Charming Sarah And Duck are back with their day-to-day adventures.
This month we have: Umbrella and the Rain, The Big Sleepover, Umbrella Bubbles, Origami Overload, and Parasol Show
Chloé Zhao made an impressive directorial debut with Songs My Brothers Taught Me (CINECITY 2015) set among Native American Indians living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Born in Beijing but raised in the UK and USA, Zhao’s second feature, The Rider, is once again set in South Dakota and focuses on the broken dreams of a young cowboy. Performed by non-actors and partly based on their real-life experiences, The Rider is a superbly constructed portrait of frustrated youth and American cowboy culture, beautifully shot by cinematographer Joshua James Richards (God’s Own Country).
Brady Jandreau plays a semi-autobiographical version of himself, coming to terms with a near fatal rodeo accident that leaves him unable to ride again on the advice of his doctors. Struggling to leave the sport he loves and the horses and riders of a tight-knit community, Jandreau is the soulful presence at the heart of Zhao’s wonderful, sensitive and emotionally gripping drama.
20.45Discover Tuesdays: Discover stunning cinema. Whether it's a cult classic, an art-house gem or a riveting documentary, there will always be a chance to see something different and brilliant in our weekly slot.
Preview: We're pleased to present exclusive previews of this film at Picturehouse Cinemas, prior to its general release.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
Down on his luck in the suburbs, John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men.
Unknown to him, it’s the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating Falstaff’s comeuppance amidst a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos.
For a fat Englishman, a Welshman and a Frenchman, the only way is Windsor…
Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) looks the part of a perfect high-school girl. But after she’s caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night, Cameron is quickly shipped off to a conversion therapy centre that treats teens “struggling with same-sex attraction”. At the facility, Cameron is subjected to outlandish discipline, dubious “de-gaying” methods and earnest Christian rock songs – but this unusual setting also provides her with an unlikely gay community. For the first time, she connects with peers and is able to find her place among fellow outcasts.
Writer/director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and co-writer Cecilia Frugiuele sensitively adapt Emily Danforth’s acclaimed coming-of-age novel and create a refreshingly original teen movie. Balancing inherent drama with understated humour, The Miseducation Of Cameron Post looks at a teenage girl grappling with pain and loss who, at the same time, creates a family on her own terms and learns what it means to empower herself by having confidence in her own identity.
From the creative minds at Pixar comes this hilarious, action-packed animated adventure about a seemingly ordinary family with an incredible secret.
Married superheroes Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) are forced to assume mundane lives as Bob and Helen Parr after all super-powered activities have been banned by the government. While Mr. Incredible loves his wife and kids, he longs to return to a life of adventure, and he gets a chance when summoned to an island to battle an out-of-control robot. Soon, Mr. Incredible is in trouble, and it's up to his family to save him.
From the World's Most Spectacular Opera series, experience the love, laughter and loss of La Bohème at the magnificent Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. Puccini’s beloved classic – the original bohemian love story – has long captivated audiences around the world. His music swells with love, soars in ecstasy, crackles with jealousy and cries with heartache. With lavish sets and costumes transforming the harbour-top stage into a romantic Paris winter, Opera Australia's glittering production will be an unforgettable delight.
Cinema’s newest odd couple, 89-year-old Agnès Varda and young photographer JR, team up for a delightfully playful and unassumingly political road trip across France. Travelling in JR’s van, which doubles as a functioning camera, the pair interview, photograph and charm everyone they meet along the way. Varda and JR are as genuinely interested in factory workers and rural villagers as they are in artists and auteurs, and the resulting film is a wonderfully tender glimpse of humanity.
This is Varda’s first film made with a co-director but any worries about the possible dilution of her creative vision is unwarranted, as JR proves to be a stimulating and generative collaborator. The scene in which he pushes a wheelchair-bound Varda through the Louvre in a speedy homage to Godard’s Bande à Part should bring a tear to any cineaste’s eye. Godard himself makes an appearance (of sorts) at the end of the film, but it is the ordinary people and their stories which linger.
Kind, poignant and imaginative, Faces Places is a joyful riposte to the maxim that all great artists must be tortured souls. Agnès Varda - who came to the Duke of York’s during Brighton Festival 2015 - will shortly become the first female director to be awarded an honorary Oscar.
20.45Preview: We're pleased to present exclusive previews of this film at Picturehouse Cinemas, prior to its general release.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
At the centre of the tale is Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), a characterful and curious young girl living in a London orphanage. One night, Sophie is let into an amazing secret: giants exist, and they deliver dreams into children’s bedrooms.
Sophie discovers this when she is whisked off to a land of giants, where the BFG (Rylance) teaches her about dreams and protects her from his rather less friendly brothers, including the Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and the Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement).
