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Mozart’s glorious opera 'The Magic Flute' is brought enchantingly to life in David McVicar’s production with beautiful sets by John Macfarlane. Prince Tamino promises the Queen of the Night that he will rescue her daughter Pamina from the enchanter Sarastro. He begins his quest, accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno – but all is not as it seems…
David McVicar’s classic production embraces both the seriousness and comedy of Mozart’s work. The audience is transported to a fantastical world of dancing animals, flying machines and dazzlingly starry skies. The setting provides a wonderful backdrop for Mozart’s kaleidoscopic score, from the Queen of the Night’s coloratura fireworks to Tamino and Pamina’s lyrical love duets and Papageno’s hearty, folksong-like arias.
As well as being a comedy 'The Magic Flute' is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs: Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart of this enchanting tale. The Magic Flute was an instant success with audiences and Mozart’s supposed rival Salieri described it as an ‘operone’ – a great opera.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
King Lear (Kevin McNally) decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, but fails to anticipate the consequences of his actions. His generosity is cruelly repaid. As he comes to realise the false values by which he has lived, he finally encounters his own humanity. Broadcast live to cinemas from the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe, this brand new retelling of one of the Bard’s greatest plays will capture your heart on September 21.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
10.30Silver 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.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Only-monster of Popo and Etna Monster, Molly Monster is going to have a new brother or sister. A little jealous about this discovery, Molly sets off to find her new place in the family. Molly Monster deals with the difficulties and excitement of becoming a sister.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Seymour, a shy young man working for a tyrannical florist, finds a vehicle for private and public success in the form of a maneating plant from outer space. The carniverous shrub helps him to become a celebrity, gets rid of his boss and clears the way for him to woo the girl of his dreams. However, its cannibalistic eating habits become insatiable and it's up to Seymour to cut it down to size. This comedy musical is based on the stage version of the cult movie, and features a memorable cameo performance from Steve Martin as a sadistic dentist.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: James Mangold.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen. USA 2017. 137 mins.
In 2029, mutants have been all but wiped out. The world-weary Logan has gone into hiding. But when a young girl with similar powers to his own appears, with a sinister organisation not far behind, he reluctantly agrees to take her to a refuge near the Canadian border. It’s a long road to safety, but one that brings deliverance for both of them.
Not since The Dark Knight has a superhero film subverted the genre code as powerfully as Logan. Director James Mangold shuns the capes and CGI for something altogether more human: a gritty, neo-Western road movie that slowly sinks its claws into the heartstrings and doesn’t let go.
In the new black-and-white cut, Logan’s noir and Western qualities shine. The monochrome visuals are fitting for a film with such a strong nostalgic undertow, and that’s why Logan Noir is a perfect companion piece to the colour release that won over audiences earlier this year.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
10.30Silver 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.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Step is the real-life story of a girls’ high-school step team set against the backdrop of social unrest in the troubled city of Baltimore. These young women learn to laugh, love and thrive – on and off the stage – even when the world seems to work against them. Empowered by their teachers, teammates, counsellors, coaches and families, they chase their ultimate dreams – to win a step championship and to be accepted into college. This all-female school is reshaping the futures of its students’ lives: they’ve made it their goal to have every senior student graduate from college, many of whom will be the first in their family to do so. Deeply insightful and emotionally inspiring, Step embodies the true meaning of sisterhood through a story of courageous young women worth cheering for.
The Discover Tuesdays screening on Sept 26 will screen accompanied by a Random Acts short.
Sapeur Showdown
Two rival sapeur factions favour fashion over violence in this vibrant dance short.
18.15Discover 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.
Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three, and he's heading on an epic adventure across the seasons. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?
This wonderful animation made by Magic Light, creators of The Gruffalo, The Gruffalos Child and Room On The Broom comes to Toddler Time for the first time.
Don't miss your chance to see it on the big screen.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.
Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny. Sweden 2017. 108 mins. English and Swedish with English subtitles.
Björn Borg (Gudnason) has the tennis world at his feet. Ranked number one and playing at the top of his game, the calm, ascetic Swede is on the verge of a record-breaking fifth consecutive Wimbledon Championship. Only one man stands in his way – John McEnroe (LaBeouf), a young American firebrand with a swagger brazen enough to unsettle even Borg’s icy composure. As the final approaches, both men delve into their formative memories to find the strength and answers they’ll need to triumph on the hallowed turf of SW19. As much a character study as a sports movie, Borg Vs. McEnroe reveals the personalities and inner demons that would shape one of the sporting world’s most riveting dramas – the thrilling high point of a compelling rivalry.
Director: Stephen Frears.
Starring: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard. UK/USA 2017. 112 mins.
The year is 1887, and the British Empire is celebrating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim (Fazal), travels to England to present the monarch with a ceremonial coin. “Whatever you do, you must not look at Her Majesty,” he is told. But he does. And he smiles. And so begins one of the unlikeliest friendships in history. As the Queen (Dench) questions the constrictions of her long-held position, she forms a strong bond with her newest servant. Their devoted alliance provokes outrage and conspiracy within the Royal Household, but it also rejuvenates the cosseted ruler, who begins to see a changing world through new eyes. A lavish, heartfelt period drama with wit and charm, Victoria And Abdul allows us to peek beyond the portraits and imagine the hardships – and joys – of being the figurehead of the last true empire.
10.30Silver 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.
Director: Francis Lee.
Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart. UK 2017. 105 mins.
Johnny Saxby (O’Connor) works long hours on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge drinking at the local pub and casual sex. But when a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself dealing with emotions he has never felt before. As they begin working closely together during lambing season, an intense relationship forms – one that could change Johnny’s life forever. Captivating and broodingly beautiful, God’s Own Country is the award-winning debut feature from writer-director Francis Lee. Set in the heart of rural Yorkshire, this is a bracingly openhearted romantic story marked by stunning lead performances.
