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Private Notes
During the early 1980s, David Hockney focused on a new technique for creating photographic collages, which he termed 'joiners'. These works involve assembling scores of photos of the same subject taken from different angles in a single session. Hockney's aim was to inject a visible element of time into photographic images, which normally represent only 'frozen moments'. To illustrate his approach, a special project was devised for this film, and Hockney is shown at his Los Angeles studio creating the 'joiner' later titled Fredda bringing Ann and me a Cup of Tea. Through his exploration of this new method, Hockney illuminates his underlying attitudes to the nature of visual representation. This film adds a further dimension by looking at the influence of photographs on Hockney's paintings and graphic works throughout his career. Hockney places his own experiments in a wide perspective, highlighting the interaction between an artist's creativity and chosen medium.
Melvyn Bragg revisits old episodes of his arts programme The South Bank Show, beginning with the first-ever edition from 1978, in which he met Paul McCartney. Alongside footage taken directly from his original interview, Bragg discusses what it was like to meet the former Beatle and why he chose a pop star as the initial guest. With a contribution by writer and broadcaster Clive James.
Melvyn Bragg revisits his 1982 encounter with Steven Spielberg, the year in which his movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial hit cinema screens on the back of his success with Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg reveals that his troubled family life as a boy fuelled his desire to escape into fantasy and talks about his first attempt at film-making when he was 12, as well as his use of storyboards, and why he believes movies are like daydreams. The programme features contributions by Gareth Edwards, director of the 2014 remake of Godzilla.
Opening with the first day of rehearsals of the London production of “Sweeney Todd”, this ninety-minute documentary focused on the rehearsal process with the musical’s director Hal Prince, the composer and actors Denis Quilley, Sheila Hancock and John Aron.
In March 1981 Melvyn Bragg travelled to Hull to interview the poet, librarian and jazz critic Philip Larkin.
Cameras follow Peter Gabriel during the recording of his fourth solo album.
This biographical film about the most important and influential composer of the 20th century includes documents, photographs and film never seen publicly before. Stravinsky's three surviving children talk about their father and there are contributions from the late Madame Vera Stravinsky and many friends and colleagues. Included in the film are important performances from Les Noces, Petroushka and also a priceless film of Stravinsky himself.
Behind the scenes of Give My Regards to Broad Street.
As part of The South Bank Show series, director David Hinton and interviewer Melvyn Bragg accompany Francis Bacon for a day during his second retrospective at the Tate Gallery, London, in 1985. The conversation reveals the artist’s influences, theories and obsessions.
Cleese was silently scripting A Fish Called Wanda at the time this interview was filmed. It is not mentioned in this program. What is mentioned is Cleese's spectrum of work from sketch comedy to industrial training films to therapeutical books. Video clips include sequences from Cleese's classics: At Last the 1948 Show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and Fawlty Towers.
The South Bank Show’s Velvet Underground documentary contains interviews with Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker, Nico, Andy Warhol and lots of early Velvet performance footage.
Tony Knox directed this 1987 episode of The South Bank Show about The Smiths. Consisting mainly of interviews with Morrissey and Marr along with other participants like John Peel, Sandi Shaw, Viv Nicholson, Linder Sterling and Nick Kent. It also includes archive and concert footage. The bulk of the film was clearly made just prior to the band splitting with the last ten minutes, made just after the split, consisting mainly of Morrissey in dejected mode talking about THE END OF POP MUSIC!!! (i.e. the end of The Smiths).
A lecture about television given at the British Film Institute.