10.30Kids' Club Subtitled: Exclusively for children and their parents or carers. Unaccompanied adults are not admitted. This screening also has subtitles for people with hearing loss.
Kids' Club: Exclusively for children and their parents or carers. Unaccompanied adults are not admitted.
Life peacefully passes by in the cosy coastal village of Sunnytown, where a little cat named Mitcho and a small elephant Sebastian spend their time. All seems quite ordinary until one day, the beloved mayor, JB, unexpectedly disappears from the town!
While fishing, Mitcho catches a message in a bottle – enclosed is a tiny seed, which the duo plant, and a letter from the missing JB, who writes that he is stranded on a Mysterious Island and has made a great discovery. Then, just as things can’t get any stranger, Mitcho and Sebastian wake up the next day to see the seed they planted has magically turned into… a giant pear!
Using the ginormous pear as a boat, our two new friends must gather their courage and embark on a great journey, facing sea dragons, pirates and curious ghosts to help save the Mayor and bring him home. Bright, bouncy and busy from start, take a great big bite of The Giant Pear, the perfect family adventure!
10.30Autism-Friendly: Especially for people on the autism spectrum or with other special needs and their families, friends and carers. Adults without disabilities are only admitted if they are accompanying a child or a person on the autism spectrum/with special needs.
The year is 2700. WALL-E (an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class), a robot, spends every day doing what he was made for. But soon he will discover what he was truly meant for. From Academy Award-winning director Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO), WALL-E is the story of one robot's comic adventures as he chases his dream across the galaxy. This animated feature from Pixar (TOY STORY, RATATOUILLE) is amongst their very finest, witty, profound and beautifully realised with a faint echo of E.T.
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, two-time Sundance Grand Jury winner Eugene Jarecki’s new film takes the King’s 1963 Rolls Royce on a musical road trip across America. From Memphis to New York, Las Vegas, and beyond, the journey traces the rise and fall of Elvis as a metaphor for the country he left behind. The King paints a visionary portrait of the state of the American dream and takes an incisive look at how it’s made it to where it is today. A diverse cast of Americans, both famous and not, join the journey, including Alec Baldwin, Rosanne Cash, Chuck D, Emmylou Harris, Ethan Hawke, Van Jones, Mike Myers and many more.
The Octonauts are a team of adventurers who explore the world’s oceans, rescue aquatic creatures and protect their habitats - from the bustling eco-system along the Amazon River to the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench. Deploying a fleet of aquatic vehicles, Captain Barnacles, daredevil ex-pirate, Kwazii, medic Peso and the rest of the crew embark on missions around the globe before returning safely to their home base, the Octopod.
This month we have a very cool selection of episodes, featuring: The Narwhal, The Saltwater Crocodile, and special episode Operation Deep Freeze!
The year is 2700. WALL-E (an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class), a robot, spends every day doing what he was made for. But soon he will discover what he was truly meant for. From Academy Award-winning director Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO), WALL-E is the story of one robot's comic adventures as he chases his dream across the galaxy. This animated feature from Pixar (TOY STORY, RATATOUILLE) is amongst their very finest, witty, profound and beautifully realised with a faint echo of E.T.
Irresistibly frothy and lavishly theatrical, The Merry Widow has enough tangled affairs, narrow misses and jealous lovers to fuel a French farce. Based on the beloved operetta, this lively tale is set in the ballrooms and salons of Belle Époque Paris and is dressed magnificently in velvets, silks, spangles and feathers. Created especially for The Australian Ballet, The Merry Widow is a laugh-along favourite with hum-along melodies and its heart on its sleeve.
Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house.
12.00Pixar: Off the back of this years much anticipated release of The Incredibles 2 it's the perfect time for Vinatge Sundays to look back at some of the best films from one of the most famous and celebrated studios of all time.
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
'The Dude', Jeff Lebowski is unemployed and as laid-back as they come. That is until he becomes a victim of mistaken identity, and two thugs break into his apartment with the errant belief that they're strong-arming Jeff Lebowski - the Pasadena millionaire. In the hope of getting a replacement for his soiled carpet, 'the Dude' pays a visit to his wealthy namesake...
Newly single, always wild, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen Jean and Kristina clean up to the din of the partygoers upstairs. When Julie provokes a flirtation and initiates a power struggle with Jean, the night plummets into scenes of brutality and a desperate fight for survival. Fuelled by social division, Strindberg’s 1888 masterpiece, Miss Julie, remains shocking and fiercely relevant. Polly Stenham’s edgy and fresh new adaptation brings the classic masterpiece up to date with a contemporary London setting. Directed by Carrie Cracknell (Medea, Oil) with Vanessa Kirby and Eric Kofi Abrefa as Julie and Jean.