Director: Juan Carlos Medina. Starring: Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Sam Reid. UK 2016. 109 mins.
Set in London’s East End in the late 1800s, The Limehouse Golem follows John Kildare (Nighy), an erudite detective whose career is going nowhere. To make matters worse, he’s assigned a case he can’t crack: a series of murders so brutal the locals believe it could only be the work of a mythical creature. But when rising music hall star Lizzie Cree (Cooke) is accused of murdering her husband, Kildare suspects clearing her name will bring him closer to the truth. Told in flashbacks chronicling Lizzie’s picaresque rise through the seamier habitats of showbiz, this Victorian murder-mystery keeps us guessing throughout. Look out for some wonderful cameos from the likes of Eddie Marsan (Their Finest), Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) and fêted Spanish actress Maria Valverde.
In Ridley Scott’s brooding, doom-laden thriller set in a spectacularly imagined future Los Angeles, a hired killer named Deckard (Ford) tracks down a group of renegade androids who have escaped from slavery on a colonised planet. Loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s paranoid masterpiece Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and undoubtedly one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time, BLADE RUNNER was famously butchered in previous studio versions, including a so-called director’s cut that was nothing of the sort.
This ‘final cut’ is the only version over which Scott had full artistic control, and with its intense atmosphere, breath-taking visuals and lavishly eerie soundtrack by Vangelis, it’s an unforgettable big-screen experience.
When five very different high-school students are forced to spend a Saturday together in detention, they find themselves interacting with and understanding each other for the first time.
A jock (Emilio Estevez), a criminal (Judd Nelson), a princess (Molly Ringwald), a basket case (Ally Sheedy) and a brain (Anthony Michael Hall) talk about everything, from parental tensions to sex to peer pressure and hurtful stereotypes, while serving time.
Ultimately, the five find that they may have more in common than they ever imagined and learn more about themselves as well as each other. The only question is, will they still speak to each other when they return to classes?
Director and writer John Hughes, along with the stellar cast, makes this a memorable, moving film filled with believable dialogue, intelligent humour, and a generous dose of high jinks. A true teen classic with timeless appeal.
14.45We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN open its fifth season with Canaletto & the Art of Venice, an immersive journey into the life and art of Venice’s famous view-painter. No artist better captures the essence and allure of Venice than Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto.
The remarkable group of over 200 paintings, drawings and prints on display offer unparalleled insight into the artistry of Canaletto and his contemporaries, and the city he became a master at capturing. The film also offers the chance to step inside two official royal residences - Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – to learn more about the artist, and Joseph Smith, the man who introduced Canaletto to Britain.
Cinema-goers will embark on their very own 21st century Grand Tour, visiting the sites enjoyed by their 18th century counterparts and immortalised in Canaletto’s views - from the Rialto Bridge to the Piazza San Marco, and the Palazzo Ducale to the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. Guided by Royal Collection Trust curators and the world’s leading experts in Venetian history, the film is not only a wonderful way to see the exhibition, but an opportunity to get closer to Canaletto and the city that inspired him.
When Rodolfo, a penniless poet, meets Mimì, a seamstress, they fall instantly in love. But their happiness is threatened when Rodolfo learns that Mimì is gravely ill.
Acclaimed director Richard Jones (Boris Godunov, Il trittico) directs a new production of Puccini’s 'La bohème'. Irresistible in its witty, passionate blend of comedy and tragedy, the opera focusses on the lives of a groupof young artists as they eke out an existence on the bohemian fringes of Paris, the capital of the 19th century. Jones brings his characteristically acute insight to this much-loved classic, visualized in Stewart Laing’s spectacular, stylized 1850s setting.
Puccini’s romantic depiction of bohemian Paris, with memorable music and a love story drawn from everyday life, has captivated audiences around the world, making La bohème one of the best-loved of all operas. It was first performed in Covent Garden in 1897 and has had more than five hundred performances there since.
Director: David Bruckner.
Starring: Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Arsher Ali . UK 2017. 94 mins.
After the violent death of one of their group, four old college friends decide to take a hiking trip deep in the Swedish wilderness in order to bond and reminisce about old times. However, the inexperienced hikers soon find themselves hopelessly lost in the dense woods and, as night closes in and tempers start to fray they take shelter in an abandoned shack. But they are not alone. Someone, or something, malevolent is watching them, intent on making them face their deepest fears and ensuring they never leave.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN open its fifth season with Canaletto & the Art of Venice, an immersive journey into the life and art of Venice’s famous view-painter. No artist better captures the essence and allure of Venice than Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto.
The remarkable group of over 200 paintings, drawings and prints on display offer unparalleled insight into the artistry of Canaletto and his contemporaries, and the city he became a master at capturing. The film also offers the chance to step inside two official royal residences - Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – to learn more about the artist, and Joseph Smith, the man who introduced Canaletto to Britain.
Cinema-goers will embark on their very own 21st century Grand Tour, visiting the sites enjoyed by their 18th century counterparts and immortalised in Canaletto’s views - from the Rialto Bridge to the Piazza San Marco, and the Palazzo Ducale to the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. Guided by Royal Collection Trust curators and the world’s leading experts in Venetian history, the film is not only a wonderful way to see the exhibition, but an opportunity to get closer to Canaletto and the city that inspired him.
Director: Ben Wheatley.
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller. UK 2015. 119 mins.
J. G. Ballard’s dystopian novel about society disintegrating within a giant tower block is brought to the screen by the maverick writer-director partnership of Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers).
Awarded his biggest budget yet, Wheatley ushers on board established stars and ace production designer Mark Tildesley (The Constant Gardener, 28 Days Later). Dr Robert Laing (Hiddleston), an affluent new tenant of the titular high-rise, quickly attracts the attentions of neighbour Charlotte (Miller) and then of Helen (Elisabeth Moss), who happens to be married to the socially stratified community’s resident troublemaker (Luke Evans).