The modern artist is working with space and time, expressing his feelings rather than illustrating [them]. - Jackson Pollock With the advent of the camera, the artist was emasculated, robbed of his purpose. A glorious and historic professional alliance was threatening its end: the painter and his patron. Elaborate portraits of the nobility, their estates and possessions where no longer necessary. The artist might have suffered at first, but was suddenly, irrevocably free from the rules that bound them to render life exactly as it appeared. It is impossible to separate the art of Jackson Pollock from the man in his place and time. In the first half of the 20th century, the world was at war, the markets crashed, psychoanalysis was all the rage: the world had entered the Modern era. Matisse and Picasso reigned over a pantheon of European deities who were breaking every rule and convention in their wake. On the heels of these Fauvists, Cubists and Surrealists, American artists had to go further, paint larger, live wilder. Finding it impossible to catch up and keep up, these artists chose a reckless path of existential abandon, not just breaking the rules but ignoring them completely. Good or bad, lasting or transient—history will write the end of their story from its objective perspective. This program tells us that Pollock was born in Wyoming and early on visited Native American tribes to study their symbols and techniques. Picasso was already using African imagery; Pollock moved to New York and followed with his own brand of primitive abstracts. Personally, I think this is his best work. But it was an echo of the master, so he moved on. The scale of his paintings was inspired by the famous Mexican muralists—Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros—as was his use of more fluid, industrial-grade paints. How or when he struck upon his idea of "drip" or "pour" painting is not discussed. From a radio interview in 1951, we hear Pollock in his own voice describing his
A special 3 minute parody episode made for Comic Relief. Melvin interviews painter John Burnett.
Documentary on the New York experimental scene focusing on John Zorn and Sonic Youth. John Zorn talks about the gestation of "Spillane" and is seen performing at a rehearsal space and at the Knitting Factory with Spy Vs. Spy. Sonic Youth perform in a rehearsal space and in an industrial building of some kind, and are interviewed/filmed in various New York locations. They discuss the NY experimental music scene with John Cale, and goof around a lot. Both artists are commented on by various NY contemporaries, including Lydia Lunch, Glenn Branca, Ikue Mori, and Christian Marclay.
In 1990 Melvyn Bragg interviewed Roy Lichtenstein for The South Bank Show, filming the artist in his studio in New York. Lichtenstein, who died in 1997, was the artist hailed by one newspaper in 1964 as ‘One of the Worst Artists in America Today’ but whose works now fetch tens of millions. In the opening moments of the documentary we see his Torpedo...Los! achieve $5.5 million at auction, a record at the time. Lichtenstein is a man who one would have found very difficult to dislike, with a twinkling innocence and an honesty that is innately watchable. He and Bragg trace the progress of a remarkable career beginning with his famous enlarged comic strip panels and his trademark use of the Benday dot. Lichtenstein also demonstrates his process of enlargement for the cameras and various recognisable techniques of The South Bank Show, such as the artist confronting his work as an overhead projection, are used to good effect. The conversation proceeds to later works, including his keen engagement with art history and the age-old question of what makes art, art. Lichtenstein uses the contemporary imagery of Pop Art, inspired by comic strips and "the tremendous force" of advertising, to make reproductions of famous works by Picasso. Similarly, Monet’s Rouen Cathedral paintings are rendered in a stark, mechanical collage, or "Impressionism by machine". The film also accompanies Lichtenstein as he goes to see some of Picasso’s work at first hand for the first time. It may strike one as odd that the painter would not have gone to see the work of an artist he so greatly admires before, but actually this reflects a prevalent strain of artistic isolationism. As Lichtenstein has earlier acknowledged, "I haven’t lived in the kind of America that I portray." The artist, in fact, comes over as rather a delicate creature of habit -- according to Bragg he "rarely goes out" except to the diner where he and his wife have lunch every day, same time, same table. Similarly, whe
A celebration of the English comedian Stan Laurel,the creative genius behind the films of Laurel and Hardy.
Interviews with Douglas Adams Some parts of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency are filmed as link items, including the Electric Monk.
The Making of Sgt Pepper featured separate interviews with Paul McCartney (filmed on 9th April 1992), George Harrison (12th April) and Ringo Starr (19th April). The show also features George Martin playing back some of the Sgt. Pepper's recordings directly off the original studio 4-track master tapes. Sir George was to reprise this exercise for the 'Sgt. Pepper' segment of The Beatles Anthology TV series a few years later.
Off-air recording of this profile of Dudley Moore, actor and musician. With contributions from Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, Blake Edwards, Bo Derek, Sir Georg Solti and others. He revisits Sydney Russell Comprehensive School and St Thomas's Church Dagenham.
British director Ken Loach first came to fame in the Sixties with plays such as UP THE JUNCTION and CATHY COME HOME and films including KES. To coincide with his latest film, RAINING STONES, Loach, unashamedly political in his outlook, talks to Melvyn Bragg.
This video provides a documentary style look at the lack of representation given to fuller figured women in the contemporary media and arts. According to Dawn “The South Bank Show was meant to be a celebration of big women”.