Join Rosie and her friends in their adventures and journeys of discovery! This month we bring you 3 fantastic episodes:
HERE WE GO GATHERING NUTS IN MAY
Big Bear is cooking up a storm in his kitchen but the ingredients keep disappearing! Meanwhile Raggles and Will go on a treasure hunt and Rosie discovers a brand new friend in the garden.
WILL’S MAGIC MOMENT
It’s the day of the Talent Show and everyone puts on their best performance for the critical judges. Will Archie manage to perfect his act in time for the finale and why are Oakley’s jokes so bad…?
THE VERY PRECIOUS SURPRISE
When Rosie notices that Raggles old photo album is falling apart, she joins ranks with Will and Holly to make him a new one. But can they trust Archie not to spill the beans?
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, this mob drama, based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, focuses on the powerful Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). When the don's youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino), reluctantly joins the Mafia, he becomes involved in the inevitable cycle of violence and betrayal. Although Michael tries to maintain a normal relationship with his wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), he is drawn deeper into the family business.
20.00Discover Tuesdays: Discover stunning cinema. Whether it's a cult classic, an art-house gem or a riveting documentary, there will always be a chance to see something different and brilliant in our weekly slot.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) has spent forty years sacrificing her own talent, dreams and ambitions to support her charismatic husband Joe (Jonathan Pryce) and his stellar literary career. Ignoring infidelities and excuses made in the cause of his art, she has put up with his behaviour with undiminished grace and humour. The foundations of their marriage have, however, been built upon a set of uneven compromises and Joan has reached a turning point.
On the eve of Joe’s Nobel Prize for Literature, the crown jewel rewarding a spectacular body of work, Joan will confront the biggest sacrifice of her life and some long-buried secrets. Based on the bestselling book by Meg Wolitzer, The Wife is a poignant, funny and emotional journey, a celebration of womanhood, self-discovery and liberation, featuring a stunning cast that also includes Max Irons, Harry Lloyd, Annie Starke, Elizabeth McGovern and Christian Slater.
18.30Preview: We're pleased to present exclusive previews of this film at Picturehouse Cinemas, prior to its general release.
Women's Work: A season of essential films that sees visionary women write, direct or take the lead.
Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl's worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house.
Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them. This screening of Chichester Festival Theatre’s 2017 production stars Ian McKellen in the role of Lear, his intimate, intricate and conversational performance hailed as a triumph. The play received five-star reviews for its sell-out run and afterwards transferred to the West End for 100 performances only. This contemporary retelling of the great tragedy is directed by Jonathan Munby. Also starring are Sinéad Cusack as Kent and Kirsty Bushell as Regan. Not to be missed.
This striking and moving documentary from BAFTA nominated directors, Jacqui and David Morris, traces the extraordinary life of Rudolf Nureyev, the most famous male dancer that transcended fame in the dance world to become a pop culture icon of his time. It charts his rise from humble beginnings, to his eventual defection to the West, an event that shocked the world.
The film contextualises not just the man but also the times in which he lived, discussing the politically charged divide between Russia and the West and the critical role that Nureyev played as a cultural and global phenomena.
Blending never-before-seen footage, an original score by award-winning composer Alex Baranowski, and a spellbinding series of exclusive modern dance tableaux directed by Royal Ballet alumnus Russell Maliphant, Nureyev is a theatrical and cinematic experience like no other biopic.
This striking and moving documentary from BAFTA nominated directors, Jacqui and David Morris, traces the extraordinary life of Rudolf Nureyev, the most famous male dancer that transcended fame in the dance world to become a pop culture icon of his time. It charts his rise from humble beginnings, to his eventual defection to the West, an event that shocked the world.
The film contextualises not just the man but also the times in which he lived, discussing the politically charged divide between Russia and the West and the critical role that Nureyev played as a cultural and global phenomena.
Blending never-before-seen footage, an original score by award-winning composer Alex Baranowski, and a spellbinding series of exclusive modern dance tableaux directed by Royal Ballet alumnus Russell Maliphant, Nureyev is a theatrical and cinematic experience like no other biopic.
12.00Picturehouse Docs: Bringing you the best in new and topical documentaries covering issues around the world.
Silver 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.
The Winter's Tale is Shakespeare's great play of the irrational and inexplicable, illustrating how uncontrollable emotions can range across gender, country, class and age. Its universe is full of monsters, gods and natural disasters with a colossal sweep that takes audiences from the stifling atmosphere of the Sicilian court to the unbuttoned joy of a Bohemian festival. Staged at the beautiful and iconic Globe Theatre in London, this new production is directed by Blanche McIntyre and stars Will Keen (The Crown, Wolf Hall) as Leontes, Priyanga Burford (W1A, Marcella) as Hermione and Annette Badland (EastEnders, Father Brown) as Old Shepherd. A reconstruction of an open-air Elizabethan playhouse on the bank of the River Thames, the Globe Theatre has become a significant part of the national and international theatre landscape, celebrating Shakespeare's transformative impact on the world. Continuing its popular Globe On Screen series, The Winter's Tale will be broadcast live to cinemas on Thursday 4 October 2018.
Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko makes her Met role debut as Aida in this thirtieth-anniversary revival of Sonja Frisell’s production. Verdi’s drama is set in Ancient Egypt, where the Ethiopian Aida lives a life of slavery. She and the Egyptian warrior Radamès, sung by tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, have fallen in love, although the princess Amneris—mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili—is an implacable rival for Radamès’ affections. Then, when Radamès goes into battle, he unwittingly captures Aida’s father as a prisoner of war. As Aida and Radamès face impossible choices between patriotism, passion, and paternal bonds, the stage is set for tragedy. With heart-stopping music and spectacular set pieces, including the famous Triumphal March, Verdi’s towering masterpiece opens the new Live in HD season with a bang.
Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko makes her Met role debut as Aida in this thirtieth-anniversary revival of Sonja Frisell’s production. Verdi’s drama is set in Ancient Egypt, where the Ethiopian Aida lives a life of slavery. She and the Egyptian warrior Radamès, sung by tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, have fallen in love, although the princess Amneris—mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili—is an implacable rival for Radamès’ affections. Then, when Radamès goes into battle, he unwittingly captures Aida’s father as a prisoner of war. As Aida and Radamès face impossible choices between patriotism, passion, and paternal bonds, the stage is set for tragedy. With heart-stopping music and spectacular set pieces, including the famous Triumphal March, Verdi’s towering masterpiece opens the new Live in HD season with a bang.
A new production of one of the funniest plays in English, Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, will be broadcast live to cinemas from the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End. Wilde’s much-loved masterpiece throws love, logic and language into the air to make one of theatre’s most dazzling firework displays. Jack, Algy, Gwendolyn and Cecily discover how unsmooth runs the course of true love, while Lady Bracknell keeps a baleful eye on the mayhem of manners. This is the fourth and final play from the Oscar Wilde Season, a year-long celebration of the brilliant Victorian playwright being staged by the Classic Spring Theatre Company.
103 album releases, 123 single hits and the equivalent of 20 years spent in the UK charts. Britain’s Ultimate Pop Star, Sir Cliff Richard is celebrating 60 years in the music business and he wants to invite you to the most fabulous big screen party of the year! The 60th Anniversary Tour will be recorded live on Friday 12 October and screened at Picturehouse cinemas on Sunday 14 October in celebration of Sir Cliff's 78th birthday. Featuring his greatest hits across six decades, this will be Cliff Richard's most exciting tour yet. His incredible energy and passion on stage will sweep you off your feet and be sure to have you swaying in the aisles.
Dangerous desires, family secrets and political intrigues twist through every moment of daring choreography in Kenneth Macmillan's ballet inspired by true events.
Mayerling is a classic of the Royal Ballet repertory, with its emotional depth, haunting imagery, and one of the most demanding roles ever created for a male dancer. Kenneth MacMillan choreographed a complex work around the psychologically tormented heir to the Habsburg Empire, Crown Prince Rudolf. From the ballet’s start, the glamour of the Austro-Hungarian court is contrasted with undercurrents of sexual and political intrigue that drive the story to its violent climax in a double suicide. The large cast allows for impressive ensembles in addition to the ballet's many solos of distinctive character and pas de deux of disturbing eroticism. This ballet, bursting with intensity, madness and passion, proves that sometimes the truth is more scandalous than fiction.
Dangerous desires, family secrets and political intrigues twist through every moment of daring choreography in Kenneth Macmillan's ballet inspired by true events.
Mayerling is a classic of the Royal Ballet repertory, with its emotional depth, haunting imagery, and one of the most demanding roles ever created for a male dancer. Kenneth MacMillan choreographed a complex work around the psychologically tormented heir to the Habsburg Empire, Crown Prince Rudolf. From the ballet’s start, the glamour of the Austro-Hungarian court is contrasted with undercurrents of sexual and political intrigue that drive the story to its violent climax in a double suicide. The large cast allows for impressive ensembles in addition to the ballet's many solos of distinctive character and pas de deux of disturbing eroticism. This ballet, bursting with intensity, madness and passion, proves that sometimes the truth is more scandalous than fiction.
