One the most exciting British painters to emerge in the twentieth century, Patrick Heron (1920-99) was a splendid raconteur, eloquent on the subjects of modern art and colour, his constant Obsession and joy. He spent most of his life in Cornwall, where he was filmed for this rogramme at his studio,painting a major new work during the course of a Single afternoon. He also takes viewers on a lively tour of a retrospective exhibition of his paintings at London’s Barbican Gallery.
Dido and Aeneas
When asked to adapt Purcell’s melodious and moving work for this special studio presentation, composer Howard Goodall aimed to reach an audience normally resistant to opera. He chose Debby Bishop and Peter Straker – stars of musicals rather than opera – as the tragic lovers, used modern instruments, including saxophone, guitar and synthesiser, in his orchestration, and replaced recitative with spoken dialogue. A Dido as Purcell might have written it today? In a short introduction, Goodall and Purcell virtuoso Simon Preston discuss this question.
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.
Hal Prince
Hal Prince has been intimately involved with the history of the American musical since the 1950s, responsible for producing the original stagings of hit shows such as West Side Story, and directing successes including Cabaret, Evita and Sweeney Todd. In this television lecture, he gives a fascinating insight into the past, present and future of this form of entertainment.
Peter Shaffer
This programme with Peter Shaffer, one of the world’s most successful contemporary playwrights, looks at his concerns as a writer, his skill as a story-teller and his mastery of theatrical spectacle. He is seen at work on his play, Yonadab, in the weeks leading up to its opening night. Specially-staged extracts from Amadeus, Equus and The Royal Hunt of the Sun provide the basis for a discussion of his work.
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy is one of the world’s most accomplished and charismatic musicians, renowned as both a pianist and a conductor. He left Russia in 1963 to escape the restrictions imposed on individual expression pre-perestroika, and, in this film he talks revealingly about his life, work and motivations. Specially-recorded musical illustrations include passages of Chopin, Beethoven, Rachmaninov and Brahms.
John Houseman
Filmed at home in Malibu shortly before his death in 1988, Houseman talks about his life, from being a stateless Rumanian to enjoying a sixty-year career as a leading light in film, theatre and television. His achievements included seminal theatre projects with Orson Welles, with whom he also worked on Citizen Kane, a dozen memorable films of his own, founding the drama department at New York’s famous Juilliard School, and unexpectedly becoming a star actor in his seventies.
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.
Truman Capote
The infamous American novelist, short story writer and social commentator projected a compelling and often controversial public image right up until his death, from drugs and drink, in 1984. Filmed in America, this programme reflects the dark and light of Capote’s life and work. It draws on his outspoken – often outrageous – television appearances and includes recollections from many of his closest friends, as well as a dramatisation from his unfinished novel, Answered Prayers.
Peter Ackroyd
One of Britain’s most original contemporary writers, Peter Ackroyd talks about his gripping murder mystery Hawksmoor, in which he explores the enduring spirit of London and the nature of time. The programme includes extensive dramatised extracts.