As tensions build, the brutalist tower that its architect (a supremely laconic Irons) imagined would be “a crucible for change” gradually descends into anarchy in this great-looking, darkly hilarious drama.
Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Frankenstein at the National Theatre) takes on the title role of Shakespeare’s great tragedy.
Directed by Lyndsey Turner (Posh, Chimerica) and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, National Theatre Live will broadcast this eagerly awaited production live to cinemas.
As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
Bellini’s masterpiece boasts one of the most famous arias in all of opera, the beautiful “Casta diva”. Directed by Sir David McVicar, this evocative new production sets the action deep in a Druid forest, where nature and ancient ritual rule. The priestess Norma is torn between loyalty to her oppressed people and love for a Roman soldier. On the eve of a Druid revolt, she must choose between two agonising betrayals – only to learn that she herself has already been betrayed. Sondra Radvanovsky as Norma and Joyce DiDonato as her rival Adalgisa lead a cast of bel canto heavyweights, with Joseph Calleja as Norma’s unfaithful lover, Pollione, and British favourite Matthew Rose returning to the Met as Norma’s father, Oroveso.
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
Life sucks for Samantha Baker. The boy she likes doesn’t know she exists, and nobody in her family has remembered her birthday. In this hilarious romp through the perils of adolescence, her ‘sweet sixteenth’ is anything but.
14.45We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
For one night only, experience the film premiere plus Q&A with special guests. Broadcast live from the National Gallery presented by BFI London Film Festival.
Directors: Hugh Welchman, Dorota Kobiela.
Starring: Douglas Booth, Saoirse Ronan, Chris O'Dowd.
The life and controversial death of Vincent van Gogh as told by his paintings and by the characters that inhabit them. Beginning a year after his demise, this portrait of the artist is built via a series of interviews conducted by Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) – a regular model for the artist’s portraits – who becomes obsessed with van Gogh’s death, caused by a bullet wound to the stomach. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? LOVING VINCENT sets out to explore one of art’s great mysteries.
Loving Vincent stars Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Chris O’Dowd, Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan, Aidan Turner, Helen McCrory, Eleanor Tomlinson and John Sessions.
Loving Vincent is the world’s first fully oil painted feature film, with 125 professional oil-painters painting the 65,000 frames that make up the film.
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
A full-throttle war play that revels in the sweat of the battlefield, Coriolanus transports us back to the emergence of the republic of Rome.
Caius Martius Coriolanus is a fearless soldier but a reluctant leader. His ambitious mother attempts to carve him a path to political power, but he struggles to change his nature and do what is required to achieve greatness. In this new city state struggling to find its feet, where the gap between rich and poor is widening every day, Coriolanus must decide who he really is and where his allegiances lie.
Rome Season Director, Angus Jackson, completes the Royal Shakespeare Company’s collection of Shakespeare’s Roman plays with a visceral production which sees Sope Dirisu (One Night in Miami, Donmar Warehouse, 2016) take on the title role.
Director: Denus Villeneuve.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto. USA 2017. 164 mins.
One of the decade’s most anticipated films, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1982 neo-noir, Blade Runner, is finally upon us. Scott himself returns as producer, freeing up the director’s chair for the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario), while Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard. In 2049, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), uncovers a terrible secret that could throw what’s left of an already broken society into terminal chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find former replicant hunter Deckard, who has been missing for 30 years. In true Blade Runner style, K wants to ask him some questions – the answers to which may have a lot to do with a chilling creator of ‘disposable workforces’, Niander Wallace (Leto).
10.30Silver 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.
Experience Mozart’s irresistible fantasy in all its glory! Will brave Prince Tamino rescue Princess Pamina from the clutches of the evil Sarastro, and will Papageno the foolish bird catcher learn wisdom enough to help him? The Queen of the Night’s aria, with its stratospheric high notes, is just one of the countless highlights in this tale of love and magic, mysterious secrets, and whimsical fantasy. Julie Taymor’s (The Lion King) enchanting production captures both the opera’s earthy comedy and its enlightened nobility. Met Music Director Emeritus James Levine conducts a cast of rising young stars.
All Neal Page (Steve Martin) wanted was to spend Thanksgiving with his family. What he got was three torturous days on the road with just a blabbermouth shower-curtain-ring salesman (John Candy) for company.
14.45We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
We Make Movies On Weekends: Followed by Post-Screening Discussion with We Make Movies on Weekends
TEATRO DELL'OPERA DI ROMA
Conductor: Jesùs López-Cobos and Jordi Bernàcer
Stage Director: Valentina Carrasco
Starring: Veronica Simeoni and Roberto Aronica
CARMEN deals with the love and jealousy of naïve soldier Don José who’s lured away from his beloved by the gypsy factory-girl Carmen, whom he allows to escape from custody. Staged by Argentine director Valentina Carrasco, this is a modern interpretation performed in the enchanting setting of the Terme di Caracalla in Rome, the archaeological site of the Roman Baths where a unique theatrical stage comes to life.
Director: Armando Iannucci. Starring: Steve Buscemi, Andrea Riseborough, Jeffrey Tambor. UK, 2017. 104 mins
The internal political landscape of 1950’s Soviet Russia takes on darkly comic form in a new film by Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated writer/director Armando Iannucci. In the days following Stalin’s collapse, his core team of ministers tussle for control; some want positive change in the Soviet Union, others have more sinister motives. Their one common trait? They’re all just desperately trying to remain alive. A film that combines comedy, drama, pathos and political manoeuvring, The Death of Stalin is a Quad and Main Journey production, directed by Armando Iannucci, and produced by Yann Zenou, Kevin Loader, Nicolas Duval Assakovsky, and Laurent Zeitoun. The script is written by Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin, with additional material by Peter Fellows.