103 album releases, 123 single hits and the equivalent of 20 years spent in the UK charts. Britain’s Ultimate Pop Star, Sir Cliff Richard is celebrating 60 years in the music business and he wants to invite you to the most fabulous big screen party of the year! The 60th Anniversary Tour will be recorded live on Friday 12 October and screened at Picturehouse cinemas on Sunday 14 October in celebration of Sir Cliff's 78th birthday. Featuring his greatest hits across six decades, this will be Cliff Richard's most exciting tour yet. His incredible energy and passion on stage will sweep you off your feet and be sure to have you swaying in the aisles.
Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play, King Lear sees two ageing fathers – one a King, one his courtier – reject the children who truly love them. This screening of Chichester Festival Theatre’s 2017 production stars Ian McKellen in the role of Lear, his intimate, intricate and conversational performance hailed as a triumph. The play received five-star reviews for its sell-out run and afterwards transferred to the West End for 100 performances only. This contemporary retelling of the great tragedy is directed by Jonathan Munby. Also starring are Sinéad Cusack as Kent and Kirsty Bushell as Regan. Not to be missed.
Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak gives Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic its first new Met production in twenty years. Blessed with immense physical strength, Hebrew leader Samson is sworn to defend his people and his faith from the Philistines. Though his body is strong, his heart is tender, though. When the Philistine Dalila sets out to seduce him, he is powerless to resist. The beautiful aria “Mon Coeur S’ouvre à ta Vvoix ” marks the climax of his seduction—and his betrayal. He reveals to Dalila the secret of his strength, and immediately, his fate is sealed. Imprisoned, blinded, and humiliated, how can Samson atone for his folly? Soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna sing the title roles, with Sir Mark Elder conducting.
Tony Award-winning director Darko Tresnjak gives Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic its first new Met production in twenty years. Blessed with immense physical strength, Hebrew leader Samson is sworn to defend his people and his faith from the Philistines. Though his body is strong, his heart is tender, though. When the Philistine Dalila sets out to seduce him, he is powerless to resist. The beautiful aria “Mon Coeur S’ouvre à ta Vvoix ” marks the climax of his seduction—and his betrayal. He reveals to Dalila the secret of his strength, and immediately, his fate is sealed. Imprisoned, blinded, and humiliated, how can Samson atone for his folly? Soprano Elīna Garanča and tenor Roberto Alagna sing the title roles, with Sir Mark Elder conducting.
Following its record-breaking sell-out run in London’s West End and national tour, the critically acclaimed Funny Girl is coming to a cinema near you. Featuring “an unforgettable star turn” (The Times) from Sheridan Smith, Funny Girl is a semi-biographical musical based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedienne Fanny Brice (a role made famous by Barbara Streisand on Broadway and in the 1968 film adaptation), and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein.
Praised by critics for its charm, wit and warmth, Funny Girl features a host of timeless musical numbers including People, I’m The Greatest Star and Don’t Rain On My Parade.
Puccini’s gunpowder western returns to the stage where it premiered under Arturo Toscanini. Gold Rush, 1849. Bar owner Minnie looks after a crew of rough miners while fending off the unwanted attention of the local sheriff. When a tall, mysterious stranger walks into the bar, it looks as if her life is about to change. But the newcomer is not what he seems, and Minnie gets drawn into deadly peril. Boasting gunfights, poker games, and stagecoach robbers, La Fanciulla del West combines the action of a great adventure with the emotional punch of Italian opera. Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings the role of the gunslinging heroine, alongside Jonas Kaufmann as the outlaw who steals her heart. Marco Armiliato conducts.
Antonio Pappano conducts an international cast in the second opera of Richard Wagner's epicder Ring Des Nibelungen.
Wagner’s Ring cycle is one of the greatest works of all opera. Keith Warner’s production is conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, and this final revival is cast with an outstanding international array of Wagnerian specialist singers. The full cycle's four operas journey from the beginning of a world to its destruction, with gods, heroes and monsters. This epic myth portrays every type of human emotion in music and ideas of extraordinary power. The Ring is always a special event in the operatic calendar: once experienced, never forgotten.
Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second opera in the cycle, and features several of the Ring’s musical highlights – the sparkling Magic Fire Music and the electrifying Ride of the Valkyries. But among the musical fireworks and Norse mythology, at the centre of this opera are the unforgettable characters and the complex entanglements between them, including twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Wotan and his Valkyrie daughter, Brünnhilde.
Approximate running time: 4 hours 50 minutes, including two intervals. Sung in German with English subtitles.
Puccini’s gunpowder western returns to the stage where it premiered under Arturo Toscanini. Gold Rush, 1849. Bar owner Minnie looks after a crew of rough miners while fending off the unwanted attention of the local sheriff. When a tall, mysterious stranger walks into the bar, it looks as if her life is about to change. But the newcomer is not what he seems, and Minnie gets drawn into deadly peril. Boasting gunfights, poker games, and stagecoach robbers, La Fanciulla del West combines the action of a great adventure with the emotional punch of Italian opera. Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings the role of the gunslinging heroine, alongside Jonas Kaufmann as the outlaw who steals her heart. Marco Armiliato conducts.