Documentary about the origins, the history and the making of CORONATION STREET, including interviews with cast and crew and footage from behind the scenes of the production.
This report brings you back in 1996, when Sting records "Mercury falling". You will see Sting in his home of lake house, talking about the writting process, see him recording the varied tracks of the album and heard them as working versions... a superb moment...
As an essential figure in any study of pop art, Swedish-born Claes Oldenburg (b. 1929) specialized in reproductions of consumer objects such as hamburgers and toilets, often created with bizarre dimensions and/or composed of highly unusual, disorienting materials. The sculptor's reputation soon spread far above and beyond art circles, largely courtesy of his fondness for environmental art and his ability to create lasting monuments; both tendencies made him a fixture on the American landscape. As hosted by Melvyn Bragg, this 1996 broadcast of London Weekend Television's South Bank Show visits Oldenburg in 1995, during the construction of one such monument and the preparation of a career-long retrospective at the Guggenheim. Experts including fellow pop art pioneer Roy Lichtenstein turn up on camera for incisive commentary.
In this intimate portrait she talks about life, art, influences, fame, obsessive fans and much else, as we follow her from her London flat via her native Iceland to a studio in the mountains of Andalucia, Spain, during the recording of "Homogenic."
Singer Petula Clark is the subject of tonight's show.
In 1999, Merton undertook a stand-up tour entitled "and this is me ... PAUL MERTON". "I did this show on tour last autumn," he explained to one of his audiences. "I did sixty-eight dates. I did shows all over the place: Liverpool, Dublin, Stoke. Sixty-eight dates, two hours per night. Two hours, and not one laugh." Merton, speaking to Melvyn Bragg at the former's home, explained: "I hadn't done stand-up comedy for about ten years, and it was like I'd never done it. People had no idea I'd been a stand-up comedian; they thought I was born to sit behind a desk and make quips about the week's news." The show charted his beginnings in the comedy business, to the development of his improvisational skills, his mental breakdown, and the popularity of Have I Got News For You.
In 2001, American author Bill Bryson headed home to Des Moines, Iowa, to reflect on his early life in the Midwest for The South Bank Show.
Melvyn Bragg introduces the German painter Gerhard Richter as " the world's most influential and expensive living artist". Born in Dresden in 1932, he started painting at sixteen and studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. In 1961, just before the Berlin Wall went up, Richter escaped to the West. Since then he has produced a large, diverse body of work, from his blurred photo-based paintings to his gigantuate abstractions. Using a mix of interviews and archival footage as well as showcasing Richter's works, the program offers an in-depth look at Richter's use of photography, his interest in abstraction and his views on art and art-making.
Original Air Date—14 March 2004 In the mid-1960s, John Lennon bought a portable jukebox and stocked it with 40 of his favorite 45-rpm records. This documentary showcases those songs and uses them to explore Lennon's musical tastes and influences. Featured are interviews with many of the artists whose songs were in Lennon's jukebox.
Internationally acclaimed film star and one of Britain's foremost classical stage actors, IAN MCKELLEN, allows The South Bank Show unprecedented and exclusive access to record a year in his life at work, on the road and at home. In June 1984 The South Bank Show began documenting a year in McKellen's life whilst he was at the pinnacle of his stage career at the National Theatre. Twenty years later, that life has changed beyond all recognition - the two most significant changes being his rise to international celebrity and his public 'coming out' as a gay man. In June 2003, The South Bank Show began following McKellen around the world once more to record another - very different - year in his life. This film begins with Ian backstage on the last night of Dance of Death in the West End. The journey that follows takes us inside his home in London's Docklands; on the set of re-shoots for Lord of the Rings in New Zealand; on a promotional world tour with fellow cast members Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom; behind the scenes at the BAFTA's and the Oscars; on location in Leeds and Dublin making his new film Asylum opposite Natasha Richardson; and on an emotional journey to visit his elderly stepmother at her home near Morecambe Bay. The film that emerges is dynamic, revelatory and honest. McKellen candidly discusses the demands of international celebrity, his thoughts on getting older, his homosexuality and political activism, acting for both the stage and screen, and the reasons why he decided to make not one, but two South Bank Shows. Says Ian McKellen: "One of the reasons I became a professional actor was because I'd heard that you could meet queers in the British theatre. And it's quite true that you can. Thank Goodness. And I entered then a world that was not normal. I entered then a world in which people could be at ease with their sexuality".