Amidst a bustling market, the pirate Conrad falls in love at first sight with the beautiful Medora, the ward of the slave merchant Lankedem’s bazaar. Conrad kidnaps Medora when Lanquedem decides to sell her to the Pasha.
Inspired by Lord Byron’s epic poem and reworked by Alexei Ratmansky from Petipa’s exotic 19th century classic, this miracle of the repertoire is one of the Bolshoi’s most lavish productions. Complete with a magnificent awe-inspring shipwreck and dramatic scenery, this grand romance allows enough dancing for nearly the entire company and made especially for those who seek miracles in theatre.
Andie (Ringwald) is one of the not-so-popular girls in high school, with her weird punk makeup and clothes. She usually hangs out with her geek friends Iona and Duckie, but with the prom coming up, she has to choose between them and the popular set when she falls for new rich guy Blane. Will she sell out or will she stay true to her wrong-side-of-the-tracks roots?
This seminal '80s brat-pack movie transcends the teen-flick genre with a set of spot-on performances, great '80s pop and a heart-rending finale at the prom.
12.00We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
At a garden party on a sunny afternoon, Alice is surprised to see her parents’ friend Lewis Carroll transform into a white rabbit. When she follows him down a rabbit hole events become curiouser and curiouser… As Alice journeys through Wonderland, she encounters countless strange creatures. She’s swept off her feet by the charming Knave of Hearts, who’s on the run for stealing the tarts. Confusion piles upon confusion. Then Alice wakes with a start. Was it all a daydream?
Christopher Wheeldon’s 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland' burst onto the stage in 2011 in an explosion of colour, stage magic and inventive, sophisticated choreography. Joby Talbot’s score combines contemporary soundworlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative, eye-popping designs draw on everything from puppetry to projections to make Wonderland wonderfully real.
Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary and instantly recognizable characters, from the highly strung Queen of Hearts – who performs a hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty's famous Rose Adage – to a playing-card corps de ballet, a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter. But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story: a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and the unhinged tea party are all here in vivid detail. The delicious result shows The Royal Ballet at its best, bringing together world-class dance with enchanting family entertainment.
Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami - Live with Friends promises to be thrilling and enlightening evening with the inimitable icon, as she discusses her life and work with some of her closest collaborators from the worlds of music, fashion, art and film. The discussion follows an exclusive preview of Sophie Fiennes’ highly anticipated new film Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami.
Grace Jones: Bloodlight And Bami takes the viewer on an intimate and electrifying journey that moves between four cinematic layers – performance, family, artist and gypsy – to explore the fascinating world of a pop-culture phenomenon. Here we see the daughter, mother, sister and grandmother behind the mask, and she takes to the stage for a specially commissioned performance that showcases legendary hits like Pull Up To The Bumper and Slave To The Rhythm. Larger than life, bordering on cartoon, wild, scary and androgynous – Grace Jones plays all these parts.
Can’t get a date? Make one! Rejected by their peers and desperate to be liked, two misfit teens design their ideal woman on a computer – and then accidentally bring her to life.
14.45We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Leaving the world of J-pop behind her, Mima Kirigoe begins life as an actress on a crime drama show called Double Blind. When offered a lead role in the show as a rape victim, Mima accepts in spite of her manager’s reservations. However, the backlash from fans over her career change and a strange website called ‘Mima's Room’, written by a fake Mima, begin to worry her. When a stalker appears and people involved in Double Blind begin turning up dead, with all the evidence pointing to her, Mima is thrown into a state of confusion, madness and paranoia.
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck USA 1986 103 mins
Ferris is a boy who gets anything he wants, screws over anyone who gets in his way, and gets patted on the back for doing so. Gathering his best friend (Ruck) and his best girlfriend (Sara), he skips school for a day out in Chicago.
14.45We ♥ John Hughes: Brain, athlete, basket case, princess or criminal - revisit your misspent youth in 2017 with our We ♥ John Hughes season
Vintage Sundays: Classic films back on the big screen where they belong.
Baptista struggles to marry off his tempestuous daughter Katharina, a shrew who denies that any man could possibly be her match. However when she meets Petruchio, who is as ill-tempered as she, the two forces of nature ignite an unexpected and explosive encounter.
Acclaimed choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot brings out the wit, fast-paced athleticism and vibrancy from the Bolshoi Ballet dancers in Shakespeare’s rowdy comedy. Principals Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav Lantratov clash, challenge and eventually give themselves to one another in a wonderfully entertaining production that can only be seen at the Bolshoi!
Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical is staged for the first time at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas. New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production. Featuring a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, it’s directed by Dominic Cooke (The Comedy of Errors). Winner of Academy, Tony, Grammy and Olivier awards, Sondheim’s previous work includes A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George.
Take a seat at the strangest dinner party of your life. The servants have absconded; the ragout is all over the floor; there’s a bear in the garden; your fellow guests are rapidly descending into savagery; and most mysteriously of all, no one seems able to leave. British composer Thomas Adès (The Tempest) conducts the American premiere of his latest opera. Co-commissioned by the Met and sung in English, this black comedy, with shades of JG Ballard/Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise, is based on the screenplay of Luis Buñuel’s 1962 surrealist film. The cast is filled with established British names including Sally Matthews, Sophie Bevan, Alice Coote, Christine Rice, Ieystn Davies and John Tomlinson. “Inventive and audacious… a major event” (New York Times).
Widely considered Britain’s most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide.
Now entering his 9th decade, Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of slowing down or losing his trademark boldness.
Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney, this revealing film focuses on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Art in London.