When all-American couple Janet and Brad’s car breaks down outside an Old Dark House, they’re in for a night of frights and frolics at the hands of Dr Frank N. Furter and all manner of kinky Transylvanians in this cult musical comedy.
Contains moderate sex and one use of strong language.
From The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Exhibition on Screen journeys from the streets of Paris to the heart of a superb exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, whose extensive collection of Degas’ works is the most representative in Britain. With exclusive access to view rare and diverse works, this film tells a fascinating story of Degas’ pursuit for perfection through both experimentation with new techniques and lessons learnt from studying the past masters.
Sometimes frustrated by his own failings, Degas was consumed by obsessive principles and failing eye sight but his determination to capture everyday life was evident in every mark he made. Never fully satisfied, many of Degas’ drawings and sculptures were kept in private during his lifetime but, now through close examination, they can be seen as some of the most beautifully detailed and expressive works in the modern era. Using written accounts by friends and commentators, and the narration of letters written by Degas himself, this film reveals a more complex truth behind one of the most influential French artists of the late 19th-century and serves as an exploration of the complex workings of Degas’ artistic mind.
“Art is not a matter of what you see, but what you make other people see.” Edgar Degas
A young woman lies, cheats, and steals her way through life, propelled by compulsions she can neither control nor understand. A wealthy man catches her red-handed and blackmails her into marrying him. Will the truth about her past send her to jail or set her free? Based on the novel that also inspired Hitchcock’s celebrated thriller, composer Nico Muhly’s Marnie was co-commissioned and co-produced with the English National Opera and receives its U.S. premiere at the Met this season. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard stars in the title role, opposite baritone Christopher Maltman as her husband. Costume design is by Madonna’s collaborator of twenty years, Arianne Phillips, who created every item seen on stage in this stylish, vivid production.
Music: Herman Severin Løvenskiold
Choreography: Johan Kobborg after August Bournonville
Libretto: Adolphe Nourrit and Filippo Taglioni
Cast: The Bolshoi Principals, Soloists and Corps de Ballet
On the day of his wedding, the young Scotsman James is awoken with a kiss from an ethereal winged creature, a Sylph. Entranced by her beauty, James risks everything to pursue an unattainable love… La Sylphide is one of the world’s oldest surviving ballets, and a treasure in the Danish Bournonville style. Restaged for the Bolshoi by Bournonville expert Johan Kobborg, this production is the ultimate romantic masterpiece.
A young woman lies, cheats, and steals her way through life, propelled by compulsions she can neither control nor understand. A wealthy man catches her red-handed and blackmails her into marrying him. Will the truth about her past send her to jail or set her free? Based on the novel that also inspired Hitchcock’s celebrated thriller, composer Nico Muhly’s Marnie was co-commissioned and co-produced with the English National Opera and receives its U.S. premiere at the Met this season. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard stars in the title role, opposite baritone Christopher Maltman as her husband. Costume design is by Madonna’s collaborator of twenty years, Arianne Phillips, who created every item seen on stage in this stylish, vivid production.
Natalia Makarova's production of this 19th century classic ballet brings an exotic world of temple dancers and noble warriors to life.
Marius Petipa’s fantasy, set in legendary India, tells the tale of a temple dancer and the prince who loves her but marries another. The famous, moonlit ‘white act’ – The Kingdom of the Shades – is a corps de ballet highlight, as multiple images of the prince’s lost love haunt his mind. The choreography allows two opposing ballerinas to shine, while a bronze idol comes vividly to life in a stunning solo. Throughout, the melody and moods of Minkus’s music perfectly match the fluidity and precision of the classical choreography and the drama of the storytelling.
From The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Exhibition on Screen journeys from the streets of Paris to the heart of a superb exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, whose extensive collection of Degas’ works is the most representative in Britain. With exclusive access to view rare and diverse works, this film tells a fascinating story of Degas’ pursuit for perfection through both experimentation with new techniques and lessons learnt from studying the past masters.
Sometimes frustrated by his own failings, Degas was consumed by obsessive principles and failing eye sight but his determination to capture everyday life was evident in every mark he made. Never fully satisfied, many of Degas’ drawings and sculptures were kept in private during his lifetime but, now through close examination, they can be seen as some of the most beautifully detailed and expressive works in the modern era. Using written accounts by friends and commentators, and the narration of letters written by Degas himself, this film reveals a more complex truth behind one of the most influential French artists of the late 19th-century and serves as an exploration of the complex workings of Degas’ artistic mind.