Melvyn Bragg follows Iggy on The Stooges reunion tour, 30 years after their first gig. The documentary follows the journey of the seminal punk band and Iggy talks candidly about drug addiction, psychiatric institutions and his explosive live performances.
Melvyn Bragg talks to Eric Sykes about his remarkable career, which started in the 1940s when he began writing for Frankie Howerd in the hit radio show Variety Band Box, and how he evolved from being a top comedy writer to one of Britain's best loved performers who continues to appear on stage, TV and cinema.
Alan Bennett rarely does television interviews. He claims that if you want to find out about him, “it’s all in the work”. But in this exclusive ‘South Bank Show’ one of Britain’s best loved playwrights and diarist agrees to talk candidly about his life, work and what inspires him. Filmed with specially shot monologues and pieces to camera.
Melvyn Bragg meets the comedy writer and performer Armando Iannucci. The show features interviews with Iannucci's key co-stars including Steve Coogan, as it traces his origins as a bookish, awkward Glaswegian teenager obsessed with comedy.
Investigating the popularity of manga in Japan and its influence upon anime.
Bill Bryson revisits the haunts of his childhood
The iconic Dusty Springfield remains the 'white lady of soul' and in this compelling South Bank Show, her moving and dramatic story is told in its entirety for the first time. An array of intimate friends, lovers and show business talents go on record to describe the intense highs and lows of Dusty's swinging life, before her untimely death in 1999. Born Mary O'Brien in London as war began in 1939, in the 60's as Dusty Springfield, she came to represent renewed British optimism and modernity, epitomising swinging London. A plain convent educated girl, Dusty's transformation of herself into a blonde glamour icon was a remarkable act of will. A lesbian with a great deal to lose and a great deal to hide, Dusty hid for many years behind the mask of the Girl Singer. The unique qualities of her voice attracted the creme de la creme of songwriters and producers; she had close relationships with Burt Bacharach, Carole King, and Gamble and Huff, the men who created the sound of Philadelphia Soul. Dusty made herself an expert on black American soul music after she fell in love with Motown. Her career waned in the seventies and she fled to America, where she floundered in variety shows. She moved to Los Angeles where she struggled with drink, drugs and self harming. She later returned to Britain to critical acclaim when she re-invented herself in partnership with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe better known as the Pet Shop Boys. Dusty's life is nothing if not dramatic, although this can never obscure her remarkable gifts as a musician and performer, which have continued to be rediscovered by new generations. A soul searching South Bank Show, on arguably Britain's greatest ever Pop Diva, Dusty Springfield.
The film has interviews with all the Pythons: Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. Interspersed with classic Monty Python extracts from television shows, films and stage performances; they discuss the creative processes behind Monty Python. Devotee Python fan, Eddie Izzard, talks about why Python’s unique and groundbreaking humour has endured. The film also has access to Spamalot’s London rehearsals plus some musical interludes from Eric Idle on guitar - following the holy grail of a show, as it comes home from Broadway to the West End. Monty Python's SPAMALOT will begin previews at the Palace Theatre on Saturday 30 Sep. opening (Press night) 16 Oct 2006. (Although, there will be an American style opening night on 17 Oct 2006, where celebrity guests and families of the cast attend separate from the press!) Directed by Mike Nichols, Monty Python's SPAMALOT, has a book by Eric Idle, from the screenplay of the Pythons' film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. Featuring a new score with music and lyrics by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. The show also has three songs from the 1975 film. The cast includes Tim Curry (King Arthur), reprising the role he created on Broadway. (In January 2007 Curry will hand over the role of King Arthur to Simon Russell Beale). Christopher Sieber (Sir Dennis Galahad) reprising the role he created on Broadway. Hannah Waddingham (The Lady of the Lake), David Birrell(Patsy), Tom Goodman-Hill (Sir Lancelot) and Robert Hands, (Sir Robin). Choreography by Casey Nicholaw , costumes & design by Tim Hatley, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, produced by Boyett Ostar Productions. Monty Python's SPAMALOT has broken house records, playing to standing-room-only audiences since opening to critical acclaim in March, 2005 at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. In addition, Mike Nichols won his eighth Tony Award for direction of th
Melvyn Bragg talks with actor Michael Sheen in his home town of Port Talbot in south Wales about his successful portrayal of real-life characters on stage and screen. The show focuses on three of his most famous roles - Kenneth Williams, David Frost and Tony Blair, and includes scenes from the stage production of FROST/NIXON.
