Francis Bacon (1910-1992) is widely regarded as the greatest British painter of the twentieth century. He took the human figure as his main subject, painting distorted bodies that sit or lie alone in empty rooms. This programme follows Bacon from his studio, where he began work at dawn every day, to his favourite drinking club and gambling Joint in London’s Soho, and explores the way in which the life he led affected his vision of the world.
Bernardo Bertolucci
Shot on location in China, this programme looks at the making of Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning epic, The Last Emperor. The director is seen filming various sequences, including the coronation scene in the Forbidden City in Beijing, for which he used thousands of extras from the Red Army. He also talks about the particuiar challenge of this huge multi-national production and his fascination with the story of Pu Yi, the last Chinese emperor. An interview with Peter O’Toole, who plays the young emperor’s tutor, is included.
Hull Truck Theatre Company
Writer/director John Godber has built up an impressive reputation for the Hull Truck theatre company, with productions on topical subjects, such as rugby league and disco night life. This programme follows his play Blood, Sweat and Tears, about judo champion Karen Briggs, from his first meeting with Karen, through the cast’s instruction in judo, to final rehearsals.
John Cleese
John Cleese’s success disproves his own Claim that he is “about as funny as the average bank manager”. Monty Python and Fawlty Towers made him Britain’s best-known comic writer and performer. In this programme, he talks about his boyhood, the creation and character of Basil Fawlty, the relative merits of comedy and accountancy, and activities into which he has diversified – politics, and writing books with his psychotherapist.
Michael Powell
The films Powell made with his partner Emeric Pressburger, such as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes, are classics of British cinema and he is widely considered as the most influential film-maker of his generation. This profile was made with Powell just three years before he died in 1990. He looks back over his career, which is richly illustrated by clips, and discusses his controversial dark exploration of fantasy, Peeping Tom.
Siobhan Davies
Siobhan Davies is one of Britain’s most notable contemporary choreographers. This film follows her through the process of creating a piece for the highly individual dancers of the Second Stride company. The result is Silent Partners, an intensely dramatic and passionate work, which is seen both in rehearsal and in performance.
Karole Armitage
Acclaimed as one of the most exciting and accomplished dancers and choreographers of her generation, Karole Armitage presents this programme surveying her career. It features lengthy excerpts from her works plus location footage from Rhode Island, where she is seen rehearsing her ballet Romance for an American television recording. The programme also includes rare black and white archive material showing Balanchine and Merce Cunningham in rehearsal.