Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 79

It took until 2018 for Glyndebourne to stage Puccini's Madama Butterfly after touring with it in 2016. Puccini's luscious score transports the audience to a world full of Japanese cherry blossom where a beautiful young girl pines for the man who has left her. However, it remains deeply problematic.

A cautionary tale of what goes around, comes around, The Hand of God continues the series of Alan Bennett's wonderful Talking Heads with a story of comeuppance, karma and justice.

Playing Sandwiches is certainly one of the darker stories within Alan Bennett's superb Talking Heads series. Written in 1998, this uncomfortable and disturbing piece originally featured David Haig. This update showcases a mesmerising performance by Lucian Msamati as park worker Wilfred Paterson; a seemingly ordinary man, with two very different sides to his character.

Continuing the BBC's revival of Alan Bennett's iconic Talking Heads, Her Big Chance features Jodie Comer as an aspiring actress. Best known for her role in the BBC's Killing Eve, Comer bravely takes on the role originally played by the brilliant Julie Walters, bringing warmth, sympathy and wide-eyed naivety to the part.

As part of Alan Bennett's iconic series of monologues Talking Heads, An Ordinary Woman is one of two brand new creations, written by Bennett for the revival. It shows that Bennett remains unafraid to tackle the most taboo of subjects, found in the most everyday of circumstances.

Even for those not around for the first TV broadcast in 1988, Alan Bennett's Talking Heads has had a long-lasting resonance. Winning two BAFTAs and an RTS award, the monologues have also been on the school curriculum for many. As monologues, they are much easier to film during these restricted times, but what these new versions prove is that the format still works brilliantly; as a showcase for some superb acting talent and for Bennett's own sharp and darkly witty scripts.

It could not have been better timing for the National Theatre to screen Small Island, Andrea Levy's epic and incredible story. This sellout 2019 production was due to return this autumn, but is now screened as part of the National Theatre At Home series. Levy never got to see how her novel translated so powerfully onto the stage as she sadly died just before rehearsals started. Her 2004 book is poignant, moving and warm and the themes of love, racism and prejudice set among the Windrush generation could hardly feel more prescient. Helen Edmundson's adaptation is faithful to these qualities and creates an epic of a production.

There will be no outdoor theatre experiences this summer, but that hasn't stopped Shakespeare's Globe from revisiting one of the stalwarts of the summer season; Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Dominic Dromgoole's 2013 production is a classic Elizabethan romp, full of silliness and fun.

In an effort to create a cultural snapshot of these strange times, actor Bertie Carvel has created the BBC's Lockdown Theatre Festival; a radio broadcast of four plays that had their runs cut short by the shutdown. Josh Azouz's beautifully written The Mikvah Project was well-received when it first appeared at the Orange Tree Theatre as part of their Directors' Festival in 2019. In March this year it returned to critical acclaim with a new cast.

Every theatre has a 'ghost light'. A light that is left on when the theatre is empty for the resident ghost, but mainly to make sure that those who are first in or last out do not fall off the edge of the stage. It's reassuring to think that no theatre ever goes dark, but you could not help but be moved by the shots of dark emptiness within London's vast Royal Opera House as they screened their first live performance since the shutdown of all theatres and live venues across the country.

In Hamilton, George III has become a more well-known King, albeit portrayed as a comedic figure; the monarch who lost Britain America. In Alan Bennett's thoughtful play, The Madness of King George III, he is depicted as a man who struggles with mental illness, familial betrayal and attempts to usurp his power. After first appearing at the National Theatre in 1991, this enthralling revival was filmed at the Nottingham Playhouse in 2018, directed astutely by Adam Penfold.

As part of the BBC Arts' Culture in Quarantine initiative, Unprecedented is a series of 14 plays written by a diverse group of playwrights; conceived, produced and performed during lockdown. Episodes one to four were broadcast on BBC Four, with the final episode released exclusively on iPlayer

As part of BBC Arts' Culture in Quarantine initiative (partnering with Headlong and Century Films), 14 plays were filmed and produced during lockdown to reflect the diversity of experiences and emotions that are being felt across the world. Episode 4 begins with Deborah Bruce's Kat and Zaccy, which looks at how family loyalties are tested as children with divorced parents must choose where they stay during the lockdown. This well-observed play expertly pinpoints the side of the mother who feels she has been abandoned and the child who says he cannot come home.

A week before lockdown was announced, some of our greatest playwrights were asked to write stories exploring every aspect of human life and interaction during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of BBC Arts' Culture in Quarantine initiative, all plays were filmed and produced during lockdown, with all fourteen plays now available on the BBC iPlayer. Episode One takes three very different situations and begins with the most successful of the three; James Graham's Viral.

Back in the mists of time, (which was in fact only February) Covent Garden's Royal Opera House screened Dances at a Gathering / The Cellist to cinemas across the world. Having seen this beautifully moving production then, it was thrilling to see The Cellist repeated on the Royal Opera House's YouTube channel, accessible to millions across the globe.

In these days of lockdown, the barber's shop and hairdressers have become a focal point; recent social media photos are proving that haircuts are not something we should undertake ourselves. For many, these places are not just somewhere to get a trim, but to socialise, debate, moan and joke. Filmed in January 2018, this never-before-seen screening of Inua Ellam's delightful Barber Shop Chronicles is the latest offering from the National Theatre's wonderful At Home series and is a bittersweet reminder of the social interaction and gossip that takes place when we go for a haircut.

As part of their long-running cultural education programme, Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank, Shakespeare's Globe brings a screening of Macbeth designed for young people. The programme, now in its fourteenth year, offers free tickets so many thousands of students can witness the works of the Bard where they should be seen; on a stage, rather than in a classroom. Now through YouTube, everyone has the opportunity to see this excellent and concise version of the Scottish play.

Continuing their series National Theatre At Home, this week the world is treated to a wonderful version of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, with truly dazzling performances from Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo. At the height of both their powers, one of the three rulers of Rome, the once-great Antony, becomes infatuated with Cleopatra, the dramatic Queen of Egypt. Choosing ego and love over duty leads Antony to make some fatal strategic decisions, leading to war, betrayal and death.

Rudolf Nureyev created his version of Romeo and Juliet back in 1977 for what was then called the London Festival Ballet. He commissioned a Russian translation of Shakespeare's play, wanting to use the language to inspire the movement. The result is a cinematic, dark and accurate representation of the turmoil and passion of the characters and their tragic story.

In the third and final installment of Reel Adventures-A Festival of Classics, the wonderful Matthew Bourne's The Car Man celebrated its 20th anniversary last night with a screening on Sky Arts. Set in an Italian-American community in sixties America, the story owes more to film noir influences and the story of The Postman Always Rings Twice than Bizet's opera.