Melvyn Bragg and Ballard discuss his experiences as a medical student (encouraging everyone to spend some time studying anatomy), through to his discovery of science fiction. Ballard talks about the influence of the Surrealist painters on his early novels, which all dealt with natural catastrophe (The Drowned World, The Crystal World, The Drought) and the death of his wife and the effect this had on his fiction. They talk also about Crash, Ballard's most controversial novel, which inspired one publisher's reader to write "This author is beyond psychiatric help. Do not publish" - which Ballard took as a huge compliment!
This episode of The South Bank Show provides a unique insight into Damien Hirst not as the enfant terrible of an art world but as an art collector and businessman. Known for creating one of the most famous icons of modern art, a 14ft tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde, which shocked the public, he also produces decorative spot and spin paintings. His prolific output and entrepreneurialism have made him one of the world's most expensive living artists, with an estimated fortune of £100 million. One of Hirst's motivations for his growing art collection is Toddington, a dilapidated Gothic Manor house in Gloucestershire, which he purchased in 2005 for £3 million and will one day house his entire collection. Here, he shows Melvyn Bragg around Toddington, outlining his plans for its future. They discuss his art collection, his artistic heroes and the relationship between money and art.
Melvyn Bragg looks back at an eye-opening interview with American writer Gore Vidal on The South Bank Show in 2008.
Eric Clapton last spoke to The South Bank Show exactly twenty years ago, near the end of a long spiral of addiction and alcoholism, just before going in to rehab. Now, 20 years later – and still one of the great guitarists of our time - we pick up the story again with the 62-year-old Clapton talking exclusively to Melvyn Bragg. They discuss conquering his demons, the drugs, the drink, the death of his son, his troubled family background, the intensity of his relationships with other great guitarists and with women, and his influences and his most moving songs. Clapton speaks openly about the music - the one constant in a life of emotional turmoil - and how he has finally found peace. It would be difficult to find a rock star that has experienced more ecstatic highs or despairing lows than Eric Clapton. As one of the greatest rock musicians this country has ever produced, his career has spanned over 40 years from being the fresh faced guitarist of the Yardbirds, to the spaced out solo artist of the 70s, to the reformed, prolific performer of today. Far more than a rock star Clapton is an icon and a living legend. His guitar playing has seen him hailed as ‘God’ and his tracks such as Layla, Sunshine Of Your Love, Wonderful Tonight and Tears In Heaven have become anthems for generations of music fans. The South Bank Show is illustrated with previously unseen performance footage and rare, revealing archive. This is Clapton at his most candid ever.
A clan of musical misfits, who ran a world-famous festival, and provided the only hearth and home that Hitler ever knew.
This show follows Mike Skinner, the man behind The Streets, as he records his fourth album in Prague, Everything is Borrowed. Skinner's one man band has successfully portrayed a picture of urban life for today's youth in the UK. He came to prominence in 2001 with his influential debut album Original Pirate Material, which was recorded in his bedroom. He still records this way, but in Prague he's filmed with a symphony orchestra, displaying a relaxed attitude to working with classical musicians. With contributions from Pete Doherty, and critics Chris Salmon and Alexis Petridis.
The One Ronnie, is a ‘true insight into the delightful world’ of the performer, as cameras follow him and his wife Anne in their day-to-day lives. It features archive material as well as specially written new material. It also features Corbett talking about contemporary comedy and discussing why he is still in demand to work with younger comedians. Contributors include David Frost and Michael Palin.
Bond – James Bond, that is – is almost upon us. The new film, Quantum of Solace, opens in cinemas in the UK next Friday. In one of its midweek appearances reserved for special occasions, The South Bank Show has garnered exclusive footage from the new movie ahead of its launch, and collected numerous big names to reflect, alongside stalwart Melvyn Bragg, on a franchise that has lasted 45 years. Daniel Craig, present 007 incumbent, Sean Connery, Judi Dench (who plays the character M) and a host of people from the new film including Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, villain Mathieu Amalric, director Marc Forster and composer David Arnold all feature.