“Art is not a matter of what you see, but what you make other people see.” Edgar Degas
"Lechery, lechery, still wars and lechery: nothing else holds fashion"
Troilus and Cressida swear they will always be true to one another. But in the seventh year of the siege of Troy their innocence is tested, and exposed to the savage corrupting influence of war, with tragic consequences.
Virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie collaborates with RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran to create a satirical futuristic vision of a world resounding with the rhythm of battle, broadcast live to cinemas from Shakespeare's home town.
The Greek army is encamped under the walls of Troy and, at the point at which the play begins, the war has reached stalemate. The Greeks are quarrelling amongst themselves. Achilles, their greatest champion, refuses to fight and has withdrawn to his tent with his lover, Patroclus. Equally at odds with themselves, the Trojans are debating the value of continuing the war merely for the sake of keeping Helen.
Troilus is much distracted from these military concerns by his love for Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan who has defected to the Greek camp. The young lovers are eagerly assisted by Cressida's uncle Pandarus, who acts as their go-between. However, after only one night together they are parted when Cressida is sent to join her father in the Greek camp. Almost immediately she betrays Troilus with the Greek Diomedes and, discovering this, Troilus is plunged into despair.
With the fall of Troy certain, Troilus vows revenge on Achilles.
Natalia Makarova's production of this 19th century classic ballet brings an exotic world of temple dancers and noble warriors to life.
Marius Petipa’s fantasy, set in legendary India, tells the tale of a temple dancer and the prince who loves her but marries another. The famous, moonlit ‘white act’ – The Kingdom of the Shades – is a corps de ballet highlight, as multiple images of the prince’s lost love haunt his mind. The choreography allows two opposing ballerinas to shine, while a bronze idol comes vividly to life in a stunning solo. Throughout, the melody and moods of Minkus’s music perfectly match the fluidity and precision of the classical choreography and the drama of the storytelling.
It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But he, increasingly, succumbs to fits of lunacy, and ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between King and man. Written by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights Alan Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady In The Van), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its premiere on stage in 1991. The cast of this new production which is screened from Nottingham Playhouse includes Mark Gatiss and Adrian Scarborough. Directed by Adam Penford.
Director: Renny Rye.
Starring: Devin Stanfield, Robert Stephens, Patrick Troughton, Patricia Quinn.
UK 1984. 185 mins + intermission.
The wolves are running in Picturehouse cinemas this Yuletide. Open the Box of Delights and take a wondrous step back in time to Christmas 1984 with Kay Harker, the Punch and Judy Man, Herne the Hunter, Mouse, and co. for a vintage television marathon of the complete six-episode BBC children’s series. Splendiferous!
With thanks to the BFI National TV Archive.
Music: Léon Minkus
Choreography: Alexei Fadeyechev
Libretto: Marius Petipa after Miguel de Cervantes
Cast: Ekaterina Krysanova (Kitri), Semyon Chudin (Basilio), Alexei Loparevich (Don Quixote), Olga Smirnova (The Queen of Dryads), Anna Tikhomirova (A street dancer), Kristina Karasyova (Mercedes)
Inspired by heroic stories of brave knights, Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful servant Sancho Panza set out on an adventure to meet his ideal woman, Dulcinea. Cervantes’ hero comes to life in the Bolshoi's critically acclaimed staging of this exalting performance. With panache and sparkling technique, principal dancers Ekaterina Krysanova and Semyon Chudin lead the spectacular cast of toreadors, flamenco dancers, gypsies, and dryads in virtuosic dancing that is quintessential Bolshoi.
A Christmas treat for the whole family and a classic with a special place in the hearts of ballet fans around the world.
The Nutcracker has long been one of the most delightful ways to discover the enchantment of ballet – and makes for a delicious seasonal treat for all the family.Tchaikovsky’s much-loved music is matched to a magical adventure on Christmas Eve for Clara and her Nutcracker doll. Their journey to the Land of Sweets brings with it some of the most familiar of all ballet moments, such as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. Peter Wright’s production for The Royal Ballet keeps true to the spirit of this Russian ballet classic, with period details and dancing snowflakes. The many solo roles and ensembles put the world-class skills of the Company to the fore in this Christmas classic.
Approximate running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval.
It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But he, increasingly, succumbs to fits of lunacy, and ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between King and man. Written by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights Alan Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady In The Van), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its premiere on stage in 1991. The cast of this new production which is screened from Nottingham Playhouse includes Mark Gatiss and Adrian Scarborough. Directed by Adam Penford.
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.
A Christmas treat for the whole family and a classic with a special place in the hearts of ballet fans around the world.