Olivier award-winner Eve Best (A Moon for the Misbegotten and Hedda Gabler) and BAFTA-nominated actress Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax) star in this new classically staged production of Oscar Wilde’s comedy directed by Dominic Dromgoole, former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe. The first play from the Classic Spring Theatre Company’s Oscar Wilde Season, A Woman of No Importance will be broadcast live to cinemas from the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End.
An earnest young American woman, a louche English lord, and an innocent young chap join a house party of fin de siècle fools and grotesques. Nearby a woman lives, cradling a long-buried secret. First performed in 1893, Oscar Wilde’s marriage of glittering wit and Ibsenite drama satirised the socially conservative world of the Victorian upper-class, creating a vivid new theatrical voice which still resonates today.
‘One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation.’ - Oscar Wilde
Widely considered Britain’s most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide.
Now entering his 9th decade, Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of slowing down or losing his trademark boldness.
Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney, this revealing film focuses on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Art in London.
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!
Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical is staged for the first time at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas. New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling new production. Featuring a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, it’s directed by Dominic Cooke (The Comedy of Errors). Winner of Academy, Tony, Grammy and Olivier awards, Sondheim’s previous work includes A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George.
The young Clara creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve to play with her favourite present – a Nutcracker doll. But the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer is waiting to sweep her off on a magical adventure. After defeating the Mouse King, the Nutcracker and Clara travel through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy treats them to a wonderful display of dances. Back home, Clara thinks she must have been dreaming – but doesn’t she recognize Drosselmeyer’s nephew?
Peter Wright’s nigh-on definitive production for The Royal Ballet ranks as one of the most enduring and enchanting versions of 'The Nutcracker'. With its festive period setting, dancing snowflakes and enchanting stage magic, Lev Ivanov’s 1892 ballet has become the perfect Christmas entertainment, with Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous, sugar-spun music the most recognizable of all ballet scores.
Loosely based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, the ballet opens with a lively Christmas party, its Victorian setting captured in opulent detail by Julia Trevelyan Oman’s designs. Wright’s choreography ingeniously incorporates surviving fragments of the ballet’s original material, including the sublime pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince. But in emphasizing the relationship between Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, the production also gains a touching subtext of first love.
Rory Kinnear (The Threepenny Opera, Penny Dreadful, Othello) is Marx and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night, Green Wing) is Engels, in this new comedy written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London, the production is directed by Nicholas Hytner and reunites the creative team behind Broadway and West End hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors.
1850, and Europe’s most feared terrorist is hiding in Dean Street, Soho. Broke, restless and horny, the thirty-two-year-old revolutionary is a frothing combination of intellectual brilliance, invective, satiric wit, and child-like emotional illiteracy. Creditors, spies, rival revolutionary factions and prospective seducers of his beautiful wife all circle like vultures. His writing blocked, his marriage dying, his friend Engels in despair at his wasted genius, his only hope is a job on the railway. But there’s still no one in the capital who can show you a better night on the piss than Karl Heinrich Marx.
Rory Kinnear (The Threepenny Opera, Penny Dreadful, Othello) is Marx and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night, Green Wing) is Engels, in this new comedy written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London, the production is directed by Nicholas Hytner and reunites the creative team behind Broadway and West End hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors.
1850, and Europe’s most feared terrorist is hiding in Dean Street, Soho. Broke, restless and horny, the thirty-two-year-old revolutionary is a frothing combination of intellectual brilliance, invective, satiric wit, and child-like emotional illiteracy. Creditors, spies, rival revolutionary factions and prospective seducers of his beautiful wife all circle like vultures. His writing blocked, his marriage dying, his friend Engels in despair at his wasted genius, his only hope is a job on the railway. But there’s still no one in the capital who can show you a better night on the piss than Karl Heinrich Marx.
Celebrate the end of 2017 with the Berliner Philharmoniker’s glittering New Year’s Eve Gala Concert, broadcast live from Berlin and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, with star guest Joyce DiDonato. The internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano will perform Richard Strauss’s lavishly beautiful orchestral songs with the concert programme also including works by Dvořák, Stravinsky, Bernstein and Shostakovich. The cinema broadcast features exclusive interviews and programme insights.
The corruption of innocence is at the heart of Verdi’s potent tragedy in David McVicar’s production for The Royal Opera. Rigoletto, court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua, is cursed by the father of one of the Duke’s victims for his irreverent laughter. When the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, it seems the curse is taking effect…
David McVicar’s production highlights the cruelty at the heart of the court of Mantua. Richly dressed courtiers engage in orgies and revelries to Verdi’s heady, spirited dances. The opera’s many musical highlights include the ebullient ‘La donna è mobile’, in which the Duke boasts of his disregard for women; Gilda’s exquisite, plangent duets with Rigoletto and the Duke; and the gorgeous Act III quartet that beautifully weaves the voices together as the story quickens to its shattering conclusion.
Giuseppe Verdi wrote in 1855 that Rigoletto was his ‘best opera’. He had had to overcome state censorship to stage it – the censors objected to its depiction of an immoral ruler – but he was vindicated by the premiere’s huge success in 1851. Rigoletto was performed 250 times in the next 10 years and has remained one of the most popular of all operas.
In Verona, Romeo and Juliet fall madly in love while their respective families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are caught in a bitter rivalry ending in heart-wrenching tragedy…
Alexei Ratmansky, former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, stages the company’s premiere of his production with dramatic urgency and a fresh re-telling of Shakespeare’s beloved classic. His brilliant and detailed adaptation set to Prokofiev’s romantic and cinematic score, reignites the story of literature’s most celebrated star-crossed lovers like no other classical ballet choreographer today.