This South Bank Show follows Brazil’s leading contemporary artist, Cildo Meireles on his personal journey, as he prepares for a major retrospective which opened at the Tate Modern. The film is seen uniquely through the eyes of the artist himself. Meireles is a 60-year-old artist of brilliant ideas who creates powerful political works and enormous, all-enveloping installations which are made from domestic objects like balls, fences, gates, glass and furniture, and offers audience participation and involvement like no other working art today. Gerald Fox’s South Bank Show films Meireles in his studio in his hometown Rio, as he goes about making a huge tower full of old, rewired radios called Babel, and sticks protest messages on coke bottles and banknotes which are then reintroduced into society as a form of political statement.
Arts documentary series presented by Melvyn Bragg. A look through the register of those students of the comedic arts who learnt their trade among the Footlights at Cambridge University. Stephen Fry, Griff Rhys Jones, John Fortune, Clive James and David Mitchell top the bill as pontificators on the influence of Fotlights on mainstream and alternative comedy. Plus a plethora of comic clips featuring alumini of the ultimate school of comedy.
William Goldman's career began as a novelist, but he soon turned to screenplays, including those for iconic films such as `Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' and `All the President's Men'. But in the 1980s he fell out of favour and turned to writing his memoirs, which feature sometimes affectionate, sometimes damning looks at the film industry.
A look at the 18 year career of a band who, until their latest album The Seldom Seen Kid, were considered a well-kept secret. Now with a host of prizes and awards, Elbow are the music story of 2009. Melvyn Bragg interviews lead singer Guy Garvey, while keyboardist Craig Potter talks about the band's evolution musically and his other role as producer. Including exclusive footage of Elbow at their MEN arena gig in Manchester, and archive footage of the band when they were teenagers in Bury.
CAROL ANN DUFFY is Britain's best-loved and biggest-selling living poet. In May of this year she was appointed Poet Laureate and shortly afterwards agreed to take part in a profile of her life and work for THE SOUTH BANK SHOW. The resulting film is centred around a major interview with MELVYN BRAGG, in which CAROL ANN DUFFY discusses her work for both adults and children, and her appointment as Laureate. THE SOUTH BANK SHOW accompanies CAROL ANN DUFFY to Wales, where she teaches and mentors students at the Ty Newydd poetry masterclass. The film follows her to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where she performs a show for children alongside her own daughter Ella. She also reads some of her work for adults to a sold out audience on the main stage at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. THE SOUTH BANK SHOW joins CAROL ANN DUFFY in Orta, Italy, where she attends the famous Poetry on the Lake festival alongside fellow poets and enthusiasts from around the world. Throughout the film, CAROL ANN DUFFY reads extensively from her significant body of work. In addition, THE SOUTH BANK SHOW has filmed dramatisations of two of her character-led monologues, featuring the actors RUSSELL TOVEY (Being Human, Little Dorrit, The History Boys) in Education for Leisure; and JEMIMA ROOPER (Lost in Austen, As If) in Warming her Pearls. This film provides a fascinating insight into the working life of a very modern vocational poet.
The final South Bank Show goes behind the scenes of The Royal Shakespeare Company, as it embarks on an ambitious and exciting new programme of work inspired by Russia and the ex-Soviet Union.
Melvyn Bragg presents the final South Bank Show Awards in front of a star-studded audience at The Dorchester in London. These unique awards celebrate the best of British talent across the arts including classical music, comedy, dance, literature, film, pop, TV drama and theatre. The event includes a world exclusive premiere, the first public performance of the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's long anticipated new show Love Never Dies, sung by its star Sierra Boggess.
Melvyn Bragg interviews the novelist Ian McEwan, focusing on his latest novel 'Saturday', which follows the day in the life of a successful neurosurgeon Henry Perowne set against the background of protest against the Iraq War. In addition Bragg also looks at the author's life and previous work. McEwan's style has moved from macabre short stories to novels which test and explore their characters ruling ethos (particularly an interest in science). McEwan makes for a engaging and thoughtful interviewee who can often be fascinating, even for those not familiar with his work.