The Nutcracker has long been one of the most delightful ways to discover the enchantment of ballet – and makes for a delicious seasonal treat for all the family.Tchaikovsky’s much-loved music is matched to a magical adventure on Christmas Eve for Clara and her Nutcracker doll. Their journey to the Land of Sweets brings with it some of the most familiar of all ballet moments, such as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. Peter Wright’s production for The Royal Ballet keeps true to the spirit of this Russian ballet classic, with period details and dancing snowflakes. The many solo roles and ensembles put the world-class skills of the Company to the fore in this Christmas classic.
Approximate running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval.
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!
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.
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.
An encore screening of the live broadcast 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.
As the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, Marie’s wooden nutcracker doll comes to life and transforms into a prince! Soon joined by her other toys that have also come to life, Marie and her prince embark on a dreamy unforgettable adventure.
A holiday tradition for the whole family, The Nutcracker sweeps the Bolshoi stage for two hours of enchantment and magic. Along with Tchaikovsky’s cherished score and and some of the Bolshoi’s greatest artists, The Nutcracker remains a treasure not to be missed!
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.
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.
Music: Léon Minkus
Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto after Marius Petipa and Sergei Khudekov
Cast: The Bolshoi Principals, Soloists and Corps de Ballet
The temple dancer Nikiya and the warrior Solor fall deeply in love, giving way to heated passions, and murderous intrigues when the Rajah and his daughter Gamzatti discover their forbidden love. La Bayadere is one of the greatest works classical ballet history – a story of love, death and vengeful judgement set in India. Dazzling sets, costumes, and one of the most iconic scenes in ballet, the “Kingdom of the Shades,” illuminate the tragic tale of the temple dancer Nikiya’s doomed love for the warrior Solor, and their ulimate redemption. A must-see!
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.
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.
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.
I’m Not Running is an explosive new play by David Hare, premiering at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas.
Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonising decision.
What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your piece of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare?
Hare was recently described by The Washington Post as ‘the premiere political dramatist writing in English’. His other work includes Pravda and Skylight, broadcast by National Theatre Live in 2014.
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.
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.
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.
I’m Not Running is an explosive new play by David Hare, premiering at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas.
Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonising decision.
What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your piece of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare?
Hare was recently described by The Washington Post as ‘the premiere political dramatist writing in English’. His other work includes Pravda and Skylight, broadcast by National Theatre Live in 2014.
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.
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto after Ivan Vsevolojski and Marius Petipa
Cast: Olga Smirnova (Princess Aurora), Semyon Chudin (Prince Désiré), Alexei Loparevich (The Evil Fairy Carabosse), Yulia Stepanova (The Lilac Fairy), Vitaly Biktimirov (Catalabutte), Artemy Belyakov (Bluebird), Anastasia Denisova (Princess Florine)
The Princess Aurora falls under the curse of the Evil Fairy Carabosse on her sixtenth birthday, falling into a deep slumber of one hundred years. Only the kiss of a prince could break the spell. A resplendent fairytale ballet perfomed by the Bolshoi, The Sleeping Beauty features scores of magical characters including fairies, the Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and a beautiful young Princess Aurora performed by Olga Smirnova, a “truly extraordinary talent” (The Telegraph). This is classical ballet at its finest.
Captured live on Jan. 22, 2017
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.
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.
Music: Dmitri Shostakovich
Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto Yuri Grigorovich and Isaak Glikman
Cast: Nina Kaptsova (Rita), Ruslan Skvortsov (Boris), Mikhail Lobukhin (Yashka) and Ekaterina Krysanova (Lyuska)
In the 1920’s, The Golden Age cabaret is a favorite nightly haunt. The young fisherman Boris falls in love with Rita. He follows her to the cabaret and realizes that she is the beautiful dancer “Mademoiselle Margot,”, but also the love interest of the local gangster Yashka… With its jazzy score by Shostakovich and its music-hall atmosphere featuring beautiful tangos, The Golden Age is a refreshing and colorful dive into the roaring 20’s. A historic ballet that can be seen only at the Bolshoi!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Carmen Suite
Music: Georges Bizet and Rodion Shchedrin
Choreography: Alberto Alonso
Libretto Alberto Alonso after Carmen de Prosper Mérimée
Petrushka
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Choreography: Edward Clug
Cast: The Bolshoi Principals, Soloists and Corps de Ballet
Carmen is as passionate and free-spirited as ever as she finds herself caught in a love triangle. The passionate one act ballet by Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso originally conceived for legendary Bolshoi prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya will captivate audiences alongside Petrushka, a new creation for the Bolshoi by contemporary choreographer Edward Clug, in an evening encapsulating the soul of Russian Ballet
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.
"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.
"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.