Puccini’s thrilling Tosca is a story of love, terror, the abuse of power, and the unquenchable longing for freedom. When an escaped political prisoner takes refuge in a church, an opera singer and a painter are drawn into a twisting plot that puts them at the mercy of the secret police and its network of torturers and spies. Rivalling the splendour of Franco Zeffirelli’s Napoleonic-era sets and costumes, Sir David McVicar’s ravishing new production offers a splendid backdrop for extraordinary singing. Kristine Opolais stars as the titular prima donna, alongside Vittorio Grigolo as her artist lover and Bryn Terfel as the villainous police chief – one of his signature roles. Andris Nelsons conducts.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN is thrilled to present one of the most talked-about exhibitions of the year. Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington.
One can’t appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Featuring interviews with curators and experts from the National Portrait Gallery London, MoMA New York, National Gallery of Art Washington, and Musée d’Orsay Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences beyond the exhibition to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps the least-known of all the impressionists – until now.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN is thrilled to present one of the most talked-about exhibitions of the year. Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington.
One can’t appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Featuring interviews with curators and experts from the National Portrait Gallery London, MoMA New York, National Gallery of Art Washington, and Musée d’Orsay Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences beyond the exhibition to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps the least-known of all the impressionists – until now.
As he arrives in Paris for the first time, the young and naive Armand is utterly captivated after meeting the ravishing and most desirable courtesan Marguerite Gautier. Their encounter gives birth to a passionate yet doomed love…
Alexandre Dumas fils’s novel comes to life on the Bolshoi stage, with prima Svetlana Zakharova as the ailing Marguerite seeking love and redemption from her life as a courtesan. The Bolshoi brings choreographer John Neumeier’s work of rare beauty and tragic depth to new emotional heights, accompanied by Chopin’s romantic piano score.
'Tosca' is one of the great evenings of opera, and from its strident opening chords conjures up a world of political instability and menace.
Jonathan Kent’s production for The Royal Opera captures the dangerous political turbulence of Rome in 1800. The Chief of Police, Scarpia – one of the most malevolent villains in opera – ruthlessly pursues and tortures enemies of the state. His dark, demonic music contrasts with the expansive melodies of the idealistic lovers, Tosca and Cavaradossi, who express their passion in sublime arias, including ‘Vissi d’arte’ and ‘E lucevan le stelle’. Giacomo Puccini’s dramatic work was a hit with audiences on its 1900 premiere and it remains one of the most performed of all operas – with its gripping plot and glorious music, it’s easy to see why.
A candle-lit church, Scarpia’s gloomy study with its hidden torture chamber and the false optimism of a Roman dawn: this handsome production throws into relief the ruthlessly taut drama, as the tension is wound up towards a fateful conclusion. Puccini’s meticulously researched score is infused with the same authentic detail, from distant cannon fire during the Act I Te Deum to tolling church bells and the sounds of a firing squad.
The poor country boy Nemorino is in love with Adina, a confident landowner, but she is way out of his league – financially and otherwise. But when he buys a “love potion” from a travelling quack, the results are rather more than he bargained for. Charmingly staged by Bartlett Sher, Donizetti’s beloved masterpiece combines deft comic timing with touching emotional depth. The production stars Matthew Polenzani, who enthralled Met audiences as Nemorino in 2013 with his moving “Una furtiva lagrima.” Rising South African soprano Pretty Yende is the spirited Adina, Davide Luciano makes his Met debut as the arrogant soldier Belcore, and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo is the potion-peddling Doctor Dulcamara. Domingo Hindoyan conducts.
'I am all the daughters of my father's house,
And all the brothers too.'
Twelfth Night is a tale of unrequited love – hilarious and heartbreaking. Two twins are separated in a shipwreck, and forced to fend for themselves in a strange land. The first twin, Viola, falls in love with Orsino, who dotes on OIivia, who falls for Viola but is idolised by Malvolio. Enter Sebastian, who is the spitting image of his twin sister...
Christopher Luscombe, Director of the ‘glorious’ (Daily Telegraph) Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (2014 and 2016), returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company to tackle Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, a brilliantly bittersweet account of "the whirligig of time".
Tennessee Williams’ twentieth century masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof played a strictly limited season in London’s West End in 2017. Following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Benedict Andrews’ ‘thrilling revival’ (New York Times) starred Sienna Miller alongside, Jack O’Connell and Colm Meaney.
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?
Captured live on stage, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will screen in cinemas around the world from 22 February 2018.
The world’s most popular opera returns with an exciting young cast in Franco Zeffirelli’s legendary production. Poverty-stricken poet Rodolfo and his artist friends eke out a precarious existence in bohemian Paris, alternately practising their art, laughing, quarrelling, dodging the landlord, and living it up in their local cafe. When Rodolfo meets the delicate Mimì, the pair instantly fall in love. But Mimì is ill, Rodolfo is jealous, and their romance is doomed from the start. Opera superstars Sonya Yoncheva and Michael Fabiano play the heart-breaking couple, singing two sublime Puccini favourites – “Sì, mi chiamano Mimì” and “Che gelida manina.” Zeffirelli’s stupendous onstage recreations of 19th-century Paris are sure to take your breath away.
Christopher Wheeldon, Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, created his adaptation of Shakespeare’s late great romance 'The Winter’s Tale' for The Royal Ballet in 2014. Building on the success of 'Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland', T'he Winter’s Tale' received ecstatic praise at its premiere, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for its intelligent, distinctive and emotionally powerful story, told through exquisite dance. It is now widely judged to be a modern ballet classic.
The story follows the destruction of a marriage through consuming jealousy, the abandonment of a child and a seemingly hopeless love. Yet, through remorse and regret – and after a seemingly miraculous return to life – the ending is one of forgiveness and reconciliation. With powerful designs by Bob Crowley and atmospheric music by Joby Talbot, The Winter’s Tale is a masterful modern narrative ballet.