Melvyn Bragg presents a new interview with acting legend Ian McKellen, who has been a subject of the show three times before, beginning in 1981. From the earnest young man discussing the craft of acting and his passion for the theatre to the established film star who attributed his newfound emotional freedom to having publicly come out, the programme comes up to date with McKellen's life and career.
Melvyn Bragg meets Judi Dench at the Rose Theatre in Kingston where she was recently performing in Midsummer Night’s Dream, re-uniting her with long time friend and collaborator, Sir Peter Hall, who is directing the production.
The National Theatre's artistic director Nicholas Hytner gives Melvyn an exclusive look at his past successes and current projects.
Pat Barker talks to Melvyn and offers an insight into her fascination with World War I and the inspiration behind her books.
The series discovers how grime music evolved from its humble beginnings on an East London housing estate to become a global phenomenon.DJ Trevor Nelson and rapper Dizzee Rascal are featured on the show.
The series finds out how male dance and how the role of the male dancer has developed in classical ballet over the last one hundred years. Carlos Acosta, Edward Watson and Tamara Rojo are featured on the show.
Melvyn Bragg talks to composer, songwriter and comedian Tim Minchin about his life and career, including his award-winning work on the West End adaptation of Roald Dahl's book Matilda. He talks about his love of satire and puns, as well as his fascination with linguistic taboos and decision to move to England. The programme also features clips of Minchin performing at the Royal Albert Hall.
The arts documentary strand returns, with Melvyn Bragg talking to producer and comedy writer John Lloyd, who has been involved with programmes including Not the Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, Blackadder and QI. Featuring contributions by Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson and the team of researchers for QI.
Melvyn Bragg meets British playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan
An Anatomy of King Lear: Following the National Theatre's sell-out run of King Lear, Melvyn Bragg speaks to its star Simon Russell Beale and its director Sam Mendes.
Angel Blue: Melvyn Bragg meets rising star of the opera world Angel Blue as she stands on the cusp of worldwide fame. Also features Placido Domingo and Vladimir Chernov.
Daniel Radcliffe: Melvyn Bragg joins Daniel Radcliffe in New York, where the Harry Potter star is performing in The Cripple of Inishmaan, to discuss his career to date.
An interview with American author George RR Martin, whose epic fantasy novels have been brought to life in Sky Atlantic's Emmy Award-winning series Game of Thrones.
Melvyn Bragg talks to award-winning director Paul Greengrass, whose films include the politically charged Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy, United 93 and Captain Phillips.
Melvyn Bragg meets English novelist, biographer and critic Margaret Drabble, whose celebrated works include Jerusalem the Golden and The Pure Gold Baby.
The Birmingham singer tells Melvyn Bragg on the South Bank Show about her battle with her body image. Melvyn calls her “one of the most promising and original young singer songwriters in Britain today”. He talks to her about her hit debut album Sing to the Moon and the gospel, soul and classical influences that formed her childhood in Kings Heath. Laura also talks about her devastation at her parents’ divorce, which she expresses through her songs Father Father and Is There Anybody Out There?
In a candid discussion with Melvyn Bragg, Joseph Calleja reflects on how he has risen to become one of the most acclaimed and sought-after tenors in the world.
Melvyn Bragg meets English actor, theatre director and playwright Mark Rylance for a candid conversation about his glittering career on stage and screen
Melvyn Bragg sits down with Jamaican rhythm section and prolific record producers Sly and Robbie as they reflect on their remarkable and enduring careers.
In an engrossing chat with Melvyn Bragg, American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato sheds light on her extraordinary life and career as an operatic superstar.
Acclaimed screenwriter Russell T Davies talks to Melvyn Bragg about his inspiration for Queer As Folk, Cucumber and bringing Doctor Who back to our screens.
Ballet Black Melvyn Bragg explores the phenomenal rise of Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black, a company which provides a vital platform for young, aspiring dancers of black and Asian descent.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch talks to Melvyn Bragg about his leading role in Hamlet at the Barbican and reflects on why the 400-year-old play remains relevant today.
Melvyn Bragg sits down with Scotland's national poet and one of the UK's best-loved literary figures Jackie Kay, for a fascinating chat about her life and career.
Melvyn Bragg meets award-winning writer and director Amma Asante on the set of her latest film, Where Hands Touch, to find out more about the inspirational filmmaker. (
Melvyn Bragg meets Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard to discuss his life and work, including his six-volume Min Kamp series of autobiographical novels
Melvyn Bragg meets Sally Wainwright, one of the UK's most revered TV writers who has won BAFTA awards for her dramas Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley.
