In 1962, Lawrence of Arabia catapulted Peter O’Toole to international stardom, his outstanding performance in David Lean’s cinema epic earning him an immediate place in film history. On screen and off he has forged a reputation based on talent, hell-raising and an ability to surprise. Occasioned by the publication of the first volume of his memoirs, Loitering with Intent, this documentary with the rarely-interviewed actor gives a fascinating insight into his life.
Richard Price
Richard Price is one of America’s top novelists and script-writers. His gritty and violent, street-wise stories of New York have made him a cult hero, and his film credits include Sea of Love and The Color of Money. This programme focuses on his thriller Clockers, set in crime-ridden Jersey City, and it visits a typical American inner-city area with Price. Interviews with friends and fellow writers, readings by Price from his own works, and film clips combine to paint a fascinating picture of the writer and his material.
Terry Gilliam
This profile charts the career of Terry Gilliam, the ex-Monty Python animator turned film-maker, whose highly inventive features include the hugely successful Fisher King. Viewers are given a glimpse into his private world as he is seen at home in London – making a family video, showing off the unique collection of models and memorabilia he has salvaged from his film sets, watching clips from his movies, and discussing Hollywood and the cinema with his fellow Python and friend, Michael Palin.
John Osborne
Dramatist John Osborne (1929-94) was catapulted to fame in 1956 with his play Look Back in Anger. He created an icon for a generation of ‘angry young men’ in the character of Jimmy Porter, whose hatred of the Establishment voiced the frustrated hopes of post-war Britain. In this programme Osborne talks about the decade of success that followed – a period of public triumph but private turmoil. The interview is illustrated with extracts from his plays.
Alan Parker
Despite altercations with the British film industry and critics, Parker, whose credits include Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame, and Mississippi Burning, remains one of the country’s most accomplished film-makers and one the few to transplant successfully to Hollywood. In a programme which follows him back to his roots in London, to the Cannes Film Festival, and to Dublin to work on his film The Commitments, Parker talks revealingly about his career, which is amply illustrated with clips.
The Temba Theatre Company
Britain’s leading Black theatre Company has developed an impressively broad range of work, ranging from the classics to modern and political dramas. Temba’s research into the theatrical traditions of Africa and the Caribbean led to the creation of their production Glory, which draws on the spectacular and vivacious styles they discovered. This programme looks at the play and explores its roots in the company’s own history and in the West Indies.