In the era of the French Revolution, Jeanne and her brother Jérôme leave Marseille for Paris in support of the revolutionary effort that is taking over the capital. While fighting for freedom, they both encounter love along the way…
Very few ballets can properly depict the Bolshoi’s overflowing energy and fiery passion as can Alexei Ratmansky’s captivating revival of Vasily Vainonen’s The Flames of Paris. With powerful virtuosity and some of the most stunning pas de deux, the Bolshoi Ballet displays an exuberance almost too enormous for the Moscow stage.
Tennessee Williams’ twentieth century masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof played a strictly limited season in London’s West End in 2017. Following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Benedict Andrews’ ‘thrilling revival’ (New York Times) starred Sienna Miller alongside, Jack O’Connell and Colm Meaney.
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?
Captured live on stage, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will screen in cinemas around the world from 22 February 2018.
'Carmen' is the best-known work by French composer Georges Bizet, and one of the most famous operas in the entire art form – numbers such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song have permeated the popular consciousness as little else has. The opera’s heady combination of passion, sensuality and violence initially proved too much for the stage, and it was a critical failure on its 1875 premiere. Bizet died shortly after, and never learned of the spectacular success his Carmen would achieve: the opera has been performed more than five hundred times at Covent Garden alone.
This ever-popular opera is given a fresh point of view in Barrie Kosky’s highly physical production, originally created for Frankfurt Opera. The Australian director is one of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, whose Royal Opera debut with Shostakovich’s The Nose in 2016 was greeted with delight. For Carmen he has devised a far-from-traditional version, incorporating music written by Bizet for the score but not usually heard, and giving a new voice to the opera’s endlessly fascinating central character.
Against the backdrop of the Hanging Gardens, Semiramide, Queen of Babylon, defies bad omens and supernatural threats in her quest to find a worthy successor to her late husband. But she harbours more than one dark secret, and whoever gains the throne may find that he has lost more than he has won. Based on a story by Voltaire, this rarely performed tragic opera reveals The Barber of Seville composer Giaochino Rossini in a whole new light. The title role – composed for Rossini’s wife, Isabella Colbran – features some of the most demanding vocal music he ever wrote. Angela Meade takes on the challenging vocal fireworks in this revival of a production last seen at the Met 25 years ago.
A new production of Oscar Wilde’s social comedy, Lady Windermere’s Fan, directed by award-winning writer, actor and director Kathy Burke, will be broadcast live to cinemas from the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End. This is the second play from the Oscar Wilde Season, a year-long celebration of the brilliant Victorian playwright being staged by Classic Spring, a new theatre company led by Dominic Dromgoole, former Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe.
The day of Lady Windermere’s birthday party, and all is perfectly in order. Until her friend Lord Darlington plants a seed of suspicion. Is her husband having an affair? And will the other woman really attend the party? First performed in 1892, Lady Windermere’s Fan explores the ambiguity of upper class morality and the fragile position of women in society in the late Victorian era in one of Wilde’s most popular and witty plays.
‘You gave me this fan today; it was your birthday present. If that woman crosses my threshold, I shall strike her across the face with it.’ - Oscar Wilde
Perhaps more than any other artist, Van Gogh’s life has long captured the imagination of storytellers. Delving deep into his fascinating and sometimes deeply troubled world comes this definitive, award-winning documentary directed by David Bickerstaff.
Showcasing Van Gogh’s iconic works like never before and featuring exclusive interviews with the curatorial team at the Van Gogh Museum, this EXHIBITION ON SCREEN favourite from Season 2 makes a welcome return to the big screen.
Leonard Bernstein was one of the first classical composers in America to achieve both popular and critical acclaim. He was eclectic in his sources – drawing on jazz and modernism, the traditions of Jewish music and the Broadway musical – and many of Bernstein’s scores are remarkably well suited to dance. He was particularly associated with Jerome Robbins, their credits together including Fancy Free and West Side Story. To celebrate the centenary year of the composer’s birth, The Royal Ballet has united all three of its associate choreographers to celebrate the dynamic range and danceability of Bernstein’s music.
The programme includes two world premieres by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, marking each artist’s first foray into Bernstein. At the heart of the programme is the first revival of Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett’s The Age of Anxiety, created in 2014 to Bernstein’s soul-searching Second Symphony. Both symphony and ballet are inspired by W.H. Auden’s masterful modernist poem, itself written in response to the atmosphere of disillusionment and uncertainty that followed the end of World War II.
Goaded by their cynical friend Don Alfonso, soldiers Ferrando and Guglielmo decide to test their fiancées’ fidelity. Pretending to leave with their regiment, they return in disguise and pay court to each other’s lover. Will the young women succumb to the charms of these two handsome ‘foreigners’? A co-production with English National Opera, this clever vision of the battle of the sexes is set in a carnivalesque environment inspired by 1950s Coney Island. The cast features Amanda Majeski and Serena Malfi as the sisters put to the test, with Broadway star Kelli O’Hara as their feisty maid, Ben Bliss and Adam Plachetka as their fiancés, and Christopher Maltman as Don Alfonso. David Robertson conducts Mozart’s delightful score.
Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’. With his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.
The warrior Macbeth fights on the side of the King of Scotland – but when a coven of witches prophesy that he shall become king himself, a ruthless ambition drives Macbeth and his wife to horrific acts.Murder makes Macbeth king, and intrigue and butchery are the hallmarks of his brief, doomed reign. The witches make another prediction, which also comes true: Macbeth and his lady lose their lives, and justice is restored.
Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production for The Royal Opera is richly hued, shot through with black, red and gold. The witches – imagined by designer Anthony Ward as strange, scarlet-turbaned creatures – are ever-present agents of fate. Lloyd depicts the Macbeths’ childlessness as the dark sadness lurking behind their terrible deeds. The Royal Opera’s production uses Verdi’s 1865 Paris revision of the opera, which includes Lady Macbeth’s riveting aria ‘La luce langue’.