New. Melvyn Bragg meets Benjamin Clementine to discuss his a rollercoaster ride from busking in Paris to becoming a world-renowned singer-songwriter.
Melvyn Bragg talks to double Oscar nominee Jude Law and director Ivo van Hove about their production of Obsession at London's Barbican.
Melvyn Bragg meets British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, whose works include Nelson's Ship in a Bottle that was displayed on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth.
Melvyn Bragg returns with a new series of The South Bank Show, meeting more leading lights of the arts world, starting with comedian Tracey Ullman.
Melvyn Bragg talks to Beverley Knight. Regarded as one of Britain's greatest soul singers, she was awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to music. (2 of 6)
Melvyn Bragg meets Danielle de Niese, the opera star who has won worldwide acclaim as a prolific recording artist, TV personality and philanthropist
Melvyn Bragg talks to Sonia Friedman, the renowned theatre producer responsible for some of the most successful productions in West End and on Broadway. (4 of 6)
Melvyn Bragg talks to Gail Rebuck. As one of the most influential figures in British publishing she was awarded a CBE in 2000 and made a Dame in 2009. (5 of 6)
Melvyn Bragg talks to Andria Zafirakou, a teacher at Alperton Community School and the 2018 Global Teacher Prize winner, about why the arts matter. (6 of 6)
Melvyn Bragg sits down for an exclusive interview with the writer and creator of Bodyguard and Line of Duty, Jed Mercurio.
Melvyn Bragg meets screenwriter Jack Thorne, looking at his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and going on the set of his adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
Melvyn Bragg meets comedy writers and actors Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, talking about their work on The League of Gentlemen and going behind the scenes on an episode of Inside No 9.
Melvyn Bragg meets Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas, chatting to her about her life and career, including her adaptations of Little Women and Ballet Shoes.
Melvyn meets the renowned actress at the Young Vic in London, where they discuss her career. She also performs an an exclusive reading as Margaret Thatcher. (1 of 4)
Melvyn Bragg talks to writer Bernardine Evaristo, the first black woman to win the Booker Prize, about her life, her work and her determination to succeed. (2 of 4)
The ground-breaking performance poet gets candid with Melvyn Bragg as he discusses his life and performs a selection of his most personal poems
Melvyn meets the West Yorkshire poet Simon Armitage, who was appointed UK's 21st Poet Laurate in 2019, to discuss his colourful career.
The nominees for this year's Sky Arts South Bank Times Breakthrough Awards come under the spotlight.
Melvyn Bragg presents profiles of comedy double-act the Pin, author Marina Kemp and film director Nick Rowland.
Meeting Noah Jupe, Mishka Rushdie Momen and Alex Woolf - young and talented creatives nominated for the 2021 Sky Arts South Bank Times Breakthrough Awards.
Arielle Smith & Alberta Whittle: Meet more young and talented creatives nominated for the 2021 Sky Arts South Bank Times Breakthrough Awards. (4 of 4)
Melvyn Bragg hosts the 26th ceremony, honouring excellence in dance, theatre, pop, TV drama, film, classical music, literature, opera, comedy and visual art.
Helen Mirren is one of the best-known and most respected actresses in the world, with a career that spans over 30 years. In the first episode of the series, she joins Melvyn to discuss her diverse and prolific career across theatre, film, and television, exploring a range of work including her early days at the Royal Shakespeare Company to her extraordinary Oscar winning performance in The Queen.
Comedian and writer Frank Skinner has become one of Britain's best-loved and most successful comedians since his debut on the comedy circuit in 1987. Frank talks to Melvyn about his working-class upbringing, his decision to embark on a career as a comedian at the relatively late age of 30, and the success of his TV presenting career including Fantasy Football League and The Frank Skinner Show.
Cuban ballet superstar Carlos Acosta has captivated audiences around the world throughout his 30-year career. Celebrated for his athleticism, phenomenal technique and magnetic stage presence, Carlos talks to Melvyn about his life and career, starting with his childhood in Cuba and his performance at the Prix De Lausanne international youth ballet competition which made him the youngest ever principal with the English National Ballet.