When Giselle learns that her beloved Albrecht is promised to another woman, she dies of a broken heart in his arms. While Albrecht grieves, she returns from the dead as a Wili, a vengeful spirit meant to make unfaithful men dance until death…
Prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova personifies this ultimate ballerina role in the classical repertoire, alongside the sensational Sergei Polunin as Albrecht, in this chilling, yet luminous ballet that continues to captivate audiences for over 150 years at the Bolshoi.
James Levine and Plácido Domingo add yet another chapter to their legendary Met collaboration with this rarely performed Verdi gem, a heart-wrenching tragedy based on Friedrich Schiller’s novel Intrigue and Love. The young maiden Luisa loves Rodolfo, unaware that he is actually the son of the local lord. An unscrupulous rival for her affections tells her father of Rodolfo’s true identity, turning the old man against him. Jealousy, suspicion, and betrayal tear the lovers apart, but Luisa remains loyal to her father to the last. In the first Met performances of the opera in more than ten years, Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role opposite Piotr Beczała as Rodolfo, with Domingo as Luisa’s stern-yet-loving father.
A fairy godmother, a glass slipper, an opulent ball, an enchanted forest, and a Prince Charming who loves her – did all that really happen, or was it just a dream? Long-suffering Cendrillon lives a life of drudgery with her good-natured father and his imperious wife, until fate, romance, and a touch of fairy magic intervene. For the first time ever, Massenet’s sumptuous version of the Cinderella story comes to the Met in this imaginative storybook production directed by Laurent Pelly. Superstar Joyce DiDonato sings the title role, alongside British mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in the trouser role of Prince Charming, Kathleen Kim as the Fairy Godmother, and Stephanie Blythe as the archetypal wicked stepmother.
Manon’s brother Lescaut is offering her to the highest bidder when she meets Des Grieux and falls in love. They elope to Paris, but when Monsieur G.M. offers Manon a life of luxury as his mistress she can’t resist. With the Lescauts’ encouragement Des Grieux cheats at cards in an attempt to win Monsieur G.M.’s fortune. They are caught. Manon is arrested as a prostitute and deported to New Orleans, followed by Des Grieux. On the run, Manon dies from exhaustion.
Kenneth MacMillan’s source for Manon was the 18th-century French novel already adapted for opera by Massenet and Puccini. The premiere was given on 7 March 1974, with the lead roles danced by Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. The ballet quickly became a staple of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, and a touchstone of adult, dramatic dance.
MacMillan found new sympathy with the capricious Manon and her struggle to escape poverty. Designs by his regular collaborator Nicholas Georgiadis reflect this, depicting a world of lavish splendour polluted by miserable destitution. MacMillan’s spectacular ensemble scenes for the whole Company create vivid, complex portraits of the distinct societies of Paris and New Orleans. But it is Manon and Des Grieux’s impassioned pas de deux – recalling the intensity of MacMillan’s earlier Romeo and Juliet – that drive this tragic story, and make Manon one of MacMillan’s most powerful dramas.
“My head is bursting – I want to paint it all.” Award-winning director Phil Grabsky presents a fresh new look at arguably the world’s favourite artist, Claude Monet, using the painter’s own words.
Based on letters and other private writings, I, Claude Monet provides new insight into the man who not only painted the picture that gave birth to Impressionism, but who was perhaps the most influential and successful painter of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In spite of this, and perhaps because of it, Monet’s life is a gripping tale of a man who, behind his sun-dazzled canvases, suffered from bouts of depression, loneliness and even suicidal thoughts. Then, as his art developed and his love of nature led to the glories of his garden at Giverny, his letters reveal his humour, insight and love of life.
Swanhilda notices her fiancee Franz is infatuated with the beautiful Coppélia who sits reading on her balcony each day. Nearly breaking up the two sweethearts, Coppelia is not what she seems and Swanhilda decides to teach Franz a lesson…
The Bolshoi’s unique version of Coppélia exhibits a fascinating reconstruction of the original 19th century choreography of this ebullient comedy involving a feisty heroine, a boyish fiancee with a wandering eye, and an old dollmaker. The company’s stunning corps de ballet shines in the divertissements and famous “dance of the hours,” and its principals abound in youthful energy and irresistible humor in this effervescent production.
'Swan Lake' has had a special role in the repertory of The Royal Ballet since 1934. This Season The Royal Ballet creates a new production with additional choreography by Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett. While remaining faithful to the Petipa-Ivanov text, Scarlett will bring fresh eyes to the staging of this classic ballet, in collaboration with his long-term designer John Macfarlane.
Prince Siegfried chances upon a fl ock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a beautiful woman, Odette, he is enraptured. But she is under a spell that holds her captive, allowing her to regain her human form only at night.
'Swan Lake' was Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score. Given its status today as arguably the best loved and most admired of all classical ballets, it is perhaps surprising that at its premiere in 1877 Swan Lake was poorly received. It is thanks to the 1895 production by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov that Swan Lake has become part of not only ballet consciousness but also wider popular culture. That success is secured not only by the sublime, symphonic sweep of Tchaikovsky’s score, but also by the striking choreographic contrasts between Petipa’s royal palace scenes and the lyric lakeside scenes created by Ivanov.
On 14 November 1987, a promising conductor called Simon Rattle made his Berliner Philharmoniker debut with Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. Looking back, Rattle says, “I felt that I was finding my voice on that day.” Mahler’s multifaceted work is again on the programme when Sir Simon appears for the last time as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Sir Simon Rattle’s Farewell Concert will be broadcast live to cinemas on 20 June 2018, with exclusive interviews and programme insights featured as part of this historic event.
